As I learn more about prayer (I’m by no means an expert), I’m learning that petitionary prayer is only a part of the Christian prayer tradition, even though it’s largely what we associate with prayer in modern Christianity. Centering prayer is a type of silent Christian praying that we more associate with meditation. Father Jim Martin’s Jesuit Guide to Everything and Father Richard Rohr’s many books have been educational to me in this regard.

Father Richard Rohr talks about how prayer is a state of consciousness, not words.