The Jesus Prayer, Spoken, Noetic, and Prayer of the Heart

On spoken prayer. In its shortened form it is said thus: “Lord, have mercy”; “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”; and in its full form: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” At first it is pronounced for the most part with effort and reluctance, but as the practice increases and one constrains oneself to it, if only there is a firm intention by means of prayer to diminish with God’s help and grace all-around passions, then from frequent practice of it, in proportion as passions diminish, it will gradually become easier, more pleasant, and more desirable.

In spoken prayer, one must try in every possible way to keep reason in the words of the prayer, to speak slowly, concentrating all attention on the thoughts expressed by the words; and when the mind is drawn away into extraneous thoughts, without disturbance “draw it back into the words of the prayer” (see: Ladder, Discourse 28, 17). Stillness of mind is not given quickly, nor when we wish, but when we humble ourselves and when God wills it. This gift of God is not determined by time or by the number of prayers, but by heartfelt humility and Christ’s grace and constant constraint of ourselves to it. From spoken attentive prayer there is a transition to noetic prayer, which is called thus when we are drawn to God with mind alone, or when we behold God.

On noetic prayer. In noetic prayer it is absolutely necessary to keep attention in the heart before the Lord. In proportion to our zeal and humble effort in prayer, God grants the first gift to our mind—gathering and concentration in prayer. When attention to the Lord becomes inseparable, then it is grace-filled attention; but our own attention is always constrained. From such noetic prayer there is a transition to heartfelt inner prayer, if there is an experienced teacher who is very suitable and free. When we come to be with God through the feelings of the heart, and love of God fills the heart, then such prayer bears the name of prayer of the heart.

On inner, heartfelt prayer. In the Gospel it is written: if anyone wants to follow me, let him deny himself and take up his cross (Matt. 16:24). If we apply these words to the work of prayer, they will mean the following. Whoever wishes to labor lawfully in the ascetic struggle of prayer, let him first deny his own will and his own opinions, and then bear the cross—that is, the labor of soul and body that is inevitable in this struggle. Having given himself entirely to the sleepless care of God, he must humbly and courageously endure this labor for the sake of the true good that is granted to the diligent pray-er by God in his own time, when God by His grace sets bounds to our mind and establishes it immovably with remembrance of God in the heart.

When such standing of the mind becomes something natural and constant, it bears among the fathers the name union of mind with heart; in such an arrangement, the mind no longer has any desire to be outside the heart; on the contrary, if by any circumstances or much conversation it is held outside in attention, it has an irresistible desire to return again into itself with a certain spiritual thirst and with new zeal again to occupy itself with building its inner house. In such a heartfelt arrangement, everything transfers from the head into the heart, and then as it were a certain noetic light illumines all his interior, and whatever he does or says or thinks is all done with full consciousness and attention. He can clearly see what thoughts come to him, what intentions and desires, and willingly compels his mind, heart, and will to obedience to Christ, to the fulfillment of every God-given and fatherly commandment. Any deviation from them he blots out with a feeling of heartfelt repentance and contrition with sincere sorrow and with a humble, tender appeal to God, asking and awaiting help from above for his infirmity. And God, seeing such humility in him, does not deprive him of His grace.

Know that prayer of the mind in the heart comes to some quickly and to others not so quickly. I know of three people: one it came to as soon as it was told, that very hour; another it came to after six months, a third after ten months; and to one great elder it came after two years. And why this happens—only God knows.

Know further that before the destruction of passions, prayer is one thing, and another after the purification of the heart from passions: the first is a help in purifying the heart from passions, while the second is as it were a spiritual pledge of future blessedness.

Do thus: when you feel the entering of the mind into the heart and the action of prayer, then give complete freedom to such prayer, removing all that is unfavorable to it; and while it lasts—do nothing else. When you do not feel such a draw, then pray with spoken prayer and prostrations, endeavoring in every way to keep attention in the heart before the face of the Lord. Your heart will become warm in this manner of prayer as well.

Be watchful and vigilant, especially during prayer of the mind in the heart. No one is more pleasing to God than the one who correctly practices prayer of the mind in the heart. When you are unable or lack time to practice prayer, then in every possible way preserve a spirit of prayer in yourself in all your activities—that is, keep God in remembrance and in every way strive with the eyes of the mind to behold Him before you with fear and love, and feeling Him present before you, with reverent obedience in all your works offer yourself to His dominion, His might, His all-seeing eye, and His all-knowledge, so that in every deed, word, and thought God may be remembered and His holy will. This, in brief, is what a spirit of prayer consists in!

It is absolutely necessary for the lover of prayer to have this spirit, and, insofar as possible, with constant heartfelt attention, bring your reasoning under God’s reasoning and submit to Him humbly and reverently; likewise bring your desires and wishes under God’s desire and wholly offer yourself to God’s reasoning and God’s will. You must stand firmly against the spirit of self-willedness, or the desire and impulse to act without any restraint. This spirit whispers: “This is beyond my strength, I don’t have time for it,” or “It’s not yet time to take this on, I need to wait,” or “The duties of obedience prevent me,” and much of the like. Whoever listens to it will never become skilled in prayer.

In alliance with this spirit stands the spirit of self-justification, which comes forward and begins to work after someone, carried away by the spirit of self-willedness, does something for which conscience troubles him. Then the spirit of self-justification employs various tricks to deceive the conscience and present his wrongdoing as right. May God guard you from these evil spirits.

(Letter 937. Vol. 5, p. 226–230)