There have been times when life and work have become very busy.
During one particularly challenging season, I changed my centering prayer schedule.
At the time, I was sitting twice per day for twenty minutes.
My first sit was as soon as I awoke in the morning.
My second sit was in the mid to late afternoon.
But work had become challenging and overwhelming at times.
I realized I needed to adjust.
I needed God and me to better partner as I moved through the day.
So I became more flexible with my sits.
I still sat first thing in the morning.
But instead of two twenty-minute sits, I began sitting three times for thirteen minutes.
One in the morning.
One before lunch.
One between three and four in the afternoon.
I discovered that I needed those additional pauses with God.
My reservoir seemed to empty more quickly during that season.
The additional sit slowed me down.
It calmed me.
It helped me become calmly productive with the tasks in front of me.
I learned something important from that experience.
Our centering prayer practice does not have to look exactly the same during every season of life.
I have learned to trust the nudges and prompts of the Spirit.
Sometimes God may nudge us to adjust when we sit.
Or how often we sit.
The important thing is that we keep returning.
My challenge to you is to listen to the Spirit.
What does your life need right now?
Perhaps your current schedule works perfectly.
Perhaps you need to sit earlier.
Perhaps you need another short sit during the day.
Be open.
Adjust the times and frequency of your silent sits so they better balance with the ebbs and flows of your life.
Sit with God.
Then get up and walk with God through your day.
If you would like help developing a consistent centering prayer practice, I created a 30-day email journey called Sit Quietly with God.
Each day, you will receive a short email to help you practice centering prayer and go deeper with God.
