Об обязанностях христианина к Богу

Obligations to God are those actions that we, according to the requirement of God's law, must perform in relation to God, and which therefore constitute our reverence for God. Since these actions in relation to God, prescribed to us in the law of God, are of two kinds: some internal, namely, the actions of spiritual forces - mind, heart and will, or thoughts, feelings and desires, and others external, or external, in which our internal dispositions towards God should be expressed; then reverence for God is internal and external. On Inner Worship The main duties of a Christian related to internal reverence for God are: a) faith, b) hope and c) love. “Now... abide,” says the Apostle, “faith, hope, love, these three” (1 Cor. 13:13) (Deus colitur fide, spe, charitate). D) prayer should also be included among them, because it is always inseparable from them and, just as it is itself born from them, it also elevates and strengthens them. Concept. Faith is the acceptance with the heart and confession with the lips of the teaching handed down to us by God; or, in other words, the undoubted acceptance of all the dogmas of the Orthodox Church contained in the holy word of God, explained by the holy Councils and holy Fathers; or, in another way, under the name of Christian faith we mean the heartfelt, living acceptance of what God the Father through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ deigned to reveal to us and accomplish for our salvation (Heb. 1:1-3). “If you confess the Lord Jesus with your mouth and believe in your heart that God raised him up from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Item . From here it naturally follows that the object of faith should be everything given by God - not only the existence of God, His endless perfections and actions of creation and providence, but mainly everything that it was pleasing to God to reveal and accomplish for our salvation. To make a choice between the truths of Revelation and to believe one of them as undoubted, while rejecting or questioning others means the same thing as not considering Revelation a Revelation and humiliating the One who revealed the truths of salvation. The Savior commanded His disciples: “As you go... teach all languages,... observe them all often, as many as you have commanded” (Matthew 28:19-20). The main subject of the Christian faith is salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ. A brief summary of all the objects of the Christian faith is found in the Creed, which, therefore, to know, both literally and in its internal content, is an indispensable duty of every Orthodox Christian. Creature . It should not be thought that when the obligation of faith is imposed, all use of one’s own understanding is thereby stopped. On the contrary, here it is precisely on him that the labor is imposed to assimilate and understand the content of all dogmas, which will constitute true Divine wisdom and will be the most accurate fulfillment of the duty of faith. Faith is the most unshakable knowledge, only its foundation is not in our mind or things, but in the will of God. In this regard, the Apostle speaks of it this way: “Faith... is the knowledge of things that are hoped for, the revelation of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1), that is, although we do not see things, we recognize that so it is and so it will be, as they are said about them, and, moreover, as certainly as our existence is certain. Whoever believes in this way the word of God gives honor to God Himself, considering Him true, which is why this faith belongs to worship of God. The Necessity of Faith. The need for faith as knowledge of God is evident from the fact that, without knowing God, we cannot honor Him in a worthy manner. “How can we call on Him in whom we have not believed?” (Rom. 10:14). Moreover, true knowledge of God constitutes true life for our spirit. “Behold, this is the eternal life,” says Christ, “that they may know thee the one true God, and whom thou didst send, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3). This happens when the revealed teaching, which imparts to us the true knowledge of God, having been accepted by us not as the word of man, but as the true word of God, becomes the living beginning of our actions, as it was with the Thessalonians: “we give thanks to God without ceasing, for having received the word of God’s hearing from us, you received not like the word of man, but, as in truth, the word of God, which... works in you who believe” ( 1Sol. 2, 13). The need for faith as perfect consent to the acceptance of the truths and gracious actions of God is revealed: 1) from the concept of the highest perfections of the One who deigned to reveal His holy will to man and arranges our salvation, namely, from the concept of His infinite greatness, wisdom and goodness (Rom. 9, 20, 11:33; 1 Tim. 2, 4); 2) from the concept of truth, holiness and beneficial effects of the word of God: “sanctify them in Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17); “the law of the Lord is blameless, converting souls, the testimony of the Lord is true, making little children wise, the justifications of the Lord are right, gladdening the heart, the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes” (Ps. 18:8-9); 3) from the concept of our damaged state. Being in a natural state, we are darkened by meaning, alienated from the life of God, and become children of wrath. We can be freed from such an unhappy state only through faith in Christ our Savior: “For there is no other name under heaven given among men, by which it is fitting that we should be saved” (Acts. 4, 12); “Whoever has faith and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not have faith will be condemned” (Mk. 16:16; John 3:36; Heb. 11:6). Properties . The Christian faith must be: 1) reasonable, or service to God “reasonable” (Rom. 12:1), but not in the sense that revealed teaching is subject to the principles of reason, but in having sufficient, firm knowledge of revealed truths, so that we, according to the words of the Apostle, are always ready to “give an answer to everyone who asks us to give an account of the hope that is in us with meekness” and respect ( 1 Pet. 3, 15). To be content with a superficial knowledge of the truths of faith is dangerous for salvation. A person who has such knowledge is in great danger of taking human imagination for truth, of being carried away by “every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14; Heb. 3:12-13). That is why the Apostle Paul commands Christians: “Brothers, do not have children in your minds, but be childish in malice, and have perfect minds” (1 Cor. 14:20). But since each of us can make mistakes in understanding and explaining the objects of faith, we are obliged to understand them as contained in the Orthodox Church, in which Jesus Christ promised to abide forever (Matt. 28:20) and which the “gates of hell” cannot overcome (Matt. 16, 18); 2) constant and firm - not like those who believe in favorable times, but fall away during adversity, but one that remains unchanged, despite any dangers, even the very deprivation of life. The Apostle Paul teaches Christians this constancy and firmness in the faith when he says: “Watch, stand firm in the faith, take courage, be strong” (1 Cor. 16:13); “Let us not be infants, tossed about and tossed about by every wind of doctrine in the lies of men, in the deceit of the wiles of flattery” (Eph. 4:14); 3) living and active, which would excite all the powers of our soul to activity in accordance with the law of God. Only under this condition can faith be saving for us. The Savior says: “Not everyone who says to Me: Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but do the will of My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). According