Date: 2026-08-15T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Asceticism & Spirituality

On Prayer

St. Theophan the Recluse

Royal Archives

2026

Copyright

The modern English translation and the cover design are © 2026 Royal Archives. All rights reserved.

The underlying source text is in the public domain.

Published by Royal Archives

First published 2026

Translated by Royal Archives

Source: О молитве

Edition identifier: urn:royalarchives:o-molitve:en:1

Introduction

The Author

George Vasilievich Govorov was born on January 10, 1815, in the village of Chernavsk, in Russia’s Orlov province, the son of a parish priest. Schooled first in the seminaries of Livny and Orel, he went on to the Kiev Theological Academy, and there, while still a student, received the monastic tonsure and the name Theophan, in memory of Theophanes the Confessor. From that point his life ran along two tracks that would remain in tension until the very end: an active career of teaching and administration, and a deepening pull toward stillness and the interior life.

The active career was distinguished and various. Theophan served as rector of church schools in Kiev, as an inspector at Novgorod, as a member of the Russian ecclesiastical mission in Jerusalem, as chief priest of the embassy church in Constantinople, and finally as rector of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy. On May 9, 1859, he was consecrated Bishop of Tambov, and in 1863 he was transferred to the see of Vladimir. By every outward measure he was a man rising through the ranks of the Church’s public life.

Then he laid it all down. In 1866 he petitioned to be released from the government of his diocese, and on July 24 of that year he took his leave and withdrew to the Vysha Hermitage in Tambov province. Six years later, in 1872, he entered strict seclusion, cutting off ordinary contact with the world and giving himself to prayer, study, and writing. He celebrated the Liturgy in a small private chapel and, for the last stretch of his life, did so daily and alone.

Reclusion did not mean silence. From behind the walls of Vysha, Theophan carried on one of the most remarkable pastoral ministries of the nineteenth century entirely by correspondence, answering, by the common report, some twenty to forty letters every day from clergy, monastics, and ordinary lay believers who wrote to him for guidance. In these same years he produced his great scholarly labor, a five-volume Russian translation of the Philokalia, the classic patristic anthology of writings on watchfulness and the prayer of the heart, and so put the accumulated wisdom of the hesychast Fathers into the hands of an ordinary Russian readership for the first time. He reposed at Vysha on January 6, 1894. The Russian Orthodox Church glorified him as a saint on June 6, 1988, at the Local Council convened at the Trinity-Sergius Lavra under Patriarch Pimen I for the millennium of the baptism of Rus’; he is commemorated on January 10.

The Work: Occasion & Purpose

On Prayer is not a treatise that Theophan sat down to compose. It is an anthology, gathered after the fact from his letters and published writings and arranged by theme, so that the scattered counsel he gave to hundreds of separate correspondents could be read as a single connected teaching on the interior life. The clue to its making is stamped on nearly every page: after most passages stands a small parenthetical citation of two numbers, keyed to the volume and page of the collected edition from which the excerpt was drawn. Here and there a brief editorial note, marked “Compiler,” steps in to supply a context the original letter assumed or to sharpen a warning. The book is therefore a distillation of the Vysha ministry itself, its raw material the daily flood of replies that Theophan sent out to men and women trying to pray.

That origin governs everything about the work’s tone and aim. These are not lecture-hall generalities but answers to real questions from real people, most of them at a particular impasse: they had begun to pray in earnest, had kept a rule and said their prayers, and had run up against the discovery that saying prayers is not yet the same thing as praying. The book exists to lead such a reader across that gap, from external observance toward the living remembrance of God. Its assumed audience is broad on purpose. Theophan insists more than once that the interior way is not the private preserve of monks; a layman as much as a monastic can and must “pray with mind and heart,” and much of the most practical counsel here is bent precisely toward people living in the middle of ordinary work and obligation.

