An Orthodox Christian Study on Unceasing Prayer: Part I of III.
John K. Kotsonis, PhD (Physics)
PhD Candidate in Patristic Studies
St. Elias School of Orthodox Theology
Thesis:
Unceasing prayer, as defined in the New Testament, supported by the Fathers of
the Church, expanded and explained in Orthodox Literature, is an extremely
significant aid and a very efficient accelerator for our personal spiritual
growth. As it develops, it engenders a direct, clear and constant relationship
with God, which is a necessary and sufficient condition for our theosis.
This work focuses on the unceasing, continuous prayer,
especially the “Jesus Prayer,” or “Prayer Of The Heart” - its origin,
evolution, approach and results. The text mirrors the structure of the Thesis
statement.
I. Unceasing prayer is
defined in the New Testament, supported by the Fathers of the Church, expanded
and explained in Orthodox Literature.
Prayer is our attempt to speak with God and establish a
personal connection with Him. As Orthodox Christians, we know that we are
expected to maintain a powerful, direct and personal relationship with God
through prayer and receive the divine grace that flows from it. The union that
follows is the ultimate gift from God and our birthright. In the words of St
John Climacus: “Prayer is by nature a dialog and a union of man and God. Its
effect is to hold the world together. It achieves a reconciliation with God.”
(R14 p274).
Ever since the Fall, humans have tried to keep their
connection with God alive and functioning through prayer[1].
However, an integrated prayer in God’s name could not be offered until His
Incarnation (including His Crucifixion and Resurrection) was complete. After
that point, the faithful can rely on His promise that He will make sure our
legitimate, and properly placed, requests are fulfilled.[2] Christ
has pledged that He will act on our behalf, that He will be our personal
Intercessor[3],[4]
which is something the prophets of the Old Testament never had. Our prayers are
now blessed by the value of Christ’s human experience, including His sacrifice
and victory over death and He has promised to respond to our requests made in
His Name. We also know that prayer was a big part of Jesus’ life and that He
prayed very frequently, as we read throughout the New Testament. For example,
the Gospel of Saint John, chapter 17, contains a deeply moving prayer that
Jesus offered to His Father. This long prayer was tailored to the circumstances
He was facing at the time, but it can also be seen as a grand template of a
multi-faceted divine invocation that addresses many of the general issues and
principles of His mission as a human[5].
In the
following several paragraphs, the first
part of the Thesis statement above is addressed, ie,
(a)
Unceasing prayer is defined in the New Testament and
supported by the Fathers.
Christ
taught us to pray with faith, sincerity, and humility in our hearts. Having faith is perhaps the most fundamental Christian
quality, because without it we cannot communicate with God, please Him or get
anything back from Him. Words may be flowing, but they are empty because our
deeper mind and heart are fighting and belittling this activity[6].
As logic is a good yardstick for our endeavors in this (created) universe,
faith in God is our guide towards (and in) His uncreated sphere of existence.
We must have faith in His love, His power, and His infinite wisdom[7],[8],[9]. A
common expression, paraphrasing Christ Himself, is “All things are possible to
those who believe.” Jesus stressed the value and power of prayer in faith as an
integral part of His overall teaching[10],[11],[12],[13],[14].
In addition, our prayer should be sincere[15],
and not like that offered by many Pharisees who did not pray from the heart[16]
and whose lives were not lived in accord with their prayers[17].
This is an absolute requirement for successful prayer that He will respond to,
because God must be approached in spirit and in truth[18].
As we know from the Old Testament, many of the Psalms demonstrate the urgency
that the faithful feel when approaching God[19].
This deep desire and sense of urgency is also shown in the parable of the
persistent friend[20] and in
the desperate pleadings of the Syro-Phoenician woman on behalf of her sick
daughter[21].
Last, we should be humble in praying[22], like any servant would be when asking for a great favor of a
powerful master[23].
Sincere humility is expected[24],[25]
from all Christians, and the difference between true, humble prayer vs. just
bragging about our hypothetical goodness is aptly demonstrated in the parable
of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Lk 18: 9-14). Jesus abhorred pride and arrogance
because He is simple[26]
and meek Himself. Humility[27]
is the companion virtue of repentance and obedience[28],
but is also very synergistic with a host of other key virtues[29],[30],[31].
Christ
taught us to pray in obedience, repentance, and forgiveness for all, especially
our enemies. Being obedient to His will is a very
important sine qua non for good prayer[32],[33]
as we must all gradually move our lives in the direction of our petitions[34].
In this way we honor God as our Lord[35],[36],[37].
Towards this goal, Christ urged us not to pray with arrogance but to first
focus on keeping His Father’s commandments[38].
Of course, Jesus’ personal example throughout His ministry on Earth, especially
His deeply moving prayers towards the end of the Last Supper (Jn 17) and in the
garden of Gethsemane[39]
during the night of his betrayal and arrest, can serve as excellent guidelines
here. With obedience comes repentance, which is another key requirement to
successful prayer, as explained clearly in the parable of the prodigal son[40].
Because sin separates us from God, if we want to get closer to Him, we must
turn back, repent[41],[42].
This is shown in both the Old and New Testaments[43],[44],[45].
Connected with repentance is confession[46],[47],[48]
for our prayers to be heard and answered[49].
Christ was very clear that if we want forgiveness from God[50],
He expects us, as a prerequisite, to forgive others who may have hurt us[51];
a requirement that is also clearly stated in the Lord’s prayer. In giving us
this prayer, He wanted us to understand His fundamental rule and spiritual law:
if we do not forgive, we will not be forgiven. Following His example in forgiving those who hurt us is the
apex of our obligation to Him. As we forgive, we are truly His disciples[52],[53],[54],[55],[56],
and many of Christ’s parables center on this important point[57].
On His Sermon on the Mount, Christ repeated that theme several times[58].
