Chapter 208

More on the Degrees of Prayer

Prayer must always be the lifting up of mind and heart to God. When, ascending to God, we glorify God, thank Him, and ask Him for the gift of spiritual blessings, with consciousness and feeling of His greatness, His beneficence, and His merciful compassion, then we are praying, or we are in a state of prayer. All our prayers, which are contained in prayer books and in church books, contain all that has been said; and if we, in reading these prayers, do not merely pronounce words but have the same thoughts and feelings, then this is true prayer. If you pray in this way, then well done. If, praying thus in church and at home, by long performance of your prayer in this manner you come to the point that prayerful thoughts and feelings become natural to your mind and heart, so that whether you are standing at prayer or not, these thoughts and feelings do not depart from your attention and always keep it clinging to God—then you have ascended to a higher degree of prayer, which may rightly be called prayer of the mind in the heart. It occurs in the soul even without words, during conversation with others and while occupied with some work. This uninterrupted attention to God, or walking before God, is unceasing prayer.

The Jesus Prayer is a great aid to this; it very powerfully concentrates attention toward God and makes it strong. From this you can see where the place of this prayer is and what is required for success in it. These are the degrees of prayer.

First. Becoming accustomed to ordinary prayers in church and at home.

Second. The becoming natural of prayerful thoughts and feelings to mind and heart.

Third. Unceasing prayer.

The Jesus Prayer can lead to all three of these, but its proper place is in unceasing prayer. The principal condition for success in prayer is the purification of the heart from passions and all attachment to anything sensual. Without this, prayer will always remain at the first degree, or the reading degree. In proportion to the purification of the heart, prayer of reading will transition into prayer of the mind in the heart, and when the heart is fully purified, then unceasing prayer will be established.

How should you act? In church, follow the service and hold those thoughts and feelings which the church service offers. At home, awaken in yourself prayer-filled thoughts and feelings and maintain them in your soul with the help of the Jesus Prayer. May God bless you, Lord!

(Letter 243. Vol. 2, p. 60–61)