Writing as Prayer: Intuitive Journaling | Centering Prayer in Northeast Ohio

Week 13: November 11, 2025 | Theme: Writing as Prayer

A Centering Prayer reflection from Hope Ridge United Methodist Church in Northeast Ohio

Finding Flow and Blessing in the Quiet

This week’s Centering Prayer gathering at Hope Ridge focused on the theme of intuitive journaling, a gentle, prayerful practice of writing as a way of listening for God. Inspired by Sunday’s message about blessings that flow like a stream, we reflected on how gratitude, love, and release often begin when we simply pause long enough to notice God’s presence in and around us.

As we settled in, we imagined a quiet stream running through a forest steady, clear, flowing over smooth stones. Each inhale drew us closer to the water; each exhale released what we had been carrying. The verse from John 7:38 reminded us,

“Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

Allowing Written Words to Become Prayer

From that stillness, we turned to writing allowing words to become prayer, listening for what God might want to bring forward.

This kind of journaling becomes a sacred conversation: a way to let the Holy Spirit guide our words. We began writing without judgment or editing simply letting our words flow as a way of listening, releasing, and resting in God’s presence.

Each word, each fragment, became a quiet blessing. An act of love offered back to God.

Cynthia Bourgeault describes this as “letting love flow” not writing to analyze or perform, but to open, release, and receive. In that gentle openness, even the smallest word or line can carry the movement of grace.

Intuitive Journaling Reflection

We closed in reflection, asking:

• What did you notice as you wrote in your body, heart, or spirit?

• Did it feel like a release or a revelation?

• How might acts of love, both spoken and silent, become blessings this week?
  

As Thanksgiving approaches, may our hearts remain open like the stream ready to receive, release, and let blessings flow.

Moving Toward Thanksgiving

As we move toward Thanksgiving, may this practice of writing as prayer remind us that gratitude, too, begins in stillness. When we pause long enough to listen, to notice, and to give thanks, our hearts become a stream through which love and blessing can flow.

Whether through silence, a few quiet words on a page, or a simple moment of awareness, may you find yourself resting in God’s presence this week open, thankful, and renewed.

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About Our Group

The Be Still and Know Centering Prayer group meets weekly on Tuesdays 6:30 PM at Hope Ridge United Methodist Church in Mentor, Ohio (9870 Johnnycake Ridge Rd, Mentor, OH) Each session combines silent prayer, Scripture, and reflection: creating space to rest in God’s presence together. All are welcome. If you’d like to experience Centering Prayer in community, or begin your own Christian meditation practice at home, you can start using our Centering Prayer Guide here.

All are welcome. Come as you are, and rest in the quiet presence of God.

For more information, click here or email the group facilitator.