How to Pray the Jesus Prayer [Video Included]

There are times when long intercessions are needed in our most intimate moments with God, and there are others when all you need is a powerful 10-word prayer to reach the point of perfect communion with God.

In the sections below, you will learn how to pray the Jesus prayer and what makes it a powerful spiritual tool.

What is the Jesus Prayer?

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

Over the years, different wording and interpretations have been seen. Each version had its history and sentiment. However, none can match the inspirational power of the first instances of the Jesus Prayer.

Let us take the example of the ten lepers and their experience with the Jesus prayer. 

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Luke 17:11 introduces us to this group of isolated men. Not much is said about them, but if the rest of the Bible is anything to go by, there were few things worse than suffering leprosy in those days.

Despite being shunned by their community and declared unclean, all it took was faith, guts, and a straightforward prayer, “Jesus, Master, Have pity on us.”

Several parallels can be drawn between these ten men’s experiences and our lives today. Maybe you have fallen short a few times and feel unclean. Perhaps you have suffered immeasurably, seemingly to no end.

Whatever your burden is, there is no denying the power of those simple words. So, without further ado, here is how to pray the Jesus prayer.

How to pray the Jesus prayer anywhere and any time

Step 1: Get in the right space

The Jesus prayer is the perfect answer to St. Paul’s call to pray all the time. You can do it anywhere and at any time.

The only thing you need to do is to ensure you get yourself into the right headspace. Do your best to eliminate distractions, and you will be good to go.

Step 2: Take a moment to understand the gravity of the prayer

The next important step is to take time to internalize Jesus’ prayer. It is a concise one, and its power is often underestimated. So before you start saying the words, take the time to understand what you are saying and what you are asking The Lord Jesus. 

Step 3: Start repeating the words audibly at first, then nonverbally

The final step in how to pray the Jesus prayer is simply repeating the prayer. You can start audibly for the first several minutes of your devotion time. If you are somewhere public and want to remain discrete, you could mouth the words.

During the last few minutes, recite it wordlessly in your mind and let the words sink in deeper. The goal is to synchronize the prayer with your breathing and heartbeat.

You could say the “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” part as you breathe in and the rest of the prayer with your exhalation. You can feel or listen to your heartbeat to pace yourself when you get in a rhythm.

You can stop after 15 or 30 minutes when you finally establish your technique.

Bottom line

You now know how to pray the Jesus prayer and have seen testimonies of its power. So whether you are in your most sacred devotion space or the subway on yo