Combining lectio divina with centering prayer

Use a brief lectio as preparation that deepens the consent you bring to centering prayer.

Why it works

Lectio divina and Centering Prayer are complementary: lectio nourishes the mind and heart with sacred language, creating resonances that the subsequent silence of centering prayer can take deeper. The text orients the practitioner’s intention before the sit; the silence allows what the text touched to settle without commentary. The two practices scaffold each other rather than competing.

How to do it

1. Begin with 5–10 minutes of lectio: read a short passage slowly and sit briefly with what arose.
2. Move directly into your 20-minute centering prayer sit, carrying the quality of openness from the lectio.
3. Do not try to "hold" the lectio content during centering prayer; release it as you release any other thought.
4. After the sit, you may briefly note any connections between the text and what arose — but do not turn this into analysis.

Evidence

Combining focused preparation with subsequent open rest is consistent with how concentration and open-monitoring practices are sequenced in contemplative traditions worldwide. Lippelt et al. (2014) review the distinct attentional signatures of focused-attention versus open-monitoring meditation, clarifying why a focused lectio and an open centering silence engage different processes and can scaffold one another. The specific lectio-plus-centering combination is traditional and reported experientially; no controlled comparison exists. (anecdotal)

The sequencing rationale is traditionally established; whether lectio meaningfully enhances centering prayer outcomes compared to centering prayer alone has not been studied.

Sources

• Lippelt, D. P., Hommel, B., & Colzato, L. S. (2014). Focused attention, open monitoring and loving kindness meditation: effects on attention, conflict monitoring, and creativity — A review. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1083.

Common mistake

Trying to "work with" the lectio text during the centering prayer sit — which converts it back into meditatio and prevents the silence from opening.