Chapter 6
On Prayer That Proceeds From the Heart
6.2.1 May the protection of the Mother of God be upon you!
6.3.1 May the mercy of God be with you!
6.4.1 They began to pray with little prayers and then gave up. If they hadn’t given up, the work would have gone far by now; and now again we must begin anew. True prayer is that which comes straight from the heart and rises to God. And no other prayer is prayer if it is not of this kind. This, then, must be our whole concern in the matter of prayer. But usually our intellect is cluttered with a multitude of unholy thoughts, our will – with many worldly cares, our heart – with earthly sympathies and pleasures; and so for us to rise at once to God is the same as to clamber out of a swamp.[1] Little prayers are a very useful means to this end, or aid. They train the intellect to hold fast to one thing; gradually they draw the heart’s affection to their side and draw you away from cares. This action shows itself more powerfully and quickly if you review them with attention not only during your rule, but also at other times. The final fruit is the formation of a spiritual feeling toward God, which is inseparable from unceasing prayer or is one and the same thing with it. Here there is a living union with God—the goal of spiritual life.
6.5.1 Right when you wake up there’s a rapid flood of thoughts, tasks, and feelings. This must be destroyed, and the habit acquired of dedicating one’s first thought to God... This is accomplished by thinking about God. I think we talked about this... Specifically—you need to go through the Symbol of Faith—all the holy truths... up to the universal judgment and the determination of everyone’s fate.
6.6.1 Please keep to these two practices, and all will be well. Just add to this – turn away from evil and do good... in word, deed, and thought, – and the whole program is there...
6.7.1 Write it on a slip of paper... and read it often: as soon as you wake up – meditation on God; then short prayers with attention and feeling... and all day long: Turn away from evil and do good... every task – even the smallest – do in the best way, as before the eye of God.
6.8.1 The pain in your hand is muscular rheumatism. I had it myself... It was cured by an electromagnetic machine. I’m sure there’s one at the city hospital... Give it a try. My treatment lasted about a month and a half... morning and evening. The electromagnetism was applied to the place where the pain was. You can buy a sewing machine too...
6.9.1 May the Lord arrange your family and work matters in the very best way.
6.10.1 When the 33rd psalm comes out, I’ll send it to you.
6.11.1 I have not composed meditations on the Passion of the Lord. It is not my work.
6.12.1 Writing notes and placing them on the relics of the Hierarch seems to me to show great presumption.[2] Does Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk not have the hearing to listen to prayers addressed to him?
6.13.1 May the Lord bless you!
6.14.1 Be saved!
6.15.1 Your well-wisher, Bishop Theophan.
6.16.1