Interior freedom is a primary goal of this prayer. Not freedom to do what you like, but freedom to do what God likes–freedom to be your true Self and be transformed in Christ.
– Thomas Keating
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This is why we show up each day for our centering prayer sit. We thirst and hunger for interior freedom. We think we have interior freedom but we are merely actors on a stage giving our families, friends, communities and employers what they want. We play roles they expect us to play. We play roles we think we should play. None of these roles are who we are. They are not our true self.
When we sit with God in silent prayer we ever so gently remove all obstacles that obstruct our connection to the Divine. We let Divine love shine directly upon us.
All the Divine wants to do is love us. The Divine wants us to feel whole. The Divine wants us to connect to our true self. The Divine wants our true self to shine for all the world to see.
Each time we sit in silence, the Divine rays slowly and gently penetrate the false self barriers that seem to surround our true self. The Divine rays gently and lovingly dissolve these false self barriers until all that remains is our true self.
This is who we are. Our true self simply wants to shine. It wants to act. It wants to share itself. It is finally free to reveal itself to our families, friends, communities and employers. It only knows compassionate and loving actions.
This is what happens when we show up each day for our silent sit with God. We are transformed in Christ. Silent prayer teaches us how to live. We learn how to live from our deepest core: our true self.
Go Further:
Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition by Thomas Keating
Intimacy with God: An Introduction to Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating
Manifesting God 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.
Themes in the Gospel of John by N. T. Wright: The course approaches the Gospel of John in a way that looks at seven key themes. These themes bind the Fourth Gospel together in a manner that allows us to see this ‘new way of living’ as possible for followers of King Jesus. In so doing, we then apply these themes to the current era in order to ask ourselves questions about how we are putting them into practice. In a way, this is the story of how to live out being the presence of God on earth through the indwelling of God’s spirit.
Prepare to be immersed in the 1st Century A.D. context of the life, work, teachings, and actions of Jesus. Check out Simply Jesus by N. T. Wright. It is based on his book Simply Jesus. Enjoy an article I wrote about one of the lectures on the Beatitudes.
This course is a short course based on Prof. N.T. Wright’s latest book, Simply Good News. Tom Wright will guide you through the chapters of his book through videos that suggest what some of the main points are. You will instantly get into the heart of the idea of ‘good news’ as it was understood by the 1st Century writers of the New Testament. You will be brought into their world in order to make more sense of what ‘good news’ means in our world.
Christian Prayer Methods: Prayer is a core Christian practice, but for many, this means “saying prayers” or asking God for various favors. In this course, we will review a variety of methods of prayer that have been used for centuries in Christianity. Whether you’re a beginner who is just learning how to pray, or a more mature Christian who has been at it awhile, this course will offer specific guidance, encouragement and support for practicing several time-tested methods of prayer.