We are really like Him when we let go of negative feelings, and even forget,
about other people abusing us. Forgiveness is the precursor to detachment,
which is absolutely necessary for clear, effective prayer. Furthermore, the
combination of forgiveness and detachment from passions (apatheia) grows into love for all, even for our enemies, which is
the one virtue without which all others are valueless and useless[59].
In agreement with these points, several Fathers taught that humble, prayerful
obedience[60] is the
mother of all virtue, as will be discussed later on.
Christ
taught us to pray in privacy, with fasting, and untiring persistence. In teaching the need of privacy in our praying, He told us
not to pray at the street corners for others to see and admire us, but in our
own room with the door closed [61];
and He also gave us several examples of Himself praying in solitude[62].
Fasting is another very useful practice, which enhances and confirms our lack
of blind dependence on, even freedom from, our passions and the physical world
in general. Christ often emphasized prayer augmented by fasting[63],[64],[65]
because their combination is truly powerful, as mentioned in many passages of
both the Old Testament[66],[67]
and the New Testament[68],[69],[70],[71],[72]. Following this line of thinking, prayer added
to fasting and obedience is even more powerful[73]
because these virtues reinforce each other; and so on. He also taught us to
pray with persistence[74],
like in the parable of the friend asking for bread at midnight (cf footnote
#20) and also in the parable of the unjust judge[75].
In the same way that Jacob did, we must pray until our prayer is answered[76],
because, as we persist, the Holy Spirit gradually teaches us how to remove
impediments (eg, pride, impatience, lack of faith) to true connection with God.
For this reason, we need to stay the course[77]
and He is happy to see us do that[78],[79].
Job, Abraham, Jacob, David, Elijah, Bartimaeus and the Canaanite woman are
excellent examples here. However, our prayers are not answered because of what
we do (although, avoiding sin[80],[81]
empowers them[82]) but
because, seeing our effort, He extends His grace and accepts them, when He
chooses. The need for persistence is also embedded in the Lord’s prayer (“…give
us this day our daily bread…” indicating that this prayer should be repeated at
least once per day.)
Last, Christ taught us to pray in alignment with the Divine Will because when our human actions are in tune with His plans,
all requests are granted[83].
We must desire only the Divine Will and not our own[84],
both in asking for something good for our soul and in receiving what God
decides to give in return. We should be moved to prayer because God desires us
to pray and not because we have things that we need Him to provide. In this
way, our main intent (in both our mind and heart) should be to unite our will
with the will of Christ, obey Him in everything, and in no way attempt to bend
His will towards our own. Our petitions must be for the glory of God[85],
or else they are weak; selfish or evil desires must be shunned. We must have
His mind[86]
and act in accord with His will and in harmony with His commands[87].
As we live in communion with Him, our will is His will, which is the will of
the Father[88], and
our prayers are offered to the entire Holy Trinity[89].
One of the best ways to align our prayers with the Divine Will, is to use
Jesus’ name in them[90],[91],[92],[93],[94],
like the Apostles who knew the power of using Jesus’ name in prayer[95],[96],[97].
In using His Name, we show our frame of mind and we don’t just use a form of
rote speech[98]. We
show that we, on our own, have no right to ask for anything from the Father,
but that the Son authorized our request. In addition, we must pray in the Holy
Spirit[99],[100]
(as elaborated in section IIIa) because in this way He is praying within (and
through) us, establishing the conditions for the Holy Grace to be extended to
us[101].
The Holy Spirit empowers and blesses true prayer that emanates from our
spiritual essence, our heart, asking that we be accepted back in the place
which God has already prepared for us. In this way, the Holy Spirit makes us
sensitive to our weakness and sinful tendencies, and encourages the
transformation (in repentance and humility) that strengthens our bond with God
even further. As our mind clears up, our human, rebellious thoughts atrophy,
slow down and stop. Then, our unceasing supplication to Christ rests in our
heart, fully aligned with the Holy Spirit, and our Father in Heaven hears our
silent prayer and makes Himself known to us[102].
The Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of
the Heart, is comprised of the following
statement: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This is a form of non-iconic[103]
prayer[104] (ie,
no visual representations[105]
are allowed in our mind) which is easy to use unceasingly. It is also an
authentically apophatic means to deification[106],
in that it allows us to go beyond any preconceived[107],
limiting notions about God[108]
and helps us focus on an extraordinary goal: a direct, permanent and personal
union with Him. Through it we don’t try
to understand, but just accept Him, in His infinite strength, wisdom and
variety.
The first
two parts of the prayer combine our Orthodox Christian faith of the Incarnation
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and of the Holy Trinity[109]
in that they acknowledge the Father and the Son within the power of the Holy
Spirit (in addressing Jesus as Lord.[110])
This is the “praise” part of the prayer. The words “have mercy on me a sinner”
complete the picture in terms of our relationship with God, adding the
surrender and petition part, which is meant to invoke God’s Holy Grace and to
“energize” the prayer, turn it from “neutral” or “passive” to “active.” Prayer
of the Heart really means cultivating the purity of our spiritual center or
heart[111],
a process that involves an unconditional surrender to His will, in all
circumstances. Therefore, this short prayer integrates praise and penance very
efficiently, as it acknowledges the greatness of God and asks for help,
forgiveness and the extension of His holy Grace to us – ie, it addresses every
key aspect of our life in faith. What’s more, it is highly practical in that it
is designed to be repeated mentally, or even within our silent mind after it
sinks into our heart, allowing us to carry out our various tasks and
accommodating our need to interact with others and earn our daily bread.
The practice of praying continuously has extensive support
in our Scriptures, eg,[112],[113],[114],[115],[116],[117],
with St Paul as
a major contributor: when he spoke of prayer, he most often used words
conveying the meaning of “constant,” “always” and “continuously.” For him,
prayer was as natural and as essential as breathing. Now, in order to
appreciate how the phrase “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a
sinner” took root, here are some references[118],[119],[120]
of the many that are sprinkled throughout the Scriptures.
We
should always pray, as St Paul instructs us: “Continue earnestly in
prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2). In this way, God is inclined to
listen to us, recognize our effort and dedication, and grant what we ask for.
