Lectio divina, or divine reading, has 4 ‘movements’: Read, meditate, pray and contemplate. You might like to try this exercise using Psalm 23.

Read:

We read Psalm 23 or listen to it several times, inviting the Holy Spirit to draw our attention to what God wants us to notice in the passage.

What word or phrase attracts us? Or maybe inspires us, alarms us, interests, convicts, stirs, challenges, grips us?

I wonder what the Holy Spirit drew your attention to?  What did you notice? What word or phrase attracted you… stirs, challenges, convicts…?

Meditate:

The second movement is to meditate on what God has drawn your attention to. Take that word or phrase and ponder it… ruminate… reflect on and interact with it. Take time to chew over it. What feelings does it elicit? What thoughts come to mind?

Allow plenty of silence…

Accept and embrace what the Holy Spirit has illumined for you.

Pray:

Let your meditation lead you to prayer. Share with God, discuss it with God. Why this word or phrase?

Thank God… Worship God…

Contemplate:

Become aware of God’s presence with you now. Appreciate God’s presence. Be still, be silent and fully present in this moment with God.

Silence:

God’s gift to us is himself! This is the ‘end’ or ‘goal’ of Lectio Divina.

Amen.