General sayings on Prayer
From Monachos Patristic Quotations Index
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St John of the Ladder (6th/7th cent.)
- 'Prayer by reason of its nature is the converse and union of man with God, and by reason of its action upholds the world and brings about reconciliation with God; it is the mother and also the daughter of tears, the propitiation for sins, a bridge over temptations, a wall against afflictions, a crushing of conflicts, work of angels, food of all the spiritual beings, future gladness, boundless activity, the spring of virtues, the source of graces, incisible progress, food of the soul, the enlightening of the mind, an axe for despair, a demonstration of hope, the annulling of sorrow, the wealth of monks, the treasure of solitaries, the reduction of anger, the mirror of progress, the realization of success, a proof of one's condition, a revelation of the future, a sign of glory. For him who truly prays, prayer is the court, the judgement hall and the tribunal of the Lord before the judgement to come.' (Ladder to Paradise, Step 28.1; ed. Archimandrite Lazarus, p. 250.)
- 'Until we have acquired genuine prayer we are like people teaching children to begin to walk.' (ibid., 28.16; p. 252.)
- 'Your prayer will show you what condition you are in. Theologians say that prayer is the monk's mirror.' (ibid., 28.34; p. 255.)
- 'Ask with tears, seek with obedience, knock with patience. For thus he who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened.'
- 'Do not hesitate to go late at night to those places where you usually feel afraid. But if you yield only a little to such weakness, then this childish and ridiculous infirmity will grow old with you. As you go on your way, arm yourself with prayer. When you reach the place, stretch out your hands. Flog your enemies with the name of Jesus, for there is no stronger weapon in heaven or earth. When you get rid of the disease of fear, praise Him who has delivered you. If you continue to be thankful, He will protect you for ever.'
- 'Do not say, after spending a long time in prayer, that nothing has been gained; for you have already gained something. And what higher good is there than to cling to the Lord and persevere in unceasing union with Him?'
- 'Faith gives wings to prayer, and without it we cannot fly up to Heaven.'
- 'If you feel sweetness or compunction at some word of your prayer, dwell on it; for then our guardian angel is praying with us.'
- 'Though you may have climbed the whole ladder of the virtues, pray for forgiveness of sins. Listen to the cry of Paul regarding sinners: Of whom I am chief. (I Timothy 1:15) "
Aphrat the Persian
- From the moment your start praying, raise your heart upward and turn your eyes downward. Bring your focus to your innermost self, and there pray in secret to your heavenly Father.
- Before you pray, first forgive all those who have offended you. Then you may pray. Only in this way will your prayer rise up into the presence of God. If you do not forgive, it will simply remain on the earth.
- Our Lord instructed us to pray in secret - this means, in our heart - and also to 'shut the door'. What is this door he says we must shut, if not the mouth? For we are the temple in which Christ dwells, for so the Apostle said, 'You are temples of the Lord' (1 Cor 3.16). The Lord enters into your inner self, into this house, to cleanse it from everything that is unclean; but only when the door, that is your mouth, is closed shut.
- How lovely is prayer and how radiant are its works. Prayer is acceptable to God when it is accompanied by good deeds, and it is heard when it rises out of a spirit of forgiveness. Prayer is always answered when it is pure and sincere. Prayer is powerful when it is suffused with God's vigour.
St Seraphim of Sarov
When mind and heart are united in prayer and the soul is wholly concentrated in a single desire for God, then the heart grows warm and the light of Christ begins to shine and fills the inward man with peace and joy. We should thank the Lord for everything and give ourselves up to His will; we should also offer Him all our thoughts and words, and strive to make everything serve only His good pleasure.
St John Chrysostom
Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted, an undisturbed refuge, a cause of tranquillity, the root of a multitude of blessings and their source.
St Symeon of Thessaloniki
Prayer is a conversation directly with God, being always with God, having one's soul united with Him and one's mind inseparable. A person becomes one with the angels and unites with them in perpetual praise and longing for God.
Elder Paisios the Athonite (1924-1994)
You have to prepare for prayer. Read a bit of the Gospel or the Gerontiko and then pray. It requires an attempt to take the mind to the divine space.
Some say that when a person prays he shold have his mind on the icon or the words. No. Not on icons nor words. Let him have his mind in his sinfulness, but with discermnent. Many times the devil can cause trouble there too. He'll tell you that you are sinful, to make you despair... The person should experience his sinfulness and have trust and hope in the mercy of God, because that way he'll be saved. That way the mind is recollected and experiences prayer as a need. That way he begins to say: 'Lord Jesus Christ, come...'and the heart gains rest.
