In walking with people in spiritual direction, one question often surfaces: What are some spiritual practices I can use to deepen my walk with Christ? I love that question because it means the person I’m with is searching for more. And craving more of God is always a good thing.
Described below are some of the most classic and common spiritual practices that I’ve learned from fellow travelers along the way. Some are early Desert Fathers and Mothers. Others are more contemporary. In common is a love for God.
Counting Prayers
At its core, this is an exercise of praying with a prayer rope or beads. As you hold the beads in your hand and focus on one bead at a time, you offer a repetitive prayer of “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me (a sinner)” or another phrase that captures your desire. In a sense, counting prayer helps to ground you and give you a path to follow. They also provide structure and comfort.
The Pilgrim’s Story captures the essence of the counting prayer. Essentially, it is a practice to find yourself “praying continually” (1 Thess. 5:17). Abba Pachomias, one of the early Desert Fathers and considered the first monk to create a monastic communal lifestyle used this as part of his communities spiritual formation.
There is no wrong or right way to use prayer beads. You may want to hold individual beads as you pray. Or you could follow the pattern of the beads, stating a specific need, character of God, or word of thanks for each bead.
Lectio Divina
I like to think of this practice as letting Scripture read into you. The processis originally credited to Origin (around 200 AD). It is a slowing process of reading Scripture and meditating on words or phrases that attach to the soul and grab your attention. You read a Scripture passage once through, then pause in silence and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak, to draw your heart to a particular section.
You read it again even slower and repeat this process a three to five times. As you repeat the process, words or phrases will jump out to you. Ask God to reveal what meaning there is for you within those phrases. I’ve written a blog post that describes Lectio Divina in more detail if you’re interested.
The Daily Office/Daily Hours
This practice dates back to biblical eras. The faithful would orientate their day around God by adhering to specific times of prayer. This practice is most readily observed today in monasteries and religious communities around world.
Monks and nuns may observe between five and seven “hours” or periods of prayer each day (each period may not take an hour). The prayers consist of liturgical readings, Psalms, hymns, Gospel readings, and The Lord’s Prayer. At its heart, keeping the Daily Hours is about continually reorienting your day back to God.
The Book of Common Prayer contains forms, readings, and prayers for Christians to observe the daily office. Or you can find prayer books designed specifically for the practice.
Centering Prayer
This adapted practice is taken from the Desert Fathers and has been made more contemporary through people like Thomas Merton and Thomas Keating. You’ll also see it threaded throughout the writings of Saint Teresa of Avila and Saint John of the Cross.
It is the practice of emptying self, being still, choosing a focus word and resting in silence. It is much like using prayer beads–except without the beads themselves.
To do this, find a quiet place that is comfortable (but not too comfortable!). Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to slow your mind and heart. On the in-breath, say part of your prayer, such as “Jesus Christ, Son of God.” Then on the out-breath, complete your prayer, such as “Have mercy on me a sinner.”
You repeat this cycle over and over. When your mind wanders (and it will!), simply return your focus to the prayer word or phrase for the day. Repeat this entire process for the allotted time–perhaps five minutes for beginners.
There are lots of books and resources online that talk about centering prayer, so you might want to check those out if this interests you.
Ignatian Exercises
This practice was created by Saint Ignatius. He was a young man who dreamed of glories on the battlefield. Injured and during time of rehabilitation read the works of Christ, was converted and then created the “spiritual exercises.”
In its original form, it was developed as a 30-day retreat, but it has been updated and adapted to make more accessible to people of the 21st century. You may have heard of “19th Annotation” and “Daily Examen,” which both find their roots in the Exercises.
The process is led by a spiritual director trained in leading people through the Exercises. Each day includes silence, prayer, meditation, scripture readings, and journaling. It also includes weekly meetings with the spiritual director to help make connections, discern God’s movement, and process what you’re learning.
In another post, I’ll provide more practices that you might enjoy, but these are the one most people go as regular tools for deepening their relationship with God.
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