to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, “they who are not hearers... of the law are righteous before God, but they who do the law, these will be justified” (Rom. 2:13). He says: “In Christ... Jesus, neither circumcision is able, nor uncircumcision, but faith, aided by love” (Gal. 5:6). The Apostle James calls a person’s faith, which does not bear good fruits and good deeds, dead, useless for a person, unable to save him (James 2:14-17). The closest religious dispositions arising from faith are: walking before God, who is everywhere, in imitation of Enoch and David, who says: “I have seen the Lord before me, as if he is on my right hand, let me not move” (Ps. 15:8); contemplation of God - immersion in the contemplation of the properties and works of God with movements of the heart; Thus, the same prophet David often disappeared with the eyes of his mind in the testimonies of God (Ps. 118:82); reverent amazement from the consciousness of the infinity of Divine perfections, as, for example, the Apostle Paul cries out: “Oh, the depth of the riches, and wisdom, and mind of God!” (Rom. 11:33); love for true faith, which, with love for one’s neighbors, compels others to convert and admonish; there is peace in it: the believer in faith is like in a safe fence, or on a solid stone, but the one who seeks to know everything is incessantly troubled. Sins against the duty of faith are: 1) atheism, when people whom the Psalmist rightly calls insane, wanting to get rid of the fear of God's judgment, say in their hearts: “There is no God” (Ps. 13:1); 2) polytheism, when instead of the one true God many imaginary deities are recognized; 3) unbelief, when, recognizing that God exists, they do not believe His Providence and Revelation, the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead, the Fall and Redemption; 4) heresy, when people mix in the teachings of faith opinions that are contrary to Divine truth; 5) schism, that is, willful deviation from the unity of worship and from the Orthodox Church of God; 6) apostasy, when they renounce the true faith out of human fear or for worldly benefits; 7) doubt either in all or in some dogmas; 8) coldness, or indifference to faith to the point of indifference (Orthodox Confession..., part 3, v. 51. Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov)) The means to avoid these sins and to root and strengthen faith are: 1) diligently reading or listening to the word of God: “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17); “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for punishment, in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16); 2) frequent reflection both on objects of faith, and especially on those cases in which God showed the immutability of His word. He said, for example, that there would be a flood - and there was, that the Savior would come - and came, and so on; 3) reading the Holy Fathers and talking with shepherds, whose word, full of faith, can imprint it on the heart turning to them; 4) removal from evil people who have corrupted their minds, for “good customs are corrupted by evil conversations” (1 Cor. 15:33); 5) especially a prayer to God about faith: “Lord, add faith to us” (Luke 17:5); “Lord, help our unbelief” (Mark 9:24). The concept of hope in God. Hope in God is that comforting disposition of spirit by which a Christian, looking at God as unchangeable, faithful in all His promises, undoubtedly expects from Him all the benefits promised by His goodness. “Hope,” says Saint John Climacus, “is, as it were, a kind of enrichment with invisible wealth and, before receiving the treasure, almost certain possession of it. She is the imagination of future blessings” (Ladder. 30, 29). Base. The basis of hope is faith, which is why there is a close connection between them. Saint Gregory the Great says: “Faith and hope are closely united. Faith says: incomprehensible blessings are prepared by God for believers; hope says: they are prepared for me.” Hope follows faith as an action follows its cause. We put our hope in God because we believe that in Christ He has reconciled with us and, for the sake of His merits, gives us everything we need for salvation. The Apostle Paul says that in Christ Jesus “through faith in Him” we have “boldness and sure access” to God (Eph. 3:12). The subject of hope. The main subject of hope for a Christian is his blessed communion with God, to which a Christian is destined. In God lies both the “source” (Ps. 35:10) and the goal of our life, and the Christian, according to the false promise, will see God “as he is” (1 John 3:2), and will be satisfied when His glory appears (Ps. 16:15). But to achieve this goal, we need various means and benefits: we especially need the cleansing of sins, the grace that enlightens and sanctifies us. Moreover, for us, clothed with a body, we also need various external benefits related to external well-being. All these means and benefits that we need to achieve the highest goal of our life are promised to us by the goodness of God and constitute the object of our hope. The Savior commanded us to pray not only for the name of God to be sanctified in us and through us and for God’s will to be fulfilled, but also for our daily bread, for the forgiveness of sins, for deliverance from temptations (Matt. 6:5–13, 31–32; 1 Pet. 5:7). Properties . True hope in God: 1) is holy, that is, it expects from God only what is in accordance with the will of God - only true blessings, and not what harms our salvation more than contributes to it; and therefore expects temporary benefits to the extent that they can be means to achieving our highest goal; 2) true hope in God requires that we, on the one hand, expect all benefits only from the Heavenly Father, and on the other, use the powers and means given to us by God to achieve certain good goals. The first is required because both our free will and all external means depend on the all-effective will and grace of God, as the Apostle James says: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17); and the Apostle Paul: “God... is at work in you, both to will and to do good will” (Phil. 2, 17). 13). The second is required by the very purpose for which these or other means and forces are given to us, and which, without a doubt, is that we act with them for our true good; 3) true hope in God is firm and constant, just like faith. “We...,” says the Apostle Paul, “who have believed, and have known that my tradition is able to keep it in that day” (2 Tim. 1:12). Neither our guilt before God, nor our weakness and inconstancy should subvert our hope in God. When presenting our sinfulness to strengthen our hope in God, we must remember that there is no sin that prevails over the mercy of God. “Son “man,” God says to the prophet Ezekiel, “say to the house of Israel, saying: Our deceits and our iniquities are in us, and we are hidden in them, and how can we live? ... As I live, says the Lord Adonai, I do not want the death of the sinner, but to turn the wicked from his way, and to live for him” (Ezek. 33, 10-11). Given our natural weakness, we must remember that by placing our hearts in the power of God, we “can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens us” (Phil. 4:13). “Temptation has not reached you,” says the Apostle Paul, “only human: God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will create with temptation the abundance that it is possible for you to bear” (1 Cor. 10:13; Rom. 8:31-37; 2 Cor. 3:4-5); 4) with all its firmness, true hope in God does not exclude that saving fear that the Apostle inspires in us when he says: “Work out your salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12; Ps. 2:11). This fear does not consist in some doubt about Divine promises, but in distrust of our powers, and stems from the fact that we, as the Apostle says, “carry