The Jesus Prayer

BRIEF BACKGROUND

The Jesus Prayer originated in the Eastern Orthodox tradition. While this practice has a long history, it is tied to the practices of early desert hermits, or hesychasts, in Egypt. In simplest terms, the Jesus Prayer as a practice is the activity of repeating over and over the prayer, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," or some close variant of these words. The purpose behind these repetitions may be driving out distracting thoughts or concentrating on the mercy of God. The number of repetitions varies greatly among practitioners, with some monastic adherents attempting to repeat this prayer mentally in a never-ending manner. This prayer can also be coupled in the Eastern Orthodox tradition with use of a prayer rope, similar to rosary beads, in which the person praying keeps count of the number of prayers by making or counting the number of knots in the rope.

HOW TO PRACTICE

This practice is one of the simplest disciplines to begin, and it allows for endless variations.

1. Recite mentally or verbally, "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

2. Repeat.

3. Repeat.

4. Repeat.

There are no exact instructions for the exact number of times to recite this prayer or even how to do so in a specific way. When using the Jesus Prayer, you are trying to imprint Jesus Christ on your deepest thought patterns. The hesychasts considered this prayer as the path to literal adherence to St. Paul's admonition to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). You might like to jump right in, but if you are like me, you might want a few practical suggestions on how to implement this practice.

VARIATIONS

Synchronize with Your Breath

Try reciting a single phrase as you breathe in, then another while you breathe out. For example, "Jesus Christ," [breathe in] "Son of God," [breathe out] "have mercy on me," [breathe in] "a sinner" [breathe out]. You can vary this method even further. Try using only one word between breaths, or recite the entire prayer as you breathe deeply in or out.

Different Words

If you consult some of the resources on the Jesus Prayer that I suggest, you'll notice that the exact words do vary a bit. For instance, try, "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on me." You might also try varying your request. Instead of mercy, what else might you ask for? Grace? Hope? Patience? Peace?

Mechanical Recitation

While I would not recommend this variation as your go-to method for the Jesus Prayer, think about simply reciting the words in your mind for a designated period of half an hour or hour. Do not take out any time set aside for the purpose of prayer. Just see what it's like to have those recurring words pounding into your subconscious mind again and again like a jackhammer.

Word Meanings

Ruminate on the meaning of each word. "Jesus." What does that mean? "Christ." What does that mean? "Son." What does that mean? You can also use this variation with association by focusing on what other words come to mind as you repeat each word of the Jesus Prayer.

Syllables

Break up your recitation to linger on specific syllables. Is that more distracting? Does it require more attention? Is there any meaning left when we break the words down into their constituent sounds? What might that teach us?

Attitudes

Rather than varying the words, come at the recitation of words from different attitudes. Begin with the difference in saying the prayer between the Pharisee and tax collector (see Luke 18:9–14). How did you feel different when saying those words from different perspectives? How about different emotional states? Can you say the Jesus Prayer equally sincerely in a state of joy as in a state of abject demoralization? Journaling might be particularly useful here to help you differentiate among reactions.

Switch

Imagine the prayer from Jesus' perspective, praying for you (see John 17). Try, "Father in heaven, have mercy on [your name], for I love them." What does it feel like to have Jesus pronounce your name?

Back to Breath

As you breathe this prayer in and out, imagine that you are filled with the light and love of God as you inhale. Then imagine that all guilt, worry, and trouble flow out of you as you exhale.

Truthfully, the sky's the limit when it comes to variations of this practice. What are some other possibilities? What do you wish you could change about the prayer? Why not change it?

COMMON QUESTIONS

Q: What if I've never practiced this type of prayer before?

A: First of all, go easy on yourself. Don't expect too much out of the practice until you get used to the "mechanics" of it. Also, realize that this type of prayer practice has results that are seen more in your attitude throughout the day rather than during the practice itself.

Q: What if I don't feel anything?

A: This is a common question that applies to almost any practice. Please rest assured that these practices are not about certain feelings. Feelings come and go. At times, you may have very intense feelings while praying the Jesus Prayer. At other times, you might not feel anything special at all. That's okay. Feelings will vary from time to time and from person to person. Find your own rhythm.

Q: Is there any relative difference between the effectiveness of saying the Jesus Prayer aloud versus saying it silently?

A: Not really. Speaking the prayer aloud often helps to focus your attention. Of course, there are some obvious circumstances in which you would not want to verbalize the prayer like walking down a crowded street or riding the bus, but there is no "spiritual" difference in verbalizing or not verbalizing the prayer.

Q: Are particular postures or gestures necessary when using the Jesus Prayer?

A: No, this prayer is very versatile. You can pray it kneeling, seated, prostrated, standing, walking, or even running. You can combine the prayer with the sign of the cross or even some of the yoga postures suggested in chapter 25.

Q: Do you need to have or make an Eastern Orthodox prayer rope to use with the Jesus Prayer?

A: While a prayer rope it is not essential, it is a very...