Prayer Advise

From the book~ Father Arseny: A Cloud of Witnesses

“I will say a few words on the subject of how we must pray. To separate yourself from the world around you and enter into the words and spirit of prayer is difficult for those who lack long prayer experience. You pray, trying to concentrate on your prayer, but the prayer comes absentmindedly. In tandem with the prayer you have earthly thoughts and you are unable to let go of them. To overcome this, you must pray more and more often; it is important in the beginning to pray aloud, if this is possible.

“Often do priests say and write that absentminded and distracted prayer is unacceptable to God and is even sinful because the one who prays does not give his soul fully to God and in that way he sins. Of course, such prayer is not of full value. The one praying tries to gather his will and put the soul in a prayerful mode, but due to his weakness is unable to do it, but at least he did try to do it. Only God can decide on the sincerity and the spiritual value of such prayer. But, as far as I am concerned, I believe that, if the prayer was sincere but, due to reasons unknown to us, the person was unable to achieve a warm and sincere prayer, he did still pray. He did not forget to pray his rule of prayer at his regular time – that is already an offering, an effort held up to God – and God will accept this prayer having weighed the spiritual state and the sincerity of the one praying. Many people, and even many priests will not agree with me, but this is what I think, and I have found some indirect confirmation of my words in spiritual literature and even in old ‘Lives of the Fathers of the Church.’”


Thanks to Christ in Our Midst

Struggling with Prayer

We should not be surprised that many, if not most of us struggle with prayer. The fallen nature that affects us all desires to do its own thing, and submitting to and communing with God is not a desire of the flesh. It is a battle ground, and often we must discipline our wills, mind, and body to do prayer. Most of the time, thankfully, prayer is a delight, but lets not pretend that it is always easy.

The brethren asked Abba Agathon, "Amongst all our different activities, Father, which is the virtue that requires the greatest effort?" He answered, "Forgive me, but I think there is no labour greater than praying to God. For every time a man wants to pray, his enemies, the demons try to prevent him; for they know that nothing obstructs them so much as prayer to God. In everything else that a man undertakes if he perseveres, he will attain rest. But in order to pray a man must struggle to his last breath."
The Saying of the Desert Fathers

LORD, in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Brian+

Discipleship - Toughen up

I was a bit of a basketball player in my university years. A bench warmer on the junior varsity to tell the truth. I remember that our coach worked us so very hard during the practices. We were in shape, we knew the fundamentals, and we were a team. We could often beat teams that had far more skilled and experienced players simply because we kept those basics. It was hard work, but we did it together.

Discipleship, being a follower of Christ is no different. It requires work, and yes the closer you want to get to the LORD the more you will have to work. Some of the basics of that work are time tested and true - prayer, fasting, and alms-giving. Prayer, both private and public are fundamentals. All disciples of Christ must be people of prayer. Fasting is out of vogue today especially as a corporate discipline, but we can at least learn to fast during certain times of the Church year, from foods and or pass times in order to free our minds and bodies to worship and serve. Fasting also has the benefit of teaching our wills to be able to say 'no' to our desires. Finally alms-giving: practicing giving helps us to be more giving. The more you practice giving the easier giving will become.

So do you want to be a more committed disciple of Christ?? Then toughen up a bit. Start in on those basics, and get some 'exercise' advise from your priest.

As the Scriptures testify -
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27 The Holy Bible, New King James Version.)