There are four versions of the Jesus prayer. They’re helpful for different times and occasions. Let’s go through all four of them briefly.
Let’s begin with the long version. This is the one that is usually taught to newcomers to the Jesus prayer. It goes, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
The slightly shorter version, which has a much longer history, goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”
The shorter version, which is the one that I use, goes like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” The advantage of this version is that it is more balanced. Which means you can breathe in saying, “Lord Jesus Christ,” and breathe out saying, “have mercy on me.”
And then there’s the micro version, which is the shortest version of the Jesus prayer. It is simply, “Lord Jesus.” The advantage of this is it is great for meditation, when one’s breathing is not as long. You breathe in saying “Lord,” and breathe out “Jesus.”