Praying the Jesus Prayer

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me." This very simple prayer was developed in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine during the early centuries of Christian faith, and has been practiced in the Eastern Orthodox Church ever since. It is a prayer inspired by St. Paul's exhortation to "pray constantly" (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and its purpose is to tune one's inner attention to the presenc...