--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Contemplative prayer is not so much a…" description: "\"“Contemplative prayer is not so much a type of prayer as something that should be a component of all prayer. It is the silence and space for stillness ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/david-g-benner-26996_contemplative_contemplative-prayer-is-not-so-much-a-ty_3221707.jpg" --- # Contemplative prayer is not so much a type of prayer as… ![“Contemplative prayer is not so much a type of prayer as something that should be a component of all prayer. It is the silence and space for stillness before God that supports genuine presence and openness to God . . . Sadly, it is this contemplative dimension that is most lacking from prayer…” quote by David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/david-g-benner-26996_contemplative_contemplative-prayer-is-not-so-much-a-ty_3221707.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/david-g-benner-26996_contemplative_contemplative-prayer-is-not-so-much-a-ty_3221707.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b5/david-g-benner-26996_contemplative_contemplative-prayer-is-not-so-much-a-ty_3221707.jpg) > ““Contemplative prayer is not so much a type of prayer as something that should be a component of all prayer. It is the silence and space for stillness before God that supports genuine presence and openness to God . . . Sadly, it is this contemplative dimension that is most lacking from prayer. Communal prayer seldom leaves sufficient space for stillness before God in silence. Even liturgical prayer often leaves inadequate space for silence, and nonliturgical worship experiences are, of course, usually infamously devoid of silence. Intentional times of personal prayer are often rushed and reduced to the basics of petitions, intercession and possibly an expression or two of gratitude. All this is certainly worthy of being called prayer. But lacking the contemplative dimension, it is not holistic prayer and it will not be transformational.”” [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prayer should include silence and stillness to foster genuine presence with the divine; without it, prayer remains transactional and less transformative. **In simple terms:** True prayer needs quiet moments for deep connection, not just petitions. Key Takeaway Integrate contemplative silence into all prayer practices. Themes prayer silence spiritual depth holistic practice Mood calm introspective inspirational Type instructional philosophical When to use this quote - personal worship - church services - meditative retreats Key Concepts contemplative prayer mindfulness ritual design Questions to Reflect On - What practices can create space for silence in daily life? - How does silence change the quality of your prayers? A Different Perspective May be challenging in noisy, fast‑paced environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contemplative](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplative/) [Contemplative Dimension](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplative-dimension-6060008/) [Contemplative prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplative-prayer/) [Prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer/) [Prayer Communal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer-communal-6060007/) [Prayer Silence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prayer-silence-934679/) ## Related quotes > [ It is to this silence \[contemplative prayer\] that we all are called. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-to-this-silence-contemplative-prayer-that-we-all-are-called/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [Another of the things I started to do during this time was what Buddhists normally call "meditation" or, in Christian terms, "contemplative prayer". It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-maitland/another-of-the-things-i-started-to-do-during-this-time-was-what/) [Sara Maitland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-maitland/) > [ This mystical stream \[contemplative prayer\] is the Western bridge to Far Eastern spirituality. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilden-edwards/this-mystical-stream-contemplative-prayer-is-the-western-bridge-to/) [Tilden Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilden-edwards/) > [Every one should find some suitable time, day or night, to sink into his depths, each according to his own fashion. Not every one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johannes-tauler/every-one-should-find-some-suitable-time-day-or-night-to-sink-into/) [Johannes Tauler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johannes-tauler/) > [We should all without shame enrol in the school of contemplative prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-should-all-without-shame-enrol-in-the-school-of-contemplative/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Contemplative prayer is natural, unprogrammed; it is perpetual openness to God, so that in the openness his concerns can flow in and out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-simpson/contemplative-prayer-is-natural-unprogrammed-it-is-perpetual-openness/) [Ray Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-simpson/) > [The Protestant wing of the western church, which is a tiny percentage of the Body of Christ, is nearly completely (98%) unaware that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-wing-of-the-western-church-which-is-a-tiny-percentage/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [The only thing to seek in contemplative prayer is God; and we seek Him successfully when we realize that we cannot find Him unless…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-only-thing-to-seek-in-contemplative-prayer-is-god-and-we-seek-him/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [This is the path of prayer-contemplative prayer, that