PODCAST
Heart Prayers for Mercy
August 15th, 2021
Psalm 28:1-9
We see the demonstration of the psalmist cry for mercy, from Psalm 28, in the prayers of the tax collector as told by Jesus in Luke 18:13: “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’”
From this prayer of the tax collector we find a long tradition in Christian history of what is referred to as “the Jesus prayer” or the “prayer of the heart.” This brief short phrase, “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me” has often been used by Jesus’ followers to increase their habit of “praying without ceasing.”
This is a humble cry from the heart to which God faithfully responds. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
Let this become your heart prayer today, “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me.”
Author: Cindy Shomo North
