Jesus prayer

Hi all,
I'm a Buddhist in the Tibetan tradition, so I'm quite used to using mantra.
There seems to be a similar tradition in Christianity with the Jesus Prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
Have mercy on me,
A sinner.

It seems like a good way to keep the mind on spiritual matters and to keep defilements at bay.

***Do you use this prayer and do you find a benefit from doing so?

I don't really use this prayer but I have asked the Lord to have mercy on me before. Some people find comfort in praying prayers that others have prayed in the past. Many people like to recite the Lord's prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-13. It is a very good prayer. I have recited it myself before. It goes " Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." This was the prayer Jesus gave as a model prayer to pray in like fashion. In reciting prayers like these, it gives an opportunity to think about the meaning behind what the prayer is conveying. I believe it is also good to pray from the heart also though using your own words to speak to God. Psalm 62:8 says: " Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah."

While such repeated prayers may be used in some Christian traditions, using them in the manner you describe is actually not consistent with biblical teaching. The prayer of repentance you quoted is only a suggestion for how we might pray in that situation, not a replacement for an actual heartfelt, honest outpouring of sorrow over one's sin. Sadly, it's mechanical prayer that weakens our relationship with God, because it leads us to treat it as an item on a checklist. Can it be effective, if heartfelt? Certainly. As a mantra? Highly doubtful. The Bible simply doesn't teach "mantra" prayer.

Imagine that, as a child, your relationship with your dad consists only of saying each day, in a flat tone of voice, "Thanks for providing a home and food and clothing," but never interacting with him otherwise. Then imagine having a vibrant, lively, intimate relationship with him, full of joy, playfulness, instruction, correction, hugs, and all the things that make a father-child relationship such a blessing for both.

Which sounds better? God offers us the latter, through Jesus Christ. Our prayer life can be vibrant and cover the full spectrum of our experience. If a Christian has only the former kind of prayer life, either they haven't learned what it could be, or something is broken.

Do you have a "god-figure" to whom you pray? Do you have any kind of deep, heartfelt expression of relationship in your religion?

Interesting answers so far. I suppose if you do mantra in a very dry mechanical way then that is what it would be.
I'm not really here to talk about Buddhism and it upsets some that I'm on here at all.
But I will briefly answer your questions.
Buddha isn't a god, but is a teacher and had realised things as they actually are.
When I pray and do mantra, I visualise and prostate at the same time. I visualise all the lineage of lamas back to the Buddha, all the past and future Buddhas, the meditational deities, the scriptures, the bodhisattvas (a bit like saints), all the scriptures, all the protectors (something like Buddhist angels?). Around me I imagine all the living beings in the universe, all beings in heaven, all demigods and demons, all humans, all animals, all ghosts and all hell beings.
I feel compassion for them all and when I pray and prostate I visualise them all praying too. I feel heartfelt compassion for their suffering and pledge over and over to help them. Any karmic merit I obtain and any happiness I give to all beings, and any suffering I take into myself.
I imaging any enemies and particularly focus on caring for them.
In Buddhism, no being will be left to suffer, even the worst sinner. Underneath the mud of defilements there is a jewel of Buddha nature in all beings. Even Mara, the Buddhist equivalent to Satan, is considered highly deluded and therefore dangerous, but not 100% evil, it is more a state of ignorance.
We do believe in god's in Buddhism, but these too are considered deluded with pride, arrogance and so not free from anger and jealousy.
Anyway, I'm not here to promote Buddhism or put it up against Christianity, but you asked.

I do not use any formulated prayers or praying in repititon.. I was once a catholic where i only used formulated prayers and i did pray with repitious prayer ( The hail mary being the most known example of a formulated and repitious catholic prayer ) thanks be to God i renounced that religon and became a Christian after i read the words of Jesus..

Matthew 6: KJV
5 "¶ And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. {6} But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. {7} But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking."

The way you pray, is that instructed (to prostate yourself)?

I ask, because my butt is sitting in a chair, some of the dogs are near me, I am obviously online, and in my mind I have been praying to God the entire time. No prostrating, no candles, no music, no noise, no mantra, no visualizing people who are dead and gone, none of that hokey crap. It's just me and God. Since my God is all knowing, all seeing, all powerful, He knows my thoughts. Therefore, when I pray in my mind, or think of God, or praise God in my mind, He is aware and knows what I am relating to Him.