is, as distinct from simple prayers of supplication and thanksgiving-which is a specific discipline of thought,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-is-the-path-of-prayer-contemplative-prayer-that-is-as-distinct/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's no Biblical definition of contemplative prayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/there-s-no-biblical-definition-of-contemplative-prayer/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [Other forms of relating to God that have unique value in connecting us to Him include contemplative prayer and centering prayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-crabb/other-forms-of-relating-to-god-that-have-unique-value-in-connecting/) [Larry Crabb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-crabb/) > [“The contemplative seeks to be drawn ever more deeply into the circle of divine being, consciousness, and bliss, the circle of God knowing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bentley-hart/the-contemplative-seeks-to-be-drawn-ever-more-deeply-into-the-circle/) [David Bentley Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bentley-hart/) > [ Contemplative prayer \[oración mental\] in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-of-vila/contemplative-prayer-oraci-n-mental-in-my-opinion-is-nothing-else/) [Teresa of Avila](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-of-vila/) > [In contemplative prayer we seek to become the person we are called to be, not by thinking of God, but by being with God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-main/in-contemplative-prayer-we-seek-to-become-the-person-we-are-called-to/) [John Main](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-main/) > [“Contemplation, sadly, helps you see your woundedness! That’s why most people do not stay long with contemplative prayer, because it’s not very glorious. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/contemplation-sadly-helps-you-see-your-woundedness-that-s-why-most/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) ## More by David G. Benner > [“Some Christians mistrust or de-emphasize the role of the senses in spirituality, considering them to be inferior to reason and cognition. Such a view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/some-christians-mistrust-or-de-emphasize-the-role-of-the-senses-in/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Love reconnects us to life. The truth of Christ's life is that life is love and love is life. There is no genuine life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/love-reconnects-us-to-life-the-truth-of-christ-s-life-is-that-life-is/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Self-acceptance always precedes genuine self-surrender and self-transformation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/self-acceptance-always-precedes-genuine-self-surrender-and-self/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Watch particularly for traces of God in other people. Since humans are that part of creation most directly reflecting the divine image and likeness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/watch-particularly-for-traces-of-god-in-other-people-since-humans-are/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“We do not pray so that we can get God's attention. We pray so that God will get our attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/we-do-not-pray-so-that-we-can-get-god-s-attention-we-pray-so-that-god/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Most broadly understood, lectio divina involves receiving God's revelation wherever it occurs. This means that there are other media beyond Scriptures that can also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/most-broadly-understood-lectio-divina-involves-receiving-god-s/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Paying attention is being open and awake - ready to be seized by whatever is present to us in the present moment. This is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/paying-attention-is-being-open-and-awake-ready-to-be-seized-by/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Teresa of Avila says that the important thing in prayer is not to think much but to love much. The head is not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/teresa-of-avila-says-that-the-important-thing-in-prayer-is-not-to/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“The personal costs of counseling also remind us why it is so necessary for a counselor to experience continuous renewal through Scripture, prayer, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/the-personal-costs-of-counseling-also-remind-us-why-it-is-so/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“If we are honest, most of us have to admit that prayer is often more of an obligation than something arising spontaneously from desire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/if-we-are-honest-most-of-us-have-to-admit-that-prayer-is-often-more/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“Prayerful paying attention is not scrunching up our willpower and tightening our focus, but simply opening our self to what we encounter. This makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/prayerful-paying-attention-is-not-scrunching-up-our-willpower-and/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/silence-is-god-s-first-language-everything-else-is-a-poor-translation/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“AN ANCIENT AID TO DEEP KNOWING OF OUR SIN One tool that many people have found helpful in identifying basic sin tendencies is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/an-ancient-aid-to-deep-knowing-of-our-sin-one-tool-that-many-people/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“The self that begins the spiritual journey is the self of our own creation, the self we thought ourselves to be. This