Actually, it was Jesus Himself Who taught us how to do this, in the parable of
the widow who would not give up until she received her just request: “Then He spoke
a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,…” (Lk
18:1). Given this, when we pray for something and think that God is slow in
responding, we should continue to pray, trusting that He is listening. However,
His response may be unexpected, as we often ask for things that are not good
for us, while, other times, our prayer can only be heard when we have overcome
spiritual impediments that we didn’t know were there. And yet, His giving us
only gifts that are good for us and His helping us cleanse ourselves
spiritually, are excellent rewards and blessings in return for our prayer. By
keeping our prayer active past these two phases (that tend to be close to the
start of our journey to Him) we stand a very good chance of overcoming all obstacles
and eventually uniting with Him. Therefore, it is right for us to believe that
prayer never goes unheard, and that we should always keep praying as best we
can. We should also remember that the Church establishes all objective
conditions for our theosis; the Prayer of the Heart helps us create the
corresponding subjective conditions. In this way, the human-divine co-operation
(sunergeia) functions in full force - the ultimate
result being our accepting the Holy Spirit and entering into union with God.
(b) The Prayer of the Heart
has been expanded, explained and commented on by a number of the Fathers[121]
of the Church and other significant Orthodox writers.
Following
the early days of the Church, a tradition of “pure prayer” was established
around the fourth century and continued to our days. Some of the Fathers shaped
it in their own way, but the fundamental concept of unceasing prayer focused on
the Name of Jesus Christ has persisted through the centuries in the context of
our Orthodox mysticism. St John Climacus expertly summarized (R3 p239) the
whole process: “The beginning of prayer is to banish oncoming thoughts as soon
as they appear. Its middle stage is to keep the mind contained in the words we
say or think. The perfection of prayer is ravishment to the Lord [122],[123].”
True prayer is never merely “mental” but emerges from the center of our being,
our heart, a process which, if we are submissive to God, is constantly renewed
and augmented by the Holy Spirit. Through prayer, we return to our heart and
open its door to the presence of God, Who is the source of our being, and meet
Him there by constantly calling out to Jesus, with faith and love. True prayer
is not just a good religious pastime, but an open and humble attitude to faith,
reverence, awe, trust, hope[124]
and joy. These virtues fill our deeper self and tell us that we are in the
presence of Christ, our God, Whom we get to know in “unknowing” and see in
“unseeing”, by faith at first, and direct, mystical experience later.
There
have been several short prayers taught by the Fathers of the Church. For example. St Cassian wrote that the most popular prayer
in Egypt
of his time was the first verse of Psalm 70: “Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
Make haste to help me, O Lord!” On the other hand, St Joanniky repeated the
following prayer, which is still part of our holy services: “The Father is my
hope, the Son is my refuge, the Holy Spirit is my protection, Holy Trinity
glory to You.” Another form of a popular short prayer was: “Being a man I have sinned;
but thou, being God the Compassionate, have mercy on me.” Starting from the
first years of Christianity and gradually gaining momentum and widespread
acceptance, the following prayer has become the most commonly used by a great
number of spiritual seekers: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,
a sinner.” Indications of its use can be found from the fourth century on, with
St Ephraim the Syrian, St John Chrysostom, St Isaac the Syrian, St Hesychius of
Jerusalem, Sts Barsanuphius and John of Gaza, and St John Climacus. Later on it
spread out widely and became very well known, especially with the influence of
respected Orthodox writers, like St Gregory Palamas, and prestigious Orthodox
books, like the Philokalia, whose message reaches a broad audience to this
date.
In reality there are as many ways of praying as there
are people, given that true prayer is a connection
of two persons, God and myself. This connection is always expressed in a unique
and personal way. But, while many short prayers are very helpful, the Jesus
Prayer is considered to be the most effective because, in the context of
acknowledging the Holy Trinity and admitting our sins, it unites us with the
Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the gateway to our Union with God, the ultimate aim
and fundamental hope of our prayer: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.” (Jn 14:6). Therefore, when we
practice it correctly with all our heart, we have behind us the full force of
Christ’s Incarnation, in which our salvation rests. Here is a short passage on
the Jesus Prayer from the renowned Orthodox book “The Way of a Pilgrim”, R8
p163 (but remember that most Fathers suggest extreme caution in using our
imagination): “The constant inner prayer of Jesus is an unbroken, perpetual
calling upon the Divine Name of Jesus with the lips, the mind and the heart,
while picturing His lasting presence in one’s imagination and imploring His
grace wherever one is, in whatever one does, even while one sleeps. This prayer
consists of the following words: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!’ Those
who use this prayer constantly are so greatly comforted that they are moved to
say it at all times, for they can no longer live without it. And the prayer
will keep on ringing in their hearts of its own accord…”
According
to the instructions given to us by St Gregory of Sinai (R2 p275, R3 p74, 84), this is how to pray: “Sitting in
your cell, remain patiently in prayer, according to the precept of the Apostle
Paul.[125]
Collect your mind into your heart and send out thence your mental cry to our
Lord Jesus, calling for His help and saying: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy
upon me’ until you are tired. When tired, transfer your mind to the second half
and say: ‘Jesus, Son of God, have mercy upon me!’ Having many times repeated
this appeal, pass once more to the first half. But you should not alternate
these appeals too often through laziness; for just as plants do not take root
if transplanted too frequently, neither do the movements of prayer in the heart
if the words are changed frequently. Compel yourself by any means to do this
work, for ‘the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by
force’ (Mt 11:12) as the Lord said showing that this attainment demands severe
labor and spiritual struggle. When you notice thoughts arising and accosting
you, do not look at them, even if they are not bad; but keeping the mind firmly
in the heart, call to Lord Jesus and you will soon sweep away the thoughts and
drive out their instigators – the demons – invisibly scorching and flogging
them with the divine Name. Thus teaches St John Climacus, saying: ‘With the
name of Jesus flog the foes, for there is no surer weapon against them, either
on earth or in heaven.’” These instructions sound simple, but St Gregory of
Sinai has a clear warning (R14 p281) for those who may think that learning to
pray is like anything else we learned before: “You cannot discover from the
teachings of others the beauty of prayer. Prayer has its own special teacher in
God, ‘He Who teaches man knowledge.’ (Ps 94:10) He grants the prayer of him who
prays. And He blesses the years of the just.”[126]
St Gregory of Sinai has given us a lot of guidance on this
topic. For example, (R13 p69) he spoke of the effort involved in prayer, with
words similar to those above: “No bodily or spiritual activity without pain or
toil ever brings fruit to him who practices it, because ‘the kingdom of heaven
suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.’” (Mt 11:12). Here, theologians
agree, the word pain means remorse and contrition of spirit. For those who are
weak physically, weeping and mourning for our sinfulness take the place of
physical effort. For people with stronger bodies, it takes physical discipline
for the heart to acquire the peace needed for prayer: “to the weak I became as
weak, that I might win the weak.” (1 Cor 9:22). He also stated (R13 p71) that
the mind of those who are experienced in prayer must concentrate on the heart[127],
“If your heart has opened.” This should be done with great fear of God, because
the union of the mind and heart (which precedes our union with God) is granted
by divine grace, at God’s discretion: “The great gift of prayer is usually
preceded by some special sufferings and upheavals of the soul, which lead our
spirit to realize the extent of our poverty and nothingness (as St Isaac the
Syrian wrote.) To be worthy of this gift of Grace we need faithful humility and
purity, shown by the rejection of every sinful thought at their first
appearance. It is to the faithful, pure and humble that the gifts of the Spirit
are given.” (cf Lk 16:10-12).
