Formed by five video sessions and accompanying discussion guides, the course focuses on an ancient spiritual practice called Lectio Divina, where prayerful and slow reading of the Bible leads to personal encounters with Jesus.
The series host is 24-7 Prayer founder, pastor and author Pete Greig. His most recent book, How to Hear God: A Simple Guide for Normal People, forms the basis of the course, drawing on centuries of Christian wisdom across various traditions.
In each 15-minute session, Pete teaches different elements of Lectio Divina before bringing in a guest to interview. These interviews are really what makes the Lectio Course so special – they represent a remarkable breadth of experiences, with interviewees ranging from a nun to a neuropsychologist. Each offers unique encouragement, wisdom, and inspiration in the journey to recognising God’s voice.
The Lectio Course comes as the third instalment in a series of free courses 24-7 Prayer has produced for churches. The Prayer Course and The Prayer Course II, based respectively on Pete Greig’s books How to Pray and God on Mute, also offer thoughtful teaching and practical wisdom to help people in their devotional lives.
The guides that accompany the videos are designed to be used in church small groups. The practical prayer activities are particularly helpful as a way to put what you’re learning into practise. These activities can easily be done in groups who are comfortable with hearing God, and those who are a little more unfamiliar with the concept.
You can go through this course by yourself, run it in your church, or tackle it in small groups. If you’re interested in The Lectio Course, learn more about it here.