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Prayer is translation. A man translates himself into a child asking for all there is in language he has barely mastered.
- singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen
The Power of Repetition in a Prayer Walk
I went out for a walk one night recently, because I was in a heavy mood, the kind that makes all things look bleak and weary. I had no destination in mind, though I was half-hoping to take my heart to a quieter place. I knew I should pray, but couldn’t convert the ache inside me into words.
After a few blocks I was surprised to hear that my feet had picked up the rhythm of an old prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
I walked the prayer for blocks. Slowly it began to pound its way into my heart.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
There are times when, try as I might to open my soul to the Lord, it feels stuck. So there are times when I need to repeat a simple prayer until, through sheer repetition, it pounds my heart into a different shape.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Sometimes faith is a matter of taking one step, one confession of faith, one admission of failure, one glimmer of hope at a time. We may need to take that step over and over and over again. It may seem like we’re doing too little, or that it’s tedious, or even progress-free. But every step we take in prayer—even if it’s the same prayer, for the umpteenth time—is a step toward God. And that’s the direction we want to go.
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Julia Attaway is a freelance writer, homeschooler and mother of five. She is the editor of Daily Guideposts: Your First Year of Motherhood, a book of devotions for first-time moms. She lives in New York.
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Thank you...
This is so meaningful to me right now. I've recently started attending Al-Anon meetings because of addiction problems in my family. My heart has been very heavy over a situation involving my son and his family. At times I have felt like I couldn't even pray so I've begun to repeat the serenity prayer and sometimes only been able to lift my heart to the Lord. All of this has helped me have renewed faith over my situation, and this morning I read that this "waiting period" of just doing nothing but trying to keep "in faith" while I wait is a form of faith that has results in the spiritual realm against powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness. Your story was an affirmation for me. Thank you.
I felt the same way.I can't even pray,every thing gets all messed up.my son & his family haven't talk to us in a couple years.I didn't do anything that I know of.my daughter -in -law has a problem telling the truth.I called their daughter today,she told me off & hung on me.our son passed way,I'm planning a memorial for him,the oldest son has been mad at this son for years.he won't come to the memorial, so what do I do?
For Jean Pattee, I just read your reply regarding prayer
and I thought of a friend who through faith, prayer and
faithful attendance to Al-Anon meetings was able to cope
with her husband's addiction. She would not give up hope and finally, he gave up alcohol and they had many good years of marriage left. This came about after her finally agreed to attend AA. I do know that whatever we do in life,
God is with us and through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, all can be overcome; not only that but He will help us every step of the way - sometimes in ways that we don't even realize until letter - but He is there.
Thank You....
Thanks- I know what it feels like to be 'stuck'. You have THE RIGHT SOLUTION.
Thank you for this. It speaks to me.
Thank you for that affirmation that others go thru this also. So many times my brain and mouth can only come up with the same thing over and over no matter how I try to "think" of something "meaningful" to say to God. Maybe less is more afterall ! ! ! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!!!
thanks for this! touched my soul...so very true! Bless you....
from Alaska
This story was one I could easily relate to. There are many times when I feel the need to pray but my heart seems closed to God's voice in my life. I am glad I am not alone in this experience.
As Acquinas once said God exists outside of time ,as opposed to we who are locked in time. If God were in time he wld be "smarter " in His present than he was in His past,and that defies our definition of an omniscent God,ergo He must exists in the eternal present! The following therefore follows...He has already heard every prayer that we may ever utter,from our birth to our death. We pray for our own comfort,and expression of dependence on the Almighty. However Acquinas also said that He was told just before he died,a voice told him at Mass, "all that you have written,is as so much straw in the wind ".....apparently someone up there was not too impressed by his Summa...!bill bradl
Thank you for this story, I get to feeling like sometimes my thoughts never reach God, but that is only my human side trying to do the work that God does. A little prayer always works.
Thank you for that story.