CENTERING PRAYER

 

Why Engage It?

Centering prayer can sound daunting and a little bit New Age, but actually it is a practice named by Thomas Keating, a current day monk. It is a practice of consenting to God speaking in the silence we create by quieting our thoughts and focusing on what God or the Trinity is saying to us. The point is to center ourselves in who God is and what is desired of us as God’s created beings on this earth. For example, when I was doing this practice a few days ago, I felt God saying that to be in the center of the Trinity is to be in the center of Love; therefore, my invitation for the day was to operate out of love in every situation or context in which I found myself.

How to Practice It

What you need: Time (10-20 minutes), quiet, space.

Create a word or phrase that helps you center your thoughts around God (Jesus Christ, Spirit of God, etc.) and repeat that word/phrase until it focuses your thoughts and enables you to listen. If a thought passes by, think of it as a boat on a river and let it float by - do not get on that boat and let your thoughts be derailed from centering on God. For 20 minutes, simply allow God to be the one speaking to your mind and soul. Perhaps some form of forgiveness might emerge, or an act of service to a neighbor, or rest in the knowledge you are loved. It can be quite simple or quite profound, but it takes intentionality to quiet the mind and thoughts and allow our Creator to be the one communicating.

 
Capacity Ministries