Within Theophan’s large corpus, On Prayer is the volume that concentrates his teaching on unceasing prayer and, above all, on the Jesus Prayer. It should not be confused with his cathedral homilies on prayer delivered at Vladimir in 1864, which set out the graded ascent of prayer as a preached synthesis, nor with his broader anthology on how to learn to pray, which treats prayer as the center and barometer of the whole Christian life, nor with his catena on the Lord’s Prayer, which expounds the Our Father petition by petition in the words of the Fathers. The graded ascent surfaces here too, but as one theme among many; the distinctive burden of this book is the practical mastery of noetic prayer and the Jesus Prayer, together with a candid map of the hazards that beset it.

Argument & Structure

The anthology falls into two large movements. The first and longer, gathered under the heading “On Unceasing Prayer,” runs through the bulk of the book; the second, “On the Jesus Prayer,” takes up the same territory again from a tighter angle. A short opening chapter, in Theophan’s own voice, states the theme in miniature: prayer is the earnest, penitent invocation of the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and when it becomes constant it stands guard over the whole inner life.

The first movement builds by stages. It opens by insisting that familiarity with the Jesus Prayer is a means and not the end—that a person can have the words fixed on the tongue, and even a certain warmth, and still have no true prayer, because the essence of the matter lies not in words but in faith, contrition, and self-surrender to God. From there it defines what unceasing prayer actually is: not ceaseless muttering but a “feeling toward God that does not depart,” a continuous inner orientation that the Apostle’s command to pray without ceasing both requires and makes possible. A long, unusually practical section then wrestles with the question every working believer asks—how such prayer can possibly be reconciled with a day full of tasks—and answers it by appeal to the Apostles, to Basil the Great, and to the desert monks who labored with their hands while their minds never left God: all work, done as God’s own commission and offered back to Him, can itself become prayer.

The heart of the first movement is Theophan’s anatomy of interior prayer. He distinguishes the three stages of prayer’s growth—bodily or verbal, at which words are spoken with attention; noetic or mental, in which the mind prays inwardly; and prayer of the heart, in which feeling for the divine presence carries the whole person—and he returns again and again to a single governing image: the descent, or union, of the mind with the heart. Prayer that remains “in the head,” intellectually busy but cut off from the heart, is not yet the thing itself; only when attention settles into the heart and stands there before the Lord does the storm of thoughts subside. Above this he places the rare gift of contemplative prayer, “given to one out of a thousand,” which he treats with reverence and caution alike, insisting it can never be manufactured by effort.

Then the movement turns to safeguards. It examines the fruits of prayer, sharply separating the merely natural warmth that any concentration produces from the grace-given warmth that comes, he says, chiefly through the Mysteries of Confession and Communion. And it devotes a searching sequence to the deviations from the right path: the trap of imagination, the trap of purely cerebral effort, the “artistic technique” of bodily method pursued for its own sake, the counterfeit warmth that slides into sensuality, and the self-conceit that hardens into prelest, spiritual delusion. Against all of these Theophan sets two protections he never tires of naming: a heart kept in contrition and the fear of God, and an experienced guide, for he holds the unguided practice of noetic prayer to be genuinely dangerous.

The second movement, “On the Jesus Prayer,” covers the same ground with the Jesus Prayer explicitly in the foreground—what it is and why every Christian may take it up, how it takes root over months or years, what to seek and not to seek through it, how to build a prayer rule around it (with several concrete patterns), what to do when attention wanders, its principal dangers, and, once more, the indispensability of a guide. The book closes as it began, on the note that unceasing prayer is finally a work of love: whoever receives it “is already standing in the vestibule of paradise.”

Theological & Spiritual Significance

The abiding contribution of On Prayer is its relentless, pastorally honest distinction between prayer as external form and prayer as interior state. Theophan is not against forms—he prizes the prayer rule, the appointed prayers, church services, prostrations, and above all the Jesus Prayer—but he refuses to let any of them be mistaken for the goal they serve. The goal is the “remembrance of God,” a standing in the divine presence that persists beneath the surface of daily life; every technique is only kindling for that fire, and kindling that never catches is worth nothing.

