Reading the prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, stop all dreams and thoughts; Don’t think about anything extraneous, but just let your mind rest on the words of this prayer, that is, say and understand every word of the prayer: what is Lord, what is Jesus Christ, what is the Son of God, what is it, have mercy on me a sinner. When you connect your mind with your heart, then the experience of what you read will follow, that is, you will not simply, coldly understand, Lord, but you will begin to be filled with feelings of faith, love, hope, reverence, and fear of God. Saying: Jesus Christ, you will feel Jesus Christ as our Sweetest Redeemer, Merciful and All-Good, and this will arouse in your heart tenderness and gratitude to the Lord. Son of God... will again cause corresponding experiences. By saying: have mercy on me, a sinner, you will feel all your spiritual poverty, all your sinfulness and you will have the only hope of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The name of the Lord Jesus should arouse in us tenderness, quiet joy, and joy. Indeed, this is the name of our Redeemer, our Savior. We cannot be indifferent to the people who love us, do good and patronize us. The reminder and even their very name already makes us happy and comforts us. Infinitely in a larger form this must be presented in relation to the Sweetest Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The main thing here is humility, with the feeling of a publican...

The Jesus Prayer, according to the teachings of the holy fathers, is appropriate when a person walks, or sits, or lies, drinks, eats, talks, or does some kind of handicraft; whoever can say the Jesus Prayer with humility during all this should not abandon it, but for abandoning reproach yourself and repent with humility, but not be embarrassed, because embarrassment, whatever it may be, is a sign of secret pride and proves a person’s inexperience and lack of skill in carrying out his work.

Such prayer requires instruction, lack of anger, silence and humble self-reproach in any unpleasant case.

The Holy Fathers advise during prayer to look inside the heart, and not from above or from the side, and especially if the attention of the mind descends below the heart, then carnal passion is aroused.

It is dangerous to go through this prayer without guidance.

To always have the memory of God, this is what the Jesus Prayer is for.

The first stage is oral prayer; when the mind often runs away and a person needs to use great effort to collect his scattered thoughts. This is a labor prayer, but it gives a person a repentant mood.
The second stage is mental-heart prayer, when the mind and heart, mind and feelings are at the same time; then the prayer is performed continuously, no matter what a person does: eat, drink, rest, the prayer is all performed...

For a long time... I could not understand what connecting the mind with the heart is. Essentially speaking, this means uniting all the forces of the soul together to direct them all towards God, which is impossible if they are separated.

The path of the Jesus Prayer is the shortest, most convenient path. But do not complain, for everyone who follows this path experiences sorrow.

Anyone who is diligent in learning this Divine work must, according to Saint Simeon the New Theologian, surrender himself soul and body into obedience in accordance with Holy Scripture; that is, to surrender oneself to the complete cutting off of the holy will and one’s reasoning to a person who fears God, a zealous keeper of His Divine commandments and not inexperienced in this mental feat, who can, according to the writings of the holy fathers, show the obedient the unforgettable path to salvation, the path of mental prayer, secretly done by the mind in the heart.

From vowel prayer much comes mental prayer, and from mental prayer comes heartfelt prayer. You should say the Jesus Prayer not in a loud voice, but quietly, out loud to yourself alone.

The basis for practicing the Jesus Prayer is prudent and careful behavior. Firstly, you must eliminate from yourself effeminacy and carnal pleasures in all forms. One must be content with food and sleep that is always moderate, commensurate with one’s strength and health, so that food and sleep provide the body with proper reinforcement, without producing indecent movements, which come from excess, and without producing exhaustion, which comes from lack. Clothing, housing and all material accessories in general should be modest, in imitation of Christ, in imitation of His Apostles, in following their spirit, in communion with their spirit. The Holy Apostles and their true disciples did not make any sacrifices to vanity and vanity, according to the customs of the world, and did not enter into any communication with the spirit of the world. The correct, grace-filled action of the Jesus Prayer can only vegetate from the Spirit of Christ; it vegetates and grows exclusively on this soil alone. Sight, hearing and other senses must be strictly guarded so that through them, like through a gate, adversaries do not break into the soul. The mouth and tongue must be curbed, as if shackled in silence; idle talk, verbosity, especially ridicule, gossip and slander are worst enemies prayers. One must refuse to accept the brethren into one’s cell, one must refuse to go to their cells: one must remain patiently in one’s cell, just as in a tomb with one’s dead body, one must pray to the Lord Jesus for mercy with one’s soul, tormented and killed by sins.

