About prayer

We must rejoice that the saints left us written examples of prayers. - The need for prayer. – David is a king and a prophet, armed with prayers. For two reasons we should please and marvel at the servants of God: because they expressed the hope of their salvation in holy prayers and because, having preserved in writing those hymns and examples of prayers that they offered to God with joy and fear, they passed on this treasure of theirs to us, in order to be able to attract all posterity to our own zeal. So it follows that the character of teachers passes on to those who enter into community with them, so that the listeners of the prophets show themselves to be imitators of their righteousness, so that we live all the time in prayer and service to God and care for Him, considering this precisely life, this is health and wealth, this is the limit of blessings, that is, offering prayers to God with a pure and unspoiled soul. Just as the sun is light for the body, so prayer is for the soul. So, if it is a disaster for a blind person not to see the sun, then how great is the disaster for a Christian not to pray continuously and not to introduce the light of Christ into his soul through prayer? However, who would not be amazed and surprised at the love of God that He shows towards us, giving people such a great honor that He honored both prayer and His conversation? When we pray, we truly speak to God; through it we enter into union with the angels, and very clearly move away from communication with irrational beings. Prayer is the duty of angels and also elevates their dignity, although talking with God is something higher compared to the dignity of angels. And that in fact this is something higher, they themselves teach us about this, offering up their prayers with great fear, letting us know and understand that those who come to God should do this with joy and fear: with fear, lest we be found unworthy of prayer, with joy because of the vastness of honor, due to the fact that the mortal race is worthy of such great care that it continuously enjoys even divine conversation, through which we cease to be and mortal, and transitory, being mortal by nature, and through communication with God ascending to immortal life. And it is necessary that the one who enjoys communion with God should become above death and all corruption. Just as it is absolutely necessary that he who enjoys the ray of the sun should avoid darkness, so it is absolutely necessary that he who enjoys divine communion should not be mortal after that, because the very extent of honor carries us to immortality. Indeed, if it is impossible for those who converse with the king and enjoy the honor that comes from him to be poor, then it is much more impossible for those who send prayers to God and converse with Him to have mortal souls. The death of the soul is wickedness and lawless life. Consequently, the life of the soul is service to God and morals appropriate to him; Holy morals and those befitting the service of God are formed and miraculously preserved in our souls by prayer. Whether someone is obsessed with a passionate love of virginity, or cares about honoring chastity in marriage, or mastering anger and living in meekness, or purity from envy, or doing anything else that should be done, whenever prayer serves as a guide for him and preliminarily levels his path in life, he will have both a convenient and easy road to piety. And it is impossible, impossible, that those who ask from God chastity and justice, and meekness, and honesty do not receive according to their prayer: “Ask,” says (Scripture), “and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7), “for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10). And again in another place: “Which of you,” says Scripture, “will the son ask... for bread and give him a stone? or... fish, will he give him a snake instead of a fish?... if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:11, 13)? With such words and such hopes the Lord of all called us to prayer; we must, in obedience to God, spend the entire time of our lives in praise and prayer, more diligently caring about serving God than about our souls, since under such conditions it would be possible for us to always lead a life befitting people. He who does not pray to God and does not wish to continually enjoy divine communication is dead and soulless and lacking the ability to think. And this very thing is the greatest sign of irrationality, namely, not to understand the vastness of honor and not to passionately love prayer, and not to consider non-worship of God as death for souls. Just as our body, if there is no soul in it, is dead and stinking, so the soul, which does not motivate itself to prayer, is dead and unhappy and stinking. And that truly deprivation of prayer should be considered more bitter than any death, Daniel, the great prophet, perfectly teaches us, who preferred to die rather than be deprived of prayer for only three days (Dan. 6:10). That king of Persia did not command him to do anything wicked, but only meant that he should delay for three days. Truly, without a divine beck, no good could enter our souls. God's beck helps us in our labors and greatly facilitates them if it notices that we love prayer and constantly persistently ask God, and expect that all good things will descend from there. So, when I see that someone does not love prayer and does not have an ardent and zealous love for it, then it is already clear to me that he does not