This gives the book its characteristic sobriety about spiritual experience. In an age, then as now, apt to prize warmth, sweetness, and remarkable states, Theophan insists that such things are for the most part natural byproducts, morally neutral at best and spiritually perilous when clung to; the true and stable fruit of prayer, he says, is not warmth but fear of God and a contrite heart. His treatment of prelest is among the most lucid in the tradition precisely because it refuses to locate holiness in feeling. What keeps a soul safe is not intensity but humility, contrition, obedience to a guide, and the quiet, wordless “feeling toward God that does not depart.”

In all of this Theophan stands consciously within the hesychast inheritance he had done so much to transmit through his Philokalia, drawing openly on Isaac the Syrian, Symeon the New Theologian, Gregory of Sinai, Macarius, and others. His achievement is to have carried that monastic teaching across the threshold into the ordinary Christian world—to have shown, letter by patient letter, that the prayer of the heart is a path meant for laypeople in the thick of their obligations, not a mountain reserved for the few. That translation of a rarefied tradition into workable counsel for everyone is why the book has kept its readers.

Reception & Influence

Theophan’s letters became, in the century after his death, one of the principal channels through which the hesychast teaching on prayer reached the modern world, East and West alike. His counsel forms much of the backbone of The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo and later translated into English and introduced by Bishop Kallistos Ware, a book that carried Theophan’s practical wisdom on the Jesus Prayer to a wide readership far beyond Russia. Selections from the same body of material had earlier appeared in English in the periodical Orthodox Life. Today Theophan is read across the Christian traditions as one of the surest nineteenth-century guides to interior prayer, valued for exactly the qualities this anthology displays: directness, psychological realism, and an unwillingness to flatter the reader’s spiritual ambitions.

The Text & This Edition

This is a fresh, modern English edition, rendered from the Russian public-domain text of On Prayer (О молитве) as it circulates today—a re-typeset of the long-standing compilation drawn from Theophan’s collected letters and writings. Because the underlying material is an anthology, the edition preserves the features that make it one: the two-part arrangement, the thematic chapter headings, the short compiler’s notes, and the parenthetical source citations of volume and page that stand after each excerpt, pointing back to the collected edition from which it came. (One recurring reference is worth flagging: the material Theophan wrote in reply to the posthumously published mystical letters of the statesman Count Mikhail Speransky, which became his Letters on Spiritual Life.)

Following the conventions of this series, the author is named as the Church has always received him—Saint Theophan the Recluse—and those who carried his Russian into English are credited as translators, never as authors. Scripture references are given in the modern Arabic style (for example, 1 Thess. 5:17) rather than in older Roman forms, and the English has been modernized for readability while holding closely to the sense and register of the original. The aim throughout has been to let an English-speaking reader hear Theophan as his correspondents heard him: plainly, concretely, and without ornament.

Suggestions for Reading

This is a book to be read slowly and in small portions rather than straight through. Each chapter is brief—often a single paragraph lifted from a single letter—and rewards being sat with rather than skimmed. A reader who finds one passage obscure will usually find its meaning opened by the chapters around it, which is how Theophan himself supplied the context in the original correspondence. It helps to remember what kind of book this is: not a system to be mastered but a long conversation between a wise elder and people trying, in their own circumstances, to learn to pray. Read that way, its very unevenness becomes its gift.

St. Theophan the Recluse

The author of this work on prayer.

What Prayer Is

Prayer is earnest, penitent invocation of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; it brings us near, unites us, and joins us with the Lord. It is our reverent prayerful remembrance of Christ our Savior. When practiced constantly, prayer becomes a guardian of our inner life, of our thoughts and feelings, and prevents anything impure and unworthy from entering the soul.

