The 'Jesus Prayer' is a short formulaic prayer advocated especially within the Eastern churches: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." The prayer is particularly prominent in the Orthodox Church. It is often repeated continually as a part of personal ascetic practice, and was particularly esteemed by the fathers and mothers of this tradition as a method of opening up the heart. This Prayer of the Heart is considered to be the Unceasing Prayer that the Apostle Paul advocates in the New Testament.
Who can argue with such an ancient and venerable prayer? Yet, I have this thought…
For me at least, it is easy for the focus of this prayer to be me me me, my sins, having mercy on me me me. Instead, isn't one of the major tasks of climbing the Sacred Mountain to get over myself, to get over my self-importance and self-obsession?
A standard prayer in Islam is to recite the 99 names of Allah (perhaps with the aid of prayer beads):
| Ar-Rahman | 1 | The All-Merciful |
| Ar-Rahim | 2 | The All-Beneficient |
| Al-Malik | 3 | The Absolute Ruler |
| Al-Quddus | 4 | The Pure One |
| As-Salam | 5 | The Source of Peace |
| Al-Mu’min | 6 | The Inspirer of Faith |
| Al-Muhaymin | 7 | The Guardian |
| Al-‘Aziz | 8 | The Victorious |
| Al-Jabbar | 9 | The Compeller |
| Al-Mutakabbir | 10 | The Greatest |
| Al-Khaliq | 11 | The Creator |
| Al-Bari’ | 12 | The Maker of Order |
| Al-Musawwir | 13 | The Shaper of Beauty |
| Al-Ghaffar | 14 | The Forgiving |
| Al-Qahhar | 15 | The Subduer |
| Al-Wahhab | 16 | The Giver of All |
| Ar-Razzaq | 17 | The Sustainer |
| Al-Fattah | 18 | The Opener |
| Al-‘Alim | 19 | The Knower of All |
| Al-Qabid | 20 | The Constrictor |
| Al-Basit | 21 | The Reliever |
| Al-Khafid | 22 | The Abaser |
| Ar-Rafi’ | 23 | The Exalter |
| Al-Mu’izz | 24 | The Bestower of Honors |
| Al-Mudhill | 25 | The Humiliator |
| As-Sami | 26 | The Hearer of All |
| Al-Basir | 27 | The Seer of All |
| Al-Hakam | 28 | The Judge |
| Al-‘Adl | 29 | The Just |
| Al-Latif | 30 | The Subtle One |
| Al-Khabir | 31 | The All-Aware |
| Al-Halim | 32 | The Forebearing |
| Al-‘Azim | 33 | The Magnificent |
| Al-Ghafur | 34 | The Forgiver and Hider of Faults |
| Ash-Shakur | 35 | The Rewarder of Thankfulness |
| Al-‘Ali | 36 | The Highest |
| Al-Kabir | 37 | The Greatest |
| Al-Hafiz | 38 | The Preserver |
| Al-Muqit | 39 | The Nourisher |
| Al-Hasib | 40 | The Accounter |
| Al-Jalil | 41 | The Mighty |
| Al-Karim | 42 | The Generous |
| Ar-Raqib | 43 | The Watchful One |
| Al-Mujib | 44 | The Responder to Prayer |
| Al-Wasi’ | 45 | The All-Comprehending |
| Al-Hakim | 46 | The Perfectly Wise |
| Al-Wadud | 47 | The Loving One |
| Al-Majíd | 48 | The Majestic One |
| Al-Ba’ith | 49 | The Resurrector |
| Ash-Shahid | 50 | The Witness |
| Al-Haqq | 51 | The Truth |
| Al-Wakil | 52 | The Trustee |
| Al-Qawi | 53 | The Possessor of All Strength |
| Al-Matin | 54 | The Forceful One |
| Al-Wáli | 55 | The Governor |
| Al-Hamid | 56 | The Praised One |
| Al-Muhsi | 57 | The Appraiser |
| Al-Mubdi | 58 | The Originator |
| Al-Mu’id | 59 | The Restorer |
| Al-Muhyi | 60 | The Giver of Life |
| Al-Mumit | 61 | The Taker of Life |
| Al-Hayy | 62 | The Ever Living One |
| Al-Qayyum | 63 | The Self-Existing One |
| Al-Wajid | 64 | The Finder |
| Al-Májid | 65 | The Glorious |
| Al-Wahid | 66 | The Only One |
| Al-Ahad | 67 | The One |
| As-Samad | 68 | The Satisfier of All Needs |
| Al-Qadir | 69 | The All Powerful |
| Al-Muqtadir | 70 | The Creator of All Power |
| Al-Muqaddim | 71 | The Expediter |
| Al-Mu’akhkhir | 72 | The Delayer |
| Al-Awwal | 73 | The First |
| Al-Akhir | 74 | The Last |
| Az-Zahir | 75 | The Manifest One |
| Al-Batin | 76 | The Hidden One |
| Al-Walí | 77 | The Protecting Friend |
| Al-Muta’ali | 78 | The Supreme One |
| Al-Barr | 79 | The Doer of Good |
| At-Tawwab | 80 | The Guide to Repentance |
| Al-Muntaqim | 81 | The Avenger |
| Al-Afu | 82 | The Forgiver |
| Ar-Ra’uf | 83 | The Clement |
| Malik al-Mulk | 84 | The Owner of All |
| Dhul-Jalali Wal-Ikram |
85 | The Lord of Majesty and Bounty |
| Al-Muqsit | 86 | The Equitable One |
| Al-Jami | 87 | The Gatherer |
| Al-Ghani | 88 | The Rich One |
| Al-Mughni | 89 | The Enricher |
| Al-Mani’ | 90 | The Preventer of Harm |
| Ad-Darr | 91 | The Creator of The Harmful |
| An-Nafi | 92 | The Creator of Good |
| An-Nur | 93 | The Light |
| Al-Hadi | 94 | The Guide |
| Al-Badi | 95 | The Originator |
| Al-Baqi | 96 | The Everlasting One |
| Al-Warith | 97 | The Inheritor of All |
| Ar-Rashid | 98 | The Righteous Teacher |
| As-Sabur | 99 | The Patient One |
No mention of me me me! Excellent!
In a previous blog I mentioned an ancient version of the Jesus Prayer, "Kyrie Eleison" (KEE-ree-ay eh-LAY-ee-son), a prayer meaning "Lord have mercy" in Greek which by the 2nd century was already so established and venerated it was incorporated verbatim into the Latin Mass. So in that same spirit may I suggest a 'one word prayer' that focuses on God and not me, which is millennia more ancient still, namely "Hallelujah".
"Hallelujah" was originally an imperative, an invitation to praise God ("Let us praise Him") but it has come to be a statement of praise in and of itself. One way to use this throughout the day is to say "Hal-le-" on your inhale, and "-lu-jah" on your exhale. The beauty of it is that it contains no focus on me, indeed no mention of me at all.
And we have 99 candidates listed above (the 99 names of God) that would serve very well as one-word prayers/affirmations.
NOTE: I like the ancient prayers because they remind me of the millions of spiritual ancestors who have gone before me, a lineage extending back to time immemorial. I like modern prayers/affirmations too!
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