The “Jesus Prayer” or the “Prayer of the Heart” is one of the most beloved prayers next to the Lord’s Prayer, but not many Protestant have heard about it.
The context of the prayer can be found in Luke 18:9-14, where two men are praying. The Pharisee says, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income” (Luke 18:10-12, NRSV).
The publican, or tax collector, instead prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13, NRSV). And Jesus points to this man and his prayer as the one accepted by God.
As early as the second century, the Desert Fathers and Mothers took the essence of this prayer and came up with the Jesus Prayer. There are different variations of it: the shortest: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me;” and the longest: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
By calling to mind this prayer throughout the day, the ancients put into practice the idea expressed in 1 Thess. 5:16 to “pray without ceasing.”
As St. Hesychios the Priest explains, “A ship does not go far without water; and there is no progress whatsoever in the guarding of the intellect without watchfulness, humility, and the Jesus Prayer. Stones form the foundation of a house; but the foundation of sanctity—and its roof—is the holy and venerable name of our Lord Jesus Christ…We write of what we know; and for those who want to understand what we say, we bear witness to all that we have seen as we journeyed on our path…. The sun cannot shine without light; nor can the heart be cleansed of the stain of destructive thoughts without invoking in prayer the name of Jesus. This being the case, we should use that name as we do our own breath.” (Philokolia, ed. by G.E.H. Palmer, et. al. p. 109)
Greek Orthodox author Frederica Mathewes-Green wrote an entire book about this prayer entitled, The Jesus Prayer: the Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God. Recently I had the chance to sit down and ask her some questions about it.
In this clip, Frederica describes the Jesus Prayer
In this clip, Frederica explains how to put the Jesus Prayer into practice.
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Discussion (12) ¬
I tried saying “Jesus, son of the Living God, have mercy on me, a sinner” for ten minutes. When she said tough it out for ten minutes she should really stress the words: tough it out. I have been trying to meditate and these words brought about a lot of thoughts of the future and what I want to sacrifice for lent.
Yeah, five minutes might be a better place to start. And though she just touched upon this concept, saying the Jesus prayer and then sitting in silence “basking in God’s love” is another approach that I actually find more meaningful.
Thanks for sharing, Kelly! Found the link from Ed Dobson’s Twitter and really appreciated seeing this getting some publicity, for lack of a better term.
Though I am familiar with the prayer itself, I had not been directed to Mathewes-Green’s text before – I need to look into that for sure. Thanks again!
I found her very insightful. And she has a fascinating journey into the orthodox tradition that started back in the early seventies when she was a self-described “hippie.”
I found her blog (www.frederica.com) and enjoyed looking at some of her essays. One of them is called “12 Things I Wish I’d Known . . .” and is a list of things one would find when visiting an Orthodox church. I really liked this line: “The usual greeting is ‘Christ is in our midst’ and response, ‘He is and shall be.” She also said: “Chatting and fellowship is for later.” I think this is a great way to enter into a time of worship . . . In my church, I find myself chatting and having to spend the first part of a service trying to refocus my thoughts.
I liked her in chapel! The YouTube videos are very interesting on this prayer because this is the first time I have heard of this prayer!
If I’m not mistaken, Orthodox Christians may use a prayer rope (somewhat like a rosary) for praying the Jesus Prayer. Holding the rope in their hand, every time they say the prayer, they pull a knot through the fingers and then pray the prayer again, repeating the process until they finish the entire rope. If you would like to tie your own Orthodox prayer rope (quite time consuming, but VERY rewarding), here’s a great video.
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! How desperately we need the mercy of Christ. As we walk through this life, though we be redeemed, we will constantly struggle with the sin that so easily entangles. I always marvel at the idea the people think that the things of God are complicated. I have talked to so many that think they have to say some official script to talk to God, or that they have to pray for 5 minutes every time. And yet, it is the simplest thing; God have mercy on me! Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! God does not check for spelling, and does not care about style! Just come to Him, all who are weak and burdened and He will give you rest!
I had never really come across the Jesus prayer before, but I like the idea of a simple short prayer that has a lot of truth to it that you can really think about.
I think the Jesus Prayer should be something taught to youth groups and congregations. It helps to have the thought of having God around you watching over you.
I read it. Good information.
I began praying the Jesus prayer after i heard Frederica speak at chapel. The Jesus prayer has allowed me to feel a deep sense of connection to beloved brothers and sisters who have been praying the prayer since the second century. The Jesus prayer unites me with community who came long before me. Over the past few months I’ve been doing some research of eastern Christianity, and i have began to see the beauty of liturgical worship, and services. I have grown in deep appreciation for my Catholic roots, and I hope to get people from both sides to understand why we worship differently.