This weekend I led several dozen women in trying lectio divina for the first time. Having that experience while also reading T.M. Luhrmann’s fascinating new book When God Talks Back prompted me to ask: What do Christians mean when we say we receive guidance from God?

Lectio divina, like many spiritual practices both ancient and modern, is a way to train the mind and heart to listen more closely to God. We cut out distractions; we listen and ask and then listen some more. Like many other spiritual practices, lectio is hard. Our minds wander. As we pray, we wonder who is listening on the other end of the line. And then—eureka!—a moment of epiphany: we have discerned God’s voice in the cacophony.