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See section HESYCHASM (JESUS PRAYER)
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The Jesus Prayer is the prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” or its shorter forms. The Church Charter stipulates that illiterate laity replace all prayers and psalmody with the Jesus Prayer: Lesser Compline - 400, Great Compline - 700, Hours without interhour - 1000, Hours with interhour - 1500, Midnight Office - 600, Matins - 1500, Kathisma - 300, Glory - 100 , Psalter – 6000.
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Why does the Jesus Prayer have so many names?
Depending on the degree of action of the word, mind, heart and Spirit of God (on the pilgrim), and, we can say that depending on from which side we consider this prayer, it is designated by one name or another. In general, there are several types of prayer: verbal (pronounced out loud), mental, active (called smart because it is read mentally, and active because, until the time of complete devotion to the will of God, it is done by a person intentionally, and not spontaneously by the Holy Spirit), intelligent - active heart (the heart prays together with the mind). The following two types of prayer are acquired by the person praying after cleansing the heart from passions and sin: mental-heart self-motivated (continuous prayer moved by the Holy Spirit), mental-heart pure, or non-vapor (pure from extraneous thoughts). By uniting the soul with Jesus Christ into “one spirit” (1 Cor. 6:17), the highest degree of prayer is achieved: visual prayer (having united with the Lord, the ascetic sees the great mysteries of God).
Temptations
When a person really comes to love prayer, when his spirit is kindled, then, according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, the Jesus Prayer will begin to move from verbal form to heartfelt form. And heartfelt prayer, if offered with attention, will begin to capture the mental spheres of the soul. Only in this way can mental-heart prayer become accessible to modern Christians who have devoted themselves entirely to God. Priests, monks, pious laity, who are removed from everyday worries and sorrows, can take this Divine gift and perform mental-heart prayer for the benefit of the soul.
I recommend starting this way: step away from the usual bustle - from the radio, TV, and retire to a quiet place where you can tune in prayerfully. If over time you begin to seriously engage in the Jesus Prayer, you need to look for those people who have experienced this path and discuss all your conditions with them.
A beginner needs an assistant. Because the activity of the spirit affects the soul, the mental state, and the nervous system. It awakens many movements in the soul that perhaps were not there before. When a person constantly performs mental prayer, the innermost begins to awaken in him, which a person may not have encountered in his practice.
There is such a law in the physical world - the more powerful and the larger some energy movement, the more surrounding spheres are involved in it. The same is true of the Jesus Prayer. If you do it with some effort, with some tension, then it can awaken a lot from the sensory world and from the world of imagination, especially if we do not have a feeling of repentance. All the negativity that is still hidden will come into motion and can have a detrimental effect on a person’s state of mind.
You can determine whether a person is following the right path in his prayer work by his fruits. The fruit of incorrect prayer can be pride of mind. A person begins to do everything for show, tries to show everyone that he has been praying for a long time, that he knows how to say the Jesus Prayer.
The Gospel says: if you want to offer a heartfelt prayer to God, “...go into your closet, and when you have shut your doors, pray to your Father who is in secret: and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you in reality” (Matthew 6:6) . If a person does not enter his inner cage with humility, with deep faith, with a feeling of repentance, with attention, then this activity will result in him either into pharisaism or into proud self-affirmation.
Often in such a situation, people begin to experience a nervous disorder, noticeable from the outside - nervous sudden movements, excitability, a desire to prove something, to argue. This also shows that the person is praying incorrectly.
One cannot enter into the spiritual world without reasoning. Each step must be verified by both the spirit of the Gospel and the spirit of the Lord’s commandments, the tradition and teaching of the Church, and the thoughts of the holy fathers. A person must have a clear state of mind so that he can see the right and wrong paths.
Where does the Jesus Prayer come from?
