THE JESUS PRAYER

 

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

Pray without ceasing

For many centuries, Christians have asked themselves, “How is it possible to pray without ceasing?” Such a question is an important one since the Bible exhorts all Christians to be in constant communion with God through prayer.

But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with its challenges and almost endless activity and distractions, how does one build an oasis of prayer in the heart, where he or she can know and love God, the Holy Trinity, who dwells within us?

The Eastern Christian fathers and mothers of the earliest centuries of the Church, devised a method of constant prayer which has been near to the hearts of all, since it is Biblical, practical and accessible at any time and in any circumstance by priests, monks, nuns, and lay people. This prayer is known as “The Jesus Prayer”.
  The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer consists of a very simple prayer, invoking and meditating on the Name of Savior and Lord Jesus Christ:

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

This prayer, known as both the “prayer of the heart” and the “sinner’s prayer” has two parts to it. The first part is the invocation of the Name of Jesus.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

This simple prayer is also a deep profession of faith in Jesus of Nazareth as both Lord (King), Messiah (Christ) and the eternal Son of God made flesh. Holy Tradition teaches us that when the Name of the Lord Jesus is spoken, He is present sacramentally to all who speak and hear His Name.

In the Old Testament, God’s Names were regarded as holy, and never to be spoken lightly – only in and through prayer. God’s presence and power accompanied His Name, and to know the Name of God was to be blessed by Him. The Name, Jesus, mean “God is my salvation”. This simple prayer is a holy profession of faith – a belief in Jesus who is both fully God and fully man. Some as they say this prayer, breathe in quietly the Name of Jesus, as if they were receiving Him through the Holy Spirit.


The second part of the prayer is to “the Name” of Jesus, that is, as prayer for mercy:

Have mercy on me, a sinner.

The purpose of this prayer is to both offer God praise, and also to ask Him for mercy and forgiveness. In the Gospels, Jesus teaches us that He was sent into the world by the Father not to condemn it, but that the world might be saved through Him (cf. John 3:17). By receiving Jesus and the light of His saving Presence in His Name, we become aware of our own need for holiness: to be recreated into the likeness of Him who made us.

But the petition for mercy is not a cry out of fear after the manner of a slave. Rather it is the earnest and trustful prayer of a son or daughter of God, who trusts in the power and compassion of God to heal and restore us in His Name. We cry out to Jesus for mercy because we believe and hope in His saving love. This prayer, therefore, is more than just a humble petition to God, it is also a bold proclamation of the Holy Gospel of salvation in His Son.


How to say the Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer can be said once a day, but its power may lose momentum in the events of our daily life and we may forget about God’s Presence as we work, eat, study, or play. To take root in our heart, the Jesus Prayer should be said quite often, even repeating it several times during our time of devotion and prayer with God, as well as when we go about the tasks of the day. The early Desert Fathers of the early Church would pray using small stones, moving one into a bowl with each prayer. Many today use a prayer rope which has one knot for each time the prayer is made. The tool which aids one in prayer is not as important as the prayer itself.

Beginners with the Jesus Prayer, may want to dedicate certain times of the day to praying the prayer. At first, the prayer should be said out loud, in stillness and prayer gazing into in a contemplative way at an icon of Jesus. The goal is to move from the lips to the mind, where God shares His holy light as we think about the Person of Jesus and desire to be in relationship with Him. Eventually, the prayer moves from the lips to the mind of the heart, that place of communion where the Holy Trinity dwells within us.

Over weeks and months of saying the prayer, eventually the prayer will seem to take on a life of its own, very much like our breathing, and the Holy Spirit who prays within groans too deep for words will inspire us to pray at quiet or routine moments in our day. During times when we are unable to exercise verbal prayer, the Jesus Prayer can be said inwardly. Eventually we are able to pray constantly to Our Lord, even adjusting its form to intercede for others: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

The goal or purpose of the prayer is not vain repetition. Rather it is to deepen our relationship with God through an awareness of His Presence in His Name. This holy and ancient prayer form is a heritage for all Christians. The Jesus Prayer enables the Christian––like the blind Bartimaeus who received his sight, and the publican who (unlike the Pharisee) went home justified––to be enraptured by God’s Divine Merciful Love and be saved. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Source: Greek Catholics of North Carolina *adapted