Here is a guide to praying scripture called Lectio Divina, a very ancient form of prayer from the earliest days of the church. It may be used with any scripture, so feel free to pick some of your favorites or simply turn to any random page.

Here’s how it works: follow the process to read the scripture four times. Within each stage (Phrase, Word, Message, Prayer), there’s a flow (the second table below). Work that flow for each of the four stages.

To listen for a phrase, then a word, helps us to hear the message God has for us from the scripture itself. Then, at the end, we give thanks to God by sharing with God the message we heard from the reading of scripture.

For a suggested list of scriptures per day visit the Daily Bible Reading Schedule and Praying the Psalms pages.
Praying the Psalms
Daily Bible Reading

The Process

Stage	Question	Task
Phrase	What phrase stands out to you?	Listen
Word	What word stands out to you?	Listen
Message	What is God telling you?	Listen
Prayer	Tell God what you heard with thanksgiving	Listen

The Flow for Each Stage

Movement	Task
Silence	Be still and quiet and in a mindset of prayer
Reading	Read the scripture slowly and listen for what God is saying
Question	Ask God the question for the stage above (e.g. God, what phrase are you speaking to me today?)
Answer	Pray back to God the answer you heard (e.g. God, I heard this phrase stand out to me)

Post-Prayer Questions

What did you hear from God through praying the scripture?

What has this scripture taught you about who you are in relation to God?