Centering prayer is one of my favorite ways to spend time with God.
It’s a time to just sit and be still in the presence of God. Not talking or listening. Just being.
We seldom spend enough time just sitting quietly. Every part of us needs that stillness – body, soul, spirit. Even more so, we need that time just being in God’s presence.
Psalm 46:10 reminds us:
“‘Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!'” (NKJV)
During centering prayer, I don’t feel like anything is happening. That’s okay. That’s how it is supposed to be. It’s not a “feel good” exercise. It’s simply being with the Creator of the universe – the Creator of me.
Have you ever had the experience of sitting with a spouse, family member, or friend that you know really well – and just sitting, not saying a word? If you reflect, you’ll probably recognize you have done this many times. It’s so peaceful when you can just be yourself around someone else, and not have to do or say anything. That’s a genuine relationship. And that’s exactly what God desires with each one of us. He is the best family and friend we will ever have.
Even though it feels like nothing is happening during my time of centering prayer, for the rest of the day I can tell the difference. I’m more attuned to what He wants to show me. Everything in me is more at peace. When I leave my time of centering prayer, I often feel like I’ve just gone for a swim or a kayaking excursion. It’s refreshing. Renewing. As only His presence can be.
Centering prayer is not the same as secular forms of meditation. I don’t empty my mind. (That would not be good because the enemy would rush in.) Instead, I fill my mind with God and focus on Him: “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” — 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV).
When distractions come – and they always seem to multiply when I sit down for centering prayer – I simply re-focus and re-center myself on God each time. Not a bad way to spend 20 minutes … or 10 … or 5.
I’ve had people ask me if centering prayer is really Christian. Absolutely, it is. The desert fathers and mothers practiced all forms of contemplative prayer, including centering prayer, in the 4th century of the early Church. They did this because they felt that the Church had become institutionalized (sound familiar?) and had lost touch with simple devotional practices of relationship with God. Contrary to common misperceptions, the desert fathers and mothers did not remove themselves from the Church. They remained active in the Church community and were influential toward leadership, pouring wisdom and the peace of the Holy Spirit into the Church.
Imagine if the Church today made centering prayer and other forms of contemplative prayer a daily practice. It makes my heart glad to see that more gatherings of the Church are beginning to do so. God bless them. It all starts with each one of us deciding to spend quiet time in God’s presence every day.
Just simply being with Him.
God bless your day.
Adventures with God 