To learn
how to pray effectively means to let go of hardness and torpor
of the heart and grossness of the mind, traits due to spiritual arrogance and
deeply rooted (perhaps subconscious) rejection of God’s will. Sometimes we
don’t feel like praying - a trap set by the devil in the form of mental sloth
and fear of spiritual scrutiny. Therefore, we should force ourselves to pray
over and above the hesitation of our mind and resistance of our body, as stated
before (in quoting Mt 11:12). This means that we will not be able to obtain
salvation without persistence. If we see such difficulties in our praying, we
should pray even harder, perhaps go back a level or two and start all over with
the invocation of the name of Jesus Christ aloud, or with fasting, vigils and
prostrations. As warm, heartfelt prayer returns, we should use this opportunity
to remember our commitment to repentance, charity, spiritual humility and
obedience to our spiritual father. And when the demons see our resolve and
method of dealing with such problems, they tend to leave us alone from fear
that the net result of their attacks might be additional good credit for us in
heaven[128].
When we are
ready to sit in prayer and ask God for a gift, we need to prepare
ourselves with firm faith[129], against all traces of unbelief and doubt[130].
No one should ever expect to obtain from God anything that was asked with a
doubting heart, as He Himself said: "And all things, whatever you ask in
prayer, believing, you will receive” (Mt 21:22) and “if you have faith
as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,'
and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17:20). However,
to those who doubt, He will not grant their requests. Sometimes we are
insensitive to the words used in prayer, because of unbelief[131]
due to pride and lack of remorse for our sinful condition[132].
So, the more warmth, forgiveness, and contrition we feel in prayer, the better
we are praying. During prayer, our attitude should be intentional, deliberate
and extreme humility, because this is how we repulse the demons. Because of our
hidden pride, we often think: “this sin is not one of mine, because I am good.”
Only humility can get us out of that trap, especially with the help of a
spiritual director. And always remember that, when practicing the Prayer of the
Heart, we do not seek understanding or signs or visions or information of any
kind, but are purely engaged in sacred invocation and supplication of our God. Pure
prayer is neither some sort of abstract nor of
analytical thinking but a direct and personal encounter with our Creator.
The essence of the unceasing Prayer of the Heart is the search
for a valid, personal vision of God, granted to
our whole being, not to the intellect alone. St Gregory Palamas worked long and
hard at the doctrinal foundation of the fact that it is only the entire person
that can receive grace, not any part (ie, soul, or mind, or body) acting alone.
Therefore, he warns against corporeal visions (corporeal only!) or mental ones
(mental only!). Both are demonic temptations that undermine the unity of our
whole being, the unity that Christ came to re-invigorate by giving us
immortality. Our body, mind or soul cannot receive the grace of Christ (that
was put on us during Baptism) alone, but only in working together can they help
us reach the goal of unceasing prayer, which is to obtain a true vision of God.
This is discussed further in section IIa.
The Jesus Prayer follows
closely our Scriptural model of our relationship with God, and is effective because it is centered on the Son of God
Incarnate. This purely Orthodox tradition survived and prospered for almost two
millennia, not because it was somehow imposed on the people, but because it is
faithful to the substance of our faith. Therefore, we can see it as a direct
outcome of the essence of our spiritual lineage. Yes, it does ask us to expend
considerable effort, like many of the Fathers who went through extraordinary
struggles to kindle the correct spirit of prayer. However, when it matures, it
becomes self-sustaining, sinks into our heart, and develops into a strong and
immediate link between us and God. Across that link, God’s divine grace flows
to those that are ready, effecting the merging of the individual with God’s
divine energies, a process called deification or divinization or theosis.
Many Fathers have written
extensively about the meaning and significance of the Prayer of the Heart[133],[134],[135],[136],[137],[138],[139],[140],[141],[142],[143],[144],[145],[146].
The essence of their message is that, although we
cannot force our mind to slow down and become idle, what we can do is simplify
and unify its activity by introducing, and focusing on, the Jesus Prayer[147].
In the beginning, other thoughts will persist, but with the help of the prayer
we can gradually detach ourselves from them and let them go: gently,
repeatedly, just let them go. In their place, slowly at first but more
assertively as time passes, the single, commanding and utterly satisfying
thought of Lord Jesus emerges and takes over our mental workings[148],
with all the spiritual happiness and fulfillment that that entails[149].
