The Jesus Prayer

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This short prayer — rooted in the cry of the blind Bartimaeus and the publican in the Temple — is the most fundamental prayer of the Orthodox tradition. It is prayed slowly, repeatedly, often with a prayer rope (chotki or komboskini), until it begins to descend from the lips and mind into the heart, becoming what St. Paul called 'prayer without ceasing' (1 Thess. 5:17). The tradition of the Jesus Prayer is particularly associated with the Hesychast movement, the holy monks of Mt. Sinai and Mt. Athos, and the beloved Russian classic 'The Way of a Pilgrim.' It requires no particular knowledge or skill — only sincerity, persistence, and humility.