Lately I’ve been thinking about habits. Specifically, trigger habits. A trigger habit is something that you do that automatically triggers a certain response. The trigger could be a time of day, a particular setting, an action, etc.
For example:
-You get into the car…..and you buckle your seat belt.
-You wake up in the morning…..and you brush your teeth.
-You enter a church…..and you make the sign of the cross.
-You hold a baby…..and you instantly start swaying side-to-side (at least I do!).
And I have been wondering if I can create some kind of trigger habit that will help my daily prayer life. A certain action, time of day, or location that will “trigger” the Jesus Prayer.
For Orthodox Christians, the Jesus Prayer is one of the most basic, profound, heart-molding, and life-transforming prayers out there. Plus, it is simple.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Or, sometimes shorted to: Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.
As I have been pondering this, I came up with 50 possible trigger habits that may begin to make the Jesus Prayer automatically fill my days. With the hope that the prayer will ultimately cause me to “pray without ceasing” as St. Paul says, and continually bring me into the presence of God.
So, here are:
50 Times to Say the Jesus Prayer
1. When you wake up
2. While brushing your teeth
3. Waiting for your coffee to brew
4. When you tie your shoes
5. Whenever you start your car
6. While waiting at a red light
7. Sitting in traffic
8. At the beginning of each prayer you pray
9. At the end of each prayer you pray
10. When you get frustrated
11. Before you yell at your children or spouse
12. After you yell at your children or spouse
13. When holding a crying baby
14. When kissing a boo-boo
15. While washing dishes
16. Standing before an icon
17. Upon entering a church
18. When entering any home
19. Waiting for an elevator
20. When you turn off your car
21. Walking the dog
22. Before you read Scripture
23. While setting the table
24. When chopping up vegetables
25. Before you turn on the television
26. Standing in the shower
27. While blow drying your hair
28. When you can’t fall asleep at night
29. Whenever you step on a Lego
30. Waiting in the pick up line at your child’s school
31. Before you get on the computer
32. While washing your hands
33. When painting your nails
34. Whenever you mow the lawn
35. During exercise
36. While rocking an infant
37. Before a meeting
38. When you are bored
39. Whenever you are tempted to criticize others
40. While mopping the floor
41. At the DMV
42. Before you open a book
43. When you hear a church bell
44. As you light a candle
45. Whenever you hear someone taking the Lord’s name in vain
46. While ironing clothing
47. Before you answer your phone
48. When you feel nervous
49. While going on a walk
50. Before you go to sleep
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
If you are interested in learning more about the Jesus Prayer, I recommend these resources:
Resources on The Jesus Prayer
How to Pray the Jesus Prayer article by Orthodox Mom
Why You Need a Prayer Rope video from Be the Bee
The Way of A Pilgrim translated by Olga Savin. The Way of a Pilgrim is a classic in Orthodox spirituality, which tells the story of a pilgrim who longs to learn how he can fulfill St. Paul’s command to “Pray without ceasing.”
Resources on Habits and Habit Formation
The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg discusses habits: how they work, why they are important, how our brain creates them, and how we can change them.
Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin. Finally, Better Than Before is Rubin’s study of and reflection on habits. If you are trying to get into the habit of becoming more disciplined with your time, her insights might be useful.
Do you have any tips that have helped you incorporate more prayer into your life?
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