Contemplation 2: The basics

Those who are new to this kind of prayer might ask some basic questions. What do I do? For how long? When and where? What actually happens?

Silent prayer is something you can do anywhere, any time, in any situation. But this continuous life of prayer is most likely to come about if it rests on a more structured basis. So we need to find somewhere we can be alone for the period of time we have chosen – for example a room in the house where we can close the door and not be disturbed.

If we can manage it, we should try to pray at about the same time and in the same place each day. This helps to establish a rhythm. If we want to pray on a regular basis then rhythm and habit will support us. I find that earlier in the day is better, partly because the prayer does not get squeezed out by the pressures of the day, partly because I am simply more awake at that time. But everyone is different.

Posture is important. It can help to sit down in a reasonably upright and comfortable chair. Too hard and we will spend the time feeling uncomfortable (this is one of the drawbacks of silent prayer in a church pew). Too soft and we risk falling asleep. 

The body will mostly arrange itself, but what to do with the hands? One way is to rest the hands on the legs, palms down. Sometimes, if we go deep into this kind of prayer, we may find that our hands become heavy and warm. Maybe this reflects a natural energy flowing through the body.

We should take a few moments to settle: relax our bodies, close our eyes, and let our breathing become slow and regular. It can help to listen to our breathing as it goes in and out.

Of course, this is no more than we would do for any relaxation exercise, whether linked to religious practice or not. So what is specifically Christian about this way of prayer? The difference is that we seek to place ourselves in the presence of God and invite him into our prayer. We offer ourselves to God and let the Holy Spirit get to work.

And then we wait in the silence, for as long or short a period of time as we have set aside. For anyone new to this, 5 or 10 minutes may be enough to start. As we become more used to it, we might want to extend the time spent in prayer. In the tradition that I follow, the standard is 30 minutes once a day, with a suitable short reading to start and finish. 

As for what happens – well, experience varies. We may find ourselves pursued by distracting thoughts, especially if our life is very busy. Or we may find it easier to become still and we may be aware of a peacefulness inside us. Or we may find that nothing seems to happen at all and we wonder if this is just a waste of time. The important point is that none of this matters, because it is not us doing the praying, it is God working inside us to transform us in ways which are hidden rather than obvious. The quality of our prayer is judged not by how we feel at the time, but by the effect it has on us afterwards.

Here is a quotation from the North American contemplative Cynthia Bourgeault in her book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening (Cowley Publications, 2004). In her tradition they call it Centering Prayer but it is basically the same thing. She writes:

What goes on in those silent depths during the time of Centering Prayer is no one’s business, not even your own; it is between your innermost being and God; that place where, as St. Augustine once said, ‘God is closer to your soul than you are yourself.’ Your own subjective experience of the prayer may be that nothing happened – except for the more-or-less continuous motion of letting go of thoughts. But in the depths of your being, in fact, plenty has been going on, and things are quietly but firmly being rearranged.