Slowing down and making space for prayer has never come easily for me. By nature, I like to \u201cdo.\u201d I find great satisfaction, probably too much, in crossing things off my list and accomplishing tasks. While there are spiritual disciplines, like service and Bible study, that fit nicely with this personality of mine, I sense that my busyness and hesitancy to stop and pray indicates I need it that much more.<\/p>\n
Just as being more disciplined about drinking water is the best way to get myself to want<\/em> to drink more water, I\u2019ve found that when I don\u2019t want to pray, the best thing to do is… pray. Having a method to build on can get me back into the habit of praying and help reorient what I prioritize. No matter how many \u201cimportant\u201d things are going on, I will once again long to be with God.<\/p>\n One of the more helpful prayer models I\u2019ve gone back to through the years was one I first learned during my college years: lectio divina<\/em>. Although the name may sound strange to our modern ears, it\u2019s actually a simple tool that can jumpstart a heart that is struggling to rest in God and pray. The name lectio divina<\/em> means \u201csacred reading\u201d and it was developed in the 3rd century by early Christians. In short, it is a method of prayer and Bible reading composed of 4 steps: (1) lectio<\/em> or reading, (2) meditatio<\/em> or reflecting, (3) oratio<\/em> or praying, (4) contemplatio<\/em> or resting.<\/p>\n Four Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n Lectio divina<\/em> works best if you intentionally carve out time to be alone with God. It\u2019s important to find a place that is quiet, comfortable, and free from distractions. Then, begin by asking God to speak to you through His Word and to help you notice what He has for you in this moment. If you\u2019re new to lectio divina<\/em> it\u2019s helpful to start with a shorter passage of Scripture, a biblical story (one of Jesus\u2019 parables, for example), or a few verses God has been bringing to your mind lately.<\/p>\n Lectio<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Once you have selected a portion of the Bible to focus on, practice the first step (lectio<\/em>) by slowly reading through the passage. Pay attention to words that are repeated often or any word or phrase you think God is drawing to your attention. For example, as I was recently reading Philippians 1 I was struck by how many times in the first eleven verses that Paul noted he was praying for this church. Seeing the word \u201cpray\u201d repeated several times in just a few verses caused me to stop and pay attention to why Paul was telling them he was praying for them as well as what he was asking God to do for them.<\/p>\n Meditatio<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Step two or meditatio<\/em> asks us to think and reflect on the passage. Read through it a second time and ask questions; ponder the words you\u2019re examining. Journaling your responses can help you get more out of this step and it allows you to go back to your thoughts later. Writing your thoughts down can also help you stay focused if you find your mind wandering. Examples of questions you can ask during this time include: What is this passage really saying? What do I learn about God from these verses? What would I possibly be experiencing (seeing, hearing, smelling, or thinking) if I was there in that moment of history?<\/p>\n Oratio<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n After you\u2019ve thoughtfully reflected on the passage, it\u2019s time to move to the next step and prayerfully respond (oratio<\/em>). Once again start by asking questions. However, this time the question should be ones that lead you into conversation with God. For example: \u201cWhat is the Holy Spirit inviting me to pray after what I\u2019ve just read? How is this passage leading me to thank or worship God? What secrets of my heart has this passage exposed? What do I want to communicate to God right now?\u201d If this step leads you back to the oratio<\/em> and meditatio<\/em> steps that\u2019s great! We don\u2019t have to be rigid with lectio divina<\/em>. The most important thing here is that we are responding to God.<\/p>\n Contemplatio\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n The fourth step is called contemplatio<\/em>, meaning \u201crest.