Chapter 165

The Straight Path in Prayer

I said about prayer what I said because I don’t know what people have made of the Jesus Prayer. They think that as soon as someone begins to perform this prayer, they have already accomplished everything. The prayer has become for them like some sort of charm: “Perform it, adding to it the bodily positions spoken of elsewhere, and you will obtain everything.” So they mutter it, while their heart remains empty, their thoughts wander, even shameful movements arise, and it troubles them not, as though all such things were in the natural order. Some experience a slight warmth when doing this, and they cry: “Look, grace, look, grace!”—and forget what those experienced say: “Beware, a slight warmth may come—do not marvel, this comes from nature, not from grace.”

What is sought through the Jesus Prayer? That the grace-filled fire should sink into the heart and unceasing prayer should begin, which is how grace-filled state is defined. Know that the Jesus Prayer, when the divine spark falls into the heart, fans it into flame; but the prayer itself does not give this spark—it only facilitates receiving it. How does it facilitate? By gathering thoughts into one and giving the soul the power to stand before the Lord and walk in His presence. The chief thing is to stand and walk before God with a cry to Him from the heart. This is how Maximus Kapsokalivier did it. Let all who seek the grace-filled fire do likewise, and let them not worry about the words and bodily positions. God looks on the heart (Cf.: 1 Sam. 16:7). I speak against those who completely forget about the cry from the heart. All their care is for the words and bodily position, and after reciting a certain number of Jesus Prayers in this position with prostrations, they rest in this with a certain self-esteem and condemn those who go to church for the common liturgical prayer. Some live their whole life this way and remain empty of grace.

If someone asked me, “How should I conduct my prayer work?”, I would say to him: become accustomed to walk in the presence of God, or preserve the remembrance of God and reverence; to support this remembrance, choose a few short prayers, or simply take the 24 brief prayers of John Chrysostom and repeat them often with corresponding thoughts and feelings. As you grow in the habit, your head will be enlightened by the remembrance of God and your heart will grow warm. In this state, at last the divine spark—a ray of grace—will sink into your heart. This you cannot produce by any means; it comes straight from God. Then you can remain with the Jesus Prayer alone and fan the prayer spark into flame with it.

Such is the straight path.

(Letter 911. Vol. 5, pp. 189–190)