How to Pray with Scripture – The Basics

My classmate from the seminary, Fr. Vincent Rogers, is a Trappist Monk. I remember asking him one time about their silent reading time at the monastery. He told me about the ancient form of prayer called Lectio Divina or Sacred Reading and what it involved. This way of praying with scriptures has been practiced in the monastery for more than 1,000 years, so it is a tried a true method. However, it is not just limited to monks and nuns! It is something that we can do too! I have used this method with fifth graders many of whom really enjoyed it. If they benefited from it, I am sure that others will be blessed by using this method too!

The four basic steps involve:

Lectio - reading a scripture text slowly several times. At least one time softly read the text aloud. The text does not need to be long. It may just be a few sentences! What is important is that we spend time with it and allow the Holy Spirit to stir up within us.

Meditatio - Meditating on the text. This involves going over a word, phrase, or idea contained in the text that stirs inside. So, we pay attention to our thoughts, feelings, and desires as they arise. We need to exercise patience here as this is the Lord’s work not ours. We are on His timetable now! This is where we give the Lord an opportunity to speak to us. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you to listen!

Oratio – Praying in response to the text. This is our part of the dialogue with the Lord that is taking place. We share with the Lord those things that have come up in our prayer. The Lord delights in hearing from us. Whatever we share is all important to the Lord. St. Augustine echoed St. Isidore’s idea of prayer when he stated, “Your prayer is the word you speak to God, When you read the Bible, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God.”

Contemplatio – resting in the Lord – Having just carried on this dialogue with the Lord, one can now simply rest in God’s presence knowing that God loves us and wants to strength us by this time of encounter with Him.

Journaling - Some people further benefit by using a journal to record their prayer experience. It can be a very helpful tool for you to see all the ways the Lord has spoken to you. I find myself going back into my journals and finding insights that I did not even see at the time I wrote! Things to write about are the things you sensed the Lord telling you; thoughts, feelings, and desires, as well as challenges or words that brought comfort or peace.

Some Resources: 
" Praying Scripture for a Change: An Introduction to Lectio Divina" by Tim Gray, Ascension Press and " WRAP yourself in Scriptures" by Karen and Lawrence Dwyer, Institute For Priestly Formation Press