I decided I wanted to try a new prayer practice. I began saying the Jesus Prayer repeatedly at various times of the day. Christians have been reciting this prayer for over a thousand years. Because it’s short, it makes a great breath prayer: a prayer you can say in connection with your breathing.
Inhale: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Exhale: Have mercy on me, a sinner.
I practiced saying this prayer while folding laundry, walking the dog, driving to soccer practice. One day I sat at a red light while saying the prayer. Suddenly, I stopped on the second line: “have mercy on me.” Mercy. My thoughts immediately returned to what I had recently learned about hesed [a Hebrew word used to describe the love God has for us and the love we are called to have for each other; it is a love that is kind, faithful, loyal, unfailing, unconditional, merciful, rich, wonderful, transformative, and grace-full].What if I used hesed in the Jesus Prayer? Slowly, I prayed, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, love me, a sinner.” Though it didn’t change the spirit of the prayer, the difference was profound. I was proclaiming God’s love for me, connecting with it and inviting it into my heart.
Pray today, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, love me, a sinner.”
(Kristen E. Vincent, Beads of Healing: Prayer, Trauma, and Spiritual Wholeness, Upper Room Books, 2016, pp.89-90. All rights reserved. Used by permission of Upper Room Books.)For the latest information about the United Methodist Special General Conference, click here.
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