Then, we don’t rely any more on any of our own weak efforts, but accept with
gratitude and relief the helping protection of the all-powerful Divine Name and
the abundant Holy Grace that is generously offered to us.
To close
this segment, let me quote our greatest mystical teacher, St Gregory Palamas,
R8 p164, who said: “Not only should we ourselves in accordance with God’s will
pray unceasingly in the name of Jesus Christ, but we are bound to reveal it and
teach it to others, to everyone in general, religious and secular, learned and
simple, men, women and children, and to inspire them all with zeal for prayer
without ceasing.”
Notes:
[1] For
example, the Psalms are, essentially, a vast prayer offered to God from,
almost, as many angles as there are human experiences.
[2] Jn 16:
23 “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He
will give you.”
[3] Jn 14:
16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He
may abide with you forever,”
[4] Hebrews
7: 25 “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God
through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for them.”
[5]
The New Testament mentions frequently that Jesus prayed, eg, Mt 14:32 “And when
He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on a mountain by Himself to pray…”
Also, Hebrews 5:7 “…in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers
and supplications…”etc.
[6] R14 p271
St John Climacus: “Faith is the wing of prayer, and without it my prayer will
return to my bosom.”
[7] Mk 11:
22-24 “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I
say to you, whoever says to this mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the
sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says
will come to pass, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you,
whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you
will have them.”
[8] Hebrews
11: 6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently
seek Him.”
[9] James 1:
6,7 “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose
that he will receive anything from the Lord;”
[10] Mt 8:
13 “Then Jesus said to the Centurion, "Go your way; and as you have believed,
so let it be done for you.'' And his servant was healed that same hour.”
[11] Mt 9:
28-30 “And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And
Jesus said to them, ‘Do you believe that I am able to do this?’ They said to
Him, ‘Yes, Lord.’ Then He touched their eyes, saying, ‘According to your faith
let it be to you.’ And their eyes were opened.”
[12]
Mk 5: 36 “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler
of the synagogue, ‘Do not be afraid; only believe.’”
[13] Mk 9: 23
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who
believes.’”
[14] Lk 8:
48 “And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith has made you
well. Go in peace.’”
[15] R21 p37
St John of Kronstadt: “The attributes of prayer must be love of God, sincerity
and simplicity.”
[16] eg, Mt
6: 5, 15 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that
they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward… But if you do not forgive men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
[17]
eg, Mt 15: 7-9 “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These
people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but
their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men.'”
[18] Jn 4:
24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
[19]
eg, Ps 4: 1 “Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved
me when I was in distress; Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.”
[20] Lk 11:
5-13 “And He said to them, ‘Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at
midnight and say to him, `Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine
has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he
will answer from within and say, `Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and
my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you'? "I say to
you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet
because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I
say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock,
and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from
any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will
he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he
offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to
your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask Him!”
[21]
Mk 7: 24-30 “And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could
not be hidden. For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard
about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. The woman was a Greek, a
Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her
daughter. But Jesus said to her, ‘Let the children be filled first, for it is
not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.’ And she
answered and said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table
eat from the children's crumbs.’ Then He said to her, ‘For this saying go your
way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.’
And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and
her daughter lying on the bed.”
[22] R14
p276 St John Climacus: “Prayer brings one sort of joy to those living in
community, and another to those praying in stillness. Elation is sometimes
characteristic of the former, but humility is always to be found in the
latter.”
[23] R14
p276 St John Climacus: “However pure you may be, do not be forward in your
dealings with God. Approach Him rather in humility, and you will be given still
more boldness. And even if you have climbed the whole ladder of virtues, pray
still for the forgiveness of sins. Heed Paul’s cry regarding sinners ‘of whom I
am chief.’ (1 Tim 1:15)”
[24] eg, 2
Chronicles 7: 14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble
themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I
will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
[25] eg, 2
Chronicles 34: 27 “’because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself
before God when you heard His words … and you humbled yourself before Me, and
you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you,’ says the
Lord.”
[26] R21 p52
St John of Kronstadt: “When you pray, keep to the rule that it is better to say
five words from the depth of your heart than ten thousand words with your
tongue only.”
[27] R3 p327
St Philotheus of Sinai: “If we sincerely wish to guard our mind in the Lord, we
have need of great humility, first in relation to God, and, second, in relation
to men.”
[28] R3 p88
St Gregory of Sinai: “Obedience for the sake of humility is capable of all
virtue.”
[29]
R3 p83 St Gregory of Sinai: “In keeping silence, there are three virtues we should
practice strictly and verify each hour whether we constantly abide in them,
lest we be robbed by forgetfulness, and move outside them. They are:
abstinence, not talking, and self-belittlement, ie, humility. They support and
protect one another; prayer is born of them and grows without ceasing.”
[30] R3 p282
St Hesychius of Jerusalem:
“He who struggles inwardly must practice at every moment these four (doings):
humility, extreme attention, resistance to thoughts, and prayer.”
[31] R3 p324
St Philotheus of Sinai: “Where there is humility, remembrance of God with
sobriety and attention, and frequent prayer directed against enemies, there is
the place of God, or the heaven of the heart where the hosts of demons fear to
enter, since it is the dwelling-place of God.”
[32] eg,
Deut 11: 13-15 “And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commandments
which I command you today, to love the Lord your God and serve Him with all
your heart and with all your soul, then I will give you the rain for your land
in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, that you may gather in your
grain, your new wine, and your oil. And I will send grass in your fields for
your livestock, that you may eat and be filled.”
[33] Rom 6:
17 “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from
the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”
[34] R3 p180
Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “Christ will stretch out His helping hand and we
shall find the solution… building complete the oft praised house of spiritual
architecture, that is, Divine silence, on the firm and immovable foundation of
blessed obedience.”
[35] Rom 6:
16 “Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are
that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to
righteousness?”
