What About This Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer
Blog Post by Mary Katherine May

Who can any person change but themselves?  It is the result of the transformation within our self that changes others.  In matters of Christian faith, the transformation enacted to committed believer, a servant of the Lord, is performed by God.

So many Christians pray the Jesus Prayer. It is a blessing requested in order to be a blessing to, and for others.  It is an ancient prayer that when prayed we join the chant of our Brothers and Sisters in Christ throughout the centuries.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, 

have mercy on me, a sinner.

One sentence. 11 words of which the longest has six characters. The prayer can be carried with you in your heart and lips wherever you go. 

St. Hesychios the Priest on the Jesus Prayer
Source: The Philokalia, Vol. 1

The single-phrased Jesus prayer destroys and consumes the deceits of the demons.  For when we invoke Jesus, God and Son of God, constantly and tirelessly, He does not allow them to project in the mind's mirror even the first hint of their infiltration--that is to say, their provocation--or any form, nor does He allow them to have any converse with the heart. 

If no demonic form enters the heart, it will be empty of evil thoughts, as we have said; for it is the demons' habit to converse with the soul by means of evil thoughts and so deceitfully to pervert it.

Resources for the Jesus Prayer
Jesus Prayer, Prayer of the Heart from OrthodoxPrayer.org
Includes a downloadable trifold brochure

The Jesus Prayer at the Orthodox Church in America website, OCA.org

Orthodox Prayer Ropes from St. Paisius Monastery in Arizona.

Many books have been written on the Jesus Prayer and there are no-cost resources available on the internet.

Rick & Mary May own the Christian-based webstore, QualityMusicandBooks.com.

How Hard Is It to Be Calm in the Middle of a Storm

We Christians are prolific on quoting Bible verses and talking about how being saved by Jesus Christ brings peace in all life experiences. Calm in the midst of the storm. Gale winds blow but we remain as strong as a rock, soaring above it all being carried on the wings of eagles.

Reality Check: Staying calm, not letting all the troubles, trials and tribulations change the psychological make up of mind and body is tough.  It of takes a lot of  work.

Maybe the reason so much is written about being at peace is because all the people who publish advice they are giving to themselves.  That is, ye complaineth too much!

Human beings are advice givers, not necessarily advice takers. For many Christians to admit to not being in perfect peace or not remembering to trust God is a shaming confession, even a terrible sin. What you will discover, however, in a group of honest believers is that an admission will lead to others having the same problem.

Being at peace is not impossible. There are times when a whole lot of stuff is swirling around yet in the core of my soul I am at rest.  The flesh, however, is weak and that means my body can still react physically to stress.

What to do about physical reactions to stress? Doing nothing changes nothing.

> Time Outs. 
Pray
Make a card of Bible verses that speak to your soul about peace.
Look at beautiful, peaceful photographs. 
Close your eyes and take deep breaths. 
Walk. 
Get a joke book and read it, humor is free medicine. 
Carry a pocket-size book of short, inspirational devotions.
Stretch and shake your limbs to release muscle tension.

But you have to do something. Stress and anxiety consume the soul with a negative impact and bring harm to the physical health of your body.

There is a good reason why Jesus says to not hate, pray for your enemies, forgive, and give everything over to Him. It is healthy. Carrying around burdens and cares blocks out all the blessings He has to give you.

It doesn't go away or get better or happen less without effort. That's a fact.

Is Universal Salvation True According to the Bible

Blog Post by Mary Katherine May

Image by Mary Katherine May

Q: Is Universal Salvation True?

There are some Christians who believe that in the end every person, whatever they have done, even people like Adolph Hitler and Idi Amin, will be in eternity with God.

The logic is that Jesus Christ who is all love will not judge and punish--and I believe that true. There are, however, consequences of actions.

Definition: In Christian theology, universal reconciliation (also called universal salvation, Christian universalism, or in context simply universalism) is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls—because of divine love and mercy—will ultimately be reconciled to God. (source: Wikipedia.org)

A loving, just God will allow those who have performed heinous actions without remorse to finally have consequences for what they have done.

BUT believing in universal salvation as we understand the concept, or not, according to Scripture is not in the saving equation for which Jesus died and was resurrected from the dead.

What do the words of Jesus Christ tell us?

First: Jesus came to save the world. (John 3:16)

Second: All will be resurrected and stand before Jesus. (Acts 17: 31)

"For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead."

Third: Resurrection of Life and Resurrection of Evil (John 5: 25-29 NRSV)

“Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation."

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8 NKJV

God bless your day. Amen.