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Centering Prayer is a prayer practice in Christianity that is often compared with meditation. Both practices involve emptying the mind of all thoughts. The main difference is that Centering Prayer doesn't see clearing our thoughts as the end goal, but instead as the first step to its true purpose. Centering Prayer's goal is that we empty our minds so that we will be filled with God's presence.
To do that requires some steps:
- First, set aside some time for Centering Prayer. 30 minutes is the typically recommended length.
- Second, find a place to sit that is comfortable and non-distracting. It helps if you are sitting with your back supported and your feet firmly on the ground.
- Next, remove all sensory distractions. Close your eyes and make sure you are in a room where you will not be bothered by a lot of sounds.
- Then choose a word that will act as a sort of mantra for you. It helps if this is one word, such as "Jesus" or "Love". I prefer the word "Come" because it is an invitation to the Holy Spirit entering within us. Your mantra is meant to help focus your thoughts so you can let go of them. Say your mantra as need be when you feel your attention slipping to other concerns you may have, but let go of it when you no longer need it.
- As you continue in this process, thoughts and feelings will come to you periodically. It helps if you visualize lying in a stream or river. Imagine your thoughts just drifting down stream. Don't resist the thoughts as they come, but instead let them flow away from you instead of grasping onto any one of them.
- Finally, pick a sign to bring you out of your Centering Prayer. The most helpful method can be using your phone as a timer with a non-alarming tone as you end your Centering Prayer session.
Each session of Centering Prayer, also called a "sit", is different. When you first try Centering Prayer, it may be extremely difficult to clear your mind of all thoughts. That is okay. Centering Prayer is a practice, and as with all practices it takes time and patience to do well. As you practice Centering Prayer more and more, you may find that you wish to try longer and longer sits. You may also find yourself at a point when all thoughts are gone and your mantra is left behind as you feel only the presence of the Holy Spirit inside yourself. This can be a very intense experience since many of us are not used to being so fully in the presence of God on a regular basis.
For a Biblical example of what this is like, turn to 1 Kings 19:12 when God is present to Elijah in the "sound of sheer silence."
There are many resources out there about Centering Prayer. I would personally recommend M. Basil Pennington's Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form.
If this is a prayer form that sounds like it would be helpful to you, don't wait to try it. Don't worry about your performance with it, but keep trying it and using it to learn how to become closer to God in a deep and very intimate way.