WHAT PRAYER IS

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

WHAT PRAYER IS

Saint John Chrysostom writes: "There is nothing more worthwhile than to pray to God and converse with Him, for prayer UNITES US WITH GOD as His companions. What light is to the eyes, THIS IS WHAT PRAYER IS TO THE SOUL; and being unable to see the light is considered a great loss, then how great is the loss we suffer when we fail to pray and prevent the Light of Christ from entering our souls? And just as one who wishes to stand in the light must avoid the darkness, so too those who wish to converse with God MUST ABANDON THE DARKNESS WITHIN THEMSELVES; FOR IMPIETY AND A LAWLESS LIFE ARE THE DEATH OF THE SOUL, WHILE PRAYER AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD ARE ITS LIFE. Whoever lacks these things has only to ask for them, for if one seeks to live virtuously, whether in virginity (purity) or in marriage, he will learn that the virtues ARE ACQUIRED ONLY THROUGH PRAYER, FOR THERE IS NO ONE WHO ASKS GOD FOR HOLINESS, RIGHTEOUSNESS, GENTLENESS, KINDNESS, PEACE, PATIENCE, OR ANY OTHER VIRTUE, AND DOES NOT RECEIVE IT AS HOLY SCRIPTURE SAYS: "Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks, finds" [Matthew 7:7-8]. And elsewhere it says: "What father among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone instead? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" [Luke 11:1013].

With these words, and with such great promises, the Lord CALLS US TO PRAYER. PRAYER IS THE LIGHT AND LIFE OF THE SOUL. IT IS AN EVERLASTING BOND UNITING US TO GOD. Whoever does NOT pray or has no desire to enjoy COMMUNION WITH GOD, is already LIFELESS AND DEAD. For what the soul is to the body, THIS IS WHAT PRAYER IS TO THE SOUL, and just as the body without the soul is dead, corrupt, and foul smelling, SO TOO A SOUL WITHOUT PRAYER IS DEAD, WRETCHED, AND FOUL. Abandoning prayer is thus the sight OF THE GREATEST FOOLISHNESS, NOT TO SAY MADNESS, FO WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE CALL THE UNWILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREATNESS OF THE HONOR THAT HAS BEEN BESTOWED ON US, NAMELY TO SPEAK WITH GOD, KNOWING THAT TURNING AWAY FROM GOD LEADS ONLY TO DEATH? This is why the Great Apostle Paul says: "Persevere in prayer, being watchful and thankful" [Colossians 4:2], and PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, GIVE THANKS IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE, FOR THIS IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOU IN CHRIST JESUS [1 Thessalonians 5:17-18], and elsewhere, "Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication" [Ephesians 6:18].

These and many other Divine words in Holy Scripture call us to pray WITHOUT CEASING, for all human beings need prayer no less than plants and trees need water. And just as they cannot grow and bear fruit if they are NOT receiving water and nourishment through their roots, neither CAN WE BRING FORTH THE FRUIT OF PIETY, GODLINESS, AND A LIFE PLEASING TO GOD IF WE ARE NOT WATERED BY THE GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN PRAYER, "FOR THE SPIRIT HIMSELF INTERCEDES FOR US WITH SIGHS TOO DEEP FOR WORDS" [Romans 8:26].

Elder (Geronda) Aimillianos of the Simonopetra Monastery at the Holy Mountain speaks on prayer. He says, "Prayer is the journey of the soul toward God. If a car or a ship is going the wrong way, it will never reach its destination–and if our prayer is not going the right way, we will never reach God. If we do not know how to pray, or if our prayer is lifeless and weak, we will be unsuccessful and unhappy in everything else we do. The harm that befalls us if we do not pray IS INCALCULABLE! But when our prayer is right, it will bring our whole life into order, overcome all our difficulties, solve all our problems, remove all our worries, and arrange all things properly.

