What’s Imaging Prayer?

I teach imaging prayer in spiritual direction. But what is it?

Imaging prayer is one of the two types of an old (as of the 4th century) Christian prayer called “The prayer of silence.” One type is contemplating the presence of the Lord without words or mental pictures. Imaging prayer is the 2nd type, where you allow the Holy Spirit to use your imagination to speak with you. You do NOT drive this prayer; you put it in the Holy Spirit’s hands.

Imaging prayer only works with believers; since it depends on the Holy Spirit, it’s different from visualization. It also works for your life and your business; especially when your business is a leading edge of your spiritual growth.

I “accidentally” (God did it) discovered imaging prayer in the 1980s. I picked up a little book called Adventure Inward by a new author. The Reverend Morton Kelsey was an Episcopalian priest who wrote about his severe chronic depression. Making matters worse, he woke up at 2:00 am every single morning, so he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep. He couldn’t even make himself pray anymore.

He explained his situation to his Jewish therapist, who thought a bit and then said, “Have you considered that God wants to talk to you?”

When Kelsey woke up at 2:00 that morning, he got up and listened; beginning a daily conversation with God that lasted the rest of his life.

The result was a changed life, new faith, and a series of books on Christian contemplative prayer and God-led dreamwork.

Kelsey’s small book taught me how to how to pray in my imagination, always basing my prayers in the Bible. I have practiced imaging prayer for over 30 years, and this deep connection with the Holy Spirit transformed my prayer life and spiritual growth.