Looking to dive deeper into your time with God, but not sure where to start?
Spending time with God doesn’t have to be a complex ritual. All you need to do is prepare your heart to hear from Him and humbly approach His Word.
These five basic principles can help you open your Bible and prepare to hear from God.
- BE STILL: Be still before God. Breathe deeply. Be present to God, as God is present with you. (Psalm 46:10)
- ADORE: Offer praise and thanksgiving to God. (Psalm 100)
- SHARE: Talk with God about the people and things on your heart and mind. (Psalm 62:8)
- INVITE: Ask God to speak to you as you look to the Scriptures and listen for his Word. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
- COMMIT: Dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to God and to living out God’s call in your life. (Romans 12:1-2)
Using Lectio Divina to listen to the Word of God
Lectio Divina is an ancient method of listening to the Word of God. For centuries, people of faith have used this method to prayerfully open their hearts and minds to God’s Word. It can be practiced individually and/or together with others in a group and is a great way to seek insights and applications from the Holy Scriptures.
Key to the experience is trusting Jesus at his word when he said, “Ask and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.” (Luke 11: 9-10) With this in mind, pray for God to open your heart to the Scriptures before you open your Bible. After you open your Bible, ask God to speak to you and trust the Holy Spirit to help you hear God’s Word for you as you seek it.
Follow this basic format:
- 1. Read the passage; ask God to speak to you and sit quietly before God for a minute; then share with God (and others, if you are in a group) a word or phrase that stood out to you.
- 2. Read the passage; ask God to speak to you and sit quietly before God for a minute; then share with God (and others, if you are in a group) the images, feelings, thoughts, and questions that struck you (Lord, I was struck by …; I felt…; I saw or heard …).
- 3. Read the passage; ask God to speak to you and sit quietly before God for a minute; then share with God (and others, if you are in a group and feel comfortable sharing this) what you hear as God’s Word to you (Lord, I hear you telling me to …).
- 4. After the previous steps, you may want to read through the passage one more time and then sit quietly for another five to twenty minutes (this can be a time for centering prayer or other types of prayer).
Deepening the Experience
In either your first or second time reading through the passage, read it in the larger context in which the passage is situated.
Before reading through the second time, take time to study the passage. For example, look at the footnotes related to it in a study Bible or read what a commentary has to say about the text.
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