Chasing daylight.....

The Jesus Prayer.....
"But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.' (Matt. 6: 6)

The closet of the soul is the body, the doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its closet when the mind does not wander hither and thither over worldly things, but remains within our heart. Our senses are closed and remain so, when we do not allow them to cling to outward and visible things; and in this way our mind remains free from all worldly attachments...." (attributed to St. Gregory Palamas -
"The Art of Prayer, an Orthodox Anthology")

What a lovely way to think of our bodies during prayer - as a "closet". And thinking of "closing the doors of our closet" by shutting down our five senses as a means of moving into a state of prayer is intriguing. Contemplative prayer appeals to me for many reasons, not the least of which is when I have been able to sit in that peaceful place for 20 or 30 minutes, when re-awakened to my surroundings, I feel as though I have slept for a good 10 hours of deep rest.

The Jesus Prayer goes like this: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me." There are variations on this particular prayer - but basically it is one way we may choose to usher in a deeper place of prayer. When one feels the mind wandering, it helps to repeat the mantra of the Jesus Prayer enough times so that one is drawn back to the center of prayer.

Twenty minutes or so of this may be difficult at first, but practice makes it more easily accessible on most days. And remember, practice does NOT make perfect. Perfect makes perfect and we are not possessed of such perfection so do not be discouraged if distractions occur - they are to be expected. And God honors our faithfulness in un-expected ways!