Exercise #2

Contemplative Prayer
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“Prayer is not primarily saying words or thinking thoughts. It is, rather, a stance. It’s a way of living in the presence.’” – Richard Rohr

“Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.” –Romans 8:26-27 (The Message)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” –2 Corinthians 3:17-18

“This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple.” –Colossians 1:26-27 (The Message)

What is contemplative prayer? It is a receptive posture of openness toward God. It is a way of waiting with a heart awake to God’s presence and his Word. This kind of prayer intentionally trusts and rests in the presence of the Holy Spirit deep in our own spirit.

Excerpt from “Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us” by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun:
“We often associate prayer with the words we say. Contemplative prayer is a way of being with God that does not depend on giving the holy One information about what we would like done in the world. Just as friends can enjoy one another without conversing, contemplative prayer is a way of being with God without wordiness. In contemplative prayer we rest and wait. Keeping our hearts alert and awake to the presence of God and his Word, we listen. Psalm 131 contains a wonderful image of a weaned child stilled and quieted in its mother’s arms. A weaned child isn’t looking to nurse. A weaned child comes to the mother for love and communion. The psalmist writes, “I have stilled and quieted my soul; / like a weaned child with its mother, ‘like a weaned child is my soul within me. In contemplative prayer we rest in God, depending on him to initiate communion and communication.”

Goal for this week: to practice an open and restful receptivity to God that enables you to always be with God just as you are.

Other Resources to consider:
The Way of the Heart by Henry Nouwen The Awakened Heart by Gerald May

Monday:
: Is your prayer mostly one sided monologue with God? Do your prayers end to dictate to God what you would like to see happen? Are your prayers a response to God’s initiative in your life? What does this tell you about your understanding of prayer? (answer these questions on a separate sheet of paper)

: Determine a place where you can pray un-interrupted. Sit in a chair and close your eyes. Notice your breathing and nothing else. Take deep, deliberate breaths where you focus on nothing but this. Set an alarm for 5 minutes and allow that to interrupt you rather than looking at a clock every minute. Do nothing but concentrate on your breath for 5 minutes today.

Tuesday:
: Read John 15:4. What does it mean to remain in Christ?

: Determine a time ahead where you can spend 10 un-interrupted minutes for prayer. Sit in a chair straight up, hands out resting on your legs with your palms up. Notice your breathing, taking deep intentional breaths. Use this phrase and nothing else to keep your focus on God: “Lord, Jesus my Savior, have mercy on me a sinner.” Set an alarm for 10 minutes and let that tell you when time is up rather than looking at a clock every minute. Remember, contemplative prayer is a time to be receptive rather than talking. Let God talk to you while concentrate on him.

Wednesday: : Do you feel like being in the presence of God is not the same thing as prayer? Does it seem like wasting time?
: Again, determine a place where you can have 10 un-interrupted minutes alone. Before you begin, select a passage of scripture (your favorite something at random). Read about 2-3 verses of that passage and notice what word or phrase stuck out to you. Take that phrase into your prayer time. Sit in a chair, close your eyes with your hands on your lap with your palms up. Notice your breathing while you take deep intentional breaths. The only thing you say for ten minutes is the word or phrase that stuck out to you. You could try to repeat the phrase as you breathe in or out each time. Allow that alarm clock to interrupt you.


Thursday:
:Determine a place where you can have 10 un-interrupted minutes of prayer today. Take your Bible, unopened and set it in front of you. Sit in a chair with your hands resting on your lap with your palms up. Keep your eyes fixed on your Bible and nothing else (for this you’ll want to be in a place where you won’t be distracted even with your eyes open). Concentrate on your Bible repeating this phrase and nothing else, “Lord, my God speak to me.” Repeat this phrase with your breathing. Be consistent and pay attention to your breath.


Friday:
: Take a moment and reflect on your four days of contemplative prayer so far. How has it worked or not worked for you this week? What has been beneficial or difficult this week?
:Determine a place where you can have un-interrupted prayer time. You decide how long today. Set your alarm, close your eyes with your hands in your lap, palms up. Take slow, deliberate breaths. Say this as you inhale, “Lord my God have mercy on me.” And say this as you exhale, “A sinner.”


Saturday: looking at Jesus
:Determine a place where you can have un-interrupted prayer time. You decide how long today and see if you can go the longest yet this week. Also, choose the “style” from this week that you resonated with best. Take that specific practice and make it your contemplative prayer time today.