If you want to approach God and become assimilated to Him by constant presence in prayer, look around! Examine carefully your way of thinking: are you infected with any false teaching? Will you follow the teaching exactly and without exception? Eastern Church, the only true, holy, apostolic?..
Consciousness of one’s sinfulness, awareness of one’s weakness, one’s insignificance is a necessary condition for prayer to be graciously accepted and heard by God.
Those who want to engage in the feat of prayer! Before you begin this feat, try to forgive everyone who upset, slandered, humiliated you, everyone who caused you any harm.

Time and gradualness in asceticism are needed for the ascetic to mature for prayer in all respects. Just as flower and fruit grow on a stem or tree, which themselves must first be sown and grow, so prayer grows on other virtues, otherwise it cannot appear as on them. The monk will not soon master his mind, he will not soon accustom his mind to remain in the words of prayer, as if in prison and seclusion.

Those beginners begin in the middle, who, having read in the Fathers’ writings the instructions for practicing the Jesus Prayer, given by the Fathers to the silent ones, that is, to monks who have already been very successful in monastic feats, thoughtlessly accept this instruction to guide their activities. Those who, without any preliminary preparation, begin with their minds to ascend into the temple of the heart and from there send up prayer begin from the middle. Those who seek to immediately reveal within themselves the gracious sweetness of prayer and its other grace-filled effects begin at the end. One must start from the beginning, that is, perform prayer with attention and reverence, with the goal of repentance, caring only about the fact that these three qualities are constantly present in prayer.

The correct exercise of the Jesus Prayer follows naturally from the correct concepts about God, about the all-holy name of the Lord Jesus and about man’s relationship to God.

Always say the Jesus Prayer, because calling on the name of the Lord helped even the pagans.

Sometimes you get distracted during the Jesus Prayer. It's hard to never dissipate. This is characteristic only of the perfect; and you and I are sinful people. On your tongue, you say, there is prayer, but on your mind, God knows what; and therefore, you think, should you give up prayer in this case? No, don't leave. It is better to eat dry bread than to remain without bread at all.

Start with something small: after every morning and evening prayer, if nothing interferes, say: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

Doing the Jesus Prayer is simple: become attentive in your heart before the face of the Lord and cry out to him: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! It’s not a matter of words, but of faith, contrition and surrender to the Lord. With these feelings you can stand before the Lord without words, and this will be prayer.

Strength is not in the words of the Jesus Prayer, but in the spiritual mood, the fear of God and devotion to God and in constant attention to God and His mental standing.

When performing this prayer addressed to the Lord the Savior, one must not lose sight of the fact that He is One of the Most Holy Trinity, inseparable from the Father and the Holy Spirit.

Do not forget that you should not limit yourself to mechanical repetition of the words of the Jesus Prayer. This will lead to nothing except the mechanical skill of repeating this prayer with your tongue, without even thinking about it. And this, of course, is not bad. But it constitutes the farthest outer outskirts of this matter.

Regarding mental prayer, keep one precaution so that while constantly remembering God, you do not forget to kindle both reverent fear and the urge to fall into the dust before the face of God, the most merciful Father, but also the terrible Judge. Frequent remembrance of God without reverence dulls the feeling of the fear of God and thereby deprives it of that saving action that belongs to it.

Try to get used to the Jesus Prayer so that it speaks itself, both on the go and at work.

It is possible to combine the Jesus Prayer with breathing, as you do. One of the ancients said this. Breathing instead of rosary.

You don’t need to restrict your breathing and don’t put pressure on your heart, but say a prayer with a free thought. Know that truly spiritual prayer is instilled with grace.

The Jesus Prayer should not be said in a loud voice, but quietly, out loud to oneself.

You comforted me very much that you want to learn the Jesus Prayer. Start with oral. And first of all, instead of a foundation, put up with enduring tribulations. Then she will get vaccinated soon.

It’s impossible to get used to saying the Jesus Prayer soon enough. Just try not to forget about God and repent of oblivion and entertainment.

You can keep up mental prayer due to illness, infirmities, on occasions of the people, and in service. This alone sometimes gives me a headache, but what can I do? But he will fall in love. Will fall in love a thousand times.

