Visio Divina
Visio Divina “Divine Seeing” or “Praying with your Eyes”
God desires a relationship with us, an “UP” relationship nurtured through connection—music, prayer, worship, meditation and conversation. There are many ways to build this relationship and often scripture reading is the most recommended. Yet God has made us with 5 senses, and each can provide a unique way of connecting and building this UP relationship.
Visio Divina is a method of meditation and prayer that uses our vision and an image instead of scripture to listen to God, your own heart’s longings, and the ways those intersect. This method of prayer has a long history from the earliest days of Christianity, and in the Orthodox communities “Icons” are the typical image used for this kind of “divine seeing.” Yet any image, photograph, sculpture, painting can be used, even nature viewed out your own window can offer an opportunity to see and pray with your eyes.
Step 1—find an image.
Nature, a stained-glass window, a piece of art are all places to look. If you do not have any idea where to begin, search “Visio Divina Images” on Pinterest, or on your search engine; see what it returns. Mine brought up many fine images to use.
Step 2—Settle, center, prepare.
Close your eyes, breathe, clear your mind, and ask God to enter into this time of prayer with you. Ask God to speak to you through this image.
When your mind refuses to settle, simply and quietly set aside the concern, return gently to the image. You might pray, “God help” or “Spirit quiet me.”
Step 3— Gaze at the entire picture.
Notice the shapes, the colors, and the lighting. Notice the detail of both the foreground and background, as well as the edges. Once you have visually canvased the artwork, or scene before you, note what has drawn your attention. What you keep coming back to, is God inviting you to a treasure meant just for you.
Step 4–Return to what has caught your attention.
Perhaps you’ll notice a small detail like a tiny bird in a vast blue sky, or maybe one vibrant color in an abstract pattern may catch your eye. Don’t let your eyes wander around the rest of the image (not always easy!), but stick with your focus. I find that slowing my breathing, and continually bringing my attention back when it strays, is helpful. Consider what thoughts come into your mind and what emotions you’re feeling. Why do you think God drew your attention to this particular part? Is a message conveyed that pertains to your life today? Do you sense an invitation? Do you hear a call? Is a memory provoked? Allow these thoughts to descend to your heart. What emotion is evoked? What word describes your inner stirring as you embrace this feeling? Listen for a word, phrase, emotion. Allow God’s communication to touch you deep within where the Spirit dwells.
Step 5—Pray.
Ask God to speak to you through what you’ve noticed, then take time to listen. I usually take around five minutes to do this, but there are no hard and fast rules.
Step 6—Rest in God
As you finish your time in prayer, open your eyes and gaze again upon the image. Rest in God’s presence as you reflect upon this prayer experience. Consider how you’ll take this into your life. You may choose to journal about your experience.
Original artwork created by Janet Wagstaff
This image is from our worship space, painted by Janet Wagstaff. Try Visio Divina with this and see what happens. I pray God is present.
Remember, on a computer, you can resize the image. If you wish to print it out, right click and save it to your computer. Then it can be easily resized and printed in color.
There is also a card you can download and print out that is a guide to Visio Divina
If you’re intrigued by this form of prayer, below are some additional resources:
A Guided Visio Divina Experience @ SoulShepherding.org
Praying with Art @ Patheos.com
