Chapter 16

On Spiritual Coldness in the Practice of Prayer

^16.2.1 May the mercy of God be with you!

^16.3.1 I’m sorry—my reply has been delayed. And I’ve had to greet you not with the Bright Feasts, but with the fast.[1]

^16.4.1 Grant you, Lord, to be conformed to the order of the Holy Church, not in food and drink alone, but also in the disposition of your soul.

^16.5.1 You mention spiritual coldness in the practice of prayer... This is a great loss. Make the effort to shake yourself awake. Household affairs can excuse only a short time standing in prayer, but they cannot excuse the drying up of interior prayer. The Lord is pleased with little – but at least let that little be from the heart. Lift your intellect to Him and say with contrition: ‘Lord, have mercy! Lord, bless!’ Lord, help!’ is a cry of prayer. And if feeling toward God is reborn and dwells in the heart, that will be unceasing prayer without words and without standing at prayer.

^16.6.1 You certainly have the book ‘On Sobriety and Prayer.’ A collection... Take it up and read it little by little... Prayer will begin to stir.

^16.7.1 Insert into your prayer rule the little prayers of Saint Chrysostom: ‘Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings!’ and so on.

^16.8.1 You can skip one of the appointed prayers and say these three, five, or ten times... As your soul inclines.

^16.9.1 You can even use them to replace the entire rule at times. It’s good to read them during the day too, in the midst of your work. You need to think them through and feel them deeply. And then they will be like levers.

^16.10.1 I’m sending you the third volume of the Philokalia. And there you’ll find something to read for warming your prayer... May the Lord bless you![2] God’s blessing upon your husband and children.

^16.11.1 Your well-wisher, Bishop Theophan.