Posts

Week 8 - Contemplative Prayer

 DAY 1 - PRAYER BEYOND MANY WORDS Opening Scripture: Psalm 46:10, NLT “ Be still, and know that I am God !” Contemplative Prayer is the prayer of simply being with God.   Richard Foster describes Contemplative Prayer as moving through three phases: recollection, the prayer of quiet, and, at times, spiritual ecstasy (joy or peace).   For our purposes this week, we will focus mainly on the first two. Recollection means gathering our scattered selves before God. We bring our wandering thoughts, anxious hearts, tired bodies, distractions, concerns, and unfinished business into God’s presence. The Prayer of quiet means learning to rest quietly with God. We are not trying to force an experience. We are not trying to make something happen. We are simply making space to be with God. Sit quietly for 3–5 minutes. Choose one simple phrase: "Be still and know that I am God." When your mind wanders, gently return to the phrase. End by praying: God, I do not have to fill this...
Post a Comment
Read more

the last #SilentSunday of October 2026

Image
  photo by Martin Rak Photographer of the Year, Fifth Place, National Landscape PHotography Awards, 2025
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 7 - Meditative Prayer

 DAY 1 - SLOWING DOWN Psalm 1 1 Oh, the joys of those who do not     follow the advice of the wicked,     or stand around with sinners,     or join in with mockers. 2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,     meditating on it day and night. 3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,     bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither,     and they prosper in all they do. Choose one short phrase from Psalm 1. Repeat it slowly several times. Then pray: God, ___________________. Let your Word sink deeply into me. Help me slow down and listen. Amen. Reflection questions Do I tend to rush when I read Scripture or pray? when I am reading, I tend to read very quickly What makes slowing down with God difficult for me? reading outloud, whether actually outloud or in my head, seems so slow and artificial What Scripture, phrase, or image has stayed with me recently? What might it mean to let God’s Word sink in rather ...
Post a Comment
Read more

the 10182026v of #SilentSunday

Image
  Imagine the air filled with the voices of thousands of crane … Lower Saxony (Germany) 7:54 am (October 2018) @cloudless_skyPHOTO@norden.social
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 6 - Prayer of adoration

 DAY ! - CELEBRATION   Adoration shifts prayer from “God, help me” to “God, help me see who you are.” Psalm 145:3 “ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. ” This kind of prayer may feel unfamiliar at first because it is not driven by urgency. It asks us to slow down and pay attention to God’s character. We adore God not because God needs flattery, but because our souls need reorientation. Adoration reminds us that God is greater than our fears, deeper than our questions, more faithful than our failures, and more beautiful than anything else we seek. Choose one attribute of God and repeat it slowly in prayer. Examples: God, you are merciful. God, you are faithful. God, you are holy. God, you are patient. God, you are near. God, you are love. Then add: Help me see you today. Amen. Reflection Questions When I pray, how often do I simply dwell on who God is? pretty much only when I run into the "Blessed be the Lord" chants in the liturgy ...
Post a Comment
Read more

#SilentSunday 10.11.2026v

Image
  U.S. Coast Guard navigational buoy beached by nor'easter on Dewey Beach October 2nd, Stewart Verdery Jr 
Post a Comment
Read more

Week 5 - Prayer of Tears

DAY  - PRAYER OF TEARS  Key Idea: Tears can become prayer when they are brought honestly into the presence of God. The Prayer of Tears as part of the inward movement because tears often reveal what is happening deep within us. They show us what we love, what we regret, what we fear, what we have lost, and what we still hope God will heal. Pray slowly: Lord, have mercy. Receive what I cannot fix. Receive what I cannot explain. Receive what I cannot carry alone. Amen. Day 1 Reflection What kinds of sadness do I usually bring to God ? The questions - the why, the what can I do, the despair, the doubt What kinds of sadness do I usually avoid ? the anger, the reproaches, the bitterness, the resentment, the depression, the unbelief Do I tend to see tears as weakness, honesty, or prayer ? He already knows the rebellion and the hurt He knows I feel the need for consolation and relief from anxiety  What might my tears be trying to tell me ? What strength I had or thought I had is ...
Post a Comment
Read more