The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God

In the earliest centuries of faith, Christians in the deserts of Palestine and Africa sought a short prayer that could be easily repeated, in order to acquire the habit of “prayer without ceasing.” The result was The Jesus Prayer:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

This jewel of Eastern Christianity aims at enabling a person to be in God’s presence, rather than to focus on feelings or thoughts about God.

The first section of The Jesus Prayer offers a concise overview of t...