We can sometimes breeze through familiar or difficult passages of Scripture, speeding over the words instead of letting the truth of Scripture sink into our minds and hearts. Lectio Divina, or prayerful reading, is a historical Christian practice that has helped generations of Christians to pause and reflect on God’s Word.
Below are the four steps of Lectio Divina, which will help you pray and think deeply about Romans 9:22–24. Carve out some time this week to go through this exercise. Take your time with each step. This isn’t something to rush through, so make sure you have plenty of time before you start.
Lectio (read): Remove all distractions and quiet your mind before God. Now read Romans 9:22–24 three times slowly. If you can, read it out loud to yourself. Let the message hit you. After reading it three times, find something that stands out to you. Re-read it a couple more times and place emphasis on different words as you read.
Meditatio (meditate): Think about the words or phrases that stood out to you the most. What do they mean? What do they say about God? What do they say about you? How do they illuminate the main idea of Romans 9?
Oratio (pray): Pray through your words or phrases. Ask God to show you what he’s saying through this verse. Take the verse and turn it into a prayer. For example, you could pray, “Thank you, God, that you have made me an object of mercy and not an object of wrath,” or, “Help me, oh God, to share your mercy with others.”
Contemplatio (contemplate): Now that you’ve read, thought, and prayed through Romans 9:22–24, finish your time in silence. Ask God to speak to you. Pray he’d show you one practical thing you could apply to your life from this passage. Then listen. Write down what he says and then do it.
