What does it mean to be constantly in prayer. "Pray without ceasing" - how to put it into practice? To sweat oneself in order to receive the memory of God
- Getting used to ordinary prayers in church and at home.
- The affinity of prayerful thoughts and feelings with the mind and heart.
- Unceasing prayer. The Jesus Prayer can go to all of these, but its real place is with unceasing prayer. The main condition for success in prayer is the cleansing of the heart from passions and any addiction to anything sensual. Without this, prayer will always remain at the first step, or the reading prayer will pass into the smart-heart, and when it is completely cleansed, then unceasing prayer will be raised up. How should you proceed? In church, follow the service and keep those thoughts and feelings that are offered by the service. At home, arouse prayerful thoughts and feelings in yourself and keep them in your Soul with the help of the Jesus Prayer (117, 29)
Prayer has different degrees. At first, it is only verbal prayer, but along with it it must go, be warmed up and supported by the prayer of the mind and heart. Smart-hearted prayer then acquires independence and is either active, strained by one's own efforts, or self-moving, finding. In the latter form, it is the same as the shown inward inclinations before God: it is contemporary with them and develops from them. When later the state in which the soul finds itself during those inclinations becomes constant, then mental-heart prayer becomes incessantly active. At the same time, the former temporary impulses are reborn into a state of contemplation, in which and from which contemplative prayer is then revealed. Contemplation is the captivity of the mind and the whole consciousness by some spiritual object so strong that everything external is forgotten, leaves the consciousness: the mind and consciousness go into the contemplative object, so that they are no longer in us. (117, 29-30).
"Pray with every prayer and petition at all times in the spirit" (Eph. 6:18). Pointing out the need for prayer, the apostle immediately points out what prayer must be like in order to be heard. First - pray, he says, with every prayer and petition, that is, with all diligence, with a heart disease, with a fiery striving for God ... Second - pray, he says, at any time. By this he commands the perseverance and vigilance of prayer. Prayer should not be an occupation of a certain time, but an everlasting state of mind. Look, says St. Chrysostom, do not confine yourself to one known time of the day. Do you hear what he says? Begin to pray at all times, as it is said elsewhere: "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). Third - pray, he says, with the spirit, that is, prayer should not only be external, but also internal, done with the mind in the heart. This is the essence of prayer, which is the lifting of the mind and heart to God. The Holy Fathers distinguish mental-heart prayer from spiritual prayer. The first is created by the conscious self-activity of the one who prays, while the second finds and although it is conscious, it moves itself without the efforts of the one who prays. This prayer is spiritual. The latter cannot be prescribed, for it is not in our power. It can be desired, sought, and gratefully received, and not performed whenever you want. However, among purified people, prayer is mostly spirit-moving. Therefore, it must be assumed that the apostle prescribes noetic-heart prayer when he says: pray with the spirit. It can be added: pray wisely and heartily, with the desire to achieve spiritually moving prayer. Such prayer holds the soul consciously before the face of the omnipresent God. Attracting to itself and reflecting from itself the ray of God, it disperses enemies. You can probably assume that the soul in this state is impregnable for demons. This is the only way to pray at any time and in any place. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (117, 30-31).
As the apostle said: "I would rather speak five words with my mind... than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue" (1 Cor. 14:19). First of all, one should purify the mind and heart with these five-fold words, saying unceasingly in the depths of the heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” and thus ascend to reasonable singing. Because every new beginning and passionate person can perform this prayer in the watchfulness of the heart, but he should not sing before he is cleansed by mental prayer. Archimandrite Paisios (Velichkovsky) (117, 31).
Question about prayer: "Which is better to pray - with the lips or with the mind?" - resolved by the first words: "pray sometimes with words, sometimes with the mind." Only it is necessary to explain that it is impossible to pray with the mind without words, only these words are not heard, but there inside, in the heart they are mentally pronounced. It is better to say it this way: sometimes pray with sonorous words, and sometimes silently, inaudibly. You only need to take care that both sonorous and silent prayer comes from the heart. (117, 31).
The matter of this prayer is simple: stand with your mind in your heart before the face of the Lord and cry: Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, or only: Lord, have mercy... Merciful Lord, have mercy on me a sinner... or in other words. Strength is not in words, but in thoughts and feelings (117, 31).
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! there is verbal prayer, like any other. It has nothing special in itself, but it borrows all its power from the way it is created.
All the techniques that are written about (sit down, bend down) ... or the artistic creation of this prayer are not suitable for everyone, and without a mentor available they are dangerous. It's better not to take it. One technique is obligatory for all: "with attention to stand in the heart." Everything else is a third-party addition that does not lead to the case.
They say about the fruits of this prayer that there is nothing higher than this and nothing in the world. Illegal. Talisman found! From the fruits of the verbal composition of the prayer and its pronunciation, nothing belongs. All fruits can be received without this prayer, and even without any verbal prayer - through one aspiration of the mind and heart to God.
The essence of the matter is "to be established in the remembrance of God, or to walk in the presence of God." You can say to anyone: "whatever you want, just achieve it... Whether to say the Jesus Prayer... whether to bow, whether to go to church... do whatever you want, just make sure that you are always in the memory of God." I remember that in Kiev I met a man who said: “I didn’t use any tricks, and I didn’t know the Jesus Prayer, but everything that is written here was and is. But how, I don’t know it myself. God gave!”
This - what God has given or will give - must be the goal, so as not to confuse self-made with the gift of grace.
They say: acquire the Jesus Prayer, that is, the inner prayer. The Jesus Prayer is a good means for inner prayer, but in itself it is not inner, but outer prayer. Those who get used to it do very well. But if they stop on it alone, but do not go further, then they stop halfway ...
Thought of God is still necessary during the Jesus Prayer, otherwise it is dry food. Well, who has the name of Jesus stuck on their tongues. But at the same time, it is possible not to remember the Lord at all and even to hold thoughts that are contrary to Him. Therefore, everything depends on the conscious and free turning to God and the labor to keep oneself in this with reason. (117, 31-32).
Thought of God can be replaced by the Jesus Prayer, but what is the need for this? Their essence is the same. God-thinking is the storage in the thought of some truth: the Incarnation, death on the cross. Resurrections, omnipresence and so on, without any direction of thought (117, 32).
Doing the Jesus Prayer is simple: become attentive in the heart before the face of the Lord and cry out to Him: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! The point is not in words, but in faith, contrition and surrender to the Lord: with these feelings you can stand before the Lord without words ... and this will be a prayer (117, 33).
Work on the Jesus Prayer. God bless. But with the habit of saying this prayer orally, unite the memory of the Lord with fear and reverence. After all, the main thing is to walk before God, or under the eye of God, with the consciousness that God looks at you, at your soul - in your heart, and sees everything there ... This consciousness is the strongest lever in the Movement of the inner spiritual life (117, 33).
You can combine the Jesus Prayer with breathing, as you do. It was said by one of the ancients... Breathing instead of a rosary (117, 33).
In the Jesus Prayer, go as deep as you can. She will gather you, let you feel the strength in the Lord and make sure that you will be with Him relentlessly - both when you are alone, and when in public, and when you are in charge, and when you read or pray. Only believe the strength of this prayer not in the repetition of well-known words, but in the turning of the mind and heart to the Lord at these words. Both together (117, 33).
The Jesus Prayer - like any other; it is stronger than all only by the all-powerful name of Jesus, the Lord and Savior, when it is called upon with full, warm faith, not wavering, that He is near, sees and hears everything, and listens wholeheartedly to what is asked, and is ready to fulfill and grant what is asked. Such hope does not disgrace. If execution sometimes slows down, it depends on the unwillingness of the one asking to accept what is asked for. (117, 33).
Praying with the thought of what the words of the prayer say is still prayer, only limping on one leg. Prayer ceases to be prayer when attention departs from the words of the prayer... When the consciousness is in prayer... it is prayer, even if it is not satisfactory. The feeling will come ... but you have to strain yourself on it (117, 33-34).
The Jesus Prayer is not a talisman. Its strength comes from faith in the Lord and a deep union with Him of the heart and mind. With such dispositions, the invoked name of the Lord turns out to be multi-functional. One repetition of words means nothing (117, 34).
Enduring peace of mind is a gift from God; but this gift is not given without intensified labors of one's own. And by your labors alone you will not achieve anything, and God will not give you anything if you do not work hard. This is the immutable law (117, 34).
And what kind of labor should be used here, I have already mentioned more than once: do not allow thoughts to wander arbitrarily, and when they involuntarily run away, immediately return them back, reproaching themselves, pitying and sickening about this disorder. The Holy Ladder says to this that "one must forcefully enclose one's mind in the words of prayer" (117, 34).
One should never consider any spiritual work as established, and even more so prayer, but always have oneself as if for the first time starting to do it. What is done for the first time, the first zeal is given to it. If you approach prayer in such a way as if you had never prayed as you should, and now you only want to do it for the first time, then you will always perform your prayer with the first zeal. And she will go well.
If you do not succeed in prayer, do not expect success in anything else. She is the root of everything. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (117, 34).
Unceasing Prayer
Out of contemplation of God, some object will come closer to the heart than others. Then, after the end of this business, you need to stop on it and feed yourself longer with it. This paves the way for unceasing prayer (117, 34).
Raise your mind to the Lord and say with contrition: "Lord, have mercy! Lord, bless! Lord, help!" there is a cry of prayer, and if a feeling for God is revived and there is in the heart, then it will be unceasing prayer without words and without standing in prayer (117, 34-35).
"Pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17). And in other Epistles, St. Paul commands: "be ... constant in prayer" (Rom. 12, 12), "be constant in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4, 2), "pray with every prayer and petition at all times by the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). The Savior Himself teaches perseverance and perseverance in prayer by the parable of the widow who implored the unjust judge with her perseverance of petition (Luke 18:1-8). It can be seen that unceasing prayer is not an accidental prescription, but an inalienable feature of the Christian spirit. The life of a Christian, according to the apostle, is "hidden with Christ in God" (Col. 3:3). In God, he must also abide inseparably with attention and feeling, which is unceasing prayer. On the other hand, every Christian is the "temple of God" in which the "Spirit of God" lives (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Rom. 8:9). This "Spirit", always dwelling in him and interceding, always prays for him with "groanings that cannot be expressed" (Rom. 8:26), teaching him to pray without ceasing.
The very first effect of the grace of God, which turns a sinner to God, is revealed by the aspiration of his mind and heart to God. When later, after repentance and consecration of one’s life to God, the grace of God, acting from without, descends into him through the Sacraments and abides in him, then the aspiration of the mind and heart to God, in which the essence of prayer is, becomes unchanged and everlasting in him. It is revealed in varying degrees and, like any other gift, must be kindled (2 Tim. 1:16). It warms up according to its kind: by labor of prayer, and especially by patient and purposeful presence in church prayers. Pray unceasingly, work in prayer - you will acquire unceasing prayer, which itself will already begin to be performed in the heart without much tension. It is obvious to everyone that the commandment of the holy apostle is not fulfilled by one performance of the prescribed prayers at certain hours, but requires constant walking before God, dedication of all deeds to God, the all-seeing and omnipresent, kindling a warm appeal to Him with the mind in the heart. All life, in all its manifestations, must be imbued with prayer. Her secret is in her love for the Lord. Just as a bride who has loved the groom is not separated from him by memory and feeling, so the soul, united with the Lord by love, abides with Him relentlessly, turning warm conversations to Him from the heart. "He who unites with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord" (1 Cor. 6:17)
(117, 35-36).
I remember that Basil the Great solved the question of how the apostles could pray unceasingly in the following way: in all their affairs they thought about God and lived in unceasing devotion to God. This mood of the Spirit was their unceasing prayer (117, 36).
You regret that the Jesus Prayer is not uninterrupted, that you do not say it unceasingly - this is not required ... a constant feeling for God is required, which can take place both when talking, and when reading, and when observing and examining something .. But as the Jesus Prayer, when you pray it, happens in its present form, then continue to act in this way, and this prayer ... will expand its area (117, 36).
Sometimes, all the time assigned for the rule, you can spend in reading one psalm as a keepsake, composing your prayer from each verse. Also - sometimes you can spend the whole rule in the Jesus Prayer with bows ... And then take a little from one, the other and the third. God needs a heart (Prov. 23:26), and as soon as it stands reverently before Him, it is sufficient. This is what unceasing prayer consists in, to always stand reverently before God. And at the same time, the rule is only stoking, or throwing firewood into the stove. Bishop Theophan the Recluse (117, 36).
First of all, offer unceasing prayer without interrupting it, and for everything that happens to you, give thanks to God. Saint Anthony the Great (82, 21).
Force yourself to constantly abide in prayer and supplication before the Lord, may he grant you simplicity and gentleness... (82, 180).
Force yourself to abundant prayers, combined with weeping, and God, in due time, will have mercy on you, will strip off the old sinning person from you. Rev. Abba Isaiah (82, 188).
Force yourself to the unceasing labor of prayer before God in a heart that carries a pure thought, full of compunction, and God will save your mind from impure and filthy thoughts. Rev. Isaac the Syrian (82, 249).
In order to easily lead a real life, to be cleansed of sins and to stand boldly before the throne of Christ, let us tirelessly prepare ourselves with prayers, tears, zeal, constancy and patience. (35, 456).
Wherever you are, you can set up an (prayer) altar everywhere. Show only a cheerful will, and neither place nor time will interfere with you, although you will not bend your knees, you will not beat your chest and stretch out your hands to heaven, but only show a hot soul, you will fulfill everything necessary for prayer. (38, 820).
Let us not say in our own defense that the house of prayer is not near—the grace of the Spirit has made us ourselves temples of God; if only we are vigilant, it is easy for us to pray for us everywhere (38, 820).
The place does not in the least hinder prayer, as long as the mood of the soul corresponds to prayer. (39, 429).
If it is a disaster for a blind man not to see the sun, then how great a disaster for a Christian not to pray continuously and not to bring the light of Christ into his soul through prayer. (36, 831).
A person who is awake and attentive, who has a fiery love for God, can never be prevented from conversing with God. (37, 162).
Since it is natural for us humans to fall into carelessness when an hour, two, three hours pass after prayer, and you see that the fever (jealousy) aroused in you is ready to cool little by little, hasten immediately again to prayer and warm your chilled soul. If you do this all day long, you will not give the devil access and entry to your thoughts. (38, 818).
Shift all your worldly affairs with frequent prayers, as if with ties of logs, and thus protect your life from all sides. (38, 819).
Better to die than be deprived of prayer for only three days (36, 833).
Demons constantly walk around, watching us, in order to quickly capture the unfortified by prayer. If they notice that we are protected by prayer, they immediately hurriedly run away, like robbers and villains who see the sword of a warrior. (36, 836).
Prayer requires not so much a word as a thought; not so much the movement of the hands as the tension of the soul; not the position of the body, but the disposition of the spirit. Let's not justify ourselves by the fact that it is not easy to pray for a person burdened with worldly affairs, that there is no prayer house nearby ... Wherever you are, pray, you are the temple of God. Saint John Chrysostom (42, 491).
Let us learn, first of all, to offer up a prayer sacrifice to the Lord when we undertake something, take on some business or go on a journey, and only after asking for His help, we will begin the work. (7, 698).
And between deeds, pray, thanking Him Who gave the strength of the hands to deeds and the wisdom of the mind to acquire knowledge. Saint Basil the Great (8, 149).
It is fitting for a true monk to pray unceasingly and to sing in his heart. Saint Epiphanius (82, 108).
Talk a lot with God, talk little with people, always remember God, and your mind will become heaven. (27, 147).
Stay in prayer: the Lord loves the constant prayer book and shows him His bounties. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (28, 284).
"In every place" pray. Thus says the apostle: "I desire that men pray in every place, lifting up pure hands without anger or doubt" (1 Tim. 2:8). When we are standing, sitting, walking, resting, doing something with our hands, we can pray in solitude and in congregation. For always, in every place and in all our affairs, and while eating and drinking, and in charitable conversations, we can raise our mind and heart to God, with humility and faith offer our needs, and ask Him for mercy, and say: " Lord have mercy!" So Moses was in the midst of the numerous people who brought them out of Egypt, and when he saw them in danger, he cried out to God with his mind and heart, although His verbal prayer is not depicted in Scripture, but God said to him: "Why are you crying to Me?" (Ex. 14, 15). Hezekiah, the pious king, lying on his bed, prayed, and God heard him (Is. 38, 2-8). Jonah prayed in the belly of the whale, and was heard by God (Jonah 2:2-11). Three youths prayed in the fiery furnace and were saved (Dan. 3:23-51). God does not look at the external image and disposition of the body, what it is, but at the heart, humility and faith and the desire of the heart. Therefore, it is written: "You hear the desires of the humble; strengthen THEIR heart; open your ear" (Ps. 9, 38) Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1101-1102).
Learn to pray to God correctly. Having learned to pray correctly, pray constantly, and you will conveniently inherit salvation. (108, 140).
Blessed is the soul that ceaselessly knocks with prayer at the Doors of God's mercy... it will rejoice in due time for its purity and its impassibility. (108, 142).
Whether you are in the company of people, or are alone, try to constantly go deep into your inner spiritual cell, close the doors of feelings and language, pray secretly with your mind and heart (108, 156).
In human society, one should pray with one mind, but in private with both the mind and the mouth, a little aloud to oneself alone. (108, 225).
Love the feat of prayer, love solitude in a material cell. Shut its doors for yourself and for others... "Stay in your cell," said the holy fathers, "and it will teach you everything," that is, monastic life, which is all concentrated in prayer. (109, 156).
Sacrifice the love of prayer to bring pleasures of the senses and pleasures of the mind ... keep your soul from all external impressions, so that God imprints in it through prayer (108, 157).
If you want to devote your soul to the work of prayer, remove yourself from the vision of the world, renounce human society and the usual acceptance of friends into your cell, even under the pretext of love. (108, 158).
Let us pray constantly, patiently, persistently. God in due time will give a grace-filled, pure prayer to those who do not leave the cowardly feat of prayer, when prayer does not give in to it for a long time. (108, 292).
The harm from intervals or from periodic abandonment of the prayer struggle is similar to the harm resulting from complete abandonment; this harm is the greater, the longer the interval (108, 296).
The Lord commanded constant, that is, frequent and unceasing prayer ... commanded to ask intensely, relentlessly, combined with the command to ask - promises to hear and fulfill the petition (108, 515).
