Are you listening for the quiet still voice of God?
Lectio Divina is a formal prayer practice. It is praying the Bible, applying listening and silence to the Word of God in order to hear God speak. You begin by praying a passage and reading it to yourself. Continuing to read it several times...permitting the words to descend deep into your soul.
"Read with a vulnerable heart. Expect to be blessed in the reading. Read as one awake, one waiting for the Beloved. Read with reverence."
Marcrina Weiderkehr
Marcrina Weiderkehr
This manner of reading naturally gives way to listening. Listening for what? Well, don't quickly read to understand (yet), but listen for words that 'tug' at you...words that urge you to go deeper with God.
"Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers
have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. " Psalm 42:7,8
have swept over me. By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life. " Psalm 42:7,8
As you begin to listen, focus your thoughts on that word. Sit with it...turning it over and over. Allow it to resonate within you...
"The key to lectio divina is not focusing too much on the literal, surface meaning of the passage you are reading. That meaning may end up being important, but it is also quite possible that God will use the passage to speak to you about something completely unrelated to its literal content."
Daniel Wolpert Creating a Life with God
Daniel Wolpert Creating a Life with God
Here are several suggestions for lectio divina:
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