Praying The Jesus Prayer

This resource is a complete introduction to one of the most mysterious prayers of Eastern Christianity, The Jesus Prayer. A conversational question-and-answer format takes the reader through practical steps for adopting this profound practice in everyday life.

Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward guides readers through the Jesus Prayer. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Have mercy on me. Readers are invited to plumb the depths of this short prayer and to discover a hidden treasure passed down to us through the ancient traditions of Eastern Christianity. The author takes us on a travelogue through his experience of this simple, yet profound prayer.

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” This very simple prayer was developed in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine during the early centuries of Christian faith, and has been practiced in the Eastern Orthodox Church ever since. It is a prayer inspired by St. Paul’s exhortation to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and its purpose is to tune one’s inner attention to the presence of the Lord. This series of “little books” is designed to enable you to grasp the meaning of one ancient method of Christian prayer in a relatively short amount of time. In Praying the Jesus Prayer, one of today’s most respected voices on Orthodoxy in America introduces you to: • The history and meaning of this popular but rarely understood method of talking to God • What it means to really pray with both heart and mind • How to get started incorporating the Jesus Prayer into your life.

"'To pronounce the name of Jesus in a holy way is an all-sufficient and surpassing aim for any human life ... We are to call to mind Jesus Christ as until the name of the Lord penetrates our heart, descends to its very depths ... The Name of Jesus, once it has become the center of our life, brings everything together." So writes the "Monk of the Eastern Church" in the course of the present work. To those who wonder how such claims can be advanced on behalf of the Jesus Prayer, and how it is that this particular way of praying continues to appeal so powerfully to contemporary Christians, Eastern and Western, Orthodox and non-Orthodox, this short book provides an answer. Starting with the veneration of the Holy Name in the Old and the New Testament, the author traces the gradual development of the Jesus Prayer first in Byzantium and then in the Slav lands. He concludes with practical suggestions for its use today, showing how it is a prayer not only of the past but equally for the twentieth century. Indeed, there are good reasons to believe that the "way of the name," as he calls it, is being followed by more Christians in our own day than ever before - a striking sign of hope in an age of anxiety. Simple yet profound, this book reveals to us the secret of the continuing attraction exercised by the Jesus Prayer. Since its first appearance some thirty-five years ago, it has become a minor "classic" of the spiritual life, and it still remains the best introduction to the subject"--

Rich in references to the teaching of the saints and Fathers, this book combines the insights of West & East. A classic of Orthodox spirituality.

With 2,000 years of commentary and writings on the Lord’s Prayer, is it possible to glean anything new? Power Praying proves the answer is “yes!” Unique and transformational describe the content of this personal or group study. You will be excited and challenged as you dig deeply into this model prayer. Learn to tap into the same power—through prayer—that was displayed in Jesus’ ministry. Power Praying can be used as an individual read, or in a group study. Divided into 8 weeks, each week looks at a phrase from the Lord’s Prayer and provides helpful suggestions on including its principles in your own prayer life.

Prayer is a way of living in response to God. There are no secrets to living the Christian life. No prerequisite attitudes. No conditions more or less favorable to pursuing the Way. Anyone can do this, from any place, starting at any time. But it is only possible through prayer. We can only pray our lives into the way of following Jesus. In Praying the Message of Jesus, Eugene H. Peterson has compiled the prayer-centered stories and teachings of Jesus from the Gospels of Matthew and John. Through 365 inspiring days of reading and reflection, you’ll deepen your relationship with God as you learn to speak with him daily and make prayer the foundation of your everyday life. Previously published as A Year with Jesus, but now with additional material.