The term “interior life” refers to all of the quiet activities of the mind and heart that take place without external expression. Such interior acts as thinking, praying, and examining your conscience exercise the spiritual (non-physical) dimension of our nature. They open us to the gentle presence of God who speaks to us through the Holy Spirit in the quiet of our hearts.
Saint Teresa of Avila tells us that turning our attentions inward, into the soul, is the first step in spiritual growth. Being constantly distracted by the material world is a sure way to remain spiritually stagnant. I wonder what Saint Teresa would have said about our modern preoccupation with social media and instant communication.
How a Habit of Reading Can Deepen Your Prayer Life
So, what does reading have to do with the interior life?
Well, reading can be an entryway into the world of quiet thoughtfulness necessary to grow in the interior life. Most of us find it very difficult to sit in silence and generate thoughts of our own. Just try sitting with no stimulation – no phone, no video, no music – and see how long it takes for you to get restless and bored. Trying to build a prayer life with such a habitually distracted brain is going to be difficult.
The first step to building an interior life is to discipline our brains to focus. Reading gives us something to think about so we can train our minds to focus without distraction. Once our minds grow in the discipline of reading, we can begin to build habits of quiet thoughtfulness and reflective thinking.
A stronger interior life leads to a stronger prayer life. While the connection with God we gain through prayer is a grace, our response to this grace requires a great deal of self-discipline. This is especially true if we are going to engage in the deeper levels of prayer – meditation and contemplation. Meditation means thinking deeply about religious truths, and entering into the Mysteries of God. Contemplation happens when God meets us in the silence of our hearts and draws us into intimate union with Him. A strong interior life makes these more intimate forms of prayer possible.
Ready to Embark on Your Reading Journey?
Here’s a Great Place to Start!
Theology and Sanity
Theology and Sanity by Frank Sheed is the ideal volume for the layman, showing the practical aspects of theology in the life of a Christian believer.
1 in stock
Common Sense 101
In Common Sense 101, Dale Ahlquist, the President of the American Chesterton Society, and author of G. K. Chesterton -The Apostle of Common Sense, presents a book of wonderful insights on how to “look at the whole world through the eyes of Chesterton”.
5 in stock
Jesus Teach Us to Pray
Jesus Teach Us to Pray is an unexpected treasure. Father Jerome Bertram teaches in clear, simple terms what prayer is – and what it isn’t.
6 in stock
Prayer for Beginners
In Prayer for Beginners, Dr. Peter Kreeft offers simple but profound advice and practical steps for developing a prayer life based on the time-tested wisdom of the saints and great spiritual writers, especially the principles in Brother Lawrence’s classic The Practice of the Presence of God.
2 in stock
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