Centering Prayer

By Rev. Barney McLaughlin
Pastor, Bethany Christian Church
Tulsa, Oklahoma

Centering prayer seeks to draw us into a deeper relationship with God. It is a prayer of submission to God's presence and God's action in our lives. Our aim is to still our minds, clearing them of all distractions, and centering them on God. In the silence God can and will work in us, moulding and reshaping us in the image of Christ.

Centering prayer was practiced and recommended by the Desert Fathers and Mothers, the writer of The Cloud of Unknowing, and many of the saints of the church including John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. It is also known as "contemplative prayer" and the "prayer of the heart."

The term "centering prayer" and a simple method of practicing this prayer was developed in the 1970's by three Trappist monks; William Meninger, Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating.

The basic guidelines are outlined by Thomas Keating as follows:

1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within. (This word can be love, Jesus, God, or something else that the Holy Spirit guides you to.)
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God's presence and action within.
3. When you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

Keating recommends practicing "centering prayer" twice daily for a minimum of 20 minutes each time.

Prayer:
The following prayer might be used at the beginning of a time of centering prayer.

Come Creator God. Come Risen Christ. Come Holy Spirit. You know my inward being. In this time of centering prayer mould me and make me according to your will. Amen.