Lectio Divina is…..
not a new Italian cuisine. It’s an old way for individuals to get closer to Jesus. It has been proven through the centuries and is sure to aid your spiritual life. You can also use this spiritual exercise in groups.
Lectio Divina is…..
a very ancient art, a prayer pattern once taught to all Christians long before the Church split to the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Coptic churches.   This form of prayer is a rhythm between active and passive prayer, a gentle swinging back & forth  like a pendulum between “activity” and “receptivity”.

 

Lectio Divina means…..
 “Divine Word”, or divine reading.  Lectio Divina is Latin for “holy reading.” It is a method for listening to God. In a time when we seem preoccupied with chattering away at the Lord, a method which helps us listen to him is a needed corrective. It’s particularly valuable because it utilizes Scripture as the conduit for hearing God speak. As the early church leader Jerome said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ” and this method of approaching the Lord allows us to know him fully.

This is a slow, contemplative praying of Scripture.  This type of prayer brings us into union with God.  It is a “rhythm” of prayer that can be practiced throughout our day.  This can be done alone, or in a group setting.

Another word for this is Centering Prayer.  This type of prayer “centers” us on the Word of God.

In Lectio Divina, we offer ourselves to God.  We fall into a rhythm of activity & passivity which spirals us ever closer to God.  We become sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s rhythm and discover many ways of experiencing God’s presence.  It stretches us to discover many different ways of praying.

There was a symbol used for lectio divina.  It was a circle cut into 4 sections by the cross.  The circle represents the “circular” form of prayer.  Though the 4 parts of lectio divina could be prayed one after the other, it also could be entered at any point and ended at any point.

 

There are 4 parts of Lectio Divina:

• LECTIO – reading and listening to the Word. This begins with our reading and listening deeply.  Not only do we listen with our ears, we also listen with our spirit.  We don’t read the Bible like we read the newspaper or a book.  We come to the understanding that what we’re reading is the WORD OF GOD!  This is God’s Word, speaking to us.  We read it reverentially.  We listen to the Holy Spirit’s still small voice as we read.  We read this not once, but 2, 3, 4 times.  As we read, we allow the Holy Spirit speak to us.

• MEDIATIO – meditation on the Word. Of course the ancient word for “meditation” is the same word to describe a cow chewing it’s cud.  This is how we must see ourselves.  We “chew” on the Word.  When Mary heard that she was to become the mother of Messiah, it says in Luke 2:19 that “she was pondering in her heart”.  This is where we should be.  We memorize the Word, allow what we read speak to us.  We repeat it over & over in our hearts, allow the Word to soak deeply into us.  We allow the Word to interact with us, bring up memories or thoughts, allow the Holy Spirit to touch those memories.  Through this we allow the Spirit to speak to deepest part of ourselves.

• ORATIO – praying the Word out loud. Of course this is exactly what it sounds like!  We take the Word, make it our prayer. This is an outward form of prayer, not a silent prayer.  We speak to God through His Holy Word, we voice whatever is on our hearts & souls.  We intercede for those who need to prayed for.  We rejoice and praise God through the words that have been written for us thousands of years ago.

• CONTEMPLATIO – contemplation on the Word. Another word for contemplation is “rest”.  We rest in God’s Word.  We practice letting go.  We don’t need to think or pray or meditate or do anything!  We just sit back and allow the Holy Spirit  wash over us. This is what some today call “soaking” prayer.  People today may believe they discovered a “new” thing, but actually it is very old.  This is a time when we SOAK in God’s Presence.  We don’t “DO” anything.  We enter into God’s rest.

A Brief History
The earliest Christians practiced a form of Lectio Divina. For example, in about 250 A.D. Cyprian of Carthage wrote a letter to a man named Donatus and suggested he be, “Constant in prayer as in reading; speak with God, then let him speak with you. Let him instruct you in his precepts, let him direct you.”

John of the Cross referred to “lectio divina” when he wrote:  “Seek in reading and you will find in meditation; knock in prayer and it will be opened to you in contemplation”.

Theresa of Avila taught this to her order.

The Lectio Divina method has been advocated and practiced by a wide range of Christians over the centuries, including the Benedictine monks, Martin Luther and John Wesley.

