SadhanaOriental Meditation and Christian Prayer
To pray with body (taking a breath)
[6]The Model of Applying Jesus’ Name in Prayer (A)
The “Jesus Prayer” in the last chapter is a path to inconsiderable depth of silence where the presence of Jesus blends in with our own life.
There is a way to make this prayer much more accessible.
The following is a way to pray with specific religious thoughts in mind using the power of imagination.
First, imagine that Jesus is in front of you. You don’t have to be able to imagine his image clearly. Just picture an ambiguous image in your mind.
Express the following religious thoughts to Jesus in your mind. (While you can express any kinds of faithful thoughts,) the following combination is recommended: (1) gratitude, (2) apology, (3) desire, and (4) trust. “Gratitude” is obviously our appreciation for blessing and goodwill that we receive from Jesus daily. “Apology” is the feeling of regret for our shortcomings and sinfulness. “Desire” is the feeling of looking for Jesus’ help. And “trust” is the attitude of relying on Jesus.
Let us pray now. With gratitude, utter the name of Jesus to the image of Jesus in your mind. After continuing it for a while, do the same with the heart of apology. And then, utter the name of Jesus with the heart of desire and trust as well. Spend two minutes for each thought.
The above process can be wonderfully concluded as follows: After uttering the name of Jesus with the heart of trust, stop uttering the name for the next two minutes, and stay still in peace. And finally, try to listen to the voice of Jesus, who calls our name. Jesus is certainly calling our name, but what does he call us? Listen to the voice of Jesus, and conclude the prayer.