Chapter 71

How to Learn to Pray

You wanted to study noetic prayer. Good! But what kind of prayer did you have before?! Prayer by its very nature is a noetic activity,—and if you were not praying noetically, then you were not praying at all.—But I will tell you that there is no one who does not pray noetically. Everyone prays noetically. Everyone, when they pray, mentally represents God as present and speaks their needs to Him. Even when reading prayers, everyone strives mentally to be raised up to God. If something should be said, it is that they do this imperfectly, not continuously, even during prayer, and chiefly—without feeling. Thus your desire will be: how to attain perfection in prayer—noetically raised up to God? The answer to this is: seek, and you will find (Matt. 7:7).

How did you learn to write?! By the labor of writing with the desire to write correctly according to models. Do the same in prayer—and you will learn. Prayer doesn’t come by itself; you must study.

First. Accustom yourself to walk in God’s presence, before God’s eyes with the feelings that correspond to this.

Second. Whenever you have the chance, make prostrations with feelings of contrition and humility.

Third. Read all the books about prayer—and meditate upon it.

Fourth. Above all, strive with all your might to conduct church services with remembrance of God,—and then your home rule as well.

You must rub the soul, and it will warm up. When warmth comes, then the thoughts will settle,—and prayer will become pure.

But all is from God’s grace. That is why you must pray to the Lord that He give you prayer.

(Letter 311. Vol. 2, pp. 174–175; Letter 1457. Vol. 8, pp. 194–195)