One Constant Cry
From this inner conversation (you can do it if you wish), give it the following short prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!” and compel it, in place of all other thoughts, to have only this one constant cry within. If you do this continually, with your whole attention, this practice will in time open for you the way to the heart which I have described. There can be no doubt about this, for we have proved it ourselves by experience.
—Nicephorous
Profitable Discourses on Sobriety
There was a popular song in the 1980s, its chorus repeated, “Kyrie Eleison,” which in Greek means, “Lord have mercy.” The verses each spell out difficult circumstanced we encounter in this life—the winds of resistance blowing hard, the discomforts and concerns of growing older, and so on. In each stressful setting, the cry of “Lord have mercy” rang out; Lord have mercy down the road that I must travel; Lord have mercy through the darkness of the night. No matter the road you’re traveling; no matter how dark the night may seem, when in faith we cry out for His mercy, He meets us in the midst of our struggle. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics