Orthodox Prayer Rope Counter

A free online prayer rope (chotki) for keeping an Orthodox prayer rule. It carries the full and short forms of the Jesus Prayer along with "Lord, have mercy" and a prayer to the Theotokos, and follows the knot lengths an Orthodox Christian actually uses — 33 for the years of Christ, 50, 100 and 500 — so you can pray your rule without losing your place among the knots.

1
Select the prayer

The Jesus Prayer in full or short form, "Lord, have mercy", or a prayer to the Theotokos for a Marian rule.

2
Choose the knot length

Set 33 for the years of Christ, 50, 100 or 500 knots, or your own number for the rule your spiritual father has given you.

3
Move along the knots

Tap once for every repetition of the prayer; a soft vibration marks each knot as you would feel it under your fingers.

4
Add a bow if you keep them

Switch to the free count to mark bows and prostrations between the prayers without disturbing the knot tally.

5
Finish the rule

When the knots are complete the cycle is recorded; open "Several prayers" to review the whole rule you have prayed today.

Keep your prayer rule on a chotki — the Jesus Prayer with bows and prostrations

0
Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
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Short Jesus Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.
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Lord, have mercy
Lord, have mercy.
0
Prayer to the Theotokos
Most Holy Theotokos, save us.
0
Doxology
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
Prayer ropes commonly have 33, 50, 100 or 500 knots. Pick a target or enter your own.
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Cycles
0
Total
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Today
This is a counting aid for your prayer rule. For guidance on prayer and the use of a prayer rope, speak with your spiritual father.

Features

Prayers of the Orthodox rule
The full and short Jesus Prayer, "Lord, have mercy", a prayer to the Theotokos and the doxology — switch between them as your rule requires.
Knot lengths of a real chotki
Tap to set 33 knots for the years of the Lord, or 50, 100 and 500 — the lengths in which prayer ropes are woven — or enter your own rule.
A tally for bows and prostrations
Use the free (∞) count or a second prayer line to keep the number of bows and prostrations alongside the Jesus Prayer.
Quiet enough for the prayer corner
A faint vibration and an optional soft tap mark each knot, so you can keep your eyes on the icons rather than the screen.
Today and all-time of your rule
Each prayer keeps its own count, completed cycles and a running all-time total, so you can see the whole of today's rule at a glance.

A komboskini of wool is meant to free the mind for prayer, yet on a long rule it is easy to lose count of the knots or forget how many hundreds you have prayed. This digital chotki holds the Jesus Prayer and the short prayers of the Orthodox rule, marks each completed knot for you, and remembers your progress between sittings — so an evening rule of several hundred Jesus Prayers, with bows or prostrations, continues from exactly where you left off.

How many knots should my rule be?

Prayer ropes are commonly woven in lengths of 33, 50, 100 or 500 knots; the number of Jesus Prayers in your rule is set together with your spiritual father. Pick a preset or enter your own length.

Can I count bows and prostrations as well?

Yes. Many rules add a bow or a prostration to the Jesus Prayer. Use the free (∞) count, or assign a separate prayer line, and each tap records one bow.

Does my prayer rule carry over to the next sitting?

Yes. The current knot, the completed cycles and the totals are kept in your browser, so an unfinished evening rule is still waiting when you sit down to pray again.

Why does the rope show 33 knots?

Thirty-three recalls the earthly years of the Lord Jesus Christ; it is one of the traditional chotki lengths, alongside 50, 100 and 500, for repeating the Jesus Prayer.

Is this a substitute for a woven prayer rope?

No — it is only an aid to counting. For how to pray the Jesus Prayer and use a prayer rope, ask your spiritual father or parish priest.

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Who is this tool for?
✝️ For Christians
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