XXXIV. Молитва

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners, so that they may appear before people. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret” (Matthew 6:5–6). “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8; Luke 11:9–10). “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). “Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). “Watch and pray at all times” (Luke 21:36). “When you stand in prayer, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25). “If you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13). “Be wise and watchful in prayer” (1 Peter 4:7). “Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:17–18). “I desire that men in every place say their prayers, lifting up clean hands, without anger or doubting” (1 Tim. 2:8). “Inspire my words, O Lord, understand my calling. Listen to the voice of my prayer” (Ps. 5:2–3). “Lord, do not reprove me with your wrath; do not punish me with your anger. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are broken, and my soul is greatly troubled” (Ps. 6:2–4). “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and inspire my supplication; do not silence my tears” (Ps. 39:13). “Offer to God a sacrifice of praise and offer up your prayers to the highest” (Ps. 49:14). “Let my prayer be corrected, like incense before you” (Ps. 140:2). “This beggar cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him from all his troubles” (Ps. 33:7). “Hear, O God, my prayer, attend to my prayer: from the ends of the earth I cried to you, when my heart was always depressed” (Ps. 60:2-3). “Have mercy on me, Lord, as I will cry to you all day long. Make glad the soul of your servant: for I have taken my soul to you” (Ps. 86:3-4). “O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried before you in the days and in the night: let my prayer come before you” (Ps. 87:2-3). “I have called to you, O Lord, all day long; I have lifted up my hands to you” (Ps. 87:10). “And I cried to you, O Lord, and my morning prayer will precede you” (Ps. 87:14). “Out of the depths I have cried to you, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice, let your ears be attentive to the voice of my prayer” (Ps. 129:1–2). “My hands are lifted up to you: my soul is like a dry land to you” (Ps. 143:6). “I have lifted up my eyes to You who live in heaven. Behold, as the eyes of slaves are turned to the hands of their masters, as the eyes of a slave are turned to the hands of her mistress, so our eyes are turned to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us, for we are much filled with humiliation, our soul is much filled with contempt from those who are prosperous and humiliation from the proud” (Ps. 122:1-4). Prayer must come from the interior of the heart (Homily 5 about the incomprehensible Divine nature). The power of prayer extinguished the power of fire, tamed the ferocity of lions, pacified warfare, drove away demons, opened the sky, and so on (Homily 5 about the incomprehensible Divine nature). The prayer of many has greater power than the prayer of one (Word 3 about the incomprehensible Divine nature). There is nothing stronger than prayer (Word 8 against the Anomeans). Nothing closes the devil’s entrance to us more than prayer and frequent petition (Homily 4 about the incomprehensible Divine nature). Prayer is a refuge for the troubled, an anchor for the troubled, a shaken rod, a treasure for the poor, security for the rich, a cure for sickness, a guardian for health (Word 8 against Anomeans). One must pray with a sober and alert mind (Catech. 2). Sins are cleansed through prayer (Conversation 3 on repentance). It is impossible for there to be a virtuous life without prayer (Homily 1 on prayer). There should be prayer from a good heart, and not from great noise (A Sermon on the Righteous Abraham). He prays before the face of God who prays with his whole mind (Catech. 2). Before prayer you need: First. Do not be angry with anyone, do not be angry, but leave all offense behind, so that God will forgive us our sins. “Forgive us our debts, and just as we forgive our debtors... if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:12, 15). Second. Reconcile with those who have been offended by word or deed. “If you are bringing your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). During prayer you need: First: humility, like earth and ashes, and also sinners, we stand before the Majesty of God and pray to Him. Signs of humility: bowing the head, kneeling, throwing oneself to the ground, beating oneself in the chest, etc. And show these signs especially during solitary prayer. Second: hope that God, as omnipresent, hears our prayer; as omnipotent, can give everything; as the most kind and merciful Father of all, he wants to give everything that is necessary and useful to us and is not contrary to His holy will. Third: heartfelt zeal or ardor. “Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice” (Ps. 129:1–2). Reasons for Prayer First. God himself calls, encourages, exhorts to prayer. “Ask, seek, knock,” says Christ. Second. God promises to hear the prayer of the faithful. “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you,” and so on, says Christ. Third. The dignity of prayer is great, for it is a conversation between the faithful soul and God. How great and pleasant it is for a perishable man to converse with the great and immortal God! Fourth. The approach to God is always convenient, the doors are open, if only the “heart” is “humble and contrite” (Ps. 50:19). It is not easy to approach the king of the earth with a request, but we can always come to the King of Heaven without any delay, whenever we want; There is no need to ask anyone for a report: go straight ahead, approach with hope. Fifth. God calls everyone to prayer, excluding no one, and promises to hear everyone. “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Ps. 145:18). “Ask, and it will be given to you,” and so on. “There is no partiality with God, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). He wants everyone to be saved, and for everyone to approach Him in prayer. Sixth. Prayer asks for the grace of the Holy Spirit, which helps in the struggle against sin (Luke 11:13). Seventh. We arm ourselves with prayer against our enemy the devil and with it we drive him away. Eighth. Through prayer we get rid of all harmful and deadly cases. Ninth. Through prayer we get rid of sadness and sorrow and receive consolation for our soul, for prayer to the sad is like cooling during the heat. Tenth. Without prayer, a person falls into fearlessness, delusion and extreme corruption. Eleventh. A sinner should not give up prayer because of his sins. For if you think that now you are not worthy to approach God in prayer, then when will you be worthy? When will this dignity come? When will you sanctify yourself, justify yourself and by what? Where does our holiness and truth come from? Christ will justify. Who is righteous before God? “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). Who was Manasseh? A great sinner. Well, is the one who prays rejected? No: I prayed with humility and received mercy. Who is the woman who wept at the feet of Christ? Harlot, sinner. Has she been rejected by Christ? No. What then? I heard His sweet voice: “Her many sins are forgiven... your faith has saved you, go in peace” (Luke 7:47, 50). Your unworthiness cannot harm you in any way. One thing is required that you leave your whims and resort to the Heavenly Father with repentance. “When sin abounded, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Like the slightest drop of water against the ocean, so are your sins in comparison with the incomprehensible grace of Christ. You might be interested in: