Spiritual Practices: Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina, or Diving Reading, is a method of reading, reflecting on, and praying the Scripture that has been used by the church for centuries. It focuses on communing with God in Scripture rather than simply studying Scripture for intellectual understanding. Click here for more information on how to practice Lectio Divina. Here are some suggested verses in this passage that may lend themselves to conversation with God through the practice of Lectio Divina.
Suggested Verses
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, (Psalm 67:1)
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. (Psalm 67:4)
Lectio Divina, or Diving Reading, is a method of reading, reflecting on, and praying the Scripture that has been used by the church for centuries. It focuses on communing with God in Scripture rather than simply studying Scripture for intellectual understanding. Click here for more information on how to practice Lectio Divina. Here are some suggested verses in this passage that may lend themselves to conversation with God through the practice of Lectio Divina.
Suggested Verses
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, (Psalm 67:1)
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. (Psalm 67:4)
Exploring the Text: Make your face shine
This psalm starts with a prayer for the blessings of God and then becomes an call to celebrate and praise him. In the first verse, there are three requests that are all related: may God be gracious to us, bless us, and make his face shine on us. The first two are familiar because they are terms that we still use today. We understand the idea of extending grace and blessing. Sometimes we don't get what the psalmist means when he says, "make his face to shine upon us." What the psalmist is asking is that when God looks at us, his eyes will light up with delight. Some translators refer it it as God smiling upon us. Either way, the idea is that he will look at us with favor. The psalmists prayer is that God will delight in us, extend his grace to us, and pour out his blessings to us. What am amazing prayer!
David W. Dalton
This psalm starts with a prayer for the blessings of God and then becomes an call to celebrate and praise him. In the first verse, there are three requests that are all related: may God be gracious to us, bless us, and make his face shine on us. The first two are familiar because they are terms that we still use today. We understand the idea of extending grace and blessing. Sometimes we don't get what the psalmist means when he says, "make his face to shine upon us." What the psalmist is asking is that when God looks at us, his eyes will light up with delight. Some translators refer it it as God smiling upon us. Either way, the idea is that he will look at us with favor. The psalmists prayer is that God will delight in us, extend his grace to us, and pour out his blessings to us. What am amazing prayer!
David W. Dalton