Encountering God Day By Day

Traditional Christian Spiritual Discipline is the wonderful legacy left by our Church forefathers to us. These means of grace help us to create a sacred space in our daily life so that we could encounter God at all times. [1] “Lectio Divina” is one of the spiritual practices that I have found beneficial and here, I would like to introduce it to you. May we be like Mary who sat and rested at the feet of our Lord Jesus.

Lectio Divina, is also known as Divine Reading. In Latin, Lectio means “reading” and Divina means “divine” or “sacred”. As the term suggests, Lectio Divina refers to a way of reading Scriptures where one engages in conversation with the Divine. In Lectio Divina, we come to our Lord with an open heart and an open self. We allow the Word of God to speak to us without dwelling on it using our logical sense. In this practice, we read the Scriptures slowly. The Word of God is read from the bottom of our heart. As we read it with our mouth, we hear the Word with our ears, and finally the Word settles down in our soul. Lectio Divina allows the Living Word of God to feed us without the hindrances of any exegetical or theological methods.

There are four steps in Lectio Divina. I would usually use the “Jesus Prayer” to prepare myself for this spiritual practice. [2] At the end of my time with the Lord, I would record my interaction with Him and any insights gained during the exercise in my spiritual journal. There are also other creative ways to respond to God’s invitation to you in the session. Some of them include drawing, writing poems, singing to God, or even praying The Lord’s Prayer. I have listed the following six steps and I pray that you will find them useful to help you use Lectio Divina to meet the Lord.

(Pre) Preparation – Come before the Lord in silence, take a few deep breaths, calm down your hearts and gently pray the “Jesus Prayer”. Another alternative is to place your palms downwards and pray, “I unload all my burdens to You / Unloading my burdens”, then gently turn your palms upwards and pray, “I receive Your grace / Receiving Your grace”.

(1) Lectio (Reading) – If you are new to this spiritual exercise, you may select Psalms or any of the Gospels as your text for reading. With an open heart in front of the Lord, read the scripture aloud, taking your time with each word. Repeat reading the passage at least three times. In the process, take note of the rhythm in your heart and the words or images which capture your attention.

(2) Meditatio (Meditation) – After reading the passage for three times, pause for a moment at the words or images that attract you. Now, focus on the words or images, ruminating them in your heart or mouth. Then as if you are eating, slowly chew the words and images that you have received. With a humble and teachable heart, remain open in God’s presence.

(3) Oratio (Prayer) – Seek the Lord, seek His desire and illumination through the words and images that you received. Ask for His wisdom, strength and help. With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this is the time to repent, give thanks, plead, intercede, or even sing praises. Pause when you feel any struggle or desire. This is the moment to dialogue with God. Pour out your heart to Him!

(4) Contemplatio (Contemplation) – With prayer, we move to contemplation. Continue to remain silence in front of God and enjoy the peace from Him. At this moment, stop all conversation with God and sit quietly at the feet of Jesus, receiving His illumination and grace. Let Him fill you with His loving presence.

(Post) Journal – Journal what you have received and experienced in Lectio Divina, turning this divine moment into a piece of artwork or composition, and keep it as a wonderful record. This could be a great reminder to us in future especially when we go through low seasons in our spiritual life. We can then be assured that “God would never be absent from our life”.

Encountering God day by day, stabilizing our pace in life; encountering God day by day, creating a sacred space in life. Through this spiritual exercise, may we at all times create a sacred space in our hearts and in our daily lives. May we feel the presence of the Lord as we allow Him to speak and work in us. Let us encounter God day by day and may encountering God becomes our everyday.

[1] Henri J. M. Nouwen, Letters to Marc about Jesus: Living a Spiritual Life in a Material World (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 2009), 75.

[2] The complete version of Jesus Prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” A shorter version of Jesus Prayer goes like this, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.”