[36] Jn 14:
14 “If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
[37] 1 John
3: 22 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His
commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
[38]
Mt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”
[40] Lk 15:
18-21 “`I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have
sinned against heaven and before you,
and I am no longer
worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.' And he
arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father
saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And
the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight,
and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'”
[41] R14
p276 St John Climacus: “Oil and salt are the condiments of food; chastity and
tears give flight to prayer.”
[42] R39 p15
St Isaac the Syrian: “Why do you increase your bonds? Take hold of your life
before your light grows dark, and seeking help you do not find it. This life
has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits.”
[43] eg, 1
Kings 8: 33-34 “When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because
they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your
name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in
heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the
land which You gave to their fathers.”
[44] eg, Jer
36: 7 “It may be that they will present their supplication before the Lord, and
everyone will turn from his evil way…”
[45] eg,
Acts 8: 21-22 “…for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent
therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your
heart may be forgiven you.”
[46] eg,
Nehemiah 1: 4-7 “So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept,
and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who
keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your
commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may
hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for
the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of
Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father's house and I have
sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the
commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant
Moses.”
[47] eg,
Daniel 9: 4-11 “And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said,
‘O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who
love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, we have sinned and
committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from
Your precepts and Your judgments. Neither have we heeded Your servants the
prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers
and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us
shame of face, as it is this day to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to
which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have
committed against You. O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our
princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. To the Lord our
God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. We have
not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set
before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law,
and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath
written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us,
because we have sinned against Him.’”
[48] Lk 18:
13-14 “And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his
eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God be merciful to me a sinner!'
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other;
for everyone who exalts himself will be abased, and he who humbles himself will
be exalted.”
[49] James
5: 16 “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that
you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much.”
[50] R14
p275 St John Climacus: “When you set out to appear before the Lord, let the
garment of your soul be woven throughout with the thread of wrongs no longer
remembered. Otherwise, prayer will be useless to you.”
[51] Mt 6:
14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.”
[52] Mt 5:
23-24 “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that
your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar,
and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer
your gift.”
[53] Mt 5:
44-46 “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good
to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute
you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise
on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For
if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same?”
[54] Mt 6:
14-15 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.”
[55] Mt 18:
21-22 “Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, "I
do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”
[56] Mk 11:
22-26 “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this
mountain, `Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his
heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have
whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you
pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. And whenever you
stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your
Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not
forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”
[57] eg, the
parable of the ungrateful servant in Mt 18: 23-35
[58] eg, Lk
6: 20-49; as, for example, in the verse Lk 6:28: "bless those who curse
you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”
[59] 1 Cor
13 “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I
have become as sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift
of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have
all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to
be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is
kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does
not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does
not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes
all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether
there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will
cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and
we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which
is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I
understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put
away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now
abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”
[60] R14
p195 St John Climacus: “The truly obedient monk often becomes suddenly radiant
and exultant during his prayers.”
[61]
Mt 6: 5-6 “And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they
love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that
they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But
you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray
to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret
will reward you openly.”
[62] eg, Lk
6: 12 “Now it came to pass…that He went out to the mountain to pray, and
continued all night in prayer to God.”
[63] Mt 9:15
“And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long
as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will
be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
[64] Mt 17:
20-21 “…for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you
will say to this mountain, `Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and
nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except
by prayer and fasting.”
[65] Mk 9:
28-29 “His disciples asked Him privately, ‘Why could we not cast him out?’ So
He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.’”
[66] Ps 35:
13 “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled
myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart.”
[67]
Nehemiah 1: 4 “… I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting
and praying before the God of heaven.”
[68] Lk 3:
37 “and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart
from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”
[69] Acts
10: 30 “And Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour;
and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me
in bright clothing,”
[70] Acts
13: 3 “Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them
away.”
[71] Acts
14: 23 “So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with
fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
[72] 1 Cor
7: 5 “Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may
give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan
does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
[73]
R3 p40 St Gregory of Sinai: “Those who struggle, regain their original state by
keeping two commandments – obedience and fasting; for all evil entered into the
generation of mortals through practices opposed to them. Moreover, those who
keep the commandments through obedience ascend to God more quickly, and those
who keep them trough fasting – more slowly. Besides, obedience is more suitable
for beginners, and fasting for those on the way, who possess courage and vision
of mind. But in fulfilling the commandments it is given to very few always to
obey God undeceived, and even for the most valiant this achievement is very
difficult.”
[74] R14
p280 St John Climacus: “Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with
patience. For so it goes that ‘Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks
finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.’ (Mt 7:8)”
[75] Lk 18:
2-8 “…There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man.
Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, `Avenge me of
my adversary.' And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within
himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will
avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ Then the Lord said,
‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who
cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that
He will avenge them speedily...’”
[76] Acts
12: 5 “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to
God for him by the church.”
[77] eg, Eph
6: 18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
[78] R14
p281 St John Climacus: “Hold onto the staff of prayer and you will not fall.
And even a fall will not be fatal, since prayer is a devout coercion of God.
(cf Lk 18:5)
[79] eg, Lk
11: 5-13, quoted in a footnote #20
[80] eg, Ps
66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”
[81] eg, Mt
5: 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
[82] 1 Thess
5: 16-23 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for
this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit...
Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every… evil… may the God
of peace… sanctify you… and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved
blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
[83] I John
5: 14,15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask
anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
[84] R14
p271 St John Climacus: “In my prayer, I will offer up my will, and from God I
will draw assurance.”
[85] Mt 6:
13 “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For
Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
[86]
Philippians 2: 5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”
[87]
Acts 19: 13-16 “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon
themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits,
saying, ‘We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Also there were seven
sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered
and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in
whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed
against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
[88] eg, Jn
15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you
bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
[89] Mt
28:19 “…in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
[90] Jn 14:
13-14 “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”
[91] Jn 15:
7,16 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you
desire, and it shall be done for you… whatever you ask the Father in My name He
may give you.”
[92] Jn 16:
23-24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He
will give you... Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
[93] Acts 3:
6 “Then Peter said, ‘… In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and
walk.’”
