Soaking in Silent Prayer

“Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)

This morning I met with my spiritual directee and we started our time together by having a cup of coffee out of Cheryl Husby’s prayer mugs. We sat side by side in the Shalom Room at the monastery with the sun shining on our faces, and for the first ten minutes of our time together we looked out the window at the lake, trees and sky while we drank our coffee, praying silently—“protect, help, heal, guide, guard, love, bless” was my prayer for the dear one beside me—and soaking in God’s love.

The soaking prayer is one of the best prayers for me because it brings me close to God. I realize that God is with us always, but I often forget in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Sometimes I hold a cup of coffee in my hand while I soak, but how to do the soaking prayer is up to the individual and the possibilities are endless. Yesterday I was at a luncheon for Duluth’s Safe Haven Shelter for Battered Women, an organization I am fond of because it does excellent work in our community on behalf of vulnerable women and children. One of the other supporters of Safe Haven is a woman I taught Sunday School with nine years ago and admire very much. Before we sat down to eat she said, “Lezlie, do you remember the soaking prayer you taught when we were in Sunday School together? That was a long time ago! Anyway, I pray the soaking prayer when I take a bath. One day my sister called when I was praying that way, and I told her that I was just praying to God and soaking in my tub.”

Isn’t that a great story? It warms my heart, and I think that Teresa would like it too. In The Book of My Life, Teresa writes, “Seasoned practitioners of silent prayer, particularly if they have experienced the Prayer of Quiet and the Prayer of Union, sometimes find that as soon as they sit down with the intention to pray, the One they are praying to seems to be there listening. They become aware of feelings of tender love and faith and a deepening of their most cherished resolutions.”

Soaking in silent prayer is an opportunity available to us every day, and it has given me renewed strength for the difficulties I face in life. Maybe you will find it useful, too…Please consider joining me in experiencing God’s grace and a good soak!