Learning to pray doesn’t require perfect words or years of training—just a willingness to slow down and make space for God. These seven steps below offer a simple, structured path through an ancient way of praying with Scripture, sometimes called Lectio Divina, or “divine reading.” Rooted in a tradition stretching back to the medieval monk Guigo II—who first described prayer as reading, reflecting, praying, and resting in God—these steps also draw on the Church’s more recent teaching that true encounter with God’s Word calls us into action and gratitude in daily life. You don’t need to master every step at once. Simply begin and let God meet you there.
The 7 Steps of Mental Prayer
Step 1: Statio
The first step is called Statio which involves slowing down, pausing to become aware of the Lord’s presence, asking for the help of the Holy Ghost. It’s the conscious effort to make a holy pause to listen for the breath of God to speak to us. In Statio we pause everything we are doing and turn toward the living presence of God and simply become aware of His presence. We pray the prayers to Jesus, the Eternal Father, and the Holy Spirit before we enter into our meditation. When we ask for the help of the Holy Spirit we do so by confessing that we know we are not worthy to appear before God and that we are thankful for the grace of His presence to us.
Step 2: Lectio
The second step is called Lectio. In this step we exercise our minds. We take time to prayerfully pour over a biblical text. We read it and re-read it, ruminating on it, listening for God’s voice in the midst of our study.
Step 3: Meditatio
The third step is called Meditatio. In this step you pause in a meaningful way over a passage or two that speaks to you. As you quietly listen while in the presence of God, you begin to hear what He is calling attention to. When you prayerfully read with an open heart and with patience, you become able to listen to what God is saying to you in your own life. The divine action of God often takes place in this hidden way. Sometimes you are not even aware of it in the moment.
Step 4: Oratio
The fourth step is called Oratio. In this step we dialogue with God, by asking Him questions and listening for His response to them. While prayerfully reading scripture, there are many kinds of questions you may want to ask the Lord. You may ask Him how He wants you to respond in a situation, or ways you could please Him more in your daily life.
Step 5: Contemplatio
The fifth step is called Contemplatio. This is the time of receiving a divine hug from God. You simply stop all reading, working through meaning, and and dialoging with God. In Contemplatio you just look and Him and He looks at you and you rest in the embrace of His loving presence. This is the moment of adoration. You usually enter into this phase in an imperceptibly natural way. This is because your prayer up until this point has worked your soul up to the point of receiving the grace. In the moment of pure adoration you are opening your heart to God and He is forming you to have the mind of Christ. You are receiving so much grace that you physically FEEL the tangible peace of His presence and it surrounds you, filling your heart and mind with great joy. This moment does not come from your own action or doing, it comes because you have disposed yourself properly to RECEIVE the grace God so freely wants to give.
Step 6: Actio
The sixth step is Actio. In Actio, we put our faith into action, making our lives a gift of charity for others. After asking God, what do you want me to do during Oratio, here in Actio we put what He reveals to us into obedient action.
Step 7: Gratias
The final step is Deo Gratias, or Thanking God. In this step you show tremendous gratitude to God for His amazing grace, for the beautiful gift of His presence, and for the love He gives you while in meditative prayer and throughout the day. This thankfulness is a step that can be carried out continually throughout the day, even several hours after you have had your holy hour of prayer. When you find yourself recalling that wonderful moment of awe, thank Him again. When you are again moved by His response to you in adoration, repeat again your gratitude for His loving presence in your life.
A Note on this Method
The seven steps above draw on a long tradition of prayerful reading of Scripture. The core practice—Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, and Contemplatio—traces back to a 12th century Carthusian monk, Guigo II, who first described these four movements as rungs on a ladder leading to God.
The addition of Actio comes from more recent Church teaching. In his 2010 apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI taught that the process of lectio divina is not concluded until it arrives at action, which moves the believer to make his or her life a gift for others in charity (see [Verbum Domini, no. 87]).
The surrounding steps of Statio and Gratias—a pause of recollection before beginning, and a closing act of thanksgiving—reflect this same spirit of prayerful attentiveness, though they are less a formal doctrine than a natural way of framing the whole practice from start to finish.
However you move through these steps, the goal is the same one the Church has always pointed to: an honest, listening encounter with God in His Word.
New to This Practice?
You may want to start with today’s Daily Readings, and pray through these seven steps at your own pace. You may also want to learn more about Lectio Divina.
Today's Daily Readings
Meditate on the Word of God while in prayer with the Daily Readings of the Church for the Roman Calendar.
Divine Reading
Divine reading takes prayer to a new level when you practice mental prayer while reading Scripture.