Reading/ listening to Scripture is fundamental to experiencing God and growing spiritually. Many Godly people of old understood this principle. Many centuries before a strategy was developed for daily reading the bible called the Lectio Divina, or divine reading. The founders of the medieval tradition of Lectio Divina were Saint Benedict and Pope Gregory I. It needs to be stated that the method was given as a way to cultivate a devoted heart not a way to do theology. The study of scripture aiming at formulating doctrine has its own method. The more theological minded a person is the more clearly and beautifully the Lectio Divina will unearth there heart.
The daily life in a Benedictine monastery was broken down into the aspects: liturgical prayer, manual labor and Lectio Divina, the last being a quiet prayerful reading of the Bible. This slow and thoughtful reading of Scripture, and the ensuing pondering of its meaning, was a monk’s daily meditation.
Saint Benedict in his Rule (chapter #48) have his monks regimented times and manners for Lectio Divina. The goal was to progress from Bible reading, to meditation, to prayer, to loving regard for God. A Carthusian monk and prior of Grande Chartreuse in the 12th century named Guigo described the steps as a "ladder". Using the terms lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplation, as successive rungs on the ladder. In Guigo's four stages one first reads the bible often following the liturgy of the church. The read leads to think about the significance of the text, that process in turn leads the person to respond in prayer as the third stage. The fourth stage is when the prayer, in turn, points to the gift of quiet stillness in the presence of God, called contemplation. I like to use the four steps of read, reflect, respond, rest.
1. Read. I take a bit-sized amount of text. I read the short text slow, usually out loud, 3-6 times. Sometimes I’ll read 2 translations. As I read, I’m listening for a word or phrase that catches my attention. If it is a story, then some aspect of the story that seems to jump out at me.
2. Reflect. First, I seek to just understand the significance of the text. If The Lord catches my attention with a word, phrase, or aspect of the story. I reflect on it, and deeply ponder it in my heart. What is it about my life which needs that word or phrase? Why did God put that word or phrase on my heart today? What does that word or phrase speak into my life today?
3. Respond. Further, I take a few moments to pray to God about what I’ve heard. Since God has spoken to me through his word, I speak now to God. If his word has convicted me of sin (both of omission or commotion) I respond with repentance and reliance on the gospel for forgiveness. If his word has encouraged me, I thank him.
4. Rest. Before leaving this holy time, I spend a minute or two in silence. I just rest in the presence of God. He’s spoken. I’ve spoken. Now I just relax, take some deep breaths, and am present with God.
Remember the goal of such a method of reading scripture is not doing all the steps or experiencing God or even inward transformation. The goal is just knowing and loving God through reading His Book.
You’ll experience a new closeness with God, you will begin to be changed, and such things are just health by products of time in the Word. Lectio Divina is like training wheels, it is an outline to give you the steps to enter into communion with God. The more you do it the quicker the steps will slowly fade away into habit and God and His Word will take center stage.
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