It may seem a lot of effort over just seven words: Finding 110
Eastern Orthodox Christians, giving them a battery of tests ranging from
psychology to theology to behavioral medicine, and then repeating the
tests 30 days later. But the seven words—”Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy
on me” (a.k.a. the Jesus Prayer)—are among the most enduring in history.
What Boston University psychologist George Stavros, Ph.D., wanted to
find out was whether repeating the Jesus Prayer for ten minutes each day
over the 30 days would affect these people’s relationship with God,
their relationships with others, their faith maturity, and their
“self-cohesion” (levels of depression, anxiety, hostility, and
interpersonal sensitivity). In short, Stavros was asking whether the
Jesus Prayer can play a special role in a person’s “journey to the
heart.”
The answer—at least on all the scales that showed any significant
effect compared to the control group—turned out to be a resounding yes.
Repeating the contemplative prayer deepened the commitment of these
Christians to a relationship with a transcendent reality. Not only that,
it reduced depression, anxiety, hostility, and feelings of inferiority
to others. So powerful were the psychological effects of the prayer that
Stavros urges his colleagues to keep it in mind as a healing
intervention for clients. He recommends that the prayer be used along
with communal practices so that one’s relationship with God and others
is “subtly and continuously tutored.” In other words, going inside to
find God does not mean going it alone.
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