possess anything noble in his soul. When I see that someone is insatiably concerned about serving God and, if he does not pray continuously, then ranks this among the greatest disasters, then I conclude that such a person is a reliable devotee of all virtue and is the church of God. If “a man’s dress and gait and the baring of his teeth” declare what is in him (Sir. 19:27), according to the words of the wise Solomon, then much more prayer and service to God is a sign of all righteousness, being a kind of spiritual and divine garment, shedding great beauty and charm into our thoughts, governing the life of everyone, not allowing anything bad and inappropriate to dominate the mind, urging us to honor God and respect the honor that comes from It is given to us, teaching us to remove from ourselves every trick of the evil one, driving out shameful and indecent thoughts, bringing everyone’s soul into a state of contempt for pleasure. This is the only pride befitting those who worship Christ: not to be a slave to anything shameful, but to guard the soul in freedom and a pure life. So, that without prayer it is absolutely impossible to get used to virtue and to follow the path of life with it, I think it is clear to everyone. And how could anyone practice virtue without approaching and falling incessantly before its Leader and Giver? How could anyone wish to be chaste and just without conversing with pleasure with Him who demands from us both this and more than this? I want to prove in brief words that even if we are full of sins, and prayers take possession of us, they soon cleanse us. Indeed, what could be more glorious or more divine than prayer, when it turns out to be some kind of antidote for the mentally ill? It is known that the Ninevites were the first among those who, through prayer, got rid of many of their sins before God (Jon.3:5-10). At the same time, as prayer took possession of them, it made them righteous and quickly corrected the city, accustomed to living among debauchery and a vicious and lawless life, acquiring greater power than what the ancient habit had, making this city full of heavenly laws, along with itself attracting chastity, philanthropy, meekness, and care for the poor. Without this, she cannot bear to dwell in the soul; but whatever mind it enters, it makes it full of all justice, instructing in virtue and removing vice. And indeed, if then any of those who had previously been thoroughly acquainted with it had entered the city of Nineveh, he would not have recognized the city: so he suddenly moved from a very bad life to piety. Just as a woman who was hitherto poor and wore rags, if someone later saw her adorned with golden robes, he would not recognize him, so the one who previously knew this city as begging and deprived of spiritual treasures would not have recognized what kind of city it was, which prayer could change to such a strong degree and arouse its morals and way of life in virtue. And a certain woman, who lived all the time in debauchery and fornication, at the same time as she fell at the feet of Christ, received salvation (Luke 7:37-48). So, prayer not only cleanses sins, but even drives away great dangers. King and prophet, the wondrous David avoided most of the difficult wars, thanks to prayer, placing only this weapon in front of his army and giving his soldiers the quiet and fearless pleasure of victory. Other, of course, kings placed their hope for salvation in the experience of the commanders and in their art, as well as in archers and heavily armed warriors and horsemen; and the great David strengthened his army with holy prayers, not looking at the arrogance of the military commanders and detachment commanders and leaders of the cavalry forces and not collecting property, and not preparing weapons, but bringing down the divine armor from heaven. Divine prayer is truly a heavenly all-armor, and it alone can safely protect those who have surrendered to God. Enemy glances, the courage of opponents, and much more often make the strength of heavily armed warriors, and their knowledge, and the experience of shooters, and their resourcefulness in vain; and prayer is an invincible weapon and a reliable protective means, equally driving away one warrior, equally many myriads: so the wondrous David overthrew that Goliath, who was advancing, like some terrible demon, not with weapons or swords, but with prayers (1 Samuel 17:37-50). To this extent, prayer is a strong weapon in battle for kings; She is also a strong weapon for us against demons. So King Hezekiah wins the war with the Persians (2 Kings 19), not by arming the troops, but by opposing the multitude of opponents with only prayers; Thus, he avoided death, humbly begging God with appropriate reverence, and prayer alone restored the king’s health (Is. 38:1–6). And that prayer really easily cleanses a sinful soul, the publican teaches us, who wished to receive forgiveness of sins from God and received it (Luke 18:13); The leper also teaches, who, at the same time as he humbly turned to God with prayer, was immediately cleansed (Matthew 8:2). If God quickly healed a body infected with a disease, then He is much more likely to humanely heal a sick soul, because as much as the soul is more precious than the body, it is so much more natural for God to show greater concern for it. And anyone could point out countless examples, both ancient and new, if he wanted to list all those who were saved through prayer. But, perhaps, someone who is more careless and does not want to pray