The last prayer I want to share with you is the shortest. Often known as the 'Jesus' prayer, it comes straight from scripture and can be prayed in one breath.
'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner'.
The phrase comes from the story of Bartimaeus the blind beggar who calls out to Jesus desperately and receives his sight. Three gospels tell the story but only Mark names him. And of all the people healed by Jesus, Bartimaeus is the only one whose name is recorded. And what does his name mean? In Hebrew his name deepened the insult of his condition as a beggar: it means 'son of rubbish' or 'son of filth'. Bartimaeus stands for all of us, if only we are willing to admit it. Bartimaeus represents the fact that God's grace does not overlook us because we are unworthy or unattractive or even useless. Instead God goes out of his way to touch and transform those who are willing to accept their own deep need.
The prayer is best prayed meditatively, repeated slowly, focusing on a different word or phrase each time. It's a prayer that put us in a right posture before God. Spending a minute or two praying this prayer will often silence all the noise and other distractions in my mind and bring me to a place of quiet listening. It's also a very simple prayer that can be said even in our moments of turmoil, distress, on sleepless nights or through weary days this prayer can be under our breaths and in our minds, bringing to mind our need for the sustenance of God in our lives moment by moment.
Sheila Bridge
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