Learning to Pray with Scripture: Ignatian Prayer

Here’s post three in a series that will include instructions, tips, and ideas on how to pray in different ways. If you didn’t read the intro post, check it out here.

Today, the name of the game is Ignatian Prayer. This is an imaginative type of prayer established by St. Ignatius of Loyola. Before I dive into how to pray in this manner with scriptures, I want to share a bit about St. Ignatius and how his spirituality came about. 

St. Ignatius and the Imagination

St. Ignatius, in his earlier days, had a severe leg injury from his days in the military. The ensuing days and months left him laid up in a hospital where the only reading materials were devotional books and the bible. The results of what happened next shaped and formed much of his future spiritual life. He was deeply inspired by the saints, by the life of Christ, and the possibility of where he was called. But he also dreamed of returning to his military career and falling in love. His “daydreams” of Christ and the saints left him full of joy and excitement, while his daydreams of the latter left him feeling dissatisfied. (source: Pray With Your Imagination, David Fleming, SJ).

This is when he learned firsthand about discernment, the way God moves and shows us his will in the feelings of joy and discontent. But it was also a turning point in his realization of just how important the role of imagination is in prayer. It was through his imagining and daydreaming that he came to realize it’s a powerful tool to encounter Christ. 

Imaginative Prayer

There is much more we could say about St. Ignatius, and I recommend looking up more info about him, but on to the point. Ignatian Prayer is a way of praying with the scriptures that engages the senses. 

One popular form of Ignatian prayer is to place yourself in a story where Jesus is acting, speaking, healing, moving.  Through your imagination, you engage your senses. By hearing his voice, feeling the air, touching the ground, seeing him look upon you with love, you can experience Jesus in a very real way. Above all, you can come to know him in your heart.

So, below I will outline some steps to help you pray imaginatively with the scriptures. 

Before you begin, choose a scripture passage. Stories that involve Jesus are the best for this type of prayer. Consider any of the following (these are my favorites for prayer): 

• Jairus’ Daughter and the Hemorrhaging Woman: Mark 5:21-43
• The Rich Man: Mark 10:17-22
• The Blind Bartimaeus: Mark 10:46-52
• Jesus Walks on Water: Matthew 14:22-33
• The Annunciation: Luke 1:26-38
• The Visitation: Luke 1:39-56

Steps for Ignatian Prayer with Scriptures

1. Say a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit, asking him to lead you in this time of prayer.
2. Read through the passage once or twice. Familiarize yourself with it enough that you can recall the general story when you close your eyes.
3. Close your eyes. Place yourself in the story.
4. Who are you in this story? Where are you? What are you wearing? 
5. Take in your surroundings. What does it feel like? What do you hear? Are there people around? Is it dusty? Does it smell? 
6. Consider your own emotions. What are you feeling? How do you respond when you encounter Jesus? 
7. Allow Jesus to speak to you. What does he say to you? Do you respond? He looks upon you with love. What does that feel like? What do you seek, what do you desire?
8. Let your imagination run free. There are no restrictions, no limitations with this kind of prayer. If something captures your heart, stay there, rest in that moment. Speak to Jesus, ask him what he’s trying to tell you. 
9. There is no right or wrong! When you are done, write down your experience if you’d like. Say a prayer of thanksgiving.

Recommendations & Additional Resources

I also highly recommend a couple of resources if you would like to learn more and dive in deeper with this type of prayer.  First, An Ignatian Introduction to Prayer by Fr. Timothy M Gallagher, OMV is an excellent book that walks you through Ignatian meditations on 52 different scripture passages. It’s an excellent tool for prayer. It was given to me when I went on an Ignatian retreat some years ago and I still love and use it. Second, the Pray As You Go app or website has a handful of great imaginative contemplation exercises. You hit the play button and it leads you in prayer with a meditation of your choice. I love these and always get something different out of them each time I listen. You can also download the app to your phone and listen on the go.

In addition, sometimes people ask the question, “If it’s just my imagination, how do I know it’s of God?” God created us and he is using our faculties and gifts to communicate with us. But if you have reservations, having a trusted spiritual director or priest to discuss it with is important. They can listen and assure you that your experience is truly of God.

This is just a starting point. There is so much more to learn from the spirituality of St. Ignatius. If it sparks a fire in your heart and resonates with you, dive in deeper! Send me a message and I can recommend something for you. Do some research on your own. Ask questions. Don’t be shy! There is such depth here. I know I’ve barely scratched the surface in my own life, and it’s born a lot of fruit in my prayer life. I hope it can do the same for you.