There are some things that go together–THEY CANNOT BE SEPARATED–LIKE "FAITH" and "WORKS," since ONE HAS NO MEANING APART FROM THE OTHER [James 2:14-16]. The same is true prayer, which is linked to something else, namely, LITURGY AND HOLY COMMUNION. If there is no worship and no Holy Communion, then there CAN BE NO PRAYER, AND ANY PRAYER UTTERED APART FROM THEM IS FALSE. At the same time, if our worship is divorced from intense, inward personal prayer, which cries out to God from our depths, then you can be certain that our worship and our Holy Communion is in vain: it is an attempt TO DECEIVE GOD AND OURSELVES BY PRETENDING WE LOVE HIM, WHEN IN FACT WE HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM WHATSOEVER. ONE DAY HE WILL SAY TO US: "I DO NOT KNOW YOU" [Matthew 25:12].

I cannot say, "I will go to church," if I do not pray. It is pointless for me to receive Holy Communion if I am not constantly praying. And it is pointless for me to pray if I have no part in the Divine Liturgy and the worship of the Church. It should be clear that THE SPIRITUAL LIFE AND THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE GO TOGETHER, EACH PRESUPPOSES THE OTHER, AND TO HAVE ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER IS TO HAVE NEITHER. But when PRAYERS and LITURGY are inseparably united, God BECOMES PRESENT TO ME; AND AS I ADDRESS MYSELF TO HIM, HE RUSHES TOWARD ME, HE STRETCHES OUT TOWARD ME, AND, THROUGH PRAYER, I STRETCH OUT TOWARD HIM, UNTIL WE ARE COMPLETELY UNITED.

The quality and intensity of our prayer to Christ reflect our desire for Him. "Ask, and it shall be given to you, knock and the door will be opened to you" [Matthew 7:7]. If you call upon Christ, He will answer you. The Holy Spirit will come to you. No one can be our teacher except Chist, to Whom His Disciples said: "TEACH US HOW TO PRAY" [Luke 11:1]. Every other teacher offers us nothing more than a weak and impoverished voice.

For you to stand before God and say, "Lord Jesus Christ, you are great and sublime, you are Holy and Mighty," and soon, is easy. But to say, with full knowledge, "God, have mercy on me the sinner," well, how many times can I do that–if I do it at all? For this to happen, I must be crushed and broken; MY HEART MUST BE BROKEN OPEN SO THAT ALL THE GARBAGE IF CONTAINS CAN BE THROWN OUT; SO THAT I CAN SEE WHAT I HAVE INSIDE OF MY SELF, WHAT I AM, AND WHAT UNWORTHY THINGS I HAVE LOVED, WHAT UNLOVELY LOVES I HAVE DESIRED, which Saint Paul calls "dung" [Philippians 3:8], and which I must reject and cast aside. I have to understand that all those things are the lowest forms of waste and let go of them, so I can be filled with God. In the beginning I thought God’s Kingdom was being revealed to me; I thought His Light was being poured out on me; but now I see my own darkness, and my great distance from God and this requires me to make a decision: Will I move toward God or stay where I am? Will I accept Him, or reject Him?

Anyone seeking to understand the Orthodox Church must at some point consider how the Church prays. In prayer we encounter the deepest expressions of Orthodox faith, and through prayer we enter the mysterious place of intimacy between God and the human heart, reconnecting with the hidden source of our being and life. A person of prayer, therefore, is NOT simply someone who reads prayers from books, but someone who allows the Holy Spirit TO ENTER HIS LIFE AND WORK WITHIN HIM, "FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING" [Acts 17:28].

A Prayer of the Third Hour

OPEN my mind to understand Your wisdom, O Word of God without beginning! – Raise up
my mind and my thoughts to You, my Creator and Benefactor – Lift up my heart, so that,
with insatiable desire, it may praise and glorify the Majesty of Your Kingdom – Turn Your face
away from my sins, and wipe out all my transgressions – Send down upon me Your grace,
and dispel the darkness of my wretched soul – so that I might offer to You praises and
doxologies that are pure – Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, and goodwill
among all people – Lord, open my lips, and m mouth will show forth Your praise – I will
meditate on Your words – I will call to mind your Great Wonders – I will glorify Your Holy Name –
My mouth will speak of Righteousness and Your Greatness all the day long – Let all the earth
sing to You, and praise You, O Master and Creator of all! Amen.

[Source:  The Light of the world.  Prayers to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ]

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George