zealously and earnestly will say that God uttered the following words: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21)? If I thought that prayer alone is enough for our salvation, then it would be natural for anyone to use these words; and since I affirm that prayer is the most important of blessings, also the foundation and root of a fruitful life, then let no one use those words to excuse their carelessness. And truly, neither chastity alone without other virtues, nor care for the poor, nor charity, nor any other feat can save, but it is required that everything flows together into our souls; prayer lies underneath this as the root and foundation. And just as foundations make firm and hold together a ship and a dwelling, in the same way prayers firmly keep our lives safe; Without it, we could not have anything - neither good nor saving. Therefore Paul insists, continually exhorting us and saying: “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2); and in another place: “Pray without ceasing,” he says, “in everything give thanks: for this is the will of God for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18); and again in another place: “pray at all times in the Spirit, and be diligent about this very thing with all perseverance and supplication” (Eph. 6:18). Thus, the leader of the apostles continually calls us to prayer with many and divine words. Therefore, it is necessary that, instructed by him, we spend our lives in prayer and constantly refresh our minds with it, since we - all people - need it no less than trees need water. Neither can they produce fruit if they do not drink water through the roots, nor will we be able to abound in the valuable fruits of piety unless we are refreshed by prayers. As a result of this, one must, when getting up from bed, always warn the sun by serving God, also touching the meal and intending to sleep; It’s better to say - at every hour offering only one prayer to God, spending the whole day in it, in winter, even spending most of the night on prayers and bending the knees with great fear, directing one’s thoughts to prayers, considering oneself happy because of serving God. Tell me, how will you look at the sun without bowing to the One who sends the sweetest light to your eyes? How will you enjoy your meal without bowing to the Giver and Source of such great blessings? With what hope will you reach the time of night? What sleepy dreams do you hope to meet without protecting yourself with prayers, but going to sleep without protective measures? You will be despicable for the craftiest demons and very easy to catch; They constantly walk around, looking out for us, whoever, not strengthened by prayer, they could quickly capture. If they notice that we are protected by prayers, they will immediately quickly run away, like robbers and villains who see a sword hanging from a warrior’s head. If it really happens that someone is not strengthened by prayer, then he, suddenly seized, is carried away by demons and plunged into sins and misfortunes and disasters. Fearing all this, we must always strengthen ourselves with prayers and praise, so that God, having mercy on everyone, makes us worthy of the heavenly kingdom through His Only Begotten Son, to Whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. He who prays talks with God. That prayer is the basis of every good and contributes to the achievement of salvation and eternal life is absolutely known to everyone; but, however, it is necessary to talk about this matter to the best of our ability, so that this word makes people who are accustomed to live in prayer and zealously care about serving God more zealous, and those who live very carelessly and leave their souls ignorant of prayer, so that they understand both the loss they suffered during the past time, and, moreover, do not deprive themselves of salvation in the remaining part of their lives. Therefore, now we have to say about the most important thing in prayer, that it is precisely everyone, while praying, who talks with God; and how much it means, as a human being, to speak with God, absolutely everyone knows this; but no one would be able to express this honor in words. This honor even surpasses the greatness of the angels, because they perfectly understand that almost all of the prophets are offering praise and services to the Lord with great fear, covering both their faces and legs due to great reverence, while flying and being unable to remain in a calm state, revealing strong fear; teaching, I think, us too, that during prayer we should forget about our human nature, so that those possessed by zeal and fear would not see anything that is present, but would think that we are standing among the angels and performing a service identical to their service. Everything else - I’m talking about what belongs to them and what belongs to us - both nature, and way of life, and wisdom, and reason, and everything that no one says about, is very different from them and from us; but the matter of prayer is common to angels along with people, and when we mean what concerns prayer, then there is nothing intermediate between one and the other nature. It (prayer) separates you from dumb animals, it unites you with the angels, and if someone zealously tries to devote his entire life to prayer and service to God, then such a person will soon make their structure, and life, and behavior, and honor, and nobility, and wisdom, and reason his property. What could be holier than those talking with God? What is