The direct translation of lectio divina is “divine reading”. The practice of lectio offers the practitioner the opportunity to read scripture and meditate on its meaning. The main idea of this practice is to focus your attention on a particular scripture verse and read it over several times. The ultimate goal is to open ourselves up to what God has to say to us through scripture and be transformed in the process.
The four steps of the practice are as follows:
1. Read (slowly and several times if necessary)
2. Meditate – sit with the reading and let it sink in – quiet your mind and let God speak to you through His writing. This is where we truly practice the command of “Be still and know that I am God”! I personally like to meditate first on the general meaning of scripture and then on how the verse is speaking to me at that particular moment in my life.
3. Respond (through prayer speak to God in response to what you have discerned through meditation)
4. Contemplate – rest here allowing yourself to soak in the whole experience and allowing yourself to be transformed
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