The Jesus Prayer – A Powerful Addition To Your Spiritual Life

For the last 2 years, ‘The Jesus Prayer’ has been incredible source of Grace in my prayer life, and I highly recommend it.

It’s commonly recited as…

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

I use a slightly modified version…

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

I like to repeat it maybe 5-10 times, sometimes as a way to begin my time of prayer to reduce the background ‘noise’ of my mind. I’ve also found that after each repetition, a great peace and calm comes over me, and I’m usually surprised at how uptight and tense I was before reciting it.

When we break down this seemingly simple prayer…we can see how powerful and efficient it really is.

“Lord Jesus Christ”

Can there be a more appropriate entrance to conversation with the Almighty? We proclaim him our sovereign Lord, yet call Him by name.

“Son of God”

Here we re-inforce our belief that He is ‘The Christ’ and is a testament to our Faith in Him.

“Have Mercy On Me”

Now we get down to the request of all requests. We appeal to God’s greatest attribute, His Mercy.

“A Sinner”

We admit we truly DO need His Mercy. This simple act of humility is the proper way to address Him and helps us understand more deeply our relationship. He is perfect, and we are not.

While it is possible to vainly repeat such a short prayer, I’ve found it very easy to focus on the words and concepts it contains.

If you’re looking for a new prayer to help your spiritual life, this would be a wonderful addition.