A simple way of praying with the Gospels

Here’s a simple way of praying with a passage from the Gospels.

There are five steps.

1. Begin with a prayer that God may reveal to you the depths of the Scriptures, and read the passage slowly and carefully, several times, allowing yourself to notice all the dimensions of the story.  
2. Now imaginatively construct the scene in your mind. Become aware of the mood of the setting, and ask yourself what all the different characters might be feeling.   
3. Cross over into the scene, and allow your own feelings and  experiences to become part of the story. Ask yourself, “Where am I in this story?”  
4. Notice what happens when someone speaks to you in the story. What do you say in return?
5. Close your prayers by asking for the grace you have experienced in this prayer to become real in your own life. “Lord, listening to the Gospels, my greatest desire now is to…”  

What is God saying to the Cathedral today through the Holy scriptures?

The Very Reverend Peter Bradley, Dean of Sheffield