As Jesus drew near to Jericho a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging and hearing a multitude going by, he inquired what this meant. They told him ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by’. And cried, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ And those who were in front rebuked him telling him to be silent.”

To catch the true meaning of these words, one must remember that the “roadside” was the gutter of some street in Jericho. He was blind, and he was a beggar sitting in the gutter. To the people of Jericho he was the lowest of the low. So those around him, rebuked him, “Do you think He would pay attention to you, a dirty, blind beggar…How dare you trouble the Master…Quiet!”

“…but he cried out all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!”

He didn’t give up! He heard what Jesus could do and he cried out even louder than before.

“And Jesus stopped.”’

Above all the noise of the multitude Jesus heard the lonely prayer of the blind beggar and He stopped. The Almighty Lord and Master of the universe is stopped by the prayer of a poor blind forgotten beggar sitting in the gutter. Let us talk briefly about this prayer that stopped Jesus. The blind man’s prayer is known today as the Jesus prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” It is one of the most commonly used prayers in the Orthodox Church. Prayer, to the average man, is asking God for something. The Jesus prayer, however, is not this. It is a scientific attempt to change the one who prays.

St. John Chrysostom says: “A Christian, when he eats, drinks, walks, sits, travels, or does any other thing must continually cry: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me.’ So that the name of the Lord Jesus descending into the depths of the heart, should subdue the serpent ruling over the inner pastures and bring life and salvation to the soul… And again always remember our Lord Jesus Christ, until the name of the Lord becomes rooted in the heart and it ceases to think anything else.”

St. Paul says: “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom.10:13)

Jesus tells us: “if you ask anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13)

The Jesus prayer can give us the power to resist every evil thought and temptation with which Satan attacks us. For example, when Satan knocks on the door of the mind seeking entrance through some evil thought, send Jesus to the door and he will flee. Resist every temptation with the Jesus prayer. As soon as you feel that the stronghold of your soul is being assaulted by Satan, start praying the Jesus prayer constantly and with faith. Satan will flee. There is no greater weapon in heaven or earth.

Try this experiment. Let the last words you utter each night be the Jesus prayer. Fall asleep with these words on your lips. What better way to end a day than with Jesus? And when you wake up in the morning, let the first words you utter be the Jesus prayer. What better way to greet a new day than with Jesus? During the day, whether you are talking, sitting, walking, making something, eating or occupied in some way repeat the Jesus prayer, or the name of Jesus alone in love and adoration. Try this experiment and discover for yourself what countless others have discovered.

Princess Ileana of Romania writes: “prayer has always been of very real importance to me…but in the practice of the Jesus prayer I am but a beginner. I would, nonetheless, like to awaken interest in this prayer because, even if I have only touched the hem of a heavenly garment, I have touched it—and the joy is so great I would share it with others…”

Taken from: Eastern Orthodoxy: A Way of Life, by Anthony Coniaris, Light & Life Publ. Co., 1966
For further reading see books on The Jesus Prayer by Lev Gillet, Albert Rossi and Mother Mary