Centering Prayer On The Fruits Of The Spirit

Centering prayer is a form of Christian contemplation that pairs silence with a sacred word to ground us and to deepen our connection to the Divine. The sacred word can be be any word connected with our faith. In this practice, you are invited to meditate upon one of the fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control.

Transcript

Hi,

This is Dr.

Shaniqua.

Today I am going to lead us through a practice of Centering Prayer.

Centering Prayer is a form of Christian meditation that pairs silence together with a sacred word.

If you are familiar with the traditions of mindfulness or Vipassana meditation,

You can think of the sacred word as the anchor for our practice.

As we sit in silence,

Breathing in and out,

We silently repeat our chosen word,

Anchoring us in God's presence while also helping us to be aware of what is happening within us.

The sacred word can be any word that is connected with our faith or spirituality.

I like using one of the fruits of the spirit that are listed in Galatians 5.

Love,

Joy,

Peace,

Patience,

Kindness,

Goodness,

Faithfulness,

Gentleness,

Or self-control.

But you could also use a word such as Holy Spirit,

Breath of life,

Or any other word that has spiritual significance to you and that resonates with you right now.

So let us begin.

Take a moment to choose your sacred word for today.

As you settle into your sitting posture,

And when you are ready,

Gently close your eyes.

Take a deep breath in,

Inhaling slowly,

Letting the lungs fill with air.

Then exhale slowly.

Again,

Deep inhale and exhale.

Now letting your breath resume its natural rhythm.

Bring to mind your sacred word.

Repeating it to yourself on each inhalation or on each exhalation,

Whichever feels more comfortable to you.

So breathing in love,

And exhale.

Continuing to do this with your sacred word.

Repeating it with each breath.

When your mind drifts away,

As the mind is prone to do,

Simply make note of it and return your attention to your sacred word.

Allowing your sacred word to penetrate your spirit with the presence of God.

We're not thinking about God.

We are just being with God.

Using our sacred word to anchor us in the presence of the divine.

Anchored in the presence of the divine.

Allowing our sacred word to transform us as we sit.

Coming back to the word.

Rooted in divine presence.

In a moment,

You will hear the sound of the bell bringing this practice to a close.

As you go through your day,

May your sacred word continue to penetrate your heart.

Anchoring you in the knowledge that God is with you and God loves you.

Thank you for practicing with me.

Reviews

Very good!!

Wonderful.