Imaginative prayer
Introduction
Imaginative prayer is a form of prayer where we use our imagination; the minds eye, to enter into scenes from the Bible.
Today, in the Catholic Tradition, St Ignatius of Loyola is well known for helping people pray using all their senses - picturing or imagining a scene, feeling the weather on your skin, listening to voices, sounds, taste, touch, seeing the surroundings, faces and expressions of people.
Imaginative prayer is part of the active prayer tradition. We go further than just reading and thinking, we actively use our senses to enter prayer and let God speak to us through this sensual experience.
Many people find this a powerful way of encountering Jesus and feel personally inside the scriptures rather than just ‘reading’ the scriptures..
Practice
Select a passage: Choose a passage of scripture for your prayer time. You could use the Daily Readings at universalis.com
Read Slowly and Visualise: Read the passage slowly and carefully, allowing your mind and imagination to create the scene.
Enter the Scene: Visualize the setting: What does the environment look like? Notice the details of the people, their clothing, their expressions, and the landscape. Consider the emotions and experiences of the people in the scene: What are they saying and feeling? What might be behind their words and actions? What is their story?
Find Your Place: Place yourself in the story. Are you beside Jesus or at a distance? Why? Is there a question or issue you want to discuss with Jesus?
Engage Personally: Use the scripture passage as a spring-board to move into your own personal encounter and prayer experience with Jesus.
Reflect and Respond: Allow time to sit in the scene and wait for God’s response. Reflect on any feelings or insights you receive.
Conclude with Gratitude: Finish your prayer time by thanking God for what you received. .
Reflection
Write what happened in your practice of Imaginative Prayer?