Psalm 54 Lectio Divina (Lectio for Groups)
Lectio: Read Psalm 54.
- As you read a second time, compare verse 1 with verse 7; verse 2 with verse 6; verse 3 with verse 5. It is helpful to highlight the verse pairs in the same color.
- What do you notice about each pair of verses? Write your thoughts.
- As the center of the Psalm, what is the declaration in verse 4?
Read through the Psalm again, this time noting the words and phrases that speak to you.
Meditatio: Repeat several times the words and phrases that stand out to you. Reflect on what they mean to you in your current situation, using the following questions to guide you:
- From whom or what do you need God’s defense?
- Where or how do you feel attacked?
- How is God your helper, the one who upholds you?
- What are the promises of scripture that you can apply to this situation?
- What praise can you offer back to God?
Oratio: The words of this Psalm are already a prayer. Say them now as a prayer from you. Frame the words to make them personal, using your reflections from the questions in the Meditatio.
Contemplatio: Jesus urged us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Reflect on the people in your life who cause you difficulty. Pray for God’s power to be manifest in their lives. Pray for the grace of God to be manifest in your life as you seek to deal with difficult people and situations. Write your reflections so that as you encounter these people and situations you can remember your prayers for them.
Sojourners y Peregrinas 