Praying In Silence

[tinytherese]

So how exactly does one pray in silence? I know that there's going off away from other people and turning music and t.v. off, but what else do you do? I find it very difficult. I mean, practically everywhere I go, I can hear stuff outside (even if the windows are closed) and can hear the air conditioning or the heater (depending on what season it is or just the location in general.) Not only that, but what do you do? Just sit there and wait for inspiration? I've tried praying in silence but I can get bored, fall asleep, or start thinking about something else. So this is really hard for me and I imagine others as well.

P.S. I can't meditate very well anymore and recited prayers are simply prayers for me to recite and not much else more. I'm going through a spiritual trial.

[philothea]

Set a timer or an alarm for the amount of time you want to spend. I'd say 5-30 minutes? Maybe 10 to start with.

Once your timer is going, close your eyes and imagine that you're in some simple, peaceful place -- a chapel is nice. Vivid details are not necessary. Imagine that God is there with you. Whether you want to imagine the whole Trinity, or one specific Person is up to you. Whatever is comfortable.

For the period of time, just sit there with God. If you start mentally praying -- talking about concerns or asking for help -- go along with that. If you get distracted and start thinking about something else, set those thoughts aside as soon as you notice. Don't try to stifle your thoughts, but don't try to think about anything particular either. If you start to doze off, shorten your session next time. When the timer goes off, you're done.

Don't stress about distractions, concentration, or getting anything noticeable out of it. Just do it, every day, for the span of time you've set, and see how that works out. Eventually you won't need the mental setup at the beginning.

Edited April 18, 2009 by philothea

[philothea]

I should add that the idea behind this kind of prayer -- which you only try once you can't get anything out of vocal or mental prayers -- is that God has begun directly interacting with you.

This is an entirely spiritual, non-sensory infusion. As such, it's messing up your ability to think, and you can't (yet) detect that anything is happening. So the only thing to do is devote some time to it and try not to stress about it feeling like a complete waste.

(All this taken/paraphrased from St. John of the Cross)

[tinytherese]

Thank you Philothea.

[tinytherese]

I tried what you said and it seemed to go well. I've decided to it at a consistent time of day in a certain location (for the rest of the time that I'm at school that is) so that it becomes more of a habit.

[Lounge Daddy]

I'm doing the same thing. I've been trying to incorporate some quiet, meditative prayer into my prayer life as well.

A lot of people that I have talked with, including my mother and one of my psychology professors, recommend always using a "meditation word" or "relaxation word" or whatever you want to call it. Pick a single word and use the same word every time you are going to begin your quiet prayer time.

The word can be anything. Peace. Jesus. Anything. At the beginning just quietly recite the word to yourself.

This does a few things. One: if you have trouble clearing the "noise" from your head to think about nothing, you can focus on your relaxation word to avoid the "mental noise." Sometimes that's easier.

Second: you are actually training yourself to relax at the intonation of that one word. Think [i]Pavlov's dog[/i]. This actually works, when you do it for a while.

My psychology professor has done this for years, and he uses his "relaxation word" whenever he needs to relax. When he goes to the dentist even. He has to get in that chair and he closes his eyes, practices his breathing, uses his word, and he practically can put himself out.

[philothea]

[quote name='Lounge Daddy' post='1840764' date='Apr 19 2009, 07:31 PM']I'm doing the same thing. I've been trying to incorporate some quiet, meditative prayer into my prayer life as well.

A lot of people that I have talked with, including my mother and one of my psychology professors, recommend always using a "meditation word" or "relaxation word" or whatever you want to call it. Pick a single word and use the same word every time you are going to begin your quiet prayer time.

The word can be anything. Peace. Jesus. Anything. At the beginning just quietly recite the word to yourself.[/quote]

I'm sure this isn't what you were suggesting, but using a repeated word to still your mind is somewhat like Eastern meditation/Centering Prayer and those are dangerous and incompatible with authentic Christian prayer. Since there's occasional confusion about the topic, I just wanted to mention it.

Don't force your mind to be empty. If you can't get any thoughts together, then it's good to sit silently, but it does no good to strive for it if it's not where God is leading you.

[tinytherese]

I tried repeating some words but I found them distracting and some sounds just seemed to loud even if just whispered.

[kafka]

turn your entire being towards God in hope and longing. Open up your entire being and life to God your Father. In silence of your depths and in the face of holy and absolute mystery (God) offer up your mind and freedom and everything in silent praise and ineffable worship in Christ Jesus. And simply depend on God to move you to ineffable prayers. Dont worry about how good they are just let go, lift up your all to God in Christ Jesus and depend upon the Holy Spirit to move you. Let the Holy Spirit who is Infinite Freedom free you in prayer. He promises to help us:

{8:25} But since we hope for what we do not see, we wait with patience.
{8:26} And similarly, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing.
{8:27} And he who examines hearts [the Father or the Son depending on who you are praying to] knows what the Spirit seeks, because he asks on behalf of the saints in accordance with God.