more righteous? Which is more respectable? What is wiser? After all, if those who speak with wise men, as a result of constant intercourse with them, soon become like them in terms of prudence, then what should be said about those who converse with God and pray to Him? How great wisdom, how great virtue and intelligence, and honesty, and chastity, and meekness of morals fills them with prayer and petition! Therefore, it would not be a sin for anyone to prove that prayer is the cause of all virtue and justice and that nothing that promotes piety can enter a soul unfamiliar with prayer and petition; but, just as a city not fortified by walls would easily submit to the enemies, since it is very much lacking in that which would provide resistance, in the same way, the devil easily enslaves a soul that is not strengthened by prayers and easily infects it with all kinds of sin. And, firstly, when he sees a soul strengthened by prayers, he does not dare to approach it, fearing the strength and strength that prayers provide, which better nourish the soul than food does to the body; then, those who zealously pray do not allow themselves to do anything unworthy of prayer, but, ashamed of God, with whom they have just talked, they quickly push away from themselves all the cunning of the evil one, reflecting within themselves how great the sin is - the one who has just talked with God and asked Him for chastity and holiness will immediately go over to the side of the devil and accept shameful pleasures into the soul, and give the devil a way to the mind, just contemplated by God, and allow demons to enter souls in which the grace of the Spirit has shown great love for mankind and care. And how, listen. It is impossible for a person to endure divine conversation without the power of the Spirit, but he must, when it is present and helps in holy deeds, enter and kneel, and ask, and pray. Since talking with God is a task that exceeds human effort, it is necessary that the grace of the Spirit, entering us, strengthen and encourage us, and reveal the height of honor. So, when you understand that you are speaking with God, and have accepted the power of the Spirit, intending to talk, then you will not give the devil any access to the soul sanctified by the Spirit. Just as those who conversed with the king and enjoyed his meek speeches and honor do not find it fitting to enter into fellowship with the poor and outcasts, so he who conversed with God and prayed could not consider it proper to enter into fellowship with an evil and wicked demon. Truly, he who is subservient to pleasures is in communion with demons and competes with their fury, just as a person who is temperate and strives in matters of justice lives with the angels and imitates their splendor. It seems to me that if someone said that prayers are the nerves of the soul, then he would have spoken the truth. I think that just as the body is connected by nerves, and runs, and stands, and lives, and grows strong, thanks to them, and if someone were to cut them out, he would destroy all the harmony of the body, so souls are united with the help of holy prayers and stand firmly and easily run along the path of piety. If you deprive yourself of prayer, you will do the same as if you took a fish out of water, because just as life is water for that fish, so life is prayer for you. Through it, as if through water, you can fly up and become higher than the heavens and get closer to God. So, what has been said is enough to prove the power of holy prayer; but, perhaps, it would be better, by turning to the Divine Scriptures, from the sayings of Christ to understand the wealth that prayers collect for people who want to spend their whole lives in them. “He also said,” says (Scripture), “and a parable for them, a parable for them about how one should always pray...: in one city there was a judge who did not fear God and was not ashamed of people. In the same city there was a widow, and she came to him and said: protect me from my rival. But for a long time he didn’t want to. And then he said to himself: although I am not afraid of God and I am not ashamed of people, but, as this widow does not give me peace, I will protect her so that she does not come to bother me anymore. And the Lord said: Do you hear what the unjust judge says? Will not God protect His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night, although He is slow to protect them? I tell you that he will give them protection soon.” (Luke 18:1-8). Let us understand, brethren, the wisdom hidden in the words of the Spirit by examining it in accordance with our strength, not what it is, but to what extent it is comprehensible to us. Those who spend their lives at sea, descending into the very abyss, bring valuable stones for those on earth; We, exploring the sea of ​​​​divine Scriptures, will rush into the very abyss of spiritual wisdom, as far as it is possible for us, in order to bring you a perfect treasure, better adorning souls than crowns lined with precious stones adorn the heads of kings. The beauty of those (crowns) is in accordance with real life; and the one who crowns his soul with the words of the Spirit now spends his time with all safety, and after the end of his life boldly approaches the throne of Christ, full of virtue and clean from all filth. So, what treasure do we bring you from the depths of the Scriptures, without touching the very abyss of wisdom, but descending to it as far as possible? Christ, attracting people to prayer and wanting to