Jeanne Guyon (1648-1717) wrote an acclaimed book Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ. It is touted as one of the most influential books ever to be written in the history of the church. Movements such as the Quakers and the Moravians, along with religious readers such as John Wesley and Watchman Nee were among those who have been shaped by her thoughts and perspectives.
She taught that there are two ways to come to intimacy with the Lord. These she called "praying the Scripture" and "beholding the Lord." These are her own words:
Turn to the Scripture; choose some passage that is simple and fairly practical. Next, come to the Lord. Come quietly and humbly. There, before Him, read a small portion of the passage of Scripture you have opened to.
Be careful as you read. Take in fully, gently and carefully what you are reading. Taste it and digest it as you read.
In the past it may have been your habit, while reading, to move very quickly from one verse of Scripture to another until you had read the whole passage. Perhaps you were seeking to find the main point of the passage.
But in coming to the Lord by means of "praying the Scripture," you do not read quickly; you read very slowly. You do not move from one passage to another, not until you have sensed the very heart of what you have read.
You may then want to take that portion of Scripture that has touched you and turn it into a prayer.
The way to do this is really quite simple.
First, read a passage of Scripture. Once you sense the Lord's presence, the content of what you have read is no longer important. The Scripture has served its purpose; it has quieted your mind; it has brought you to Him.
You begin by setting aside a time to be with the Lord. When you do come to Him, come quietly. Turn your heat to the presence of God. How is this done? This, too, is quite simple. You turn to Him by faith. By faith you believe you have come into the presence of God.
Next, while you are before the Lord, begin to read the same portion of Scripture.
As you read, pause.
The pause should be quite gentle. You have paused so that you may set your mind on the Spirit. You have set your mind inwardly - on Christ.