I was just hurting and wanted to find a way to let go of my pain. As an abused person I was emotionally imprisoned by my pain with very low self-esteem. I was unchurched but did believe in Jesus. I did have hope in a God that promised peace and salvation.

Someone introduced me to Litany Prayers and I couldn’t see the point of praying a collection of titles that expressed the life and trials of Jesus. I too had a litany of complaints and hurts that I could recite if someone would listen to them.

I didn’t realise then, when I was being sceptical of this prayer devotion, that I had discovered one of God’s most precious Prayer Jewels for a New Life.

I discovered that a litany of events in the life of Jesus is a Living Prayer for the litany of the events in my life that are in need of healing.

Each title is Christ’s Ointment of Grace that has a special purpose and blessing from His acts of love for us. The different titles set me free from the festering of my emotional wounds that were infected with the negativity of hatred, bitterness and unforgiveness. As I began to meditate and be attentive to the various titles I found myself being drawn to individual titles that my spirit connected to, or I felt a rapport with.

I realised Jesus was offering me His Ointment of Grace for my wounds.

I discovered how each title is a proclamation power of Jesus’ Name that Scripture promises us in Philippians 2:9-10

“And for this God raised Him high,
and gave Him the Name
which is above all other names.
So that all beings
In the heavens, on earth and in the underworld
Should bend the knee at the Name of Jesus
And that every tongue should acknowledge
Jesus Christ as Lord
To the glory of God the Father.”

As I began to meditate individually on specific titles I was filled with God’s Glory
and His victory over the failings of my human nature. However the effects of sin in my life remained and I was still vulnerable to those same temptations.

Praying these different titles began to heal the entry point of sin, deliver me from the temptations and then restore me so I was whole again. Just like a medical course of antibiotics gives the body’s natural immune system the upper hand, my heart regained the spiritual strength from my Baptism – I became committed to the promptings of the Spirit.

Jesus was giving me a spiritual prescription for the different stages of my healing – just like different antibiotics are needed for different infections.

Similarly it is crucial to keep repeating the litany title for an extended time and often come back to it.

The enormous miracle that did happen to me was to truly forgive my abuser and God. I now began to seek Christian community and a desire to belong to a Church. I began to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

PRAYER STEPS:

Place yourself in the presence of God.

Pray all the Litany Prayer Titles reverently and meditatively.

Then be attentive to the one title that speaks to your spirit.
Reverently pray this title like a mantra prayer to an image of Jesus (5-10 minutes)

Now reflect on the Title and ask Jesus to enlighten you about His Power through this Title for your healing.

The Names of Jesus embodies His acts of Love, suffering and resurrection. Impregnated with grace they minister and enlighten us so we will remain committed to His healing process.

PRAYER COMMENT:
Litany titles are like building blocks of Grace. They rebuild through grace that has been damaged through the effects of sin. This is why only the Holy Spirit can prompt you which ones to pray.

In each Litany prayer there may be only two or three titles that you relate to. Remain with one title until you feel prompted to move to another one.

The effects of sin can be multi-layered masquerading under our character traits. Each title exposes the sins or powers of darkness and sets us free and then exposes the next ones. These cleansing titles are then followed by titles of love and healing that will restore us to wholeness.