Centering Prayer is all about sitting with God, as his child. It's all about a childlike trust in his presence. It's not about verbal conversation with God at all. It's not even about feeling his presence. It's about choice. It's about thoughtfully and purposefully putting yourself in him. Eventually God will begin to "speak" to you in a powerful, wordless, connected way; learning to quiet your spirit and mind allows this to happen. As time goes on you'll be able to transfer to daily life the closeness gained during your Centering Prayer time. It becomes easier to be aware of God's presence throughout your entire day.
Here's a hint: As you go about your day, try to notice yourself breathing. Each time you notice yourself breathing, think of God's presence being even closer than your own breath. He is closer than your body's cells jutting up against each other.
An essential part of Centering Prayer is your holy word, something to focus upon while training the busy human mind to be quiet. Pray for clarity and / or contemplate your present self, your current spiritual state. Choose a word that describes your greatest need or angst. Over the years I have used words like forgiven, loved, still, and 'I'm here' (as in "I'm here that's the best I can do.") This word, not spoken aloud, gives your mind a focal point.
Sr. Adeleine recommended using a timer while practicing Centering Prayer, thus minimizing the human tendency to wonder "How long have I been doing this?" Start with just 5 minutes, gradually working yourself up to 20 minutes at a time.
Just before starting your timer, make yourself comfortable in a sitting position, in a quiet, secluded place. (I used my closet for years, and now I go to my basement.) If you like, say a beginning prayer, asking God to be with you completely and intimately. Then start your timer. I suggest training yourself to relax, taking even breaths and thinking only of your sacred word. As you catch your mind thinking--this will happen a lot in the beginning, gradually lessening over time--do not pass judgment upon yourself. Simply laugh and think, "Oh, well. I'm human!" and come back to you center where God connects with you, thinking only your sacred word. Do your best to not think of the timer; eventually you will forget all about it.
I hope that Centering Prayer will bless you richly and give you the stillness and sense of God's presence that all of us need, especially in this hectic world of ours. I'm especially hopeful that we busy parents can continue to find strength and peace in him, by learning to be aware of God all day long. This is what "being in God" is all about to me. :-)