A Christian then receives unceasing prayer when his will and activity dependent on his will are absorbed by the understanding, desire and fulfillment of the will of God. (109, 138).
For patience and constancy we receive the gift of prayer (109, 167).
Why is unceasing prayer or unceasing remembrance of God called teaching? Because the ascetics, on whose deeds the dew of divine grace descended, acquired the deepest spiritual meaning in the short prayer they repeated ... and a short verse became for them ... in the exact sense of teaching (109, 198).
Faith is needed for constancy in the prayerful feat; we need constancy of patience and long-suffering, we need the rejection of false shame and perseverance, so that the feat would bear its wonderful fruit (111, 336-337).
Unceasing prayer cannot be the property of a novice monk, but in order to become capable of unceasing prayer in due time, he must become accustomed to frequent prayer. (112, 112).
From unceasing prayer, the ascetic comes into spiritual poverty: learning to constantly ask for God's help, he gradually loses hope in himself, if he does something successfully, he sees in it not his success, but God's mercy, for which he constantly implores God. Unceasing prayer leads to the acquisition of faith, because the one who prays unceasingly begins to gradually feel the presence of God. This feeling can gradually increase and intensify to the point that the eye of the mind will see God in His Providence more clearly than the sensual eye sees the material objects of the world; the heart will feel the presence of God. One who has thus seen God and felt His presence cannot but believe in Him by living faith, which is manifested by works. Unceasing prayer destroys deceit with hope in God, introduces into holy simplicity, weaning the mind from various thoughts, from drawing up plans for oneself and others, always keeping it in poverty and humility of thoughts that make up its teaching. The one who prays unceasingly gradually loses the habit of daydreaming, absent-mindedness, vain solicitude and great concern, loses the more, the more holy and humble teaching will go deep into his soul and take root in it. Finally, he can come to the state of infancy commanded by the Gospel, become insane for the sake of Christ, that is, lose the false reason of the world and receive spiritual reason from God. Curiosity, suspiciousness, suspicion are destroyed by unceasing prayer. From this, all people begin to seem kind; and from such a cordial pledge to people, love is born for them. He who prays unceasingly abides unceasingly in the Lord, cognizes the Lord as the Lord, acquires the fear of the Lord, enters through fear into purity, through purity into Divine love. The love of God fills its temple with the gifts of the Spirit. Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) (117, 36-37).
Smart-Heart Prayer
Clever prayer consists in standing before God with the mind in the heart, either simply, or by expressing petitions, thanksgiving, and praise... Constantly getting used to being in communion with God, apart from any images, any reflection, any tangible movement of thought. Those are real expressions! This is precisely the essence of mental prayer, or standing with the mind in the heart before God. Smart prayer is in two states: it is either labor, when a person himself strains on it, or self-moving, when she stands by herself and acts. The latter occurs during the aforementioned attraction, while the former must constitute our constant work. Although it is not successful in itself, for thoughts are all plundered, but, testifying to our desire and effort to have constant prayer, it attracts the grace of the Lord - and God for this work gives, at times, that attraction inward, in which noetic prayer appears in its present form.
It is possible to go through the Jesus Prayer with the mind in the heart, without moving the tongue. It is better than spoken prayer. Let the spoken one be a help to the smart ... Sometimes the prayer that is said is required for the firmness of the smart (117, 38).
In the action of the Jesus Prayer, there should be no image mediating between the mind and the Lord, and the words spoken are not the main thing, but the mediator. The main thing is a smart stand before the Lord in the heart. Here is a clever prayer, not words. The words here are the same essence as the words of any other prayer. The essence of mental prayer is walking before God, and walking before God is the conviction that does not depart from the consciousness that God exists everywhere as well as in you, and sees everything that is inside you, sees even more than you yourself. This consciousness of the eye of God looking within you should also not have an image, but everything should consist in one simple belief or feeling. Whoever is in a warm room feels how warmth covers him and penetrates. The same must happen in our spiritual man from the omnipresent and all-encompassing God, who is fire. The words: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” although there is a tool, and not the essence of the matter, but the tool is very strong and multi-functional, for the name of the Lord Jesus is terrible for the enemies of our salvation and blessful for those who seek Him. Do not forget that this is a simple matter and does not have and should not have any quirks. Pray for everything to the Lord, the Most Pure Lady and the Guardian Angel, and they will teach you everything - either themselves or through others. Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) (117, 38-39).
You must have heard such words: verbal prayer, mental prayer, prayer of the heart; heard, moreover, maybe, and reasoning about each of them separately. Why is this disintegration of prayer into its parts? Because, due to our mistake, it happens that sometimes the tongue pronounces the holy words of prayer, and the mind wanders God knows where, or the mind understands the words of the prayer, but the heart does not respond to them with feeling. In the first case, prayer is only verbal, and is not prayer at all; in the second, mental prayer is combined with verbal prayer, and this is an imperfect, incomplete prayer. There is complete and real prayer when a prayerful feeling is combined with a prayerful word and prayerful thought. Saint Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer (117, 39).
Smart, or inner, prayer is when the one who prays, having gathered his mind inside his heart, from there, not with a vowel, but with a silent word, sends his prayer to God, glorifying Him and giving thanks, contritely confessing his sins before Him and asking Him for the necessary blessings, spiritual and bodily . It is not only necessary to pray with a word, but also with the mind, and not only with the mind, but also with the heart, so that the mind clearly sees and understands what is pronounced in the word, and the heart feels that the mind is thinking at the same time. All this taken together is real prayer, and if any of this is not in your prayer, then it is either an imperfect prayer or not a prayer at all. (117, 39).
The repentant goes to the Lord. The path to Him, in fact, is an inner path, which is accomplished in the mind and heart. Thus, it is necessary to adjust the thinking of the mind and the disposition of the heart, so that the spirit of a person is always with the Lord, appears to those who come to Him. Whoever is like this is constantly enlightened by inner enlightenment, receives upon himself the rays of intelligent light (Blessed Theodoret), like Moses, whose face on the mountain was glorified from being with God. Saint David speaks of this elsewhere: "Show us the light of Thy countenance, O Lord!" (Ps. 4:7). The means adapted to this is intelligent prayer performed in the heart. When it is formed, then only the gaze of the mind becomes clear; and the spirit, seeing God clearly, receives from Him the power to see and drive away everything that can shame it before God. Meanwhile, there are many who hope to approach God by outward deeds and ascetic labors alone. They hope, but do not proceed, because they are not going that way. And here is an appeal to them: draw near to God with your mind and heart and be enlightened, and stop being shamed by the enemy, Who, despite your outward serviceability, constantly overcomes you and puts you to shame. thoughts and feelings of the heart. A clever and heartfelt falling to God will give you the strength to prevail over all other movements of the soul and thereby shame the enemy when HE attempts to shame you. (117, 39-40).
God bless your concern for intelligent standing before God. Seek and find. This is an urgent law for everything desired on the path of spiritual prosperity. Nothing comes for nothing. God's help is always ready and always near, but it is given only to those who seek and labor, and moreover, when those who seek to the end test all their means ... and with a full heart begin to cry out: "Lord, help me!" In the meantime, there remains at least a small expectation of something from their methods. The Lord does not intervene here, as if saying: "Do you hope to achieve it yourself? Well, wait ..." But no matter how much you wait, nothing will happen. Grant you, Lord, a contrite spirit, a contrite and humble heart! Bishop Theophan the Recluse (117, 40).
/ About unceasing prayer. Teachings of St. Theophan the Recluse
About unceasing prayer.
Teachings of St. Theophan the Recluse
Hegumen Feofan (Kryukov)
annotation
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS PRAYER
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Bibliography
Let me think of all this
and take in the manual, and read more often,
to renew in memory how to act.
St. Theophan the Recluse
THE SKILL FOR JESUS PRAYER IS A TOOL, NOT THE ESSENCE OF THE MATTER
The Jesus Prayer is not an unceasing prayer,
but only help to her
The desire to learn the Jesus Prayer came. God bless! But doing the Jesus Prayer is not unceasing prayer, but only an aid to it... Unceasing prayer is a gift of grace... and one must pray for this: "Lord, grant me to pray unceasingly to You!" This prayer does not consist in words, but in a feeling for God that is not wasted. This feeling should be taken care of and warmed up. (10, 111)*
* Source and page number (see Bibliography on p. 102).
Who stops at one Jesus Prayer,
he stops half way
They say: "Acquire the Jesus Prayer", i.e. inner prayer. The Jesus Prayer is a good means for inner prayer, but in itself it is not inner, but outer prayer. Those who get used to it do very well. But if they stop at one on it, and then they don’t go further, then they stop halfway ...
At the Jesus Prayer, God-thinking is still necessary: otherwise it is dry food. Well, who has the name of Jesus stuck on their tongues. But at the same time, it is possible not to remember the Lord at all and even to hold thoughts that are contrary to Him. Therefore, everything depends on the conscious and free turning to God and the labor to keep oneself in this with reasoning. (6, 19)
It's not about words, but about faith and feeling
Doing the Jesus Prayer is simple: become attentive in the heart before the face of the Lord and cry out to Him: "Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, have mercy on me!" The point is not in words, but in faith, contrition and surrender to the Lord. With these feelings, you can stand before the Lord without words... and it will be a prayer. (6, 224)
It happens that there is a Jesus prayer, and there is warmth,
there is no real prayer
The habit of prayer is not suddenly formed... but requires long labor and hard work. It is in this work of cultivating the habit of prayer that the Jesus Prayer and the warmth that accompanies it help best of all. Note, father, that they are means, and not the work itself. Perhaps there is the Jesus Prayer, and there is warmth, but there is no real prayer. Strange as it may seem, it does happen! (7, 63)
Not everyone who is accustomed to the Jesus Prayer
eat the fruits of it
The power of this prayer is great, according to the image of St. fathers; meanwhile, in fact, we see that not everyone who is accustomed to it is involved in this power, not everyone eats from its fruits. What is it from? From the fact that they themselves want to take into their possession what belongs to the gift of God and is the work of the grace of the Lord. It is our business to start repeating this prayer in the morning, in the evening, walking and lying down, at work and at leisure: this does not require special help from God. Working all in the same order, you yourself can reach the point that the tongue, even without our consciousness, will repeat this prayer. This may be followed by a certain pacification of thoughts, and even a kind of warmth of the heart: but all this will be, as Monk Nikifor notes in The Philokalia, the work and fruit of our efforts. To stop at this is the same as to be satisfied with the ability of a parrot to pronounce certain words, even such as "Lord, have mercy." The fruit of this is this: you will think that you have, while you have absolutely nothing. This is what happens to those who, while learning this prayer, since it depends on us, do not reveal the consciousness of what its essence is. (14, 167)
The essence of the matter is to be established in the memory of God
The essence of the matter is "to be established in the memory of God, or to walk in the presence of God." You can say to anyone: “Whatever you want, just make it so far... Whether to say the Jesus Prayer... whether to bow, whether to go to church... do whatever you want, just get to the point where you are always in the memory of God.” I remember that in Kiev I met a man who said: “I didn’t use any tricks and didn’t know the Jesus Prayer, but everything that is written here was and is. But how, I don’t know it myself. God gave!”
This - what God has given or will give - must be for the purpose, so as not to confuse self-made with the gift of grace. (6, 17-18)
Practice for the Jesus Prayer
should be with the thought of the Lord
Get used to doing the Jesus Prayer so that it imposes on the tongue, but always with the thought of the Lord. If at the same time you sigh to the Lord from your heart, this will be a mental prayer, and not the words of the Jesus Prayer. (7, 58)
Others forget about the cry from the heart
and are empty of grace
I am against the fact that some people completely forget about crying out from the heart...
They are all concerned about the words and position of the body, and, having recited a certain number of Jesus prayers with bows in this position, they rest on this with a certain self-conceit and condemnation of those who go to church for the common statutory prayer. Others live like this all their lives and are empty of grace. (10, 189-190)
One repetition of the words of the Jesus Prayer means nothing
The Jesus Prayer is not a talisman. Its strength comes from faith in the Lord and a deep combination of heart and mind with Him. With such dispositions, the invoked name of the Lord turns out to be multi-functional. One repetition of words means nothing. (15, 133)
WHAT IS CONTINUOUS PRAYER
Prayer that prays itself
We all pray; but there is prayer that prays itself and draws the whole inner man after it. Whoever experiences this only knows what prayer is. (14.18)
She is from grace and a clear conscience
There is a prayer that the person himself creates; and there is a prayer that God gives to those who pray (1 Sam. 2:9)... First, when someone comes to the Lord, the first thing is prayer. He begins to go to church and pray at home according to prayer books and without them. But thoughts are scattered. No way to deal with them. The more one works in prayer, however, the more thoughts subside and subside, and the prayer becomes purer. However, the atmosphere of the soul is not purified until the spiritual flame in the soul is kindled. This light is the work of the grace of God, but not special, but common to all. It appears as a result of a certain measure of purity in the entire moral system of a person who seeks. When this light is kindled or a constant warmth is formed in the heart, then the seething of thoughts stops. What happens to the soul is that which bleeds: a hundred of its blood (Luke 8:44). In this state, prayer, more or less, approaches unceasing. It is mediated by the Jesus Prayer. And this is the limit to which prayer, created by man himself, can reach! (9, 240)
Deep prayer, unceasing prayer and other manifestations of prayerful grace - all from grace ... Ours is feasible, but all-hearted and constant work. The desired prayer is grace. The time will come - and it will be given. It is only necessary not to neglect, to seek diligently and to use everything possible. But the main thing is a clear conscience. For the grace of prayer is the grace of sincere communion with God. Nothing unclean can come into fellowship with God. (10, 35)
She is a constant feeling for God,
needless to say
Have you heard about unceasing prayer? Desire and seek. Start searching and you will find. You already have the germs of it: this feeling for God, which happens from time to time. You had it in force; but you allowed him to grow cold. And it comes from time to time. Try to make this feeling permanent - and it will be an unceasing prayer... Help you, Lord, to find such a feeling for Him. Then all oversights, lethargy and laziness - the end!!! (6, 212)
The feeling that the soul is drawn to the Lord is innermost prayer, and it alone can replace prayer... For that is what unceasing prayer is! (8, 238)
Sobriety must be unceasing, as prayer is unceasing. Both will take root in the soul when a feeling for God is planted in the heart - warm, and sweet, and reverent, imbued with the fear of God. (8, 242)
The mind, standing in the heart, sees God and cleverly confesses to Him by invoking Him... Feeling for God is unceasing prayer without words. (10, 221)
May the Lord grant you unceasing prayer of the heart, which has no need for words, but in itself stands and is pleasing to God and fruitful for the soul. (18, 244)
Holy Scripture commands us to pray without ceasing
Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). And in other letters of St. Paul commands to abide (Rom. 12:12) and endure in prayer, being vigilant in it (Col. 4:2). with every prayer and supplication to pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). The Savior Himself teaches perseverance and perseverance in prayer with the parable of the widow who implored the unjust judge by perseverance of petition (Luke 18:1 et seq.). It can be seen that unceasing prayer is not an accidental prescription, but an inalienable feature of the Christian spirit. The life of a Christian, according to the Apostle, is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). In God, and he must abide inseparably with attention and feeling, which is unceasing prayer. On the other hand, every Christian is a temple of God in which the Spirit of God lives (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Rom. 8:9). This Spirit, always dwelling in him and interceding, always prays for him with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26), teaching him to pray without ceasing. The very first effect of the grace of God, which turns a sinner to God, is revealed by the aspiration of his mind and heart to God. When later, after repentance and consecration of one’s life to God, the grace of God, acting from without, descends into him through the sacraments and abides in him, then the aspiration of the mind and heart to God, in which the essence of prayer, becomes unchanged and eternal. It is revealed in varying degrees and, like any other gift, must be kindled (2 Tim. 1:6). It warms up according to its kind: by labor of prayer and especially by patient and purposeful presence in church prayers. (16, 218-219)
THE MAIN EVENT OF UNCEASED PRAYER IS CONNECTING THE MIND TO THE HEART
The main thing is to become the mind in the heart before the Lord and stand before Him constantly day and night until the end of life. (5, 58)
The secret of spiritual life is to concentrate the mind in the heart
How to understand the expression "concentrate the mind in the heart?" The mind is where the attention is. To concentrate it in the heart means to establish attention in the heart and intelligently see the inherent invisible God in front of you, turning to Him with praise, thanksgiving and petition, observing that nothing extraneous enters the heart. Here is the whole mystery of the spiritual life. (9, 61-62)
Do not forget the main thing - to combine attention and mind with the heart and be there before the face of the Lord. All prayer works should be directed towards this. Pray to the Lord to grant you this blessing. This is a treasure hidden in the village; this is a precious bead. (4, 359)
The essence of the Christian life is to become mind in heart before God
and from there manage everything in yourself
The essence of the Christian life consists in becoming the mind in the heart before God in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and, from there, controlling all internal movements and all external actions, turning everything in oneself, both small and great, into the service of God Trinity , surrender to Him entirely with consciousness and freedom. (15, 21-22)
The Law of Spiritual Life: Keep Your Heart in Feeling for God
and you will always be in the memory of God
When attention descends into the heart, it will attract all the forces of the soul and body to one point ... At first, attention is held in the heart by the tension of the will, by its force, attention generates warmth in the heart. This warmth then holds the attention without much tension. They then support each other and must remain inseparable, for the distraction of attention cools warmth, and the diminution of warmth weakens attention.
