Centering Prayer
Centering Prayer is one of the foundations of my prayer practice and is a form of prayer that follows on well from the body awareness practice.
Excerpt from “Finding Grace at the Center – The Beginning of Centering Prayer” by M. Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating, Thomas E. Clark:
In the center of your being lives God: Father, Son, and Spirit. Centering prayer allows you to experience His presence and be touched and transformed by Him.
Simply sit, relaxed and quiet, enjoying your own inner calm and silence. For a few minutes, listen to His presence and allow yourself to be touched by it.
After a time, perhaps a single word will come: Jesus, Lord, Love, or any word that captures your response to His inner presence. Place into this word all your faith, your love, as you enter more and more deeply into Him. Slowly and effortlessly, repeat your word. Allow it to lead you more and more deeply into God's presence at the center of your being, where you are in God and God in you. Surrender to His refreshment and re-creation.
Center all your attention and desire on Him, leaving your faculties at peace, allowing Him to draw you into His perfect prayer of adoration, love, and praise. Let it happen. Whenever you become aware of any thoughts or images, simply return to your word.
In coming out of prayer, move slowly to silent awareness and then a conscious interior prayer, such as Our Father, savoring the words and meaning, entering into them.
The centering prayer may be used once or twice daily for twenty minutes or more.
If you are faithful to it, you will soon discern in your life the maturing of the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and kindness.
You shall be truly abiding in Him and He in you.
Basic Guidelines for Centering Prayer from Cynthia Bourgeault:
1. Choose a sacred word as a symbol of your willingness to consent to God’s presence and action within.
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as your consent to God’s presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your thoughts, return ever so gently to the sacred word.
4. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence eye eyes closed for a couple of minutes.
Work with this practice for about twenty minutes at least once and preferably twice a day. Don’t worry if your mind doesn’t seem very quiet or if it feels like you’ve spent most of the prayer time wrestling with thoughts. The real work is done in slowly learning the art of release.
Some suggested books
Thomas Keating on Centering Prayer: “Open Mind, Open Heart – The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel” and “Intimacy with God”
Cynthia Bourgeault: “The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind – A New Perspective on Christ and His Message” (2008) – an interesting and fresh take on the Gospels. She provides useful introductions to various Christian contemplative practices including Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina. See also her books “Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening” and “The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Reclaiming an Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart”.
Bonnie Thurston: “For God Alone: A Primer on Prayer” – an excellent introduction to prayer in the Christian tradition including discussion of how the body was regarded in early Christian writings. She provides helpful guidance for developing a more embodied practice of prayer.
Mother Anne Clarke, Abbess OSB, Malling Abbey
© The Benedictine Community at Malling Abbey 2025