The Jesus Prayer

Icon of Christ in the Church of St Panteleimon Thessaloniki, Greece


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

or

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

The Jesus Prayer is an invocation to the living Christ. In the
Jesus Prayer we confess Christ as Lord and ask Him for His
mercy. The Jesus Prayer combines St Paul's doxology
(Phil. 2:11- "and that every tongue will confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."), the tax
collector's spirit of repentance (Luke 18:13- "But the tax
collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling
to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying,
‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’), and the blind man's plea
for enlightenment (Mk. 10:47,51- When he heard that it was
Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son
of David, have mercy on me!”, "And answering him, Jesus said,
“What do you want Me to do for you?” And the blind man said
to Him, “Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!”). "The divine
name of Jesus Christ holds in itself the whole gospel truth,"
wrote the author of The Way of a Pilgrim.

The Jesus Prayer is appropriate for every Christian and may
be recited in all circumstances - while kneeling, sitting, standing,
walking, eating, traveling, working, or falling asleep. It may be
offered at regular prayer times, during breaks at home and office,
even in the bustle of commuting to and from work or while
shopping and preparing meals. Its brevity makes it useful as a
way of centering the inner consciousness on Christ, guarding
against temptations and finding ready spiritual strength.

The effectiveness of the Jesus Prayer comes from the power and the
grace of Christ who hears our fervent invocation, cleanses our heart
from evil and comes to dwell in us as personal Lord. The fruits of the
Jesus Prayer are repentance, contrition, forgiveness, joy, peace and
above all, as the pilgrim put it, "a burning love for Jesus Christ and
for all God's creatures." Developed to maturity, the Jesus Prayer
becomes a mystical prayer of the heart, an unceasing breath of the
Holy Spirit praying within the believer, an inner spiritual fire
energizing the Christian in all things.

From the believer's side the Jesus Prayer requires a sincere and
humble spirit rather than a particular method. In quiet moments
of concentrated prayer it may be recited rhythmically in order to
establish inner attention, (Pray "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God"
while breathing in, and "have mercy on me" while breathing out.)
But far more important are the constant attention to the words
of the prayer and the fervent personal appeal to Christ for whom
the soul yearns. Trust in the love and mercy of God. Seek the
presence of Christ in your heart. Pray to Christ calmly and
unhurriedly by enclosing your thoughts and feelings in each word
of the Jesus Prayer.

From My Orthodox Prayer Book, p. 64-66, Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of North and South America, Brookline, MA 1985, 
5th Printing 1994.

This prayer book was my first book of prayers which I received
as a gift from the Greek Orthodox Priest who introduced me
to the Orthodox Church, Fr Demetrios Tsigas, then Priest of the
Greek Orthodox Church of The Holy Trinity in Portland, OR.
It has been sixteen years but the moment I received this gift
has been indelibly imprinted in my memory. Fr Dimitri gave
this book to me during the winter of 1996, after a conversation
we had in his office in which I expressed my desire to join the
Orthodox Church. He walked with me to the church's bookstore,
bought the book and surprised me with it. This book has been
my dear and faithful companion for many years. On Great and
Holy Monday 1997, Fr Dimitri made me a catechumen of the
Orthodox Church. I was baptized the next year, Pascha 1998,
by Fr Nicholas Letten.

My Orthodox Prayer Book is available from Light & Life Publishing
Description:
A pocket-size book designed to help Orthodox Christians in private and family

devotions. Reflecting the treasures of Orthodox worship, it contains the basic
cycles of daily and other prayers. Includes Morning and Evening Prayers,
Occasional Prayers, Confessional Prayers, Communion Prayers, etc. 

Source