It seemed a bit contrived to me, but I decided to try it for one month. Each morning I would wake up a few minutes earlier than usual, sit on the floor in a corner of my room and light a candle. Then I would repeat the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” And in the stillness, I gradually began to experience God's presence.

I repeated the prayer for 15 minutes each morning. That doesn't seem like much time, but it took a fair bit of concentration to keep my focus. In the first few minutes, I needed to speak more loudly and carefully to ensure that my thoughts didn't drift off. As I practised this daily quiet time, the prayer began to teach me some significant truths about myself and the living God.

History
The earliest form of the Jesus Prayer is found in Mark 10:46-52, where a blind man named Bartimaeus sits at the side of a road begging. When Bartimaeus hears that Jesus is nearby, he begins to shout: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The crowd tells Bartimaeus to be quiet, but he continues to shout all the more: “Jesus, have mercy on me!” When Jesus hears Bartimaeus' plea for mercy and healing, He restores his sight.

In the early history of the Christian Church, Bartimaeus' prayer was modified by Jesus followers who felt it could help them learn to “pray continually,” as suggested in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. One of the most famous references to the Jesus Prayer is found in The Way of the Pilgrim, which portrays the journey of a man who uses this prayer while seeking to develop his spiritual life. The prayer continues to be used in the Christian Church, but has special significance to the Eastern Orthodox tradition. In the last few years it has gained wider acceptance by Christians seeking simple and profound ways to foster deeper intimacy with God.

Lord Jesus Christ
The first part of the prayer expresses our faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour. We acknowledge His deity by declaring Him the Son of God. But we also recognize the historical event of the Incarnation, the fact that the fullness of God became flesh and walked among us. And we affirm the presence of the Holy Spirit, who reveals to us the mystery of Jesus being both God and man, and who directs our hearts toward Him in adoration.

Each time we say the name Jesus, we affirm the personal relationship He came to earth to establish with us. We develop a familiarity, friendship and closeness with Him that permeates the whole of our being. By focusing our attention solely on Jesus, we cast all distractions aside and choose to centre our hearts and minds on Him.

Have Mercy on Me
The second part of the prayer is a response to the lordship of Jesus Christ. If we truly recognize that He is the Son of God, who are we to approach Him in our sin and brokenness? But Jesus does want us to seek His presence, to put ourselves face-to-face with Him; however, He wants us to do this with humility and reverence.

The Greek word for mercy is eleison, which has the same root meaning as olive oil. Throughout biblical history, olive oil was used to soothe and to heal (such as when the Good Samaritan treated the wounds of a man who had been beaten) and to anoint kings and priests (signifying the grace of God that flows on His people, empowering them fulfil His will). So when we cry out to Jesus for mercy, we acknowledge that we need His compassion, forgiveness and healing to flow over us, enabling us to be in relationship with Him. And we also recognize that we need Jesus' support and anointing to help us follow Him and become more open to His leading and direction.

Prayer Life
Some mornings I could feel the warmth of Christ surrounding me. At other times, I just felt the quiet of the world, still asleep around me. But in all these circumstances, I realized how important it was to remain faithful to prayer. God wants us to encounter Him, to seek Him out and invite Him into our lives. By dedicating time each morning to embrace His presence, we open ourselves to His mercy and grace. The Jesus Prayer prepares our hearts to receive that peace, and bears witness to a living God who wants to be found by His people.

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In His Presence

• Find a place to sit where you can be free of distraction. If there are concerns or issues that are occupying your thoughts, offer them to Jesus and ask Him to help you focus solely on Him.
• For 10-15 minutes, repeat the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” You may also wish to pray a shorter version: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
• If your mind starts to drift to other things, gently bring your attention back to Jesus. Each session will be different, so don't try to replicate past feelings and experiences; rather, allow yourself to experience Christ as He chooses to reveal Himself to you.
• We cannot control or summon Jesus at our whim, but can only choose to dedicate this time to Him. Through His presence and absence, He has much to teach us. What's crucial is that we remain faithful to seeking Him.