Learning how to pray from the Holy Fathers
“And Jesus said unto them, Because
of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place;
and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew,
17:20).
Once the brothers asked Abba Agathon: which virtue is the most
difficult? He answered them: “I think, that the hardest thing is to pray to
God. When a person wants to pray, then his enemies disturb him, because they
know, that the prayer can defeat them. When a person performs a feat, then the
results of it get him a relief. But the prayer means fight till the last second
of your life”.
Saint Abba Agathon
Why do we need to pray for a long time? Because only a long-lasting
prayer can soften our cold and tough hearts, which became insensitive because
of daily vanity. It is strange and even foolish to demand, that a tough heart
can feel the warm of love to God during the prayer. To feel it you need to work
hard on yourself, as well as plenty of time.
Saint John of Kronstadt
You should ask for something significant. And do not stop asking till
you get what you need. It can take a month, a year, or three years, or maybe even
more, but you should not stop asking. Ask wholeheartedly and strive to do good
all the time.
Saint Basil the Great
Be prudent in what you ask for, or you will call down the wrath of God
with your foolishness. When you ask the King of the kings for something
miserable, then you depreciate Him and His might. The Israeli asked Him to
fulfill their material desires, ignoring the God’s miracles happened in the
desert. Those who pray for some molder material benefits, they will cause God’s
anger. Angels and archangels – His grandees – are looking at you while you are
praying. They are happy when they see a person, who managed to cope with his
material desires and who is asking now for something spiritual. And they are in
mourning, when someone is praying for material goods, leaving spiritual things
unattended.
Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov
When you begin to pray, you have to suppress all the thoughts which
distract you. Then, on the medium stage, you should form your thoughts into the
words you will speak or think. But the highest level is when you are glorifying
God.
Saint John the Climacus
Read the prayers slowly. Try to give heed to each word, and make each
word reach your heart: you have to understand what you are reading and feel
what you understand. In this case your prayer will please the Lord.
Saint Theophan the Recluse
There is a
necessary condition to succeed in your prayer – you have to cast aside all your
passions. When you are trying to make your heart pure, the reading prayer turns
into the mental and hearty one. St. Theophan the Recluse once said, that
“when the hearts is pure, then the prayer is just”.
Archimandrite Georgiy Tertyshnikov
Mind yourself while praying, so that your inner man prays as well. Despite
your depravity, you have to pray no matter what. Ignore temptations sent by the
devil, and overcome his scheme. Remember about the deep of kindness and mercy
of our Lord. The devil will strive to show you God as unkind and rejecting your
prayer and penance, but you recall the words of the Savior: “All that the
Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise
cast out” (John, 6:37) and “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest” (Matthew, 11:28).
Saint John of Kronstadt
We can compare long-lasting but inattentive prayer to the heavy rain
pouring on the metal roof. The water flows down no matter how much and how long
it drops. It has no effect on the roof. On the other hand, attentive prayer can
be just like beneficial rain, which irrigates the field, which will later
provide people with a rich harvest.
Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov
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