The prototype of the Jesus Prayer is presented in the Gospel (Mark 10:46-52): when Jesus Christ was leaving Jericho, blind Bartimaeus, “the son of Timaeus,” was sitting by the road. Hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was here, the blind man began to shout and say: “Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me." Many forced him to remain silent, but he began to shout even more: “Son of David! have mercy on me”... Also, the Jesus prayer has some similarities with the prayer of the Canaanite woman, who shouted to Jesus: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David, my daughter is cruelly raging” (Matthew 15:22). Like Bartimaeus and the Canaanite woman, the publican from the Gospel parable asked God for mercy: “God! be merciful to me, a sinner! (Luke 18:13).
The Lord brought us freedom
Many people don’t even know what real freedom is. And this is a most interesting (priceless) thing. After deliverance from slavery to sin (possible only with the help of Christ), this good is acquired. The Lord said: Believe in the Truth (the content of the Jesus Prayer), and It will make you free. What does it mean?
If you tell a mountain to be thrown into the sea, it will move from its foundations; if you want to cross the river as if it were dry land, go and do not be afraid. Need rain? Ask in the Name of the Lord, and heaven will obey you. Raise the dead, please! Would you say science fiction? No, my dears, this is the absolute truth. And there were such saints on earth.
Note: Yes, not everyone can do this. We have little faith, practically none, otherwise we would become saints. You must at least be aware of your weakness.
Is it necessary to ask for a blessing for the Jesus Prayer?
There are opposing opinions on this matter. According to one point of view, the Jesus Prayer (we mean the process of prayer, prayers) is a special work, a special spiritual work, and therefore it should be performed under the guidance and with the blessing of an experienced mentor, one who knows well the spiritual life of the Christian who turns to him. “Without guidance,” warns the Monk Barsanuphius of Optina, “it is dangerous to go through this prayer.” Moreover, this priest himself must be a very experienced prayer book, he himself must have experience in prayer.
According to another widespread opinion, expressed by the clergy themselves, the Jesus Prayer is no different from any other prayer, and since prayer is the natural state of a Christian’s life (1 Thess. 5:17), it does not need a special blessing. Thus, Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov said: “There is no need to endow the Jesus Prayer with any special qualities. This is just one of the prayers. But due to the minted formula, it fell in love with all the prayer books of the Church, just like the Liturgy of John Chrysostom, which in the good sense of the word supplanted all other rites of the Liturgy - and now, basically, we pray through the mouth of this wonderful saint... If a person prays the Jesus Prayer - on health".
We are cut from the same cloth, but the taste is different
We are all built the same way, and at the same time we are very different: in intelligence, in the level of Christianization, understanding of Orthodox teaching, depth of faith, abilities, temperament, inherent passions, and finally, in the degree of determination to follow Christ. What is good for one is death for another. By practicing prayer, you will have an idea of its impact on:
- events;
- own transformation;
- surrounding people;
- changes in life.
You need to approach it thoughtfully. Listen to advice, but choose your path based on the experience of the saints. Follow their example, but don't copy. Adopt knowledge, but realize that their level of soul purification and ours are different as heaven from earth. We are cut from the same cloth, but we have individuality. You won’t know how it will manifest itself until you experience miracle prayers in your own skin.
Can temptations happen to those who say the Jesus Prayer?
A person’s firm intention to perform the Jesus Prayer can be manifested in asking for a blessing from a priest for such an act. But as soon as the evil one sees this determination, he can rebel against the one praying, therefore, while a pilgrim is performing the Jesus Prayer, a storm of thoughts that the enemy often attacks him. The Monk Hilarion of Optina taught not to contradict the enemy’s thoughts, since only experienced prayer books can do this, but to simply continue to pray in the simplicity of the heart, trusting in the mercy of God: “And if, against your desire, the mind is captivated, then continue the prayer, and not contradict - do not contradict there is still enough for you.” The Monk Barsanuphius of Optina also warned that those who follow the path of the Jesus Prayer can endure sorrow both during prayer and after it: “The path of the Jesus Prayer is the shortest, most convenient path. But do not grumble, for everyone who follows this path experiences sorrow.” Those who perform the Jesus Prayer must pay especially close attention to their spiritual life. “Madness from the Jesus Prayer can occur when, while doing this prayer, one does not deviate from any sins and habits of sinners, which the conscience condemns. At the same time, a deep discord occurs within, driving away all peacefulness of the heart,” writes St. Theophan the Recluse.
