Written by Columban Fr. Malachy Hanratty, Resurrection Gifts is a series of guided meditations that teaches "praying the scripture". It builds on the practice of prayerful "listening" to the Spirit in the Scriptures.
I had spent much time talking to God. But this ‘pondering the Word of God’ changed my prayer towards more of an ‘interaction’; it provided space, patience and openness to ‘listen’, to hear and be moved inwardly. So ‘Praying Scripture’ means the help that a text of Scripture gives towards this personal conversation with God. Remember, that what we see God doing in the Scriptures in the past, is telling us what He is doing, here and now, among us!
So beyond our talking to God this helps us to ‘listen’. We ‘listen’ by noticing movements in the heart and mind. Examples; A word in the text may hold my attention and as I dwell on it I notice things in a new way or, pulled by imagination deeper into the scene, I may taste feelings of those in it. It can cause memories of experiences to arise. Gradually I will find myself talking to the God I met in my experience.
Here are a series of ‘Guided Meditations’ that I used with groups. They are examples of what can happen in a ‘praying Scripture’ period. But remember much is based on my experience. So please be careful to understand that these are only examples of what one might meet. They give reassurance that, if you find them coming into your pondering, you are not being distracted by memories or imaginations about the event but being led on to recognize God acting in your own life.