On Internal and External Prayer. Priest Daniel Sysoev by mission shop

Approved for distribution by the Publishing Board of the Russian Orthodox Church PB 13-314-2075 64 pp. Priest Daniel Sysoev. On Internal and External Prayer. Daniel Sysoev Inc, New Jersey, 2018. ISBN: 978-5-4279-0078-5

Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God. There is a heart that is the focal point of our spirit, and into it we must enter during prayer. Prayer however must involve not only the soul, but also the body, which is an integral part of our identity. In this booklet you will find practical advice on how to pray properly, and you will learn about different kinds of prayer, the wiles of the devil during prayer, and the most exalted prayerful states, when people exult before the Lord like the angels in heaven, glorifying and magnifying Him for no other reason than from an excess of joy!

Booklet 6 of 12 from a series of talks given by Priest Daniel Sysoev entitled “How to Inherit Eternal Life.” Protected by USA Federal copyright law. Reproduction of this book in whole or in part is prohibited. Any attempt to violate the law will be prosecuted.

CONTENT

ON INTERNAL A N D E X T ER NA L PR AY ER On Prayer �� 4 The Human Organs Through Which Internal Prayer Functions �� 5 The Human Soul �� 7 The Inner Place of Prayer �� 9 Types of Prayer. Prayers of Petition �� 10 Why Does God Grant Prayers? �� 12 Prayer of Thanksgiving �� 15 The Highest Form of Prayer �� 18 How the Devil Hinders Us During Prayer ��23 How to Pray Properly ��26 Signs that Prayer Has Been Effectual �� 31 On the Importance of External Prayer ��33 Types of Internal Prayer ��34 Types of External Prayer ��35 Rule for Prayer at Home ��35 When and How May We Pray? ��36 The Sign of the Cross ��40 Bows �� 41 Forms of External Prayers ��42 Contents of Prayer ��46

ON INTERNAL A N D E X T ER NA L P R AY ER

On Prayer

For us both external prayer (bows, the sign of the

cross, etc.) and internal prayer are of equal importance. Since man is a being that has both a body and a soul, he naturally serves God with his whole being, both body and soul. The apostle Paul says, Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (1 Cor. 6:20). Most important, however, is internal prayerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the state of the spirit and the soul during prayer. In his work An Exact Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Saint John of Damascus says that prayer is an offering of the mind and the heart to God. It is a state where both the mind and the heart of a man are offered up to God. Prayer has a special place in a person, of which the Gospel says the following: And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when 4

thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him (Mt. 6:5–8). In the Slavonic translation the phrase “enter into thy closet” is rendered as “go into your cage,” meaning a space within you—the rib cage, a person’s heart. The Lord gave men the commandment to pray unceasingly and not to lose heart.

The Human Organs Through Which Internal Prayer Functions

Many of us do not know the depths of our own

hearts. The Psalter says, A man shall draw nigh, and the heart is deep (Ps. 63:7). The human heart is deep. As it is said in the book of the prophet Jeremiah, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jer. 17:9). And again, Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23). There is a heart that is the focal point of our spirit, and into it we must enter during prayer. According to bib5

lical anthropology, man was conceived as a unified being. In Christ, as we know, there are two naturesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the divine and the human. If man were not a unified whole, Christ would have three natures: the divine, the psychical (of the soul), and the physical (of the body). But this is not the case: human nature is unified. In the biblical understanding, man is a living being. After the fall into sin, however, man was â&#x20AC;&#x153;brokenâ&#x20AC;? and separated into two parts. This condition is called death. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Gen. 2:7). Originally the soul and body of a person comprise a sort of living union. All the emotional dispositions of the soul are reflected on the body as well (joy, grief, etc.). The reverse is also true: if the body suffers, the soul suffers likewise (for example, when a person has a headache). The fathers of the Church say that there are three causes of madness: physical causes (brain damage, nervous disorders, hormonal imbalances), demonic possession, and passions taken to their logical conclusion. The soul is dependent on the body, and the body is dependent on the soul, and because of this unity every organ of the human body is linked to the soul. In the view of both the Bible and the holy 6

fathers, the human organs are instruments of the soul. This is true not only of the brain, but of all the organs. The book of Psalms contains these words: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name (Ps. 102:1). In the Greek translation the words “all that is within me” are replaced with the word pannephra—kidneys—since in biblical thought and for the holy fathers the kidneys were the instrument of the feelings. Even from modern medicine we know that the adrenal glands attached to the top of the kidneys regulate the entire hormonal system. Thus, the kidneys directly influence human feelings and emotions. Likewise, different areas of the brain are linked to specific capacities of the soul. But the core of a man is not the brain, nor the kidneys, but the heart. It is the center of the blood, the center of life: For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof (Lev. 17:14). Consuming blood is a very grave sin: for this the church canons prescribe that a person be barred from Communion for five years.

