Learning the Discipline of Lectio Divina

This week's immersion diverges from the normal routine to introduce a type of meditation and prayer using God’s Word. Each day has a thought prompt for journaling your reflections. 

Lectio Divina (“divine reading”) is a form of praying that uses Scripture to study, ponder, listen and pray. The desired outcome is a deeper knowledge of scripture, yourself, others, and God. You’ll need to set time aside for a slow savoring of the word. If it helps you to be attentive and relaxed -- a candle, cross, or dimmed room can lend focus to your mind. Many people have found “breath prayers” helpful to this end. Breath prayers are very simple and usually very short phrases to coincide with your breathing: Inhale while dwelling on one phrase, exhale with a second (not necessarily aloud); repeat to settle the mind and relax: Here is an example to practice with for today, called “The Jesus Prayer”:

Lord Jesus (while inhaling)
have mercy (while exhaling)

There are four areas to engage in Lectio Divina. There is a general pattern, but no order is required; move freely between them and trust that God’s Spirit will guide you. We will handle the sections in this order -- one day at a time: Reading, Meditation, Prayer, and Contemplation (each explained later this week). While we will dig into the full reading tomorrow, let your meditation for the week start with this phrase from Matthew 6:21:

Micro-Meditation