After watching these videos last Fall:
CBS News, 60 Minutes, "Mount Athos, part 1"
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392864n
and
CBS News, 60 Minutes, "Mount Athos, part 2"
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7392862n
I researched, "The Jesus Prayer," adapted it a bit and settled on this as "My Jesus Prayer"...
“My Jesus Prayer”
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Have Mercy on This Sinner.
Holy Spirit Guide Me Now,
In Love and Grace and Mercy."
(Seven syllables for each line...this will continue...)
Then a very good friend shared a book with me, The Furious Longing of God, by Brennan Manning...after that journey, I added this...
“My Jesus Prayer”
Abba, I Belong To You*
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Have Mercy on This Sinner.
Holy Spirit Guide Me Now,
In Love and Grace and Mercy."
*This line is from, The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning
Finally, after a sermon at YUMC I added this bit from Luke 22:42..."Not my will, but Thine, be done"...the current version is...
“My Jesus Prayer”
Abba, I Belong To You*
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,
Have Mercy on This Sinner.
Holy Spirit Guide Me Now,
In Love and Grace and Mercy.
Not my will, but Thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)
*This line is from, The Furious Longing of God, Brennan Manning
So, after the The Lord's Prayer, this is the prayer I go to, constantly, daily - sometimes hourly and sometimes more frequently than that. It is, first and foremost, a prayer of humility, "Have Mercy on This Sinner," so to share it here...well, that's a bit uncomfortable, but more and more I believe the world needs to hear it, our leaders need to hear it and pray it and our children need to know it.
Start your own, "Jesus Prayer Journey," here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Prayer. Write your own, add lines that speak to you. The world will be a better place for it.
To those who read this and say, "Hey...but I know this guy and he..." yeah, a sinner saved only by Grace, Thank God for that, I am far from perfect, that's for sure - So Say We All....http://www.picshag.com/the-church-is-not-full-of-hypocrites.html
