Lord, have mercy on me… (Luke 18:13)
Jesus told a story about two men who went up to the Temple in Jerusalem. The first is what we might call a highly religious man. In the parable, this fellow stands in the front of the Temple and rehearses for God why God should be glad he has this fellow on his team because of all the religious stuff he has done. The other man is what we might think of as a normal human being. He falls on his knees, so conscious of his failure to be the man he knows God wants him to be, that all he can do is beat his breast in humility and pray, “Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Jesus says the second man is the kind of spiritual “few good men (or women)” God is looking for.
The verse is sometimes called “The Jesus Prayer”, and repeatedly praying it during the day has been recognized for a thousand years as a healthy way to stay connected to God. For a number of years I have kept something in my pocket, that when I reach in and feel it triggers me to pray a similar prayer. (My current “reminder” is a poker chip with the logo of my local Harley dealer on it) I often change the original to reflect all that Jesus has done for us. My version simply goes, “Lord Jesus, thank you that you have mercy on me!” You might try the exercise today and let me know how it goes. It has been a good thing for me. I hope it might be for you, too!