Repetitive prayer is an ancient form of Christian meditation that is familiar around the world. The concern of this form of prayer is that the message reach not only our "head", but that it penetrate more and more the depths of our being. Meditation lives from repetition for the human being is often within like "a dry and weary land where no water is"(Psalm 63:1). Such land does not need a single down pour, but a warm, soaking, summer rain.

The Protestant Church also knows repetitive prayer in the form of Litanies. Such prayer exists in the midst of an alternating rhythm between repeated, standard segments and other parts that change, yet still fit into the whole. In the Catholic Church people have been familiar with the Rosary prayer for many centuries. From the Eastern Church we are learning to appreciate more and more in our prayer life the meaning and blessing of the Jesus Prayer, the "Prayer of the heart". Many generations have learned that such prayer forms have nothing to do with the "babbling" against which Jesus warned so strongly, but rather they point to a way that makes it possible to be drawn into the full depth of inner prayer. After praying the same words repeatedly they sink into our subconscious to a certain extent and continue "to pray" in us without straining our mind. At the same time a part of our inner unrest will be captured and directed in beneficial ways. This frees other inner capacities to focus on the essential mysteries of faith. In the space provided thoughts and feelings can move about unhampered and "play" (in the best meaning of the word) around the mystery. So from an ever new perspective we experience something similar and acquire, thereby, ever greater depth.

The Eastern Church places tremendous spiritual significance on invoking the name of Jesus while praying the Jesus prayer. Name is "symbol" in the fullest sense (e.g. symbol). Whoever names the name receives, thereby, part of that person truly and effectively just as a signature represents the person! In breathing the one praying takes reality into one's self. Throughout this book we will reach back often to this form of Christian meditation. Therefore, I would like to request those who are unfamiliar with this way of praying to try it in order to gain personal experience. Many Protestant participants in the correspondence course made important new discoveries for their prayer life from repetitive prayer.

How does this prayer proceed practically? The first and last verse provide the framework of the prayer into which individual expressions of faith (petitions) are inserted. The entire prayer is repeated ten times: opening prayer, petitions, closing prayer. Then the second petition is inserted and again repeated ten times. As a first attempt to learn this I offer the following prayer in the form I first came to know and love it - a form that comes from Romano Guardini.

Praised be the Lord, Son of the Living God (opening prayer)

(Insert the petitions below)

Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the world, our Savior and Brother, have mercy on us (me) (closing prayer) [These three lines are repeated ten times each time with a different petition.]

-who knows my every need ...(1st petition inserted above)
-before whom my sins are open...(2nd Petition)
-who gives me strength to do good...(3rd Petition)
-who loves my own more than I am able... (4th Petition)
-to whom all power in heaven and on earth is given ... (5th Petition)