Unceasing | Practicing The Jesus Prayer Today

Rooted in the desert—the wisdom of the early Church, the Jesus Prayer—“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me”—has been practiced for centuries as a way of drawing the mind into the heart and abiding in the presence of God.

This 5-day journey offers a gentle yet profound immersion into the tradition. Each session includes a short teaching, a moment of prayer, and a guided meditation to help you deepen your connection to the name of Jesus—through history, Scripture, breath, and silence.

Whether you’re new to the prayer or returning to it with fresh intention, Unceasing invites you to discover this sacred practice not as a technique, but as a way of being—simple, embodied, and anchored in mercy.

Image: "Jerusalem Holy Sepulchre" Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Music: All background tracks composed and recorded by Nicho Fournie

Leçon 1: The History Of The Jesus Prayer - A Name Above All Names

This session opens the journey by tracing the roots of the Jesus Prayer through the deserts of Egypt, the monasteries of Mount Athos, and the quiet longing of The Way of a Pilgrim. We’ll reflect on how this ancient invocation emerged through the Church’s living memory, and why it continues to offer a path into stillness. The session closes with a simple, spacious introduction to the prayer itself.

Leçon 2: Patristic Wisdom - Into The Heart Of The Desert

Today we step into the contemplative wisdom of the Desert Fathers—Evagrius, Cassian, and Gregory of Sinai—who saw prayer not as words alone but as the watchful return of the heart to God. We’ll explore key themes like logismoi, nepsis, and hesychia, and practice gently noticing our thoughts while anchoring in the quiet rhythm of the Jesus Prayer.

Leçon 3: Scriptural Depth - The Prayer Of The Poor In Spirit

Here we explore how the Jesus Prayer emerges from the pages of Scripture: from the humility of the tax collector in Luke 18, to the reverence of the name in Philippians, to the longing for mercy in the Psalms. We’ll see how the prayer speaks with the voice of Scripture and tradition together—and learn to enter it with the same humility and openness that Scripture invites.

Leçon 4: The Breath And The Name - Uniting Body And Spirit

In this session, we bring the prayer into the breath. Drawing on the teachings of the Hesychast tradition and texts from the Philokalia, we’ll learn how the name of Jesus can move with the breath, drawing the intellect into the heart. This is not about technique, but about presence. You’ll be guided through a gentle, embodied practice that invites quiet alignment of body and soul.

Leçon 5: Into The Silence - The Prayer Of The Heart

The final session leads us into silence. We’ll reflect on the mystery of the “Prayer of the Heart,” when the repetition of words falls away and the soul simply abides in God. With wisdom from the Desert tradition and The Cloud of Unknowing, this day offers a space to rest—wordlessly, without striving—within the presence that has been with us all along.

Reviews

This brought the Jesus prayer to life for me, thank you 🙏🎈

This course was excellent and rare. Thank you so much for bringing this sacred practice to IT. I plan to listen to the full course again, and will highly recommend it. I will check the web for your other resources as well. ☦️🙏📿

Beautiful little course and yet so powerful, and so needed in these times, Thank you