Instruction for Lectio Divina: A Simple Way to Pray Scripture.
Passage: 1 Peter 2:4-10
1. Be still
Sit down. Silence your phone. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak. One sentence is enough: “Lord, I am here.”
2. Read
Read the passage slowly out loud.
Read it a second time.
Notice a word or phrase that stays with you. Do not hunt for a sermon. Receive what is given.
3. Reflect
Sit with that word.
What is God showing you about himself?
What is he showing you about you?
Where does this touch your real life this week?
4. Pray
Talk to God about what you noticed. Thank him. Confess. Ask. Keep it plain.
5. Rest
Stop talking. Stay with God for a minute. You do not have to fix anything. Let the Word hold you.
6. Live
Carry one sentence into the week. If you are in a group, share that one sentence.
Questions:
1. Think back on the sermon Pastor Dusty gave on Sunday. Were there parts of the sermon that spoke to you directly?
2. Read Ephesians 2:17-22 What parts of this passage stand out to you when you read it? What parts speak to your relationship with God?
3. Verse 17 talks about Jesus coming and preaching peace. He is our peace! We are living in times of rapid change in some areas. Dusty talked about AI and different fears people are experiencing. Some fears are very personal because they fear for their jobs and some more hypothetical and are based in “what if?” Are there scriptures that help ground your mind in God’s perfect peace? Please share some of these.
4. Read verses Ephesians 2:17-18 again. These two verses talk about having access to the Father through the work of the cross. Jesus’ sacrifice allows for us to have direct access to God the Father. We have access to PEACE Himself! This is incredible! When you think about having direct access to God, how does this change you? How does this impact your prayer life?
5. Read Ephesians 2:19-22 again. Pastor Dusty unpacked Jesus being the chief cornerstone in his sermon. What does it mean that Christ Jesus himself is the chief cornerstone?
6. How is God making your life a “living stone”? What are practical ways to live out God’s justice and righteousness to an increasingly artificial culture?
7. We are to be peace to the world around us because we have PEACE living in us. Real peace. The peace of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. How can we share this peace with the people we encounter every day?
8. Over the past 3 months we have talked about practicing Lectio Divina. How has this practice gone for you?
Resource for further Growth:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/theology-in-the-raw/id1018952191?i=1000603410232
Theology in the Raw – Joel Mudamalle