Hence the law of spiritual life: keep your heart in a feeling for God, you will always be in the memory of God. (7, 64-65)
The head of the matter - so that attention does not depart from the Lord, this is the same as the affirmation in the heart of the memory of God. (9, 70)
Those who wish to establish themselves in a single thought about God are commanded to leave their heads and descend with their minds into the heart, and there to stand with their attention without leaving. Only then, as the mind is combined with the heart, can success be expected in the memory of God. (4, 326)
The constant memory of God is kept in the heart,
if there is a connection of the mind with the heart
Having completely surrendered ourselves to the vigilant care of God, we must humbly and complacently endure this work for the sake of the true good, which is given to the fervent prayer book from God in his own time, when God, by His grace, puts limits on our mind and sets him motionless with the memory of God in his heart. When such a standing of the mind becomes something natural and permanent, it is called by the fathers "the union of the mind with the heart"; With such arrangement, the mind no longer has the desire to be outside the heart; on the contrary, if for some reason or through a lot of conversation it is kept outside the attention of the heart, then it has an irresistible desire to return inside itself again with some kind of spiritual thirst and with a new zeal again to engage in the creation of your inner home. (10, 227-228)
The Secret of the Spiritual Life:
one cannot stand in the heart without painful searches
It happens for a long time or for a short time - it depends on the grace of God: some years, some dozens of years, he spends laboring until he has time to stand in his heart and receive what he is looking for, because, with all the work and searching, that building is not produced by our efforts alone. The Lord gives it, but without seeking and effort does not give it. He sees a diligent search, and painful labor, and the yearning of a thirsty heart - he takes pity and gives the desired good. Why He does this - He alone knows: only without this painful search, no one reaches that normal system. This is the secret of spiritual life... One cannot enter into the treasury of God without having tested the fidelity of what is introduced. (15, 22-23)
Three powers of the soul are needed for unceasing prayer
The brother said: "What must I do, Father, so that my mind can be continually occupied with God?" - The elder answered: “The mind cannot be incessantly occupied with God if it does not acquire in advance the following three virtues: love, temperance and prayer. Love tames anger, temperance extinguishes lust, and prayer detaches the mind from all earthly thoughts and, naked from everything, presents his God. These three virtues encompass all the others, and without them it is impossible to abide in God unceasingly." (17, 72-73)
Let the Jesus Prayer be on the tongue, in the mind - the foreknowledge of the Lord before oneself, in the heart - the thirst for God, or communion with the Lord. When all this is constant, then the Lord, seeing how you force yourself, will grant what you ask for. (12, 94)
The essence of the matter is the conscious standing in the presence of the Lord with fear, faith and love. This mood is possible without words. It must be restored in the heart first of all. Words will then go on to keep attention on this one and deepen those feelings and dispositions. (7, 194-195)
I'm giving you a comprehensive recipe. Its reduction is in the memory of God, the memory of death and in the fear of God. When these are rooted in the heart, both prayer and everything else will go well. (11, 29)
The fear of God is the main thing. When he comes, he, like a good master, arranges everything in his soul in his own way... From the fear of God, the first child, the spirit is contrite, the heart is contrite and humble... To maintain the fear of God, one must keep the everlasting memory of death and judgment. .. To this, add the consciousness of the presence of the Lord near you and in you, so that He sees everything, even the most secret. This consciousness - with the memory of death - is inseparable from the fear of God. When this trinity settles in your heart, then prayer will go from your heart, with unceasing appeals to the Lord Savior. (8, 251-252)
HOW TO COORDINATE UNCEASED PRAYER AND DAILY ACTIVITIES
God does not oblige the impossible
The Savior commanded: enter into your cell and pray there to God the Father in secret. This cell, as St. Demetrius of Rostov interprets, means the heart. Therefore, the commandment of the Lord obliges us to pray secretly - in the heart - with the mind to God. This commandment applies to all Christians. So what does the Apostle Paul command when he says that we must pray with every prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18)? He commands mental prayer - spiritual - and commands all Christians without distinction. He commands all Christians to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). And it is impossible to pray without ceasing otherwise than by mental prayer in the heart. Thus, it cannot be argued that noetic prayer is obligatory for all Christians; and if it is obligatory, then it is no longer possible to say that it is hardly possible, for God does not oblige the impossible. That it is difficult, it is true; and that it was impossible, it is unfair. But after all, in general, everything good is difficult; all the more so should prayer be the source of all that is good for us and its faithful support. (4, 382)
Holy Scripture does not command anything impossible
The brother said: "How can the mind pray without ceasing when, while singing psalms, reading, talking with others, correcting our needs, we entertain it with various thoughts?" - The elder answered: "The Holy Scripture does not command anything impossible. And the Apostle himself, who wrote this commandment, sang, read, taught, worked and suffered, persecuted, and meanwhile he prayed unceasingly. Unceasing prayer consists in keeping the mind in great favor and ardent aspiration to God, to think about Him alone, to deal with Him alone, to see His One, to fall to Him in heartfelt prayer, always hang on unshakable hope in Him and in the hope of Him be bold in all deeds and adventures. (3, 76)
Work should not distract from God
You touched the work. As you work not out of obedience, but according to your own will, then you can dispose of them in such a way that they do not in the least distract you from your inner deeds. Follow in this St. Isaac the Syrian. He does not favor work and allows it only in case of need, occasionally. Because it distracts the mind. It is necessary to acquire a special skill, so as not to distract. You can't not work. There is a natural need for it; however, you shouldn't get carried away with it. The Egyptian monks worked all day; but their minds did not depart from God. (4, 407-408)
Bodily labor sometimes diverts from God
Bodily labor humbles, fills the gaps, but does not allow thoughts to wander. To replace it with good bows is the best work. But is it always possible? The Egyptian elders sat at work from morning to evening, in intelligent prayer and contemplation. The prayer rule was celebrated at night. And St. Isaac the Syrian does not favor work: he rejects, says, from God. It's true when tricky work, and simple - nothing. (7, 147)
It's better not to start things when the prayer is on
When attention to God is alive and inner prayer goes on, then it is better not to start doing anything (at home), but to sit, or walk, or, better, stand in front of the icons and pray; when it begins to weaken, warm it up by reading or thinking. (7, 176)
It is necessary to do business, and not to deviate from God with the mind
It is necessary to do the work, and not to deviate from God with the mind, i.e. be as if standing in prayer. This is the law: to do things with your hands, but to be with God with your mind and heart. Write, but do not deviate from God with your mind and do not allow warmth to diminish and sobriety to weaken. How to do it in time, the case will teach. And so, you will acquire a new experience - and you will become even stronger in your inward sojourn. (9, 229-230)
Praying without ceasing is the duty of all
As if only deeds, what is prayer? Prayer is one of the deeds and cannot replace all deeds. And pray, and correct your other affairs, everything is as it should be. One must become accustomed in one's mind and heart to pray unceasingly. It is the duty of all, it is the same as having the memory of God. (7, 80)
How to reconcile affairs and constant attention to God
We cannot be without work and work. God has given us active powers that need to be exercised. Everyone therefore has his own affairs and occupations. They require attention; but, on the other hand, moral advancement, which is more important than anything else, requires that attention should always be in God. How to agree on both? We must do all the deeds and occupations as the deeds of God, imposed on us by God, and dedicate them to God. Then, while doing them, let us not lose sight of God; for with this, care is inevitable, how to do everything that is done pleasing to God. (4,450)
How could the Apostles pray without ceasing
I remember that Basil the Great solved the question of how the Apostles could pray unceasingly in the following way: in all their deeds they thought about God and lived in unceasing devotion to God. This state of mind was their unceasing prayer. Here is an example for you. I think I have already written to you that the same cannot be demanded of active people, to which you belong, as of sit-down people. Their main concern should be to avoid wrong feelings when doing things and to try in every possible way to dedicate all of them to God. This dedication will turn deeds into prayer. (23, 8-9)
Never turn to God in any way. And always with great reverence. He does not need our obeisances, nor our long-winded prayers... A cry from the heart, short and strong, is what is profitable! Take care of this and direct everything here. Saint Epiphanius was asked: "How can we set the clock?" - Clock?!
There are no special hours for prayer: it must be every hour and every minute. At St. Basil the Great was asked: "How to pray without ceasing?" - He answered: "Have a prayerful disposition in your heart and you will pray unceasingly. Work with your hands, and raise your mind to God." The apostles went around the whole earth, how much work?! In the meantime, they prayed unceasingly. And they wrote this commandment. The spirit of faith, hope and devotion to the will of God - this is what must be kindled in the heart. (7, 78-79)
So the Lord Himself commands to do
The question is, how can we keep the Lord in our attention? So: no matter what business, big or small, you do, keep in mind that the Lord Omnipresent Himself commands you to do it and watches how you do it. Keeping yourself this way, you will do everything with attention, and you will remember the Lord. This is the whole secret of successful action in your position for the main goal. Let's get into it and get on with it. When you get better, then your thoughts will stop wandering back and forth ...
Why are things not working out for you now? I think it comes from the fact that you want to remember the Lord, forgetting about the affairs of life. But everyday affairs climb into the consciousness and the memory of the Lord is forced out. And you should, on the contrary, take care of the affairs of life, but as about the Lord's commission and as before the Lord. There you have neither one nor the other ... but here both will work properly. (9, 7)
GRADES OF ASCENT TO UNCEASED PRAYER
Three degrees of prayer
Three degrees of prayer can be assigned. At the first, it is predominantly external: readings, prostrations, vigils, and so on... They begin with this, and others work on themselves for quite a long time, until the beginnings of prayer appear, or light movements of the prayerful spirit... Prayer, as the highest gift, is sent down as if drop by drop, little by little, in order to teach a person to value it dearly. In the second degree, the corporeal and the spiritual are in equal force in it. Here, each word of prayer is accompanied by a corresponding feeling, or internal prayer movements, internally driven, explain and express with their own word. This is the most common prayer, common to almost everyone. It is common in those in whom the spirit of piety is alive. In the third degree, the internal or spiritual predominates in prayer - when, without words, and without bows, and even without reflection, and without any image, with some silence or silence, in the depths of the spirit, the action of prayer is performed. This prayer is not limited by time, place, or other than external, and can never stop. Why is it called the action of prayer, i.e. something that stays the same. But in order to reach this last degree, it is necessary to go through the first and, consequently, raise all the labors of bodily work for prayer, such as: fasting, bowing, reading prayers, vigil, kneeling. Whoever goes through this will enter the second degree, when, as Macarius the Great says, you only bow, and the spirit is already warmed in prayer. Just as one who does not know the alphabet should not start warehouses, because it would be a useless waste of time, so here: who does not know how to swim in a shallow river, how to let him into the deep sea? But even then, as one ascends to the last degree of prayer, external prayer does not stop, but also participates in the internal. The only difference is that in the first case the external precedes the internal, but here the internal precedes the external. How is it possible to take on only the inner, when one has not yet learned by labor and experience to pass from the outer to the inner! (3, 360-361)
Smart Prayer is Powerful When Inclination Comes Inside
Smart prayer is when someone, having established attention in the heart, from there lifts up a prayer to God. There is clever deed when someone, standing with attention in the heart with the remembrance of the Lord, cuts off every other thought that attempts to penetrate into the heart. (7, 56)
Smart prayer consists in standing before God with the mind in the heart, either simply or with the expression of petitions, thanksgiving and praise. This is not the time to engage in reasoning: everything has its turn. When that inclination comes inward, then mental prayer appears in strength and in its present form, and until that moment it is only what is sought; here there is a case. Therefore, reflections, reflections and reasoning, as well as all other self-actions, really should be abandoned and suppressed, if they were born during the manifestation of inward attraction, but not mental prayer. Not only should it not be abandoned, but it should be supported in every possible way so that that state, good and many-useful, lasts as long as possible. (15, 47-48)
The transition from smart to heartfelt prayer -
when the heart is filled with love for God
From such mental prayer there is a transition to heartfelt inner prayer, if only there is an experienced teacher who is very comfortable and free. When we experience the feelings of the heart with God, and love for God fills the heart, then such a prayer is called heart prayer. (10, 227)
Clever prayer turns into smart-heart
with the birth of warmth and attraction inward
Smart prayer turns into a prayer of the heart, or smart heart. Its appearance is contemporary with the birth of warmth of the heart. There is no other prayer in the ordinary course of spiritual life. Clever-hearted prayer can penetrate deeply into the heart and be in this case without words and thoughts, consisting in one standing before God and reverently-loving falling down to Him. Here it is the same as being drawn inward before God for prayer or finding the spirit of prayer. (15, 132)
Smart prayer, warming the heart,
introduces him into mental-heart prayer
At first, the mind prays with effort, forces itself to pray by the force of the will. And this, of course, is smart prayer. Smart prayer gradually warms the heart and introduces it into another prayer - smart-heart prayer. The heart, having learned to pray under the influence of the mind, and, having warmed up, itself begins to move towards prayer and draw the mind into it. This prayer of the heart is a real prayer, as it should be, a prayer that embraces the whole being of a person, for where the heart is, there is the whole person. This state is revealed by the inward pull that occurs during prayer, reading, meditation, and even without all this, so - after business. The last is higher than the first. (14, 483)
Self-propelled prayer stands and acts by itself
Smart prayer is in two states: it is either labor, when a person himself strains on it, or self-moving, when she stands by herself and acts. (15, 49)
The warmer the heart
the more self-propelled mental-heart prayer
This salvific prayer [of Jesus] at first is usually laborious, efficient. But, if someone is not too lazy to work on it, it will also become self-propelled, it will create itself, like a brook murmuring in the heart. This is a great blessing, and it is worth working hard to achieve it... It is better to take up the matter more earnestly and not retreat until you achieve what you want, or until this prayer begins to move in your heart: after that, just support. That warmth of the heart, or burning of the spirit, of which we have spoken before, comes precisely in this way. The more the Jesus Prayer takes root in the heart, the more the heart warms and the more self-moving prayer becomes, so that the fire of spiritual life ignites in the heart, and its burning becomes unceasing, at the same time as the Jesus Prayer occupies the whole heart and becomes incessantly moving. (15, 129-130)
Two kinds of self-propelled prayer - arbitrary and not free
Such kind of prayers are only self-moving prayers, when the spirit of prayer finds it. But they are also of two types: in one; man has the power to command him or not, to help him or to upset him; but in another, he has no power to do anything, but he admires in prayer and holds it in it by a different power, not having the freedom to act in any other way. (15, 135).
The difference between smart-heart prayer and spiritual prayer in self-action
The Holy Fathers distinguish mental-heart prayer from spiritual prayer. The first is created by the conscious self-activity of the one who prays, while the second finds and although it is conscious, it moves itself without the efforts of the one who prays. This prayer is spiritual. The latter cannot be prescribed; for it is not in our power. It can be desired, sought, and gratefully received, and not performed whenever you want. However, among purified people, prayer is more often spirit-moving. Therefore, it must be assumed that the Apostle prescribes mental-heart prayer when he says: pray with the spirit [Eph. 6, 18]. It can be added: pray wisely and heartily, with the desire to achieve spiritually moving prayer. Such prayer holds the soul consciously before the face of God, the omnipresent. Attracting to itself and reflecting from itself the ray of God, it disperses enemies. You can probably assume that the soul in this state is impregnable for demons. - That's the only way to pray at any time and in any place. (13, 487)
Clever-hearted prayer turns into unceasing,
when inward drives become permanent
Smart-hearted prayer then acquires independence and is either active, strained by one's own efforts, or self-moving, finding. In the latter form, it is the same as the shown inclinations [inward]: it is contemporary with them and develops from them. When later the state in which the soul finds itself during those inclinations becomes constant, then mental-heart prayer becomes unceasingly active. (15, 43-44)
The main condition for ascent to unceasing prayer is
purification of the heart from passions
The main condition for success in prayer is the cleansing of the heart from passions and any addiction to anything sensual. Without this, prayer will remain in the first degree, or reading. As the heart is cleansed, reading prayer will turn into mental-heart prayer, and when it is completely cleansed, then unceasing prayer will be raised. (7, 61)
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER
Finding Prayer and Contemplative Prayer
In this state [of unceasing prayer], prayer is given that finds, and not that which is done by the person himself. The spirit of prayer finds it and draws it inside the heart - everything is the same, as if someone took another by the hand and by force dragged him from one room to another. The soul here is bound by a third-party force and keeps willingly inside as long as the spirit that finds it is above it. I know two degrees of this finding. In the first - the soul sees everything, is aware of itself and its external position - and can reason and govern itself, can even ruin this state of its own, if it wants. And this should be clear to you.
The Holy Fathers, and especially St. Isaac the Syrian, another degree of giving or finding prayer is indicated. Above the one shown is his prayer, which he called ecstasy, or admiration. And here, too, the spirit of prayer finds; but the soul, carried away by it, enters into such contemplations that it forgets its outward position, does not reason, but only contemplates, and has no power to govern itself or ruin its state. Remember, it is written in the patristic books that someone stood up for prayer before his evening meal, and came to his senses in the morning. This is the prayer in rapture, or contemplative. In others, it was accompanied by the enlightenment of the face, the light around; in others by lifting from the ground. The Holy Apostle Paul was caught up into Paradise in this state. And the holy prophets were in it when the Spirit took them.
Marvel at the great mercy of God towards us sinners. Few will bother; and what is worthy? We can boldly say to all working people: work hard, there is a reason! (9, 240-241)
Contemplation above activity
Active and contemplative life goes like this: they are established in deeds and deeds and develop contemplation in themselves. But activity does not stop even after this, it only gives way to contemplation... Contemplation is higher, for it is the prelude to future bliss, and we live here in order to prepare for the future life. (7, 147)
Contemplative prayer is the highest state of prayer, which from time to time appears in God's elect. (15, 132)
The hallmark of contemplative prayer is
falling out of the consciousness of everything around
Contemplation is the captivity of the mind and the whole consciousness by some spiritual object so strong that everything external is forgotten, leaves the consciousness: the mind and consciousness go into the object being contemplated, so that they are no longer in us. Here is an example: the elder was talking with his disciples and stopped, as if forgetting himself. When he later came to his senses, the disciples asked him where he had been. “I was,” he said, “at Golgotha, before the crucified Lord, where Mary Magdalene was at His feet.” But this contemplation was only intellectual. Contemplative prayer is like this in forgetting everything and being captivated by the invisible world. Another example: the elder prepared a meal for himself at the usual hour and began to pray; but he was caught up in contemplative prayer and stood in it until the next day, when he came to himself. A distinctive feature of the contemplative prayer of St. Isaac the Syrian delivers precisely the falling out of the consciousness of everything around and captivity to the heavenly world. According to him, until now the mind has been in control of itself, and when it enters into contemplation or contemplative prayer, then it no longer has any power over itself. (15, 44-45)
Complete thoughtlessness of contemplation is alien to the holy fathers
Only one feature expressed by Speransky* seems untrue or untruely expressed. “The form,” he says, “of my contemplation has always been emptiness, the absence of any image and any thought.” Such perfect thoughtlessness is alien to the holy fathers. They inspired to leave everything, but in order to be united with the Lord. They stood during mental prayer and advised everyone to stand in the conviction that the Lord is near and heeds, that is, to stand smartly before the Lord and cry out to Him: I will seek Your face, as the Prophet sings, I will seek Your face, Lord. When they said that it was necessary to drive out every thought, they always added: to drive out every extraneous thought. (15, 228)
* We are talking about the book of St. Theophan "Letters on Spiritual Life", compiled in connection with the letters of Count M.M. Speransky. - Approx. comp.
