The ascetical dimensions of prayer

St John of the Ladder (6th/7th cent.)

'If we wish to stand before our King and God and converse with Him we must not rush into this without preparation, lest, seeing us from afar without weapons and suitable clothing for those who stand before the King, He should order His servants and slaves to seize us and banish us from His presence and tear up our petitions and throw them in our face. When you are going to stand before the Lord, let the garment of your soul be woven throughout with the thread that has become oblivious of wrongs. Otherwise, prayer will bring you no benefit.' (The Ladder to Paradise, Step 28.3, 4; ed. Archimandrite Lazarus, pp. 250, 251.)

'Rise up from love of the world and love of pleasure, lay aside cares, strip your mind, renounce your body; because prayer is nothing other than estrangement from the world, visible and invisible. For what have I in heaven? Nothing. And what have I desired on earth besides Thee? Nothing, but to cling continually to Thee in prayer without distraction.' (ibid., 28.25; pp. 253, 254.)