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Rev. Audrey McIntyre
House of Good Hope, Inc.
P.O. Box 4042
Hartford CT 06147-4042
www.hartfordprayer.com

Apostolic Prayers Key Apostolic Prayers and Prophetic Promises

Prayer for revelation of Jesus’ beauty that we might walk in our calling and destiny by God’s power
17 That the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of
Him, 18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may KNOW (experience) what is
the hope of His calling (assurance/clarity of God’s call for our life) what are the riches of the glory of
His inheritance in the saints (our destiny as Jesus’ inheritance), 19 and what is the exceeding greatness
of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power… (Eph. 1:17-19)

 
Pray to receive the Spirit’s power that Jesus’ Presence be manifest in us so we experience God’s love
16 THAT He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might
through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 THAT Christ may dwell (manifest His presence) in your hearts
through faith; THAT you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend
(experience) with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– 19 to know the love
of Christ which passes knowledge; THAT you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:16-19)

 
Prayer for God’s love to abound in us by the knowledge of God resulting in righteousness in our life
9 That your love may abound still more and more in knowledge (of God) and all discernment, 10 that you
may approve (rejoice in) the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere (no compromise) and
without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness… (Phil. 1:9-11)

 
Prayer to know God’s will, to be fruitful in ministry and strengthened by intimacy with God
9 That you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10
that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and
increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power,
for all patience and longsuffering with joy… (Col. 1:9-11)

 
Prayer for unity in the church and to be filled with supernatural joy, peace and hope (confidence)
5 May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another…6 that you
may with one mind and one mouth glorify the…Father…13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:5-6, 13)

 
To be enriched by all the gifts of the Spirit including powerful preaching and prophetic revelation
5 That you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance (anointed preaching/singing) and all
knowledge (prophetic revelation), 6 even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you (by miracles),
7 so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of…Jesus Christ, 8 who will also
confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 1:5-8)

 
For the release of grace to bring the Church to maturity especially to abound in love and holiness
10 Praying exceedingly that… (God will release His Spirit and grace to) perfect what is lacking in your
faith?…12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all… 13 that
He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father. (1 Thes. 3:10-13)

 
Pray to be worthy (prepared or made spiritually mature) to walk in the fulness of our destiny in God
11 We pray always for you that God would count you worthy of (prepare us for) this calling, and fulfill
all the good pleasure of His goodness (plans for us) and the work of faith with power, 12 that the name
of…Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God. (2 Thes. 1:11-12)

 

Mike Bickle
International House of Prayer
www.ihopkc.org

“FELLOWSHIP” PRAYER

Use this acronym to pray through as you seek the heart of God:

 

F- Fear of God: Father, release the spirit of the fear of God into my heart.

E- Endurance (patience): Father, strengthen my spirit with endurance that I may do Your will.

L- Love: Father, pour out Your love into my heart by releasing the influences of the Spirit to give me revelation of Your love for me, that it may overflow in love back to You and to others.

L- Light of glory: Father, let me see the light of Your glory or to encounter the “glory realm”.

O- One thing life focus: Father, strengthen me to maintain a life in Your word with desire for it.

W- Count me worthy (faithfulness unto fullness): Father, strengthen me to walk in a way that You would consider me worthy to walk in my highest calling and escape all compromise that I might stand before You victorious in full obedience.

S- Speech: Father, set a guard over my lips. Free me from defensive, angry and foolish speech (Eph. 4:29; 5:4). Sustained communion with God requires restrained conversation with man.  If one does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body. (Jas. 3:2)

H- Humility: Jesus, I want to learn from You how to walk in lowliness. I commit to take Your yoke of humility (lowliness of heart) on my life in my attitudes, speech, and actions. Give me wisdom on how to carry my heart in humility.