A pure prayer will be given to one out of a thousand,
and contemplative - in rodech and rodech hardly alone
As far as contemplation is concerned, we do not find in any of the fathers that it was possible to enter into it ourselves and, consequently, to do something on our part to enter into it. Contemplation, according to them, was given precisely to those who had already had time to purify their hearts completely and deeply united with the Lord. Out of a thousand, one manages to acquire pure prayer; but spiritual prayer, or, what is the same, contemplative prayer, in childbirth and childbirth, hardly one turns out to have one. (15, 215)
Degrees of blessed life in God before this age
Amazement, reverent fear, joyful God-praise, and walking before God comprise, for the most part, life in God. This is because in all of them, both man himself and every creature disappear from thought, and only God is contemplated ... He who walks before God is consecrated to the knowledge of the perfections of God and all all-perfection and learns to praise God. He who ascends to this enters even deeper into the Divine and acquires reverent fear. Whoever, after this, exalts himself for all that is distinguished in God, tastes astonishment. This is the limit beyond which it is impossible to go. The one who has passed all these degrees is in the most blessed state and lives in it before this age, passing from amazement to reverence, and from this to God-praise, walking, or moving spiritually, as in a house, in Divine contemplation, full of light and heavenly purity. This is life in God! (3, 344-345)
A PRAYER RULE FOCUSED ON PERMANENT PRAYER
The rule to pray without ceasing
When, where, how long to stand at prayer and what kind of prayers to use... everyone can determine according to their circumstances - increase, decrease, move time and place... everything should be directed to ensure that inner prayer is performed properly. Concerning internal prayer, there is one rule: to pray without ceasing.
What does it mean to "pray without ceasing"? Be constantly in a prayerful mood. A prayerful mood is a thought about God and a feeling for God together. The thought of God is the thought of His omnipresence, that He is everywhere, sees everything and contains everything. Feeling for God - fear
God, love for God, a zealous desire to please everyone to Him alone, with the same desire to avoid everything that is objectionable to Him and, most importantly, surrendering oneself to His holy will unquestioningly and accepting everything that happens as from His hand directly. A feeling for God can take place in all our deeds, occupations and circumstances, if it is not only sought, but already planted in the heart.
Thought can be distracted by various objects; but even here the habit is possible not to deviate from God, but to engage in everything in the light of remembrance of God. It is about these two - about thought and feeling for God - that all care should be taken. When they are, there is a prayer, although there are no prayer words.
Morning prayers are appointed for this, in order to plant these two things in the mind and heart ... And then go out with them to your work and to doing. If you raise this in your soul in the morning, then you have prayed properly, although you will not read all the prayers ...
Let's assume that you got ready in the morning and went to work. From the first step, impressions from deeds, and things, and persons will begin, beating the soul away from God ... How to be? It is necessary to renew thought and feeling... by an inner turning of the mind and heart towards God. And to make it more convenient, you need to get used to some short prayer and repeat it as often as possible. Every short prayer leads to this...
Direct Path to Unceasing Prayer
If someone asked me: "How can I do the work of prayer?" - I would say to him: “Get the habit of walking in the presence of God or keep the memory of God and reverence; to maintain this memory, choose a few short prayers or directly take the 24 prayers of Chrysostom and often repeat them with appropriate thoughts and feelings.
As you get used to it, your head will be enlightened by the memory of God and your heart will be warmed. In this position, he will sink [will sink - approx. comp.] finally in the heart a spark of God - a ray of grace. It cannot be produced by anything, it comes directly from God... Then you can stay with the Jesus Prayer alone and with it fan the spark of prayer into a flame." Such is the direct path. (10, 190)
The general rule is to warm up in the morning
and not do anything that upsets her
From the first awakening in the morning, take care to gather inside and warm up the warmth. Consider this your normal state. As soon as this is not there, know that what is wrong inside you. Having placed oneself in the morning in such a collected and warmed state, then everything that is obligatory must be corrected so as not to ruin one's inner mood, and from an arbitrary one - that which supports this state, to do; what upsets him, under no circumstances should he do it, for this would mean hostility against himself. This is your general rule. (9, 175-176)
Diligently fulfilling the rule, keep sobriety of mind and warmth of heart. Hurry to stir up the latter, when it begins to decrease, and hurry, firmly knowing that, as soon as it is gone, this means that more than half of the path to apostasy from God has been passed. The fear of God is the guardian and activator of inner warmth. But humility is also needed, and patience, and fidelity to the rules, and above all, sobriety. Take heed, for the Lord's sake. Disturb yourself in every possible way so as not to fall asleep or, having dozed off, wake up. (9, 214)
Take the trouble to do this: in the morning - on your prayer rule - take the trouble to establish your attention before God so that later and all day you will be before Him, no matter what happens. If you arrange yourself in this way and begin to foresee the Lord before you with the prophet - with feelings corresponding, of course, to this - then you will pray unceasingly. And then you won't be bored. Do not depart from prayer - the rule - until contrition in the heart with devotion to God is revived. (10, 121-122)
An example of a daily rule with unceasing prayer
At all times, from awakening to falling asleep, walk in the memory of God's omnipresence, in the thought that the Lord sees you and counts all the movements of your thought and heart. For this reason, pray unceasingly with the Jesus Prayer and, often coming to the icons, make several prostrations according to the movement and demand of your heart so that all your daytime is often interrupted by a few prostrations and passes in unceasing contemplation and the creation of the Jesus Prayer in all kinds of occupations. The rule of prayer, cell, or home, prayer, perform only before going to bed. Less reading and more of your prayer with bows ... If these are the usual canons laid down for every day to the Lord Jesus, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the daytime (weekly) saint, then after reading this is all, what else to add? Do this reverently, slowly, pay attention to every word and limit your daily reading prayers to this. Learn to leave the canons and akathists you have collected little by little and replace them with mental prayer. (9, 166)
Unceasing prayer does not come all of a sudden,
and intermittent prayers
Such unceasing prayer, or acceptance of the action of prayer, does not come suddenly, but by intermittent prayers performed at certain times, which are the essence and necessary means for acquiring unceasing prayer, and the conditions for its preservation throughout life.
The production of these prayers requires both a special external order and a special inner mood. (3, 359)
Short prayers to St. Read Chrysostom both in the morning and in the evening, repeating each prayer three times. They contribute a lot to attention. They will lead us into a walk with God and unceasing prayer. (8, 162)
To sweat oneself in order to receive the memory of God
God Himself instills in the soul the memory of God. But for this the soul itself must sweat and labor. Work hard, forcing yourself with unceasing remembrance of God. And God, seeing how zealously you desire this, will give you the memory of Himself. Brief prayers are very useful in our own work on the remembrance of God. Prayers... whatever you want... Lord, have mercy! - Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! - Jesus, the Son of God, have mercy on me! .. and others ... Everyone goes. Whichever one you like best, use that one. (11, 49)
Two tricks to bring the mind to the heart
Set yourself an hour - outside the prayer rule; take a prayer book and read - read, and ponder the prescribed prayers, and bring the thoughts expressed there to feeling. When you then begin to fulfill the prayer rule, all those feelings will immediately be renewed in your soul, and your prayer will be in its order ...
This is the first method of drawing the mind to the heart, namely, through sympathy with prayers read and heard, for the feelings of the heart usually rule over the mind. The second method is the following: when you make your home rule, insert into the gaps between the prayers you read and your own prayers, which are generated by the action of those prayers ... This method is stronger than the first and will sooner bring the mind to the heart. But he can act only after the first dose or together with it.
But one must have some additional method, or sub-method, at the ready for it. If you make your prayer rule ... according to the above method, then it may happen that a small rule, such as prayers for sleep in the future ... will last a very long time ... You need to determine the duration of your prayers ... not by the number of prayers that should be read while time; namely, to determine how much time to spend following such and such a rule ... without increasing it in the least against the time you usually use for that ...
By acting in this way, you will always learn to be in a feeling for God during prayers, and your mind, being attracted by this feeling, will stand in the memory of God. (4, 327-329)
While the mind enters the heart, do nothing else
Do this: when you feel the entry of the mind into the heart and the effect of prayer, then give full freedom to such a prayer, removing everything unfavorable to it; and while it is - do nothing else. When you do not feel such an attraction, then pray with an oral prayer with bows, trying in every possible way to keep your attention in your heart before the face of the Lord. The heart will warm up even with such an image of prayer. (10, 228-229)
The fear of God will lead to the goal
How to reach the state of constantly standing before God? - Begin by walking before Him with appropriate feelings. From here comes the fear of God, which will lead you to the desired goal. This is the real way - spiritual to a spiritual state. And the mechanical one, that of Gregory of Sinai, is only a help, and one does not lead to the goal. But it is necessary to combine mental methods with active ones: keep a clean conscience, refine the flesh, abide in prayers - all in the spirit of contrition and humility with reverence. (4, 453)
Frequent remembrance of God without reverence dulls the feeling of fear of God and thereby deprives him of that saving action that belongs to him in the circle of spiritual movements and which, apart from him, nothing can produce. (4, 412)
It is good that you love the memory of God... add to it the fear of reverence. The memory of death does not suppress and does not induce gloom, but only arouses watchful vigilance over oneself ...
It is always necessary to keep and sobering with the encouraging. - Love and fear both must be in force... Angels stand before God with fear and trembling... and the Apostle commanded us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. (11, 84-85)
What does it mean to "ignite trouble around you"
You ask what it means to "ignite trouble around you." This is a deep sense of the danger of one's position, and an extreme danger, from which there is no other salvation than in the Lord Jesus Christ. This feeling will drive us to the Lord and make us cry out incessantly: "Help, protect!" It was with all the saints and never left them. Opposite to him is a feeling of contentment with one's position, which reassures a person and extinguishes in him any concern for salvation. (5, 6)
Divine Thinking Paves the Way to Unceasing Prayer
Apply divine thought - both at the beginning, and in the middle, and at the end - or ... as it goes on with you incessantly ... often, as you please. Theological thinking is an in-depth reflection on the economy of salvation, or in general, or about any one subject that is part of it. As soon as you wake up - immediately survey everything - from creation to the Second Coming, the Judgment and the decision of the fate of all ... - Then take one object and delve into it until it embraces the heart ... And in this embrace then make a prayer ... And so all day... mix divinity with prayer. The Lord is close to all who call on Him. (11, 209)
Divine thought corrects and renews the general mood. It is good to always bring it to the end, that is, put yourself at the judgment of God, as it were in reality, and then cry out: "Lord, have mercy!" The Fathers write: The best way to stand during prayer is to stand at the Judgment. - From contemplation of God, a different object will lie closer than others to the heart. Then, after the end of this business, it is necessary to stop on it and feed them longer. This paves the way for unceasing prayer. (6, 227)
God-thinking is the key to unceasing prayer
If someone asked: "How to always be with the Lord?" - You can safely answer: "Have a feeling for the Lord - and you will be with the Lord ..." But how to have a feeling? It seems that just remembering the Lord already sets in motion a feeling for Him. If we add to this the thought of what He is and what He has done and is doing for us, then I do not know whose heart will remain untouched. Therefore, it is very righteous St. The Fathers revere the contemplation of God, or the contemplation of the attributes and actions of the Lord, as the key to prayer... and unceasing prayer. Because from this feeling for God comes to life ... and unites with the Lord. (11, 179)
Every rule is good
which keeps the soul in awe of God
As for the rule, I think about it this way: whatever rule one chooses for himself, everything is good - as long as it keeps the soul in reverence before God. Also: read prayers and psalms until the soul stirs, and then pray yourself, setting out your needs or without everything. "God be merciful..." Also: sometimes all the time assigned for the rule can be spent reading one psalm as a keepsake, composing your own prayer from every verse. One more thing: sometimes you can carry out the whole rule in the Jesus Prayer with bows ... And then take a little from one, the other and the third. God needs a heart (Prov. 23:26), and as soon as it stands reverently before Him, it is sufficient. In this, unceasing prayer consists in always standing reverently before God. And at the same time, the rule is only to fire or throw firewood into the stove. (6, 8-9)
The rule must be in your own will
You can master the rule of prayer yourself... Memorize the prayers that you read and read them from memory with understanding and feeling. Immediately insert your prayer from yourself; the less dependent on the book, the better. Memorize a few psalms and when you go somewhere or do something else, and your head is not busy, read them ... This is a conversation with God. The rule must be in your free will. Don't be a slave to him. (7, 79)
The prayer rule that you have chosen for yourself can be fulfilled in full, and in half, and in a quarter. * Have freedom in relation to it. Be his mistress, not his slave. Call on God wisely and heartily, and stand in prayer as long as you can, stand as long as you can, not at all embarrassed that you will not read everything. A heartfelt appeal to God will replace everything. (7, 80)
* This rule, given by St. Theophan, is applicable only at a certain level of prayer, and its application should be discussed with the confessor. - Approx. comp.
When the [novices] reach certain inner sensations, and especially the warmth of the heart, the rules [and they] are not strictly needed. In general, one should not be addicted to the rules, but be free in relation to them, having one thing in mind, no matter how reverent attention to God does not depart. (7, 176)
All rules can leave only those
whose mental prayer has become unceasing
[What has been said] about laying aside singing for mental prayer refers to hermits and to those persons in whom mental prayer has been revealed and has become unceasing. These can do everything instead of the church service and cell rule... Reading the prayer then stops by itself. Thus, the postponement of singing does not apply to you and me, we need to stand up for church services, and to perform what is determined for cell prayer. (7, 57)
But prayers must still be done in due time... All the great prayer books did this. This is necessary because tetanus attacks the soul, and it is good for nothing ... Then even praying with someone else’s prayer and verbally and mentally is still better than not praying at all to go to bed ... or spend the morning. - Can't you pray for a long time? - Pray for a short time. (11, 101)
THE FRUITS OF UNCEASED PRAYER AND THEIR RELATION TO NATURAL FRUITS
Natural Fruits of the Jesus Prayer
The artistic performance of the Jesus Prayer*..., its simple creation with attention in the heart, or walking in the memory of God, are our work, and in themselves have their own natural, not grace-filled fruit. This fruit is - the collection of thoughts, reverence and fear of God, the memory of death, the pacification of thoughts and some warmth of the heart. All these are the natural fruits of inner prayer. It is necessary to affirm this well, so as not to trumpet before oneself and not to rise in front of others.
* We are talking about the artificial doing of the Jesus Prayer according to St. Simeon the New Theologian - Approx. comp.
As long as we have only natural fruits, we are not worth a penny, both in the essence of the matter and in the judgment of God. Price to us when grace comes. For when she comes, this will mean that God has looked upon us with a merciful eye. And until it comes, no matter what we do, no matter what feats we bear, it means that we are spittle people that God does not even want to look at.
In what exactly this action of grace is revealed, I [here] do not have to tell you [cf. Further]; but what is certain is that it cannot come before all the above-mentioned fruits of inner prayer appear. (6, 18)
The main fruit of prayer is not warmth and sweetness, but the fear of God and contrition. They constantly need to be warmed up, and to live with them, and to breathe with them. (10, 176)
Tears are a measure of success
Prosperity in the spiritual life is signified by a greater and greater awareness of one's worthlessness in the full meaning of this word, without any restrictions. (9, 172)
The path to perfection is the path to the realization that I am both blind, and poor, and naked, in continuous connection with which there is contrition of the spirit, or sickness and sorrow for one's impurity, poured out before God, or, which is the same, unceasing repentance. Repentant feelings are the hallmarks of true asceticism. Whoever deviates from them and avoids them, he has deviated from the path. In the position of the beginning of a new life there was repentance; it must also be in growth and mature along with it. The ripening one matures in the knowledge of his corruption and sinfulness and deepens into contrite feelings of repentance. Tears are a measure of progress, and incessant tears are a sign of imminent purification. (1, 199-200)
God gave you tears. This is good. But temporary tears are not yet. It needs to be permanent. There are tears in the heart that are better than those flowing from the eyes. The current ones feed the worm of vanity from the eyes, and those of the heart are known to God alone. In public, it is better to hold back tears, remaining with contrite heart. (7, 177)
The spirit is contrite, repentant feelings and tears do not reduce strength, but give it, because they put the soul in a pleasurable state... There are also spiritual joys interspersed with contrition... Real contrition can not interfere with pure spiritual joy - and get along with them in a friendly way, hiding some underneath. (9, 154-155)
The habit of always keeping attention on the Lord will not let you grieve
The whole point is to learn to keep your attention always on the omnipresent Lord, who sees everything, and who wants everyone to be saved, and who is ready to contribute to that. This skill will not allow you to grieve - whether internal or external grief worries, for it gives the soul complete satisfaction, which, saturating the soul, will not give place to any feeling of poverty and insufficiency, plunging oneself and all one’s own into the hands of the Lord and giving rise to a sense of His unceasing intercession and help. (10, 197-198)
Attention in the heart and warmth are the natural actions of prayer
The fruit of prayer is concentration of attention in the heart and warmth. This is a natural action. Anyone can achieve this. And this prayer [to Jesus] is to be done by everyone, not only a monk, but also a layman. (7, 193)
"Sore" in the heart - a natural thing
Take the trouble to form in your heart some sort of sore... Constant labor will soon do this. There is nothing special here. This is a natural thing (the fact that the sore - the disease will seem). But even from this there will be more composure. And the main thing is that the Lord, seeing the work, grants help and His grace-filled prayer. Then their orders will go to the heart. (7, 199)
When a person does everything with full consciousness and attention
With such an arrangement of the heart [connection of the mind with the heart], in a person everything passes from the head into the heart, and then it is as if some kind of intelligent light illuminates his entire inside, and no matter what he does, says or thinks; everything is done with full consciousness and attention. He can then clearly see what thoughts, intentions and desires come to him and willingly compels his mind, heart and will to obey Christ, to fulfill every God and fatherly commandment; any deviation from them makes amends with a feeling of heartfelt repentance and contrition with unfeigned pity and with a painful, humble fall to God, asking and expecting help from above for his weakness. And God, looking at such humility, does not deprive him of His grace. (10, 228)
The first gift to the mind is concentration of attention in prayer
To the extent of our zeal and humble diligence in prayer, God grants the first gift to our mind - composure and concentration in prayer. When attention to the Lord becomes incessant, then it is grace-filled attention; and our own attention is always forced. (10, 227)
That [smart] rule, if you continue it as it should, will lead to a sore in the heart, and the sore will chain this thought to the One - and the wandering of thoughts will end. From this moment, when the Lord will make you better to improve him, a new restructuring of everything internal will begin - and walking before God will become relentless. (4, 368-369)
Real warmth and natural warmth
Real warmth is a gift from God; but there is also natural warmth, the fruit of one's own efforts and free moods. They are separated from each other, like heaven from earth... The first fruit of God's warmth is the gathering of thoughts together and their striving towards God incessantly. Here it happens the same as with bleeding. That one has a hundred blood streams ... and then the current of thoughts stops. (7, 181)
The light always comes almost through the Sacraments
You ask: "Isn't it a twinkle when you stand in prayer with reverence and a feeling of your insignificance?" - It is connected with the twinkle; but with him it is indispensable. The flame comes without discretion. And almost always through the sacraments of Confession and St. Communions. (10, 193)
Heartfelt prayer is a gift of grace
given through the Sacraments
True heartfelt prayer is a gift of grace given through the sacraments of Confession or Communion. And upon the sending of such a gift, it is warmed up by the same Sacraments. A distinctive feature of this gift is the continuity of prayer, which is expressed by a feeling for God, sometimes with prayer words, and sometimes without words.
