 When you think about prayer, what comes to mind for you? In my journey with prayer, I have come to think of prayer as God's work in me. Though this might be a simple statement about prayer, it best captures my present understanding of prayer. To quote Chris E. Green "Prayer is the life of Jesus coming alive in us." of Prayer, especially contemplative prayer, is really about paying attention in a deep and engaging manner. This is so needed in this spiritually distracting world. One of the prayer practices that has been so meaningful to me over the last couple of decades is Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina provides a vibrant means of engaging with the living word of God. Lectio Divina, which is the Latin phrase for 'Divine Reading', is an ancient practice of the slow reading of scripture intended to promote communion with God. This practice is not a method of reading scripture for the purpose of study, but a means of approaching scripture as the 'living word'. It makes provision for you to meditate on a short passage of scripture by taking time in silence to notice how God might be drawing you into deeper communion with Him. Here is how I tend to engage in this prayer practice. I begin by identifying a short selection of scripture (3-5 verses is plenty). From here I typically follow these 5 movements over a period of 15-30 minutes (lingering with scripture is encouraged). Begin by taking some time to become still before the Lord. I find that bringing my attention to my breathing can be a helpful means to enter into a place of stillness and silence in the midst of God's Presence. 1st Reading: Now read aloud the scripture selection. It is important to read slowly. I find it helpful to place a number of pauses as I read. After the reading take time in silence to let the words become acquainted with your heart. 2nd Reading: After some silence read again and this time give notice to any word or phrase that seems to be catching your attention. Some describe it as 'a shimmering' word. You may not know why its catching your attention, but for some reason it is. Then during a period of silent reflection begin to ponder this word or phrase and consider its meaning. 3rd Reading: After the silence read slowly once again and this time consider how this word or phrase might be intersecting with your current life experiences. Again, take time in silence to ponder those connections. 4th Reading: After this reading allow for a prayer to rise up from your heart in response to the Lord. 5th Reading: After this last reading of the scripture, let go of all focus and take an extended time of silence to simply rest in God's presence. I like to conclude by praying the Lord's prayer or Psalm 23 If you like you can download a file of audio recordings of various Lectio Divina prayers that I recorded. It will guide you through 7 different readings. Perhaps this will serve you by leading you into an ongoing experiences with God through this beautiful prayer practice. 
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