In his book The Power of a Whisper Bill Hybels focuses on about 20 individuals in the Bible who heard God in a distinct way.[1] These include Adam and Eve, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Balaam, Joshua, Samuel, Job, Zechariah, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Philip, Peter, and Paul. These were all individuals who heard directly from God and who listened to God. Is the same possible today?
During these three days we are considering the fact that it is possible to listen to God—through Scripture. Scripture is a powerful transformative tool in the hands of the Holy Spirit. Mark Buchanan writes, “I propose we practice the holy habit of reading the Holy Bible whole. We are, after all, purportedly the people of the book. And the whole book is God-breathed and useful. If this stuff gets in you, down in your guts, it is going to shape you in ways beyond your asking or imagination.”[2] The more we hear God through Scripture, the more it gets down in our guts and shapes us in ways beyond our imagination. Scriptures cleanses us and washes us. John Ortberg writes, “Imagine having a mind cleansed of all the debris that blocks our best intentions. Imagine if each time you saw another person your first thought was to pray for him or bless her. Imagine what it would be like if, any time you were challenged or anxious, your reflexive response would be to turn to God for strength. Imagine, if you’re a married man, that whenever you looked at any woman other than your wife you would see her as if she were your sister or your daughter. Imagine genuinely wishing your enemies well. That’s what it would be to have the mind washed by the Word. That is what it means to let the word of Christ dwell in you richly. This how we are to be transformed by Scripture.”[3]
What is needed, however, to experience this transformation is a way of reading the Bible that permits its message to sink deep into our hearts. Lectio Devina is that way. Marjorie Thompson calls it “spiritual reading”: “Spiritual reading is reflective and prayerful. It is concerned not with speed or volume but with depth and receptivity. That is because the purpose of spiritual reading is to open ourselves to how God may be speaking to us in and through any particular text. The manner of spiritual reading is like drinking in the words of a love letter or pondering the meaning of a poem. It is not like skittering over the surface of a popular magazine or plowing through a computer manual. We are seeking not merely information but formation.”[4]
Lectio Divina gives us formation not just information. It takes place in four stages: Read, Reflect, Respond, and Rest.
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.
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.
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.
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 today and practice Lectio Divina on a short text in the Bible.
[1] Bill Hybels The Power of a Whisper (Zondervan, 2010), Kindle Edition.
[2] Mark Buchanan, Your God is Too Safe (Multnomah 2001), 204.
[3]John Ortberg, The Life You’ve Always Wanted (Zondervan, 1997), 176-177.
[4]Marjorie Thompson, Soul Feast (Westminster John Knox, 1985), 18.
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