The Human Soul

The human soul is a bodiless essence, with which

man was imbued by the breath of God at the time of his creation, and which takes on personal ex7

istence at the moment of conception. The breath of God constantly manifests itself within human nature, and at the time of conception it enlivens the human body and creates the human soul in an instant. The soul is created from nonexistence and does not have a divine nature. It has within it the highest part, called the spirit and the mind. The spirit is the eye of the soul. The word spirit or mind is understood to mean the highest part of human nature, called the intellect. For the Bible and for the holy fathers the mind is the highest part of a man, through which he encounters God. The mind has these properties: an inborn sense of God, the fear of God, and reverence before God. These are the conscience or intuitive knowledge. In a holy person the intuition must be absolutely logical, and logic must be absolutely intuitive. The division between intuition and logic is a result of the disintegration of the human mind. A person must see things in their true light (with the eyes of God), and understand them independently. But this is a goal that we must strive to achieve. The highest powers of the soul are the will and the feelings, and these must be subject to a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind. Consequently, any normal action must be undertaken after deliberation, and only then should the mind give the order to the 8

will and the feelings. If this takes place in any other way (a person feels that he should do this, or he wants to do that), this bespeaks a complete disintegration of his personality, a disorder of the soul. This kind of person becomes mentally ill. There are lower, uncontrollable senses of the soul, which function independently of the intellect. These include vegetative power, which enables us to grow and to multiply. There is also animal power, which enables us to feel and to move. This power oversees the work of the heart, the digestive system, growth, the functions of the blood and the bones, etc. All these processes are outside the control of the intellect, but are controlled by the physical energies, which coordinate the whole body using the nerves and the hormonal system. The body and the soul are interlinked, and so the human body can hinder a person in prayer, but it can also help him.

The Inner Place of Prayer

According to the teaching of the holy fathers, the

point at which prayer must take place is located just above the left nipple (near the heart). This is a physical location. The physician and archbishop Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky) found a biological ex9

planation for this, as well (this is connected with the nerve centers located within the heart). The word heart encompasses the intuitive part of the mind, the highest feelings and the system of the will. What must precede prayer? First and foremost, naturally, we must not remember wrongs: we must not dwell on the wrongs others have done us. Still less can we begin to pray if there is someone whom we refuse to forgive. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses (Mk. 11:25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;26). Praying while nursing a grudge against another is not only forbidden, but also dangerous. This kind of prayer is imputed for sin, as Psalm 108 says. Thus, it is possible to sin by praying.

Types of Prayer. Prayers of Petition

Prayers may be of the following types: prayers of

petition, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of repentance, and prayers of glorification. In its formal elements the lowest and most widespread type of prayer is prayer of petition, when we ask God for forgiveness of sins and for help. John of the Lad10

der says that this type of prayer must absolutely begin with giving thanks to God, then continue with remorse for our sins, and only then should we ask God for anything. We must all abide in this kind of prayer. In the Gospel of Luke the Lord tells the parable of the unjust judge: There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily (Lk. 18:2â&#x20AC;&#x201C;8). This proverb shows that we must be insistent in our prayers. As the Lord says, And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force (Mt. 11:12). The Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by storm: we must prepare ladders to scale the walls and boldly launch a full-scale attack. To acquire prayer what is needed most is consistency. Many people think that prayer takes effect instantaneously, like 11

clicking a computer mouse or pressing a key on a keyboard, but this is not the case. The Lord is not a machine, but a Person, and He wants people to turn to Him. We must petition God, if for no other reason than that this is beneficial for us, as John of the Ladder says: “Even if you receive nothing after prayer, do not say that you have prayed in vain: prayer itself is the greatest acquisition.” A person who prays breaks free from the earth, from his own egoism. God desires that men should not seek to receive things from Him, but that they should seek Him Himself. The Lord says, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you (Jn. 16:23). We ask God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ, and Christ Himself fulfills these petitions, to the glory of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Why Does God Grant Prayers?

