Outline of Meditative Prayer

Meditation is universal, based on the structure of the human heart, mind, and spirit. Purpose of Christian meditation is to open the mind and heart to God; purpose of Buddhist meditation is to be more blissful, solve problems, achieve enlightenment. No value judgments implied.
            Christian meditative prayer helps us listen more, talk less, to God in prayer.
            Warning: we don’t know all about the mind. Meditation can be dangerous, releasing strong memories, feelings and impulses as well as opening us to the demonic. It’s best practice to begin with surrender to God alone and keep an open Bible and wise friend nearby. See Matthew 4.1-11; 12:43-46. Who shouldn’t meditate? Those who are depressed, and those who don’t want to explore or release their innermost memories and fears.
            The two forms of meditative prayer are:

• Meditation focuses on something—song, Bible verse, image.
• Contemplation focuses on nothing—becoming silent, empty for God to fill. Think of “no room in the inn”; contemplation makes room. Or the womb is a place, room, for a baby. Contemplation is more difficult.

            What if you don’t have that much time? In ten minutes, you can breathe deeply, clear your mind, repeat a brief prayer, and return to normal consciousness. With practice, you can learn to enter a deep sense of calm just by focusing on one or two deep breaths.

Christian meditative prayer is waiting for God through focusing the mind, heart, and spirit. The basic movements of meditation are:

• Commit 30 minutes twice a day.
• Use an opening verse as ritual, like “Be still and know” Ps.46.10.
• Take a few deep breaths to start. Don’t fuss at yourself, don’t try too hard.
• Imagine any distraction is like a cloud; let it float by while you focus on breathing. When you find your mind wanders, don’t fuss, just go back to your breathing.
• Reflect on the image, verse, story, song of your choice.
• If nothing particular happens, that’s normal. Relax.
• Close by taking a few deep breaths; say a prayer of thanks.

Many people keep a prayer journal of insights, thoughts, feelings, changes of habit, outlook.
            The value of meditation is its fruit. Do you resist temptation better? Demonstrate the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5.22-23)? Become more Christ-like? Then, meditation Is good. Otherwise, regardless of how it feels, it may be doing harm.
            A simple yet powerful form of prayer is the practice of the presence of God. This is associated with a kitchen monk named Brother Lawrence, and in modern times with Mother Teresa. Everything you do, you do for Jesus; everyone you come in contact with, everyone you serve, is Jesus in disguise.

Following are some background and techniques useful in contemplation.
            Modern brain research has established that the right and left brain work differently. Left brain is logical, analytical, mathematical; right brain is holistic, intuitive, artistic. Ancient Christian masters identified the lower reason, which is logical, analytical; and the upper reason, which is perceptive, intuitive, and aware. Contemplation, in which we wait for God by focusing on nothing, is based on these ancient insights.

            The movements are the same as in meditation, except that you bring no image, song, verse or story to the session. One may emerge as you wait, however.
            The big problem is keeping the mind still; it is like a room of preschoolers. You have to give the lower reason something to keep it busy while the work of contemplation goes on at a deeper level. This is what the “Hail, Mary” does in the Rosary.

The women of my study group came up with a terrific image. You need to babysit the lower reason, the busy chatting mind, so that the upper reason can contemplate in calm, empty space.
            The breath is an anchor. Don’t fuss at yourself when you wander off; just re-focus on your breath. Think of it as the breath of life:

Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. Gen 2:7 (NRSV)

Or the breath of the Spirit:

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. John 20:22 (NRSV)

            A universal tool is the prayer word, a simple word or phrase like “Jesus” or “abba.” You repeat it silently in harmony with your breathing. Eventually it runs in the background of your mind all the time.
            Another common prayer is the Jesus prayer, or prayer of the heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” I like “on us sinners” better; it’s not me-centered. This often shortens to a word like “Jesus” or “mercy.” Eastern Orthodox Christians love this prayer, said 50 to 100 times.

            When facing temptation in prayer, follow Jesus’ example (Matt 4.1-11), using short verses of Scripture to respond. But do not argue or be drawn in. Simply repeat the verse, and focus on your breathing.

            The important thing to remember is that a simple, child-like approach to God is the most essential thing. The rest are tools and techniques that may or may not help you. Pride in being proficient at a technique kills prayer instantly; love in any form gets through.

            Also remember:

             “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matt 6:14-15 (NRSV)

            “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Phil 4:6-7 (NRSV)