Below are some examples of
Practice some silence:
Book a 5 minute slot of quiet in your diary and choose a quiet place to sit. Leave your phone in another room.
If it helps have a notebook to jot down any distracting thoughts or ideas that disturb your silence, then return to stillness.
As you get used to the silence you can extend it. You may find that even 30 minutes isn’t enough.
Find three occasions when you could pray while working (cooking / gardening / shopping). Think about the work you are doing. What do your daily tasks teach you about God? Who will benefit for you work – pray for them as God brings them to mind.
Short Lectio Divina
Breath prayers
Prayer of Examen (Anita’s notes)
Daily time to pause / put down phones and be still
Centering Prayer Guidelines – John Hamlett, M.Ed., M.Div., LPC, LMFT
Guide to Centering Prayer with instructions and background — Spirituality for Questioning Minds (lindsayboyer.com)
Elsie Briggs House of Prayer:
Wednesdays: 7.15 – 8.45pm. Centering Prayer - every week, beginning 11th January. For details call Jacqueline on 0117 973 4136. Those new to centering prayer are recommended to come on the 1st Wednesday of the month.
Take a pilgrimage walk around your community
Keep a diary or journal of where you see God at work during your week
Sit in your garden or a park each day notice the changes, thank God for what you are learning
At each meal spend some time thinking about where your food has come from, thanking God for the people who worked to produce it.
Change one shopping habit for a week for a more environmentally friendly alternative regarding packaging/ air miles.
Visit an art gallery / look online and choose one or two paintings that inspire you and spend time with them. Have a conversation with God about what you see.
Using Lectio divina spend some time each day reflecting on Psalm 139
Watch a David Attenborough documentary and read Genesis 1.
Write a psalm / song about the wonder of God
Listen to some favourite worship songs while doing chores.
Sign up to the Daily Prayer App – either do it with a friend or listen to the service. You can do one of the services or all of them daily.
Read the gifts of the Spirit in Galatians 5:25 and pray daily for a week for one of those gifts you would like to see grow in you.
If you can go to a midweek service at your local church
Commit to reading one book of the bible during the month
Return to the prayer of Examen (see Ian’s notes)
Psalm 139.24 – Think back over your life – are you walking towards God or away from him?
Use your imagination to put yourself in the shoes of one of the characters in Luke 10.30-35. Over three days and three sessions live the story as each of the three different characters.
Read Psalm 137 alongside newspaper headlines
Meet a friend and read the story of Jesus in the wilderness – share times of wilderness in your life. Notice where God was speaking.
Take a walk in an urban wasteland with a friend
Plan to go on a retreat day
Go for one day where water is the only thing you drink. Each time you drink your water, think about Jesus the Water of Life. Pray that he might fill you to overflowing.
Plan to miss one meal a week this term. Instead of that meal, pray for those in need.
If you have had experience of fasting before, fast for 24 hours. Keep a prayer journal during that time.
How can we love our neighbour as ourselves?
Generosity – Think about inviting someone new to a meal
Find somewhere to volunteer – perhaps in a local community project
Support a local foodbank by fasting for a day and donating the food you would have eaten
Offer to serve coffee after church on Sunday with some friends; or at a warm space
Pray daily for a community or charity project
Take your mobile phone out for a walk, notice things that speak to you and record them, use them for prayer.
Create an album of pictures that reflect what you are learning about God’s love – share them with a friend.
Find a flat stone and paint on it an encouraging message or picture. Leave it somewhere in public where others might come across it.
End each day saying the Franciscan night prayers.
Take a walk around your community and pick up litter – use each piece as an inspiration for prayer: for God’s creation; for the one who dropped, etc.
Read 2 Cor 5.17-20 – pray for someone or situation that needs reconciliation. Are there areas in your life where you could take steps to be reconciled with someone?
Commit to praying daily at the same time for 10 minutes for a week for someone in a difficult situation.
Go without coffees from cafés one week and put the money saved towards a local charity or one of our missions.
Listen to a piece of music or favourite worship song and spend some time inviting God to speak through it.
Visit another church or a service that has different music styles.
If you are musical try setting a favourite psalm to music.
In the thinking stream you might like to pick one of the weeks and listen to a different piece of music on YouTube each day and think about what it says to you.
Think about all that God means to you and your love for Him. Write a love song or poem to Him.
Think about joining a bible study group. If it’s new to you why not join a Lent or Advent group for a few weeks to try it out.
Think about how God has spoken to you personally through your life. You might like to create a timeline or map of your journey and share it with a friend.
Write a journal of all that you see God doing in, through and around you each day.