Centering Prayer: Afternoon Stillness

Discover the essence of tranquility and the profound depth of stillness in our latest meditation session. As your guide, I, Whitney, lead you gently into an afternoon of serenity, focusing on the art of Centering Prayer. Together, we'll explore the profound words of Psalm 46:10, allowing these sacred verses to guide us into a deeper spiritual connection with God. Our time together is a reprieve from the day's chaos—here, you're encouraged to lay down your burdens and find solace in the presence of the divine.

This episode is an invitation to a peaceful interlude where you'll learn to use your breath as an anchor, drawing you back to the present moment and into stillness whenever you feel adrift amidst life's distractions. Whether you're seated or lying down, find comfort in the knowledge that this peacefulness is a gift you can carry with you, long after our session ends. And for those yearning for continued growth and community, I share how you can join our monthly Zoom gatherings and connect with like-minded souls at exploringpeace.com. Let's embrace this journey together, carrying the peace we cultivate here into every aspect of our daily lives.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hi, this is Whitney and you're listening to Exploring Peace Meditations. Today's practice is created to help you find stillness and quiet in your afternoon. Although you can practice Centering Prayer anytime, as you begin to settle into your space, I invite you to find a seated posture. Unless that doesn't feel right, you could always recline. But for Centering Prayer in my own practice, I find seated to be the most helpful posture. It allows me to stay awake and alert, but settled in my body and connected to the fact that I'm choosing to be still in this moment with God. Whatever your shape, settle into a state of stillness. Bring your attention to your breath. With each breath, allow yourself to be more present in this moment. It may help, on your exhale, to name some of the things you release or set aside as we enter in. I release my task list. I release my worries. Take a moment to purposefully release as you settle into this time of afternoon stillness.

Speaker 1: 1:53

Psalm 4610 is a well-known verse. Hear it as we enter in today. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God. Be still and know that I am God In the quiet of this afternoon. Let us take these words to heart as we welcome stillness with God. Be still, know that the divine presence of your Creator is with you now.

Speaker 1: 3:02

Creator God, in the quiet of this afternoon. We come before you. We open ourselves up to simply be, to receive, to soak in your peace and your wisdom. Help us to simply be still in this quiet time, to let go of the busyness of the day and to be present in your loving presence. May this time of quiet, centering prayer renew our spirits and deepen our connection with you. Take a full breath in and a long breath out. Imagine your mind wanders during this quiet. Consider using your breath to come back into the presence with God. Or maybe you use an anchor word or words from our scripture today you could say to yourself be still, or simply be, check in with your breath, soften your body and let's be.

Speaker 2: 5:19

Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. Soften your body. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm.

Speaker 1: 16:30

Allow yourself a full breath in and a long breath out. Notice the stillness, whether it's in your mind, your heart, your body, your spirit. Take a moment to thank God For the quiet, for an afternoon pause amidst your day, with the one who created you, gave you breath and life and humanness. Thank you, god, for a moment of stillness with you. May we carry forth what we've practiced, even when it's hard To draw close to you in the quiet, the stillness, and let us carry forth the peace, whether it came in a moment or in many moments. Let us carry this forth into the rest of our day. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we pray Amen.

Speaker 1: 18:07

Thank you for being here and exploring the gift of God's peace with me. If you'd like to connect beyond this season and into the next, you can find our community that makes the podcast possible at exploringpeacecom. I love seeing your faces when we get together once a month on Zoom. I'd love to see you there. You can also find me at WhitneyRSimpsoncom. Until next time, may God's peace be with you.