We're back with Rev. Rachel for week three of our Spiritual Rhythms series, and this week we're talking about one of our absolute favorite things — Scripture. But maybe not in the way you're used to engaging it.

Here's something worth sitting with: most of us who love the Bible tend to engage it almost entirely through our heads. We study it, analyze it, cross-reference it — and that is genuinely wonderful. But there's a whole other way of being in Scripture that most of us in the evangelical tradition have barely touched, and it's actually one of the oldest Christian practices in existence.

It's called lectio divina — divine reading — and it's been around for about 1,700 years. Long before the printing press, long before people could read their own Bibles, Christians were using this practice to actually experience and be formed by Scripture, not just informed by it. And today, Nicole and Rev. Rachel walk you through it live, using Psalm 119:9–16.

Here's how it works: the passage is read four times, slowly. The first time, you just listen. The second time, you notice what word or phrase sticks with you. The third time, you ask the Holy Spirit how it connects to your life right now. And the fourth time, you ask God how He's inviting you to respond. What you're looking for at the end isn't more information — it's peace. It's the gentle conviction or comfort of the Spirit meeting you right where you are.

We also talk about the digital fast from last week — and why your phone might be revealing more about where you actually place your trust than you'd like to admit. (Pro tip from Rev. Rachel's college students: buy an old school alarm clock. Seriously.)

And the core idea we keep coming back to all series long: right pace creates right perspective. When we slow down enough to let Scripture read us — not just the other way around — something shifts. That's the invitation this week.

Check out my free download to walk through these practices together:
https://nicoleunice.kit.com/spiritualpractices

This Week's Practice: Lectio Divina
Try it yourself with Psalm 119:9–16 — read it four times, slowly:

1. Read 1 — Just listen. Let the words wash over you.
2. Read 2 — What word, phrase, or image sticks with you?
3. Read 3 — Ask the Holy Spirit: how does this connect to my life right now?
4. Read 4 — Ask God: how are you inviting me to respond?