Be Still
Be Still ran in 2017, exploring different dimensions of faith. Guides for meditative worship can be found below and a 'Be Still' group meets monthly for a session of guided meditation and silent prayer. If you are interested in coming along to a meeting, please contact the church office.
SOME HELPS FOR STILLNESS
Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
|
| ||
Being still is often easier said than done. The Psalmist tells us in Psalm 131:2 that he has ‘calmed and quieted (his) soul’. As we seek God in the midst of our busy lives, we often find that the first hurdle is we can’t be quiet, we are distracted not only by all that is going on around us, but by the turmoil of our inner thoughts. Down the centuries Christians have found a number of different ways to find stillness. Sometimes they use these exercises as preparation for another kind of prayer, and sometimes they become the way they meet with God in the silence.
The posture we adopt as we come to quiet may seem unimportant, but prayer is much easier if we are relaxed and comfortable. There is biblical precedent for:
· Sitting (Luke 10:39)
· Standing (Luke 18:11, 13)
· Kneeling (Psalm 95:6)
· Lying face down (Ezekiel 1:28)
· Moving around (2 Samuel 6:14)
There is no ‘right’ way – choose what feels best to you.
The posture we adopt as we come to quiet may seem unimportant, but prayer is much easier if we are relaxed and comfortable. There is biblical precedent for:
· Sitting (Luke 10:39)
· Standing (Luke 18:11, 13)
· Kneeling (Psalm 95:6)
· Lying face down (Ezekiel 1:28)
· Moving around (2 Samuel 6:14)
There is no ‘right’ way – choose what feels best to you.
|
Relaxing in God’s Presence – Awareness of My Body
Find a relaxed position. The following suggestions begin from a sitting position, but you can adapt them for any of the postures on page 1. Many people prefer to close their eyes, but some find it easier to gaze at something, such as a candle. Begin with your back straight, your feet flat on the floor, and your hands resting gently on your lap. Take a moment to become aware of the feel of your feet as they press against the floor. How does the ground feel? Notice any constriction of your footwear, feel your toes – wiggling them might help. |
|
Now let that point of awareness move up into your lower legs. Flex the muscles, let any tension you find there relax and flow away.
Let that point of awareness move slowly up and around your body, gently travelling from one part to the next; from your calves up through your thighs, buttocks, trunk, back, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, head. Let the point of awareness move slowly round your body, gently travelling from one part to the part next to it. Notice the feeling in each place, and let any tension ebb away before moving on.
When you have reached your head and face, spend some time there and then return to your feet and slowly repeat the journey of your awareness again, releasing any tension that you missed the first time.
When it feels as if the exercise has reached its natural conclusion, let the point of awareness, come to rest somewhere at the centre of yourself, and remain there quietly in God’s presence.
Awareness of My Breathing
As in the last exercise begin by finding a relaxed comfortable position. Slowly become aware of the pattern of your own breathing, concentrate your attention on the physical feeling of breathing in, then breathing out. Notice whether it is deep or shallow, regular or irregular, through your mouth or your nose, or both.
Don’t try and change or control your breathing. Just notice as you breathe in, and as you breathe out. If this exercise makes you feel breathless, or causes you any concern at all, leave it and move to one of the other exercises.
You may want simply to rest in the quietness that this awareness of breathing leads to. If, however, you want to turn this exercise into more explicit prayer, then as you breathe in, feel yourself drawing God’s life-giving Spirit deep within. As you breathe out, release anything that might separate you from God, or get in the way – your distractions, worries and anxieties.
You may find it helpful to use a simple prayer, such as “Lord God, you are closer to me than my breath. Breathe into me the peace of your Spirit. Take from me all worry and anxiety.”
Focusing on breathing in this way can work well in conjunction with a simple prayer such as The Jesus Prayer (Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner), or a verse or phrase of scripture such as “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) “O Lord my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) “I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
Let that point of awareness move slowly up and around your body, gently travelling from one part to the next; from your calves up through your thighs, buttocks, trunk, back, shoulders, arms, hands, neck, head. Let the point of awareness move slowly round your body, gently travelling from one part to the part next to it. Notice the feeling in each place, and let any tension ebb away before moving on.
When you have reached your head and face, spend some time there and then return to your feet and slowly repeat the journey of your awareness again, releasing any tension that you missed the first time.
When it feels as if the exercise has reached its natural conclusion, let the point of awareness, come to rest somewhere at the centre of yourself, and remain there quietly in God’s presence.