And it is better than all the crosses and crusaders, all the portraits and their originals to draw on a soft young heart the sweetest name, a luminous prayer: G.I.H.S.B., P.M. sinful... Then, that is, when it is established in the heart of Jesus, you will not want either Rome or Jerusalem. For the King Himself, with His All-Sung Matter and all the Angels and saints, will come and live with you.

You still can’t do it all the time. For until a person tastes that the Lord is good, it is difficult to constantly have Jesus in his heart. But for what it is, thank God! This means that while the prayer lasts, do not abandon it. And most importantly, during prayer, curse yourself as unworthy to pronounce the name that is constantly praised in heaven and on earth by Angels and people.

Prayer usually stops because of idle talk, gluttony, condemnation, and most importantly, because of pride.

There is no need to put pressure on the heart with attention, but one should say a prayer in the upper part of the chest and enclose the mind in the words of the prayer. This method is the most correct: both the heart will sympathize, and prayer will come from the heart.

It is easier to acquire mental prayer than to keep it.

If you see thoughts arising, do not listen to them, even if they are simple and good... By confining your mind in your heart and calling on the Lord Jesus often and patiently, you will soon crush such thoughts and destroy them, striking invisibly with the Divine name.

Anyone who honors God also honors His name. But it is not the name of Jesus Christ that saves a person, but Christ Himself, and he does not save everyone, but whoever believes in Him and is baptized, and lives according to His commandments, and repents of violations.
The more the saints of God loved the Lord, the more dear the name of God became to them. This is where the confusion comes from. The Lord is present in the name of God, but the name of God is not God Himself, as the name-glorifiers said, and it is not the name that saves, but the Lord, present in the name. By calling on the name of God, we call on God and by Him, by God, we are saved, and not by a combination of sounds of His name.

The Holy Fathers say that all prayers can be replaced by one Jesus prayer. The correct performance of this prayer will be when it is combined inextricably with repentance, it will be an expression of heartfelt contrition for one’s unworthiness, sinfulness, and the consciousness of constant violation of the commandments of the Gospel.

From this holy name, before which every knee of heaven, earth and hell bows, the action of the enemy will weaken, peace, hope and faith, and tenderness will enter the heart... and all temptation will pass.

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Some people mistakenly think that it is only for monks. However, the Optina elders also instructed the laity to practice the Jesus Prayer. The Monk Barsanuphius (Plikhankov) taught:

“To always have the memory of God, this is what the Jesus Prayer is for.”

The monk wrote about the different stages of prayer:

“The Jesus Prayer is divided into three, even four steps. The first step is oral prayer; when the mind often runs away and a person needs to use great effort to collect his scattered thoughts. This is a labor prayer, but it gives a person a repentant mood.

The second stage is mental-heart prayer, when the mind and heart, mind and feelings are at the same time; then prayer is performed continuously, no matter what a person is doing: eating, drinking, resting - the prayer is still being performed.

The third stage is creative prayer, which is capable of moving mountains with one word. Then, for example, the Venerable Hermit Mark the Thracian had such a prayer.

Finally, the fourth step is such a high prayer that only angels have and which is given only to one person for all of humanity.”

For a better understanding of what gifts the Lord sends to prayer books and what prayer corresponds to the level of spiritual growth of the person praying, the Monk Barsanuphius explained in detail:

“The first gift from the Lord in prayer is attention, that is, when the mind can stay in the words of prayer without being distracted by thoughts. But with such attentive, non-entertaining prayer, the heart is still silent. This is the point, that our feelings and thoughts are separated, there is no agreement in them. Thus, the first prayer, the first gift, is prayer without distraction.

The second prayer, the second gift is internal prayer, that is, when feelings and thoughts are directed in harmony towards God. Until now, every fight with passion ended in the victory of passion over man, and from now on, when the mind and heart pray together, that is, feelings and thoughts in God, passions are already defeated. Defeated, but not destroyed, they can come to life through negligence, here the passions are like the dead lying in coffins, and the prayer book, as soon as the passion stirs, strikes and conquers.

The third gift is spiritual prayer. I can’t say anything about this prayer. Here there is nothing earthly in a person anymore. True, man still lives on earth, walks on earth, sits, drinks, eats, but with his mind and thoughts he is entirely in God, in heaven. The ministries of the angelic ranks were even revealed to some. This prayer is a prayer of vision. Those who have achieved this prayer see spiritual objects, for example, the state of a person’s soul, the same way we see sensory objects, as if in a painting. They already look with the eyes of the spirit, their spirit already looks.”