the treasure of grace in meager vessels, so that the abundance of power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor. 4:7). “Be sure to stand and watch, lest you fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). The sins against the duty of hope are: 1) arrogance and self-reliance, when they rely more on their own activity, more on their wisdom and talents, or on their strength, or on the multitude and nobility of their friends and patrons, rather than on the goodness and providence of God; 2) superstition, when they believe in some ordinary thing, as if it had Divine power, and they rely on it instead of God or fear it, wear pendants and badges (amulets) to protect themselves from harm, use the whispering of old women in illnesses, believe in the power of words and deduce omens from every case and act on them; 3) magic, when, having abandoned faith in the power of God, they believe in the secret and, for the most part, evil forces of creatures, and especially evil spirits, and try to act with them; 4) ungodly hope, when someone indulges in sin or does not abandon it and does not resist it, expecting that God alone will rescue him, or, despite his sins, says to himself: he will save him if he wants; 5) grumbling, when someone is annoyed and speaks a word against God because something happens in life that is not according to his desires; 6) despair, when someone does not hope to receive grace and salvation from God, saying to himself: “My greater guilt will be left to me” (Gen. 4, 13); 7) a similar sin is hopelessness, or faith in fate, when someone says: what will happen cannot be avoided. Means of Strengthening Hope in God. A Christian is encouraged to have firm hope in God: 1) various promises of God, presented in revealed teaching, such as, for example, the promise of the remission of sins: “If anyone sins, the imams intercede with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and He is the cleanser... for our sins, not for our own, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2; John. 20, 23); the promise of grace-filled assistance to us in the matter of salvation: “Let us therefore approach,” says the Apostle Paul, “with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need” (Heb. 4:16; 1 Thess. 5:9); the promise that the Heavenly Father gives those who ask Him the blessings necessary for them: “If... you are evil,” says Jesus Christ, “you know how to give good things to your children: how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11). Although the promises of God in themselves are strong to arouse and strengthen our hope in God, God, condescending to our weakness and, according to the words of the Apostle, “desiring primarily to show the heirs of the promise the immutability of His will, used an oath, so that” through two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, “we would have firm consolation,” resorting to Him to “take hold of the hope that is set before you” (Heb. 6:17–18). So, if God Himself deigned to promise us various benefits and confirm His promises with an oath, then not to rely on Him means to offend Him and neglect the benefits He promised; 2) to arouse and strengthen our hope in God is the presentation of the highest perfections of God, which are: a) the faithfulness of God, who promises us various benefits: “Let us hold fast,” says the Apostle, “an unwavering confession of hope, for He who has promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23; 1 Cor. 1:9); b) God’s omniscience and wisdom, according to which “the message of the Lord is to deliver the godly from adversity” (2 Pet. 2, 9); c) omnipotence, according to which God is able to fulfill all His promises, “for every word of God fails” (Luke 1:37; 2 Cor. 9:8); d) the goodness of God, extending to all creatures, as the prophet David says: “The Lord is good to everyone, and His compassion is in all His works” (Ps. 144:9). Especially: e) the love of God that surpasses reason, revealed in the redemption of us by Jesus Christ, in whom all the comforting promises of God become certain for us, according to the words of the Apostle Paul: “For great are the promises of God in Him (that is, in Jesus Christ), and in Him amen” (2 Cor. 1:20). In Christ Jesus, a Christian can undoubtedly expect all good things from the Heavenly Father: “Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all: how then shall He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32); 3) the word of God clearly commands us to place our hope in God, and only in Him alone: ​​“devour the sacrifice of righteousness and trust in the Lord” (Ps. 4:6); “Trust in God with all your heart” (Prov. 3, 5; Sir. 2, 6–7, 9); “Do not put off your confidence (hope), if your reward is great” (Heb. 10, 35); 4) finally, hope in God is necessary to calm our spirit amid the difficult deeds and disasters of earthly life. The Word of God calls the person who trusts in the Lord blessed (Ps. 33:9). Blessed is he, for, trusting in the Lord of hosts and being confident that under the protection of the Almighty no true evil can befall him, he lives calmly in the present, faces the unknown future without fear, does not lose heart in dangers, does not despair in misfortune, but with strong prayer turns to God, his helper. “I lie down calmly and sleep,” says the one who trusts in the Lord with the Prophet, “for You, Lord, alone give me security” (Ps. 4:9). “Even if I walk... through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me” (Ps. 23:4). “Hope,” says Saint Climacus, “is a calm for labor; it destroys despair; our labors are encouraged by it; Our exploits depend on it” (Ladder, 30, 30–31). The main actions in which hope in God is predominantly revealed are: a) the desire for eternal bliss; b) devotion to the will of God and c) patience. a) The desire for eternal bliss The desire for eternal bliss is that disposition of spirit in which a Christian does not engage in anything earthly or temporary and does not enjoy himself so much as to feel coldness in himself towards heavenly, eternal blessings; on the contrary, he constantly values, enjoys these latter things and always seeks them. The opposite disposition is just as unworthy of the human spirit, destined for eternal life, as much as it is condemned in the word of God. “Do not hide for yourselves treasures on earth, where worms and aphids smolder, and where thieves dig up and steal: hide for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-20); “Seek... first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33); “If... you are risen with Christ, seek those on high, where Christ is seated on the right hand of God; philosophize on high, not on earth” (Col. 3:1–2). The detachment of the spirit from earthly things, produced by hope in God, does not mean contempt for earthly goods as unclean and unworthy of use. Such contempt for earthly goods is repugnant to God: “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is considered, accepted with thanksgiving, being sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Tim. 4:4-5). It is a pure and dispassionate look at earthly blessings, namely, a Christian looks at them: 1) as a means and aid for a comfortable passage of earthly life and for the most convenient preparation of oneself for heavenly life; 2) as gifts of God’s grace, which gives us “all things richly” for enjoyment with thanksgiving to the Giver of good things (1 Tim. 6, 17, 4:3); 3) as objects that provide us with a convenient opportunity to nourish and reveal in ourselves the high virtues of charity towards our neighbors and love for God. The Apostle Paul commands Timothy to exhort those who are rich in this present age...to do good, to be rich in good works, to be gracious, to be a fellow man, laying store for themselves the foundation of good for the future, so that they may receive eternal life (1 