Awareness of My Breathing
As in the last exercise begin by finding a relaxed comfortable position. Slowly become aware of the pattern of your own breathing, concentrate your attention on the physical feeling of breathing in, then breathing out. Notice whether it is deep or shallow, regular or irregular, through your mouth or your nose, or both.
Don’t try and change or control your breathing. Just notice as you breathe in, and as you breathe out. If this exercise makes you feel breathless, or causes you any concern at all, leave it and move to one of the other exercises.
You may want simply to rest in the quietness that this awareness of breathing leads to. If, however, you want to turn this exercise into more explicit prayer, then as you breathe in, feel yourself drawing God’s life-giving Spirit deep within. As you breathe out, release anything that might separate you from God, or get in the way – your distractions, worries and anxieties.
You may find it helpful to use a simple prayer, such as “Lord God, you are closer to me than my breath. Breathe into me the peace of your Spirit. Take from me all worry and anxiety.”
Focusing on breathing in this way can work well in conjunction with a simple prayer such as The Jesus Prayer (Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner), or a verse or phrase of scripture such as “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) “O Lord my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) “I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1)
|
Awareness of Sounds
Begin in a relaxed position. Take a few moments to focus on any sounds you can hear outside the room where you are, for example the sound of birds or traffic. Try to identify each, and for a moment or two focus on that sound alone.
Then without trying to block out those sounds, let your attention move inwards, to any sounds you can hear in the place where you are – perhaps the ticking of a clock, the hum of a machine, or the central heating. For a few moments, let your whole attention be on these sounds. Again, without blocking any of these sounds, let your point of attention move inwards, and be aware of all the ‘noise’ within yourself. This may be physical, such as the sound of your own breathing or the rumbling of your tummy, or it may be an awareness of thoughts and feelings racing in your heart and mind. |
|
Finally let your awareness come to rest in some quiet, still place at the centre of yourself. Rest there in the quiet for as long as seems good to you
Some of this material comes from ‘Helps for Prayer’ compiled by Paul Nicholson SJ with Ruth Holgate and Stephen Hoyland (adapted)
Some of this material comes from ‘Helps for Prayer’ compiled by Paul Nicholson SJ with Ruth Holgate and Stephen Hoyland (adapted)
what is prayer?
| what_is_prayer.pdf |
1. Once someone asked a wise man how to set about praying. The wise man said: 'Just take a chair and put it opposite you, and think to yourself that God is sitting on that chair, and just talk to Him in the way that you would talk to your closest friend.
William Barclay
2. To pray is to sit
Open-handed before God. Peter G. van Breeman |
3. Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part. Listening to God’s voice is the secret assurance that he will listen to mine.
Andrew Murray |
|
|
4. Half the time I find my prayers are wholly wordless. It consists in a sort of spiritual sunbathing, turning myself towards the spiritual light and allowing it to revive the spirit, like the sunlight on a flower, or a mother’s smile on the child. Of course this does not happen every time. There are terrible periods of emptiness and darkness. But it happens sufficiently often and it is sufficiently real to be infinitely worthwhile.
Lord Hailsham |
5. You put yourself with God, empty perhaps, but hungry and thirsty for Him; and if in sincerity you can perhaps tell Him that you want to want Him; and if you cannot even say that perhaps you can say that you want to want to want Him. Thus you can be very near to Him in your naked sincerity; and He will do the rest.
Michael Ramsey
|
6. There is no need to talk a lot in prayer, but stretch out your hands often and say, ‘Lord, as you want and as you know have mercy on me.’ But if there is war in your soul, add ‘Help me.’ And because he knows what we need, he shows us his mercy.
Macarius the elder (of Egypt) 7. Prayer is not something that I do; prayer is something that I am.
Warren Wiersbe 8. A prayer in its simplest definition is merely a wish turned Godward.
Phillips Brooks 9. There are as many ways of praying as there are human beings. Everyone has the ability to pray and each must find their own way.
Gerard Hughes |
10. Talk to him in prayer of all your wants, your troubles, even the weariness you feel in serving him. You cannot speak too freely, too trustfully, to him.
François Fenelon |
|
11. What’s important is that God is so much part and parcel of life that spontaneous mental chat becomes second nature.
Cliff Richard 13. The best prayers have often more groans than words.
