A healthy sign of spiritual maturity is a deepening desire to know Him and to hear His voice.
One of the main ways we can tune our spiritual ears to hear God is by opening the Bible and encountering Him there. There are many ways to interact with God in scripture, but we will focus on one. For hundreds of years, people have been engaging in a method called “Sacred Reading.”
In this practice, we choose a short passage and then read it a few times in a way that prepares our hearts and spirit to listen. In the Sacred Reading, we choose to be silent, so we can hear what God is saying in His Word. We practice being still and listening to His Word.
This is not about what you “feel,” the passage says; it’s ultimately about listening to what it clearly says with our whole heart and mind. However, we should note any feelings of fear, sadness, joy, or anger because they help reveal the condition of our hearts and what we may need from God.
We are listening to learn in humility before our God. It’s a “sacred” reading because God’s Word is sacred. And because it’s sacred, it’s a time for reverence, humility, and accountability to what God shows us.
Here’s how the “Sacred Reading” works. First, choose a brief passage (for example, John 1:1-18), then follow these steps:
Step 1: Read to be familiar. Pray first, and ask God to meet with you as you come to His Word. Read the passage like you usually would, at average speed, and just get familiar with what it says. All we’re doing is getting the “lay of the land.” It’s like walking into a room for the first time, and we want to see what’s in front of us. We’re not looking for deeper meanings; we’re just observers in the room. Be familiar with the Word.
Step 2: Read to Listen. Now, we read again, with a brief prayer first, asking God to let you hear what He’s saying in this passage. Be prepared to write a few things down as you read. This time, we read a little more slowly. A verse or two at a time and then pause. Ask God what’s going on here, see if there’s anything you need to take note of and write that down. Again, we’re gaining an understanding of the context in this reading.
– Who is being written to, and what is the author’s original meeting for them? (Context)
– Where are they? (Cultural Notes)
– What does it say? (Observation)
– What does it mean? (Interpretation)
– What should I do? (Application)
Repeat asking these questions throughout the whole passage until you finish. Again, this is why we choose brief passages for this method.
Step 3: Read to Prepare. Once more, we begin with a short prayer, like “Ok, God, what do I need to hear? How does this apply to me today?” This will probably be 1-2 simple ideas. We’re not looking for anything overly complicated, just His simple, consistent truths. Now, read even more slowly than in Step 2. You want to allow individual phrases to rest before moving on. Write down whatever phrase you feel the Holy Spirit points out within that particular passage. For example, in John 1:12, the phrase “gave the right to be children of God” might stand out to you. Ask God why you needed to have that phrase pointed out to you. Don’t write down anything new, just what is already written in the Scriptures.
Step 4: Read to Pray. Using what you’ve read, go back to reading at the same pace as Step 1. Then pray from what you’ve heard. Finally, ask God for wisdom, strength, and understanding to take what He’s shown you, and put it into action in your life. We should seek to be changed when we meet with God. He has something better for us, a gift of renewal from His Word and through His Holy Spirit. And if you ever read through something and get stuck, ask your pastor (or call us) and get some direction.
Next Steps
1. Choose the passage of scripture you want to work through. If this is your first time doing something like this, choose something “easy,” like 7-10 verses of John 3.
2. Make sure to set a dedicated time to do this and have a quiet space to set up. Choose some soft, instrumental music to play lightly in the background. Have a notebook and pencil ready before you start.
3. Schedule some time for a call or coffee with a leader at church and take what you write and share it with them. Seek wisdom and ask for direction, confirmation, and correction from your study time.
4. Make the time to do this a regular, daily appointment with God until you complete the study of the passage. Write up a summary when you finish.
