“I don’t have the patience for silent prayer.”
I get it.
We have busy lives.
There is too much on our plate.
How will we get done the things we need to do today?
Sitting quietly for 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes is hard!
All kinds of thoughts come up that we don’t want to think about.
When we do things we don’t have to feel these thoughts.
I say persevere.
Start small, 5 minutes.
Work your way up to 20 minutes.
Patience in silent prayer will teach you patience in life.
We learn to patiently take daily action on our goals.
We learn to be patient with ourselves.
We learn to patiently wait when someone needs space.
We learn when no action is the best action.
We even learn that sometimes we are not the right person to take that action and someone else is.
The patience in silent prayer seems to give us back time.
We learn what to focus on and what to let go.
We find we are more productive.
The patience in silent prayer teaches you how to be patient with life.
Go Further:
Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition by Thomas Keating and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening were the first two books I read as I began my Centering Prayer practice.
Be Still and Listen: Experience the Presence of God in Your Life by Amos Smith
The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice by Cynthia Bourgeault
An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation, and Liberation by Martin Laird
this post may contain affiliate links
I am currently reading an Invitation to Love 20th Anniversary Edition: The Way of Christian Contemplation by Thomas Keating.
Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks – This is a great way to listen to books with your cell phone while you drive, walk or relax at home. I frequently listen in my car during my commute to and from work. I’m a proud affiliate.
David Frenette’s book The Path of Centering Prayer re-energized the Centering Prayer tradition with its fresh insights and teachings. This companion audio program—created to be equally rewarding as a stand-alone guide—gives listeners an immersive resource to learn contemplative prayer, step by step and in the moment. With clarity and compassionate presence, Frenette explains the essential principles of this contemplative practice for both new and seasoned practitioners, and then guides us experientially through core prayers and meditations.
Centering Prayer Course: A Training Course for Opening to the Presence of God – Centering Prayer is a silent prayer practice that can move you toward a profound relationship with the Spirit of God within. It is a way of praying that opens the door to the Divine Indwelling—the ground of our being. With Centering Prayer, Father Thomas Keating and his colleagues Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler and Father Carl Arico present the first online course in this method for deepening your intimacy with God and ultimately consenting to the presence and action of the Divine in all aspects of your life.
Drawing from the wisdom of monastic life, modern psychology and best practices in personal productivity, the Monk Manual provides a daily system that will help you find clarity, purpose, wisdom, and peace in the moments that make up your life.
Leave a Reply