Lord Jesus Christ,

Son of the Living God,

have mercy on me, a sinner

A simple prayer, repeated slowly and perhaps to the rhythm of one's breath, that can be prayed anytime, anywhere.

It has ancient roots, and a deep theology.

'Lord Jesus Christ' - of all the names in the world given to men, the only one by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12)

'Son of the Living God' - God is living, always creating and making all things new

'Have mercy on me' - 'the tender mercy of our God who from on high will bring the rising Sun to visit us (Luke 2:78)

'a sinner' - 'what proves God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8)

Prayed frequently, the Jesus Prayer becomes a constant presence.