Be so kind as to contemplate all this, take it as your guide, and read it often, to renew in your memory how you ought to act.

St. Theophan the Recluse

On Unceasing Prayer

Familiarity with the Jesus Prayer—a means, not the essence of the matter

The Jesus Prayer is Not Unceasing Prayer, but Only an Aid Toward It

You have felt the desire to learn the Jesus Prayer. God will bless you! But practicing the Jesus Prayer is not unceasing prayer; it is only an aid to it… Unceasing prayer is a gift of grace… and one must pray for it: “Lord, grant me to pray to You unceasingly!” This prayer consists not in words, but in a feeling toward God that does not depart. One must care for this feeling and keep it warm. (10, 111)1

Whoever Stops at the Jesus Prayer Alone Stops Halfway

They say: “Acquire the Jesus Prayer,” meaning inner prayer. The Jesus Prayer is an excellent means toward inner prayer, but in itself it is not inner—it is external prayer. Those who become practiced in it do very well. But if they stop at it alone and go no further, they stop halfway…

In the Jesus Prayer, contemplation of God is still necessary; otherwise it is dry food. It is good when the name of Jesus has become fixed on the tongue. But one can do this and not remember the Lord at all, and even harbor thoughts contrary to Him. Everything, therefore, depends on conscious and free turning toward God and the labor of keeping oneself in this with discernment. (6, 19)

The Matter is Not in Words, but in Faith and Feeling

The practice of the Jesus Prayer is simple: stand with attention in the heart before the face of the Lord and cry out to Him: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!” The matter is not in words, but in faith, contrition, and the surrender of yourself to the Lord. With these feelings you can stand before the Lord even without words… and this will be prayer. (6, 224)

There is a Jesus Prayer and Warmth, Yet No True Prayer

Prayer practice does not form all at once… but requires prolonged labor and self-exertion. It is in this very labor of forming prayer practice that the Jesus Prayer and its accompanying warmth help best of all. Mark this, father: they are means, not the thing itself. It is possible to have the Jesus Prayer and warmth present, yet no true prayer. Strange as it seems, it does happen so! (7, 63)

Not All Who Have Familiarity With the Jesus Prayer Taste its Fruit

Great is the power of this prayer, according to the depiction of the holy fathers; yet in practice we see that not all who have familiarity with it partake of this power, not all taste its fruit. Why is this? Because they themselves wish to take into their own possession what belongs to God’s gift and is the work of the Lord’s grace. To begin to repeat this prayer in the morning, in the evening, while walking and lying down, during work and at leisure—this is our work: it requires no special help from God. Working always in the same way, one can come on one’s own to the point where the tongue repeats this prayer even without our consciousness. There may follow from this a certain stilling of thoughts, and even a kind of heart-warmth: but all this will be, as the monk Nikephoras notes in the Philokalia, the work and fruit of our efforts. To stop at this is the same as being satisfied with the ability of a parrot to pronounce certain words, even such as “Lord, have mercy.” The fruit from this is: you will think you have something, when in fact you have nothing at all. This happens to those in whom, during their practice of this prayer, inasmuch as it depends on us, awareness of its essence does not open up. (15, 167)

The Essence of the Matter—to Be Established in the Remembrance of God

The essence of the matter is this: to “be established in the remembrance of God, or to walk in God’s presence.” One can say to everyone: “Do whatever you wish, only achieve this… Whether you practice the Jesus Prayer, or make prostrations, or go to church… do whatever you like, only achieve being always in the remembrance of God.” I remember, in Kyiv I met a man who said: “I used no methods and did not know the Jesus Prayer, yet all that is written here was and is with me. How, I myself do not know. God gave it!”