John Bunyan 
15. In prayer we are never “getting a conversation going” with God. We are continuing a conversation which God has begun. If in a walk by the river my mood of anxious self-preoccupation is broken by a sudden awareness of the beauty of the sunlight reflected in the water, and the swirling of the birds, and I find myself turning to God in a brief expression of praise and appreciation, I am not starting a conversation with God. God spoke first in the language of creation wooing me back from isolation into belonging and from anxiety in life-giving awareness.
Martin Smith THE ART OF LECTIO DIVINA |
12. When I pray coincidences happen, and when I do not, they don’t.
William Temple 14. Prayer is simply to be with God…To be with God wondering, that is adoration. To be with God gratefully, that is thanksgiving. To be with God ashamed, that is contrition. To be with God with others on our heart, that is intercession.
Michael Ramsey 
16. Someone has said that God has four answers to prayer. Sometimes he says ‘Yes’. Sometimes he says ‘No’. Sometimes he says ‘Wait’. Most of all he says ‘If’. He says ‘I will help you, if you will do everything you can to help yourself.
William Barclay |
| lectio_divina.pdf |
|
Lectio Divina is a Latin term, which roughly translates as ‘Divine Reading’. It invites us to chew, savour and mull over God's words quietly, slowly and intently. It can be used individually or in a group setting.
Lectio traditionally has a four-step approach: · Reading Lectio · Meditation Meditatio · Prayer Oratio · Contemplation Contemplatio |
|
Guidelines for the individual
1) The first thing to do is to choose a text – psalms and gospel stories are good places to start. 2) Settle yourself down – perhaps use a formal stilling exercise or centering prayer. 3) Ask God to touch you through the Scripture passage. Ask that you might be open to the gift only God knows you need today. Only the Holy Spirit can bring the Word to life. Let your breathing settle and deepen as you invite the spirit to pray in you afresh. |
|
4) Read the chosen text slowly, very, very slowly with an open mind. Don’t study the text – just read it. This is the lectio. You may find reading it aloud helps.
5) When a sentence, or phrase or word ‘resonates’ , ‘lights up’ or ‘rings a bell’ put the Bible down. This is where the ‘meditatio’ or meditation begins.
6) Gently repeat the phrase or word again and again within your heart. There is no need to imagine or try to feel anything. The repetition is to allow yourself to ruminate and feed on the words at an intuitive level. In time you may become aware of a general impression the words have made on you. This is the time of the ‘oratio’ or prayerful response.
7) Express to God as simply as you can the impression the words have made on you. You may wish to thank Him or to ask questions, or just remain in loving silence, appreciating the grace or attitude that the Scripture has instilled. Your prayer may move into contemplation, a simple being with God in which all you are aware of is that you are being attracted to God like a compass needle swinging towards north.
8) After a time distractions will set in. You may close with the Lord’s Prayer or a general thanksgiving. If distraction sets in before you are ready to finish begin again at the point you left off and expected to be touched by another phrase or word.
Guidelines for a group setting
When lectio divina is shared in a group, the passage (or in this case, the poem) is read out loud two or three times. Tonight we suggest you read it twice. Each reading is guided by a focus question to help the group engage deeply with what is read. Then, after each reading, there is a period of silence of between two and ten minutes for meditation, prayer and resting in God’s presence. In this way we “Let the Word of God descend from the mind to the heart.” We listen for God’s word to us and together we hold one another in God’s presence. Group members then share briefly, personally and prayerfully.
1) Focus question before the first reading:
‘What one word or phrase especially touches your heart?’
Read the passage/poem aloud.
Leave a patch of silence.
Go round the group sharing (without comment) the word/phrase.
2) Focus question before the second reading:
‘What does this passage call you to do? What is your personal invitation from the Lord?’
Someone else reads the passage/poem again.
Leave a patch of silence.
Go round the group sharing without comment.
Whether one prays individually or in a group, Lectio Divina is a flexible and easy way to pray. One first listens, notes what is given and responds in a way one is directed by the Holy Spirit.
THE PLACE I WANT TO GET BACK TO - Mary Oliver
The place I want to get back to is where
in the pinewoods
in the moments between
the darkness
and first light
two deer
came walking down the hill
and when they saw me
they said to each other, okay,
this one is okay,
let's see who she is
and why she is sitting
on the ground like that,
so quiet, as if
asleep, or in a dream,
but, anyway, harmless;
and so they came
on their slender legs
and gazed upon me
not unlike the way
I go out to the dunes and look
and look and look
into the faces of the flowers;
and then one of them leaned forward
and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life
bring to me that could exceed
that brief moment?
