10 Spiritual Practices to Try in 2022

The start of a new year can be a great opportunity to try out new spiritual practices and routines. In honor of that, I’ve put together a list of 10 of my favorites to help you dive deeper in your spiritual journey this year.

1​) Contemplative Prayer:

C​ontemplative prayer is a fantastic practice to try if you enjoy meditating. It could also be a good place to start if you're trying to find a calming spiritual practice for 2022. 

C​entering prayer is all about sitting silently before God and dwelling in God's presence. The goal is not so much to hear God speak (although that can happen) as it is to set aside time to be in relationship with the Lord. 

O​ften prayer can be focused around us speaking to God, but rarely do we set aside time to be with God without asking for anything. 

C​entering prayer breaks us out of that habit. 

T​he practice isn't complicated, but it can still be challenging. So as you get started, remember to be patient with yourself.

W​henever you have time set aside without distractions, find a comfortable spot to sit. Then pick a word that represents your willingness to spend this time dwelling in God's presence. Set a timer on your phone, get settled in, and say your word a few times while breathing deeply. 

A​nytime you find your mind starting to wonder, say the word again to refocus. 

I​f you're just starting out, I would recommend five minutes at a time and then slowly build up the length of your prayer time. 

I​ find the centering prayer app super helpful in guiding my contemplative prayer practice. It has prayers to open and close your session along with a built in timer that allows you to choose the length of your prayer session. You can find it in the app store by searching centering prayer, and it should be the first one to pop up.

2​) Prayer Journaling 

I​f you are big into writing or keeping a regular journal, then prayer journaling could be a wonderful spiritual practice for you to bring into this next year. 

P​ersonally, I prefer to keep my prayer journal super open ended and just write out a prayer about whatever I'm thinking or feeling on a particular day. 

You might want a bit more structure in your practice. If that's the case, then I would suggest combining it with scripture reading. I love doing a variation of the Lectio Divina and meditating on a particular verse or passage for the day and then writing a reflection prayer based on that passage and my experiences that day before bed. 

If you would like to learn more about that approach to prayer journaling, you can read about it here in this post on praying through the Psalms. 

H​owever you choose to approach prayer journaling, you'll have a concrete way of looking back at all of the things you brought before God during the year. 

3​) Contemplative Walks: 

P​erhaps you've tried meditation or contemplative prayer before, and you just couldn't seem to get the hang of it. 

O​r you desire a spiritual practice that involves some movement and time in nature. 

If that's the case, then contemplative walks could be a great restorative practice for you. 

T​he practice is simple. As you go for a walk, don't worry about reaching a set destination. Instead, focus on paying attention to your surroundings. What do you hear? What do you see? What are you feeling in this moment? 

I​f there is anything you encounter along the way that sparks a feeling or stirs something inside you, pause and sit with it for a while. Consider taking a photo of it to reflect on when you get home. 

T​he goal of this practice is to train your mind to be present with your surroundings rather than fixating on problems or tasks on your list. It asks you to slow down and appreciate the world around you. 

4​) Praying the Daily Office or Hours 

P​raying the Hours is a spiritual practice that goes back centuries in church history. In its most basic form, praying the hours involves reciting prayers and scripture at set times of the day. 

For instance, you could read a portion of one of the gospels and pray at 7 AM, 12 PM, and 7 PM.

Y​ou could choose to follow the exact schedule for the daily office, or you can take inspiration from it and set aside certain times of day that best flow with your schedule for prayer and scripture reading. 

I​f you're curious about how to set up your own prayer schedule, you can read all about it in this post on keeping the hours for 30 days. 

5​) Technology Fast 

B​e still and know that I am God 

P​salm 46:10 

O​ften when we think of stillness and silence before God, practices like contemplative prayer or meditation come to mind first. But those aren't the only ways to cultivate an attitude of stillness and silence. 

O​ne practice to incorporate throughout the year is a technology fast. And the wonderful thing about this practice is that there are a multitude of ways to approach it. 

Y​ou could be super intense and decide to cut out all technology for an entire week. This sort of approach would coincide nicely with a vacation. 

H​owever, you can also decide to do mini technology fasts throughout the month or year. 

F​or instance, you could decide that on Saturdays you only answer your phone in the case of absolute emergencies, and you abstain from all forms of technology for the day. 

O​r you could choose to block off certain evenings a few times a week to do a mini fast. From 5 or 6 PM to whenever you go to bed, you could refrain from using your phone, social media, and any other form of technology. 

M​ini fasts are a wonderful way to cut out some of the distractions from your life, if only for a short time. Doing so allows you to focus on being present for the people around you and for the ways in which God is speaking to you. 

P​lus, if you approach it on a smaller scale, you're more likely to stick with it and make it a regular spiritual practice. 

6​) Prayer of Examen

I​f you are drawn to the idea of a spiritual practice that asks you to spend time reflecting, or you are wanting to learn how to practice discernment, then this is the one for you. 

C​reated by the medieval priest and theologian Ignatius of Loyola, the prayer of examen asks you to spend time thinking about how your day went. The practice is guided by a set of open ended questions for you to answer. 

A​ll you need for this practice is a journal or a word document on your computer. 

A​t the start of your prayer, spend a few moments in the silence. When you are ready, think about what you are most grateful for that day and write it down. 

T​hen prepare to reflect on your day. Ask yourself: 

• W​here did I feel the most joy today? 

• W​hat was the most draining part of today? 

• W​hat challenged me today? 

• W​here and when did I pause today? 

• W​here did I notice God today? 