How to correctly say the Jesus Prayer

He taught to pray in simplicity of heart, expecting God’s mercy: only the Lord knows what is good for everyone specific person:

“Pass the Jesus Prayer as you do it, and the time will come when the very work and mercy of God will enlighten and enlighten your soul as to how and whom to ask, and you will know what you are looking for and wanting.”

The elders advised saying the Jesus Prayer as often as possible, but not looking for any special pleasant feelings, spiritual consolations and pleasures.

Reverend Ambrose explained:

“No matter how someone went through oral prayer, there were no examples of people falling into the enemy’s delusion. And those who practice mental and heartfelt prayer incorrectly often fall into the delusion of the enemy. And therefore, first of all, one must hold on tightly to oral prayer, and then to mental prayer, with humility, and then, for those who are comfortable and whom the Lord favors, move on to heartfelt prayer, according to the instructions of the holy fathers, who have gone through all this experience.”

When asked how to achieve heartfelt prayer and what it means to “lower the mind into the heart,” he answered with a warning:

“It’s hard to find a place in the heart O false: when prayer grows, it will find it itself. Our effort is to enclose our mind in the words: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

During the Jesus Prayer, there is often a storm of thoughts that the enemy stirs up.

The Monk Hilarion taught not to contradict the enemy’s thoughts, since only experienced prayer workers can do this, but to simply continue to pray in the simplicity of heart, trusting in the mercy of God:

“And if, against your will, your mind is captivated, then continue the prayer, and not contradict - contradicting is not yet your measure.”

The Optina elders warned about the need for humility when praying. Once a spiritual child of Father Ambrose complained to him that when saying the Jesus Prayer, she stumbled over the words “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” The elder answered:

“You write that in the Jesus Prayer you have some kind of hesitation on the words “Have mercy on me, a sinner”; this shows that before this prayer was performed by you without due humility, without which our prayer is unpleasant to God. Therefore, force yourself to hit the word “sinner” with the proper understanding.”

He reminded that those who follow the path of the Jesus Prayer can endure sorrows, which, however, must be accepted without grumbling:

“The path of the Jesus Prayer is the shortest, most convenient path. But do not grumble, for everyone who follows this path experiences sorrow.”

On the danger of “begging” for spiritual gifts and high-level prayer

The Optina elders warned against the unauthorized desire to achieve more high level prayers or to seek spiritual gifts, be it tears in prayer or purity and dispassion.

The Monk Leo wrote that without purifying the heart and conquering the passions, one cannot preserve spiritual wealth without harm to oneself:

“You, having tasted by the mercy of God the sweetness and consolation of prayer, now not finding this in yourself, are embarrassed, despondent, consider yourself to be the culprit of this loss, and your negligence is the true truth. But I also find here the Providence of God, which has taken away this consolation from you. Without conquering passions and without purifying your heart, is it possible to preserve this wealth without harm! And it will not be given to you for your benefit, lest you fall into delusion.”

St. Barsanuphius also warned about the danger of “begging” for gifts and high-level prayer:

“It is possible to pray for the gift of attentive prayer, but to pray for the gift of high states of prayer, I believe, is sinful. This must be left entirely to God. Some beg themselves for a prayer of a high degree; The Lord gave them out of His boundless mercy, but they themselves had no use for it...”

He wrote an article “A Warning to Those Reading Spiritual Books of the Fathers and Those Who Want to Perform the Mental Jesus Prayer,” where he warned that the Jesus Prayer should be read simply and the main thing should be a feeling of repentance, and not the search for high spiritual gifts.

Venerable Macarius learned:

“Remember: the gift of prayer is not your property; This gift must be earned not by prayer alone, but also by other good deeds: humility, simplicity, patience, innocence, and without these virtues, although it seems like someone who has supposedly acquired prayer, he is deceived: it is not prayer, but a mask of prayer.”

Prayer is a bridge from earth to heaven, a way of communication between a person and his Creator. In Orthodoxy, one of the most famous is the Jesus Prayer. Its text is widely known; it is very short, but deep in theological content.

