Ambitious title, right?
Well, let me explain what I mean. Recently, I was going back through some of my older centering prayer journals, and I found plenty of entries of things that came up in my prayer time — images, words, intuitions, inklings, etc. In the midst of centering prayer, it is possible that you will experience some of these “bits and pieces” too (If you don’t, not to worry, they’re not essential).
If something like this happens, what should you do? It might be tempting to make a lot out of such experiences — they are often accompanied by intense feeling and euphoria. However, the best practice is to keep praying.
Personally, I try to write these matters down in a journal. At first, I stopped praying and wrote them down right away. After a while, I began to settle down and let the prayer continue, recording what I could remember after the prayer time. Then, I let them sit. Sometimes, I ponder them, and sometimes I don’t understand them at all. Often, they only make sense in hindsight (of perhaps several years).
Still, I try not to put too much stock here. Often, it was just a stray thought. Sometimes, an inkling turns out to be very significant, but it never appears all by itself — it is reinforced from multiple sides outside of myself.
It can be tempting to seek some “secret” message from God about your life in centering prayer. Honestly, I have a hard time with expecting God to work like that. After all, he said “love your neighbor” extremely clearly — I’ll be working on integrating that “will of God for my life” for the rest of my life.
So, when God speaks…listen…maybe write it down or ponder…then, go, love your neighbor…that is God’s will for your life.