Some Christians say, “Oh, I am a great man of

prayer: I asked God for something, and He gave it to me.” In the book of Joshua God says, And I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted 12

not do ye eat (Josh. 24:13). This is given not because the Hebrews were ideal (of them the Lord says, Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people— Deut. 9:6), but because the neighboring peoples had defiled the earth with their evil deeds, and because the Lord had promised it to the righteous Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God keeps His word, and hence He hears our prayer. In another place God says through the prophet Ezekiel that He forgives the Hebrews not for their own merit, but so that the name of God might not be put to shame among men. Hence, Orthodox prayer follows this pattern: “Not for our sakes, but for the sake of Thy name, O Lord, have mercy on us.” At times Christians say, “I cannot ask God for anything, since I am extremely sinful.” This is incorrect. There is always a way to wash away iniquities from our hearts. This is repentance. Mine iniquity have I acknowledged, and my sin have I not hid. I said: I will confess mine iniquities before the Lord against myself. And Thou forgavest the ungodliness of my heart (Ps. 31:5). When people understand that God has mercy on them not for their own sakes, but for the sake of His name, then they can ask Him for whatever they wish (except 13

for evil). For this reason we read, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you (Jn. 16:23). The liturgy is comprised of three parts: the preparatory part (proskomede), the liturgy of the catechumens (for those preparing for holy baptism), and the liturgy of the faithful. According to the church canons, people who are temporarily barred from Communion due to some sin must leave the church along with the catechumens. But though sinners they nevertheless pray at the liturgy of the catechumens for the Church, for the world, for the temple, for travelers, for those in tribulation, for the civil authorities, for the patriarch, for the departed, and for the sick. The Church says that penitents should continue to pray for others. Here the Church follows the example set by God, Who desires that people heal their sin with love. When the apostle Peter denied Christ, the Lord healed him with love: So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? [Peter] saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. [Jesus] saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? [Peter] saith unto Him, Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee. [Jesus] saith unto him, Feed My sheep. He 14

saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he said unto Him, Lord, Thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep (Jn. 21:15–17). Love for one’s neighbor is active love, as is prayer. In praying for our neighbors we thereby show our love, our likeness to the Heavenly Father, Who cares for the whole world.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

The

second form of prayer—prayer of thanksgiving—is encountered far less frequently. For example, every week at least forty people come to me asking for prayers of petition, but only one or two people a month ask for prayers of thanksgiving. This ratio is a familiar one. In the Gospel of Luke we read the following: There met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: and they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at his feet, 15

giving Him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And He said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole (Lk. 17:12–19). Quite frequently people receive what they ask for, and they think this is simply as it ought to be. In the epistle to the Ephesians the Lord says, Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20). We must give thanks to God for all things! If we are grateful to God for everything, we will learn to employ every circumstance of our lives for our own ends. As Saint Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain writes, proper prayer of thanksgiving occurs when we remember all God’s benefactions—at creation, at the redemption, etc. We must never fail to prepare for prayer. Theophan the Recluse says that if you intend to spend an hour in prayer, you must prepare for prayer an hour beforehand. You may of course do various tasks that do not require mental effort, but at the same time you must dispose yourself to prayer, compose yourself, and contemplate. As the apostle Paul says, Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than 16

ten thousand words in an unknown tongue (1 Cor. 14:19). We must ponder the words of the prayers. The most opportune time for thanksgiving is the sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion). Communion is not only our uniting with Christ, but also our thanksgiving to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the innumerable gifts that God has given us. The core of the Liturgy is our giving thanks to the Lord. When we approach for Communion we must think only of the Lord (of His death, Resurrection, and second coming), and not of how sinful we are (the time for that is at confession). As the apostle Paul says, For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:26–27). There are times when Christians commune frequently and cease to fathom the meaning of the prayers before Communion. In these cases it is beneficial to read something else in addition, depending on one’s spiritual state. For example, if a person has lost the fear of God it is helpful to read of the glory of God (chapters 1 and 4 of the Apocalypse, chapter 1 of the book of Ezekiel, chapter 6 of the book of Isaiah). When one ex17

periences despondency or laxity before Communion it is helpful to read of the passion of Christ the Savior. If a person is at an impasse and is powerless to answer the question, “Why bother to commune at all?” he should read chapter 6 of the Gospel of John concerning the Bread of life.