show the benefit that flows from it for our souls, introduces a certain vicious and cruel judge, who has rejected all shame from his eyes and expelled the fear of God from his soul, although it would be enough to offer as an example someone just and merciful and, comparing his justice with God’s love for mankind, to show the power of prayer, because if a kind and meek person tenderly accepts those who turn to prayer, then how many times more God, whose vast love for mankind surpasses not only our minds, but even the angels themselves? So, as I said, it would be enough to cite the example of a fair judge; now He introduces a judge who is cruel and wicked, and a man-hater, fierce in relation to other people, but kind and meek in relation to those who ask, so that you understand that any prayer easily attracts even a bad nature to compassion and mercy. So why did Christ do this? So that none of all people remain ignorant about the power of prayer. Therefore, having presented a widow to the most vicious of all judges and showing him to be a lover of mankind, contrary to his nature, from this vicious man he transferred the speech to His Father, who is good, meek, gentle, humane, ignoring iniquities, forgiving many sins, being slandered daily and bearing it, condescendingly looking at the honor given to demons, at the insults inflicted on Him, at the slander. against His Son, for countless obvious and secret evils. Well, being slandered in this way, He meekly endures, and if He sees that we are falling down with appropriate fear, will He not soon have mercy? “Hear,” says (the Lord), “what the unjust judge says? Although I do not fear God and am not ashamed of people, yet, just as this widow does not give me peace, I will protect her” (Luke 18:6, 4-5). What are you saying? What fear had no power over, prayer had power over? Both the threat and the expectation of punishment did not lead this man to justice, but the widow, who appeared with a prayer, tamed the cruel one. So, what should we think about a philanthropic God, if a pleading widow made a cruel man so meek? How great kindness, how great love for mankind will God show in relation to us, always wanting only to be merciful, but never wanting to punish, even threatening us with punishments due to His great love for mankind and preparing great honors, so that both fear and expectation of honor. - one stimulated one to virtue, and the other kept him from evil deeds! I cannot turn my mind away from the unjust judge, in his meekness, which did not correspond to his natural qualities, contemplating God’s ineffable love for mankind. Indeed, if someone who never wanted to show anything good-hearted on his part suddenly changed and took pity on the one who begged, then how much concern will prayers from heaven bring us? Everyone could learn the power and power of holy prayers by examining and contemplating how great benefits are enjoyed daily and hourly by those who always humbly implore God. And who does not know that God equally grants the light of the sun, and stars, and the moon, and the goodness of the air, and various types of food, and wealth, and life, and countless blessings to all people - both the righteous and the wicked, for the reason that His love for mankind, manifested in relation to us, is great? If He is daily so merciful and calms those who do not ask or demand, then how many great benefits will naturally be enjoyed by those who have spent their whole lives in petitions and prayers? And how many of the righteous managed to save nations, cities, and the entire universe through prayers, we want to tell you about this. But when remembering prayer, the first person worthy of mention is Paul - Paul, who was insatiable in the work of serving God, the common father and eldest of Christ’s servants. So, this guardian of the universe, through prayer and unceasing supplication, saved all nations, always telling us: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and on earth is named, that He might grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ might dwell in your hearts by faith” (Eph. 3:14-17). Do you see how much power prayer and petition have? It makes people into churches of Christ, and just as gold, and valuable stones, and marble build the dwellings of kings, so prayer makes churches of Christ. “Let Christ dwell in your hearts,” he says. What could be a greater praise for prayer than that it makes churches of God? Whom the heavens cannot contain, This one enters the soul that spends its life in prayer. “Heaven is My throne,” says (the Lord), “and the earth is My footstool; “Where will you build a house for Me,” says the Lord, “and where is the place of My rest?” (Isa.66:1). But, nevertheless, Paul builds up the house with holy prayers. “I bow,” he says, “my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,... yes... Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith.” And from there, of course, anyone could see the power of holy prayers, that Paul, who ran through the whole world, as if inspired, and lived in prison, and was scourged, and wore chains, and lived in the midst of blood and danger, and drove away demons, and raised the dead, and healed diseases, did not rely on any of these for the salvation of people, but strengthened the earth with prayers, and after signs and the resurrection of the dead resorted to prayers, just as an athlete rushes to the place of struggle for a crown. Truly, prayer is the culprit of both the resurrection of the dead and everything else; and this is natural, because the same power that water has in relation to trees, the prayers of holy men have in relation to this life. At night, refreshing his soul with prayer, Paul easily endured all troubles, exposing his back to the blows as if he were a statue. Thus he shook the prison in Macedonia; thus, like a lion, he broke his bonds with prayers; thus he rescued the jailer from error; thus crushing the tyranny of demons (Acts 16). Of course, we also know what he writes to all people: “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Pray also for us, that the word may be given to me, when I open my mouth boldly, to “declare the mystery” of the gospel (Col. 4:2-3). What are you saying? Prayers give us such great boldness that we can dare to pray to God for Paul? What warrior dares to beg the king for a great commander? And although no general is as friendly to the king as Paul is to God, however, prayers give us such great honor that we can dare to implore God for Paul. Thus, the great Peter, more brilliant than heaven, was freed from prison, mainly thanks to his own virtue and for the sake of common human salvation, and then because the prayer of the church quickly opened the imprisoned doors of the prison. After all, Luke did not write rashly that “the church prayed diligently” for Peter (Acts 12:5), but in order for us to understand how great power prayers have in heaven, so that they free Paul and Peter, the pillars of the church, the leaders of the apostles, glorious in heaven, the wall of the universe, the general guard of the whole earth and sea, from danger. Tell me, how did Moses save Israel during the wars? Didn’t he hand over weapons and troops to the disciple, and didn’t he himself oppose his prayers to many enemies, teaching us that the prayers of the righteous have much greater power than the strength of weapons, horses, wealth, and troops? Therefore, the entire army, and many myriads in the prayer of the prophet had hope of salvation, since when Moses prayed, the Jews gained the upper hand (Ex. 17:10-11), but when he stopped praying, they yielded to the enemies. In this way, of course, we, by praying, can easily defeat the devil, but living in carelessness, we inflict the evil one against ourselves. Even Moses saved the people who lived wickedly through prayer alone, and with the help of it alone he achieved divine vision and countless benefits. She also made him a life similar to the life of the celestials. Prayer destroyed the power of fire and tamed the lions, doing one for Daniel and the other for the three youths (Dan.6:16-22; Dan.3:19-94). Through this, I think, it became clear to everyone that no matter whoever is in danger, prayer takes possession of everyone, it easily delivers everyone from threatening troubles. Prayer is the cause of salvation, the culprit of the immortality of the soul, the indestructible wall of the church, unshakable protection, terrible for demons, but for us, the pious, it is saving. She gave birth to the holy prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1), because, after nature opposed the mother in giving birth to children, prayer, having appeared, quickly corrected the vice of nature. This is the fruit of prayer, this is what the prayer of the prophet gave birth to. From here came Samuel, glorious in heaven, a better than human rival, a rival to the angels; and it was necessary, I think, for such an ear of prayer to appear that would surpass the rest in excellent qualities and kindness of morals and would have as much an advantage over the holy men who came before him, as in the fields the fattest and tallest of the ears stand out from the rest. With her help, David removed great wars from himself, without using weapons, without shaking a spear, without drawing a sword, but protecting himself with prayers; thanks to her, Hezekiah quickly put many Persians to flight (2 Kings 18:9–37, 19:1–37). They brought siege weapons to the wall, and he strengthened the wall with prayers; and the war ended without weapons, thanks to prayer, when the trumpet did not make a sound, when the army did not move, when the weapons were not set in motion, when the ground was not stained with blood - prayer was enough to intimidate the enemies. Prayer also saved the Ninevites and quickly turned away the wrath rushing from heaven, and soon corrected the life infected with sin. Prayer has such power and strength that although the Ninevites lived their entire lives shamefully and viciously, when prayer entered the city, it quickly changed everything and with it brought chastity, and justice, and friendship, and unanimity, and care for the poor, and all the good things. Just as it is necessary that after any queen enters a city, all wealth follows along with her, in the same way, of course, after prayer penetrates the soul, all virtue enters along with it. And what is the foundation in the home, the same is in the soul - prayer. And we must all, having established in the soul first of all, as if the foundation and some root, zealously build chastity, and meekness, and justice, and care for the poor, and all the laws of Christ, so that, having lived in accordance with them the rest of the time, we receive heavenly blessings, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, be glory and dominion forever centuries. Amen. The words of St. John Chrysostom is questioned on the basis mainly of syllable characteristics. In Minh's edition it belongs to the Dubia department. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith”