The Journey Inward provides practical insights to facilitate the ability to sit still before God, using the contemplative writing of Teresa of Avila’s Interior Castle as a framework.

Day Seven

Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Devotional

The prayer of quiet is a discipline that has been part of the Christian tradition for hundreds of years. It uses the quietness of your observation and focus and is often called contemplative prayer or Christ Centred Mindfulness. It requires the use of our five senses and attention to observe what is happening deep inside ourselves in our quiet, observing mind.

To engage in this type of prayer you need to be willing to allow your thoughts to be there and to relate to your inner experience with the humility, curiosity and openness of a small child. In so doing you will open your spirit to God.

Prayer of Quiet

Find a quiet place to sit down with your eyes shut. Imagine that you are in an empty room. At the front of the room is a simple cross. To the left of it is a door, and there is another door on the right side. You might like to imagine that Christ is there with you, silent and accepting, like a friend.

Focus your attention on the cross in front of you. You will notice as you do this that, from time to time, thoughts will come into your head. It might be about what you are going to eat for dinner or something you are doing tomorrow or a worry or memory. When this happens, let these thoughts enter through the left door and pass through the room and exit through the right door. Do not try to control these thoughts. Each time a thought occurs, simply let it pass through the room.

Always redirect your attention to just observing the cross. In this way you are not controlling or interacting with your thoughts, you are simply noticing them and letting them pass. The point of the exercise is to develop the skill to be still and persistently focus on the cross instead of getting caught up in your thoughts.

Continue this task for several minutes.

Dr Thompson’s Christ Centred Mindfulness books are available at Koorong. Additional resources are available here.