Tim. 6, 17–19); 4) in general, a Christian striving for heavenly things looks at his entire earthly life as wandering and preparation for the heavenly fatherland: “we are not imams of the city that is here, but we are seeking the one to come” (Heb. 13:14). Therefore, just as when there is a scarcity of earthly goods, he does not indulge in murderous worries about what to eat, what to drink, what to wear (Matt. 6:25), and when there is an abundance of earthly goods, he does not attach his heart to them (Ps. 61:11). b) Devotion to the will of God Devotion to the will of God or tranquility in God is that state of spirit in which a Christian entrusts his entire self, everything that he has and everything that can happen to him, to the Providence of God and looks calmly at all the incidents of his life. Devotion to the will of God requires a Christian to: 1) place all his worries on God the Provider, according to the commandment of the Apostle: “Humble yourselves... under the mighty hand of God, so that in time you may lift up all your sorrow to Nan, for He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6-7); 2) was alien to that arrogance that, in its thoughts, has the future time, future deeds and benefits, without regard to the will of God, which arrogance is denounced by the Apostle James: “Hear now, saying: this day or morning let us go to this city and make that year one, and I will buy money and gain. Instead of saying to you: if the Lord pleases, we will live and do this or that” (James 4:13,15). But it does not require that a Christian indulge in idleness, inactivity and wait for the supernatural action of God where he can act with natural forces and means. “We pray... you, brethren,” teaches the Apostle Paul, “... be kindly diligent in being silent and doing your work, and doing with your own hands, as you are commanded” (1 Thessalonians 4:10-11). The motivations for devotion to God are: 1) the firm confidence that everything in the world depends on God, so that without His will “not a hair of our head will fall” (Luke 21:18), and that all the paths along which He leads us, despite all the incomprehensibility that often occurs, are holy and beneficial for us; 2) the need for devotion to God in order for us to become perfect and blessed. Whoever carefully observed his efforts to make himself wise, kind and blessed, could not help but notice the futility of these efforts. The best of the most pagan sages realized this. The consequence of this should be that a person, without relying on himself, surrenders himself to God, as a frustrated property that he himself cannot dispose of. Having surrendered to God, a person experiences something completely opposite to what he previously experienced when governing himself. The Father of lights, to whom he has completely entrusted himself, enlightens his mind with the light of saving truths. The power of God, in which he placed his heart, strengthens him and makes him ready for every good deed. The God of love, who loves the one who has surrendered to Him, arranges all the circumstances of his life so that they serve him for his good (Rom. 8:28). He who has surrendered to God accepts favorable events with pure joy, seeing in them the mercy and gift of God, and unfavorable ones with a calm spirit, because he sees in them an exposure of his unworthiness, an incentive to humility, purification and preparation for the better; 3) the word of God often inspires us with devotion to God. The Prophet David says: “Open your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will do it” (Ps. 36:5). “Bring your deeds closer to the Lord,” says the Wise One, “and your thoughts will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). “Our Father, ...thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth,” - this is how the Heavenly Teacher teaches us to pray (Matthew 6:9-10). We see examples of this high virtue in the Blessed Virgin Mary, Abraham and Job. Patience is such a disposition of the spirit, surrendering to the will of God, according to which a Christian, oppressed by disasters, is not suppressed by a feeling of sorrow, but remains so calm that, without stopping, he continues to fulfill the works of his calling and is free from despondency, cowardice and murmuring. Christian patience is not the complete insensitivity or dispassion that some pagan sages preached. The sorrow that adversity causes us is as natural as the desire to be free from it. Even external signs of internal sorrow - tears and sighs - are not excluded by patience. This is confirmed by the example of our Divine intercessor. It is not permissible for a Christian to merely grumble about his misfortunes and be overwhelmed by the feeling of them. A Christian is obliged to endure sorrow: 1) to the clear commandment of God: “in your patience gain your souls” (Luke 21:19); “I will require patience... so that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise” (Heb. 10:36); 2) the example of the hero of Jesus Christ, who for suffering was “crowned with glory and honor” (Heb. 2:9) and through suffering was dedicated to the “leader of salvation” of people (Heb. 2:10), through suffering he learned obedience “and, having been perfected, became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:8-9). The apostles, wanting to encourage Christians to bear sorrows complacently, repeatedly point to the example of Christ who suffered for us: “Christ suffered for us, leave us an image, that we may follow His footsteps” (1 Pet. 2:21); “To Christ... who suffered in the flesh for us, and arm yourself with the same thought” (1 Pet. 4:1); 3) the fact that sorrows are necessary both to cleanse us from sin and to strengthen us on the path of virtue. “It is good for me,” says the prophet David, “for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy justification... First, let me not even humble myself, but I have sinned: for this reason I have kept Thy word” (Ps. 119, 67, 71). The Apostle Peter says: “He who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, not because of human lusts, but for the will of God to live in the flesh for the rest of the time” (1 Pet. 4:1-2). The concept of love for God. Love for God is that disposition of spirit in which a Christian, enjoying God as the highest good and perfection, strives to become like Him through the fulfillment of His holy will and achieve blissful union with Him. St. Augustine says: “I call love the desire of the spirit to enjoy God for God.” And in another place: “Love is the power that unites us with God.” In the Word of God, a person is commanded to love God “with all his heart,” “with all his soul,” “with all his mind,” and the commandment to love God is given “first and greatest” (Matthew 22:37–38). Properties of true love for God. The properties of true love for God are the following: 1) it should be based not on unconscious feelings of the heart, but on a living knowledge of the highest perfections of God and the blessings sent down to us from God. “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. And if you do not love, you do not know God, for God loves... And we are by knowledge and faith the love that God has for us. God is loving and abides in love in God abides, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:7-8,16); 2) a necessary property of our love for God should be that we love God most of all - with complete and constant love, with all our hearts and with all our soul. This is the kind of love we have when we find no one or anything higher than God, either in heaven or on earth, and for Him we are ready to sacrifice everything—including life itself. “What... do we have in heaven,” asks one filled with love for God, “and what do we desire from You on earth?” My heart and my flesh are gone, the God of my heart and my portion, O God, forever” (Ps. 72:25-26). “Who will separate us from the love of God? Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or sword?... But in all these we overcome for the sake of Him who loved us" (Rom. 8:35, 37). Saint Chrysostom depicts the properties of true love for God in the following words: "He who is wounded by love for God and strives for Him with his desires does not see anything visible; he constantly imagines that Whom he desires both day and night, and lying down and rose up" (Conversations on the book of Genesis. 23.3). St. John Climacus describes true love for God with similar features: “It is not so much the mother who is devoted to her infant child as the son of God’s love who cleaves to the Lord. He who truly loves someone always imagines his beloved and embraces it with delight in his mind, so that even in sleep he cannot leave his own. zeal for him, but even in a dream he appears to him with such love, someone, being wounded, said: I sleep by natural demand, but my heart, because of my great love for God, is vigilant. Love is a fiery source, which the more it flows into the human heart, the greater the thirst it produces and ignites it” (Ladder. 30, 12–13, 35); 3) love for God must be active, that is, it must confirm the inner dispositions of the heart with appropriate deeds. It must be expressed through the desire for everything that is good and pleasing to God and through aversion from everything that is contrary to God, also through active love for our neighbors. “This... is the love of God, that we may keep His commandments,” says the beloved disciple of Christ (1 John 5:3). “If you love Me,” teaches the Heavenly Teacher, “keep My commandments... If you have My commandments and keep them, then you love Me” (John 14, 15, 21). The Apostle Paul says about the close connection between love for God and love for neighbors: “If anyone says that I love God, but hates his brother, it is a lie. For if you do not love your brother, who you see, God, who you cannot see, how can you love? And this commandment of the imams is from Him, that he who loves God also loves his brother” (1 John 4:20-21). Actions of love for God. True love for God constitutes in a Christian the living principle of all good actions. But some actions are especially closely connected with love and serve as a necessary manifestation of it. Love cannot exist without respect for the object of love; love for the great and terrible God cannot exist without reverence for Him. Therefore, the first necessary action of love for God is a) reverence. Active love for God cannot but strive to imitate Him in everything, and cannot be indifferent to the glory of His name. From here comes b) imitation of God and c) zeal for the glory of God. Reverence for God or the fear of God is that disposition of spirit in which a Christian, considering the wrath of the Heavenly Father to be the greatest misfortune for himself, tries in every possible way not to offend Him and not to lose fellowship with Him. The Word of God commands us to serve God with reverence and fear (Phil. 2:12). “Work for the Lord with fear, and rejoice in Him with trembling,” says the prophet David (Ps. 2:11); “Fear God,” says the Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 2:17). The Apostle Paul teaches: “For a kingdom that cannot be shaken is acceptable, so that we may receive grace, by which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and fear” (Heb. 12:28). Reverence before God requires from us: 1) the infinite greatness of the Divine: “Will you not fear Me? The Lord said: Or will you not be afraid from My presence? (Jer. 5, 22). The Word of God, arousing in us reverence for God, presents to us the greatness of God in various features. In relation to His power, God is called “God of gods” (Ps. 49:1), “Great and Mighty God” (Deut. 7:21), “King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). In relation to the fullness of perfections, He is the “God of intelligence” (1 Sam. 2:3), “King of glory” (Ps. 23:10); 2) the motivation for reverence before God is the consciousness of our unworthiness and complete dependence on God as our Creator and Provider. According to the teaching of the Apostle Paul, we are in relation to God what clay (clay) is in relation to the potter: does not the poor man have power over the clay, so that from the same mixture he can make one vessel for honorable use, and another for low use? God has the same power over us, and who can resist His will? (Rom. 9:20–21). The fruit of the fear of God. Reverence for God, or fear of God, serves as a necessary condition for our advancement in wisdom and virtue. The fear of the Lord, according to the word of the Wise One, is “the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7); “the fear of the Lord will take away sins” (Sir. 1:21). Whoever has true reverence for God, for him everything that relates to God is sacred. A reverent thought about God serves as a strong weapon against sin, a strong support for virtue. “How can I create this evil verb and sin before God?” , he speaks to the God-fearing Joseph and overcomes the attraction to sin (Gen. 39:9). Saint Ephraim the Syrian says about the fear of God: “Do not deceive yourself, man; It is impossible to succeed in virtue without the fear of God. Prosperity that happens without it is in vain” (Instructive words. 39 (41)). Perfect reverence for God is not that painful fear that a slave feels towards his strict master and which is born only from the idea of ​​punishment threatened for insulting him. Such fear, according to the teachings of the Apostle, is incompatible with perfect love for God: “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, for fear is torment: fear... not being perfect in love” (1 John 4:18). It is also not consistent with the spirit of sonhood, in which all the actions of a true Christian must be performed: “For we have not received the spirit of work or fear, but have received the Spirit of sonhood, and for Him we cry: Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15). Perfect fear of God must be filial fear, according to which a Christian, imagining God as a child-loving Father, flees evil not out of fear of punishment, but out of love for his Heavenly Father, who hates evil, out of fear of offending Him, out of the desire to become worthy of His favor and love. Imitation of God is the zeal of love to imprint in one’s heart moral Divine perfections and to arrange one’s deeds according to the image of God’s actions. A Christian is disposed to this: 1) the fact that he, as born of God, has the scope (possibility) of being a child of God and calling God his Father. If God is his Father, then he must imitate Him, like his children, in order to testify to his heavenly and Divine race. Why does the Apostle command: “Be... imitators of God, like beloved children” (Eph. 5:1), or “perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48); 2) the fact that in the very action of rebirth the beginnings have already been laid and, or, better, the features of the image of God, according to which man was created, have been restored. “The little ones... were baptized into Christ, put on Christ,” teaches the Apostle (Gal. 3:27). Therefore, one should not suppress and drown out this seed of godlikeness, but try in every possible way in one’s character and life to depict one’s prototype, just as the face of the person looking into it is depicted in a mirror. “Because you have called the Holy One, you also will be holy in all your life,” commands the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:15); or again: “After the first life you have laid aside the old man, which is corrupting in the lusts of deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new... which was created according to God in righteousness and the likeness of the truth” ( Eph. 4, 22–24). In the features of the image of God, just