The Jesus Prayer

Lord, Have Mercy on Me

Jesus of Nazareth · 1st century

The prayer of the desert fathers, carried on the breath until it sinks from the head into the heart. Breathe in with the Name; breathe out with mercy. Let it be gentle — never forced.

How long?

Sound

Screen-off mode — let the screen rest. The sound keeps playing and a soft tone calls you back at the end.

Let the breath carry the words gently, never forced — it is prayer, not a performance (cf. Kallistos Ware, The Power of the Name).

The Jesus Prayer; the hesychast tradition — the Philokalia and The Way of a Pilgrim.