Program for individual Practice -
centering prayer and lectio Divina
This program is taken from the book Centering Prayer for Everyone, which contains additional programs and chapters on centering prayer, chanting the psalms, lectio divina, how to facilitate a group, and readings for lectio divina. Examples of biblical lectio divina passages may be found here, non-biblical here.
This program provides some structured suggestions for a home prayer session for those who would like to follow a program very similar to the ones offered for group practice but with language adapted for individual use. Of course, none of these suggestions are necessary for those who would like to pray spontaneously or engage in a simple session of centering prayer. Two choices of psalm are provided. The program includes a twenty- or thirty-minute period of centering prayer and traditional lectio divina, but additional periods of centering prayer may be added and simple lectio divina may be substituted. Two choices of closing prayer are provided. This program takes approximately thirty to forty minutes.
Before you begin, take a few minutes to choose a brief reading for lectio divina or an alternate psalm and assemble anything else you might need, like a timer or a bell.
Psalm 23
You, O God, are my shepherd, I shall not want.
You make me lie down in green pastures;
you lead me beside still waters;
You restore my soul.
You lead me down right pathways in your name.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of God forever.
or
Psalm 42
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for you, for the living God.
When shall I behold your face?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while voices ask, “Where is your God?”
Why are you so heavy, O my soul,
Why are you so weary within me?
Trust in God; for I shall praise that holy voice
and find my help in that holy face.
Intercessory Prayer
Loving God, my heart is full of gratitude for all your blessings.
May I be a vessel of your boundless love pouring out into the world.
With all my heart and soul
I ask you to hear my prayers and longings.
Offer up prayers silently or aloud. You might keep a list of people and concerns that you would like to pray for, touching each one gently with your attention. Or you might allow prayer concerns to rise up spontaneously during a few minutes of silence.
God, I trust that you hear my prayers and I ask that I may be part
of your loving movement in the world.
Centering Prayer
If you are new to centering prayer you might take a few moments to review the guidelines before you begin.
Guidelines for Centering Prayer
Choose a sacred word or a sacred breath as the symbol of your inten- tion to consent to God’s presence and action within.
Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word or breath as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sa- cred word or breath.
Before or just after you set the timer for the prayer period you might say one of the following short prayers:
Loving God, deepen my longing for you.
Loving God, may I rest in your presence.
I let go of trying to change myself, and let you, God, arise in my heart.
Sacred One, awaken me.
Twenty- or thirty-minute period of centering prayer.
At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. This is an important transition for bringing the prayer into daily life.
Lectio Divina
Read the passage through slowly several times, reading with the ear of the heart and leaving plenty of silence in between readings. It can be more powerful to read the passage aloud. If you are struck by a word or phrase as you read, you are welcome to stop and gently repeat it to yourself. Stop at any time just to rest in God’s presence. If you choose, each time you read the passage through, keep in mind one of the emphases suggested below:
Listen with the ear of the heart. Notice if any phrase, sentence, or word stands out and gently begin to repeat it silently to your- self, allowing it to touch you deeply.
Reflect while you listen to the passage again with deep receptiv- ity. Notice what thoughts, feelings, and reflections arise within you. Let the words resound in your heart. What might God be asking of you through the passage?
Respond spontaneously as you listen. Notice any prayerful response that arises within you, for example a small prayer of gratitude or praise.
Rest in God’s presence beyond thoughts or reflections. Just be.
Closing Prayer
Either The Prayer of Jesus or the Night Prayer.
The Prayer of Jesus
Ground of all being, Mother of life, Father of the universe,
Your name is sacred, beyond speaking.
May we know your presence, may your longings be our longings in heart and in action.
May there be food for the human family today and for the whole earth community.
Forgive us the falseness of what we have done as we forgive those who are untrue to us.
Do not forsake us in our time of conflict but lead us into new beginnings.
For the light of life, the vitality of life,
and the glory of life are yours now and for ever.
Amen.
—a paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer by John Philip Newell
Night Prayer
Lord,
it is night.
The night is for stillness.
Let us be still in the presence of God.
It is night after a long day.
What has been done has been done;
what has not been done has not been done;
let it be.
The night is dark.
Let our fears of the darkness of the world
and of our own lives
rest in you.
The night is quiet.
Let the quietness of your peace enfold us,
all dear to us,
and all who have no peace.
The night heralds the dawn.
Let us look expectantly to a new day,
new joys,
new possibilities.
In your name we pray.
Amen.
— A New Zealand Prayer Book - He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa
This program is taken from the book Centering Prayer for Everyone, which contains additional programs and a chapter on visio divina.
Thanks for permission to reprint excerpts from the following previously published works:
“Night Prayer” reprinted with permission from the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia—Te Haahi Mihanare ki Aotearoa ki Niu Tireni, ki Nga Moutere o te Moana Nui a Kiwa, A New Zealand Prayer Book—He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa (San Francisco: Harper SanFran- cisco, 1997), 184.
“The Prayer of Jesus” (a paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer) reprinted with permission from John Philip Newell, Sounds of the Eternal: A Celtic Psalter (San Antonio, TX: Material Media, 2012), 86.