as there is an opportunity and incentive to imitate God, so at the same time what should be imitated in God is also indicated. His Grace Tikhon of Zadonsk writes about this as follows: “When the word of God teaches us to imitate God, it does not teach us to create peace, not to raise the dead, not to walk on water or perform other miracles. This is a matter of Divine omnipotence, although sometimes such power is given to the believer. But imitate truth, kindness, long-suffering, holiness, righteousness, and so on. Looking at the truth of God, learn to always speak the truth or what is in your soul, and do not lie, do not flatter, do not be deceitful, do not be a hypocrite. Looking at the truth of God, give everyone their due, and what you don’t want for yourself, don’t do to someone else, and vice versa. Looking at the goodness of God, His shining sun on the evil and the good, and learn to love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and so on (Matthew 5:44-45). Looking at His mercies and generosity, do not close your ears to those who ask and do not turn away from those who demand help. Knowing that God is the Spirit (John 4:24), keep away from the lusts of the flesh (1 Pet. 2:11). "Real... according to the flesh they cannot please God” (Rom. 8:8)” (On true Christianity. 4, v. 3.4, 322). From this it is clear that the production of imitation itself is greatly facilitated by: 1) knowledge of God and His imitated perfections, depicted in the word of God and revealed in the works of creation and industry. Such knowledge irresistibly attracts to imitation, when there is already a predisposition to do so (man is generally inquisitive) with confidence in the possibility of imitating and the superiority of the Prototype; 2) especially strong is the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Who, having appeared on earth, lived with man and, having fulfilled the entire law, presented examples in all virtues - in humility, love, patience, condescension, jealousy, and so on, in order to revive the fallen spirit of man and stop the mouths of those who detract from human nature, as if it were incapable of anything good. Therefore, in order to revive the imitation of God, it is commanded to turn to the Lord as often as possible, and the entire commandment about imitation of God is reduced to the commandment to imitate Christ: “I have given you an image, that as I have created for you, you also do it” (John 13:15). And all Christians are given to be conformed to His image, and He Himself is “the firstborn of many brethren” (Rom. 8:29). And zealous Christians, both constantly carrying the name of Jesus on their lips, also contain His works in their minds and learn virtues from them. The Apostle says: “Be imitators of me, as ... I am Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). c) Zeal for the glory of God Zeal for the glory of God is that disposition of spirit by which a Christian ardently desires and strives in every possible way to ensure that God and His holy law are known and worthily honored. A Christian is committed to zeal for the glory of God’s name because: 1) this zeal is a necessary fruit of the love for God that is necessary for all. For he who truly loves God cannot help but desire with all his soul and try with all his might so that the great name of God is glorified; 2) God Himself calls Himself “zealous” of His glory (Ex. 20:5), does not give it to others (Is. 42:8); and this requires that a Christian also value the glory of God, which is so dear to God Himself; 3) During his earthly life, Jesus Christ sought only the glory of the Heavenly Father; He Himself confessed the zeal that consumed Him for the glory of His Father when He said: “The pity (jealousy) of Thy house devoured Me” (John 2:17) “and the reproaches of those who reproached You attacked Me” (Ps. 68:10). Therefore, a Christian, as a follower of Christ, should be zealous for the glory of the name of God; 4) Christians, according to the word God, are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people taken for His own possession, that they might proclaim the praises of Him who called them out of darkness into wonderful... light” (1 Pet. 2:9). The same duty is revealed both from the Lord's Prayer, in which, according to the instructions of the Heavenly Teacher Himself, first of all we ask the Heavenly Father to sanctify His name (Matthew 6:9), and from the promise of God that those who glorify God, and only they alone, will be glorified (1 Sam. 2:30). True zeal for the glory of the name of God: 1) must be combined with firm confidence in the dignity of the cause being defended, so that, on the one hand, it is not just a blind passion, and on the other hand, it is not zealous about only human opinions. “It is good... to always be jealous of what is good,” says the Apostle Paul (Gal. 4:18). We see an example of unreasonable zeal in the Jews, whom the Apostle Paul denounces: “I testify... to them that they have the zeal of God, but not according to their understanding. Not understanding God’s righteousness and seeking to establish one’s own righteousness, not obeying God’s righteousness” (Rom. 10:2-3); 2) must strive for the glory of God and be free from self-love, greed and passion for competition. The Apostle Paul speaks with sorrow about some people: “For they all seek their own, and not other than Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:21); 3) in her manner of action she must be prudent and meek. Prudence requires, firstly, that for the spread of true piety, means be used that are consistent with the spirit of true piety, and not those that are contrary to it, for example, lies, deception, and the like. Secondly, prudence requires a zealous person to be attentive to the distinction of persons who need instruction and admonition (1 Cor. 9:19-22). That true zeal must be meek, this is clear from the words of the Apostle Paul: “It is not fitting for a servant... of the Lord to become a slave, but to be quiet towards everyone, teachable, gentle, and with meekness punishing those who oppose them: as God will give them repentance into the mind of truth, and they will arise from the devil’s snare, live being drawn away from him into your own will” (2 Tim. 2, 24–26 ). Sins against the love of God are: 1) every sin in general is a violation of God’s love, but dislike and hatred of neighbors is especially disgusting to it. “If anyone says that I love God, but hates his brother, it is a lie: for if you do not love your brother, who you see, God, who you do not see, how can you love?” (1 John 4:20); 2) loving “the creature more than the Creator” (Rom. 1:25), when one loves oneself, and temporal goods, and other objects more than God. “If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love is not in him” (1 John 2:15); “Whoever desires to be a friend of the world, he becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Such passion is even considered subtle idolatry, especially covetousness, gluttony, delicacy, etc., pride and vanity (Phil. 3:19; Col. 3:5); 3) people-pleasing, when they please people in such a way that they do not care about pleasing God. The person whom we please to the point of oblivion of God is in some way for us another god instead of the true God. Why does the Apostle say: “Even if he were still pleased with man, Christ’s servant would never be” (Gal. 1, 10); 4) laziness or negligence in relation to the teaching of piety, prayer and public worship; 5) oblivion of God, when they do not remember about Him and their dependence on Him, but live as if God did not exist; 6) enmity against God, when they harbor hostility towards everything sacred or directly rebel against God and His Christ. The following contribute to the excitement and strengthening of love in us: 1) knowledge and feeling of God’s infinite beauty. “God is the