This is actually the body of an email I sent to a friend back in October 2006. The subject of contemplative, or “centering,” prayer was recently brought to my attention again after hearing some young people talk about what they had learned at a Christian youth retreat from which they had just returned. They did not mention the words “contemplative” or “centering,” but were instead taught that they should be still and listen for God. The general idea seemed the same to me, so I searched through my email for items I may have saved on the subject. Instead I found one I wrote myself to a dear friend. Here it is.

Quiet is good. I often, when I’m in prayer, stop speaking and listen for a few moments. The difference is that in eastern meditation you are intentionally trying to clear your mind of thought (or sometimes concentrating your thought on one single thing or word) for the purpose of allowing the greater “whatever” to communicate with you. However, in the spiritual world that we know exists, such an emptying of our minds is only an invitation for evil (satan, demons) to enter into it and let us think that our “revelations” are from God. There is a reason God tells us to dwell on his word day and night.

The two Bible verses that are primarily used to support contemplative prayer are the following, and they are both used out of context! The first is —

  • 1 Kings 19:11-12 NASB
    (11) So He said, “Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
    (12) After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.

Where NASB translates “gentle blowing” in verse 12, the KJV translates it as “still, small voice,” which is the translation that contemplatives latch on to. But nowhere does the passage indicate that Elijah was meditating or being intentionally quiet for God to speak to him that way. In fact, he had just experienced an earthquake and fire! Those things certainly got his attention. Maybe his alertness to what was going on around him following those things, NOT a turning inward, is what allowed him to know that God was there in the gentle breeze. But let’s also not forget that God also appeared to and spoke to Moses in fire (the burning bush), not a gentle breeze.

God knows how to get your attention when He wants it. We can’t force Him to come to us on our grounds, our terms, how WE think is best (e.g., quiet meditation). Our awesome God is not a “force” that we can tap into by practicing certain techniques. He is in control, not us. Jesus taught us how to pray, and “quiet your mind” was not one of his instructions! He did often go off alone to pray and that is something we all should do, even if the place we go off alone to is our bedroom.

OK, and the other verse is this one —

  • Psalms 46:10 NASB
    (10) “Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

The KJV says “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is also used heavily by contemplatives. The NASB translation is more accurate with the meaning in context. It has to do with not striving for things in our own power, in our flesh, without depending on God’s help and guidance. It has nothing to do with emptying or quieting the mind for meditation. It’s about not forging ahead with our own plans, forgetting about God in the process, forgetting to pray and asking for His guidance. About not trusting Him. Settle down, chill out, the Lord is with us, He is our stronghold (which is basically the very next verse) —

  • Psalms 46:11 NASB
    (11) The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

I hope this has helped you, dear brother. Pray daily for God to give you spiritual discernment, to know good from evil, truth from falsehood. That is a gift we all need.