I noted one of the automatically generated sponsor ads on this site offered a “prayer that can change your life.” I don’t know what they are proposing. Part of the agreement is that I cannot click on the links. I have no idea what kind of snake oil they were selling.
But here is a genuine prayer that will most assuredly change your life:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
One could add more prayers to this category of prayers that will change your life–the Lord’s Prayer would be tops. The Lord’s Prayer is probably the prayer that will change your life. And to be honest, you could say that any and every prayer offered in faith to the Holy Trinity (and not some other false god) will change your life. But this short prayer, called “The Jesus Prayer” is excellent in its brevity, in its humility, in its simplicity. It leads itself to repetition, to holding it in your mind and heart, to accompany you while weeding, while doing dishes, while sighing sitting in traffic.
The prayer does not promise or imply it will bring you wealth, influence or otherwise “enlarge your borders” or whatever that prayer was supposed to do. It’s not a marketing scheme at all. It’s simply a honest prayer of faith.
It implies–it promises–nothing but reminding you of your great need for mercy and from Whom we receive it, and faithfully urging you to His grace and peace.
Long before I knew of this prayer I made a hospital visit to an inactive member of my congregation. Though he was raised Lutheran, he had not made worship or Christian living his life since his confirmation. As he was dying of cancer he confided to me, “I don’t know how to pray, and I want to.” That’s music to a pastor’s ears–not that we enjoy such a sad sentiment, rather we have medicine for such people and rejoice they are willing to take it. I told him to say, “Jesus help me,” over and over again. “That’s prayer,” I told him. “It doesn’t have to be complicated, it doesn’t have to be long. Just ask Jesus to help you.”
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
That’s it. But that’s everything, isn’t it?
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The anonymously written “Way of a Pilgrim” was my first introduction to this prayer. I remember walking around the Back Bay of Boston at night saying this prayer for hours. I still say it as I walk to and from work, while I’m waiting, when the baby is falling asleep on my chest. It’s a wonderful prayer that should never be far away.
I think Ware has an intro to the prayer in the RM French translation. I remember it being very good.
The desert fathers also used what they called ‘arrow prayers’, short, to the point prayers. These were often verses from Psalms (e.g., Ps 70:1). I find I also use just the Kyrie: ‘Lord, have mercy’.
Whenever I hear or see an emergency vehicle, I make the sign of the holy cross and say, from my heart, “Hold them in your mercy, Lord Jesus!” I, too, have prayed the “Jesus Prayer” and recommend its use.