beauty of beauties” (Tikhon of Zadonsk), which Angels, saints and all God’s saints cannot get enough of. He created the red sun, moon and stars, but He Himself has incomparably excellent beauty. “Thou hast clothed yourself with confession and awe; clothe yourself with light like a robe,” King David sings to Him (Ps. 103:1-2). And again: “My soul thirsts for the mighty and living God, when I come and appear before Your face” (Ps. 41:3); 2) knowledge of God’s endless love for us, with which He constantly warms us. He brought us from non-existence into existence, honored us with His image, lifted us up above all creation, did not leave the fallen, but Himself came to him and raised him up, sent down the Holy Spirit of the Comforter, revived us by the bath of restoration, deigned to be and be called our Father, prepared the Kingdom of Heaven and declared us His heirs for our faith: and now light, air, housing, food and clothing - everything comes to us from His bounties. For all these blessings He desires nothing but our love; 3) the indescribable sweetness of love itself. It in itself is spiritual, heartfelt joy, consolation and heartfelt exclamation; it has God as its treasure and is comforted and rejoiced in Him, and God graciously dwells and dwells in a loving heart (John 14:23), and where God is, there is all joy and bliss. Those worthy of this bliss cried out: “What... do we have in heaven and what do we desire from You on earth?” (Ps. 73:25). And finally 4) consideration of examples of great love for God shown by the saints. The concept of prayer. Prayer is the reverent lifting of our mind and heart to God with the expression of internal pious movements excited by faith, hope and love. Such exaltation, since it consists only of the internal actions of the soul - thoughts, feelings and desires - should rightly be attributed to internal worship of God. The need for prayer. The necessity of prayer as a pious movement of the spirit is revealed: 1) from its very properties and beneficial effect on a person’s advancement in virtue. Prayer, in the words of Saint Ephraim, “is a conversation with God, honor equal to the angels, the awakening of virtue, the correction of sinners. Prayer is the preservation of abstinence, the curbing of anger, the taming of the arrogance of the heart, the appeal to meekness. There is no acquisition in this life more precious than prayer”; 2) from the fact that prayer is clearly prescribed in the word of God, as one of our duties. “Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune,” Christ commands His disciples (Matthew 26:41). “Pray without ceasing,” teaches the Apostle Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:17), “... and take the helmet of salvation, ... praying continually with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17-18; James 5:13); 3) from the example of the holy men of God and the God-man Himself. All the greatest deeds and incidents in their lives were accomplished after prayer or during prayer itself; in it they found peace and reinforcement for their spirit; through it they prepared themselves for great feats, coupled with great sacrifices. Types of prayer. In prayers to God we must: a) glorify Him for His highest perfections; b) thank Him for His benefits and c) ask Him for your needs. This is because the prayerful lifting of our spirit to God is accomplished under the predominant action of either faith, then love, or hope. From here come three types of prayer: praise, thanksgiving and petition. Doxology to God is a prayerful lifting of the spirit to God, struck with reverent amazement at the consciousness of His highest perfections and contemplation of His majestic deeds. Although God, as all-perfect and all-blessed, has no need for our glorification and we cannot adequately glorify Him, for all that, we have an indispensable duty to glorify the Lord. For: 1) this is required of us by the greatness of the Divine perfections and works of creation, providence, especially redemption, at the contemplation of which it is natural for us to be filled with wonder and glorify the Lord of glory. The prophet David, contemplating the majestic deeds of creation, exclaims in reverent surprise: “O Lord my God, thou art greatly magnified: thou art clothed with confession and greatness... For thy works are magnified, O Lord, thou hast done all things with wisdom” (Ps. 103:1, 24). The Apostle Paul, contemplating the miracles of infinite wisdom and goodness revealed in redemption and salvation, exclaims: “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and mind of God! for His judgment was untested and His ways were unsearched” (Rom. 11:33); 2) we must glorify God because this glorification is a deed that is as sweet for our hearts as it is beneficial for our progress in virtue. “It is sweet to sing to our God,” says the Psalmist, who experienced the bliss that lies in praising the Lord (Ps. 146: 1). Moreover, glorifying God for His highest perfections, we thereby nourish in ourselves a feeling of humility and reverence before Him; glorifying God for His all-good and wise deeds, we thereby strengthen our love for Him and hope for Him; 3) in the word of God we are repeatedly commanded to praise the Lord: “Confess the Lord, for His mercy endures forever” (Ps. 106:1); “praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to His name, for it is good” (Ps. 134:3); Rome 15, 6). The same duty is inspired in us by the example of holy men and Jesus Christ Himself, Who glorified His Heavenly Father in this way: “The Father, Lord of heaven and earth, confess that you hid this thing from the wise and prudent, and revealed it as a child” (Luke 10:21). Those who do not fulfill this duty are those who use the name of God in vain or without any respect in ordinary conversations, or who “swear” indiscriminately, who blaspheme it, when out of ignorance or wickedness they unfairly judge God, or utter insolent words against Him. This also includes: inattention in prayer, false oath, blasphemy. Thanksgiving to God is a prayerful offering of the spirit to God, in which a Christian, dearly appreciating every good sent from above, in a feeling of joy blesses the Lord who benefits him. The Christian is obliged to thank God by: 1) the immense multitude of God’s blessings, for the creative power has exalted man above all visible creation (Ps. 8:5-9); God's providence does not allow even a hair to fall from a person's head without His permission (Matthew 10:29–31, Luke 12:7); the love of the Heavenly Father did not spare the Only Begotten Son for the salvation of the fallen (John 3:16). Therefore, 2) the word of God clearly commands us to thank God, and, moreover, to thank for everything. “Give thanks in everything,” says the Apostle, “for this is the will of God for Christ Jesus in you” (1 Thess. 