Meeting god in scripture: a hands-on guide to Lectio Divina

Lectio Divina - Latin for 'Divine Reading' - is a practice of Scripture reading that treats the Bible not only as a text to be examined, but also as the living Word of God spoken anew to us.

Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate.

Experienced Bible teacher Jan Johnson gives us forty Scripture meditations organised topically, giving us the tools we need to practice Lectio Divina on our own.

Each meditation can be used both individually and in group settings, and includes: An introduction to the meditation encouraging a time of quiet preparatory exercise; the complete passage from Scripture with explanations, context, and background to the text, help to enter and absorb the text; space to contemplate the passage, respond to God in prayer and rest in his presence; and an exercise to implement the ideas of the passage in our daily lives.

Meeting God in Scripture moves us beyond merely understanding what the text meant in its original context to a direct spiritual encounter with Christ.