For twenty years
I have gone every day to the same woods,
not waiting, exactly, just lingering.
Such gifts, bestowed,
can't be repeated.
If you want to talk about this
come to visit. I live in the house
near the corner, which I have named
Gratitude.
5) When a sentence, or phrase or word ‘resonates’ , ‘lights up’ or ‘rings a bell’ put the Bible down. This is where the ‘meditatio’ or meditation begins.
6) Gently repeat the phrase or word again and again within your heart. There is no need to imagine or try to feel anything. The repetition is to allow yourself to ruminate and feed on the words at an intuitive level. In time you may become aware of a general impression the words have made on you. This is the time of the ‘oratio’ or prayerful response.
7) Express to God as simply as you can the impression the words have made on you. You may wish to thank Him or to ask questions, or just remain in loving silence, appreciating the grace or attitude that the Scripture has instilled. Your prayer may move into contemplation, a simple being with God in which all you are aware of is that you are being attracted to God like a compass needle swinging towards north.
8) After a time distractions will set in. You may close with the Lord’s Prayer or a general thanksgiving. If distraction sets in before you are ready to finish begin again at the point you left off and expected to be touched by another phrase or word.
Guidelines for a group setting
When lectio divina is shared in a group, the passage (or in this case, the poem) is read out loud two or three times. Tonight we suggest you read it twice. Each reading is guided by a focus question to help the group engage deeply with what is read. Then, after each reading, there is a period of silence of between two and ten minutes for meditation, prayer and resting in God’s presence. In this way we “Let the Word of God descend from the mind to the heart.” We listen for God’s word to us and together we hold one another in God’s presence. Group members then share briefly, personally and prayerfully.
1) Focus question before the first reading:
‘What one word or phrase especially touches your heart?’
Read the passage/poem aloud.
Leave a patch of silence.
Go round the group sharing (without comment) the word/phrase.
2) Focus question before the second reading:
‘What does this passage call you to do? What is your personal invitation from the Lord?’
Someone else reads the passage/poem again.
Leave a patch of silence.
Go round the group sharing without comment.
Whether one prays individually or in a group, Lectio Divina is a flexible and easy way to pray. One first listens, notes what is given and responds in a way one is directed by the Holy Spirit.
THE PLACE I WANT TO GET BACK TO - Mary Oliver
The place I want to get back to is where
in the pinewoods
in the moments between
the darkness
and first light
two deer
came walking down the hill
and when they saw me
they said to each other, okay,
this one is okay,
let's see who she is
and why she is sitting
on the ground like that,
so quiet, as if
asleep, or in a dream,
but, anyway, harmless;
and so they came
on their slender legs
and gazed upon me
not unlike the way
I go out to the dunes and look
and look and look
into the faces of the flowers;
and then one of them leaned forward
and nuzzled my hand, and what can my life
bring to me that could exceed
that brief moment?
For twenty years
I have gone every day to the same woods,
not waiting, exactly, just lingering.
Such gifts, bestowed,
can't be repeated.
If you want to talk about this
come to visit. I live in the house
near the corner, which I have named
Gratitude.
Session 2
| Be Still Session 2.mp3 |
imaginative contemplation
| imaginative_contemplation.pdf |
|
Consider the lilies of the field…
Matthew 6:28 When Ignatius was recovering from his battle wound he read the following: “ Read of what has been done (in the Gospels) as though it were happening now... Offer yourself as present to what was said and done through our Lord Jesus Christ with the whole affective power of your mind... hear and see these things being narrated as though you were hearing with your own ears and seeing with your own eyes.” Ludolph of Saxony, The Life of Christ. |
|
As he put it into practice, he knew the transforming power of Christ in his life.
“We want to move from an understanding of the incident with our mind to one that touches our heart. We want to know what the mystery is saying to us. We want to become involved in it, not necessarily to discover anything new but, through the power of the imagination, to activate a knowledge and trust deep within us.
The word ‘imagination’ may deter people who think of themselves as ‘unimaginative’. This should not be so. It is not so much the work that we do to build in our imagination the gospel scene, as to let the scene take hold of us. It does not really matter whether we see the people in the scene vividly or whether we have an accurate (historical) picture; the people may remain blurred the scene might even be contemporary. What matters is that the scene holds us and we become gently and quietly enfolded in its atmosphere.”
