
Silent prayer is a special time. It is our time to sit with God. It is like when we sit quietly with a friend. No words need to be said.
Silent prayer is the time for us to get out of the way! We ever so gently “let go” and open to the great Presence.
It can be helpful to have a special place to retreat to during silent prayer.
I begin my day with silent prayer. I make my way to the guest room in our house. It is here that I start my day.
On a workday, in the early afternoon, I get up from my work desk and walk to my car. (It does not matter how busy I am.) I sit in the driver’s seat. I might crack a window. I sit in silence with God.
If I am not able to take an afternoon sit, I make room for an evening sit. My evening sit is also in the guest bedroom.
I need both sits. The morning sit prepares me for the day. The afternoon or evening sit recharges me for the remainder of the day.
What happens while we sit?
God acts deep, deep within us. We may not even know it. But it happens. God will do a great work within us. This work is unique and specially tailored just for you.
I leave my sit a new person!
Silent prayer is not a sprint. It is a marathon. My job is to trust God each time I sit. Let God work!
I seem to recognize the fruits of God’s work during the non silent portions of the day. If I do not notice them, someone else might too.
I might be more calm and relaxed. I might have inner peace. I might find a solution to a problem I struggle with.
I might finish tasks that before I was not able to complete. I might reach out to a person who simply needs a listening ear.
I might volunteer at the local soup kitchen. I might notice things I previously did not see before. I have a new excitement for life.
I highly recommend that you take time to be silent each day. Sit with God. Open to the presence of God.
God will act in you!
P.S. Need help with your practice? Contact me about my coaching. I can help you.
Go Further:
Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser
Becoming an Ordinary Mystic: Spirituality for the Rest of Us by Albert Haase, OFM
Flee, Be Silent, Pray: Ancient Prayers for Anxious Christians by Ed Cyzewski
Dante’s Road: The Journey Home for the Modern Soul by Marc Thomas Shaw
Enjoy my newest Centering Prayer video: Centering Prayer and Your Second Sit.
Silence and the Spiritual Journey by Contemplative Outreach: The purpose of our historical lifetime is to provide us with space for the upward journey of evolution into vertical time and our assimilation of the eternal values that Christ brought into the world. This journey consists of everything from great touches of God (consolations) to the Dark Nights.
Wisdom for Living: The Parables of Jesus by Thomas Keating, Contemplative Outreach: When rightly understood, the parables help us to see how extraordinary a wisdom teacher Jesus really was, and how revolutionary, in the best sense of the word, was the content of what he taught and to which he bore witness by his life and death.
Prayer-Bracelet: I enjoy the action of both prayer and movement. I do not need to remove the bracelet. I wear it on my left wrist and make my way from knot to knot with my right hand’s thumb and index finger as I speak the Jesus Prayer.
Beauty, Truth, Life, and Love: Four Essentials for the Abundant Life by J. Brent Bill is available November 5!
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.
Domestic Monastery by Ronald Rolheiser: What is a monastery? A monastery is a place set apart—a place to learn the blessings of powerlessness, and that time is not ours but God’s. Our home and our duties can, just like a monastery, teach us those things. The vocation of monastic men and women is to physically withdraw from the world. But the principle is equally valid for those of us who cannot go off to monasteries. Certain vocations offer the same kind of opportunity for contemplation, and provide a desert for reflection.
N. T. Wright, In this course Simply Jesus, students will be immersed in the 1st Century A.D. context of the life, work, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth. The goal of the course is to look at the story of Jesus from the perspective of a historian. Too many times Jesus of Nazareth becomes interpreted as simply another ‘religious figure’ among many religious figures. But this so often eliminates the understanding of a man who lived in time and space at a critical time of history.
Writing as a Spiritual Practice: This course helps you to access the rich spiritual stories that lie deeply within you. Words are powerful. The words that you write can be used to:
- help you understand yourself better – and therefore divine God’s purpose in your life
- facilitate healing of spiritual wounds
- minister to others more effectively
- share your testimonies of how God has worked in your life
The Monk Manual: We are on an ambitious mission to help busy people utilize timeless monastic principles to live with greater peace and purpose in their everyday lives.
this post may contain affiliate links