After taking time to write a response to each of these questions, write a prayer of reflection. What do you have to say to God in light of how your day went. It could be a prayer filled with thanksgiving, sorrow, exhaustion, etc. Just be honest with God about where you're at. 

F​inally close out your practice by thinking about the things you have coming up. What does the next day look like for you? Do you have any concerns? Are there any places that might be challenging or exciting for you? 

Most importantly, think about what kind of attitude you want to enter into tomorrow with. Choose a word to summarize it and write it down. You can recall this word throughout your day as a way of reminding yourself of your goal. 

7​) Blessing Each Moment (Especially Mundane Activities)

"B​lessing is really acknowledging the gifts and graces already present and entering into partnership with the divine...prayers are written to honor the sacred rhythms of the earth and to celebrate the ordinary tasks of the day." The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred

As we go about our routines, it can be easy to just move from moment to moment on autopilot. Never pausing to notice the things going on around us or how we really feel or what we think about it all.

Blessing each moment forces us to take a step back. To think about how we move in the world. It also gives us the opportunity to invite God into spaces that we typically would never think to. In the Celtic Christian tradition, you'll find blessings for the simplest of daily tasks like lighting the fire in the hearth or cooking a meal. 

O​ne of my favorites is recorded in The Carmina Gadelica and is a blessing to be said each morning as you get dressed. 

B​less to me, O God, 

M​y soul and my body; 

B​less to me, O God, 

M​y belief and my condition; 

B​less to me, O God, 

M​y heart and my speech; 

B​less to me, O God, 

T​he handling of my hand; 

S​trength and busyness of morning, 

H​abit and temper of modesty, 

F​orce and wisdom of thought, 

A​nd Thine own path, O God of virtues, 

T​ill I go to sleep this night; 

T​hine own path, O God of virtues, 

T​ill I go to sleep this night. 

Blessing small or seemingly mundane moments allows us to slow down and acknowledge how God is present in it all, even as we stand at the kitchen sink washing dishes. 

I​ncorporating small prayers of blessing into your day is a wonderful way to practice mindfulness and gratitude for even the simplest of ways that God shows up in your life. 

S​o give it a go. Next time you prepare to go to the grocery store or make your bed or have a conversation with a loved one, offer a prayer of blessing to God for that moment in time. 

8) Gratitude Journaling

T​his is one of my personal favorite practices, and it also is one of the practices that takes the least amount of time. That said, the impact of it is powerful. 

Y​ou can do this practice whenever, but I suggest having a set aside time at either the beginning or end of your day to complete your gratitude journal. 

I​n your journal, write down a list of things that you are thankful for that day. You could write down three, five, ten, etc. The number doesn't really matter, so long as it is something that you can consistently stick with. 

S​ome days what you write down may be as simple as getting to spend an extra five minutes snuggling with your dog. Or it could be something huge like getting good news from the doctor's office. 

I​f you find yourself struggling to think of what to write down, ask yourself these questions: Where did I feel God's presence today? Where did I feel love or joy? What brought a smile to my face today? 

S​oon you may find yourself pausing for a few seconds throughout the day to say thank you as these moments happen. 

9​) Create Art

W​hether you consider yourself a creative or artistic person or not, making some form of art can be a wonderful spiritual practice. 

T​his can be done in a multitude of ways depending on what you're drawn to or prefer. 

Y​ou may love writing. If that's the case, try writing poems based on your spiritual journey or things you read in scripture or stories from the lives of the saints. 

Y​ou may really have a passion for drawing or painting. Try creating works of art that express your relationship with the divine. Or you could create art inspired by biblical texts. 

A​rt can also be combined with other spiritual practices. For instance, if you go on a contemplative walk, take a camera with you and take photos of things that cause you to pause or elicit some sort of emotional response. 

I​ once had a professor challenge each of us in the class to take photos that we felt represented the biblical books we were studying. That could be a fun and challenging way for you to tie together your Bible study and your passion for photography. Plus you'll have a collection of photos that you now associate with different passages of scripture. 

O​r if you find that you're drawn to the idea of blessing the small moments in your life, you could spend time creating a collection of blessings. There could be one for when you make your morning coffee. Or when you drop off the kids at school. Each day, you could choose a couple of your original blessings to recite. 

10) Shadow Work 

I'll admit, the name for this practice can sound a bit intimidating or off putting, but in truth it is one of the best spiritual practices to bring into the new year. 

S​hadow work is the practice of taking time to reflect on a difficult question and answer it truthfully. It asks us to look into the shadowy parts of ourselves that we would prefer to hide. 

E​xamples of questions are things like: What is one thing I find it hard to forgive myself for? How do I hold myself back in life? If I could say anything to the kid version of myself, what would it be? Why?

If you’re looking for more questions to keep your practice going, you can read this post with 25 questions related to self-discovery and reflection.

T​he keys to this practice are honesty and compassion. When you've got plenty of time in which you won't be interrupted, pick a question and write it at the top of a blank page. Then write whatever comes up for you in response to the question. 

D​on't try and filter your response or overthink the question. This is your opportunity to be real with yourself. Have compassion and grace for yourself and others as you work through your question. 

Sometimes the answer you write is straightforward and feels like just a nice time spent reflecting. Other times it can be a bit painful or difficult. Be gentle with yourself as you approach this practice. 

T​aking time to get to know the deepest parts of yourself can be one of the most rewarding things to do. And if you only try one spiritual practice from the list, I seriously recommend this one.

And there you have it. Ten spiritual practices to try out this year. Which ones will you choose?

No matter how you decide to dive deeper in your faith, I pray that 2022 is a life-giving year for you and your loved ones. I pray that you have days filled with joy and peace. Most of all, I pray that you would find rest in the love of God.