The Jesus Prayer

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”, the whole Gospel in one breath.

The Jesus Prayer is the short prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," repeated slowly and attentively, often with a prayer rope. It comes from the desert fathers and echoes the publican's plea in the Gospel, "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13). It can be prayed anywhere, and is best learned with a spiritual father's guidance.

The Jesus Prayer is the short, ancient prayer at the heart of the Orthodox spiritual tradition: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” In these few words the whole Gospel is confessed, the name of Jesus, His divine Sonship, and the sinner's plea for mercy. It can be shortened to “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or simply to His name.

Its power is not in the words as a formula but in the turning they carry. The Fathers of the desert taught the ceaseless calling on the name of Jesus as the way the mind descends into the heart and stands, at last, in the presence of God. Prayed slowly, with the breath, in the quiet, it gathers the scattered self and gives it a single, steady direction.

The prayer is for everyone, not only monks, but it is best begun under a guide, kept simple, and never turned into a technique or a count to achieve. It is a cry for mercy, and mercy is its whole reward. Prayed on the komboskini, one soft calling per knot, it becomes the rhythm of an ordinary day.

Where its words come from

The words of the prayer draw on three passages of Scripture:

“Jesus Christ is Lord”, the hymn to Christ in St Paul's letter to the Philippians (Philippians 2:11)
“the Son of God”, the Archangel Gabriel at the Annunciation (Luke 1:35)
“God be merciful to me a sinner”, the publican in the temple (Luke 18:13)

It echoes the cries of those who called to Christ for mercy in the Gospels:

“Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me”, the blind man near Jericho (Luke 18:38)
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”, the ten lepers (Luke 17:13)

Its use is bound up with hesychasm, the tradition of stillness and the prayer of the heart, and the Fathers of the Philokalia teach it. Read further: Hesychasm and the Philokalia.

Source: Wikipedia: Jesus Prayer (Scriptural roots and its notes); Scripture in the King James Version.

Questions about the Jesus Prayer

What are the words of the Jesus Prayer?

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It can be shortened to "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me," or to the name of Jesus alone.

How do you pray the Jesus Prayer?

Slowly and attentively, keeping the mind on the words, often one prayer for each knot of a prayer rope. Many pray it at a set time and then through the day. Beginners are advised to keep it simple and to ask their priest before trying any special method.

Where does the Jesus Prayer come from?

From the desert fathers of the early centuries, and it is taught throughout the Philokalia. Its words echo the publican in Christ's parable, who prayed, "God be merciful to me a sinner."

What is the prayer of the heart?

The Jesus Prayer when, as the Fathers of the desert taught, the mind descends into the heart and stands, at last, in the presence of God. The Church's tradition of this inner stillness is called hesychasm, from the Greek hesychia, "stillness, quiet", and it is learned under the guidance of an elder or spiritual father.

Is there a set number of times to pray the Jesus Prayer?

No number is required. On a prayer rope it is often prayed once for each knot, and ropes are made with thirty-three, a hundred, or three hundred knots. The number is a help to attention, never a score, and how much to pray is best settled with your priest.

More questions about the Orthodox Church, answered ›

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

The Jesus Prayer, traditional text (public domain)

In Orthros

Orthros carries the Jesus Prayer in several languages with the komboskini, one soft pulse per knot, no counter and no goal, the screen kept still. Its catechesis is read from the app's database, each with its source shown.