The Jesus Prayer: Scripture, Monastic Practice, and Daily Use
The post presents the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," and traces its roots to two gospel passages. The first is the cry of the blind man in Mark 10:47, who calls out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The second is the prayer of the humble publican in Luke 18:13, who says, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"
The post notes that monks on Mount Athos pray this prayer continuously, day and night. It encourages laypeople to adopt the same practice in daily life, on the bus, at work, before sleep. Many Orthodox Christians use a prayer rope, moving from knot to knot, as a way to follow Saint Paul's exhortation in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."
The image accompanying the text shows an icon of Christ's face with the prayer written beneath it, under the heading "Orthodox Prayers: The Jesus Prayer."
Main points
- The Jesus Prayer text: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
- Biblical roots: the blind man's cry (Mark 10:47) and the publican's prayer (Luke 18:13).
- Monks on Mount Athos pray it unceasingly, day and night.
- Laypeople can pray it anywhere, on the bus, at work, before sleep.
- Use of a prayer rope with knots follows 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing."