contemplative prayer
Wordless communion practice
Contemplative prayer is a form of Christian meditation focused on wordless communion with God rather than petition or praise.
The practitioner sits in silence, releasing thoughts as they arise, seeking direct experience of the divine presence.
Related practices include centering prayer and lectio divina.
She begins each morning with twenty minutes of contemplative prayer.
- silenceTotal lack of sound
- sacred silenceReverent absence of sound
- stillnessComplete lack of motion
- meditationFocused attention practice
- quiet reflectionSilent, thoughtful self-examination
mystical union · dark night of the soul · John of the Cross · surrender · awareness · asceticism · Teresa of Avila · Quakerism · desert fathers · monastic life · Christianity · recollection · introspection · ineffability · divine love · detachment · listening · mystic
- contemplationmeditation, reflection, pondering, musing, thought
- meditationbreathing meditation, breath, breath meditation, mantra, breathing
- monasticismabbeys, abbey, abbots, abbot, cloister
- Christian prayerOur Father, amen, intercession, supplication, supplications
- mysticismmystic, gnosis, divine union, divine spark, mystical
- nunsnun, nuns, sister, sisters, convent
contemplative prayerintercessory prayer
Plea to God for others
spoken prayer · supplication · chanting · beseeching · congregational prayer
contemplative prayerworks of mercy
Benevolent deeds for others
intercessory prayer · social action · evangelism · missionary work · supplication