The Jesus Prayer : A Cry for Mercy, a Path of Renewal

An ancient prayer for every day: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner." These words have strengthened and comforted believers for centuries. The Jesus Prayer comes to us from the Eastern Christian tradition. In these pages, John Michael Talbot explores more of the roots of the prayer along with the theological and practical meaning of each word in the lives of believers today. Readers are invited to meditate on the twelve simple words that lie at the heart of the Christian East. Complete with historical context and exercises for self-reflection, this book shows how a single prayer could sustain the spiritual life of a civilization. Each chapter ends with a brief practice using the prayer. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1 Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 2 Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 3 Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 4 Son of God, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 5 Son of God, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 6 Son of God, Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 7 Have Mercy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 8 On Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 9 A Sinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 10 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Appendix: The Roots of the Jesus Prayer . . . . . . . . 139 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Suggested Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Related Titles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 An ancient prayer for every day:'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.'These words have strengthened and comforted believers for centuries. The Jesus Prayer comes to us from the Greek Orthodox tradition. In these pages, John Michael Talbot explores more of the roots of the prayer along with the theological and practical meaning of each word in the lives of believers today. He ends each chapter with a brief practice using the prayer.