Practicing Centering Prayer is gradually changing me in ways I didn’t expect. My hyperactive mind has slowed down a bit. I think I’m more aware of God, others, and who I really am. I am so grateful to have found Centering Prayer and want to share with you what I’ve learned and experienced.
1. WHAT IS CENTERING PRAYER? Centering Prayer is a way of communing with God. It differs from familiar prayer practices in that it does not involve words, thoughts, feelings, intercessions, or deep reflections about Jesus and his life. Instead, it is an intentional time of silence during which we surrender to God by saying “yes” to his presence and action. Picture yourself sitting at the feet of Jesus, tenderly leaning toward him, and opening your heart to his.
2. WHERE DID IT COME FROM? Though the name “Centering Prayer” wasn’t used until the 1970’s, the concept of wordless prayer is not new. In Psalm 46 of the Old Testament, God exhorts us to, “Be still and know that I am God.” The New Testament contains no specific descriptions of contemplative or meditative prayer, but it repeatedly describes Jesus seeking solitude to pray. In Matthew 6:6-7, Jesus advises us, “…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 repay you.” Christian history describes many holy men and women with contemplative practices, such as the Desert Fathers, John Cassian, Julian of Norwich, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, and Thomas Merton. In response to the growing interest in eastern styles of meditation in the US in the 60’s and 70’s, three Trappist monks, including Thomas Keating, incorporated the rich traditions of Christian contemplative prayer into the accessible prayer method that became known as Centering Prayer.
3. HOW DO YOU DO IT? The Method of Centering Prayer includes four steps, briefly described here:
First, choose a “sacred word,” a short word like Jesus or peace, “as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.”
Second, sit comfortably and close your eyes, introducing your sacred word.
Third, “When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.”
Fourth, at the end of your prayer time, which might be 5 minutes or the recommended 20 minutes, remain in silence a few minutes.
The hardest part is making the decision and then sitting down to do it.
4. WHY SHOULD YOU CONSIDER IT? One reason is that God may be calling you to do it—maybe that’s the reason you are reading these words. A daily practice of Centering Prayer will help you trust God more deeply. Through this prayer, I learned to trust God with my precious time, the undone things on my to-do list, sleep time, and even my prayer agenda. Over and over, as I let go of the many thoughts that called me during my prayer time, I surrendered to his “presence and action” in my prayer and life. Don’t expect immediate rewards. Just sit and wait with an open heart. In doing so, you will be drawing closer to God’s love and healing presence. I’m drawn to the image of God as our “Divine Therapist.”
5. ARE THERE HEALTH BENEFITS? Centering Prayer is a quiet practice that includes silence and easy breathing, features also present in secular meditation practices. The body recognizes these physical changes in the mind and body as the “relaxation response,” the antidote to stress. This is a key reason why long term meditators experience health benefits. Even though I was not seeking these changes when I began Centering Prayer, I do feel less pressured and stressed than I used to—and I thank God for this gift.
SUGGESTIONS:
1. If you’re attracted to this type of prayer, read the full guidelines, and then just sit down and do it.
2. I encourage you to learn more.
Brochure: The Method of Centering Prayer, The Prayer of Consent, a brief summary.
Websites: Contemplative Prayer; Center for Action and Contemplation, Fr. Richard Rohr.
Books: Open Mind, Open Heart (2nd ed.); Intimacy with God: Introduction to Centering Prayer; Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening.
3. You can join a virtual or in-person Centering Prayer Group to pray with others. See your options at Contemplative Outreach Chapters or the global online community affiliated with Contemplative Outreach. If you live in the the Hyattsville/College Park, MD, area, please email me for information about our two in-person groups.
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To change the world, you must first change yourself. Read on to help you embrace and live this counterintuitive message.