Contemplative prayer is both a relationship with God and a discipline to deepen that relationship. It requires from you only the intention to grow closer to God, and its practice.

Contemplative prayer is centuries old, practiced by all of the world’s principal religions, and represents a desire to have God draw us closer into a relationship. As we grow closer to, and come to better know, God, we gradually let go of who we think we are, to become who we truly are.

The practice we follow is called “centering prayer”. It was resurrected in its current form by Father Thomas Keating and others in the 1980s. It proceeds from a Judeo-Christian tradition, but can be practiced by anyone. It is designed to be simple in its practice. The more you practice it, the more you will begin to develop your relationship to God, and therefore to others, and the more you will come to know your true self.

Centering Prayer is also beneficial as a means to spiritual healing from personal trauma, addiction, and the “slings and arrows” of daily life. It is not a footrace or a contest. God loves each of us infinitely and entirely, but until we completely open our hearts to that love, we can never fully realize it. Once we begin to appreciate that Divine Love, we can begin to lavish it on the people and the world around us.

While the Center for Contemplative Living provides many classes in centering prayer, false self systems, and other adjunct methods of spiritual progress and self awareness, the practice itself is very simple and requires only your intention and commitment.

The Practice

The practice of centering prayer is very simple. Making time for and committing to the practice may not be easy in this world of distractions.

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. 
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word, especially when you notice you’re indulging some thought or another.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with your eyes closed for a couple of minutes before you slowly open them.

The recommended practice of centering prayer is twice a day, for twenty minutes a session. How you time the sessions is up to you. An online meditation application might be more gentle than, say, an oven timer. However, you can practice more or less, as long as you commit to a time each day to practice centering prayer, regardless of your mood or schedule.