5:18); 3) the same duty is inspired in us by the example of holy men who cried with the Psalmist: “Bless my soul the Lord and all that is within me, His holy name. Bless my soul the Lord and do not forget all His rewards” (Ps. 102: 1-2). Despite, however, the strong reasons that inspire people with feelings of gratitude to God, one cannot help but notice that many often remain ungrateful to Him (Isa. 1:2-3). This usually occurs from forgetting the benefits of God, from a false opinion about one’s own merits, from an unreasonable comparison of one’s state with the happiest state of others, and from the rashness of considering either oneself or those who were only instruments of God’s goodness to be the culprit of happiness. We must carefully notice these stumbling blocks so as not to fall on them, for if ingratitude towards people is unforgivable, then how much more unforgivable is ingratitude towards God! True gratitude requires from us: 1) that we try to reveal and improve the powers and abilities given by God, in order to act with them for the glory of God and so that otherwise we do not remain negligent about the gifts of God’s grace; 2) so that we try to correct and improve our lives, as the Apostle inspires: “Or are you careless about the riches of His goodness, and meekness, and long-suffering, not knowing how the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4); 3) to help, in whatever way we can, our needy and distressed brethren, for in their person the Lord Himself is pleased to accept our gifts, as if we were doing good to Him: “Inasmuch as ye have done unto one... my lesser brethren, ye have done unto me” (Matthew 25:40). c) Petition or invocation of God A petition or invocation of God is the type of prayer when, in the hope of God’s goodness, we ask Him for certain benefits. Of course, God knows our desires and needs, even if we have not revealed them to Him in our prayers; despite the fact that we must open our souls before Him and ask Him for the benefits we need. For: 1) this is clearly commanded to us in the word of God. “Call Me in the day of your sorrow, and destroy you, and glorify Me,” says God through the mouth of David (Ps. 49:15); 2) the same duty is inspired in us by the example of holy men and the Head of the faith Jesus Christ Himself, who offered prayers to His Father, asking Him for certain benefits (Matthew 26:39; John 17); 3) our prayers are just as consoling for our hearts as they are useful for our progress in virtue. When we, realizing our own weakness and unworthiness, resort to God asking for His mercy and help, then we thereby nourish within ourselves a sense of humility and testify to our faith in God and hope in Him; and if our petitions brought to God are fulfilled, then our spirit is disposed to lively gratitude to God; even if they are not fulfilled, then in this case we are not left without benefit. Our grieving heart receives great relief and consolation when we pour out our feelings of sorrow before God in prayer and reveal our needs to Him. Our petitions raised to God must have the following attributes: 1) they must be offered with firm trust in God, without any doubt about His goodness, omnipotence and wisdom, and must also be constant and diligent. And for this we need to have undoubted confidence that God, in His goodness, will give us either the same good that we ask for, or another - better and more necessary for us. The Word of God often instills in us this hope and constancy in prayer: “If... if anyone is deprived of wisdom from you,” says the Apostle James, “let him ask from God, who gives to all, without hypocrisy and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Let him ask in faith, without hesitation” (James 1:5-6). This also includes the parable of the unjust judge, in which the Savior teaches “how it is proper to always pray and not to become cold (not to lose heart)” (Luke 18:1–8); 2) our petitions must be holy in their subject matter, that is, we must ask God only for what is in accordance with His will. Therefore, we must ask God for more spiritual blessings than physical ones (Matt. 6:33; 1 Kings 3:9), more public ones than private ones (1 Cor. 14:1, 3-4). In general, the Lord's Prayer should be the model for our petitions; 3) a necessary condition for receiving our petitions is that, while asking God for mercy, we ourselves should be merciful, forgiving and charitable towards our neighbors. “Give, and it will be given to you,” says Christ, “...by the same measure that you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38). “If...you forgive a person their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you do not forgive men their sins, your Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15); 4) finally, when offering prayers to God, we must completely surrender to the will of God, in the firm confidence that God knows better than us whether the fulfillment of our petitions is useful for us, and if it is useful, then when and how to grant us the benefits we ask for, and that He, in His goodness, can and will do for us incomparably more than all that we ask or think about (Eph. 3:20). This is how the Savior prayed when he cried out to His Father: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). It goes without saying that we should not expect God’s cooperation both in such matters that are contrary to the will of God or at least cannot be attributed either to the glory of God, or to the benefit of our neighbors, or to our salvation, and also when we place the basis for asking for help or mercy not on the merits of Christ, but on our own merits, when we weaken in calling on God for help due to cowardice or lack of faith, and especially when we rely more on help human rather than divine. What you need to succeed in prayer. since we constantly need the blessings of God, then we receive them, then we see the deeds of God’s greatness, therefore our soul must constantly pour itself out before the Lord in feelings of petition, thanksgiving and praise. However, you can pray incessantly and not see any fruits of your prayer, often multiply your prayers and not be heard from the Lord (Isa. 1:15). In order for our prayer to be pleasing to God and useful to us, we must properly prepare for it and perform it. Preparation for prayer. For a worthy and successful performance of prayer, it is necessary that our spirit be first prepared for this great task. The preparation for prayer is: 1) preliminary reflection on the greatness of God, to whom we are preparing to offer prayer - to arouse reverence, as well as about the infinite goodness of God and willingness to help us and hear us - to arouse hope and boldness, and about our unworthiness (Neh. 1:5-6); 2) detachment of the mind and heart from extraneous objects or putting aside worldly concerns and directing all thoughts and feelings towards God. “The beginning of prayer,” according to Saint Climacus, “is to reflect the extraneous thoughts that come to us, at their first meeting, with our mind.” You must also clarify for yourself the subject of prayer, so that it is healthy, pure, and not uneasy; 3) asking God for the very spirit of prayer, for we ourselves do not know what and how we should pray. “We do not know what we should pray for, as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered” (Rom. 8:26). Why in the Holy Church almost all services begin with the prayer “To the Heavenly King.” The state of mind during the prayer itself. During the prayer itself: 1) we must have deep reverence for God, stemming from a living representation of the infinite greatness of God and our unworthiness; 2) must offer prayer to the Heavenly Father in the name of His Only Begotten Son, hoping for His merits and intercession. “If you ask anything from the Father in My name,” says Christ, “I will do it, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13); 3) as gracious sons of the Heavenly Father, we must offer up our prayers to Him in the spirit of sonship, with filial love and devotion to Him, with full hope in His mercy. “For I have not accepted the spirit of work again in fear,” says the Apostle, “but having received the Spirit of sonhood, in Him we cry: Abba, Father” (Rom. 8, 15); 4) humbly recognizing our unworthiness to directly offer our prayers to the throne of God, we must resort to the intercession of the saints: the Lady Theotokos, the disembodied Powers, the Apostles, Prophets, shepherds and teachers of the Church, the Guardian Angel, the saint of the same name, the holy church and day, the patron saint of the city and the country and all our intermediaries to God, moreover, those whose holiness is sanctified by God Himself witnessed or recognized by the Church, and those who, by the holiness of their rank, are appointed to be our mediators before God (2 Kings 19, 1-4; James 5, 14-15). 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