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 Nine

John 8:12: “Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’”

Devotional

Inner silence is extremely hard to achieve. It happens after we have developed our ability to practise the prayer of faith and the prayer of quiet. It means sitting alone and before God to just be still…

The practice of silence is a discipline in which we are completely open to God’s Spirit and sit in his presence. It is not something we can enter spontaneously. We need to lead into it with the other methods of prayer. It is easiest to enter a place of silence if you have already done one of the other activities:

·      Sit in the garden or at the beach or park and observe what is around you.

·      Listen to a soothing or meaningful piece of music.

·      Do a relaxation exercise.

·      Go for a walk.

·      Read your bible.

·      Say a prayer of faith.

Prayer of Silence

Light a candle and place it in front of you. The candle represents the light of Christ. Sit and focus on this light for as long as you can. Use your senses to simply observe it, and give it your full attention. Have an attitude of openness to God. When your mind fills with thoughts, simply bring your attention back to the light. Continue for as long as you are able. End your time by thanking and praising God in prayer.

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