\u201d As wonderful as it sounds, this can be a difficult step for many of us who have a hard time being still and one we are tempted to skip. However, God promises to restore us when we come to Him seeking rest (Psalm 23:2-3 and Matthew 11:28). In fact, He <\/em>is our rest. So, give yourself a few moments as you conclude this prayerful exercise and take a deep breath. Be with God. Soak in what the Holy Spirit has taught you over the last few minutes. Know God\u2019s love and his forgiveness all over again. Experience the joy and freedom in following him.<\/p>\n John Wesley, one of the most productive ministers in history, traveled over 250,000 miles on horseback (that\u2019s equivalent to 10 times around the earth) and preached 40,000 sermons.\u00a0 Despite all Wesley accomplished each day, he was absolutely dedicated to prayer. In fact, he vigorously depended on prayer and attributed his ability to fulfill his calling, to his regular habit of prayer. He said: \u201cI have so much to do<\/em> that I spend several hours in prayer before<\/em> I am able to do it.\u201d What a challenge his words are to those of us who are busy doing so many good things! Regardless of whether you try lectio divina<\/em> (and I hope you will) or begin cultivating a regular habit of prayer another way, my prayer is that we become people who are steadfast<\/em>\u2014determined, fixed, unwavering\u2014in prayer<\/em>. People who come to God daily with open hands saying, \u201cTeach me O God. Mold me into your servant and lead me on my way.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":5166,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1],"tags":[940,1127,1147,1146,1122],"class_list":{"0":"post-5165","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-childrens-ministries","8":"category-general","9":"tag-940","10":"tag-kristi-cain","11":"tag-lectio-divina","12":"tag-longing-for-god","13":"tag-steadfast-in-prayer","14":"entry"},"title_es":"Anhelo por Dios: rezando las Escrituras","content_es":"Reducir la velocidad y hacer espacio para la oraci\u00f3n nunca ha sido f\u00e1cil para m\u00ed. Por naturaleza, me gusta "hacer". Encuentro una gran satisfacci\u00f3n, probablemente demasiado, al tachar las cosas de mi lista y realizar tareas. Si bien existen disciplinas espirituales, como el servicio y el estudio de la Biblia, que encajan muy bien con esta personalidad m\u00eda, siento que mi preocupaci\u00f3n y vacilaci\u00f3n para detenerme y orar indica que lo necesito mucho m\u00e1s. As\u00ed como ser m\u00e1s disciplinado con respecto al agua potable es la mejor manera de conseguir que yo quiera<\/em> beber m\u00e1s agua, descubr\u00ed que cuando no quiero orar, lo mejor que puedo hacer es ... orar. Tener un m\u00e9todo sobre el cual construir me puede volver a la costumbre de orar y ayudar a reorientar lo que priorizo. No importa cu\u00e1ntas cosas "importantes" est\u00e9n sucediendo, volver\u00e9 a estar mucho tiempo con Dios. Uno de los modelos de oraci\u00f3n m\u00e1s \u00fatiles que he recordado a trav\u00e9s de los a\u00f1os fue el que aprend\u00ed por primera vez durante mis a\u00f1os universitarios: la lectio divina<\/em> . Aunque el nombre puede sonar extra\u00f1o para nuestros o\u00eddos modernos, en realidad es una herramienta simple que puede hacer saltar un coraz\u00f3n que lucha por descansar en Dios y orar. El nombre lectio divina<\/em> significa "lectura sagrada" y fue desarrollado en el siglo III por los primeros cristianos. En resumen, es un m\u00e9todo de oraci\u00f3n y lectura de la Biblia compuesto de 4 pasos: (1) lectio<\/em> o lectura, (2) meditatio<\/em> o reflexi\u00f3n, (3) oratio<\/em> o oraci\u00f3n, (4) contemplatio<\/em> o descanso. La<\/strong> Lectio divina de<\/em> Four Steps<\/strong> funciona mejor si usted intencionalmente aprovecha el tiempo para estar a solas con Dios. Es importante encontrar un lugar que sea tranquilo, c\u00f3modo y libre de distracciones. Luego, comienza pidi\u00e9ndole a Dios que te hable a trav\u00e9s de Su Palabra y te ayude a notar lo que \u00c9l tiene para ti en este momento. Si eres nuevo en la lectio divina<\/em> , es \u00fatil comenzar con un pasaje m\u00e1s corto de las Escrituras, una historia b\u00edblica (una de las par\u00e1bolas de Jes\u00fas, por ejemplo), o algunos versos que Dios te ha estado trayendo a la mente \u00faltimamente. Lectio<\/strong><\/em> Una vez que haya seleccionado una parte de la Biblia para enfocarse, practique el primer paso ( lectio<\/em> ) leyendo lentamente el pasaje. Preste atenci\u00f3n