I have had the Jesus prayer written on my hand today and, although not prayed it continuously, have endevored to pray it often.
Science Studies the Jesus Prayer
Can seven words—Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me—change lives?
It may seem a lot of effort over just seven words: Finding 110 Eastern
Orthodox Christians, giving them a battery of tests ranging from psychology to
theology to behavioral medicine, and then repeating the tests 30 days later. But
the seven words—"Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me" (a.k.a. the Jesus
Prayer)—are among the most enduring in history. What Boston University
psychologist George Stavros, Ph.D., wanted to find out was whether repeating the
Jesus Prayer for ten minutes each day over the 30 days would affect these
people's relationship with God, their relationships with others, their faith
maturity, and their "self-cohesion" (levels of depression, anxiety, hostility,
and interpersonal sensitivity). In short, Stavros was asking whether the Jesus
Prayer can play a special role in a person's "journey to the heart."
The answer—at least on all the scales that showed any significant effect
compared to the control group—turned out to be a resounding yes. Repeating the
contemplative prayer deepened the commitment of these Christians to a
relationship with a transcendent reality. Not only that, it reduced depression,
anxiety, hostility, and feelings of inferiority to others. So powerful were the
psychological effects of the prayer that Stavros urges his colleagues to keep it
in mind as a healing intervention for clients. He recommends that the prayer be
used along with communal practices so that one's relationship with God and
others is "subtly and continuously tutored." In other words, going inside to
find God does not mean going it alone.
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