The role of the Jesus Prayer in the life of a Christian
A person’s life proceeds in constant temptation. The Earthly Kingdom is full of temptations, so there is no believer who has not sinned at all. This is fine. But sin is alien to the divine nature. He is like a parasite, corrupting the soul over and over again. A person must renounce sin.
But he is not able to throw off his shackles on his own. The only helper in this difficult task will be the Lord and His mighty power. To find a protector in the form of the Creator, you should regularly read the Jesus Prayer. In this way, the believer will strengthen his soul, mind, heart, become immune to the wiles of Satan and come closer to the City of God.
Unfortunately, our hearts are poisoned by sin. It remains to be seen when we will finally get rid of it. The Savior gave us the chance to return to the Heavenly Palace with His redemptive feat. For our sake, He endured suffering and rescued all those wrongfully condemned from the Underworld.
After His resurrection, every Christian was commanded to live like Christ. Live and enjoy life in prayer and meekness, gradually drawing closer to God. Leaving earthly pleasures far behind is our responsible task, our duty.
How is the Jesus Prayer different from meditation?
There are many differences. The Jesus Prayer strongly expresses faith in God, who cares about man's salvation. In this prayer we do not seek to meet with a faceless God (absolute), but our prayer focuses on the personal God - the God-man Jesus Christ. It is important to understand that the salvation we ask for in this prayer is not an abstract state, but unity with the Trinitarian God. Another difference: in the process of prayer (as a result of prayer), we do not strive to bring the mind to absolute “nothing,” but we want to turn it into the heart and acquire the grace of God. The kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). The body, according to the teaching of the Church, is not evil, but the carnal mind is evil. It is not the “garment of the soul,” as philosophical teachings say, and one must strive not to throw it off, but to save it. For by the salvation of the whole man is meant both his soul and his body. Consequently, we do not strive for the destruction of the body, but we fight against sinful service to it. We do not want the death of life, we do not strive to fall into such a state that, for the sake of ending suffering, we have no desire to live. Another important aspect: we are not indifferent to the world around us, while Eastern teachings avoid delving into human problems and strive to preserve their peace and tranquility. An Orthodox Christian continuously prays for everyone, cries for the whole world. Joy that exists only for us and not for the world is not true joy. And finally, we do not attach much importance to psychotechnical methods, as well as to various body positions, although we believe that some of them help to concentrate the mind in the heart. The person praying does not strive for apathy (this is a negative state), but to acquire Divine grace.
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The Jesus Prayer, according to the teaching 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. (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).
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. (St. Theophan the Recluse).
“You write to me that you have a desire to undergo the feat of the unceasing Jesus Prayer, but some say: you will fall into delusion from the Jesus Prayer. Here are some new detractors of the Jesus Prayer! They themselves do not understand what they are saying. People fall into delusion not from prayer, but from pride, conceit and self-indulgence.” St. John of Valaam
The whole world is under the influence of some force that takes possession of the mind, will and all spiritual qualities of a person. The person remains even seemingly defenseless; He is so possessed by this evil force that he does not realize what he is doing. Even suicide is suggested and committed. Why is this happening? Because they do not take up arms: they do not have the name of Jesus and the sign of the cross with them. The Jesus Prayer destroys all devilish attacks; it is the most powerful weapon for the fight against passions. The enemy tries in every possible way to divert the Christian from this prayer; he fears and hates it most of all. St. Barsanuphius of Optina
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See PRAYER WORDS
Other names for the Jesus Prayer
At some points, turning to the Son of God can be classified as ascetic practices. However, for the most part, it is part of the esoteric direction. Among adherents, it is called “secret prayer.” They read it in order to gain strength of mind and protect the soul from sin.
