Member-only story
Twelve Powerful Words That Are Perfect for Lent
A prayer that’s not just for the Orthodox
Last week, just before Ash Wednesday, I wrote a brief story about Lent. Two days later, my friend Paul Walker wrote a Lent 101 piece that was far superior to mine (he’s a retired Anglican priest, so that’s no surprise). Both of us mentioned the three pillars of Lent — prayer, fasting, and almsgiving — and today I want to talk a little more about the prayer aspect of this penitential season that leads to Easter.
People pray in a myriad of ways; some are most comfortable with the recitation of prayers that the Church has said for centuries while others prefer to have a “conversation” with God like they would with their best friend. In the Catholic tradition, the Rosary is probably the most recognizable — and most misunderstood — personal devotion. But if you’re not sure how to start your prayer journey this Lent (and even if you are), I want to suggest a prayer that has been ubiquitous in the Orthodox tradition for centuries and is used more and more by believers regardless of denomination.
If you want a short, succinct prayer that not only puts you in the proper frame of mind to approach God but also sums what Lent is all about, I have just the one for you. It even has a name everyone can remember; it’s called the Jesus Prayer:
