HOW TO READ THE BIBLE AND HEAR GOD’S VOICE
I love reading. And being a parent of three daughters has
further convinced me of the value of reading. When my girls were little, my
favorite time of the day was reading time with them, just before they went to
bed.
In the mid 1990s I discovered the art of “spiritual
reading” through the writing of Eugene Peterson.
Spiritual reading is sometimes called lectio divina. It is an ancient practice of reading and
prayer. We can trace its roots back to Origen in the 3rd century. Spiritual
reading is about reading Scripture, devotional works, and other spiritually
edifying books, prayerfully. It’s reading slowly and with attention to the
Spirit and voice of Jesus Christ. It’s not about gaining knowledge. It’s about reading
for spiritual formation. It’s about listening reverently and lovingly and
prayerfully and silently to Jesus’ voice. He is speaking to us through our
reading. It’s about savoring Scripture and devotional reading. And it’s doing
this for the sake of prayer, intimacy with God, and spiritual formation.
Spiritual reading has four movements or stages.
These four movements are:
1.
Reading the Bible passage slowly and prayerfully.
2.
Reflecting on the reading.
3.
Praying about the biblical passage you’re reading.
4.
Contemplating the meaning of the Bible reading for your life,
and taking action.
I have enjoyed practicing this kind of spiritual
reading for twenty years. But, I find it needs modification to stoke my
passion for mission.
Lately, I’ve moved from spiritual reading (lectio divina) to a form of prayerful
missional reading (lectio missio). . .
Read more at https://theglobalchurchproject.com/read-bible-and-hear-god/
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