Greetings!
Glad you are with us today. Here are the steps to the Pause Prayer from Lindy Douty’s book, Praying in the Messiness of Life (pp. 37-38), which I walk you through in this week’s podcast. Thought it’d be helpful to have in writing as well.
The Pause Prayer
(use in that moment when you find yourself experiencing an emotional charge of some sort)
- Take a deep breath.
- Accept the fact that you are a human being with human responses.
- Shift to spontaneous thanks for something specific, and watch the energy shift.
- Breathe a benevolent breath of appreciation for whatever has triggered the emotion. If an interruption makes you smile instead of frown, add that to your store of self-knowledge as you learn what gives you a feeling of aliveness.
- If the emotional surge is negative, rather than rush to judgment of someone else or yourself, ask: What in me is getting hooked? What wounded part of me just had the scab knocked off and needs my compassion? What fear is being triggered? Is there a way to express my feelings within proper boundaries?
- Thank God for this wise inner guidance system.
So, let me know what this is like for you or how God opens something new up or brings a specific learning for you. I would enjoy hearing!
God’s Deepest Peace,
Todd
Artwork: A New Covenant by Jan Richardson
(http://www.janrichardsonimages.com)
Music: The Time Has Come by Stephen Iverson (http://www.audiblefaith.com/authors/Stephen+Iverson)
Lectio Divina 