Meditative prayer is slow prayer. You take one short line of Scripture and stay with it, turning it over the way you might hold a smooth stone in your hand. Contemplative prayer goes one step quieter. You set the words down and simply rest in God’s presence, without trying to say or think anything in particular.
A journal fits around both of these. You write a few lines before you pray to clear your head, and a few lines after to notice what stayed with you. By the end of this guide you will have a simple way to pray like this in 10 to 20 minutes, a five-minute version for busy days, and a few ideas for the days when prayer feels flat.
Meditative and contemplative prayer, in plain words
Many Christians, across many churches, pray this way. The names can sound formal, but the practice is gentle and ordinary. Meditative prayer gives your mind one small thing to focus on, usually a phrase from the Bible. You repeat it slowly, notice which word catches you, and talk to God honestly about it.
Contemplative prayer is quieter still. Saint Meinrad Archabbey describes the last movement of lectio divina (an old way of praying with Scripture by reading it slowly several times) as contemplatio: resting in God’s presence for a few minutes after the reading. You can think of meditative prayer as the walk and contemplative prayer as sitting down on the bench at the end of it.
Neither one is a test. You will not “do it right” or “do it wrong.” Some days your mind will wander every few seconds. That is normal, and gently coming back is part of the prayer.
Getting ready: a quiet place and an open page
You do not need much. A chair, a Bible or a printed verse, your journal and a pen are enough. Some people light a candle or sit by a window. Others pray in the car before going inside. Choose whatever is realistic for your life right now.
Pick one short passage before you start, so you are not flipping pages in the middle of the quiet. Psalms work well because they are honest and short. Here are a few lines many people return to:
- “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
- “He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.” (Psalm 23:2)
- “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
If you would like a longer passage with ready questions, our Psalm 23 page has the psalm with reflection prompts you can use for a week of quiet prayer.
A simple way to pray
Here is one way to shape the time. Treat it as a starting point and change anything that does not fit you.
- Write for 2 minutes. Put down whatever is on your mind, in plain sentences. You might write, “I’m tired and distracted, and I keep thinking about tomorrow’s meeting.” This is not a prayer report. It just empties your pockets before you sit down.
- Read your verse slowly, three times. Read it aloud if you can. On the second and third reading, notice which word or phrase seems to stand out.
- Stay with that phrase. Repeat it quietly for a few minutes. If “still waters” catches you, you might picture them, or ask yourself where your life feels anything but still.
- Talk to God about it. Say what comes up, honestly. Thanks, worry, confusion and even irritation all belong here.
- Rest for a few minutes. Let the words go and simply sit. When thoughts come, let them pass and return to the phrase, or to a single word like “here.”
- Write for 3 to 5 minutes afterward. Note the phrase, what you noticed, and anything you want to carry into the day.
The whole thing can take 10 to 20 minutes. If the quiet part is only one minute at first, that is fine. Many people find it grows on its own over time.
Where the journal fits
The journal is not the prayer itself. It is a quiet companion on either side of it. Before, it helps you notice what you are bringing. After, it helps you remember, because a single phrase can feel vivid in the moment and be gone by lunch.
| When | What you might write | Example line |
|---|---|---|
| Before praying | What is on your mind, without fixing it | “Mostly I feel rushed today.” |
| Right after | The word or phrase that stayed with you | “‘Lie down.’ I don’t let myself rest.” |
| Later in the day | Anything that echoed back | “Thought of ‘still waters’ at the red light.” |
Over weeks, these short entries become a record of your prayer life. You might notice you keep coming back to rest, or to fear, or to gratitude. That kind of pattern can be a helpful thing to bring back into prayer. If you want more structure for the “later in the day” part, our guide to the daily examen as a journaling practice shows a simple evening review you can pair with this.
A few gentle tips:
- Write in full sentences or fragments, whichever comes easier.
- Leave a line blank at the top of each entry to add the verse reference later.
- Do not reread every entry. Look back once a month if you like.
Short versions and hard days
Not every day allows 20 minutes, and not every day feels prayerful. Here are a few smaller options.
The five-minute version
Write one sentence about how you are. Read your verse twice. Sit quietly for 2 minutes. Write one sentence about what you noticed. That is a real prayer, not a lesser one.
When your mind will not settle
Try holding just one or two words, like “be still,” and breathing slowly as you say them. Or write the verse out by hand, slowly, two or three times. Some people find that keeping their hand moving helps their mind follow.
When prayer feels dry
Dry seasons are a normal part of a life of faith, and many Christians have walked through them. On those days, you can simply be honest on the page: “I don’t feel anything today, but I’m here.” You might lean on a line like “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) and just sit with it, even if it feels distant. Showing up quietly is enough.
When you are worn out
If you are exhausted, let the prayer be mostly rest. Skip the steps and sit with one verse for a few minutes. Our rest prompts offer gentle questions for tired seasons, and our guide to lectio divina with a journal walks through the fuller practice when you have more energy.
Three prompts to try
- Which word from today’s verse stayed with you after the quiet, and why might it have caught you?
- What did you notice yourself carrying into prayer today, and what would it feel like to set it down for a few minutes?
- Write a short, honest prayer about where in your life you most long for “still waters.”