Advent 2023—Lectio Divina part 4

This Advent I am going to look at the practice of Lectio Divina, mostly because it is my favourite form of prayer and meditation. Lectio Divina means “Divine Reading” in Latin. It is a systematic way of reading the Bible dating back to the early centuries of the Christian church.

Lectio Divina has four parts:

1. Reading: Read the passage slowly and carefully.
2. Meditation: Think deeply about the text.
3. Prayer: Have a loving conversation with God.
4. Contemplation: Rest in God’s presence.

The next step in Lectio Divina is called Meditatio, which is just a fancy Latin word for reflection or meditation. This is when you take the time to read through the passage again, maybe even just a part of it, and really think about it. It’s like giving it a second look, but this time with a deeper focus. So go ahead and dive back into the text, soak it in, and rather than let your thoughts wander, focus your mind.

To put it simply, you’ve chosen a passage to read, made yourself comfy to pray and went through it slowly and with a lot of devotion. And guess what? You ended up finding a word or maybe just a few words that really grabbed your attention.

Now, go ahead and say another prayer. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what God wants to say. Read the passage again, but this time, focus on the words you received earlier. Don’t overthink it or analyse it like you’re studying the Bible. Instead, listen carefully to what God might be trying to say to you. This is the meditation part, mate. Take a few moments to reflect on what’s been going down so far.

Congrats, you’re halfway through your Lectio Divina! Keep up the good work!

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An example: I continue from where I left off in the previous post.

A God … who acts for those who wait for him.

Those were the words that I believe God gave me in the first part of the example taken from the lectionary Old Testament reading for Advent Sunday. For my second reading I have decided to shorten the reading to the first 5 verses. This is purely my own choice. You could read the whole of the passage if you wish, especially if the words God spoke to you in the first reading came from a different part of the passage.

64 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
    that the mountains might quake at your presence—
²  as when fire kindles brushwood
    and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
    and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
³ When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
    you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
⁴ From of old no one has heard
    or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
    who acts for those who wait for him.
⁵ You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
    those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
    in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?

Isaiah 64:1-5 ESVUK

Did you hear anything?? God spoke to me. I’m about to have surgery, but hearing that “God helps those who wait for him” message was so comforting. To say that I’m not even worried anymore would be going a bit too far, but I know God’s got my back and has been doing his thing, even when I wasn’t asking for help. It’s pretty amazing, don’t you think?

I’d love to hear if God spoke to you.