Origin

It is no longer possible to determine exactly who composed the text of the Jesus Prayer; it is attributed to Macarius of Egypt; he wrote many Christian maxims. In fact, this is not an ordinary petition or praise, but a short confession Christian faith:

• Jesus Christ is called the Son of God;
• Christ is confessed by God;
• the believer asks for forgiveness of sins (pardon).

In a concise form (only 8 words) the entire gospel message is contained here. It has also long been believed that this particular prayer is capable of raising any believer to spiritual heights.

Why is it necessary?

There is an opinion that the text of the Jesus Prayer can only be practiced by monks. But this is a mistake - the laity also needs exercises for the soul. If left without education, she will be fueled only by her own passions. Prayer practice will give her many benefits.

• Revitalizes and strengthens the spirit.
• An accessible tool to eventually make your heart a dwelling place for the Holy Spirit.
• Prayer allows you to find grace and accept God and the Gospel with your whole being in order to begin to serve Him on earth.

The benefits are innumerable, and there is no need to find additional time - you can recite the text everywhere, during any activity.

Text of the Jesus Prayer

Cautions

Many experienced spiritual fathers have left instructions for believers on how to read the Jesus Prayer. The main thing to be wary of is pride and the search for special mental states. Why are they dangerous? Pride can be invisible to a person and gradually surround him with many other sins. As the Scripture says, the Lord turns away from the proud.

Climbing

The path of those who have known the sweetness of prayer is very long and difficult. God does not immediately bestow the highest reward; He cultivates the gifts gradually.

How to pray correctly

You can pray the Jesus Prayer at any time of the day or evening. It is permissible for her to replace the rule - repeat for 10-15 minutes. (that’s how much it usually costs).

However, it is better to start small - a dozen repetitions are enough. An untrained mind will be distracted all the time. Human nature is so affected by sin that it takes a lot of time to bring soul and mind together.

Over time, these words should permeate the entire human consciousness so much that during any activity they will sound in his heart. Some monks managed to reach transcendental heights in “smart work”; they saw Angels at their service. But there are very few such people on earth.

Spiritual barriers

There is no need to try to “read” the Jesus Prayer in Russian as much as possible. It’s not a matter of numbers; the Lord doesn’t need any “records.” It is important to maintain composure, humility of spirit and not look for some spiritual joys. Over time, it will become clear how to move forward - the Holy Spirit himself will lead the ascetic.

• Temptations can begin at the second stage, so an experienced confessor is already needed at this stage, who will not let you go astray. If foreign images come to mind, there is no need to try to drive them away, just continue to say the prayer.
• It happens that some people find it difficult to say certain words. Then we need to treat them more carefully, try to delve into the very depth of the theological meaning.

Sometimes it happens that the Lord gives an ascetic consolation and then takes it away. In this case, there is no need to despair. This is done for the benefit of the person and means that he needs to devote more time to the fight against sins.

The necessary conditions

Realize why the prayer is being read; delve into the meaning.

1. Show consistency.
2. Seclude yourself (at least mentally).
3. Be in a calm state.
4. Call upon the Holy Spirit for help and participate in the life of the Church.
5. Do not try to pray for a long time - you should stop when spiritual fatigue occurs.

Here's the text again:

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

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.

Lord, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Jesus Prayer - how to pray correctly, text in Russian was last modified: July 7th, 2017 by Bogolub

Great article 0

One of the most powerful, but at the same time short, prayer appeals to the Lord is the Jesus Prayer. A few lines contain a huge meaning: this is a request to the Son of God for mercy, protection and help. Memorizing the text is easy and you can repeat it as needed at any time.

Jesus Prayer - text

To begin with, I would like to say that it is not possible to accurately determine who composed this prayer text. There is a version that this is Macarius of Egypt, since he wrote many Christian maxims. In fact, the Jesus Prayer is not an ordinary petition, but a short confession of the Christian faith, since Jesus is called the Son of God, he is God and the believer asks for mercy. Eight words contain all the gospel messages.

In order for an appeal to a Higher Power to be as effective as possible, it is necessary to take into account a number of specific recommendations regarding the correct pronunciation of the prayer text. It is best to learn words by heart, but it is important not to rearrange them or make mistakes while reading. The words of the Jesus Prayer do not need to be repeated mechanically, since you need not only to understand the meaning of each word, but also to put faith in it.

How does the Jesus Prayer help?

