On Internal and External Prayer. Priest Daniel Sysoev

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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.

© Daniel Sysoev Inc, 2018 © Yulia Sysoeva, 2018


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 God’s (1 Cor. 6:20). Most important, however, is internal prayer—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


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


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