In an exceptional combination of an ancient form of Scripture study with historical, theological, and biblical perspectives, Stephen Binz leads us on a journey of enlightenment and appreciation.
In Lectio Divina Bible Study: Learning to Pray in Scripture, Binz shows us how various characters in the Bible prayed and what they can teach us about prayer. This volume also delves into the various types of prayer and what we can learn from them.
Lectio Divina, the ancient practice of Scripture immersion, is at the heart of this process. Combined with the tradition and scholarship of the Church, it explores complex topics with sequential steps of study, meditation, and internalization. Specifically, every chapter leads you forward through a sequence of:
Listening - Reading Scripture with expectancy, trusting that God will speak His Word to us through it
Understanding - Seeking to comprehend the meaning of the text, encountering God there and being changed by that encounter
Reflecting - Linking the truth of the Scriptures to the experience of faith in the world in which we live
Praying - A dialogue with God: we listen to God, then we respond in prayer
Acting - After prayerfully listening to God through a passage of Scripture, we should be inspired to make a difference in the way we live
Welcome to Lectio Divina Bible Study 13
Section I Overview of Learning to Pray in Scripture 21
Section II Prayer in the Lives of Israel's Heroes 31
Lesson 1 Abraham's Intercessory Prayer for Sodom 33
Lesson 2 Moses' Prayer for the Forgiveness of God's People 37
Lesson 3 Hannah's Prayer of Praise to God 42
Lesson 4 David's Prayer of Grateful Praise 46
Lesson 5 Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom 50
Lesson 6 Nehemiah's Prayer for His People 54
Group Session Guide for Section II 58
Section III Prayer in the Prophets of Israel 61
Lesson 7 Isaiah's Prayer of Thanksgiving and Praise 63
Lesson 8 Jeremiah's Prayer of Confident Hope 67
Lesson 9 The Prophet's Prayer of Lament for Israel 71
Lesson 10 A Plea for God's Mercy 76
Lesson 11 Daniel's Prayer for the People in Exile 81
Lesson 12 Jonah's Prayer of Thanksgiving 86
Group Session Guide for Section III 90
Section IV Prayer in the Psalms and Stories of Israel 93
Lesson 13 A Prayer of Trust in God's Steadfast Love 95
Lesson 14 A Prayer to Our All Knowing God 99
Lesson 15 A Prayer of Praise to Our Divine King 104
Lesson 16 Job's Prayer From the Depths 109
Lesson 17 Judith's Prayer of Trust in God 114
Lesson 18 Tobit's Prayer of Thanksgiving 118
Group Session Guide for Section IV 123
Section V Prayer in the Life of Jesus 125
Lesson 19 The Prayer That Jesus Taught His Church 127
Lesson 20 Jesus' Prayer of Praise to the Father 131
Lesson 21 The Prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane 135
Lesson 22 Jesus Teaches His Disciples How to Simply Ask 139
Lesson 23 Two Parables About Prayer 143
Lesson 24 Jesus' Prayer During the Crucifixion 147
Group Session Guide for Section V 151
Section VI Prayer in the Apostolic Church 153
Lesson 25 The Prayer of Christian Believers 155
Lesson 26 Paul Teaches Believers to Be Confident in Prayer 159
Lesson 27 Paul's Prayers of Thanksgiving for the Churches 163
Lesson 28 Paul's Prayer That the Ephesians Know the Love of Christ 168
Lesson 29 James Instructs the Community on Prayer Offered in Faith 173
Lesson 30 The New Creation Offers Joyful Prayer to the Lamb 177
Group Session Guide for Section VI 182
Overview
In an exceptional combination of an ancient form of Scripture study with historical, theological, and biblical perspectives, Stephen Binz leads us on a journey of enlightenment and appreciation.
In Lectio Divina Bible Study: Learning to Pray in Scripture, Binz shows us how various characters in the Bible prayed and what they can teach us about prayer. This volume also delves into the various types of prayer and what we can learn from them.
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