“We pray, then, at our deepest level, because we are drawn by the bonds of love. We pray because we love, and not just for utilitarian purposes.” - William A. Barry, SJ

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words.  And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.     -  Romans 8:26-27

CENTERING PRAYER

"Be still and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10

This is a way to begin. The process is to become still, bring our self to the present, and keep silent. In the silence, our intention is to remain attentively present to the Divine Presence.
Contemplative at Home: 5 minutes of Silence offers a recording to guide you into stillness, presence and holding 5 minutes of silence. They also have a version for keeping 10 minutes of silence.

Being still and focusing on God can be a challenge for us in our fast-paced world. It takes practice and time to cultivate this. Be patient with yourself … God is patient!

Here are some suggestions to just start being aware of God’s presence in little moments …
- Choose a symbol to place on your desk to remind you of God’s presence with you throughout your day (e.g. a rock, candle …)
- Look out the window, up into the sky or trees.
- Feel your feet on the ground. You are here. And this is where God is, in the present.
- Light a candle as a symbol of God’s living presence with you now.
- Put a leaf in your pocket and when you feel it during the day remember God’s presence with you.
- Whenever you wash you hands pause to enjoy the moment. Let the running water remind you of God’s living waters refreshing your soul.
- Eat slower than usual. Savor each mouthful.
- Take a few moments to notice the sounds, smells and sights around you. You are part of God’s world.

(These suggestions have been collated by Peter & Kerryn Chirstensen at The Well Member Care Centre in Chiang Mai, Thailand)

BREATH PRAYER

Breathe. Be aware of your breathing. God is here with you as you take each breath.

As you inhale, listen for a name of God that resonates with you today. Keep cycling through your breathing until you settle on hearing one name for God with your inhales.

As you exhale, form a short, simple phrase that expresses what you want to say to God today. This might be a praise, a personal need, a desire for our world, etc.

Continue ‘calling on the name of God’ as you inhale and ‘speaking’ your praise or desire as you exhale. Pray as you breath in this way for a period of time.

You might want to pause briefly throughout your day to be aware of your breathing and return to your breath prayer as you do so.

Examples:
Jesus, help me.
Spirit, send your peace.
Creator, you are awesome.
Abba, bring comfort.

IMAGINATIVE CONTEMPLATION

Praying with our imagination.
Imaginative contemplation is the process of imagining ourselves in a biblical scene, taking up a character, being with Jesus and being aware of what’s going on, and how we are feeling. When we pray with our imagination, we come into real intimacy with Jesus as we seek to place ourselves as fully as we can within a story from the scriptures.                                        
We live in a rational, left brain world where information and analysis is prized above everything else. Yet as human beings, our soul is still fired by color and imagination. We may have been told that we have no imagination or think we don’t, yet we use imagination whenever we remember experiences from the past, or engage in day-dreaming about possible future events. Most of us can do this readily in our own way, especially if we just do it rather than think about doing it. That same imagination can be a very powerful tool for prayer. It’s a gift from God to be used for encounter. Jesus called on people’s imagination all the time. He was constantly telling stories and painting word pictures. He asked people to imagine the kingdom of God as a mustard seed, as yeast, as treasure hidden in a field…
What is important is being involved in what is being imagined, experiencing it rather than being an observer of yourself. Imaginative prayer ‘puts us in the picture’ with the Gospel characters and helps us see the Gospel stories played out in our own homes and neighborhoods. Praying this way can create a deeper and more personal intimacy with Jesus.

Give it a try! Go to this link at Pray as You Go to access recordings to guide you through this type of prayer. After you try Imaginative Prayer on this website, check out their other resources to guide you in prayer.

FIVE FINGER PRAYER

Thumb: Something that is a positive in my life
Index Finger: Something I am looking forward to
Middle Finger: Something that is not going well
Ring Finger: Something I am loving right now
Pinky: A little thing that is bringing me joy

THE EXAMEN

Sometimes our prayer can get formal and abstract. The Daily Examen keeps our feet on the ground. This reflective, Spirit-led review of the day grounds our prayer in concrete reality. Because we are God’s children living in a world that God loves and sustains, we can be assured that we can hear his voice in our lives in this world.
There is one big advantage to making a habit of the Daily Examen: We will never run out of things to pray about. Sometimes prayer gets dry. Sometimes we wonder what to say to God. The Examen eliminates these problems. As long as we have twenty-four hours to look back on, we will have hundreds of things to talk to God about—and to thank him for.

The pattern of The Examen:
1. Become aware of God’s presence.
2. Review the day with gratitude.
3. Pay attention to your emotions.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it.
5. Look toward tomorrow.

The Examen of Consciousness . . . A Prayer to God . . .
(In the space between each line, fill in your personal conversation with God.)
God, thank you.
I thank you, God, for always being with me, but especially I am grateful that you are with me right now.
God, send your Holy Spirit upon me.
God, let the Holy Spirit enlighten my mind and warm my heart that I may know where and how we have been together this day.
God, let me look at my day.
God, where have I felt your presence, seen your face, heard your word this day?
God, where have I ignored you, run from you, perhaps even rejected you this day?
God, let me be grateful and ask forgiveness.
God, I thank you for the times this day we have been together and worked together.
God, I am sorry for the ways that I have offended you by what I have done or what I did not do.
God, stay close.
God, I ask that you draw me ever closer to you this day and tomorrow.
God, you are the God of my life—thank you.

Online Guide of The Examen
The Lunchtime Examen invites you to pause at noontime (or whatever time fits your calendar) to review the past 24 hours in the presence of God. This 6-session series gives explanation of The Examen along with being a voice to guide you through it.

MORE RESOURCES

Ignatian Spirituality - a website with a good overview of prayer methods

Contemplative at Home - a website recommended by Janeen Steer

Space for God: Study and Practice of Sprituality and Prayer by Don Postema - a book recommended by Amy & Matt Bumpus

Lectio 365 - an app recommended by Paula Floyd

Many of these resources are based in Ignatian spirituality which challenges us to encounter God in all things, witnessing to the joy of the Gospel. These resources help us experience contemplative, imaginative prayer that can help us open our hearts in a new, refreshing way.  (Ignatian spirituality denotes a group of practices recommended by St. Ignatius of Loyola, a 16th Century Spanish theologian and founder of the Jesuit order of Catholicism.)