Basically, I can be in constant communication with God through my thoughts while eating, driving, brushing my teeth, showering, putting on deodorant, dressing, working, scratching my butt. I am connected to God 24/7/365 if I desire to be.

Hi, Buddhists don't really pray to Buddha, what I do is part of a particular practice that I do, a foundational practice, that involves prostration. It's called ngondro if you wanted to search it.
Of course somebody Buddhist or Christian can meditate and pray in any posture. Though meditation, contemplation and prayer will have different meanings for me and you.
Thanks for your answers btw.

When you pray, do you feel the benefit of it? Do you FEEL something happening? I'm interested in the experience of the heart more than the mind.
Do you feel your practice is changing something in how you feel? Are your habits changing?

I think when I talk to Christians and other religious groups, this is what I want to know. Does it change how you feel? Does it change how you behave with others, talk with others, think about others... right now. That's what I'm really trying to find out.

Yes, to meditate on this prayer, have mercy on me, a sinner, produces a humility in me

So you choose how you want to conduct your prayers. And you have chosen the way of ngondro to emulate for your prayer. It is better when we can choose how to pray, I believe.

As far as benefiting from my prayer(s)?

I have had many prayers answered. From people who were sick, extremely ill, even to the point of death I have seen miraculously recover. How I knew it was a miracle, that was directly from the doctors and nurses/staff involved.

I've had deals go through that should never had like buying homes, vehicles, having a business plan accepted by the bank, etc. And I have been hired when there were several applying for one position and the employer's claim was they were only hiring the best qualified candidate. How that was me, hmmmm, well, I will leave that to God!!

There are so many things I could list from praying for health and wellness, to finances and employment, to flat out impossible without a miracle taking place. On the flip side, my prayers have definitely been heard by God in spiritual warfare. And then, it takes you to believe me when I make these claims. I say that, because I am just wasting time if my post is not accepted as fact!!

It's very interesting to me that you point this out; i think most protestants if they were asked about mantric prayer would say the Catholics do that, praying the rosary, fingering the beads - and they would say so with an air of offense associating it with the idolatry of Mary. They probably wouldn't realize by and large that there are benefits to this sort of meditative prayer - meditation in the active sense, not dry rote repitition and vacuousness - and that they perhaps already do something similar.

Thanks for your gracious attitude and thoughtful topics

Sometimes I have felt more calm and relaxed during prayer. Other times I have gotten really emotional and tearful while praying but not always completely understanding why. What got me really tearful recently was thinking over Scripture such as the parable of the prodigal son. Thinking over how when the father in the parable saw his son coming home from afar off he ran and embraced him and kissed him. The son had demanded his share of the inheritance early from his father, ran off with the money and wasted all of it and then when famine hit, the son found himself in want and starving. He returned to his father seemely not expecting much, even to be received back as his son but the father received and accepted him with open arms before the son could say anything. The Father in this parable is like unto God when we come to God through faith in Christ Jesus. It just really touched my heart thinking over this parable and how the father was so accepting and loving.

Are there some articles or books you would recommend if you are not very familiar with Buddhism and the commonly used terms in the religion? I never heard of ngondro until reading your post and I looked it up and saw other words that I did not know what the meaning was.

"And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.
Matthew 6:7‭-‬8 NASB
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.6.7-8.NASB

Prayer is just talking to God and listening to Him.
The Jesus prayer is one that a sinner actually prayed and the Lord did have mercy on him and healed him.
Yes I've been healed when I prayed to God to ask for mercy.

Its not a mantra, what happens when you pray is, if you are praying in the holy spirit he gives you the words to say according to Gods will and He will do it. Of course when you pray you are thinking and thanking God while doing so. GOd is able to keep us from temptations if we pray for Him to do so.

We can say 'lord cleanse my heart and renew a right spirit in me' actually we can say whatever we like because we have a personal relationship with Him there are no 'set prayers' or specific words we need to chant, I would say its very different from what the buddhists do. We can pray for others too not just ourselves.