The Highest Form of Prayer

An even higher prayer than that of thanksgiving is prayer of praise or glorification. When a person glorifies God regardless of himself, he no longer asks for anything nor gives thanks for anything. He forgets himself completely and glorifies God just for being there. The all-night vigil concludes with this type of prayer—the great doxology: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory.” We praise God for the glory that He had before the world was, for His might and effulgence. A text of this highest form of prayer is also found in the book of Psalms: O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of gods; for His mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the Lord of 18

lords; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him Who alone hath wrought great wonders; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that made the heavens with understanding; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him that established the earth upon the waters; for His mercy endureth for ever. To Him Who alone hath made great lights; for His mercy endureth for ever. The sun for dominion of the day; for His mercy endureth for ever. The moon and the stars for dominion of the night; for His mercy endureth for ever (Ps. 135:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9). How often a person glorifies God regardless of his condition is a direct indicator of his health. The angels in heaven do nothing but glorify God, magnifying Him and exulting before His face, and hardly asking for anything. The prophet Isaiah writes, In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory (is. 6:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;3). This is classic glorification. The angels glorify God because He is holy! They glorify God, magnifying Him for no particular rea19

son—simply from an excess of joy! In the book of Job the Lord says, When the stars were made, all My angels praised Me with a loud voice (Job 38:7, Brenton Septuagint Translation). These prayers are of the highest form, since a person who glorifies God is freed from egoism and pridefulness, and achieves absolute humility, which is manifested in that the person forgets himself in the presence of the Omnipotent Creator. Indeed, in this lies the true greatness of man. There is an ultimate form of glorification of which many speak, though they have never actually experienced it. The book of Psalms says, I shall chant unto my God for as long as I have my being (Ps. 145:2). And in another place: O chant unto our God, chant ye; chant unto our King, chant ye. For God is king of all the earth, O chant ye with understanding (Ps. 46:7–8). Chanting unto God is a state of being. A man in love sings serenades to his beloved, and one who loves God sings to Him. The evening hymn “O gentle light of the holy glory of the immortal, heavenly, holy, blessed Father, O Jesus Christ! Having come to the setting of the sun...” was not written: it was composed by the hieromartyr Athenogenus, when he was being burned at the stake for Christ. At that moment, through the leaping flames he saw the 20

sunset, and out of joy at this foretaste of new life this hymn took form, in which there is no sorrow, only joy. The prayer of the third hour appeared the same way, when the martyr Mardarias spoke it while being burned at the stake. Lucifer has put it into peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minds that religion is supposedly a private, personal affair, and that it cannot be the affair of society. But the Bible says quite differently: Sing unto the Lord a new song; His praise is in the church of the saints. Let Israel be glad in Him that made him, let the sons of Sion rejoice in their King. Let them praise His name in the dance; with the timbrel and the psaltery let them chant unto Him. For the Lord taketh pleasure in His people, and He shall exalt the meek with salvation. The saints shall boast in glory, and they shall rejoice upon their beds. The high praise of God shall be in their throat, and twoedged swords shall be in their hands, to do vengeance among the heathen, punishments among the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, and their nobles with manacles of iron, to do among them the judgement that is written. This glory shall be to all His saints. [Alleluia] (Ps. 149:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9). Further on we read, Praise ye God in His saints, praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts, praise Him according to 21

the multitude of His greatness. Praise Him with the sound of trumpet, praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and flute. Praise Him with tuneful cymbals, praise Him with cymbals of jubilation. Let every breath praise the Lord. [Alleluia] (Ps. 150:1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;6). King David does not wish to sing to the Lord alone: he wishes for the people of God to join him, and for them not merely to sing, but to shout for joy and beat their tambourines. David wants for a hymn of joy to encompass all beings of the world. But even this is not enough for King David: he wishes for the sun, the moon, the stars, and the light to praise the Lord. If a person learns to sing to God, in actuality the Son will be standing behind him, singing to the Father. This is easily seen in the text of the moleben with a blessing of water. Jesus Christ stands amid the Orthodox and hymns His Father. A true song to God is the song of the Son, Who glorifies His Father, and the song of the Father, Who glorifies His Son in the Holy Spirit, and of the Spirit, Who glorifies the Father and the Son. In hymning God a person enters into the inner life of God the Most Holy Trinity. And his voice is interwoven with the voice of the Son as He glorifies the Father, the voice of God the Father as He glorifies 22

His Son, and the voice of the Holy Spirit as He glorifies the Father and the Son. This, then, is the pinnacle of prayer.

