You Must Come Down With Your Attention Into the Heart

How pleasant it was to read that spiritual emptiness drew you to prayer, and you turned to the best prayer—the Jesus Prayer—and began to practice it with such success. God bless you to make progress in it, and moreover so that nothing could ever distract you from it.

You ask what is needed. Pray as you are praying—that is good. Remember and do the same. I will remind you of one thing: you must come down with your attention into your heart and stand there before the face of the Lord—all-present both in you and all-seeing—both you. Thus you thought: above—toward God’s throne, and below—toward yourself, the sinful.

Standing before the face of the Lord, do not admit other thoughts, but only behold the Lord with proper feelings toward Him—that He sees, hears, is ready to listen and to fulfill. Do not leave the word without thoughts of the Lord and of what He is for us, but let your thoughts be simple: that He is near, guards, holds, teaches, guides.

When you begin, then certain needs will open up concerning this prayer, and you will ask.

Look to the end of the work. Thought and feeling will become so united with the Lord that they become inseparable—there will be a feeling toward the Lord unceasing, warm and sweet. Everything else will be outside, as foreign.

When you are humble, God’s grace will quickly bring this prayer into power.

Take care that everything proceeds from the heart. Do not think about outward postures.

That you at first thought it was established, and then everything scattered—this will happen often. So, as soon as such a thought arises, know beforehand that it lies, and do not dwell on it.

Stability will begin when a small flame kindles in the heart.

(Letter 977. Vol. 6, pp. 102–103)