Priests claim that a simple prayer text can concentrate spiritual, mental and physical forces that help a person cope with life different problems and achieve your goals. The power of the Jesus Prayer helps to achieve integrity in the soul, which is important for happy life. In addition, it helps in such situations:

1. Helps strengthen psychological balance and relieves various diseases.
2. Provides tremendous protection that protects against various kinds of problems, such as damage, the evil eye and other troubles.
3. The Jesus Prayer casts out demons, helping to cope with the evil eye and other negativity.
4. When repeated regularly, the prayer text has a beneficial effect on all areas of life. As a result, a person begins to feel invisible support in all matters.
5. It is believed that the Jesus Prayer is capable of cleansing from sins, for which, after the word “have mercy on me,” you need to confess your sinfulness, add “sinner” and your sins, for example, condemning, hated, envious, and so on.

Jesus Prayer for another person

You can use a short prayer text addressed to the Son of God not only to read it for yourself, but also for loved ones. The Jesus Prayer heals any illness, helps on the road, protects, guides on the righteous path, and so on. If there are problems, help from loved ones will be necessary. Everything is very simple: first you need to turn to the Almighty in your own words and ask for another person, and then read the Jesus Prayer. If a person is sick, it is better to pray near his bed.

Jesus Prayer - how to pray correctly?

Prayer texts are not a poem, so they must be pronounced according to certain rules. Consider these recommendations on how to correctly read the Jesus Prayer:

1. You can pray anywhere, the main thing is to have a sincere desire and great faith.
2. It is important to focus on the statement, that is, not to be distracted by anything. Get rid of extraneous thoughts and turn off your imagination.
3. It is better to sit in silence for some time to concentrate and only then can you begin to pray.
4. After pronouncing the prayer text, you can address the Son of God in your own words.

Jesus Prayer - breathing technique

It is believed that if you learn to properly control and direct your bodily signals and functions, you can increase your concentration on prayer. The Jesus Prayer uses an entrance technique that is easy to learn. While reading the prayer text, you need to slow down your breathing, and then adjust its rhythm to the prayer. In most cases, the first part is pronounced while inhaling, and the second part while exhaling. Another option is that the Jesus Prayer can be read in time with the beat of the heart.

Jesus prayer using the rosary - rule

Many people do not know, but beads collected on a thread with a cross are often used to count prayers and bows. The main prayer text that is read using rosaries is the Jesus Prayer. Saint Basil the Great was the first to use them to pray not according to books, but according to a certain number. It is worth noting that in monasticism, the rosary is usually called the spiritual sword, since they are handed over during tonsure.

It is worth figuring out how to read the Jesus Prayer using the rosary, so it is recommended that you seek a blessing from a priest before using this attribute. The meaning of the application is very simple - each bead is one prayer. You need to hold the bead between two fingers and throw it to the other end. It is better to try to finger the rosary so that no one sees.

Jesus Prayer - how many times should I repeat it?

IN church rules There are no restrictions regarding the number of repetitions of the Jesus Prayer. Each person has the right to independently determine how many times to repeat the prayer text, so it is important to listen to yourself. It is worth knowing when the Jesus Prayer begins to help; thus, it is believed that turning to the Son of God begins to work when a person feels calm, joy in his soul and gets rid of unpleasant sensations.

About the danger of the Jesus Prayer

It is believed that dark forces More often they “attack” people who pray to the Son of God. The clergy claim that this is due to the fact that the Jesus Prayer for women and men has enormous power that can lead a person to heaven. In order to lead the “victim” to the dark side, demons begin to reveal his sins to a person and instill in him the idea that salvation is impossible. It is recommended to receive a blessing in church before using the Jesus Prayer and start with a small number of repetitions.

It is important to pay attention to possible spiritual obstacles that may appear when reading the Jesus Prayer. The clergy argue that there is no need to try to read the prayer for a huge amount of time, since it is not a matter of quantity. While pronouncing, try to maintain humility of spirit. Temptations do not appear at the first stages, but after some time, so an experienced spiritual mentor will come in handy. There are still situations when it is especially difficult specific words. In such a situation, you need to treat them carefully, delving into the depth of the theological meaning.

