Spiritual Disciplines: The Jesus Prayer & Conclusion

Finally, praying the prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” (the Jesus Prayer) is so significant. It provides a way back from the edge of the abyss. Unless we continuously ask for God’s mercy, we are in danger of forgetting how desperately we need it. Perhaps this is the very reason that the Jesus Prayer has been so significant throughout the history of the Christian church. It is a way out of the abyss, into the presence of God. The Jesus Prayer re-centers us on what really matters. As we pray, we must ever be mindful that the sovereignty of God is an overarching principle of Scripture. We may genuinely be thankful that this world is under his control, not ours. We would be in deep trouble if God gave us everything we asked for! One of the most comforting thoughts to a human mind yielded to the will of God is that He who has created us also knows what is best for us. If we walk according to His will rather than trying to command him according to our own, we will enjoy not a counterfeit panacea but what he promised: peace in the midst of the storm. When you pray earnestly as Christ did, “Nevertheless not my will but thy will be done,” we can rest assured that even in sickness and tragedy all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.