Day 1 · The Jesus Prayer
A Prayer Made of Scripture
“He cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!””Luke 18:38
Reflection
The Jesus Prayer is very short: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Nearly every word comes from the Gospels. The blind man by the road at Jericho cried out, “Jesus, you son of David, have mercy on me!” The tax collector in the Temple prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Peter confessed, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). The prayer gathers those cries into one sentence that anyone can learn in a minute and spend a lifetime praying. Some people use a shorter form, such as “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” There is nothing magical about the exact words. What matters is that we are speaking to a Person, and asking for the one thing we always need.
A prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, you heard the blind man who called to you from the roadside. I call to you too. Teach me to pray your holy name with attention and love, not as a formula, but as a child speaking to the One who is near. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen.
Carry this with you
Pray the Jesus Prayer slowly ten times today, at any moment, and notice what it is like.