In her book When the Soul Listens, Jan Johnson lists 24 texts in which the Bible praises people for listening to God and condemns them for not listening to God.[1] At least 24 times we are invited to have eyes to see and ears to hear what God is doing and saying. For example, God scolds Israel in Is. 42:20 “He sees many things, but does not observe them; his ears are open, but he does not hear.” Jesus repeatedly invited “If anyone has ears, let him hear.” The Bible is filled with this invitation to have ears to hear God and eyes to see God. But how does that work? How do we hear God? How do we listen to what God is saying? How do we see what God is doing?
One way to listen to God is through Scripture. Just because a person knows the words written by God doesn’t mean he is listening to God. The Pharisees demonstrate that it is possible to be biblically astute, yet spiritually deaf. However, it is possible for Scripture to be a conduit through which we hear a fresh and living voice from God today. The Bible is not merely the record of what God has said in the past. It is also the report of what God is saying in the present.
When most of us open our Bible, we are asking the question “What did God say?” We assume that these pages are filled with the words God said thousands of years ago. But it is also possible to open the Bible and ask the question “What is God saying?” We can hear a fresh word from God each day through Scripture.
For more than 1,500 years, Christians have utilized a particular way of reading Scripture that allows them to hear God in the present. The practice is called lectio divina.
This approach to Scripture goes all the way back to a man named Benedict.[2] In the 6th century, Benedict, disgusted with the sin he saw in the city of Rome, retreated to a village. And there he organized some spiritual communities which were built around three practices: prayer, work, and lectio divina. The purpose of lectio divina was to enable people to hear God’s word speaking to them in their current context.
Lectio Divina takes place in four stages: Read, Reflect, Respond, and Rest.
Read
First, you select a text and you read it. Choose a text that is not too long. Get into a comfortable position and maintain silence for several minutes. This prepares your heart to listen. Then read the text slowly. Savor each word. Read the text two or three times. You might read it out loud. The goal is to hear a word or phrase that speaks to you, or that catches your attention. As you slowly read, be sensitive for a word or a phrase that catches your attention. Once you have that word or phrase, move to next step.
Reflect
The second step involves reflection. Slowly repeat the word or phrase that has caught your attention. Meditate on it. If you keep a journal, write the word or phrase there. And ask, “Why did this word or phrase catch my attention?” and “What is it about my life that needs to hear this word today?” You could journal your answers to those questions or just think about them. The goal is to identify why God has placed this word or phrase on your heart and what God may be asking you to do or be through it.
Respond
The third step is to respond through prayer. God has spoken to you through his word. Now it’s time for you to speak to him. If through that word or phrase God has convicted you of sin, respond with prayerful repentance. If through that word or phrase God has given you a new understanding about something, respond with prayerful gratitude.
Rest
Finally, rest. Just as you began with a few moments of silence, so now finish with a few moments of silence. Just rest in the grace of God.
Take ten minutes this morning to practice lectio divina on a text of Scripture.
[1] Jan Johnson When the Soul Listens (NavPress, 1999), 52 (Deut. 29:4; Ps. 115:6; 135:17; Prov. 20:12; Is. 6:10; 30:21; 32:3; 42:20; Jer. 5:21; 6:10; 9:20; Ez. 12:2; 40:4; Matt. 11:15; 13:9, 15-16, 43; Mk. 4:9, 23; 8:18; Lk. 8:8; 14:35; Acts 28:27; Rom. 11:8)
[2] Tony Jones The Sacred Way, (Zondervan, 2005), 48.
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