Edited April 23, 2009 by kafka

[kafka]

[quote name='kafka' post='1844209' date='Apr 23 2009, 01:57 AM']turn your entire being towards God in hope and longing. Open up your entire being and life to God your Father. In silence of your depths and in the face of holy and absolute mystery (God) offer up your mind and freedom and everything in silent praise and ineffable worship in Christ Jesus. And simply depend on God to move you to ineffable prayers. Dont worry about how good they are just let go, lift up your all to God in Christ Jesus and depend upon the Holy Spirit to move you. Let the Holy Spirit who is Infinite Freedom free you in prayer. He promises to help us:

{8:25} But since we hope for what we do not see, we wait with patience.
{8:26} And similarly, the Spirit also helps our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself asks on our behalf with ineffable sighing.
{8:27} And he who examines hearts [the Father or the Son depending on who you are praying to] knows what the Spirit seeks, because he asks on behalf of the saints in accordance with God.[/quote]
and dont try too hard. Be simple, sincere and honest before Him remembering God is the one who makes our prayers pleasing to Him in His grace, and not us alone which makes them pleasing. And that is a comforting thought and freeing

Edited April 23, 2009 by kafka

[Saint Therese]

Its much easier to be prayerful in an atmosphere of silence. At my house I almost always just have silence, no tv or radio etc.

How do you pray in silence? Just love!

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='philothea' post='1843887' date='Apr 22 2009, 08:24 PM']I'm sure this isn't what you were suggesting, but using a repeated word to still your mind is somewhat like Eastern meditation/Centering Prayer and those are dangerous and incompatible with authentic Christian prayer.[/quote]

Actually, that's exactly what I was suggesting. A word, like "God," or phrase or repeated prayer, like praying a Rosary. They work for many people for a reason. Quietly repeating certain words or phrases calms the mind, and actually trains the mind to relax.

Saint Escriva was fond of repeating “Aba Father” during his quiet prayer (he called it “mental prayer”). Some Catholic martyrs repeated the name of Jesus during meditative prayer, and even while being executed—and they died smiling.

Sometimes the simplest practices work the best.

But if that's not your style, or you find it "incompatible," hey it's [i]your[/i] prayer life. I’m not going to debate it—everyone has their own spirituality. (Besides, this isn't a debate board.)

Do what you're comfortable with. Because if you’re not comfortable, it won't work.

[Lounge Daddy]

[quote name='Saint Therese' post='1846681' date='Apr 25 2009, 12:34 AM']Its much easier to be prayerful in an atmosphere of silence. At my house I almost always just have silence, no tv or radio etc.

How do you pray in silence? Just love![/quote]

Ya, it helps when you are used to silence. I think too many people today are far too accustomed to noise. Then the silence actually becomes alarming.

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='philothea' post='1839840' date='Apr 18 2009, 08:39 PM']Set a timer or an alarm for the amount of time you want to spend. I'd say 5-30 minutes? Maybe 10 to start with.

Once your timer is going, close your eyes and imagine that you're in some simple, peaceful place -- a chapel is nice. Vivid details are not necessary. Imagine that God is there with you. Whether you want to imagine the whole Trinity, or one specific Person is up to you. Whatever is comfortable.

For the period of time, just sit there with God. If you start mentally praying -- talking about concerns or asking for help -- go along with that. If you get distracted and start thinking about something else, set those thoughts aside as soon as you notice. Don't try to stifle your thoughts, but don't try to think about anything particular either. If you start to doze off, shorten your session next time. When the timer goes off, you're done.

Don't stress about distractions, concentration, or getting anything noticeable out of it. Just do it, every day, for the span of time you've set, and see how that works out. Eventually you won't need the mental setup at the beginning.[/quote]

Awesome.

Also, something that has helped me when it seems as though God is calling me to simply [i]be[/i] with Him in silence... is too cycle through the Holy Names of the Trinity.

So, I'll say quietly, "[i]Abba, Father.[/i]" And then just rest in the silence. When a distraction comes or what have you, accept it for what it is, brush it away, and then say, "[i]Jesus, Brother.[/i]" And again, rest. At the next distraction, "[i]Spirit, Lover.[/i]"

Sometimes I go through many cycles, sometimes not. Using the Holy Names is like a deliberate turning back towards God, even when prayer is very difficult.

And it's important to remember that "real prayer begins when it becomes difficult to pray or we do not want to pray." Times like now it is most important that you pray.

[kafka]

also too I think it is important to remember the external sensory silence is just a means to and reflection of interior silence.

We want to reach a point where there is a 'place' in the depth of our beings which is silent and continually open in prayer to God in spite of all the noise which accompanies the duties of our daily lives. We want to be open in the silence of a prayerful heart continually in order that God may continually communicate Himself to us and move us throughout the particular tasks of our ordinary lives.

I like the idea of keeping the t.v. and radio off and only using it on occasion. I got rid of my t.v. a couple of months ago. It was difficult after the first week but after that it was just fine. Now I will watch a t.v. show or listen to music only on occasion using the internet.

And yes setting aside 10 to 30 minutes of silence devoted to prayer every day is simply one of the best choices one can make. I also recommend the Divine Mercy Chaplet. That prayer helped me learn how to pray silently even though one recites prayers.

Also a good idea is to engage in some sort of spiritual, theological or philosophical reading everyday. It doesnt matter which Catholic author or what particular work it is or perhaps it would be a particular book of the Bible. There is no ideal work for everyone. Experiment and discover the one which leads you to lose yourself in thought and prayer to God and read a little of it each day.