In the Orthodox religion there is a huge number of prayers and akathists, read in various life situations. But the prayer of Jesus occupies a special place among them. They pronounce it, wanting to enlist the mercy of the Creator through his Son. The prayer of Jesus should be read in accordance with a set of rules that cannot be neglected.
Bit of history
A Christian who considers himself an Orthodox faith must know by heart the text of Jesus prayer. It exists in different variations, but its essence remains unchanged. Interesting fact: throughout history, the mentioned prayer book has acquired a mystical halo, which does not always put it in a positive light. Where do these mysterious superstitions come from what is the prayer of jesus and how it works is hard to say. But studying the chronicles reveals curious facts.
The history of the prayer text dates back to the 17th century. Once again, the Great Moscow Cathedral, whose goal was the trial of Patriarch Nikon, adopted reforms that entailed the formation of the Old Believers in Russia. Along the way, participants in the Council adopted a charter on how to properly pronounce a prayer to Jesus. From that moment on, calling Christ “the Son of God” was forbidden: the accepted version set the only norm - “Our God”. The established text of the Jesus prayer was declared canonical, but today it is considered a variant of the publican’s prayer. The difference is in the following line:
"God, be merciful to me a sinner."
What were the contradictions? The main debate arose due to a separate part of heretics who did not recognize Jesus as God. They called him exclusively the “Son of God,” which did not approve of the canons of the Orthodox Church.
In the process of prayer, we communicate with Heaven, ask him for mercy or offer thanks. The prayer of Jesus is a means to appeal to the mercy of the one who freed mankind from sinsby taking them upon himself. But there is a belief that the pronunciation of prayers by the laity is not welcome, as it is intended only for ministers of the church. Bishop Ignatius (1807 - 1867) refuted this point of view. He mentioned the words of the Apostle Paul, who taught that prayers are appeals to both monks and ordinary believers.
Religious figures note some difficulties that accompany the moments when the Jesus prayer is read: how to pray in order not to fall into the sin of self-seduction? The church claims that when pronouncing holy words it is necessary to accept complete humility and show meekness, the highest possible. But you cannot refuse prayer completely, otherwise you will steal your chance to partake of the basics of spiritual achievement.
Variations of Jesus Prayer
It is believed that Jesus prayer should be counted among Hesychasm - the ancient mystical currentbased on the tradition of ascetic practices. It was in this context that she was represented by the Optina Elder Barsanuphius.
He singled out 4 steps in the structure of Jesus prayer:
- Oral - assumed a complete concentration of a person on a prayer feat;
- Smart heart - The constant process of proofreading, without interruption;
- Creative - not subject to the majority, as it involves the passage of a special spiritual path, which only a few are capable of;
- High prayer - this level is achievable only by angels and reverends from among people.
According to Barsanuphius, overcoming all stages of Jesus' prayer implied the rejection of all earthly goods and complete immersion in the heavenly spiritual life.
This religious text has several options. As already mentioned, this is due to the official verdict of the Great Moscow Cathedral and subsequent changes over time. The main differences are observed in the question of how to pronounce the names of the Lord, the mother of God and how to formulate a petition.
Variants of pronunciation of the Lord's name:
- Lord Jesus Christ;
- Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God;
- Jesus Christ
- Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
- Lord Jesus Christ the Son and the Word of God;
- Jesus Christ, the Son and the Word of God;
- Jesus the Son of God;
- Jesus, the Son, and the Word of God.
Types of wording for the request:
- Have mercy on me;
- Save me;
- Have mercy on me a sinner;
- Have mercy on me a sinner;
- Have mercy on us;
- Be many-merciful to me many-sinful;
- Get rid of such and such (call passion) passion;
- Protect from the enemy visible and invisible;
- Protect me from demons;
- Save from the nets and wiles of demons;
- Help in that (to name specifically);
- Heal my soul, etc.
As you can mention the Virgin:
- Have mercy on the Virgin Mary;
- Prayers for the Virgin have mercy on me;
- Theotokos have mercy on me.
Often mentioning the word “sorry” is not recommended: prayer itself is forgiveness for the atonement of sins. A short Jesus prayer is widespread among believers, the text in Russian of which consists of only two words: "Lord, have mercy." It is read in any life situation, but it is not capable of replacing full-fledged prayer.
How to pray to the laity?
What should an Orthodox believer know about this prayer in the first place?
To begin with, you should accept it with your heart and not perceive it as a mystical secret or an occult practice. If you want prayer to be effective, read it in case of great need, but do not use it for magical purposes (for example, from removing the evil eye or spoiling). The Church negatively perceives such rituals, since the one who conducts them thus casts doubt on the power of God in protecting all things.
The most important condition is to open your soul and read a prayer text with full awareness of each word.
It is short enough, so memorize it to pray at any time with the right opportunity. The proof of prayer suggests that a person knows about his purpose.
Saint Theophanes (recluse Vyshensky) developed a set of rules for Jesus prayer:
- The main strength lies not in the text, but in the spiritual spirit with which it is read, whether the believer is in proper religious awe of the Lord;
- When addressing the Savior, remember that his image is inseparable from the Holy Trinity;
- Repeat words mechanically - to do futile labor. In the first place should be thought;
- Do not mention the name of God in vain unnecessarily: frequent repetition dulls the fear of God, because of which the believer deprives himself of salvation;
- To read a prayer correctly means to do it as naturally as possible, combining it with the breath.
Theophanes also said this: “Start small: after each morning and evening prayer, if nothing interferes, say:“ Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (the prayer is given in full text without abbreviations). ”
Text of jesus prayer
In the life of every person, no matter how strong his faith, there comes a moment of despair. This experience is sent to someone as a blessing, while others see it as a sign for serious change. Whatever the reason, without help from above, experiencing moments of despair is not easy.
The Jesus Prayer, the text of which is given below, makes it possible to appeal for the condescension of mercy from the One who is really capable of this:
“Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son and the Word of God, in prayers for the sake of Your mother’s pure, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. Lord have mercy".
To protect against negative influence, an extended version is read (it can not be considered canonical):
“Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ! Protect me with Holy angels, holy helpers, prayers of the Virgin, Mother of all, Life-giving Cross. Protect me by the power of St. Michael and the Holy Prophets, John the Theologian, Cyprian, Rev. Nikon and Sergius. Deliver me, the servant of God (name), from hostile slander, from witchcraft and evil, crafty ridicule and sorcery, so that no one could do evil. By the light of Your radiance, Lord, save me morning, evening and afternoon, By the power of grace turn away all that is bad from me, Remove the wickedness at the behest of the Devil. Whoever did evil to me, looked with envy, wished badly, Let everything return back to Tom, he will famously leave me. Amen!"
A baptized person can also say a prayer to Jesus asking for healing:
“O Lord, our Creator, I ask for your help, grant the complete recovery of God's servant (name) by washing her blood with its rays. Only with Your help will healing come to her. By miraculous strength, touch her and bless all her roads to the long-awaited salvation, healing, and recovery. Give her body health, her soul - blessed ease, her heart - divine Your balm. The pain will forever recede and the forces will return to it, all wounds will heal and your holy help will come. Your rays from the blue Heavens will reach her, give her strong protection, bless them to get rid of her diseases, strengthen her faith. May my Lord hear these words. Glory to you. Amen".
Before you read the prayer, talk with your confessor. He will explain how to pronounce it correctly so as not to fall into charm and commit a grave sin. Better ask for blessings: support is very important because Jesus' prayer is a great spiritual achievement.
