Description
Lectio Divina: A Meditation on Prayer and Rejoicing
Join us in a guided Lectio Divina meditation focused on prayer and … (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Welcome to this Lectio Divina meditation on prayer and rejoicing. You’ll see a progress bar for each Lectio Divina stage, but remember you can pause the video at any point if you’d like more time. You may find a pen and paper or a meditation journal useful, or you can download a Lectio Divina meditation worksheet from biblemeditation.org/worksheets.
Let’s still our hearts and minds and pray.
Lord God, thank you for this opportunity to read and reflect on your word. Thank you for this chance to hear from you, God, to receive your grace and your personal attention. Please speak and help us to hear. Amen.
The first stage of Lectio Divina is lectio, reading. We’re reading the words of God in the presence of God and actively listening to the Holy Spirit. See if anything catches your attention while you read. Listen to the words in the passage and to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Take notes if you like.
1 Thessalonians 5, verses 16 to 18.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Carefully read this passage a few times, in your head or out loud. Really pay attention to the words as you read.
The second stage is meditatio, meditation. Now we reflect and ponder. Here are some questions you can consider.
What particularly caught your attention?
What do you feel?
How does this passage apply to your life right now?
And what is God asking you to do?
I’ll leave these questions on screen. Feel free to make notes as you meditate.
The third Lectio Divina stage is oratio, speaking to God, or prayer. This prayer flows out of your reading in your meditation. In your prayer, you may like to include:
Thanks and gratitude.
Confession or repentance.
Petitions or requests to God.
And your response to the meditation, which may include a commitment to God.
Make a note of your prayers if you like. And now we pray.
The fourth Lectio Divina stage is contemplatio, silent contemplation. We’ll pray and then rest quietly in God’s presence for a minute. You can write down anything you learn in this section.
Please first pray this prayer with me.
Heavenly Father, thank you for your voice and your word. Thank you for this time of meditation. God, I ask you now to work in my heart and my mind. Everything I have and everything I am is yours. Be glorified now in me, I pray. Amen.
An optional fifth stage of Lectio Divina is incarnatio, that’s incarnation, taking the whole Lectio Divina meditation and making it flesh, turning it into action. Consider these questions.
What have you learnt during this time?
How can you put it into practice?
How can you act on what God has shown you?
Again, you’re welcome to make notes as you contemplate.
Father God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, how can we thank you enough for what you bring us? We lay down our lives now for you, God. Please accept this offering and please use us as your instruments on this earth as we continue walking the path you have set out for us. Amen.