Christopher Bryant, ‘The River Within’ adapted The Acorn Christian Healing Trust
1. Select a single story before the prayer time itself. Don’t confuse yourself by rifling through the Bible in the prayer time, hoping to hit on one that will do.
2. Spend some moments settling down. Use whatever ways you have learnt to centre yourself, such as the breathing exercise, the listening exercise or the body exercise. Adopt the posture you find comfortable, and choose whatever exercise works best for you.
3. Ask God to touch you through the passage of scripture you have chosen. Tell God that you desire to be open to the word, the healing, the probing, the consolation, whatever God knows you need at this time.
4. Pick up the Bible and read the passage slowly and carefully several times. Pause between each reading for half a minute or so to allow yourself to notice details. Let questions and insights occur as you notice more with each reading.
5. Place the Bible aside. Now give your power of imagination free rein to bring the scene to life with yourself as a participant. Take time to see the place, the buildings the countryside and so on. What kind of day is it? Feel free to smell the scents of the seashore or the marketplace, feel the breeze or the sun on your skin. Hear the noises; sense the movements.
It can help attentiveness to ask of any scene, who is present, what are they doing, what are they saying?
Allow yourself to become whoever you want in the scene. Are you one of the disciples or a bystander able to see everything happen right there on the spot? Perhaps you are you the person being addressed by Jesus, if so, how are you feeling at the beginning of the story?
6. Let the drama slowly unfold. Let whatever happens, happen. Don’t control the story. Let yourself feel what happens. Don’t try to learn lessons from the story. Don’t start thinking about applications to your life. Allow yourself to be affected by the words and actions of the story.
7. As your feelings are affected by the event let yourself respond. Often you need to respond by articulating these feelings to Jesus. Tell him how you have been touched. Ask him what the feelings mean. What kind of gift are they? What are you thankful for? What do you want to ask for? Who is God for you just now? How is God inviting you? At other times the best response is to stay with the impression the story has had on you, savouring it and soaking yourself in it, aware of the presence of the Lord.
8. When the awareness dies down of itself, or you feel you have replied and responded to God’s way of touching you in this particular prayer, bring the meditation to a simple conclusion by saying a prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer or by singing the verse of a hymn or song. It is better to round off the prayer time positively so you can resume your activity rather than just let prayer peter out into distraction and restlessness.
Much of this is taken from: Martin Smith, The Word is Very Near You
Some Suggested Passages:
Luke 5: 1-11 The call of the first disciples
Matthew 8: 23- 27 Jesus calms the storm
Mark 5: 24-34 Jesus heals the woman with haemorrhage
Mark 10: 46-52 The healing of Blind Bartimaeus
John 5: 1-9 The healing at the Pool of Bethesda
Mark 15: 21ff The crucifixion
John 20: 1-18 Jesus appears to Mary
The websites www.pray-as-you-go.org and www.sacredspace.ie are both very useful and full of resources including some guided
imaginative contemplations, Examens and daily lectio divina.
A Simple Review after a Time of Prayer
Ignatius always taught the value of looking back over a time of prayer, in order to “reflect and draw profit”. It often helps to mark the transition from prayer itself to the review – stand up, move about a bit, make yourself a hot drink, have a few minutes break and then look back over the prayer you have just done.
Begin by asking God to bring to your mind and heart what it would be useful for you to notice in this review.
Recall how you entered into prayer – stilling, scripture, something else?
Were you hoping for anything in particular in this time of prayer? If so, what was it?
Can you remember anything of your thoughts and feelings?
How did the prayer go? Was it easy or hard to stay with it? Were you fully involved, or more like a spectator, bored, or engaged?
Where did you experience life, or light, or energy, where did God seem close?
Was there anything you reacted against, which seemed to turn you away from God, or drain that same life, or light, or energy?
Did the prayer lead to any kind of conversation with God, what did you say? How did God respond?
Lastly do you have any sense of ‘unfinished business’ in this time of prayer? Is there anything that you might want to come back to on another occasion?
“We want to move from an understanding of the incident with our mind to one that touches our heart. We want to know what the mystery is saying to us. We want to become involved in it, not necessarily to discover anything new but, through the power of the imagination, to activate a knowledge and trust deep within us.
