What Contemplatives Think of Their Prayer Practice (and What We Can Do To Grow in Prayer)

Over the years I’ve had the privilege to speak to many people who practice, or are interested in practicing, Christian forms of silent prayer. Since I myself practice Centering Prayer, I’m thinking primarily about Centering Prayer practitioners, but I imagine that the issues we’re going to look at are equally common among people who practice other methods of silent or interior prayer, like the Jesus Prayer, or Christian Meditation, or the Prayer of Quiet.

Sometimes people confide in me that they...