"Gregory of Nyssa: Prayer is a deep yearning for intimacy with God and we find that God will dictate the terms of the prayer relationship.
"Evagrius: There is a call to let go of concepts, images and ideas. If we are not able to do that then the mind becomes befogged and full of distractions.
"John Cassian: Keep the prayer to a single phrase or word such as 'O God come to my assistance. O Lord make haste to help me.'
"Pseudo-Dionysius: There is a level of relationship with God in prayer which comes out of unknowing. What is meant by this is that we come to know God on God's terms rather than ours. Our mind is illuminated through the fidelity of prayer.
"John Climacus: Let us not under estimate the power of a single word or phrase in prayer, think of the example of the publican and the prodigal son.
"William of St. Thierry: An attachment to the image of God in prayer can be a form of idolatry. Don't hold on to it; be open to the spirit praying us.
"Bernard of Clairveaux: Go to God for God's sake not just for our needs. Taste and see how sweet the Lord can be.
"Jan van Ruysbroeck: The three ways of experiencing God: first, to rest in Him whom one enjoys; second, to fall asleep in God; third, to be one with God beyond our own powers, through the Holy Spirit.
"Julian of Norwich: In calling God 'Mother' we are moved beyond the finiteness of terms to the infinite — going beyond our preconceived notions of God.
"Teresa of Avila: Confront the thoughts and the experience of silence and the power of a single prayer word prayed gently.
"John of the Cross: The power of silence, the letting go of thoughts, and resting in the Lord are keys to prayer and our transformation.
"Francis de Sales: Let us see the power of the kataphatic method of prayer, which should never be neglected but should also move us toward the apophatic.
"Jean de Caussade: One can become perpetually busy in prayer — the need to be open to a simplification of our prayer. He also comments on our need to let go of wanting to know what God is doing in our lives, to just experience it, and let it unfold.
"Therese of Lisieux: The 'little way' of consenting to God and the move away from the wordiness of prayer to a simpler prayer method.
"Thomas Merton: The term, 'Centering Prayer' was drawn from his writings. In sharing his prayer practice he described it as a prayer of resting in one's center where God dwells."
