Resources
Prayer does nothing to make God more present, for God is always present. Prayer is our response to the presence of God in our lives.”
Macrina Wiederkehr
“The words flee, be silent, and pray summarize the spirituality of the desert. They indicate the three ways of preventing the world from shaping us in its image and are thus the three ways to life in the Spirit.”
— Henri Nouwen, The Way of the Heart
For much of my life, prayer felt like a monologue—asking, pleading, hoping that somehow, my words would reach God. Faith and prayer seemed to depend on my effort, my persistence. But over time, something shifted.
As I grew in relationship and communion with God, I noticed prayer was no longer just my words reaching toward heaven—it became a dialogue. A deep, sacred exchange. No longer routine or formulaic, prayer became an invitation into Mystery, a space where I was gently uncovered, where my heart was known before I could even find the words.
I began to understand: Faith is Mystery. And God is fully present in all of it. Though I may never have all the answers, I can rest in the unseen, knowing I am always companioned. No matter the season, the struggle, or the silence—we are never alone.
Do not try to find answers to the mysteries of the world. Learn to know Me more and more, and in that Knowledge you will have all the answers you need here, and when you see Me Face to Face, in that purely Spiritual world, you will find no need to ask. There again all your answers will be in Me.
—excerpt from God Calling titled Mysteries
Practicing Prayer & Presence
Prayer is more than words. It is a posture of the heart, a daily practice of being still enough to hear the whisper of God’s love. In a world that is constantly rushing, these small shifts can attune us to His Presence
- Silent Prayer – Not all prayer requires words. Sitting in stillness, simply being with God, can deepen awareness of His Presence.
- Breath Prayers – Short, simple prayers repeated with the rhythm of your breath (e.g., “Jesus, I rest in You” or “Be still and know”).
- Scripture Meditation – Slowly reading a verse, allowing it to settle in your heart rather than rushing to analyze it.
- Noticing God in the Ordinary – His Presence is woven into everyday life—through nature, through others, through the quiet moments of the day.
God is always speaking. The question is—are we still enough to listen?
Lectio Divina
Lectio Divina, literally meaning “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the “ear of the heart,” as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion. Adapted from: https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/lectio-divina-contemplation.
- Reading (Lectio): Read a Scripture passage listening with the “ear of your heart.” What word of phrase captures your attention? Repeat it gently.
- Reflecting (Meditatio): Reflect on and relish the words. Be attentive to what speaks to your heart.
- Responding (Oratio): As listening deepens, allow responses to arise spontaneously — praise, thanksgiving, questions, petitions.
- Resting in (Contemplatio): Simply “be with” God’s presence as you open to deeper meanings of the Word of God for you.
Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence … a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself. Adapted from: https://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/centering-prayer-method.
- Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
- 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.
- When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
- At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.
The Examen
A contemplative prayer of being aware of God’s presence, reviewing each day with gratitude, and staying connected with God and one’s own emotions while remaining focused and reflective. Adapted from: https://jesuitprayer.org.
1. Become aware of God’s presence. God, I believe that at this moment I am in your presence and you are loving me.
2. Review the day with gratitude. God, you know my needs better than I know them. Give me your light and your help to see how you have been with me, both yesterday and today.
3. Pay attention to your emotions. God, help me to be grateful for the moments when people have affirmed me and challenged me. Help me to see how I have responded, and whether I have been kind to others and open to growth.
4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. God, forgive me for when I have failed to treat others well. Encourage and guide me.
5. Look toward tomorrow. As I look to the remainder of this day, make me aware that you are with me. Show me how to be the person you want me to be.
We need to find God and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature-trees, flowers, grass-grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.”
Mother Teresa
Make Space for the Whisper
Give God the heart space to speak. As you rest in stillness, He may bring a person or circumstance to mind. Rather than rushing to fill the silence with words, simply hold them in His Light of Love. A prayer can be as simple as:
“Lord, I lift this person (or situation) into Your love and care.”
It doesn’t need to be lengthy or filled with requests. Trust that God, who sees and knows all, is already at work. Your role is not to carry the weight but to release it into His Presence.
Going on a prayer walk or run is the perfect way to connect intimately with God. Nature is God’s sacred sanctuary. God is seen and recognized everywhere. Birds of the air and flowers in bloom, ladybugs and butterflies, red and blue birds, and even an acorn or a snail are signs of God’s wonder that can help us “see” past the ordinary.
Patient Trust
Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.Only God could say what this new spirit
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, Hearts on Fire
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.