[94] Eph 5:
20 “Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ”
[95] Rom
10:12 “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord
over all is rich to all who call upon Him.”
[96] 1 Cor
1:2 “… with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord…”
[97] 2 Cor
12: 8-9 “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it
might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for
My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather
boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
[98] Acts 3:
16: “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom
you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this
perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”
[99] Eph 6:
18 “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being
watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”
[100] Jude
20 “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying
in the Holy Spirit,”
[101] Rom 8:
9,26,27 “But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit
of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is
not His… Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know
what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession
for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the
saints according to the will of God.”
[102] Ps 46:
10-11 “Be still, and know that I am God; …The Lord of hosts is with us;… God…
is our refuge.”
[103] R5 p
57 St Gregory Palamas: “The essence of God transcends the fact of being
inaccessible to the senses, since God is not only above all created things but
is even beyond Godhead. The excellence of Him Who surpasses all things is not
only beyond affirmation, but also beyond all negation; it exceeds all
excellence that is attainable by the mind.”
[104] R20
p14 St Gregory of Nyssa: “The bridegroom is present but is not seen.”
[105] R20
p14 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “Pray without images, shapes or forms, with an
intellect, a nous and a soul that are entirely pure. Always keep your intellect
free from color, form, shape and configuration, and from any quality or
quantity.”
[106] R32,
Vol II, p44, Fr Dumitru Staniloae: “By creating human beings, God has committed
Himself to lead them to deification.”
[107] R3
p245 St Nilus: “Blessed is he who has comprehended (God’s) incomprehensibility,
inseparable from prayer.”
[108]
R14 p143 St John Climacus: “Enlightenment is something indescribable, an
activity that is unknowingly perceived and invisibly seen.”
[109] R32,
Vol I, Forward, Fr Dumitru Staniloae: “The Trinity alone assumes our existence
as persons… Salvation and deification are nothing other than the extension to
conscious creatures of the relations that obtain between the divine persons.”
[110] 1 Cor
12:3 “No one can say Jesus Christ is Lord except in the Holy Spirit.”
[111] Ps 51
10: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within
me.”
[112] 1 Thes
5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”
[113] Eph
6:18 “With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the
Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all
the holy ones.”
[114] 1 Tim
2:8 “It is my wish then that in every place the men should pray, lifting up
holy hands, without anger or argument.”
[115] Rom
12:12 “…be constant in prayer…”
[116] 1 Thes
2:13 “We constantly thank God for you.”
[117] 1 Tim
1:2 “Always I remember you in my prayers.”
[118] Mt
9:27 The two blind men: “Have mercy on us Son of David.”
[119]Lk
17:13 The ten lepers: “Jesus Master have mercy on us.”
[120] Lk
18:13 The tax collector: “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”
[121] There
has been some controversy about the precise authorship of writings by several
well known Fathers of the Church, eg, St Dionysius, St Hesychius of Jerusalem,
St Nilus, St Isaac the Syrian, St Macarius of Egypt, et al. In this work, this
issue has not been addressed and quotes are attributed to the exact name
referenced in the source document, eg, The Philokalia.
[122] Bishop
Ierotheos in R42 p60: “St Dionysios the Aeropagite says in his writings that
according to the holy Fathers the spiritual life has three stages:
purification, illumination and perfection. We find this in the teachings of all
the holy Fathers of the Church.”
[123] R16
p80: Per St Symeon the New Theologian, the aims of prayer are humility,
compunction and enlightenment in the Holy Spirit.
[124] R21
p37 St John of Kronstadt: “Prayer breathes hope, and a prayer without hope is a
sinful prayer.”
[125] eg,
Rom 12:12 “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in
prayer;” and Col
4:2 “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.”
[126]
There are several sets of similar instructions throughout our patristic
literature, eg, by St Symeon the New Theologian, (R8 p164), St Gregory of
Sinai, (R13 p67, p68), St Nicephorus the Hesychast, (R8 p56), Sts Callistus and
Ignatius, (R3 p192), and others.
[127]
R50 p17: “The heart is man’s feelings (affect). The heart is man’s volition
(will). The heart is man’s mind (cognition). These three elements are together
in one unbreakable unity. We… find … the same meaning in the… Scriptures and in
the writings of the Fathers.”
[128] R3
p201 St John Chrysostom: “When the devil sees a soul protected by virtues, he
dare not come near it, fearing the strength and power given to it by prayer.”
[129] R3
p169 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “The beginning of every action pleasing to God
is calling with faith on the life-saving name of our Lord Jesus Christ, as He
Himself said: ‘Without me you can do nothing’ (Jn 15:5) together with the peace
and love which accompany this calling.”
[130] R3 p65
St Gregory of Sinai: “Grace is not merely faith, but also active prayer. For
the latter shows in practice true faith, made living by Jesus, for it comes
from the Spirit through love.”
[131] R21
p54 St John of Kronstadt: “When during prayer your heart is overwhelmed with
despondency and melancholy, be sure that these proceed from the Devil,
endeavoring by every means to hinder you in your prayer. Be firm, take courage,
and by the remembrance of God drive away this deadly feeling.”
[132] R21
p52 St John of Kronstadt: “When you observe that your heart is cold and prays
unwillingly, stop praying and warm your heart by representing vividly to
yourself your own wickedness, your spiritual poverty, misery and blindness, or
the great benefits which God bestows every moment upon you and all mankind,
especially upon Christians; and then pray slowly and feverishly.”
[133] R3
p238, St Basil the Great: “Right prayer is that which actively implants the
memory of God in the soul. The dwelling of God in the heart means to have God
planted firmly in oneself by memory, when this memory is never interrupted by
worldly cares, and the mind is not troubled by accidental passionate impulses.
A lover of God flees all things and goes to God.” St Basil also spoke of
combining our prayer with mental and spiritual actions such as glorifying and
thanking God, confessing our sins, and asking that He bless our efforts to be
saved.
[134] R3
p196 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “Go to sleep and sleep with the prayer of
Jesus.”
