Chewing your cud is good for cows - and for people who pray.
Stefan Smart, author of Deeper: Contemplative Prayer for Charismatic Christians, says he found his Bible reading and prayer time was turning into a desperate attempt to meet self-imposed goals.
He was galloping through a certain number of chapters of the Bible every day and finding he wasn't retaining much. Still a young Christian, he was losing his enthusiasm for Bible study.
Then, he decided to read the Bible in smaller chunks and meditate on what he read. He used this as a springboard to prayer. He discovered this was an ancient Christian practice called "lectio divina".
Smart says one meaning of the word "meditate" is "to 'masticate" or 'chew' on a passage".
"Rather as a cow will chew the cud in order to extract all its goodness, so we are encouraged to feed on Scripture," he says.
The psalmist David made a practice of meditating: "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2)
The suggestion here is that David spent time thinking about what he had read, reflecting in depth on God's words.
"We must be patient when we meditate on the Bible and let the meaning of the word of God dawn on us gradually," Smart writes.
Smart dedicates about a half hour daily to engage in "lectio divina". Here is his approach:
Personally, I have found meditating on God's word very rewarding. Again and again, I have settled on David's words in Psalm 23 - "The Lord is my shepherd" - and chewed on them and prayed them back to God.
It is certainly good to read a book of the Bible to get an overview. But we can get so wrapped up about reaching a reading target that we forget that God simply wants us to enjoy him.
Chewing is good for us.
Stefan Smart, author of Deeper: Contemplative Prayer for Charismatic Christians, says he found his Bible reading and prayer time was turning into a desperate attempt to meet self-imposed goals.
He was galloping through a certain number of chapters of the Bible every day and finding he wasn't retaining much. Still a young Christian, he was losing his enthusiasm for Bible study.
Then, he decided to read the Bible in smaller chunks and meditate on what he read. He used this as a springboard to prayer. He discovered this was an ancient Christian practice called "lectio divina".
Smart says one meaning of the word "meditate" is "to 'masticate" or 'chew' on a passage".
"Rather as a cow will chew the cud in order to extract all its goodness, so we are encouraged to feed on Scripture," he says.
The psalmist David made a practice of meditating: "His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night." (Psalm 1:2)
The suggestion here is that David spent time thinking about what he had read, reflecting in depth on God's words.
"We must be patient when we meditate on the Bible and let the meaning of the word of God dawn on us gradually," Smart writes.
Smart dedicates about a half hour daily to engage in "lectio divina". Here is his approach:
- He asks the Holy Spirit to speak to him through the Bible reading;
- He reads a Bible passage several times slowly, preferably out loud;
- As he reads, he finds that certain phrases or words stand out for him with particular force;
- He stops and focuses on these phrases or words, aware that God may be using them to speak to his circumstances;
- He resists the impulse to analyze what he has read, but lets the word or words sink in, perhaps whispering them repeatedly to himself;
- If it feels right, he may ask the Lord directly what he wants to say to him through the word or words;
- At this point, he usually wants to respond to God - he speaks to the Lord honestly; and
- He finishes by resting in the presence of the Lord in silence.
Personally, I have found meditating on God's word very rewarding. Again and again, I have settled on David's words in Psalm 23 - "The Lord is my shepherd" - and chewed on them and prayed them back to God.
It is certainly good to read a book of the Bible to get an overview. But we can get so wrapped up about reaching a reading target that we forget that God simply wants us to enjoy him.
Chewing is good for us.
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