a las palabras que se repiten con frecuencia o cualquier palabra o frase que piense que Dios est\u00e1 llamando su atenci\u00f3n. Por ejemplo, mientras le\u00eda recientemente Filipenses 1, me sorprendi\u00f3 la cantidad de veces que en los primeros once versos Pablo not\u00f3 que estaba orando por esta iglesia. Al ver la palabra "orar" repetida varias veces en unos pocos versos, me detuve y prest\u00e9 atenci\u00f3n a por qu\u00e9 Pablo les estaba diciendo que estaba orando por ellos, as\u00ed como por lo que le estaba pidiendo a Dios que hiciera por ellos. Meditatio<\/strong><\/em> Paso dos o meditatio<\/em> nos pide que pensemos y reflexionemos sobre el pasaje. L\u00e9alo una segunda vez y haga preguntas; Reflexiona sobre las palabras que est\u00e1s examinando. Registrar sus respuestas puede ayudarlo a obtener m\u00e1s de este paso y le permite volver a sus pensamientos m\u00e1s tarde. Escribir sus pensamientos tambi\u00e9n puede ayudarlo a mantenerse enfocado si encuentra que su mente divaga. Algunos ejemplos de preguntas que puede hacer durante este tiempo incluyen: \u00bfQu\u00e9 dice realmente este pasaje? \u00bfQu\u00e9 aprendo acerca de Dios en estos vers\u00edculos? \u00bfQu\u00e9 estar\u00eda experimentando (viendo, escuchando, oliendo o pensando) si estuviera all\u00ed en ese momento de la historia? Oratio<\/strong><\/em> Despu\u00e9s de haber reflexionado cuidadosamente sobre el pasaje, es hora de pasar al siguiente paso y responder en oraci\u00f3n ( oratio<\/em> ). Una vez m\u00e1s comience haciendo preguntas. Sin embargo, esta vez la pregunta debe ser la que te lleve a conversar con Dios. Por ejemplo: \u201c\u00bfQu\u00e9 me invita el Esp\u00edritu Santo a orar despu\u00e9s de lo que acabo de leer? \u00bfC\u00f3mo me lleva este pasaje a agradecer o adorar a Dios? \u00bfQu\u00e9 secretos de mi coraz\u00f3n ha expuesto este pasaje? \u00bfQu\u00e9 quiero comunicarle a Dios ahora mismo? \u201d\u00a1Si este paso te lleva de nuevo a los pasos de oratio<\/em> y meditatio,<\/em> eso es genial! No tenemos que ser r\u00edgidos con la lectio divina<\/em> . Lo m\u00e1s importante aqu\u00ed es que estamos respondiendo a Dios. Contemplatio<\/strong><\/em> El cuarto paso se llama contemplatio<\/em> , que significa "descanso". Por maravilloso que parezca, este puede ser un paso dif\u00edcil para muchos de nosotros que tenemos dificultades para permanecer quietos y estamos tentados a saltar. Sin embargo, Dios promete restaurarnos cuando venimos a \u00c9l buscando reposo (Salmo 23: 2-3 y Mateo 11:28). De hecho, \u00c9l<\/em> es nuestro descanso. Por lo tanto, conc\u00e9dase unos momentos mientras concluye este ejercicio de oraci\u00f3n y respire hondo. Vaya con D\u00edos. Sum\u00e9rjase en lo que el Esp\u00edritu Santo le ha ense\u00f1ado en los \u00faltimos minutos. Conoce el amor de Dios y su perd\u00f3n una vez m\u00e1s. Experimenta la alegr\u00eda y la libertad de seguirlo. John Wesley, uno de los ministros m\u00e1s productivos de la historia, viaj\u00f3 m\u00e1s de 250,000 millas a caballo (lo que equivale a 10 veces alrededor de la tierra) y predic\u00f3 40,000 sermones. A pesar de todo lo que Wesley logr\u00f3 cada d\u00eda, estaba absolutamente dedicado a la oraci\u00f3n. De hecho, depend\u00eda vigorosamente de la oraci\u00f3n y atribu\u00eda su capacidad para cumplir su llamado, a su h\u00e1bito habitual de oraci\u00f3n. \u00c9l dijo: "Tengo tanto que hacer<\/em> que dedico varias horas a orar antes de<\/em> poder hacerlo". \u00a1Qu\u00e9 gran desaf\u00edo son sus palabras para aquellos de nosotros que estamos ocupados haciendo tantas cosas buenas! Independientemente de si prueba la lectio divina<\/em> (y espero que lo haga) o comience a cultivar un h\u00e1bito regular de oraci\u00f3n de otra manera, mi oraci\u00f3n es que nos convirtamos en personas firmes<\/em> , determinadas, fijas, firmes<\/em> , en la oraci\u00f3n<\/em> . La gente que viene a Dios diariamente con las manos abiertas dice: \u201cEns\u00e9\u00f1ame, oh Dios. Mold\u00e9ame en tu siervo y gu\u00edame en mi camino.","author_name":"Kristi Cain","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/KM-Q3.1-Article-Cain-Graphic-e1564002853151.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-1lj","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5165"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5165\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5166"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}