Last week we looked at how Bible journaling can refresh your quiet time. If your quiet time is feeling stale, another technique you can try is reflective reading.
Reflective reading, or what some call contemplative reading, is a way of approaching Scripture through reflective listening. The emphasis is on reading deeply rather than thoroughly. Instead of approaching the Scripture to ferret out every nuance and nugget of theological truth, reflective reading is a posture of relational reading in which we intentionally approach Scripture in order to hear from God.
I deeply value exegetical study, and I never teach or write on a passage without doing serious exegesis. But I find reflective reading valuable for devotional purposes. It allows me to set aside all the experts and debates and simply present myself before God, ready to hear from him through his word. I also find that reflectively reading the passage prepares me for the process of exegetical study, letting me first encounter the passage as a listener rather than as a student. Before I can teach what a passage should mean to anyone else, I first need to understand what it means to me.
I practice reflective reading with three steps: Rest, Reflect, and Respond.
Rest
I begin reflective reading by first reading the passage aloud, then resting quietly in God’s presence. Sometimes I begin this time by praying a prayer based on Romans 12:1 in which I present all of myself to God for his service:
Lord, I give myself to you as a living sacrifice. I give you my mind that I may understand your truth. I give you my eyes that I may see with spiritual sight. I give you my ears that I may hear your voice. I give you my mouth that I may speak as you would have me speak. I give you my hands that I may serve as you would have me serve and my feet that I would go where you would have me go. I give you my heart that I may love as you love. May all I am and all I have be for your glory. Amen.
This time of resting in God’s presence is not a time for going over my prayer list or for digging out the nuances of the passage. It’s simply a time of practicing silence and stillness as I prepare to hear from God.
Reflect
As I begin to reflect on the Scripture, I read the passage aloud for a second time, paying attention to questions that arise as I read or phrases that are highlighted in my attention. For example, in reading Acts 9:10-19 I was struck by the phrase “there was a disciple.” Meditating on that phrase led me to consider how often when God wants to work he starts with a disciple and the difference that being a disciple makes. If I’m reading a story from the gospels, I may imagine myself as part of the story, trying to picture what it would be like to be there with Jesus watching him heal and teach. If I’m reading from the Psalms or Epistles, I may personalize the passage by putting my name in it or read it several times, emphasizing different words on each reading. As I reflect on the passage I like to record my thoughts either through Bible journaling or by jotting down notes in my journal.
Respond
I end my devotional time with a time of response. I read the passage aloud for a third time, then turn my observations and questions about the passage into prayer. Sometimes this is a prayer of praise; sometimes it’s a prayer of commitment or confession. This is a time in which I respond to what God has spoken to me through his word. I find I pray better with a pen in my hand, so I often write out my prayer of response in my journal.
You can practice reflective reading with Luke 9:40-56. Read the passage aloud three times, walking through the steps of resting, reflecting, and responding. Share your thoughts in the comments.
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14 comments
I like the three R’s. Easy to remember and a great way to spend time in devotion. I’m doing a slow read this year. Focusing each day on 1/2 to 1 chapter, taking notes, and applying it to life. So thankful for the blessing of Scripture. God’s blessings, Leigh!
Thanks Deb! Yes–I really prefer reading Scripture slowly. There are times it’s good to do a quick read to get the theme of a book or passage, but I find Scripture reading is most meaningful for me when I go slowly.
This was such a great read. I enjoyed the 3 R’s and I really want to try and implement this into my quiet time. Thanks for sharing and encouraging us to go deeper!
Let me know how it goes!
what an easy way to remember!
I’m a good Baptist. We alliterate everything 😉
Yes! Stopping by from the Christian Women Blogs group, and I love that you shared this concept. As a Catholic, we call it “lectio divina”. It’s so powerful, especially when you use that time at the end to respond. Such a good way to dive in deeply to a passage!
Thanks Laura! I think we Protestants have a lot to learn from the monastic traditions like lectio and contemplative prayer.
This is super helpful! Sometimes I have a hard time focusing on my quiet time and I think this will really help!
Thanks! I find slowing down and walking through this process helps me quiet my mind so I can focus on the word.
Leigh, slowing down is always beneficial – and then the savoring!
Leigh, I enjoyed reading your post.
I love to reflectively read Scripture and don’t do it as often as I would like. When I do, I often have to pull myself out of my teacher/writer mode wanting to go deep and form a mental outline or something.
I especially appreciate the way you’ve broken it down to the three steps. I’ll try to remember them.
Thanks for your helpful post.
Your prayer based on Romans 12:1 is beautiful. I think that when we study to teach or write (or study just for ourselves), we need to slow down and meditate on a passage like this. If it’s a passage I understand pretty well, it’s easy for me to do this. But if I don’t, I like to look up definitions of words and commentary notes, so I know what it meant to the original reader. I think that’s something important to keep in mind. Then I can meditate on a passage and ask how it applies to me today.
I looked at the Luke 9 passage. I believe I would stop with the first little section in that passage and meditate just on that. What stood out to me is that I want to have faith that pleases Jesus, that is powerful, and that He can use to do great things to help people.
Thanks, Leigh!
What a wise and practical word about quiet times, Leigh!
I’m sharing this post today on Twitter, Pinterest, and Stumble!
Hope you have a blessed day~
Melanie
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