Praying Scripture for a Change

The purpose of Christianity is communion with God, and the language of this communion is prayer. Prayer is the very foundation of the Christian life. Through our dialogue with God, we deepen our relationship with Him and tap into the superabundant source of divine love and life. Yet, for many, prayer can feel like a burden rather than a blessing, like a monologue rather than a dialogue – and, as a result, many miss out on the joy that can only be found through praying.

As St. Augustine notes, “When we pray, we speak to God; when we read Scripture, God speaks to us.” The key to enriching our prayer is learning the language of Christianity, and the most effective way to learn the language of Christianity is an ancient technique known as Lectio Divina (“divine reading”). In this succinct book, Catholic theologian and biblical scholar Dr. Tim Gray walks the reader through the Bible and the wisdom of the saints to reveal the practical steps of this great treasure of our Tradition. Learning the simple steps of Lectio Divina will provide a practical and effective way for you to enhance your prayer life through the power of God’s Word.

In these pages, you will learn:

• The Language of Christian Prayer.
• How God speaks directly to each of us in His Word.
• How to overcome the biggest obstacles to a regular and fruitful prayer life.
• Why the fourfold method of lectio divina is like the four rungs of a ladder, which if ascended one rung at a time in the proper order, lead us directly into the heart of contemplative prayer.
• Strategies for reading – and praying – the Bible fruitfully.
• What Christian meditation is and how it differs from non-Christian approaches.
• How everyone – not just saints and mystics – can truly practice contemplative prayer.