What grace gives, that labor cannot give. He only prepares for the acceptance of the gift - and, upon receiving it, warms it up - along with the Sacraments. (10, 195-196)
Heartfelt prayer is never premature
Heartfelt prayer is never premature. She is the start. By affirming it in the heart, the work of God will sing. It must be developed without sparing labor. God, seeing the work, gives the desired. (7, 93)
A blessed mind is always collected,
quick-witted and quick-witted, illumined by the truth
When prayer deepens into the heart and overshadows it with warmth, then the mind is always collected and inherent in itself, which is why it is quick to understand and quick-witted. From this time on, all the truths of revelation begin to enter the heart, each in its own time, as if suddenly, in the form of illumination. (15, 228)
Inner lightness, the petition of the unkind,
boldness in prayer, spiritual fire in the heart
A distinctive feature of the state when the Kingdom of God opens inward, or, what is the same, when a non-waste spiritual fire is kindled in the heart from a relationship with God, is inward-staying. Consciousness is all concentrated in the heart and stands before the face of the Lord, pouring out its feelings before Him, and most of all, painfully falling to Him in humble feelings of repentance, with an inherent readiness to devote one’s entire belly to the service of Him alone. Such a system is established every day, from the moment of awakening from sleep, it lasts all day, with all labor and occupation, and does not depart until sleep closes the eyes. Together with the formation of such a system, all disorganization ceases, which had been quality inside until that moment, during the period of searching, into this transitional state of languor, as Speransky calls it. The uncontrollable fermentation of thoughts ceases; the atmosphere of the soul becomes pure and cloudless: there is only one thought and memory of the Lord. Hence the lordship in everything internal. Everything is clear there; every movement is noticed and worthy of evaluation in the intellectual light emanating from the face of the Lord contemplated. As a result of this, every unkind thought and unkind feeling that clings to the heart meet resistance in the very embryo and are driven away. Here, what Philotheus of Sinai advises is fulfilled: "From the morning, stand at the entrance of the heart and in the name of Jesus strike the approaching enemies." This driving away of the evil may be instantaneous, but it may last for hours, days, months and years; meanwhile, the essence of the matter is always the same, namely, that nothing unkind is allowed in the heart, but meets a decisive rebuff from the moment of consciousness of its unkindness, and its persecution does not stop until the heart is completely abolished from it. Following this, whatever is thought, whatever is felt, whatever is desired, whatever is said or done, is thought, felt, desired, said and done in the exact consciousness that all such does not offend the relentlessly contemplated Lord, is pleasing to Him and in accordance with with His will. If something contrary slips against one's will, one immediately humbly confesses to the Lord and is cleansed by inner repentance or outer confession, so that the conscience is always kept clean before the Lord. As a reward for all such inner work, boldness towards God in prayer is given, which is constantly warming in the heart. The unceasing warmth of prayer is the spirit of this life, so that with the cessation of this warmth, the movement of spiritual life also ceases, just as with the cessation of breathing, bodily life ceases.
These few words say everything that brings with it the placement inside the Kingdom, or, in other words, the blessed fire that finally kindles in the heart; this also determines the essence of true spiritual life, or its essential functions. (15, 80-83)
The memory of God, the contemplation of the perfections of God,
zeal for God, fear of God
The grace of God directs the attention of the mind and heart to God and keeps it on Him. As the mind does not stand without action, then, being turned to God, it thinks about God. Hence the memory of God is a constant companion of the state of grace... The memory of God is never idle, but it certainly leads one into the contemplation of the perfections of God and God's deeds: goodness, truth, creation, providence, redemption, judgment and retribution. All this in the aggregate is the world of God, or the spiritual realm. He who is zealous abides in this region forever. Such is the nature of jealousy. From here back - staying in this area supports and enlivens jealousy. Would you like to be jealous? Keep all the prescribed mood ... In parts - this is spiritual firewood. Always have such firewood at hand, and as soon as you notice that the fire of jealousy is weakening, take some log from your spiritual firewood and renew the spiritual fire. And everything will go well. From the totality of such spiritual movements comes the fear of God, reverent standing before God in the heart. Se is the guardian and guardian of the blessed state. (8, 25)
Pure love is the crown of perfection in pleasing God
Love for God is akin to our nature. I believe that it is not completely extinguished even in sinners, it acts in them, calling them to repentance, until they harden and despair. But love itself begins from the moment when, as a result of repentance, the determination to work for the Lord is born, not sparing one's life. The works of pleasing God that begin after that develop it more and more strongly, until it turns into a flame and embraces all of its nature. There are so many shades in these degrees of love that it is impossible to list them all. Another loves God because he has much good from Him; another loves God for the sake of expecting some good from Him; another loves God for the sake of expecting every good thing from Him; another loves God because He is God. Deed reveals love in such a way that another makes only frequent for God, leaving a part for himself; the other does everything for God; while others sacrifice themselves and all their own unconditionally to God. To love God as God, with complete self-sacrifice, without any kind, is pure love. The Ladder says about himself that even though God sent him to hell, he will also invariably love Him there with all his soul. It is obvious that pure love is the crown of perfection in pleasing God and is in force only at the end of the labors on this path. In the beginning, at the first manifestations of the Kingdom of God in us, it cannot even be demanded: it may be in the goal, but not in deed; it reigns when God already swallows up everything that is ours. (15, 46-47)
ON DEVIATIONS FROM THE RIGHT PATH OF UNCEASED PRAYER
Two Wrong Ways to Pray - Dreamy and Smart-Headed
The first wrong way of prayer depends on the fact that others act in it mainly by imagination and fantasy. These forces constitute the first instance in the movement from outside to inside, which should have been bypassed, but instead stop at it. The second instance on the way inside is reason, reason, mind, in general - the reasoning and thinking force. You should also pass it and go down with it into the heart. When they stop at it, then a second wrong type of prayer occurs, the distinguishing feature of which is that the mind, remaining in the head, wants to settle everything in the soul by itself and manage everything; but nothing comes of his labors. He chases after everything, but he cannot overcome anything and only suffers defeat ...
And meanwhile, as this fermentation takes place in the head, the heart goes on as usual; no one watches over him, and worries and passionate movements come over him. Then the mind forgets itself and runs away to the objects of cares and passions; And maybe someday, when he comes to his senses...
The second image of prayer can be decently called smart-headed, as opposed to the third - smart-hearted. (15, 170-173)
Evasion of attention from the heart is deviation from the path to God
Images keep attention outward, no matter how sacred they may be, but during prayer attention must be inward, in the heart: concentration of attention in the heart is the starting point of proper prayer. And since prayer is the path of ascent to God, then deviation of attention from the heart is deviation from this path. (15, 144)
There are deviations from the right path of this prayer. Therefore, one must learn it from the one who knows it. Misconceptions are more on who is paying attention where - in the head or in the chest. Whoever is in the heart is safe. Even safer is the one who painfully clings to God at every hour in contrition, with a prayer for deliverance from charms. (1, 245)
You stand before the Lord, without images, in the presence of the Lord... and feel good. What else? It's all here. Are you the only one doing this in your head?! - No, you have to stand in your heart. But do not remember the heart, but only see the Lord. - Everything can be expressed in this way: "Stand in the heart with the mind before the Lord and pray." (10, 175)
Discordant inside when the mind goes its course
and your heart - you need to connect them
Because everything is out of order inside you, because there is a quality of disintegration of forces; the mind goes its own way, and the heart its own. It is necessary to connect the mind with the heart; then the fermentation of thoughts will stop, and you will receive a rudder to control the ship of the soul - a lever with which you will begin to set in motion your entire inner world. (15, 54)
Without repentant feelings - prayer is not in prayer
That you have feelings of repentance in prayer and tears is a real thing. Without repentant feelings - prayer is not in prayer. So write it as if it were not the former. Prayer without these feelings is the same as a dead miscarriage. So at St. fathers. And inflate your tears... Learn to wail over yourself as if over the dead - and with lamentations... For the main thought, or the place where you should keep yourself mentally, is the hour of Judgment, or the moment when God is ready to pronounce: "Come" or "Get away!" Oh Lord, save me! And how not to cry, if you could not affirmatively say that He would not say: "Go away"?! (7, 94)
Will never get used to prayer
carried away by the spirit of arbitrary self-creation
In every possible way it is necessary to stand against the spirit of arbitrariness, or the desire and urge to act without embarrassment. This spirit whispers: “I can’t do this, I don’t have enough time for this,” or: “It’s not time for me to take on this yet, I have to wait,” or: “Obligations of obedience hinder” and much like that. He who listens to him will never does not become accustomed to prayer.—In partnership with this spirit is the spirit of self-justification, which sets in and begins to act after someone, carried away by the spirit of arbitrary self-creation, does something for which his conscience troubles him. to deceive your conscience and expose your wrongness to rightness - God save you from these evil spirits (10, 229-230)
The artistic creation of prayer is not for everyone
All the techniques that are written about (sit down, bend down) ..., or the artistic creation of this prayer is not suitable for everyone and without a mentor is dangerous. It's better not to take it all. One technique is obligatory for all: "with attention to stand in the heart." The other is all external and not a leading addition to the matter. (6, 17)
The artistic image of prayer can stop the spiritual life
The artistic image of doing prayer is depicted by the fathers as an external aid and is subject to internal doing. And now, for the most part, they assimilate only the external side, not caring about the internal. - A little warm movement in the heart will appear, they decide: God has given ... and indulge in dreams about themselves. Then they condemn all those who do not hold the artistic image of prayer, and not only this, but also church prayers, and those who strictly adhere to it, trying not to lower it. - From this, the success of inner prayer ceases for them, and they are left with one external deed. And the spiritual life ceases. (10, 193-194)
How to Beware of the Artistic Image of Prayer
The Jesus Prayer, done with faith in the simplicity of the heart, is always soul-saving. The art that is associated with it can turn out to be harmful. It is necessary to guard against this ... You can not suddenly lean on this prayer, but first let everyone get used to praying from the heart with the prescribed prayers and prayers in the church.
Then, when you notice that someone begins to delve into prayer, you can invite him to say the Jesus Prayer without ceasing, and at the same time observe the memory of God with fear and reverence. - Prayer is the first thing. The main thing that is sought by prayer is to receive that spark that was given to Maxim Kapsokalivit... This spark is not attracted by any art, but is given freely by the grace of God. What is the work of prayer for? Teach this to everyone... But add that the house of prayer is a pure heart, and a calm conscience, and zeal for every virtue, and seeding them in the heart. (10, 190-191)
Avoid evasion into charm
only possible with the help of an experienced leader
or mutual guidance
The right path of ascent through the degrees of prayer is the right path of ascent to communion with God, or, what is the same, is right mysticism. Deviations from the right ascent of prayer to perfection are at the same time deviations into false mysticism. It is not difficult to notice the place for this evasion, or the first point of departure into evasion: this is the transition from verbal prayer, according to ready-made prayers, to personal prayer, otherwise, the transition from external prayer to internal, intelligent. To remove delusion from this point would be to remove the deviation into false mysticism. The deviation into false mysticism among the fathers, sober ascetics, is called deviation into delusion. We have seen these deviations from rightness on the way of movement from outside to inside... Some get stuck in imagination, others stop at mental doing. The true step is taken by those who, bypassing these stations, go to the heart and take refuge in it. But even here a delusion is still possible, because a part of mental-heart prayer is self-made, labor; and where we are, there is always the possibility of falling into delusion, just as well as into sin. Security begins when a pure and unwavering prayer is affirmed in the heart, which is a sign of the overshadowing of the heart with tangible grace, for here feelings are formed, trained in the reasoning of good and evil. So, from the very beginning of the movement from outside to inside until this blissful moment, it is possible to drift into false mysticism. How to avoid this misfortune? The fathers indicate one way for this: do not remain alone, have an experienced adviser and leader. If he is not there, come together two or three and be guided mutually in the light of the fatherly writings. I know of no other way to avoid the errors of mysticism, except perhaps for a special grace-filled guidance, which was granted to a few of God's chosen ones. But these are features; and we are talking about ways of life common to all. (15, 233-235)
Smart prayer itself is in dire need of guidance.
Noetic prayer itself is in dire need of guidance as long as it is self-made or labor. At this time, doing mental prayer, not guided by a skillful hand, for the most part go astray ...
For all the fathers who wrote guides to spiritual life, the first point in the rules for entering into the inner life is: to have a spiritual father-guide and obey him. I will cite here one or two of their speeches... This is what Gregory of Sinai says: “Without a teacher, it is impossible to succeed in smart work. Himself about Himself, but as the Father taught Him, so He did, and the Holy Spirit did not speak about Himself, then who is this among us to such a height of perfection that no longer requires anyone else to guide him? virtue! Such a one is already delusional, that is, he has entered the false path of deviating to delusions.
And in an active life, few people manage without stumbling, remaining with their own prudence. But here, at least, the harm is not so great: one thing, not done right, if necessary, and easy to redo or another time to do it properly. In clever doing, deviation from the right path gives its direction to everything internal, which cannot suddenly be changed. Some of these, as we have seen, get entangled in the nets of the imagination, others stop at mindful doing, or, according to Simeon the New Theologian, at the first and second degrees of attention and prayer, or smart doing. And when they are fixed in this formation, the most experienced and most diligent instructor can hardly, if he can still, knock them out or lure them out of these slums in which they enclose themselves, finding them extremely delightful. (15, 236-239)
Clever prayer bypasses the danger of delusions,
when pride burns in her fire
So, when mental prayer is affirmed and reaches the last degree of its perfection, at which the mind, clinging to God, becomes dumb in unity with Him (filled with love and devotion to God), then self-love burns in this fire, and as a result, the danger from delusions passes. . (15, 235-236)
When Smart Prayer Isn't Dangerous
and serves as a guardian
Smart prayer is when you, standing in your heart with attention, will cry out to the Lord and ask, or repent, or thank, or glorify Him. There is no danger in this action either; such a prayer itself serves as a guard. For here is the Lord, if you turn to Him with faith. You can actually try it right now. (7, 57)
Two wrongs with warmth: warmth and lustful sweetness
As soon as the warmth that accompanies the Jesus Prayer is not accompanied by spiritual feelings, then it should not be called spiritual, but simply warmth of the blood; and she, being such, is not bad, if she is not in connection with lustful sweetness, although light; and if it does, then it is bad and must be exiled.
This unrighteousness happens when warmth goes below the heart. The second wrongness is when, having fallen in love with this warmth, to limit everything to it alone, not caring about spiritual feelings and even about the memory of God, but only that there be this warmth; this wrongness is possible, although not with everyone and not always, but at times. It is necessary to notice this and correct it, because in this case it will remain the warmth of the blood, the animal. (7, 65)
Lustful irritation immediately stop
The fact that there was infantry irritation is very bad. It may be an accident; but this should not be allowed, but must be immediately stopped... Otherwise, instead of a spiritual matter, a sensual one will come out and instead of good, it will bear evil fruit. Read about this in the Philokalia, and especially about how to keep your attention. (7, 195)
Spiritual voluptuousness from increased attention to warmth
Deep prayer to the Lord excites warmth. Experienced fathers strictly distinguish between bodily warmth, simple, resulting from the concentration of forces to the heart by attention and tension - bodily warmth, lustful, sometimes immediately instilled and supported by the enemy - and spiritual warmth, sober, pure. It is of two kinds: natural, due to the union of the mind with the heart, and blessed. To distinguish each of them teaches experience. This warmth is sweet, and it is desirable to maintain it, both for the sake of this sweetness itself, and for the sake of the fact that it communicates well-being to everything inside. But whoever strives to maintain and intensify this warmth for one sweetness, he will develop spiritual voluptuousness in himself. Therefore, teetotalers strain, bypassing this sweetness, to establish themselves in one standing before the Lord, with complete devotion to Him, as if placing themselves in His hands; but on the sweetness that emanates from warmth, they do not rely on it and do not attract attention to it. But it is possible to cling to it with attention, and resting in it, as in warm peace or clothing, support it alone, without stretching thoughts higher. Mystics [in temptation - comp.] did not go further than this, for them this state was considered the highest: there was complete thoughtlessness, immersed in some kind of emptiness. Such is the state of contemplation of the mystics. It has nothing in common with the state of contemplation that the great teetotal fathers had. (15, 219-220)
Spiritual voluptuousness - from the departure of the fear of God and sickness
Are you afraid to fall into spiritual voluptuousness? How does it get here? After all, prayer is not done for sweetness, but for the fact that it is a duty to serve God in this way; sweetness is a necessary attribute of true service. In addition, the main thing in prayer is to stand before God with the mind in the heart with reverence and fear, sobering and driving away all whims and planting sickness in the heart before God. These feelings - the fear of God and sickness, or a contrite and humble heart - are the main features of true inner prayer and the test of any prayer, by which we must judge whether our prayer is in the proper order or not. When they are, prayer is in order. When they are not there, it is not in order, and it is necessary to insert it into your rank. With their absence, sweetness and warmth can give rise to self-conceit, and this is spiritual pride ... and this will be detrimental charm. Then sweetness and warmth will depart; only the memory of them will remain... and the soul will still think that it has them. - Fear this, and kindle more the fear of God, humility and painful falling towards God, always walk in the presence of God. Se is the main thing! (7, 146)
The humble charms have nothing to fear
Beauty is nothing to be afraid of. It happens to those who are puffed up... who begin to think that as soon as warmth has entered the heart, then this is already the horse of perfection. And this is only the beginning, and that, perhaps, is not lasting. For both warmth and pacification of the heart are also natural, the fruit of concentration of attention. But we must work and work, wait and wait until the natural is replaced by the blessed. Everyone, best of all, never consider yourself as having achieved anything, but always see yourself as poor, naked, blind and worthless. (7, 195-196)
He who walks without pain will not receive fruit.
