“Whenever we take a step toward Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms.” ~Pope Francis
Last week, I made the effort to do some Centering Prayer. Centering Prayer is a way of resting silently in the presence of God. It’s all about focusing on deepening your relationship with God. I have always been drawn to this form of prayer as one becomes centered in meditational silence.
The excuse that I would typically tell myself is that I don’t have time to do this or think that my mind is too distracted to be silent and to sit still. But those are exactly the reasons why I should be doing it.
Here are the four basic guidelines for Centering Prayer:
- You choose a sacred word or sacred breath as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. Example sacred words: Faith, Trust, Jesus, Father, Mother, Mary, Amen, Peace, etc.
- Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, you settle briefly and silently introducing the sacred word or sacred breath. Allow your body to relax and begin to notice your breath flowing in and out at its natural pace.
- When engaged with your thoughts, just return ever-so-gently to the sacred word or breath.
- At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. Thank God for your time together and end with an Our Father.
By silencing ourselves and placing ourselves in the presence of God, we are then able to listen to him in our silence. Afterall, silence is God’s first language when he speaks to us.
Sure, distractions of the mind may keep interrupting your flow, but simply pushing those thoughts aside allows you to re-enter your silent prayer. When your prayer concludes, you will feel a peaceful calm that you probably haven’t felt in quite some time.
May each of us find the strength to overcome our hesitations so that we can deepen our connection with the One who desires to be with us. Afterall, God is waiting with open arms.
But 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. ~Matthew 6:6
How can we live like a monk? Find out here.
