Chapter 47

On Attention in Prayer and Warming the Heart

^47.2.1 The mercy of God be with you!

^47.3.1 A penance?!! You should have done this yourselves... But now, when the fault has been corrected, it’s no longer timely...

^47.4.1 The order of your affairs throughout the day is good... Keep to it... and more and more, go deeper into the spiritual. To pray with thought about what the words of the prayer say is still prayer, only limping on one leg. Prayer ceases to be prayer when attention departs from the words of the prayer... But when consciousness is present during prayer... that is prayer, though unsatisfactory. Feeling will come... but you must also strain yourself toward it. It’s best to do this by reflecting on the content of the prayers not during the recitation of prayers, then during the recitation of prayers to stir up the heart... But above all, ask God Himself for this, that He would always warm the heart. Also do this: when the whole series of truths has passed, stop at the last point – the judgement and the verdict of the judgement... waiting for the pronouncement: come, or: depart... And in this position cry out: Lord, have mercy! For as the Lord decides, no one can change it.

^47.5.1 About sleep and food... If you want to reduce them, reduce them little by little... by the piece and by the spoonful... and by the minute...

^47.6.1 Labor! God will give you strength!

^47.7.1 Awareness of your powerlessness is the true threshold to receiving God’s help!

^47.8.1 May the Lord bless you!

^47.9.1 Be saved!

^47.10.1 Your well-wisher, Bishop Theophan.