You need to know that a sure sign of the goodness of an achievement, and at the same time a condition for success through it, is painfulness. He who walks painlessly will not receive fruit. Heart disease and bodily labor bring into manifestation the gift of the Holy Spirit, given to every believer in St. baptism, which is buried in the passions by our negligence in fulfilling the commandments, is resurrected again in repentance through the inexpressible mercy of God. Do not depart from your labors because of their pain, so that you will not be condemned for barrenness and not hear: "Take talent from him." Any feat, bodily or spiritual, not accompanied by pain and not requiring labor, does not bear fruit: the Kingdom of God is in need and the needy delight it (Matt. 11, 12). (15, 187-188)
There will be no memory of God - there will be no spiritual life
We must remember God. We must bring this to the point where the thought of God becomes related and merges with the mind and heart, and with our consciousness. In order for such a memory and such a thought to be affirmed, one must work on oneself without laziness. Work hard - God will give, you will achieve this; don't try, you won't achieve. And if you don't achieve this, nothing will come of you; you will not get any success in the spiritual life; and it will not exist at all, for this is the spiritual life. That's how essential it is! (2, 181)
Conclusion
WHO HAS RECEIVED AN UNCEASED PRAYER IS ALREADY STANDING ON THE EDGE OF PARADISE
The Secret of Unceasing Prayer in Love to the Lord
Pray unceasingly - work in prayer - and you will acquire unceasing prayer, which itself will already begin to be performed in the heart without much tension. It is obvious to everyone that the commandment of St. The apostle is not fulfilled by one performance of the prescribed prayers at certain hours, but requires constant walking before God, consecration of all deeds to God, the all-seeing and omnipresent, kindling a warm conversion to Him with the mind in the heart. All life, in all its manifestations, must be imbued with prayer. Her secret is in her love for the Lord. Like a bride who loves her groom, is not separated from him by memory and feeling; so the soul, united with the Lord in love, abides with Him relentlessly, turning warm conversations to Him from the heart. Cling to the Lord, one spirit is with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17). (16, 219)
God-thinking and a short prayer nourish the feelings of the heart
Straining to hold the thought of God, do not keep it naked, but unite with it all the concepts you know about God, Divine properties and actions, deepening your mind first into one thing, then into another. Think more about God's creation and providence, about the incarnation of God the Word and the work of our salvation accomplished by Him, about His death, resurrection and ascension to heaven, the sending down of the Holy Spirit, the dispensation of St. Churches, guardians of truth and grace, and about the preparation of heavenly mansions for all believers in the Kingdom of Heaven - and for yourself. Attach reflection on the properties of God - indescribable goodness, wisdom, omnipotence, truth, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, omniscience and greatness. All this, if you please, discuss it during prayer, and it is better especially, when reading. When you discuss everything and contemplate clearly, then at the thought of God you will have not a bare thought, but a thought accompanied by and attracting many saving thoughts that act on the heart and excite the energy of the spirit. You can compose your own short blasphemy prayer, in which all this would be combined. For example, even in this form: “Glory to Thee, God, worshiped in the Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Soul! Glory to Thee, who created all things! Glory to Thee, who honored us in His image! Glory to Thee, who did not leave us in our fall! Glory to Thee Lord Jesus Christ, who came, became incarnate, suffered, died for us, resurrected, ascended into Heaven and sent down the Most Holy Spirit to us, who arranged Your Church for our salvation and the Kingdom of Heaven promised and arranged for us! every person, and entire peoples. Glory to Thee, O Lord, and to the One who draws me to salvation." (2, 181-182)
Love does not allow even for a moment to forget the beloved Lord
Review your whole life from the beginning, how you began to remember yourself, and notice all the cases of inadvertent deliverance from misfortune and inadvertent receipt of joys. We do not notice many troubles, because they pass us unnoticed by us. But, looking back, we cannot help but see that there was trouble here and there and passed us by, but we cannot say how it passed. See such cases in your life and confess that it was the mercy of God, who loved you, towards you. Know that there are countless mercies of God hidden to us - to each of us, for everything is from God. Confess these mercies and thank God with all your heart. But, if you delve well into the course of your life, you will find many cases and obvious mercy of God towards you. There would be trouble, but it passed - you don’t know how. God delivered. Confess this and give thanks to God who loves you.
And the knowledge of the mercies common to all warms the heart, the more it will warm from the sight of mercies specifically to you. Love kindles love. Feeling how much the Lord loves you, you cannot remain cold towards Him: the heart itself will be attracted to Him with thanksgiving and love. Keep your heart under the influence of such a conviction of the Lord's love for you: and the warmth of your heart will soon grow into the flame of love for the Lord. When this is done, then you will not need any reminders to remember God, and no instructions on how to do it in time. Love does not allow even for a moment to forget the beloved Lord. Se is the limit. Please accept this in your mind, and accept it with conviction. And then to this it is to direct all the work undertaken for the approval in the mind and heart of the thought about God. (2, 183-184)
To stand with the mind in the heart means to light a fire in it,
which the Lord came to bring to earth
At first, God created the poured light; and on the fourth day he concentrated it around the sun. So it is in the spiritual life - and when reading, and when contemplating God, and when praying, and in the Church, and when talking, there is warmth in the heart; but somehow light, inspired, not grafted. It is necessary that it be concentrated in the heart, grafted onto it, smoldered and burned. Then it's nice. This is the fire that the Lord came to bring into the earth. God bless you. Work hard; but do not think that you can do what you can, but cry out with contrition: "Lord, help! Lord, light it up!" - One old man begged the Most Pure Mother of God for two years - and she gave him fire, and it became, he says, good. - And you pray and work, i.e. look for how to settle in the heart. And the Lord, seeing your work and the fact that you sincerely desire this good, will give you the grace of a burning heart. It means to stand in the heart. Then only you can stand when it catches fire, and until then work. Don't be shy. Run different imaginations. There is nothing special about all this. This is the general path. Brace yourself. The Mother of God is your helper... Father Fr. Seraphim will teach. Remember how he was once embraced by the fire of his heart during Mass. Here is a blissful state! - It is possible in us. - And it requires a lot of work - only constant. Here is paradise! - Seek and find. Push and it will open to you. (3, 44-45)
Start a mental feat and see for yourself
The brother said: "What is mental achievement?" The elder answered: “Mental feat is the effort of the mind to keep the memory of death, Judgment, retribution, and so on; but, mainly, there is the foreknowledge of the Lord before oneself and the constant thought of God.” (17, 72)
God is everywhere. And our whole soul is before Him through and through. It is also necessary to stand before Him with your consciousness. As all Angels and Saints see Him and do not tear their eyes from Him; so we, still existing in the body, need to see Him. As the sun holds the planets and leads them after him; thus the whole spiritual world, and our souls as well, must cling to God and be led by Him. And this is not an hour or two, but unceasingly, from the moment of awakening to the very oblivion in a dream. You can't suddenly put yourself in this state. A feat is needed. - That's what we need now. - Take it! There is nothing to fear. - For an explanation of the matter, read the articles on sobriety in the "Philokalia". Attention is needed; stand above the heart. You have to get out of your head and into your heart. Now you have the thought of God in your head, and God himself is, as it were, outside, and it turns out that this is an external work. While you are in your head, thoughts will not settle down calmly and everything will be crushed like snow or summer pushers. As attention enters the heart, thoughts will begin to settle down, and then they will completely subside - and the atmosphere of the soul will become pure, pure. Then the fly will fly by, you will notice, and before that everything is dark, dark. The beginning of the fetus is concentrated and unceasing warmth in the heart. And everything is here. - Only familiarity with the Lord must be abandoned. Great fear is required. As great nobles stand at attention before the Tsar, so let the soul be before God. What an indecent position of the body before the King, then the faulty thoughts of the soul before God; and forgetting about God, even for a moment, is the same as turning your back on the Tsar.
Fill your soul with fear. It is not painful, but refreshing. He is the beginning; but it doesn’t leave it all the way, it just gets cleaner and cleaner. Solitude and reading are two wings in this occupation. But start - and see for yourself everything. What helps and what ruins will be revealed now. But we must already strictly fulfill what we have learned. Conscience will come into its own - and begin to scold. Listen. How many cavils will be! Do it. After that, everything will equalize and go smoothly. Help you Lord! (3, 48-49)
False states are not a reproach to the truth,
but the call to renounce everything
Like a tied bird, it will fly and fall to the ground again, although it is tied by the smallest member; just as one who has a powdered eye opens it, but sees nothing with it, so one who has a predilection thinks that he has delved into God, but in this he only deceives himself. In this state there are false visions, delusions of fantasy, and together with the charms of Satan, who loves and knows how to take advantage of our every weakness. Many were amazed by this and perished forever. However, this should not serve as a reproach to the truth or stop the zeal and desire of the seekers. One should only not forget the wise rules left by the God-wise fathers, that is, in striving towards God, one should not forget also the renunciation of everything and start more strictly from the latter or mainly turn to it. (3, 345)
It is more convenient for monks, but life in God is not impossible for the laity either.
In the degrees of this detachment, one distinguishes first the painful rejection of the heart from sensual things through anger, then lack of taste for them, and then contemplation of them from God, which does not lead away from God. For renunciation of everything, as well as for life in God, it is best for those who are willing, able, called to choose a special kind of life - monastic, or hermit. At the same time, both are more convenient in all their purity and maturity. And in the order of ordinary life, this is not impossible, but involves great difficulties and obstacles. It happens better when someone, having established himself to live in God at a distance from the world, proceeds or is later called into the common life to work. In that, life according to God has a special effect, that is the representative of God for People who spread His blessing on everything. (3, 345-346)
Fruits of Persistent Prayer
prepare the soul for the future vision of God
God does not have a form or image, therefore those who love the truth by all means try to raise themselves to the state of seeing the Lord before them without an image, with a simple, pure thought. This is the height of perfection in walking with God. The fruits of this walk are innumerable; but - the main thing - from it the purity and purity of words, thoughts, desires, deeds naturally passes into our life ...
Another fruit from this is a certain warmth of the spirit. God's vision cannot be cold if it is true. As the vision of God is perfected, warmth also increases. After that, they merge and, both contemplation and warmth, turn into a single, continuous action of the spirit. Such a state of mind is the best preparation for the future all-blissful contemplation of God, Whoever is established in it, is already standing on the threshold of paradise, ripe for it. Anyone who does not know how to see God, or, having thought about Him, turns away from Him, feeling that this is unpleasant and terrible and obliges a lot, let him take care of himself; for from this one can conclude about the future. (3, 343-344)
Bibliography
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What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it? SPb., 1991.
Letters on the Christian Life. SPb., 1880. Ch. 1-4.
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Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me by God from heaven!
pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)
See now, my brethren, how it is the duty of all common Christians, young and old, to always pray with the mental prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me! so that their minds and their hearts will always have the habit of uttering these sacred words. Convince yourself how much God pleases this and how much good comes from this.
Paul, who knew better than we did the great good that this prayer would bring, commanded us to pray without ceasing. He would not oblige us to this if it were extremely difficult and impossible, knowing in advance that in this case we, not being able to do that, would inevitably turn out to be disobedient to him and transgressors of his commandment, and through that we would become worthy of condemnation and punishment. And this could not have been the intention of the Apostle.
Who, then, should take into account the method of prayer, how it is possible to pray without ceasing, namely, to pray with the mind. And we can always do this if we want. For when we sit at needlework, and when we walk, and when we take food, and when we drink, we can always pray with the mind and make mental prayer, pleasing to God, true prayer. We will work with the body and pray with the soul. Let our outer man fulfill his bodily deeds, and let the whole inner one be devoted to the service of God, and never lag behind this spiritual work of mental prayer, as the God-man Jesus commands us, saying in the holy Gospel: you, when you pray, enter into your cell, and having shut your doors, pray to your Father who is in secret (Mt. 6:6). The cage of the soul is the body; our doors are the five bodily senses. The soul enters its cage when the mind does not wander back and forth on the affairs and things of the world, but is inside our heart. Our senses are closed and remain so when we do not allow them to cling to external sensual things, and thus our mind remains free from all worldly attachments and unites with our Father God through secret mental prayer.
And your Father, seeing in secret, will repay you in reality, the Lord adds. God, who knows everything hidden, sees mental prayer and rewards with obvious great gifts. For this prayer, too, is true and perfect prayer, which fills the soul with divine grace and spiritual gifts, like peace, which the more tightly you stop the vessel, the more fragrant it makes the vessel. So it is with prayer, the more firmly you enclose it inside your heart, the more it abounds with divine grace.
Blessed are those who become accustomed to this heavenly work, because with it they overcome every temptation of evil demons, just as David defeated the proud Goliath. They repay the wanton desires of the flesh, as the three youths extinguished the flame of the furnace. By doing mental prayer, passions are tamed, just as Daniel tamed wild beasts. They bring down the dew of the Holy Spirit into their hearts, just as Elijah brought down rain on Mount Carmel. This mental prayer ascends to the very throne of God and is stored in golden phials, and, like a censer, it smells sweet before the Lord, as John the Theologian saw in revelation: twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden phials are full of incense, already the essence of prayer saints (Rev. 5:8). This mental prayer is a light that enlightens the soul of a person and ignites his heart with the fire of love for God. It is a chain holding God and man and man and God in unity. Oh, the incomparable grace of mental prayer! - It puts a person in the position of a constant conversation with God. Oh, what a marvelous and marvelous thing indeed! You treat people bodily, but you converse intelligently with God.
St. Gregory Palamas
The pagination of this electronic article corresponds to the original.
Prot. Georgy FLOROVSKII
"PRAY ALWAYS"
(1 Thess. V. 17)
There are two types of prayer, and the Savior himself testified to both in his conversations with the people.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord commands the disciples to "pray in secret." True, this admonition is directed primarily against the prayer of "hypocrites", against prayer for show, "in synagogues and on street corners." But the commandment is not exhausted by this opposition, and it is here that the main emphasis is placed. Prayer there is a personal stand before the Heavenly Father, “Who is in secret”, and at this personal “meeting” with God there should be no witnesses: “Enter into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father.” However, even with this “secret” prayer, one must remember that “my Father” is in reality “Our Father”, and this is how one should address Him. Solitude does not mean isolation or forgetting about others, about brothers in common sonship before God. And therefore forgiveness of offenses and "forgiveness of debts", peace and reconciliation with brothers, is a precondition and a necessary moment of correct prayer; “just as we forgive our debtors”(M f. VI).
In another discourse, the Lord speaks of this with particular firmness. "Look, do not despise any of these little ones ...". And then he testifies to the power of common and united prayer. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." One must “agree” in prayer, “ask” at the same time, and then the last mystery is revealed: the co-presence of Christ in prayer(M f. XVIII).
Prayer "in secret" and prayer "in agreement" - here there is no contradiction, not even antinomy. Both types of prayer are inextricably linked, and are possible only together. One species presupposes another, and only in this mutual connection do they reach their true measure. This dual unity of Christian prayer reflects and expresses the profound dual unity of Christian existence, the mystery of the Church.
No one can be a Christian on his own, in solitude, in isolation. To be a Christian means to be in the Church. Christian existence is essentially corporative, "cathedral." However, the very participation in the “catholicity of the Church” presupposes personal faith, and it begins with it and is rooted in it. The Church consists and
It is made up of persons who are responsible and devoted to God. Personality does not dissolve, and should not dissolve, in "cathedralism", in the team. The first disciples of Christ, "in the days of his flesh," were not isolated individuals seeking the truth in private. They were Israelites, that is, full members of the God-established Society, members of the "Chosen People", to whom the new Gospel was primarily addressed. And in this capacity, they expected the coming of the Kingdom, the coming of the Coming One, "the consolation of Israel." In a sense, the "Church" was already in existence when the Messiah, Christ, came. It was Israel, the People of the Covenant. This “covenant” is supposed to be the gospel sermon. The Savior's sermon was addressed to the members of this "Church", to "the lost sheep of the House of Israel". Christ in his sermon never spoke to isolated people. "Covenant" was the constant premise of his preaching. And the Sermon on the Mount was addressed not to a crowd of casual listeners, but rather to a certain “inner circle” of those who already “followed” Him in the expectation that He was the One they were waiting for, according to prophecy and covenant. The Sermon on the Mount is an outline of the coming Kingdom. The "little flock" that the Lord gathered around Him was in reality the faithful "remnant" of Israel, the "remnant" of the People of God, the Chosen People. This "people" was now to be transformed - by the call of God, the gospel of the Kingdom, the coming of the Promised One. However, everyone had to respond to this call for himself, with personal and free acceptance, personal faith and obedience. The "covenant" as such did not yet provide a response of faith. And only a few responded and recognized the Coming One. And, at the same time, this personal response of faith included the believer in a new unity, in a new “cathedralism”. Such is the unchanging scheme of Christian existence: to believe, and then to be baptized, to be baptized into one Body. The "faith of the Church" must be personally accepted and assimilated. But it is only through baptismal incorporation into the Body that this personal act of faith acquires true stability, reaches its fullness. The "new man" is born only in the baptismal font - however, under the indispensable condition of personal faith. "Conversion" is only a condition. The sacrament "performs" it.
And the same inseparable duality characterizes the whole life of a Christian and, above all, his prayer life. Christian prayer is always a personal act, but it receives its fullness only in the “catholicity” of the Church, in the connection of common and corporate life. Personal and "public" prayer are inextricably linked, and each of them is quite feasible, reaches authenticity, only
to through another. Consciousness, and heartfelt acceptance, of this dual unity is the condition and guarantee of a correct and genuine prayer life.