Within the framework of asceticism, prayer is an important part of understanding oneself and Divine Providence. In this case, the ascetic renounces his earthly existence in favor of heavenly existence.
INTERESTING: Life of Jesus Christ: read.
Anyone can practice asceticism, however, you should not comprehend this trend of Christianity on your own. For convenience, clarify all questions of interest with your spiritual mentor. Only he can help you, put you on the right path. Alone, you can become an adherent of a heretical movement, although you will not suspect it.
Sometimes prayer is the cause of temptation. For example, a person suffers from gluttony. And he prays to the Lord to forgive Him this sin. But every time, the believer is tempted to taste forbidden food. In this case, the help of a priest is necessary. It is a long-known fact that priests can help, heal, and guide with a word. It is useful to have conversations with them and ask for advice.
Since Jesus is somewhat reminiscent of yoga practices, it is constantly confused with it. In fact, this is not true.
"Secret prayer" is practiced in hesychasm and involves silence. Ascetics of this kind prefer to spend time in silence and learn to understand the Lord God without words. This approach is certainly interesting, but for an ordinary layman, whose life is spent in constant communication, it is impossible.
The Jesus Prayer is an ancient recipe for salvation
In Psalm 136 there are the words: Blessed is he (who has fellowship with God) who will dash the heads of your (daughter of Babylon) babies on a stone. A person who does not know the interpretation may be confused by the text: what cruelty! In fact, it's simple. This is the recipe for salvation from the wiles of the devil:
- Babies are the thoughts he puts into our minds.
- The stone is Christ.
They don’t have conversations or arguments with thoughts, they don’t savor them, they don’t wait for them to grow and plunge into sin. Without allowing them to settle in their minds while they are babies, they must be beaten with the Jesus Prayer, in His Name. Since thoughts are constantly swarming in my head, I pray incessantly.
Prayer to the Lord for health
A serious illness is not a reason to despair. Of course, it is difficult to see God’s good providence in illness, but this must be done in order not only to alleviate one’s suffering, but also to express complete trust in the Lord, which will certainly be followed by a reward from above.
Faith in Christ helps us approach the struggles associated with poor health with an optimistic attitude. You can strengthen it in yourself with the help of prayers, some of which are simultaneously directed to the Almighty, as a petition for divine help.
Priests recommend calling on the One Creator not only when hopes for another salvation have disappeared. It is worth contacting him every day, regardless of your health condition.
You can and should ask for your own healing and the recovery of loved ones, for their protection from illnesses. Anyone who is persistent in his prayer, who asks God for blessings with sincere love for Him, will certainly receive his.
How to Pray to Jesus Christ, the Son of God
For the Jesus Prayer to be effective, it is necessary to pray correctly. The main obstacles in this case are absent-mindedness and everyday fuss. It is unlikely that you will be able to learn the Jesus Prayer if a person is addicted to TV or the Internet. A person whose main pastime is listening to music and communicating on social networks will not be able to pray correctly. All everyday hobbies fill the mind and heart and at the same time do not allow a person to correctly and purposefully turn to God with prayer.
To pray to Jesus Christ correctly, it is important to set yourself up accordingly. Prayer to the Lord is practically meditation. During the prayer appeal, you need to completely renounce the events of the surrounding world. Only in this way can one draw closer to God and count on effective communication.
For our prayer to be heard by God, it must be filled with a person’s inner energy. Before performing a prayer, it is necessary to free the soul from sinful thoughts, anger, hatred, and envy. It is necessary to mentally ask for forgiveness from your loved ones, and also forgive them.
The success of a prayer appeal depends on how well you understand the spoken text with your mind. Before you pray, you need to understand and feel every word of prayer, delve into the meaning of the spoken phrases and convey your knowledge to your soul.
