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Practice of Being Known
But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
Psalm 1:2
One way to meditate on scripture is by prayerfully entering into our imagination guided by the Holy Spirit. It is a way of meeting with God by using our imagination based on a scripture passage. This practice does not in any way replace the study of scripture; similarly to Lectio Divina, it companions our studies. The goal or purpose of this type of prayer is to meet Jesus face-to-face and grow in intimacy with Him. (If using your imagination with scripture in prayer is new to you, see below. *)
Practically, this exercise may lead you to a deep awareness of being known and cared for by your Father. Initially, this may take place only during the meditation. Eventually, however, you will find that you can quickly access the positive images, feelings, sensations, and words you hear during moments of discomfort in everyday life, altering your response to an anxiety-provoking event.
We invite you to practice this meditation—it may take only a few minutes—each day for six weeks, inviting God to reveal His love and presence to you as you do.
* “We might initially worry about going beyond the text of the Gospel. If you have offered your time of prayer to God, then begin by trusting that God is communicating with you. If you wonder if your imagination is going “too far,” then do some discernment with how you are praying. Where did your imagining lead you: Closer to God or farther away?
“Some people find imaginative prayer difficult. They may not be able to picture the scene easily, yet they may have some intuition or gut reaction to the story. Or they may hear or feel the story more than visualize it. In a spirit of generosity, pray as you are able; don’t try to force it. Rest assured that God will speak to you, whether through your memory, understanding, intellect, emotions, or imagination.”
Kevin O’Brien, The Ignatian Adventure