The Jesus Prayer

I have recently been reading about the Jesus Prayer, an ancient form of prayer adopted by the Desert Fathers in the fourth century, which is still central to the Orthodox church today. The Jesus Prayer ‘‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner’ (which in its shorted form of ‘Lord have mercy’ became the Kyrie Eleison) is central to the practice of practice of hesychasm a form of meditative prayer focused on a union with, and experience of, God, practiced by the Desert Fathers. The Fathers would silently repeat this prayer in their minds like a mantra until it became as much a part of them as their heartbeat – a state known quite simply as the Prayer of the Heart.



I first learnt about this form of prayer while going through my last round of cancer treatment. Going through chemotherapy during the Covid pandemic I became increasingly isolated, and found myself naturally turning inwards towards a more meditative relationship with God. The Jesus Prayer helped me during that time and while the prayer of the heart remains beyond my reach, I still love to meditate on that profound cry of the soul ‘Lord Jesus have mercy.’

This morning as I walked up the lane about my village to my favourite spot high up above the ploughed field, the words of the Jesus prayer rose up in my mind in sync with my footsteps and with each inner vocalisation, I seemed to read a different meaning into the words. As I looked up to the hazy light of the sun above the ploughed field and copper treetops, I prayed:  

Lord Jesus have mercy upon this earth and on us sinners who have been such bad stewards of your creation.
 
Lord Jesus have mercy on those who lead the nations of the Earth. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus have mercy on those who raise their hands in anger, show them the way of mercy. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus have mercy in war rooms and on the battlefields. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus have mercy on those who live in fear of their life, who wait for the bombs to fall on their homes and for their families to be scattered. Lord have mercy
 
Lord Jesus have mercy on those who are afraid that they cannot afford to feed the children and of the coming cold. Lord have mercy.

Lord Jesus have mercy on those who mourn, who grieve and feel only loss. Lord have mercy.
 
Lord Jesus have mercy on those who are nearing the end of their life. Lord be with them in the darkest hours and guide them home to the light. Lord Jesus have mercy.
 
Lord Jesus have mercy on those who suffer in mind, body and spirit. Lord be their healing balm. Lord have mercy.

Lord have mercy on me. Lord have mercy for the times when I have not shown mercy. Forgive me all those times when I have sought to be consult rather than console, to be understood rather than to understand.

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

Amen

Kate Nicholas is a preacher, Christian author, broadcaster and consultant. Her best-selling memoir Sea Changed an account of her unconventional journey of faith and previous healing from advanced cancer.  Her latest book is Soul’s Scribe – a guide to understanding and sharing your soul story.

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Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash