| When you think about spiritual disciplines and practices, what comes to mind? Do you picture unbroken hours spent deep in Bible study? Or perhaps concentrated daily quiet time to be alone with God? Spiritual practices like those above are a wonderful way to deepen and connect with our faith. However, when we enter seasons of busy-ness and find our schedules overfull, it can be a challenge to find or make the time to engage with them in the way we want. We might feel overwhelmed to the point of giving up before we start, guilty in “failing” to engage with these practices, or doing them perfunctorily to “check them off” our long to-do lists. The good news is that God will meet us right where we are in our lives. Making peace with the chaos of our daily life provides us with the opportunity to open our hearts in different ways to God and see within each moment the seeds of spiritual encounter. In this article, we’ll introduce some ways to reframe your thinking about spiritual disciplines and some quick practices you can begin to incorporate into your life right now. |
| 1. Prayer as Spiritual Breathing When we think of prayer, many of us think of it as an action, rather than as a reflection of our Christian identity: our relationship with God. God initiated this relationship and longs to commune with us. When we consider prayer as our identity, it is no longer an action as much as it is who we are in the world, as God’s beloved children. In prayer, we open ourselves to receiving this great gift of relationship and grace, especially needed when we are in our most difficult moments. Many of the saints described prayer as “the breath of the soul,” including St Jane de Chantal, who defined prayer as “a wordless breathing of love in the immediate presence of God.” When we think of it this way, it is possible to envision a different practice of prayer: one that brings us mindfully to our breath and our life. St Francis of Assisi and St Francis Xavier both practiced breath prayer, which were very short prayers tied to the breath (St Francis of Assisi prayed “My God and My All,” and St Francis Xavier prayed “O beata Trinitas”). This approach to prayer is one that can help us connect with God amidst our busy lives. It can be as simple as: - Taking a moment to breathe and acknowledge God’s presence with you.
- Inhaling and picturing God filling you with love, mercy, goodness, or another attribute.
- Exhaling slowly, releasing tension or other feelings that may be hindering you.
- Repeating three or four times.
- You can also develop a short prayer, similar to those above, focusing on a simple phrase or word, such as “Mercy,” “Grace,” or “Love.” 2. Recognizing God’s Presence In our Lives ... Read More |
