Saturday, March 22, 2008

A Way of Prayer


In order to "abide" in Christ and allow the noise and static of the day slip away from our mind it is necessary to learn how to meditate. The most common barrier to hearing God comes from an inability to rest and focus my mind.


Remember, Jesus promised in John 14 to leave us the Holy Spirit so we would not be lonely or afraid. The Spirit is with us and in us and He wishes to guide us. Can you believe that the Spirit of God has a stronger desire to speak to us than we desire to speak with Him? Why, then, is it so rare that we hear Him?


Too much interference. Perhaps there is so much going on in us and around us that the "still small voice of the Lord" has trouble breaking through. Here is where meditation can help us.


Christians, unlike Buddhists, and Hindus, begin by meditating on something rather than nothing. The Eastern "mantra" is a sound such as, "OOOMMM". For Christians it is different. We focus on a passage of scripture, a prayer or the Name of Jesus. A famous Russian phrase often used to facilitate meditation is:


Lord Jesus Christ

Son of the living God

Have mercy on me, a sinner.


Try this or a prayer and see what happens. Is it helpful to your being calm and ridding yourself of anxious thoughts? Are you more peaceful?

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