The 27th step on John’s Ladder, is STILLNESS. There is something that can help us to acquire this inner stillness. Let the remembrance of Jesus, St. John says, be present with your every breath. Then you will appreciate the value of stillness.

Here St. John is proba-bly referring to the prac-tice of the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus prayer, being such a concise prayer, can be constantly repeated inwardly in any situation. The purpose of this practice is to sanctify time and to create inner stillness, as we purify our thoughts and actions with the repeated invocation of the name of Jesus.

In case you have not remembered, the Jesus prayer is this:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

OR, one might simply say the name: Jesus! There is a simpler form: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me”.

One could come up with many more simple suggestions for how we can acquire a small measure of stillness in the midst of a hectic lifestyle. Be under no illusion that a person can acquire perfect stillness by giving such a small amount of time to solitude and prayer. The masters of inward prayer spent years in the crucible of ascesis, giving themselves wholly to supplication, worship and contemplation for many hours each and every day. There are no quick and easy paths to perfect stillness. Nonetheless, a little time spent in heartfelt supplication each day will bring us closer to God than many years of empty, insincere prayer. So take heart, for stillness is a real possibility for all of us if we truly love God with all our being.

The main thing is to have the “intention” to be in the presence of God and desire internal stillness.