PRAYER - LECTIO DIVINA

The Examen - Imaginative Contemplation - Prayer on Life - Other Prayer from the Spiritual Exercises

Known by the Latin name of Lectio Divina, or 'Divine Reading', this is a centuries old method of praying with Scriptures.
This method especially suited to praying the psalms, parts of the prophets, wisdom literature, and the epistles.

• First, choose the passage you intend to pray.

• Enter into the prayer in a quiet place in a comfortable yet attentive posture.

• Mark the start of the prayer by recognising you are in the presence of God.

• Be aware of your own needs
  - what gift or grace do you feel you need to ask of God?

• Slowly read the passage

• Stop where a word of phrase strikes you.
  Savour it, stay with it as long as there is something in it for you.
  The passage may trigger off thoughts on your own life - that is fine.

• Talk to God in your own words, or simply stay in silence before God.

• When you are ready, or if you become distracted, move on to the next phrase, and again,
  stop when something strikes you. Take your time.

• When your prayer time is finished, end with a short prayer.

The idea is not so much to think about the passage as to let it engage your feelings, emotions and life.

The questions to ask when looking back on the prayer are:
     What struck me?
     How did I react and feel?
     Does this tell me anything about God, myself, or the way I relate to God or to others?

©2013 St Beuno's