Centering Prayer
In the busyness of day to day life, it’s so easy for us to miss the many ways God is speaking and moving. Here’s a simple practice that can help you as you seek to grow in awareness around the ways God is speaking to you.
Centering prayer is a simple practice that can help us to hear the voice of God in our lives.
Centering Prayer Practice
Palms Up, Palms Down
Preparation:
Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed.
Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and palms facing down on your lap. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to relax your body and mind.
Imagery:
Visualize yourself by a river, where thoughts are like leaves or twigs floating downstream.
As thoughts enter your mind, acknowledge them, but don’t cling to them. Let them flow out as naturally as they came in, like letting the leaves pass by in the river.
If needed, keep a notepad next to you to write down things that come to mind that you are worried about forgetting.
Practice:
Allow this process to continue for a set amount of time, whether it's 5 or 30 minutes (you can use a timer).
If a thought feels urgent or important, jot it down on a notepad nearby, then let it go and return to the practice.
Transition:
Once your thoughts begin to slow down or your designated time is up, switch your palms from facing down to facing up on your lap symbolizing your openness and receptiveness to hearing from The Holy Spirit.
Spend another set time, similar to the previous duration, with your palms facing up, keeping your mind clear, and being open to what you might hear or sense.
Reflection:
At the end of your practice, consider any impressions, words, or images that arose. Evaluate them against what you understand about God from scripture.
Reflect on whether these insights align with God’s character and your understanding of who you are in relation to Him.
Conclusion:
Recognize that not receiving any specific insight is normal. The value lies in spending time in God’s presence, not just in receiving something tangible.
Centering Prayer isn’t solely about expecting revelations but about being in the presence of the One you love.
Remember, this practice takes time to develop, so be patient with yourself. It's about creating space to listen as you are present with the Lord.
Centering Prayer is based on the wisdom saying of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you”(MT 6:6). It is also inspired by writings of major contributors to the Christian contemplative heritage including John Cassian, the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Thomas Merton.
