The Jesus Prayer is a powerful prayer and an ancient prayer of the Church. The origins of the Jesus Prayer are found in Sacred Scripture. Faith in the Holy Name of Jesus started with the apostles and continues today in the spiritual warfare of Christian disciples throughout the world. As disciples, we can pray the Jesus Prayer in good faith, both with our lips and from our hearts. May our prayers rise to the Eternal Father in heaven, and may the love of Christ be in our hearts. Amen.
What is the Jesus Prayer?
The most popular version of the Jesus Prayer is this:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
A variation of the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Another variation of the Jesus Prayer and my favorite:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words “through our Lord Jesus Christ”.
The Hail Mary reaches its high point in the words “blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”
The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Source: Catechism of the Catholic Church CCC 435
The Jesus Prayer is an ancient prayer that has been prayed by the Church Fathers, desert monks, saints, and sinners throughout the centuries. It is what is known as an arrow prayer, a breath prayer, an exclamatory prayer, and a holy prayer of the Church.
The Jesus Prayer is a prayer that is meant to be prayed and prayed throughout the day. The Jesus Prayer brings consolation to the soul, and the prayer allows God’s grace to flow in that soul from the humility needed for the soul to pray it.
But He bestows a greater grace; therefore, it says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6
Is the Jesus Prayer Powerful?
Christ is not weak toward you but powerful in you. 2 Corinthians 13:3b
PART 1
The Jesus Prayer in Sacred Scripture
Every word of The Jesus Prayer hinges on Sacred Scripture. Examples:
“Lord Jesus Christ…”
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Spirit be with all of you. 2 Corinthians 13:13
“Son of the Living God…”
St. Peter’s Testimony of Faith
He said to His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:16
“In the world-wide Church, every day Peter declares: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, and every man who acknowledges the Lord is enabled to proclaim what those words mean.” – St. Leo the Great, pope (400-461 A.D.)
“Son of God…”
St. Paul’s Testimony of Faith
He (St. Paul) got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength. He stayed some days with the disciples in Damascus, and he began at once to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Acts 9:18-20
“Saul lost no time in fulfilling his new mission to witness to Jesus. During the period in which he remained with the disciples in Damascus, he began at once to preach and proclaim the Jesus whose followers he had previously persecuted. Source: Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture, Act of the Apostles
“Have Mercy on Me…”
Contrition
Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions. Thoroughly wash away my guilt; and from my sin cleanse me. Psalms 51:3-4
Faith
And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!” When He entered the house, the blind men approached Him and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?” “Yes, Lord,” they said to Him. Then He touched their eyes and said, “Let it be done for you according to your faith.” Matthew 9:27-29
And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!” Matthew 15:22a
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. Luke 17:12-14
Eucharist +
When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity for them, and He cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached Him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” Jesus said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to Him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Matthew 14:14-18
“A Sinner.”
Humility
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:10-14
Eternity
My brothers, if anyone among you should stray from the truth and someone bring him back, he should know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20
But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy; save others by snatching them out of the fire; on others have mercy with fear, abhorring even the outer garment stained by the flesh. To the one who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished and exultant, in the presence of his glory, to the only God, our savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord be glory, majesty, power, and authority from ages past, now, and for ages to come. Amen. Jude 1:20-25
PART 2
The Jesus Prayer in Spiritual Warfare
Maybe one of the best ways I know how to discuss praying the Jesus Prayer in spiritual warfare is to provide examples from my own spiritual warfare battles in daily life.
Example, whenever I feel I need spiritual protection, I will pray the Jesus Prayer.
Rely on the mighty LORD; constantly seek His Face. 1 Chronicles 16:11
The love of Christ helps us to keep going in our journey of discipleship. Should I ever feel negativity trying to affect me, I pray the Jesus Prayer and put it in check.
Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5
Should there be any temptation, or unpreferable thought, the Jesus Prayer will quell those temptations and thoughts with the grace that God supplies from praying it.
He will shelter you with His pinions, and under His wings you may take refuge; His faithfulness is a protecting shield. Psalms 91:4
My Jesus Prayer Format
I like to pray the Jesus Prayer in a 3 verse format. There is one nuance that I should mention, I like to add a verse from the Gloria we sing at Mass, “Lord God, Lamb of God…” I generally pray two different Jesus Prayer formats throughout the day:
The Jesus Prayer, Format 1
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lord God, Lamb or God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
The Jesus Prayer, Format 2
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Lord God, Lamb of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
If I find that the negativity, temptation, or proud thought is particularly wretched, I will pray the last verse for any wretchedness I might be struggling with:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a wretched sinner, oh Lord. Amen.
Should you ever feel wretched, base, or vain inside, you might acknowledge it in the Jesus Prayer. The Lord should hear your prayer because He knows our thoughts.
LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. Psalm 139:1b-2
You can take it a step further and visualize the Holy Face of Jesus as you pray it.
Visualize the flow of grace, mercy, and Divine love of Christ being poured into your heart as you pray the Jesus Prayer again and again throughout the day.
I will sometimes pray the Anima Christi after having prayed the Jesus Prayer a few times. Spiritually, it seems to compliment the Jesus Prayer, almost working like a rinse cycle for the soul. I read where Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the former renowned exorcist of Rome, recommended praying the Anima Christi to combat evil on every level.
We can go further into spiritual warfare with the Jesus Prayer…most spiritual warfare is with ordinary influences we may encounter in our daily lives on various levels.
Examples
If you are feeling down or ever feel any desolation, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you find yourself murmuring or complaining, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you don’t like the feel of any room or place you are in, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you feel overwhelmed in your life, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you find your mind hung up on something that happened earlier in the day, pray the Jesus Prayer. If you are wondering how you will make it through the day, pray the Jesus Prayer. If you find yourself completely exhausted, pray the Jesus prayer.
If you see or hear something you don’t like, pray the Jesus Prayer. If your mind is wandering or filling up with thoughts of vanity or pride, pray the Jesus Prayer.
Should you feel the slightest ripple of fear, anger, or depression in your spirit, pray the Jesus Prayer. Should you become annoyed with something or someone, pray the Jesus Prayer. If there is any sense of attack from the adversary, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you want to draw closer to God in your daily life, pray the Jesus Prayer.
Return to Me, that I may return to you, says the LORD of hosts… Malachi 3:7b
If you want to atone for your sins, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you want to avoid sin, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you want the devil to flee from you, pray the Jesus Prayer.
If you want to guard your heart from the world, the flesh, and the devil, pray the Jesus Prayer. Pray it again and again with vigilance as Fr. Mark Goring recommends.
With closest custody guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life. Proverbs 4:23
What Do Exorcists Say About Praying the Jesus Prayer?
Exorcists advise us to live a holy life and pray the Jesus Prayer throughout the day.
“Turn to Jesus repeatedly. Regularly using short exclamatory prayers can help focus the mind on Jesus. Typical prayers are: “Jesus I trust in you” or “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner” or “Jesus, Mary” or another short holy prayer of your own choosing.” – Msgr. Stephen Rossetti
You can read Msgr. Rossetti’s blog post about helping people in our society today that are afflicted with mental obsessions and torments of the mind here:
Exorcists are Catholic priests that are involved in the deliverance ministry. They seek to save souls from the clutches of the devil and to help keep all of us delivered from evil.
“Demons attack us on the level of intellect, which is where prayer occurs. Fr. José Antonio Fortea, says that, since prayer causes our intellects and wills to be centered on God, it blocks the demons from tempting us. He adds, ‘Eventually, a demon cannot resist this and leaves us alone.’ Prayer and meditation thus fortify us in this spiritual warfare. Source: Slaying Dragons – What Exorcists See & What We Should Know by Charles D. Fraune
Why I switched from Praying “Son of God” to “Son of the Living God” When I Pray the Jesus Prayer.
The answer to this is from a comment I heard Father Vincent Lampert, exorcist for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, make about praying the Jesus Prayer devoutly.
“I think of the call to pray always, which means to always have an awareness of God, and I think we can be praying very deliberate prayers, but we also pray in the manner of our life and how we choose to live…you know I probably throughout the day, I have a prayer I really like to say, I probably say it a thousand times a day, it is always on the tip of my tongue, and it is ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.’ It is just to have that awareness of the presence of God…every moment of every day. It is to recognize God for who God is, and to recognize myself for who I am, and my need for God.” – Fr. Vincent Lampert
Fr. Lampert said this in an extended interview he had on the Matt Fradd show, Pints with Aquinas. I have watched the interview, and it is my humble opinion that Fr. Lampert put as much emphasis on praying the Jesus Prayer as he did with anything else they discussed during the entire interview. You can watch the interview here:
I would like to please point out exorcists are true soldiers of Christ in spiritual warfare. Considering their ministry, they have to be. Their ministry is on the front lines of spiritual warfare. They have seen and heard the enemy. They understand the battle.
Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith. 1 Peter 5:8-9a
I read where Msgr. Rossetti keeps a rosary on him at all times. I heard Fr. Ripperger say one of his exorcist comrades took a vow of no idle time. As mentioned, Fr. Lampert prays the Jesus Prayer devoutly throughout the day. We would be wise to consider their spiritual direction and vigilance in our own spiritual warfare as Catholics.
RECAP:
The Jesus Prayer will help to provide us spiritual consolation, keep our hearts guarded from temptations, and ourselves delivered from evil. The Jesus Prayer will help us to love Christ and strive to live a holy life. We are called to live a holy life in Christ.
“Be holy because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:16b
You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39