A Prayer Rule

I have been thinking about starting a Prayer Rule, which is a regular discipline of prayer encouraged by the Orthodox Church. I don't know why I still feel attracted to so much of the Orthodox church, even though there is so much about it I don't understand or positively dislike. Still, the discipline seems very worthwhile in terms of spiritual growth.

So this morning while I was jogging around the oval, I realized that this would be the perfect time to combine spiritual and physical discipline. I have often prayed over the dishes, but jogging occupies the body and frees the mind even more.

Then I realized the use of the silly Orthodox chanting! Sparrow tried to explain it to me, but like so much of the spiritual disciplines, I didn't realize how it worked until I tried it. Of course, it is so obvious once it gets going! The tune aids memory and slows down the prayers - like having a song stuck in your head. It has to go at a particular speed and with a certain cadence, which means that I have time to really stop and think about it.

I still struggle with the Jesus prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Not that it's not true, just that it seems a rather self-centred prayer to build a whole prayer rule around. I had to think a bit to come up with something which expresses in a single sentence, what I want to ask God for.

I considered the prayer of Julian of Norwich: "All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well." This is a statement of trust in God which I really like, and I think trust is something I lack.

But then I decided that what I really want is something which expresses my desire to be used by God, and I remembered an old song (complete with tune) which I love:

Take me, guide me, use me, walk beside me. I give myself to the Father's hand.

This expresses what I want for my life - for God to take me, all of me, as His. For God to lead me to the place He wants me to be, to live, to work, to speak and to do His will. For God to use me for whatever purposes suit His plan, like a tool shaped and fitted to do His bidding. For God to be there with me as I work out my salvation in fear and trembling - for I don't imagine that it will be easy. I want to give myself to the Father's hand, like your favourite knife which fits exactly into the palm of your hand and cuts straight and true.

Lord, let it be so.