The goal is to be present to God in silence and allow Him to love you. 

• If this is new to you try two minutes of silence. 
• If you already practice this a few times a week, then try doing it everyday or consider going from 2 minutes to 5 minutes. 
• If this is something you do daily consider increasing to 30 minutes of silence. 

• John Mark Comer notes, “Start where you’re at, not where you should be. If you can only do five minutes, great, start there and gently move forward. Beware of idealism, perfectionism, or overreaching. We grow through small, incremental acts that in time become habits that eventually become character. This happens over years, not days.”
• For many this will be a new practice, aim to practicing being silent with God not being perfect. Don’t lose sight of the aim of all spiritual disciplines: a means to make space for God to work in our lives. 
• If you’re more a doer than thinker you may find it helpful to practice silence while doing something like going for a walk, doing the dishes, or something that allows your mind to rest and be present to God.
  

• Sit in an upright, but relaxed position.
• Close your eyes.
• Take slow, deep breaths
– Inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth.
– As you inhale, breathe all the way in until your stomach distends (this fills your brain with clean, clear
oxygen).
– As you exhale, shape your lips like you’re breathing out through a straw, and push all the air out with your stomach muscles (getting all the carbon dioxide and toxins out of your system).
• Feel the sensations in your body – stress, heartrate, tightness, calmness, pain, lightness, etc. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and it’s a good gift. By becoming present in our body, we become present the moment, and eventually, in God himself.

• Just “watch” your breath enter and exit your body. Pay attention to it and nothing else.
• Your mind will seize this opportunity to run wild with thoughts, feelings, memories, to do’s, and distractions. That’s okay. It’s used to constant chatter, not stillness. Don’t judge yourself, feel like a failure, or give up. Just let each thought go as quickly as it comes. When you notice your mind start to wander, just re-center with a quick prayer, like, “Father” or “Jesus” or “Peace” or the ancient, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner,” and come back to your breathing.

• Let the Spirit generate from deep within you a compassionate heart toward yourself and each thought that you gently release.

• This isn’t new age, hypnosis, or magic; it’s just a way of resting in God’s love, being present to him, slowing down to let Jesus set the pace and agenda of our day.

Once you settle into a rhythm, begin to turn each breath into a prayer. One breath at a time, imagine yourself breathing out:
– Anger
– Sadness
– Anxiety
– Despair
– Fear
– The Need To Control
– Discontentment

• And then imagine yourself breathing in its opposite:
– Love
– Joy
– Peace
– Hope
– Trust
– Detachment
– Contentment

• Before you end this exercise, spend a little while just “abiding in the vine;” simply sit in loving attention on God. Watch God watching you in compassionate love. This is the core of all transformation into Christlikeness. Through resting under God’s loving attention toward us by the Spirit, we are transformed.

• As St. John of the Cross once said, “What we need most in order to make progress is to be silent before this great God… for the language he best hears is silent love.”

Note: In the beginning, just 2-3 minutes of this is a win, and 10 minutes is a home run. Like many practices, at first you may well feel awkward, or even anxious, but give it time. It will likely come to feel deeply enjoyable in time.

• What emotions rise to the surface of your heart, big or small? You might feel joy, gratitude, sadness, empti-
  ness, fatigue, worry, guilt and shame, conviction, anger, lust, optimism – any number of positive or negative emotions.
• Don’t run away from your “negative” feelings. In the Father’s presence, face each emotion head on, the good, the bad, the ugly. And don’t just think about what you are feeling. Rather, let yourself feel each one, deeply.
• Name each emotion and then let it pass through you.

• Get it all off your chest. Give whatever you are feeling over to God – the good, the bad, and the ugly. No filter. The point here isn’t to be good, but to be honest. Different emotions call for different kinds of prayer.
• If you’re happy – celebrate, sing, dance!
• If you’re grateful, express your appreciation to God.
• If you’re anxious, give your worry over to the Father and ask for his peace in return.
• If you’re sitting in unanswered questions about your life or future, hold that tension before God. Tell him how it feels not to have an answer. Don’t force clarity where there is none. Just be patient before God with all that is unclear in your life and unresolved in your heart.

• The Spirit of God has direct access to your mind and imagination. He’s more than able to implant thoughts, images, feelings, and desires into the core of your being.
• Now that you’re quiet before him, ask him to speak into your life.
• Here’s a few ideas of what to ask:
  Is there anything you want to say to me today?
  Is there anything you want me to do today?
  Is there anyone you want me to bless today? In what way?
  What would be pleasing to you today, Father?
  What lies am I believing? Then, after you wait and listen, ask the follow up question: What is the truth you want to replace that lie with?
  How do you see me, Father?
• Sit in questions like these before God, and just see what comes.
• If nothing clear comes to the surface of your mind, simply mediate on a Scripture that speaks of God’s compassionate love for you, such as Psalm 23, John 15 or 17, or Ephesians 1.

Close with a prayer of gratitude and commit your day (or if it’s evening, your rest) to God.

• If you’re on a Bible reading plan, just open to whatever is next, but pick a short section of Scripture. One chapter at most.
• If you’re not on a reading plan and nothing comes to mind, here’s a few recommendations for Scriptures to start with:
  – Psalm 23 or 37 or 40
  – John 15 or 17
  – Galatians 5
  – Ephesians 1

• First, come to quiet. Turn your attention and desire over to God. Feel free to rest for a few moments, as you slow your mind down to the pace of the Spirit. Then…

• Read/lectio: Read the passage slowly and pay attention to each line. Take your time. As you move through the text, pay close attention to what “shimmers,” what words and ideas draw your attention in a special way. When your heart is drawn to a word or phrase or idea, pause for a few moments, and let it expand in your mind.

• Reflect/mediatio: After you finish reading the passage, return to the beginning and read it again. On your
  second time, focus even more on the words or phrases that resonate with your heart, life, or whatever you’re wrestling with today. Listen for what God is saying to you through the text.

• Respond/oratio: Talk to God about what you’re hearing.

• Rest/contemplatio: Pause to sit in God’s presence before you return to the noise of life. Express whatever is in your heart to God—wonder, awe, joy, hope, or gratitude.

• Some teachers add a fifth movement: incarnate/incarnatio—where we ask the Spirit to illuminate our mind with a clear action step to incarnate the passive we’ve been sitting in.

• There’s no “right” way to spend the day, but here’s a recommended template, if it’s helpful
  – The night before: Wind down after dinner and go to bed early.
  – 8-9 AM: If possible, arrange your morning so you can remain in silence from the time you wake up. Take
  a walk, do some breathing prayer, practice gratitude, or whatever works best to calm down and prepare
  your heart to meet with God.
  – 9-11 AM: Read and meditate on Scripture. Read slowly, taking plenty of time to stop and reflect when God seems to be speaking to you through the text. Write down what sticks out to you.
  – 11 AM-12 PM: Do some unhurried listening prayer. Talk over your notes with God. But spend time calmly
  waiting for his voice. It will come. Wait until you get his perspective on your life.
  – 12-1 PM: Eat lunch and take a walk, reflecting back on the morning, and enjoying the moment.
  – 1-2 PM: Take a nap.
  – 2-3 PM: Set goals that emerge from the day’s reflection and do any necessary calendar planning.
  – 3-5 PM: Journal a summary of your day and any action steps as you return to your life. End with gratitude and abiding.
• That said, the above is just a general template, and it’s important not to feel any pressure to “produce” an
  outcome from our retreat. It’s great if we come out with vision, clarity, and a short list of next steps, but it’s also wonderful to just spend a day resting in God, making space for him to love you, and, like Psalm 23 has it, restore your soul.