III
Lectio Divina and Deep Personal Prayer
As we grow in understanding Lectio Divina, there is a truly beautiful unveiling of the approach to God’s Word and prayer. The practice of deep personal prayer draws one into oneself where the light of God’s Word opens the passage to true self-knowledge. This, in turn, draws us back to the world in a way that moves away from selfishness to service and loving presence to all.
Faithfulness to prayer engenders an ever-repeating cycle. We turn inwards to seek God and we turn outwards to share in the divine love for our brothers and sisters. True prayer will always lead us to the task of healing and reconciling through the gospel message of justice, peace and love. This leads us to the great prayer of our day:” Let us hear the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth!”
This way of deep personal prayer calls us to the Word of God. It calls us to true self-knowledge. It calls us to a true transformation of consciousness that removes the prejudices and false values of a culture far removed from gospel values. It calls us to a continual search seeking to grow in love with Jesus which provokes us to the inevitable task of loving our neighbor and being responsible for our historical reality.
A commitment to deep personal prayer demands many things. First and foremost, it is a commitment to pray regularly with an openness to personal transformation. It calls us to seek an understanding and fidelity to God’s Word. It asks that we develop a spirituality leading to self-knowledge and dependence on God. Likewise, it guides us to be open to our historical reality and the demands of justice, peace and loving care of God’s creation.
All these elements of prayer lead to the growth of a personal spirituality rooted in a hunger for God and knowledge of God’s Word. This is where Lectio Divina and deep personal prayer connect. This new life in the spirit creates a desire to do God’s will. All of this movement inward is the gift of the faithful practice of deep personal prayer.
How we handle this glorious journey to the center is a step-by-step process that demands a unified effort and much self-sacrifice. A clear understanding of Lectio Divina and its supportive role to deep personal prayer will be a great help along the way.
