Contemplative Prayer

When we first try reflection, prayer or mindfulness, it can be hard! We find our minds racing with thoughts and ideas. We might feel guilty because we're not doing something more 'productive'. We might resent the idea of stopping when we could be getting on with so many other more pressing tasks. Be assured that this is all completely normal! Learning to stop takes time and practice. There is no magic bullet or goal that you're trying to get to, so be easy on yourself.

Remember also that although we may come to prayer with things on our minds that we want to give to God, or seeking guidance, there is also great value in simply 'wasting time' with God. It doesn't matter if we come away feeling like we haven't got the answers we were looking for. Learning to stop creates the space in which God can speak, but can also be about simply enjoying companionable silence. It also makes us more able to hear his voice at other times and places.

1. Find a place where you can be comfortable, with a cup of tea if you want, and preferably away from noise and distractions.
2. If sitting, be comfortable but try not to slouch. Some people find it helpful to have their palms open and facing upwards on their laps.
3. Give yourself a few moments to pause, and allow your breathing and heartbeat to slow down. Allow the quiet to slowly enfold you.
4. One of the first things we become aware when we come to silence is just how much noise there is in our heads! If there are thoughts and ideas which keep coming into your head, don't fight them but briefly let them run their course. Then try and set them aside for now. If it's something you're worried about remembering, jot down a short note to remind you later.
5. Some people find it helpful to use a short prayer, repeated slowly and allowing every word to sink in. See below for some examples. Others use a practice called Lectio Divina - reading a short passage from Scripture carefully and allowing God to use our imaginations to speak to us. You can do this with any passage of Scripture, but click here to see some examples as starting points, as well as some other helpful pointers.
6. As you begin to feel surrounded by a sense of calm, try not to fight it, but go with the moment. You may feel a sense of God's presence, or a feeling of deep peace. However you may feel nothing at all. Even if that is the case, don't give up too quickly but try to remain where you are.
7. There may be things on your mind - sources of stress, anxiety, fears, doubts, anger and so on. It is often only when we allow ourselves the time and space to stop that we become aware of these things, or are able to put our finger on them. In the quiet, offer these things to God, asking him to take them from you.
8. There may also be things that you want to ask God for. Again, offer these to him. This can be spoken out loud, offered in silent thought, or written down - whichever you feel most comfortable with and allows you to express yourself.
9. Finally, it may be that God has things that he wants to say to you. If any phrases, words or ideas come to mind, make a mental or written note of them. They make not make much sense now, but might take on a new meaning at another time.