Staying Connected to our Center
The Transformative Power of Prayer
There is a deep and often unspoken anxiety in the modern world—a restlessness that hums beneath the surface of our lives. We are busy, distracted, and exhausted. We chase meaning, purpose, and belonging, yet find ourselves feeling hollow. We long for something more, but we can’t quite name what it is.
Henri Nouwen’s words point us toward the root of this struggle:
“When we do not stay in touch with that center of our spiritual life called prayer, we lose touch with all that grows from it.”
At the core of our being, we were created to have God at the center. Not as an accessory to a busy life. Not as an add-on to our personal ambitions. But as the very foundation from which everything else flows.
The Center Holds Everything Together
Imagine a wheel. At its center is a hub, and from that hub extend the spokes that connect to the outer rim. If the hub is misaligned—or missing—the entire wheel collapses.
Our souls work the same way. Prayer is our connection to the center, the hub that holds everything together. When we stay rooted in God, everything else—our relationships, our work, our sense of purpose—flows from that center. But when we disconnect, everything becomes fragmented. Life feels scattered. Even good things—spiritual practices, acts of service, our pursuit of justice—can become hollow, performative, or exhausting when they are not connected to the source.
Nouwen warns that when we lose touch with our center:
• Our solitude loses depth – Instead of life-giving silence, we experience isolation.
• Our hospitality loses meaning – Instead of welcoming others as an act of love, we use kindness as a tool to boost our own righteousness.
• Our faith becomes an ornament – A decoration to make us morally respectable rather than a deep well that nourishes our soul.
The Tension Between Illusion and Prayer
So much of life is lived in illusion—the illusion of control, the illusion of self-sufficiency, the illusion that we can manufacture meaning apart from God. Prayer is what moves us from illusion to reality.
This is why prayer is not just one spiritual practice among many—it is the centering practice. It is how we stay connected to what is real. It is how we stop chasing meaning and start receiving it.
But let’s be honest: staying connected is hard. Everything in our world pulls us away from the center—distraction, productivity, fear, ambition. As my friend Christi reminds me, even in the church we can be busy doing things for God while losing our ability to just be with God.
How Do We Return to the Center?
If prayer is about connection rather than obligation, then returning to the center is not about praying more words or achieving some mystical experience. It is about living from a place of awareness, presence, and surrender.
Here are some simple ways we can reconnect:
Pause and Breathe – The next time you feel scattered, take a deep breath. Whisper, God, You are here. That simple moment of awareness can realign you.
Practice Stillness – Instead of filling every empty space with noise, allow yourself to sit in silence. Let God hold the space.
Let Prayer Be Conversation – Not performance, not obligation, not a to-do list. Just an open, honest connection.
Write Your Own Centering Prayer – Write a prayer asking Jesus to be the center of your life. This has been a practice that has been helpful for me this year.
Reframe Your Work and Relationships – Instead of adding “spiritual practices” onto an already full life, let everything you do flow from your center. Your job, your family, your community engagement—these can all be places of prayer when rooted in God.
The goal is not to add prayer to our lives—it is to live from prayer.
A Life That Flows from the Center
When we stay connected to our center, everything changes. Solitude is no longer isolation—it is where we meet God. Hospitality is no longer a performance—it is an extension of love. Justice is no longer self-righteousness—it is an outflow of God’s heart for the world.
When we live from the center, we are no longer striving. No longer chasing. No longer exhausted. We are held.
And that changes everything.
How do you stay connected to your center? Let’s reflect together.