I- Insight unto intimacy (wisdom): Father give me insight into Your Word, will, and ways. Give me wisdom on how to live before You that I may walk in intimacy (union) with You.  May give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him… (Eph. 1:17)

P- Peace and Joy: Father, strengthen my heart with supernatural peace and joy that overpowers fear and anxiety that I would not sin. The peace of God…will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:7)  Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope (confidence) by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 15:13)

 

Mike Bickle
International House of Prayer
www.ihopkc.org

Pray the Preamble –
Praying the original Connecticut State Constitution

 

We are reminded ……“to entreat and pray and offer petitions and thanksgivings to be made on behalf of all people: for those in government leadership and all who are in authority in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” I Timothy 2:1-3

One of the best ways to pray for the people of Connecticut is to use our state constitution as your prayer guide.  We can start doing this by first “Praying the Preamble”.  As we know, New England is a region with origins in godly covenants.  Even though the citizens today are not living godly lifestyles, it doesn’t negate the covenants our forefathers made with the Lord when they first established what is now Connecticut.  Also, we need to realize that there is a reason why Connecticut is nicknamed “The Constitution State”.  When our country was being formed, our Connecticut constitution was so well-written that it was used as the “blueprint” for our United States Constitution.

In essence, the seed of our country’s government was established here in Connecticut!

Declare our righteous roots as you pray for our state!  Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people…..Proverbs 14:34

 

Go to http://www.constitution.org/bcp/fo_1639.htm to learn more about the Fundamental Orders – the original Connecticut Constitution.

 

Preamble to the Connecticut State Constitution

The People of Connecticut acknowledging with gratitude the good providence of God, in having permitted them to enjoy a free government; do, in order more effectually to define, secure, and perpetuate the liberties, rights and privileges which they have derived from their ancestors, hereby, after a careful consideration and revision, ordain and establish the following constitution and form of civil government.

Preamble to the Fundamental Orders

For as much as it hath pleased Almighty God by the wise disposition of his divine providence so to order and dispose of things that we the Inhabitants and Residents of Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield are now cohabiting and dwelling in and upon the River of Connectecotte and the lands thereunto adjoining; and well knowing where a people are gathered together the word of God requires that to maintain the peace and union of such a people there should be an orderly and decent Government established according to God, to order and dispose of the affairs of the people at all seasons as occasion shall require; do therefore associate and conjoin ourselves to be as one Public State or Commonwealth; and do for ourselves and our successors and such as shall be adjoined to us at any time hereafter, enter into Combination and Confederation together, to maintain and preserve the liberty and purity of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus which we now profess, as also, the discipline of the Churches, which according to the truth of the said Gospel is now practiced amongst us; as also in our civil affairs to be guided and governed according to such Laws, Rules, Orders and Decrees as shall be made, ordered, and decreed as followeth

 

A Brief History of the Fundamental Orders:

In the spring of 1638 three Connecticut towns, Windsor, Hartford and Wethersfield, chose representatives and held a general court at Hartford. At its opening session the Reverend Thomas Hooker preached a powerful sermon on the text that “the foundation of authority is laid in the free consent of the people.” On January 14 following, by the Julian calendar in use at the time, which would January 24, 1639, by today’s Gregorian calendar, the constitution given here was adopted by the freemen of the three towns assembled at Hartford, and is usually named The Fundamental Orders. Nowhere in this great document is there a reference to “our dread Sovereign” or “our gracious Lord the King,” — nor to any government or power outside of Connecticut itself. It did not even limit the vote to members of Puritan congregations. This appears to be the first written constitution in the Western tradition which created a government, and it is easily seen to be the prototype of our Federal Constitution, adopted exactly one hundred and fifty years later.

The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut is a short document, but contains some principles that were later applied in creating the United States government. Government is based in the rights of an individual, and the orders spell out some of those rights, as well as how they are ensured by the government. It provides that all free men share in electing their magistrates, and uses secret, paper ballots. It states the powers of the government, and some limits within which that power is exercised.

In one sense, the Fundamental Orders were replaced by a Royal Charter in 1662, but the major outline of the charter was written in Connecticut and embodied the Orders’ rights and mechanics. It was carried to England by Governor John Winthrop and basically approved by the British King, Charles II. The colonists generally viewed the charter as a continuation and surety for their Fundamental Orders.

Today, the individual rights in the Orders, with others added over the years, are still included as a Declaration of Rights in the first article of the current Connecticut Constitution, adopted in 1965.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia  http://en.wikipedia.org

 

Rev. Audrey Church McIntyre
House of Good Hope, Inc.
P.O. Box 4042
Hartford CT 06147-4042
www.hartfordprayer.com