Pray Without Ceasing

what i learned from the bible 

a challenge.365 link up 

 the idea is for everyone to write a post about

 1}what you read in the bible recently.

 2} how it spoke to you. 

3} how you applied it in your own life.

 4} what you learned form it.

 5}please link up your post not your blog.

 my hope is that through this link up we encourage each other to remain in the word.

 life sure is a heck of a lot easier when we spend time with God each day.

this photo...

i saw it.

got supper excited because i have been looking for a photo like this.

i'd take my own photo but clearly i am NOT a photographer,

SO, i pinned. i saw it on pinterest but i sourced it to it original spot

because the person who shot this photo deserves the credit.

IT IS OH SO LOVELY

do you know what that black thing is in the photo?

if you don't 

 it's your lucky day because i am going to tell you.

.source.

the bible says:

"pray without ceasing"

~1 thessalonians 5:17 

"rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, 

continuing steadfastly in prayer;" 

~ romans 12:12

with that being said,

the black thing in the photo above is called a
prayer rope. 


 in greek it's called
komboskini


the prayer rope in the above picture goes on your wrist it has 33 knots.
 however they also come in 50 knot and 100 knot versions.
the 100 knot rope being the original.

it is a tool to help us remember to pray without ceasing.
when you have private moments throughout your day you take it off your wrist
hold it in your left hand, that way your right hand is free to make the sign of the cross over yourself.
on each knot you say this:

The Jesus Prayer
"Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!"

here is another prayer that can be said using the rope.

"Oh Most holy Theotokos pray to God for us."
i really want to take a minute to talk about this. 
the Theotokos is what many people all over the world call the Virgin Mary.
in greek it literally translates to God-bearer. 
i also want to clarify that in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church for that matter we do not pray to her we call out to her and ask for her to intercede to Christ our God for us. 
because after all, what son would turn down his mother!?


if you are interested in a more in depth explanation of the prayer rope read this  it is wonderful.
i could never do it justice.


have you read the way of the pilgrim? it is about one man's journey of wanting to learn to pray without ceasing and what he finds along the way...peace and joy in Christ and how to pray without ceasing using The Jesus Prayer.