[135]
R3 p299 St Gregory the Theologian: “Let His most sweet name be joined to your
breath; and then you will know the profit of silence.”
[136] R8
p132 St Gregory Palamas: “At every hour invoke Him, Him Who is the object of
our meditations, so that our mind may always be absorbed in Him and our
attention concentrated each day on Him… invoke the name of God with your lips
and also with desire and with thought so that the only saving remedy may be
applied to all by which we have sinned, for there is no other name by which we
are saved, as stated in Acts 4:12: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
[137] R3
p193 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “A monk should always live with the name of
Lord Jesus, so that the heart absorbs the Lord and the Lord the heart, and the
two become one.” And: “Do not estrange your heart from God, but abide in Him
and always guard your heart by remembering our lord Jesus Christ, until the
name of the Lord becomes rooted in the heart and is ceases to think of anything
else. May Christ be glorified in you.”
[138]
R3 p193 St John Climacus: “May the memory of Jesus combine with your breathing;
then will you understand the use of silence.””
[139] R3
p193 St Hesychius of Jerusalem: “If you truly wish to cover thoughts with
shame, to keep silence as you should and to be sober in your heart without
effort, let the Jesus Prayer cleave to your breath – and in a few days you will
see it in practice.”
[140] R3
p195 St Nilus: “Attention seeking prayer will find prayer; for what most
naturally follows upon attention is prayer, and it is upon prayer that our
greatest efforts should be directed.”
[141] R3
p197 St Nilus: “He who always brings all his first thoughts like ripe fruit to
God makes his prayer heard.”
[142] In
Letter 15, St Theophan The Recluse, instructs us that we have nothing more
important than prayer to do, as it reflects our faith and accompanies and
energizes our good works in the name of God. But we need to “stand with
reverence before God, with the mind in the heart, and strive toward Him with
longing.” When we choose to live according to St Paul’s instructions and example,
everything we think, feel, say and do, our entire life, small and big plans and
pursuits, and even common gestures, all motivation for and results from our
activities, are meant to be an offering to God. The unceasing prayer holds us
fast onto His Presence (1 Cor 10:30 “Whatever you do, do it for the glory of
God.”) Praying unceasingly should not mean that we sidestep everything else and
try to lead an exclusively contemplative lifestyle, but that we strive to live
in such a way that we are constantly in the live presence of God while we do
whatever we have to do on this Earth.
[143] St
Theophan the Recluse also quotes (in his 19 th discourse) St Macarius
of Egypt to have said: “’One must force oneself to pray, even if one has no
spiritual prayer… in such a case, God, seeing that a man earnestly is striving,
pushing himself against the will of his heart (that is his thoughts,) He grants
him true prayer.’ By that, St Macarius meant the undistracted, collected, deep
prayer that occurs when the mind stands unswervingly before God. In that
exalted state, the mind discovers such peace and sweetness that it wishes to
remain in the prayer forever, desiring nothing more.” St Macarius also believed
that the goal of prayer is not the disincarnation of the mind, but a
transfiguration of the entire person – soul and body – through the presence of
the incarnate God, accessible to the conscious “certitude of the heart.”
[144]
According to St Dorotheus, R13 p51, we should be careful not to just pay lip
service to prayer but pray with sincerity and warmth while guarding our heart
and soul. The Prayer of the Heart needs gentle concentration and focus: “Do you
wish to learn to pray with the mind and heart? I will teach you. At first you
should make the prayer of Jesus with your voice, that is, with your lips,
tongue and speech, aloud by yourself. When the lips, tongue and senses are
satisfied with prayer pronounced vocally, then vocal prayer stops and it begins
to be said in a whisper. After this, one should contemplate with the mind, and
always regard and attend diligently to the feeling in the throat. The mental
Prayer of the Heart constantly begins to rise automatically by the nod (of God
– ie, by the action of divine grace) – begins to be carried about and act at
all times, during every kind of work, in every place.”
[145] R4
p412, St Philotheus of Sinai: “Let no one think, my brother Christians, that it
is the duty only of priests and monks to pray without ceasing, and not of
laymen. No, no; it is the duty of all of us Christians to remain always in
prayer.” In the same vein, R11 p81, St Macarius of Egypt wrote: “Christians
ought at all times to preserve the remembrance of God… in order that they may
show love to the Lord not only when they go into the place of prayer, but that
also when they are working, talking, or eating, they may preserve the
remembrance of God, and a sense of love and yearning towards Him.”
[146] R21
p27 St John of Kronstadt: “Prayer is a golden link connecting the Christian
man, the wanderer and stranger upon the earth, with the spiritual world of
which he is a member, and, above all, with God, the source of life. The soul
came forth from God, and to God may it even ascend through prayer.”
[147] R14
p52 St Diadochus of Photice: “The human intellect cannot rest inactive; if it
is to be prevented from dispersing itself among a multiplicity of sensory
objects, it must be provided with some inner task to satisfy its need for
activity. For the complete fulfillment of its purpose we should give it nothing
but the prayer ‘Lord Jesus...’ Let it continually concentrate on these words
within its inner shrine with such intensity that it is not turned aside to any
mental images.”
[148] R3
p193 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “When we have accustomed our mind to enter
within while inhaling, we shall have learnt in practice that at the moment when
the mind is about to descend within, it forthwith rejects every thought and
becomes single and naked, freed from all memory but that of calling on our Lord
Jesus Christ. Conversely, when it comes out and turns towards the external, it
immediately becomes distracted by varied memories.”
[149]
R3 p192 Sts Callistus and Ignatius: “For the kingdom of God is within us, and
for a man who has seen it within, and having found it through pure prayer, has
experienced it, everything outside loses its attraction and value. It is no
longer unpleasant and worrisome for him to be within. Just as a man who has
been away from home, when he returns is beside himself with joy at seeing again
his children and wife, so the mind, after being dispersed, when it reunites
with the soul, is filled with unspeakable sweetness and joy.”
Bibliography - References
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