Three, Among Many, Forms of Prayer

Among the many, many different types of prayer, I currently appreciate and most often practice Centering Prayer, The Daily Examen, and Ignatian Contemplation. The first two of these types of prayer help us notice the presence of the divine, sacred, and holy in our lives. This is similar to a central element of Spiritual Direction which is most effective when we notice and connect with our experience of God in our lives. Ignatian Contemplation has us place ourself in a scripture passage either adopting the identity of a named character or becoming a bystander.

In my understanding, Centering Prayer is very similar to basic Breathing Meditation. The difference is that instead of returning to focusing on our breath when we experience thoughts or other distractions, in Centering Prayer, we return to a single holy word or short phrase that we've chosen to connect us back to our gratitude for the presence and action of the Holy Spirit of God within us. In the Daily Examen, we first "place ourself" in God's presence and then express our gratitude for two to three things that we notice in our lives. We next review our day, moment by moment, looking for God's presence and action, and maybe noticing where and when we may have missed the divine presence. We can seek God's guidance in how we acted and responded during the day in a specific situation and if we are so inclined, look for ways to improve. Finally we look ahead to the next day to prepare to present our best selves. If you would like to deepen your connection with the divine, consider spiritual direction and one or more of these types of prayer as a way to explore the presence of the holy and sacred in your life.