is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/the-self-that-begins-the-spiritual-journey-is-the-self-of-our-own/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) > [“The only thing we should seek in prayer is God. When we focus on how we are doing or what we are getting out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-g-benner/the-only-thing-we-should-seek-in-prayer-is-god-when-we-focus-on-how/) [David G. Benner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) [Explore all 21 David G. Benner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-g-benner/) ## More Contemplative quotes > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Composing a piece of music is very feminine. It is sensitive, emotional, contemplative. By comparison, doing housework is positively masculine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kolb/composing-a-piece-of-music-is-very-feminine-it-is-sensitive-emotional/) [Barbara Kolb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kolb/) > [“everything kills everything else in some way. Fishing kills me exactly as it keeps me alive. The boy keeps me alive, he thought. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/everything-kills-everything-else-in-some-way-fishing-kills-me-exactly/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [You cannot grow in the integrative dance of action and contemplation without a strong tolerance for ambiguity, an ability to allow, forgive, and contain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rohr/you-cannot-grow-in-the-integrative-dance-of-action-and-contemplation/) [Richard Rohr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rohr/) > [“I wonder if I am not turning into a contemplative . . . But those roses . They were something else. I was having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/i-wonder-if-i-am-not-turning-into-a-contemplative-but-those-roses/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [A lot of people do their practice. They meditate on compassion. Then they yell at people afterwards. That is not quite working. One of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sakyong-mipham/a-lot-of-people-do-their-practice-they-meditate-on-compassion-then/) [Sakyong Mipham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sakyong-mipham/) > [Fish slowly and thoroughly. Haste never paid dividends. Never wory about the fellow ahead of you. If you start racing to get ahaead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bergman/fish-slowly-and-thoroughly-haste-never-paid-dividends-never-wory/) [Ray Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bergman/) > [“Oak gave up his room so they could sleep there, and although the bed is small, Cardan cannot mind when he takes Jude in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-black/oak-gave-up-his-room-so-they-could-sleep-there-and-although-the-bed/) [Holly Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-black/) > [Each person comes to have this musical experience, this moment with us, where they get to sink into our world for a little while.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-welch/each-person-comes-to-have-this-musical-experience-this-moment-with-us/) [Gillian Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-welch/) > [Since I was introduced to the practice of God's presence, which in turn led me into the contemplative way, I have nearly always felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-d-mclaren/since-i-was-introduced-to-the-practice-of-god-s-presence-which-in/) [Brian D. McLaren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-d-mclaren/) > [From about 5 years old on, I was very contemplative and started to become constantly filled with nostalgia for the present moment and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-ebert/from-about-5-years-old-on-i-was-very-contemplative-and-started-to/) [Alex Ebert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-ebert/) > [ It is to this silence \[contemplative prayer\] that we all are called. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henri-nouwen/it-is-to-this-silence-contemplative-prayer-that-we-all-are-called/) [Henri Nouwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henri-nouwen/) > [“Contemplative love seeks a heroic deed that can be accomplished without delay and in full view of everyone. Indeed, some people are even ready…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/contemplative-love-seeks-a-heroic-deed-that-can-be-accomplished/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [We become, after the arrival of the printing press in general, more attentive more attuned to contemplative ways of thinking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-g-carr/we-become-after-the-arrival-of-the-printing-press-in-general-more/) [Nicholas G. Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-g-carr/) > [I just think of interesting roles to play. I guess that I have matured, I guess growing up and becoming a man, your taste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-hartnett/i-just-think-of-interesting-roles-to-play-i-guess-that-i-have-matured/) [Josh Hartnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-hartnett/) [Browse all 237 Contemplative quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contemplative/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Contemplative prayer is not so much a type of prayer as something that should be a component of all prayer. It is the silence and space for stillness before God that supports genuine presence and openness to God . . . Sadly, it is this contemplative dimension that is most lacking from prayer. Communal prayer seldom leaves sufficient space for stillness before God in silence. Even liturgical prayer often leaves inadequate space for silence, and nonliturgical worship experiences are, of course, usually infamously devoid of silence. 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