Contemplative prayer is a primary factor to consider as we watch the visible church depart from sound doctrine more and more. It is promoted by such ministries as Mike Bickles International House of Prayer (IHOP), Bethel Church of Redding, California (Bill and Beni Johnson), Saddleback's Rick Warren, author Kenneth Boa, and pastor and author Tim Keller to name just a few.

Shirer was further amazed to learn that some of the women from her church were going to participate in a 'silent prayer retreat. Women would gather to spend 36 hours of silence in anticipation of hearing the voice of God.'

The insinuation is that the Holy Spirit is dormant and ineffective without this vital stimuli. Contemplatives make a distinction between studying and pondering on the Word of God versus loving Him, suggesting that we cannot love Him or know Him simply by studying His Word or even through normal prayer 'we must practice contemplative to accomplish this.

In 2006, Fox Home Entertainment released a film titled Be Still. One person to whom they reached out to be in the film was Priscilla Shirer. This film was designed to help Americans see the importance of spending time before God in stillness.

Contemplative teachers will not advise believers to focus on a repetitive Eastern style mantra like 'Ommm' (for example) but rather on a word or phrase like 'Jesus' or 'Abba Father' or a Scripture verse. In this way, the contemplative prayer appears 'Christian' but nevertheless serves as entrance to the silence. Often, a practice called Lectio Divina is implemented. This is where words or phrases from Scripture or other books are repeated slowly to help get the focus off our thoughts and enter the contemplative silence.