Welcoming Prayer: Consenting to God in the Present Moment

The Welcoming Prayer helps us become present to God within our physical sensations, emotions, and reactions. Instead of resisting or being ruled by what we feel, we welcome the moment as an opportunity to consent to God’s presence and transforming action within us.

Where the Welcoming Prayer Comes From

The Welcoming Prayer was developed by Mary Mrozowski within the Contemplative Outreach community and was shaped by the teachings of Father Thomas Keating. It extends the consent practiced in Centering Prayer into the ordinary events and relationships of daily life.

How to Practice the Welcoming Prayer

When a strong emotion or physical reaction arises like anger:

1. Feel and sink into it. Notice what is happening within your body and emotions without trying to avoid, explain, or fix it.
2. Welcome what you are experiencing. Gently say, “Welcome,” acknowledging that God is present with you in this moment.
3. Let go. Release your desire to control the situation or secure a particular outcome.
4. Consent to God. Pray, “I let go of my desire to change this moment. I open to the love and presence of God.”

Welcoming does not mean approving of everything that happens. It means honestly acknowledging what is present and allowing God to meet and transform us there.

Learn More

Experience the Welcoming Prayer and other Christian contemplative practices at a Hineni Taste & See Retreat.