Praying with a word

There is an old way of praying with the Bible. It is called lectio divina, holy reading. In the twelfth century the Carthusian monk Guigo described it as a ladder with four rungs: reading, meditating, praying and being still.

Reading. Read today's word slowly, preferably aloud, or have it read to you. Twice, three times.

Meditating. Which word or sentence stays with you? Let it turn over in your mind, the way you let a sweet melt in your mouth. The question for today can help with that.

Praying. Tell God what the word is doing in you. You can use the prayer on the page, or your own words.

Being still. Then sit for a while without saying anything. Not to achieve something, but to be with God. That is perhaps the hardest part, and the most important.