The Jesus Prayer is given to everyone - both monks and laity. A Christian is one who is always with Christ, and this is what the Jesus Prayer serves. Through the Jesus Prayer, we are with Christ everywhere - in the subway, on snowy streets, in the store and at work, among friends and among enemies: the Jesus Prayer is a golden connection with the Savior. It saves us from despair, does not allow our thoughts to fall into the abyss of worldly emptiness, but, like the light of a lamp, it calls us to spiritual wakefulness and standing before the Lord.

Usually our mind is occupied with the most disordered thoughts, they jump, replace each other, and do not give us peace; in the heart there are the same chaotic feelings. If you do not occupy your mind and heart with prayer, then sinful thoughts and feelings will be born in them. The Jesus Prayer is a medicine for a soul sick with passions.

The Ancient Patericon gives such a comparison. When a cauldron is heated by fire, not a single fly with its bacteria will land on it. And when the boiler cools down, various insects run around it. So the soul, warmed by prayer to God, turns out to be inaccessible to the evil influence of demons. The soul is tempted when it cools down, when the flame of prayer goes out. And when he prays again, the temptations dissipate. Anyone can check this own experience: in a moment of sorrow, when problems are oppressive or your heart is torn from bad thoughts, you should begin to pray to the Lord, say the Jesus Prayer - and the intensity of your thoughts will subside.

The Jesus Prayer is extremely necessary for the laity. It is life-saving in many everyday situations. If you feel like you are about to explode, lose your temper, if you want to say some bad word or have unclean wishes, stop and begin to slowly say the Jesus Prayer in your mind. Say it with attention, reverence, and repentance, and you will see how the intensity of passions goes away, everything inside calms down, and falls into place.

To put it bluntly, a passionate person is a person who does not pray. Without prayer you will never be with God. And if you are not with God, what will you have in your soul? The Jesus Prayer is the most accessible, simple in words, but deep in content prayer that you can have anywhere and at any time.

The Holy Fathers also called the Jesus Prayer the queen of virtues, because it attracts all other virtues. Patience and humility, abstinence and chastity, mercy, etc. - all this is connected with the Jesus Prayer. Because it introduces Christ, the one who prays adopts the image of Christ, receives virtues from the Lord.

Under no circumstances should you say the Jesus Prayer for the sake of some kind of spiritual delight.

There are, of course, a number of mistakes that happen to those who pray. Under no circumstances should you say the Jesus Prayer for the sake of some kind of spiritual delight or imagine something in your imagination. The Jesus Prayer should be without images, with attention to words, filled with reverence and a feeling of repentance. Such prayer disciplines the mind and cleanses the heart; the soul becomes lighter, because extraneous thoughts and chaotic feelings go away.

The Jesus Prayer is salvation for any Christian, no matter what situation he finds himself in.

The Jesus Prayer - steps of the ladder to the Kingdom of God

Both the holy fathers and modern experienced confessors have said a lot about the Jesus Prayer for the laity: it is necessary. But its whole “secret” is that there is no secret. And if we do not invent these “secrets” for ourselves, then a heartfelt and attentive appeal to the Lord in simplicity and contrition will undoubtedly contribute to our good passage of the path Christian life. Here we must distinguish between “doing mental prayer” by a monk under the guidance of an experienced confessor (this separate topic, which we will not touch now) and repetition of prayer by a layman at any time and at every hour: out loud, if there is such an opportunity, or silently, if a person is in public place. Simplicity and sincerity, awareness of one’s weakness and complete surrender of oneself into the hands of God are the main thing here, as in any prayer.

But here’s something else that seems to need to be said. Sometimes even this simple prayer is very difficult to pronounce, and St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), for example, defines in this case a “small measure” of what is necessary, that is, attention to the spoken words and the feasible application of your heart to them, even with compulsion. The Lord sees our struggle and struggle and good will. It cannot be easy all the time - this applies both to life in general and to prayer. Sometimes you need to force yourself, to work hard, “making your way” to the Lord through your own fatness and despondency and turmoil. And this doing already falls entirely within the sphere of our good will, because no one can take away this desire for God from us, as long as it (even if it weakens in us from time to time) does not stop. And the Jesus Prayer in this case is those simplest “knots” on a rope ladder, along which we, although with difficulty, can and must gradually climb the mountains e , V . But the Lord, who gave us this “ladder,” will not help, support, strengthen? Of course, he will support, and instruct, and strengthen, as long as we make our ascent with trust and simplicity, “without dreaming anything for ourselves,” but with diligence and constancy.