Beginning a Journey

This blog is about my journey in the Eastern Orthodox faith. I still have not decided on a group yet, however, I have narrowed it down to Antiochian or Russian. However, to me that is not really important to this blog. God will deliver it to me when I am ready. So I have begun reading The way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues on His Way It has wanted me to record my experience as I begin following the fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays. Doing a new form of morning prayer during the week and learning to life in a life of continuous prayer.

The prayer I say with my prayer rope is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." That is the prayer in its original form. At some point in history "a sinner" was added to the end of the prayer. So I am still having trouble remaining consistent in saying the same words over and over but I am working on it.

I also have purchased the Philokalia. I am planning on reading that as is recommended in the way of a Pilgrim. I have to admit the past week has been one of the hardest in my life. I get easily distracted. However, I continue focusing on Jesus Prayer - Female Choir and bring my prayer back into focus. I was first doing it without a prayer rope which was very challenging. I found though by using a prayer rope it makes it easier.

Prayer is an important part to any Christians life. We are instructed to live our life in continuous prayer. In the Anglican Church, from which I am from, prayer was used to protect ourselves from Satan when we prayed for others. Come to find out that is more of a Pentecostal tradition than anything else. We were told to do morning, evening, and meal time prayers. However, the passage from Romans 8:26 speaks of the Holy Spirit making intercessions for us I can not imagine that when we talk about unceasing prayer that we are not referencing this as well. I hope to understand more about how these two passages are related.

May God Bless You All.

M