Jesus often withdrew to isolated places to pray...Luke 5:16
Start where you're at, not where you want to be. Set a reasonable goal for each week of how often and how much time you will be able to spend in silence and solitude. For some this may mean one hour every day, and for others it may be ten minutes three times a week. Start where you're at, not where you want to be. Also remember that the win is not that you did these practices perfectly or met your goal each week, but that you showed up in the presence of God. The win is being in His presence.
Prayer of Examen
The Examen is a simple way to reflect on your day and become aware of God’s presence in your life. Ignatius expected that God would speak to us through our deepest feelings and longings, through what he called “consolation” and “desolation.” Consolation can be defined as whatever draws you close to God, fills you with life, and makes you feel that all is right in the world. Desolation is its opposite: these are things that pull you away from God, alienate you from yourself and others, and drain life from you.
When we take time to reflect on our days in this way, we increase our sensitivity to the workings of God in our lives. Ignatius believed that by attending to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit through reflection, we allow space for God to shape our souls and direct our lives.
Reflect on the last 24 hours of your life. Write down moments of consolation, and then moments of desolation. This should take you around 10 minutes!
When we take time to reflect on our days in this way, we increase our sensitivity to the workings of God in our lives. Ignatius believed that by attending to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit through reflection, we allow space for God to shape our souls and direct our lives.
Reflect on the last 24 hours of your life. Write down moments of consolation, and then moments of desolation. This should take you around 10 minutes!
Breath Prayer
In this exercise we attempt to quiet both internal and external noise. This exercise seeks to help us calm our mind by focusing on our breath.
- Put away your phone and any other distractions.
- Sit in an upright, but relaxed position.
- Close your eyes and begin breathing slowly.
- Focus on the breath coming in and out of your body and nothing else.
- If your mind starts to wander you can use anchoring words or phrases to bring you back. (i.e. - Jesus; peace; Jesus Christ, my peace; Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner; or something of the sort.)
- And if you want you can set a timer on your phone THAT SHOULD BE NOWHERE NEAR YOU for a timer of anywhere between 3-10 minutes.
Prayer Walk
This exercise simply seeks to be present with God. It allows us to slow down and re-center ourselves in God's love and presence.
- Don't take your phone, headphones or other people. Allow yourself to be alone with God.
- Let yourself feel whatever you're feeling. Name each emotion as it comes up, and then offer this feeling to God through prayer (i.e. - if you're feeling overwhelmed, feel it, name it, offer this feeling to God and pray through what might be making you feel this way)
- If you're desiring some sort of answer or direction from God but have not received any clarity yet, hold that tension before God. Tell Him how it feels to have these unanswered prayers.
- After you've offered up your prayers for yourself or others, sit in silence as you listen to God's voice. Ask God to speak into your life.
- Here are a few questions you could ask God: Is there anything you want to say to me today? What lies am I believing? Is there anything you want me to do today? Or anything you can think to ask. Close your time with gratitude and give yourself and day to God.
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina is latin for "divine reading", which simply means that this is a way of reading scripture that helps you more clearly hear the voice of God. The idea for this practice is to find a quiet place to slowly and meditatively read a passage of scripture, listening for what God might have to say. John Mark Comer remarked about this practice that the goal is less to hear what God was saying to the original audience and more what he is saying to you.
Put away your phone and any other distractions. Pick a scripture to read. If you're in a Bible reading plan continue with that, find a plan in He Reads Truth or She Reads Truth, or simply open to a Psalm. The point is to practice this with a short section of scripture, one chapter at most.Then slowly work through the four movements of Lectio Divina:
1) Read the passage slowly, paying attention to each line. As you move through this passage, take note of what words or ideas seem to be highlighted in your mind. If there has been a word or phrase that has stood out to you, think about this for a few minutes asking God why this might be.
2) Then read the passage again, still reading slowly, and pay attention now to the words and phrases that have been standing out to you. Do any of these feel relevant to what you're feeling today? Listen for what God might be saying.
3) Take time now to talk to God about what you've been hearing through this passage.
4) Now pause to sit in God's presence and express whatever is on your heart to God.
Put away your phone and any other distractions. Pick a scripture to read. If you're in a Bible reading plan continue with that, find a plan in He Reads Truth or She Reads Truth, or simply open to a Psalm. The point is to practice this with a short section of scripture, one chapter at most.Then slowly work through the four movements of Lectio Divina:
1) Read the passage slowly, paying attention to each line. As you move through this passage, take note of what words or ideas seem to be highlighted in your mind. If there has been a word or phrase that has stood out to you, think about this for a few minutes asking God why this might be.
2) Then read the passage again, still reading slowly, and pay attention now to the words and phrases that have been standing out to you. Do any of these feel relevant to what you're feeling today? Listen for what God might be saying.
3) Take time now to talk to God about what you've been hearing through this passage.
4) Now pause to sit in God's presence and express whatever is on your heart to God.
Gratitude Journaling
Times are weird and times might be really hard for you right now. I don’t at all want to downplay what you or your family might currently be experiencing. However, what I do firmly believe is that amidst all of this, God is good. He is loving. He is compassionate. He cares deeply for you. And he is absolutely working all things out for good. So today, we are just going to go to town and write out all you are thankful for. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with how much you are grateful for as you begin to write it all out...and you can post a comment below on one thing you’re grateful for so that we can all see it and interact with one another.