How the Devil Hinders Us During Prayer

The enemy of the human race, the devil, hates

the prayer of the Orthodox above all else, because the joint prayer of Christians foils his designs. By glorifying God and crying out to Him we overcome darkness. As Saint Ignatius the Godbearer says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Assemble more frequently together with the bishops, the priests, and the deacons to give thanks, for when you pray together the firmament of the enemy and all the designs of Satan collapse.â&#x20AC;? For this reason the devil strives first and foremost to attack churches: he hates the places where Christians assemble. How does Satan operate? He has his own particular plans which he sometimes reveals to sorcerers, soothsayers, etc. And these plans are implemented through evil men, or directly through the devil, or through the influence of evil spirits upon men. Satan cannot influence people who live a righteous lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;those who repent and those who have people praying for them. Like a chess player, the devil thinks several moves ahead, and imagine 23

his disappointment when several “chess pieces” turn out to be defended and beyond his control, and all his carefully planned strategies fall apart. For this reason the Church always prays for the authorities, since quite frequently Satan uses the government for his purposes, and it needs support. Prayer is the best means of fortifying the mind, the will, and the feelings. Prayer to God weakens Satan’s power—that is, it weakens his authority in the firmament. The foe loses power, and he is bound by divine power, which acts through prayer. For this reason the devil always hinders prayer, both in external ways (countless things to do, unwashed dishes, the house needs cleaning, etc.) and in internal ways (when a person is already standing in prayer). The thoughts Satan instills during prayer may be of two kinds. At first these thoughts tend to be evil and repulsive (lecherous, blasphemous, impure, prideful, vainglorious, mercenary, etc.). An analysis of these thoughts after prayer will show a person what sin is currently dominant in him. The devil never strikes at random: he strikes at the sins over which he has the most power. This is actually an excellent diagnosis of the soul. During prayer our task is to cast out without discussion all the thoughts that come to us, and defer the “mis24

sion debriefing” until after we have finished our prayer. A person must learn to willfully discard evil thoughts, confining his mind to the words of the prayer. He must not only read the prayers, but must force his heart to address God (without conjuring up mental pictures or fantasizing), which is why we must look at an icon. When the devil’s initial attacks are unsuccessful he begins to tempt us by extremely crafty means, to which many succumb: the devil begins to instill good thoughts, quoting the Word of God (as he tempted Christ on the mountain, quoting Holy Scripture). There is another, even more crafty means by which the devil hinders a person’s prayer. This is when he attempts to reveal various secrets. This he does so that a person will think himself a prophet. There was one woman who decided to carry out every good thought that came to her during prayer. She nearly ended up in an insane asylum, for in so doing she began to serve Satan. The devil attempts to distract a person during prayer, to hinder him, and it does not matter how—by means of evil thoughts or of good. To drive away the thoughts of the foe during prayer is a very simple matter. One elder taught his disciple as follows: he made him go outside, take off his coat, and stop the wind. This 25

is naturally impossible. So also it is impossible for a person to stop the attacks of the devil. We need to put on our coat, which presumes our absolute collectedness during prayer.

How to Pray Properly

A person may pray in his own words, though he

must not philosophize and glorify God in long prayers of his own composing. He may also pray using available prayer books. But if the foe throws you off, it is easier to get back on track using the written text. One may pray silently or one may pray out loud, but it is best to pray alone, reading the prayers in an undertone. One may pray quickly (for those whose attention easily wanders) or one may pray slowly (for those who do not understand the meaning). One must not immediately start out praying by reading an extensive prayer ruleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;doing so develops the habit of meaningless verbosity and nothing more. One must increase the prayer rule gradually. The venerable Symeon the New Theologian had an enormous prayer rule that he would read each day over the course of five or six hours, but he was deriving no spiritual benefit from it. Then he went to his elder, the venerable Symeon the Reverent, who told him to 26

Priest Daniel Sysoev

ON INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL PRAYER Translator and Editor in Chief Priest Nathan Williams Layout and design Kyrill Zubchenko Except where otherwise noted, scriptural quotes are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Quotes from the book of Psalms are taken from The Psalter According to the Seventy, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery, Brookline MA; all rights reserved. Quotes from The Ladder are taken from The Ladder of Divine Ascent b y St. John Climacus (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1959). mission-shop.com danielsysoev.com mission379@gmail.com +1(609)605-70-76