The Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
About This Prayer
The Jesus Prayer is the heart of Orthodox hesychast spirituality. It is prayed continuously, often with a prayer rope (komboskini), as a practice of unceasing prayer. The prayer contains the name of Jesus, a confession of His divinity, and a cry for mercy — a complete theology in a single sentence.
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Prayer & Spiritual Life
Daily rhythms, the Jesus Prayer, and the inner life of Orthodox ascetic tradition.
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Orthodox Prayers & Devotions →Related in this cluster
- TheosisTopic
Theosis (deification) is the Orthodox Christian understanding of salvation — the process by which a human person participates in the divine nature and is united with God. St. Athanasius expressed it: 'God became man so that man might become god.'
- Jesus PrayerTopic
The Jesus Prayer is a short, ancient prayer central to Orthodox spirituality: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' It is rooted in the hesychast tradition and practiced as a means of unceasing prayer in the spirit of 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
- MonasticismTopic
Orthodox monasticism is the way of life in which men and women leave the world to devote themselves entirely to God through prayer, fasting, and ascetic struggle. Monastics are considered the vanguard of the Church, interceding for the whole world.
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