The Ignatian Prayer

Ignatius of Loyola was a 16th century priest who founded the Jesuit Order within the Catholic Church. Regarding spiritual growth, he taught his followers to meditate on the Gospels with an active imagination. For example, if you are reading the story of Jesus healing a paralytic in Mark 2, hear it as if you were the paralytic or as if you were a bystander. Feel the heat of the sun, the weariness of a journey on a long road, the shame of exposure, the judgment and condemnation from the religious leaders.

Now imagine Jesus.

What might He sound like? Does He touch you as He passes? Does He look you in the eyes? What do you hear? What do you feel?

Ignatius taught that Scripture is living and active. It is meant to take root and grow in our mind. Instead of just knowing what the story says, we should also know how it feels and explore what the characters in the story must have experienced when they encountered Jesus.

How to Practice It

Go somewhere where you can avoid interruption.

Set a timer on your phone. A timer frees you from worries about length. Put your phone on do not disturb, and put the timer out of view. When the alarm rings, you have finished.

As you initially try this practice, start small—just a few minutes. However, as you get more comfortable with it, add a few minutes at a time. Practices like this should be structured with a routine that your mind and body learn and can easily step into.

Begin by taking a moment to calm down your mind and body. Sit in a chair or kneel on the floor, and open your Bible. Take a short passage from one of the Gospels, such as any of the stories in Matthew 8. Read the passage a few times and allow your imagination to start filling in the details: the scenery, the weather, the sounds in the background, or the smell of the sea. Imagine the nervous expression on the face of the centurion. After a few readings, let your mind wander into that world. Focus on senses: sight, smell, sound, touch, taste.

When the timer goes off, take another moment to pray and reflect. What struck you? What part of the story might be worth coming back to later in the day?

This is a practice that gets richer with repetition. You are training your mind to imagine, and in doing so, you’re liberating yourself from the need for spectacle and external stimulation.

Much of this was adapted from Mike Cosper’s excellent book Recapturing the Wonder. For more ideas on practicing spiritual disciplines, check it out.