So a few weeks back I was at a Russian Orthodox Church. The priest during him homily (lack of better word) talked about prayer. He talked about the Jesus prayer and using the chotki.
This sparked my interest. I have seen people wear chotkis around their wrist. I knew they were used in prayer, and I knew that you pray the Jesus prayer. That is basically all I knew.
So I decided to pick one up. I have been using it almost every day for a week or two. I have found it calming. It helps me fall asleep at night. Then again laying horizontal and a pillow help me fall asleep. It is not that hard.
There is a wealth of information on the internet regarding the Jesus prayer and the use of chotkis. With all of that I couldn’t find what I was looking for. So I ended up purchasing some books. One I talked about last week. The other I will share about when I start reading it.
So far I am not really getting it. Maybe it is one of those things that take time. I know there is merit in this prayer, and that it is a powerful prayer. That is why I continue. Maybe it is because I am coming from a Roman Catholic perspective with the rosary. That method of prayer I get, and have benefited greatly from the various meditations.
The priest at the Russian church talked about how that sometimes prayer was like being in a small boat in the middle of the ocean at night. Sometimes it is not easy. Maybe my “not getting it” is my midnight fishing trip. I pray morning comes soon or heck I pray I will catch a fish.
To my subscribers (if I get any other then my wife!). Please reply with your own personal experiences with praying the Jesus prayer. It would be greatly appreciated.
Ascending The Ladder 