Last
summer during our introduction to Spiritual Formation class with Dr.
Jody Owens I was introduced to “The Jesus Prayer.” It is the
simple words, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a
sinner.”
It is a simple declaration of faith as well as a plea for mercy and
grace. The presentation of the prayer is to follow the formula that
repeats the phrase over and over in rhythm with one's breathing and
heartbeat. It serves as a reminder of a believer's dependance on
Jesus while also seeking a plea of Mercy from Jesus.
After Dr. Owens introduced it to the class, we were
encouraged to go to a place on the Johnson Campus and experience the
prayer as an offering with God. I remember that it was Thursday
morning and I was able to gain access to the Glass Memorial Chapel.
This was the main chapel when I was a undergrad student at Johnson. I
sat in the same pew which I was assigned as an undergrad and started
to recite the prayer. Recently, I have been praying for a new direction.
The Holy Spirit led me to start singing as we had sung 14 years
earlier and I started to sing the old hymn, “Great is Thy
Faithfulness” while reciting “The Jesus Prayer” in between the
verses. I surrendered to God and I laid out my desire.
I
began singing, “God is so good” and while I was singing the Holy
Spirit interrupted me prayer. The interruption was not an audible
voice, but a clear direction. The direction I received was as if God
said, “If I am faithful, I have provided you with great opportunities in the past, and I am so good, then why
would I stop being faithful, providing opportunities, and being
good?” The amazing comfort of the prayer, the location, the renewal
of the mind through his grace exposed me to how powerful “The Jesus
Prayer” truly is. I discovered in those few minutes that God is a
God that looks beyond my faults and failures. He is the One that has
always used my service for his purposes. I also learned that I needed
mercy. God's favor reminded me that it was not about “me” or my
wishes but that the surrender of ministry is to surrender the “me”
to God purposes in life, service, and ministry.
Is
there magic in the words?” Absolutely not! What the prayer does is
quiet the mind, body, and heart so that the soul might be central in
the prayer offered. Declaring Jesus as the son of God is a statement
which contradicts the world around us. The use of this “apophatic”
practice is “to direct personal encounter with God without
images.”
The images of the prayer are that of a blind man on the side of the
road calling out to Jesus to come and have mercy on him. The use of
this prayer combined with the natural rhythm of breathing with study
brings the believer to a place of hearing from the Holy Spirit so as
to receive and engage in divine direction. The wonderful aspect of
the results is that the answer that God is faithful, that God is a
great provider, and God will continue to be a good God is not new
information or that it provided a new revelation. The message
accomplished in my heart a divine mystery of trust.
Trust
is difficult when we seek independence with our lives. I certainly am
not immune to an independent will. Thus, the prayer declaring that
Jesus is the Son of God and then pleading for him to grant me mercy
is a reversal of my independence. The learning experienced in the
chapel that summer day was a reminder of my dependance on God in
surrendering to him. I find a great comfort in knowing God will not bring about
judgement in my prayer, instead he will offer mercy.
Holt
states about the Hail Mary the following: “the mind operates on two
levels: the repetition of the Hail Mary is a way of centering the
attention, while the mysteries are imaginatively relived.”
With my experience with The Jesus Prayer, I believe it applies even
more. I do not see a need to pray to Mary. Yes, she was a special
young lady. She grew to be the mother of God's Son. However, I do not
see her as divine or as a deity. I do not see Holt believing that
Mary should be prayed to either, he is simply explaining the Rosary
and how it works. What is noted is the prayer offering of the Rosary
and The Jesus Prayer produce results that focus the mind so as to
reveal God's love. The Jesus Prayer certainly works in the same
fashion.
Since the opportunity last summer morning in the
chapel, I have had opportunities to use the prayer. At night if I
cannot sleep, it is a simple tool which brings about comfort with the
inevitable dosing off in sleep. I have recited in my mind as I sit in
a difficult or long meeting. There is comfort in the words of
declaration of faith that Jesus is the Son of God and that he will
hear us when we ask for mercy. As sinners, we need his forgiveness on
an individual level. The Jesus Prayer reminds the believer of his
mercy, while the Holy Spirit humbles and places the believer in a
submissive spirit to hear and connect with God.
"Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen" You know I love ya, Don
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