Would you like us to pray for you to know God better?

The story is in Luke 18:13 and the person praying that was a tax collector. When Jesus saw the tax collector praying he compared with the pharisee who was praying loudly and showing off how righteous he was and said God would answer the humble tax collectors prayer over the self-righteous pharisee.

Zaccheus was the name of one of the tax collectors, his story is in the Bible. Go check it out.

I am glad you are not here to talk about bhuddism. I'm a little surprised no one has given you the Gospel unto Salvation yet.

You seem like a nice, decent person that is truly interested in the well being of others.. I can tell you for absolute certainty that those attributes, and bhuddism, hinduism, judaism, islam, apostate christianity, or any other religion or NO religion will send you and all that adhere to hell for eternity.

Fortunately, you and everyone else, has a hope, and His Name is Jesus Christ. This is THE One and ONLY Gospel unto Salvation:

God became human flesh in the Form of Jesus. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Born of a virgin. Suffered, was crucified, and died to pay our sin debt that we are UNABLE to pay. God raised Him to life on the 3rd day.
If you confess Jesus as LORD, and believe in your heart that He was raised to life on the 3rd day according to the Scriptures, YOU WILL BE SAVED!

I pray in His Name you will act upon hearing His Word.

There is a benefit for the Christian to come before Christ.

When we say His Name at the beginning of our prayers that is what we are doing. Coming before Christ in prayer.

Just saying words over and over has no real benefit if you are only saying them to yourself. Are you trying to convince your own self of something by saying these words?

It is better to be convinced by Christ.

I don't think using a mantra and Christian prayer has anything at all in common. A mantra is aimed at emptying the mind of all thought and humming it out, a Christian uses all his awareness to be aware of God and to speak to Him.

Even when David tells us to meditate, it is not even a distant relative of secular or other religion's meditation for it is filling our minds completely with the word or presence of the Lord.

Many Christians use set prayers they repeat, but that repetition is never by rote. It is mindful repetition and the memorized prayer is used to guide the true prayer in a completely mindful way.

If you sincerely want to know about Christianity, I recommend you talk directly to the One who can open your eyes. Because being a Christian is a spiritual rebirth. It's not an intellectual understanding. It's not a feeling. Christ goes beyond the metaphysical and human comprehension. You will never know Him unless you ask Him to reveal Himself to you personally. Otherwise, my words are only empty words to you. Just like Buddha’s s lifeless words.

Buddha was a man trying to live a righteous life, though he was not holy or divine. He is lifeless now.
Jesus is the Son of the Living God. He has always been and ever will be.

Buddha was a teacher who said the path to nirvana is up to you to find. He can do nothing more for you, because he's dead.
Jesus Christ IS the way to eternal life and He leads us by His own Spirit within us. He says to rest in Him and He will guide you.

Buddha said salvation is found thru his teaching. But his salvation did not even save him.
Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Eternal salvation is found only in Him.

Buddha taught that to end suffering and find enlightenment, you must abolish all your desires. He’s dead, so it’s certain he has no desires now. Where's the light or joy in that?
Jesus puts the right desires within our hearts: perfect peace, overwhelming joy, unconditional love, now and forever.

Buddha didn’t perform any miracles. And he never will because he’s dead.
Jesus performed numerous miracles to reveal the power of God. Jesus still has authority over all realms physical and spiritual and continues to perform miracles today.

Lastly, Buddha died and was buried in the Himalaya Mountains.
Jesus conquered sin and death and paid the price for our sins thru His death on the Cross. His death and resurrection give us entry into a spiritual relationship with Him forevermore.

As you may have noticed, all references to Buddha are past tense. Because Buddha was a man.
All references to Jesus are present tense. Because Jesus is the Living God.

There is no certainty in following Buddha’s teachings. Your peace is contingent upon trusting a dead man with your eternal soul.
There is absolute certainty in following Jesus. He Himself is our perfect peace and He offers immortality to those who trust in Him.

If you don’t want to take my word or anyone else's word for it, and if you want to know for 100% certainty that Jesus is alive, all you have to do is ask the Lord to show Himself to you. That is the only way you will ever know for sure.