One must learn to pray "in secret", alone with God, to testify before Him one's faith and obedience, to give Him glory and praise, in a free and personal meeting or fellowship. And only those who are brought up in doing this “solitary” prayer, “with closed doors”, can spiritually meet each other and “agree” that they should ask together from their common Father in heaven. “Public” prayer requires and presupposes personal preparation. However, in a strange way, the personal prayer of a Christian is possible only in the dimension of the Church, for only in the Church does a believer become a Christian. For even “secretly,” “in his own room,” a Christian prays as a member of the Church, as a citizen of the Kingdom, as a participant in the salvation of the human race. It is in the Church that we learn to pray “in a Christian way,” as Christians united by Christ, and in Him, with each other. This circle cannot be broken or broken without serious spiritual danger, without spiritual harm. Personal prayer outside the context of the Church can easily degenerate into sentimental pietism, decompose into the rhythm of egoistic emotions, and lose sobriety. On the other hand, without preliminary preparation in the art of personal prayer, public prayer can easily turn into a ritual formality or, no less dangerous, degenerate into an aesthetic trance. The Church obliges every believer to prepare "secretly" to participate in "public" prayer. And this is not only an external or formal discipline. It refers to the very essence of prayer work. In "public" prayer, a Christian should participate, and not only to be present in the temple, - co-participate personally, together with others. The limit and measure of Christian public prayer is unanimity -"with one mouth and one heart." But even in this unanimity, the Christian must participate personally, actively, and not passively. The act of prayer is always a personal act, even in "symphony" with others. On the other hand, personal prayer, even "in secret", is not "private prayer", is not a "private" matter for everyone. The Christian always prays, and should pray as a member of the Church, remembering this, never separating himself. At one time, while explaining the Lord's Prayer, St. Cyprian of Carthage insistently emphasized that Christian prayer is always "common and popular prayer" - publica et communis oratio, "because we - the whole people - are one." And so personal prayer must be wide
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and embracing, a prayer for everyone and everything. And only in such a prayerful disposition can believers really “agree” and meet each other as brothers in Christ. Otherwise, the mystery of the Church will be diminished: everything is one Body.
Christian prayer is the answer to God's call, the answer to the great deeds of God, completed in the work of salvation, in the death and resurrection of the Savior. And therefore it is determined, in form and content, by the truths of faith. Prayer is inseparable from dogmas. Christian prayer is essentially dogmatic. And above all, she is memory, anamnesis, and it is possible only in the perspective of "sacred history", the history of Salvation. Church hymns are full of memories and images of the sacred history of both testaments, Old and New. Christian faith itself is the answer—grateful recognition of God's salvific contemplation. We pray in a Christian way precisely because the beginning is laid by the Lord himself. We turn to God because He first turned to us and called us. The entire structure of Biblical prayer is a "historical" structure, already in the Old Testament. And then it was determined by memory and remembrance: the calling of Abraham, "the father of the believers", Exodus, Sinai legislation. This historical character of prayer, in its spiritual substantiation, is expressed even more severely and more strongly in the Church of Christ, for the remembered events have reached their consummation — in the Cross and the Resurrection. The liturgical anaphora is all built according to the historical scheme: “commemorating, therefore, this saving commandment, and all that was about us - the cross, the tomb, the three-day resurrection, ascension to heaven, sitting on the right hand, the second and glorious coming again ...” Christians always look back - turned to Christ, who came in the flesh, to His cross and resurrection. The present, always flowing, can be recognized and comprehended in a Christian way only through a return or return to the past, the only and final. The Christian "anamnesis" is more than just memory or recollection. It is, in a certain sense, a return to the past. For the "past" in Christ has become a permanent "present", and this unity of the ages is revealed with such force in the Divine Eucharist, in this foundation and revelation of the mystery of the Church. Christ is one and the same, according to the apostolic word, both before and now and until the age. St. John Chrysostom, with paradoxical insistence, explained to his listeners that every Eucharist is same The Last Supper, and it is affected by the same Christ, the Church is something more than just a "society of believers", a society of those who believe in the meaning and power of ancient events - the Cross and the Resurrection.
canopy. The Church is the Body of Christ, the fellowship or community of those who are "in Christ" and in whom Christ himself, according to his promise, dwells.
There is a certain continuity between Christ the Savior and Christians, no matter how difficult it is to describe and define exactly the meaning and nature of this continuity. Again, St. John Chrysostom. In the mouth of the Savior, he dared to put the following words: “The connected things still remain within their limits, but I am intertwined with you. I don't want any division to remain between us. I "want us to be one" (Word XV on 1 Tim., conclusion). In the prayer of the Church, and in prayer in the Church, this mystery of unity and unity is revealed to the eyes of faith. Prayer is determined by faith, the vision and insight of faith. But faith itself is rooted in that unity, which, by the power of baptismal grace, is established between Christ and "his associates."
Prayer in the Church is communion between members and the Head. Christian prayer has the character and structure of a dialogue. It is no coincidence that many Fathers called prayer "conversation." The Lord hears and listens to prayer. On the other hand, the believer waits for a prayerful answer to his appeal, within the limits of the prayer itself. St. Theophan the Recluse spoke about this recently. We begin by reading the prayers, the established prayers, according to the prayer book, and we should not jump over the steps. But it happens that the Spirit answers the prayer, and then it is necessary to interrupt the reading of prayers and listen and listen. It probably doesn't happen often. But this is the limit and purpose of prayer, its meaning and fulfillment. The purpose of prayer is meeting and committing oneself into the hands of God. In other words, our rule of prayer usually begins with a bold appeal to the Holy Spirit. To the King of heaven: "come and dwell in us." Prayer in its entirety is not a one-sided act of the believer. The Lord Himself mysteriously participates in it, not only because He “listens to prayer,” but also because He inspires it. “This very Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. VIII.16). Strictly speaking, according to the power of baptismal grace, through the baptismal “putting on Christ”, a Christian not only stands or walks before God—this was already the case in the Old Testament, but also abides in Christ as a member of His body, the Church. This is the favorite and constant turn of speech of the Apostle Paul. Christians are not strangers and aliens, not strangers, but close to God, through Christ and in Him. Prayer reveals and fulfills this mysterious abiding "in Christ." The purpose and meaning of prayer is to be with God,
be aware of His presence and nearness. It is a constant turning to God. AND that's why she should be incessant. There is a prayer condition Christian, and not just a series of separate appeals to God. There are steps in prayer, and one must ascend them humbly and patiently. As an answer to the deeds of God, prayer is, above all, thanksgiving. Anamnesis and Eucharist connected inextricably and inseparably: they are, in essence, two sides of a single act. It is impossible to "remember" the Cross and the Resurrection, this is a perfect revelation of God's love, without a feeling of gratitude. From thanksgiving, love is born, in response to Divine Love. But thanksgiving is born out of love. Here again is an indissoluble dual unity. However, Christian prayer goes further and deeper than thanksgiving. For Divine love is the Glory of God, His majesty. And the pinnacle of prayer is precisely contemplation of this inexpressible Glory, in which even thanksgiving falls silent and every human word fails. According to the testimony of the Holy Fathers, angels do not ask and do not even thank, they only glorify. This is the limit and the pinnacle. However, doxology must be present at all levels of prayer work. And so prayers usually end doxology, praise to God, to whom "all glory, and honor, and worship" is due. But this completion is at the same time the beginning: after all, the first petition of the Lord's Prayer is precisely the glorification of God - "Hallowed be Thy Name."
In our everyday understanding, prayer is first of all “prayer”, a request. Indeed, this is the prayer of beginners. And Christ himself spoke of its limitations and imperfections in the Sermon on the Mount. It is not appropriate to be verbose in prayer, like the Gentiles: "For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him." It is this consciousness that should inspire any prayer: only the Lord really knows what we need, knows our real needs, as our everlasting Helper and Protector. And therefore it is fitting to entrust oneself entirely to His love: “Let us commit ourselves, and one another, and our whole life to Christ our God.” This is the beginning and end of prayer.
May His holy will be done!
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Pray without ceasing! (1 Thess. 5:17)
The apostolic command of unceasing prayer is very brief. This means that for the exemplary Thessalonian community, there was enough hint to fully understand what was required of them. That the Thessalonians were a praying church proves their resilience in the face of severe persecution. Without prayer, it would be impossible to bear the sorrows of deprivation of liberty, property and lives. To command the unconverted to pray without ceasing would be foolish. The author of the book "The Secret and Power of Prayer" Salov-Astakhov tells the following case: “... a young girl after attending one of the religious meetings decided to start a holy life pleasing to God, in accordance with His Word. However, former friends again carried her away to the wide, sinful path of life. Instead of religious meetings, she was again drawn to theaters, dances, frivolous entertainment, where there is no place for God and His saints. To the exhortations of believers, she replied: “Being a believer does not mean being a narrow fanatic, you can believe in God and at the same time have fun with your old friends.”
Some time has passed. Her beloved father fell ill and died. This grief was a terrible blow to her. But instead of drawing closer to God, she became even more bitter against Him and against people who believe in God: “I am completely broken in my faith and doubt the existence of God at all. I can’t pray, and what’s the point of prayers when they remain empty sounds?” she answered the exhortations of the believers. “When my father fell ill and was taken to the hospital, I was in despair. Only God can heal him, a thought flashed through my head. I took the Bible, opened it at random, and my eyes fell on the words, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be yours” (John 15:7). I believed that this promise was given to me in this case by God Himself.
Closing myself in the room, I began to cry out to God for the healing of my father. I was quite sure that God would answer my prayer and my father would get well. But for several days now, my father has been resting in the cemetery ... Well, now, where is God, where is His promise, where is the answer to the prayer of a person in need ?! the distressed soul finished her lament.
“Tell me,” her interlocutor remarked, “what would you think of a person who would try to exchange a check issued to another person in a bank?”
“Oh, that would be a forgery, and whoever commits it deserves to be punished under the forgery laws,” was the girl's reply.
“Your answer is absolutely correct,” her interlocutor continued, “but haven’t you committed a spiritual forgery by calling on God in prayers for your father?” Have you tried to change the check of God's promise, given not to you, but to completely different individuals? Reading the passage you quoted in full, we find there the following words: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Where can you be in Christ as you run across the dance floor? How can His word abide in you as you sit with your worldly friends in the theater? What right did you have to use the check of God's promise given to those who abide in Him and in whom the word of Christ abides? Or did you think to deceive God? Does not the one who created the heart of man know to whom this heart belongs?
The sinner has the right to pray to God for forgiveness and salvation. Such a prayer was prayed by the publican, about whom Jesus Christ told the story in the 18th chapter of the gospel of Luke. This man stood in the distance, not daring to raise his eyes to the sky and beating his chest repeated: “God! Be merciful to me, a sinner! The Lord justified him.
As for the children of God, they have the right to pray a variety of prayers - petitions, thanksgiving, supplications, sighs, cries, silence ... Prayer for believers is the breath of the soul. As in everyday life, the physical condition of a person is determined by the nature of breathing, so the level of spiritual vitality is determined by prayer. If prayer breathing is even and deep, you should thank God. If it is intermittent, difficult or weak, one should be seriously concerned about the cause.
We are responsible for our prayer life. We must be aware of its importance and must develop it. The Apostle Paul called the believers to unceasing prayer. Unceasing does not mean constant kneeling and 24-hour prayer speaking. This means that we must maintain a constant rhythm in our prayer life. Prayer is not for the lazy. It is sometimes a very difficult task and at such times we need strong motivation to conquer the hard-to-reach peak of the mountain called prayer.
I will list 15 common reasons that motivate us Christians to unceasing prayer. It will be useful to write them down and periodically refresh your memory.
1. WE HAVE TO PRAY BECAUSE GOD IS TO PRAY!
It is unwise to argue with God. Resisting His commands is as sinful as sorcery and idolatry. We are afraid to violate such commands of the Lord as sacrilege, lies, adultery, theft, murder, but for some reason we do not blush with shame, violating the Lord's command to pray.
We should not be like a fisherman who, having fallen into a strong storm, prayed: “Lord! I haven’t prayed to You for fifteen years, but if You still help and save me from trouble, I promise not to disturb You with prayer for another fifteen years!”
God commands us to pray always! This is clearly stated in the Bible:
l “We must always pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
l “Pray with every prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit, and be diligent about this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:10-18).
l “As it is written in the law of Moses, so all this calamity has befallen us; but we did not beseech the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand your truth. The Lord saw this calamity and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he does, but we have not listened to his voice” (Dan. 9:13,14).
Prayer is the means of our spiritual security. It helps us keep the right course to the sky. Pilots always keep in touch with the control center, informing the dispatchers of the direction, altitude, and state of the ship's systems. After all, devices can fail or show the wrong direction. If the controller detects a discrepancy between the pilots' messages and the ground services data, he instructs to follow his commands. So in our life, prayer is our connection with God, and through His Word God connects with us and corrects our path. Be always in touch with Him!
2. WE MUST PRAY BECAUSE GOD HAS PROMISED TO ANSWER OUR PRAYER!
This is a particularly joyful call to prayer! I.S. Turgenev wrote somewhere: "... no matter what a person prays for, he asks for a miracle: so that 2x2 is not 4." I agree with the Russian writer: when we pray, we anticipate the joy of a miracle. And for this we have a good reason - God's promises! “And I will tell you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). Jesus taught that prayer should be earnest and persistent. And to such a prayer-search, a prayer-knock, a great answer will certainly come.
Jesus spoke a lot about prayer at the Last Supper. He showed the comforting grounds that underlie God's answers:
- God will answer us for the sake of multiplying His glory.
“And if you ask the Father anything in my name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it” (John 14:13,14).
God is jealous of His glory and desires that its manifestations be as much as possible in our gloomy world. The glory of God, like the light of dawn, drives away the darkness and testifies to man: God is near, and He is not silent! The answer to the request for the manifestation of the glory of God is answers to prayer. These answers show the kindness, wisdom, omnipotence, holiness of God and cause praise not only among people, but also among angels.
This means that Heavenly Father is glorified through answers to prayers. God is jealous of his glory, and therefore will answer us!
l God will answer us for the sake of cultivating holy desires in us
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7).
God cannot be controlled by us and will never respond to human desires if they are unrighteous. This circumstance disciplines us, so we do not scatter in desires, but we explore which desires are most pleasing to God. It is these that we reveal to Him. Once upon a time, the mother of the sons of Zebedee revealed the desire of her heart for her sons dear to her heart, so that they would take the warmest places in the kingdom of God, and she heard in response: “You don’t know what you are asking!” She realized that she had expressed objectionable desires to Jesus Christ and never again came to Him with them.
If our lives are godly and we live for the glory of God, then we can freely reveal our desires to God. The answer will come, sometimes it can surpass our limited desires, and God will give us something better than what we thought. Thus, Martha and Mary expected Christ to heal their brother Lazarus, however, Christ delayed His coming and Lazarus died. It seemed like the worst had happened! However, the Lord turned this grief into great joy and into a great evidence of the truth of His promises, that whoever believes in Him, even if he dies, will live.
- The Lord will answer us for the success of our ministry
“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you” (John 15:16).
God wants our ministry to be fruitful. He knows how hard we take our unfitness. Isn't that what the old Christian song is about?
I don't want to be barren
Come to the throne of the Lord
I would like at least one soul
Sheaf one in the hands to carry.
Jesus is my Redeemer
I'm not afraid of death at night
But appear empty before Him,
That's what scares me so much.
If I were old
It was given to return
Me and joy and happiness
It would be to serve the Lord.
Our witness to God will be fruitful if we can testify to unbelievers how God has answered our prayers.
In the early 90s, when the store shelves were empty, I met with a former colleague in secular work, Boris. Seeing me (and this meeting took place near the prayer house), he immediately complimented me:
“What a fine fellow you are that you managed to settle down in the church! You, I heard, pay wages on time, but we don’t!”
Then he conspiratorially asked me: “Well, you don’t believe in God yourself, do you?”
I replied, “If I didn’t believe in God, I wouldn’t have been kicked out of my third year of medical school. If I didn't believe in God, I wouldn't have any trouble with the Soviet government. I began to work in the church at a time when religion was considered a relic of the past, and ministers were despised as obscurantists. If I didn’t believe in God, why would I go through these troubles?”
Then my friend's next question was: "Did God ever answer you?"
A better occasion to bear witness to the living God could not have been desired! I began to tell him about the answers to prayers. After listening to my story, Borya said: “Wow!”
Indeed, someone was right when he said: “There is a gospel from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. But there is a fifth gospel, the gospel of your life. And people often begin to get acquainted with Christ by reading him.”
l The Lord will answer us for our joy
“Until now you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you shall receive, that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24).
Some people think that Heavenly Father wants us to be bowed down, sad, crying... Sometimes we need to be like that if we sin or are bereft. However, these should be the exception rather than the rule. By rule, God has established the following style of conduct: “Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:16-18). God immeasurably surpasses the best earthly fathers and mothers in His love and affection for His children. And if we, fathers and mothers, wish to see our children joyful, and not weeping, then even more so God. And as the best Father, he knows that we especially rejoice in His answers to our prayers. That's why He wants to answer us!
3. WE SHOULD PRAY FOR IT IS OUR MORAL DUTY!
God loves to do good to his children! He does not indulge them, but he never refuses the necessary benefits: “…the Lord is one among all, rich to all who call on him” (Rom. 10:12). Psalmist David was a polite man and always found a reason to thank God:
“1 Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, my soul, and all my inward being is His holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.
3 He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your diseases;
4 redeems your life from the grave, crowns you with mercy and bounties;
5 Your desire satisfies with good things; your youth is renewed like an eagle.
6 The Lord does justice and judgment to all who are offended” (Ps. 103:1-6).
Each of us repeatedly received from God the same blessings that David did, but did each of us thank Him for this?
One non-canonical story tells of two angels. One in the sweat of his face scurried between heaven and earth, while the other mostly rested. The hard worker was asked: what are you so busy with that you don’t have a minute of free time? He answered: I bring the requests of people to God. They asked another angel: what do you do? I am instructed to bring people's gratitude to God ...
