Saint Joseph the Hesychast, unceasing prayer of the heart. He was given the gift of unceasing prayer of the heart. He practiced the Jesus prayer and lived an austere monastic life. The stories of the saints inspire me and I take comfort from their ability to overcome struggles. You can read more
The Jesus Prayer
To calm my mind I recite the Jesus prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ, son of God have mercy on me, a sinner”. Sometimes I say this in my head when I paint. I created “Sea of Flowers” as a result. A local priest loved this work of art so commissioned an alter cover with this design printed onto it. When he chose it, he did not know the influence of the prayer in this abstract work of art. The flowers merge into sea and the story of the parting of the red sea came to mind as I worked, hence the title. I find this biblical passage calming “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
Noetic Prayer
St Jospeh the Hesychast lived from 1897 – 1959 and practiced the art of noetic prayer. I have also been greatly inspired by Saint Nektarios, Saint Silouan, Saint Sophrony and am very grateful. The Jesus prayer is profound, mind altering and a mystery and goes far beyond my understanding so I recommend if you are interested you seek advise from a Spiritual Father in a Christian orthodox church.
Exodus 14 NIV and King James version
This Bible passage from NIV Exodus 14 verse 15 is a testimony that God is with us in difficult times. “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
NIV Verse 14 gives me great comfort in situations where I feel out of control by circumstances: “The Lord will fight for you. You need only to be still.” Stillness is something we can run from in a busy world and it can be a challenge to just be. I find tranquility in this created image as I gaze into a sea of flowers. I often look back and don’t know how I painted this art, it was indeed a blessing. In the New King James version it says “The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” This gives me strength in that we can remain peaceful in all circumstances with the gift of Grace.