Lectio Divina has four steps. This method helps Christians feed on the Truth and the Word of God by reading and praying with the Scriptures. The first two steps (reading and meditation of a Bible passage) are the basis for Oratio - a phase of prayer and praise to God.
“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14).
God expressed Himself through the Scriptures in the first two phases, now He listens. Oratio is the third step of Lectio Divina, during which you speak to God, you answer Him in prayer. In Lectio Divina, your prayer does not come spontaneously, it is the product of a long reflection on His Divine Message. It is an intimate exchange with the Lord, like a dialogue between a Father and his child. The basis of this prayer is its first two steps, during which you are the listener, as you invite the Word of God into your heart. Oratio is a symbol of alliance with God: you learn to adapt your demands to God’s Plan, to commit your will to His.
There is no specific rule to Oratio: it is a personal response to the message you received from God. However, while you are using your own words and your own expressions, it can be a good idea to use the verses of the text that have touched your heart during the first two phases. Meditatio is a phase where you try to understand the bond that God is forming with you through the text of the Bible (i.e. is He talking to you as your Father, your savior, your creator? Is He talking to you in Jesus, as your brother?). During Oratio, you can adapt your prayer to the message you receive: make sure you answer Him humbly, as the ‘creature’ of God; with confidence, as His child; enthusiastically, as His disciple.
You are free to use any of the different prayers during Oratio:
A demand, a supplication
A prayer of praise, of thanksgiving
Now that you have spoken to God and expressed your passion, you can grow closer to God by moving on to the last step of Lectio Divina: Contemplatio.
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With Hozana, you have access to programs that will help you enrich your oratory content and meditate on the texts of the Bible: take a week to learn to pray with the Bible, enjoy a time of peace by joining a community of meditation on the Daily Gospel, learn the power of mental prayer by joining a novena to St. Teresa of Avila, and more!