This story is almost true! It is so difficult for a person to be grateful, he constantly finds flaws in the affairs of God and twists his mouth in discontent: “Why didn’t you do this?” It will not be picky, because for a truly grateful person there are so many reasons to thank God! Here are some reasons to be grateful that Jessia Shaver found. Perhaps her experience will help some of us:
“I'm a Christian, but sometimes I forgot to thank God for things that didn't happen. But not this year! I am grateful that I did not get into accidents, that my house did not burn down when I left the iron on for five hours. I thank God that my garage door was open all night and nothing was missing from it. Sometimes I forget to thank God for electricity, but this time I wrote this item on the thanksgiving list. I am very grateful to God for running water, painkillers. I thank God for every inexpressive day. I am so grateful that there is Someone to thank!”
What can I say to this simple confession? Is it possible to repeat after Georg Herbert: “ O You who give us so many things in great mercy! Send us another gift - a grateful heart!
4. WE MUST PRAY TO GET MORE BLESSINGS AS POSSIBLE!
I recall someone's saying: “There are things that will still happen, whether we pray for them or not. The sun will rise and set, clouds will float across the sky, seasons will change each other, rivers and seas will flow. However, there are things that will never happen unless we pray for them.” These things include God's blessing. Blessing is the participation of God in the fate of man. This is the spiritual and life success that God sends to him in the works of his hands: “... and all these blessings will come upon you and be fulfilled on you if you listen to the voice of the Lord your God. Blessed are you in the city and blessed in the field. Blessed be the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy livestock, and the fruit of thy oxen, and the fruit of thy sheep. Blessed are thy granaries and thy pantries. Blessed are you when you come in and blessed are you when you go out” (Deut. 28:2-6).
Being blessed is a great thing! Blessing is like a shield that protects from satanic curses. When the enemies asked the prophet Balaam to curse Israel, he said: “Behold, I began to bless, for He blessed, and I cannot change this” (Numbers 23:20).
Patriarch Jacob was in strong feelings for the safety of his family from the warlike brother Esau, who was going to meet him with four hundred armed soldiers. Jacob went out into the field to pray to the Lord about his trouble, and suddenly an angel of God met him. Jacob seized hold of God's messenger and, with tears and a cry, began to beg him for a blessing. The dawn was already rising, and Jacob was still wrestling with God: “I will not let you go until you bless me.” He realized that nothing is more important than God's blessing. And he got it in abundance! Esau not only changed his anger to mercy, but showed the kindest brotherly feelings, as if there was no deceit and no strife. Indeed, “... when a person works, a person works; when a person prays, God works” (Pat Johnson).
5. WE SHOULD PRAY BECAUSE PRAYER IS A GREAT PRIVILEGE!
Not everyone can talk to the president of the country, the governor or the mayor. There are many barriers between them and the common man. The time of great people is scheduled by the minute and it is expensive. I was shown a restaurant in the USA where anyone could talk to former President Gorbachev for just $5,000. And those who are lucky enough to communicate with great people tell about it with pride and with special warmth. To talk with God, the Creator of the universe, is an incomparably great honor! And it has been given to us. Is it normal to neglect such a great honor? Let's not assume that God doesn't have to give us a couple of minutes. God's time is precious! Its value is expressed not in gold or diamonds, but in the sinless perfection of those who come. We do not have such perfection, however, the unlimited traffic of communication with God was paid for by the Son of God Jesus Christ by His death. He gave us such a privilege! Can we ignore it?
The beautiful queen Vashti was called by the king to a feast, however, she refused to come. Her whim overshadowed the understanding that being called to the king is a great honor. “I am not a doll to be shown to drunken men!”, the queen probably said. Due to the neglect of the royal call, she was deprived of the glorious privileges of the first lady of the country and no longer saw either the royal face or royal honors.
Beware of neglecting the great honor of being called to an audience with God!
6. WE MUST PRAY THAT SIN DOES NOT GOVERN US!
Someone prayed to God: “Lord! I thank You that I lived holy for eight whole hours - I did not upset either You or my neighbors in word or deed. But the alarm clock has rung, and I must get out of bed and face the temptations. Have mercy on me and help me!"
Alas! This is how we really are – weak in the fight against sin. The prophet David, like us, was well aware of the seriousness of sin and the seriousness of his own weakness. He asked the Lord: “Who will see his errors? Cleanse me from [my] secrets and keep your servant from deliberate ones, so that they do not prevail over me. Then I will be blameless and pure from great corruption." (Ps. 18:13,14). I'm surprised by the request “Keep your servant from the willful, so that they do not dominate me". It seems that David does not trust his ability to cope with deliberate sin and therefore asks the Lord: hold my hands and feet, otherwise I will sin!
We can do well to be biblical realists. Sin does not live near us. He lives in us, in the members of our body: “For according to the inner man I delight in the law of God; but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin that is in my members. Poor man I am! who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:22-24).
Sin is very dangerous for us: it hardens the heart, steals joy, kills holy desires, brings bitterness of guilt and condemnation. The child of God gains nothing from sin, but loses a particle of heavenly glory. So “... we, being in this hut, groan under a burden, because we do not want to put off, but put on, so that the mortal may be swallowed up with life” (2 Corinthians 5:4).
The best remedy for sin is prayer prevention!
7. WE MUST PRAY TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS AND CLEANING OF SINS COMED.
Sins, voluntary and involuntary, are the fate of each of us. The Apostle James wrote: “My brothers! not many become teachers, knowing that we will be subjected to greater condemnation, for we all sin a lot. He who does not sin in word is a perfect man, able to bridle even the whole body” (James 3:1,2).
Of course, we do not sin in a worldly way: we do not worship idols, we do not break the day of rest with work, we do not swear with indecent words, we do not steal, we hardly lie, we do not commit adultery ...
However, we sin a lot as Christians. R. McChane wrote in his diary about his Christian sins: "9th of September. I know that I have reason to be humble. However, I don't know half of the reason. I know that I am proud. However, I do not know half of this pride. December 11th. The mind is absolutely not ready for worship. Prayer without prayer.
To this I would add resentment, laziness, lack of faith, cunning, or such a Christian pearl: “I forgive, but I will not be welcomed.” This burden of sin takes away our strength, and it is better to get rid of it! Deliverance occurs through the prayer of repentance.
In the early 70s, the hymn "Oh Prayer" appeared in the churches. I remember how our youth sang it in Ufa, and the old choir director Lyudmila Romanovna burst into tears listening to it. Almost forty years have passed, however, this song is still being sung! Why? Because it reflects the steady, everyday experience of believers - their gaining paternal forgiveness. How can we not pray if we constantly need forgiveness?
8.WE MUST PRAY THAT WE DO NOT BE THE DEVIL'S PREY
The Apostle Peter warns: "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan's machinations are a very important reason to pray! The tempter knows no rest in his vile work. He has an eternal hunger to consume souls. And it doesn't matter who it is - a young person or an old one, a man or a woman. The soul has no age or gender. She will live forever either in heaven or hell. That is why there is a petition in the Lord's Prayer: "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
John Chrysostom comments on this problem very well: “... we need unceasing prayers to trample him (Satan) underfoot. The devil is shameless and insolent; moreover, it attacks from below, however, and in this way wins. And the reason for this is that we ourselves do not try to be above his blows: after all, he cannot rise high, but crawls on the ground, and therefore the serpent is his image.
What does it mean to attack from below? It means to overcome by means of earthly things, by means of pleasures, wealth and everything worldly. The devil does not know how to fight openly, but, like a serpent, he hides in thorns, often hiding in the charms of wealth. If you cut these thorns, then he, immediately becoming timid, will run away, and if you know how to speak him with divine spells, then you will immediately injure him.
We have spiritual spells - the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the cross. The name of Jesus Christ is terrible for demons, passions and diseases. So, let us adorn ourselves with Him, be protected by Him.
9. WE HAVE TO PRAY FOR WE ARE OFTEN WANT TO DO IT!
Of course, admitting this is just awful, but, nevertheless, it happens quite often. Scripture teaches us that in the spiritual realm we must exercise holy violence against ourselves. The Apostle Paul said: “I subdue and bring my flesh into subjection” (1 Cor. 9:27), “…I die every day” (1 Cor. 15:31). If he exercised holy violence over himself, why should we be any different?
The flesh always opposes the spirit. Prayer is a spiritual occupation: it oppresses the flesh and therefore the flesh resists it. That's why we don't feel like praying. We must protect the soul. As soon as you are going to prayer, the flesh reminds you of urgent matters or complains of fatigue and headache. She may invite you to pray in a nutshell so as not to miss an interesting program. Sometimes she doesn't mind if you move your prayer to tomorrow. If you show determination and start praying, she starts to criticize you: “Is praying so boring? Would such a prayer please God? If you yawn in your prayer, will that inspire the sky?” If you still persist, she will begin to scatter your attention with various fantasies ...
The disciples of Christ did not want and could not pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. They were overwhelmed with sadness. And the Lord showed them the reason for this unwillingness - the intrigues of the flesh: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mat. 26:41). He called the disciples to holy violence.
As appetite comes with eating, so the spirit of prayer descends on us when we pray.
The great missionary in China, Hutson Taylor, was once asked, “Do you ever pray without joy?” He replied, “Often. Sometimes I pray with a wooden heart, but very often the answers come when the prayer is a real triumph of faith without any joy.”
“Forgive us for thinking that prayer is a waste of time and help us see that without prayer, work is a waste of time” (Peter Marshal).
10. WE MUST PRAY TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION TO EMERGING PROBLEMS
As long as we live on earth, we will have problems. Even the apostles did not escape them. They asked Christ to teach them to pray, to forgive, to increase their faith. The apostle Paul was a depressing angel of Satan, he was not understood in some churches, false teachers challenged his authority and destroyed the churches he created. Believers fell in temptations or strife. He needed to plan his travels in between his time in Roman prisons. All these problems had to be solved and solved in the best possible way. And the apostles began to pray!
In response to prayer, they received clarity about what message to write to the church, which ministers could be sent to help, and how to resist the false teachers. “Difficulties and confusion move me to prayer, and prayer moves my confusion and difficulties” (Philip Melanchthon).
If there are problems in your life and you need to solve them - pray! There can be no other advice!
11. WE MUST PRAY BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED OUR PRAYERS!
First, unsaved people need prayer. True, they often do not realize their need for prayers. Moreover, they may laugh at our prayers. But remember: did the blasphemers and crucifiers of Christ ask to pray for them? In the meantime, He was praying! “And when they came to the place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the malefactors, one on the right, and the other on the left. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. And they divided His garments, casting lots” (Luke 23:33,34). Did the enemies who threw stones at Stephen express their gratitude to him for his timely prayer? Not! However, this holy man prayed loudly for them: “...and they stoned Stephen, who prayed and said: Lord Jesus! receive my spirit. And, kneeling down, he exclaimed with a loud voice: Lord! do not impute this sin to them. And having said this, he rested” (Acts 7:59,60).
Did Roman emperors or dignitaries send letters to churches asking them to pray for their health and victories? Of course not! For them, Christians were atheists and enemies, because they did not honor their many gods and led a secluded life. Yet the apostle Paul commanded believers: So, first of all, I ask you to make prayers, petitions, prayers, thanksgiving for all people, for kings and for all those in authority, in order to lead us a quiet and serene life in all piety and purity, for this is good and pleasing to our Savior God, Who wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:1-4).
Unsaved people need our prayers without realizing it. Pray for them!
Second, the saved need prayer. The most amazing example of the need for the prayers of believers was provided by the apostles. It seemed that they, filled with the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, mentors of the Universal Church, great miracle workers and powerful preachers, would do without the prayers of ordinary believers. But no! With genuine sincerity, the apostles asked: “Pray also for us, that God will open the door for us to speak, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may open it, as I should proclaim” (Col. 4: 3, 4 ).
The success or failure of gospel workers depended not only on God's blessing, on their own diligence, but also on the prayers of ordinary believers! As we pray for our ministers, so God will bless them! Not praying for God's people is unforgivable! The prophet Samuel, as an example to all generations, said: "... and I also will not allow myself to sin against the Lord, so that I stop praying for you, and I will guide you on the good and straight path" (1 Sam. 12:23).
12. WE MUST PRAY BECAUSE PRAYER BRINGS JOY TO OUR HEART!
What a sin to hide: we do not always get along with a good mood. It's easy to put it down, but it's hard to get it up! Without a normal, balanced mood, life is not sweet for us. We are not suited to worldly ways to cheer up: take a drink or stare at a laughter panorama. We have a much better tool - prayer!
Yu.S. Grachev once told us how his brother and sisters learned very early that after mother prayed in her room, it was easiest to get some benefits from her. Mom was at that time very kind to everyone. Prayer of tenderness, prayer with tears is usually accompanied by a quiet and tender joy. Is it possible to put off prayer if it is accompanied by such a blessing? " Always in all my prayer for all of you offering my prayer with joy” (Phil. 1:4).
M.Yu. Lermontov surprisingly expressed the ability of prayer to change the mood. His experience applies to us:
In a difficult moment of life
Does sadness linger in the heart, -
One wonderful prayer
I repeat by heart.
There is a grace
In consonance with the words of the living,
And breathes incomprehensible
Holy beauty in them.
From the soul as a burden rolls down
Doubt is far away
And believe and cry
And so easy, so easy.
13. WE SHOULD PRAY BECAUSE THE EXAMPLES OF THE SAINTS INSTRUCTE US TO PRAY
The holy example is contagious! When we read stories of people who received answers to their prayers, doesn't our heart begin to want to emulate them? God, who sent the answer to these Christians, will he not send it to us?
Hudson Taylor decided to take a ride on a sailing ship. While they were in the strait between the southern Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra, the missionary heard an insistent knock on the cabin door. He opened the door. Before him stood the captain of the ship. "Mr Taylor! There is no wind on the sea. We are drifting towards the island where the pagans live. I'm afraid they're cannibals."
- What can I do? Taylor asked.
- I know you believe in God, and therefore I ask you to pray for the wind.
- All right, captain, but you must raise the sails.
- This is madness! There is not even the slightest breeze on the sea! The sailors will think I'm out of my mind!
Soon, however, the captain agreed to give the order to set sail.
Forty-five minutes later the captain returned to find the missionary on his knees.
- Please stop praying! And then we will get more wind than we need!
14. WE MUST PRAY BECAUSE CHRIST LEFT US A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PRAYER!
The greatest example of prayer left by Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. There He offered the prayer that saved the world: “They came to a village called Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, Sit here while I pray. And he took with him Peter, James, and John; and began to be horrified and to grieve. And he said to them: My soul is grieving to death; stay here and stay awake. And, going a little way, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, this hour would pass from him; and said: Abba Father! everything is possible for you; carry this cup past Me; but not what I want, but what You. Returns and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter: Simon! do you sleep? could you not stay awake for one hour? Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And, going away again, he prayed, saying the same word ”(Mark 14:32-39) .
Evangelists talk a lot about the praying Christ. In their stories, Christ is presented as a calm and confident Man in His work. We are ready to admire the power of Christ's prayer, after which bread miraculously multiplied, the sick recovered, the dead were resurrected. The description of the Gethsemane controversy gives the impression that Jesus has been replaced. He does not demonstrate the usual calmness, confidence, power. There are no joyful words in His words: “Hallelujah! Thank God! Blessed be the Lord."
He yearns, languishes, cries, cries out... He entered the epicenter of a terrible spiritual struggle, but does not forbid this hurricane: "Shut up and stop!" He sheds a bloody sweat, but he cannot command the standing legions of angels to go on the offensive and throw Satan into the abyss. He begged for only one thing - that the will of the Father be fulfilled in accepting the cup of suffering.
The greatest and most effective prayer is that in which we humble ourselves, denying ourselves the right to happiness in order to carry out the will of the Heavenly Father. This is also the network of genuine reverence, for the sake of which the answer comes from heaven: and was heard for [His] reverence” (Heb. 5:7).
Let's not shy away from our Gethsemane, which bring us pain, despair, the collapse of our plans! Once in them, we learn the most powerful prayer in the world!
15. WE MUST PRAY TO BE READY TO MEET THE LORD!
Our civilization will soon exhaust itself. I affirm this on the basis of Biblical teaching and observation of the moral situation in the world. The unprecedented increase in immorality and false teachings, along with the intensification of natural disasters, indicates that the coming of Christ for the church and the subsequent great tribulation are approaching. Get ready for this event! Christ called: “Therefore, watch at all times and pray that you may be able to avoid all these future [disasters] and stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).
In the words of the Savior, there is a guarantee of deliverance from the great sorrow of those who pray! None of the normal Christians and the enemy would not wish to be in the fire of great sorrow, when God's wrath will be poured out on the earth. The first wave of God's wrath (judgments of the seals) during the reign of the Antichrist will express itself in wars, famines, epidemics. The harvest of death will reap the fourth part of mankind (Rev. 6:8) - this will be the time of cosmic catastrophes and panic fear of people before the judgment of the Lamb (Rev. 6:12-17).
The second wave of God's wrath (trumpet judgments) will bring with it an ecological catastrophe of a supernatural nature: a third of green spaces will be destroyed on earth, a third of marine life and a third of ships will die in the sea, a third of fresh water sources will become poisonous, then a prolonged eclipse of the sun will follow over a third parts of the land (Rev. 8 chapter), five months of terrible torment from hordes of poisonous locusts will take place. The end of this wave of disasters will be the killing of a third of the planet's population by demonic beings.
The third wave of God's wrath (judgments of bowls) will strike people with disgusting and painful festering sores, turn the waters into blood, produce scorching heat and an earthquake unprecedented in the history of the earth (Rev. 16 ch.).
The calamities will be unspeakably terrible and severe, and woe to those who find themselves in them! To praying Christians, Jesus Christ gave a clear promise that they would avoid these disasters. Would it not be wise for them to be zealous for prayer? I dare to suggest that the fire of prayer must increase as the coming of Christ draws near. So let prayer become the main business of our life! Review the above list of motivators frequently to kindle the spirit of prayer. I do it myself and from the heart I advise others to try it!
From His azure skies the Lord will come;
Let Him find us not sleeping, but cheerful!
Lamps shine in our hands
Love and anticipation in our hearts!
Forget the days of bad weather, the Lord will come!
Peace and happiness will come, the Lord will come!
All doubts will disappear, the Lord will come!
And tears and languor, the Lord will come!
He knows how tired we are on the way,
How rarely they rested, they carried their cross;
He will lift our burdens when he comes
The time of blessedness is near, the Lord will come!
Giving all the joys, the Lord will come!
All heaven hallelujah! Sings to him.
The whole earth will be renewed with eternal beauty
And His saint will be illumined with glory.