The word ‘imagination’ may deter people who think of themselves as ‘unimaginative’. This should not be so. It is not so much the work that we do to build in our imagination the gospel scene, as to let the scene take hold of us. It does not really matter whether we see the people in the scene vividly or whether we have an accurate (historical) picture; the people may remain blurred the scene might even be contemporary. What matters is that the scene holds us and we become gently and quietly enfolded in its atmosphere.”
Christopher Bryant, ‘The River Within’ adapted The Acorn Christian Healing Trust
1. Select a single story before the prayer time itself. Don’t confuse yourself by rifling through the Bible in the prayer time, hoping to hit on one that will do.
2. Spend some moments settling down. Use whatever ways you have learnt to centre yourself, such as the breathing exercise, the listening exercise or the body exercise. Adopt the posture you find comfortable, and choose whatever exercise works best for you.
3. Ask God to touch you through the passage of scripture you have chosen. Tell God that you desire to be open to the word, the healing, the probing, the consolation, whatever God knows you need at this time.
4. Pick up the Bible and read the passage slowly and carefully several times. Pause between each reading for half a minute or so to allow yourself to notice details. Let questions and insights occur as you notice more with each reading.
5. Place the Bible aside. Now give your power of imagination free rein to bring the scene to life with yourself as a participant. Take time to see the place, the buildings the countryside and so on. What kind of day is it? Feel free to smell the scents of the seashore or the marketplace, feel the breeze or the sun on your skin. Hear the noises; sense the movements.
It can help attentiveness to ask of any scene, who is present, what are they doing, what are they saying?
Allow yourself to become whoever you want in the scene. Are you one of the disciples or a bystander able to see everything happen right there on the spot? Perhaps you are you the person being addressed by Jesus, if so, how are you feeling at the beginning of the story?
6. Let the drama slowly unfold. Let whatever happens, happen. Don’t control the story. Let yourself feel what happens. Don’t try to learn lessons from the story. Don’t start thinking about applications to your life. Allow yourself to be affected by the words and actions of the story.
7. As your feelings are affected by the event let yourself respond. Often you need to respond by articulating these feelings to Jesus. Tell him how you have been touched. Ask him what the feelings mean. What kind of gift are they? What are you thankful for? What do you want to ask for? Who is God for you just now? How is God inviting you? At other times the best response is to stay with the impression the story has had on you, savouring it and soaking yourself in it, aware of the presence of the Lord.
8. When the awareness dies down of itself, or you feel you have replied and responded to God’s way of touching you in this particular prayer, bring the meditation to a simple conclusion by saying a prayer such as the Lord’s Prayer or by singing the verse of a hymn or song. It is better to round off the prayer time positively so you can resume your activity rather than just let prayer peter out into distraction and restlessness.
Much of this is taken from: Martin Smith, The Word is Very Near You
Some Suggested Passages:
Luke 5: 1-11 The call of the first disciples
Matthew 8: 23- 27 Jesus calms the storm
Mark 5: 24-34 Jesus heals the woman with haemorrhage
Mark 10: 46-52 The healing of Blind Bartimaeus
John 5: 1-9 The healing at the Pool of Bethesda
Mark 15: 21ff The crucifixion
John 20: 1-18 Jesus appears to Mary
The websites www.pray-as-you-go.org and www.sacredspace.ie are both very useful and full of resources including some guided
imaginative contemplations, Examens and daily lectio divina.
A Simple Review after a Time of Prayer
Ignatius always taught the value of looking back over a time of prayer, in order to “reflect and draw profit”. It often helps to mark the transition from prayer itself to the review – stand up, move about a bit, make yourself a hot drink, have a few minutes break and then look back over the prayer you have just done.
Begin by asking God to bring to your mind and heart what it would be useful for you to notice in this review.
Recall how you entered into prayer – stilling, scripture, something else?
Were you hoping for anything in particular in this time of prayer? If so, what was it?
Can you remember anything of your thoughts and feelings?
How did the prayer go? Was it easy or hard to stay with it? Were you fully involved, or more like a spectator, bored, or engaged?
Where did you experience life, or light, or energy, where did God seem close?
Was there anything you reacted against, which seemed to turn you away from God, or drain that same life, or light, or energy?
Did the prayer lead to any kind of conversation with God, what did you say? How did God respond?
Lastly do you have any sense of ‘unfinished business’ in this time of prayer? Is there anything that you might want to come back to on another occasion?
Session 3
| Be Still Session 3.mp3 |