What God has given or will give—to have this in view—so as not to confuse self-made efforts with the gift of grace. (6, 17–18)

Familiarity With the Jesus Prayer Must Be With Thought of the Lord

Become practiced in the Jesus Prayer so that it sticks to your tongue, but always with thought of the Lord. If along with this you sigh to the Lord from the heart, that will be noetic prayer, not merely the words of the Jesus Prayer. (7, 58)

Some Forget the Cry From the Heart and Are Empty of Grace

I argue against those who completely forget about the cry from the heart… Their whole concern is with words and bodily posture, and, having recited a certain number of Jesus Prayers in this posture with prostrations, they rest on this with a kind of self-conceit and condemn those who go to church for the common liturgical prayer. Some live their whole life this way and are empty of grace. (10, 189–190)

Mere Repetition of the Jesus Prayer Words Means Nothing

The Jesus Prayer is not some kind of charm. Its power comes from faith in the Lord and a deep unity of the heart and mind with Him. With such dispositions, the name of the Lord called upon is manifested as exceedingly powerful. Mere repetition of the words means nothing. (16, 133)

What is unceasing prayer

Prayer That Prays Itself

We all pray; but there is prayer that prays itself and draws the whole inner person along with it. Only those who have experienced this know what prayer truly is. (15, 18)

It Comes From Grace and a Pure Conscience

There is prayer that a person himself makes; and there is prayer that God gives to the one praying (1 Sam. 2:9)… At first, when someone approaches the Lord, the first thing is prayer. He begins to go to church and pray at home using prayer books and without them. But all his thoughts scatter. He cannot manage them at all. Yet the more he labors in prayer, the more the thoughts settle and settle, and prayer becomes purer. However, the atmosphere of the soul does not clear until a spiritual spark is kindled in the soul. This spark is the work of God’s grace, but not a special grace—rather the general grace given to all. It appears as a result of a certain measure of purity in the entire moral structure of the person seeking. When this spark kindles or a constant warmth is formed in the heart, then the tumult of thoughts ceases. What happens to the soul is like what happened to the woman with the flow of blood: the flow of her blood stopped (Luke 8:44). In this state, prayer, more or less, approaches the unceasing. The Jesus Prayer serves as an intermediary to it. And this is the limit to which prayer made by a person himself can reach! (9, 240)

Deepened prayer, unceasing prayer, and other manifestations of prayerful grace—all come from grace… Ours is the labor within our ability, but all-earnest and constant. The prayer sought is grace. When the time comes, it will be given. One must only not neglect, but seek with all earnestness and employ all that is possible. But the chief thing is a pure conscience. For the grace of prayer is the grace of the most sincere communion with God. Nothing impure can come into communion with God. (10, 35)

It is a Feeling Toward God That Does Not Depart, Needing No Words

Have you heard that there is unceasing prayer? Long for it and seek it. You will seek and you will find. Its seeds already exist in you: this is the feeling toward God that comes at times. For you it was once strong; but you allowed it to grow cold. And it comes at times still. Seek to make this feeling constant—and that will be unceasing prayer… May the Lord help you find such a feeling toward Him. Then an end to all negligence, sluggishness, and sloth!!! (6, 212)

The feeling that the soul is drawn toward the Lord is hidden prayer, and it alone can take the place of prayer words… For it is unceasing prayer itself! (8, 238)

Watchfulness must be continuous, as unceasing prayer is continuous. Both take root in the soul when a feeling toward God is planted in the heart—warm, sweet, reverent, suffused with the fear of God. (8, 242)

The mind, standing in the heart, beholds God and confesses to Him noetically through invocation of His name… The feeling toward God is unceasing prayer without words. (10, 221)

May the Lord grant you unceasing prayer of the heart, which has no need of words, but stands by itself and is pleasing to God and fruitful for the soul. (23, 244)

Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly

Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). And in his other letters, St. Paul commands to continue (Rom. 12:12) and to persevere in prayer, watching in it (Col. 4:2), praying at all times in the Spirit with all prayer and petition (Eph. 6:18). The Savior Himself teaches constancy and persistence in prayer through the parable of the widow who through her persistence urged an unjust judge to grant her request (Luke 18:1 and following). It is clear that unceasing prayer is not a chance prescription, but an inalienable mark of the Christian spirit. The Christian’s life, according to the Apostle, is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3). In God he must remain constantly unbroken through attention and feeling, which is unceasing prayer. On the other hand, every Christian is a temple of God, in whom the Spirit of God dwells (1Cor 3:16,6,19; Rom. 8:9). This Spirit, always dwelling in him and interceding, prays for him always with groanings that cannot be expressed (Rom. 8:26), teaching him himself to unceasing prayer. The very first action of God’s grace, turning a sinner toward God, is revealed in the striving of his mind and heart toward God. When then, after repentance and dedication of his life to God, God’s grace, having worked from without, enters into him through the sacraments and dwells in him, then there becomes in him constant and perpetual that striving of mind and heart toward God, in which lies the essence of prayer. It manifests itself in different degrees and, like every other gift, must be kindled (2 Tim. 1:6). It is kindled according to its nature: through the labor of prayer and especially through patient and purposeful perseverance in church prayers. (17, 218–219)

The Chief Event of Unceasing Prayer—the Union of Mind With Heart

The chief thing is to stand with the mind in the heart before the Lord and remain before Him constantly, day and night, until the end of life. (5, 58)

The Secret of Spiritual Life—to Concentrate the Mind in the Heart

How to understand the phrase “concentrate the mind in the heart”? The mind is where attention is. To concentrate it in the heart means to establish attention in the heart and inwardly behold the invisible God present before you, turning to Him with praise, thanksgiving, and petition, while guarding so that nothing foreign enters the heart. Here lies all the secret of spiritual life. (9, 61–62)

Do not forget the chief thing—to unite attention and mind with the heart and to remain unbroken there before the face of the Lord. All prayer labors must be directed toward this. Pray to the Lord that He grant you this good. This is treasure hidden in a field; this is a pearl of great price. (4, 359)

The Essence of Christian Life—to Stand With the Mind in the Heart Before God and From There Govern Everything Within Oneself

The essence of Christian life consists in standing with the mind in the heart before God in the Lord Jesus Christ, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and, governing from there all inner movements and all outer actions, turning everything in oneself—both small and great—into service to the Triune God, having offered yourself to Him completely in consciousness and freedom. (16, 21–22)

The Law of Spiritual Life: Keep Your Heart in Feeling Toward God and You Will Always Be in God’s Remembrance

When attention descends into the heart, it will draw all the powers of soul and body into one point… At first, attention is held in the heart by effort of will; the force of will itself produces warmth in the heart. This warmth then holds the attention without special effort from it. They then support each other and must remain inseparable, for the scattering of attention cools the warmth, and the diminishing of warmth weakens the attention.

From this comes the law of spiritual life: keep your heart in feeling toward God, and you will always be in God’s remembrance. (7, 64–65)

The chief point is that attention not depart from the Lord; this is the same as establishing in the heart the remembrance of God. (9, 70)

For those desiring to be established in one thought of God, it is commanded to leave the head and descend with the mind into the heart, and there stand with unwavering attention. Only when the mind unites with the heart can one expect success in the remembrance of God. (4, 326)

Constant Remembrance of God is Preserved in the Heart When Mind is United With Heart

Having entrusted yourself wholly to the sleepless care of God, you must humbly and patiently bear this labor for the sake of the true good, which the diligent prayer-doer receives from God in his own time, when God by His grace sets bounds to our mind and establishes it immovably with God’s remembrance in the heart. When such a standing of the mind becomes as something natural and constant, it bears among the Fathers the name “union of mind with heart”; with such an arrangement, the mind no longer has the desire to be outside the heart; on the contrary, if by any circumstances or much conversation it is held outside heart-attention, it has an irresistible desire to return within itself with a kind of spiritual thirst and with renewed zeal to again occupy itself with building its inner house. (10, 227–228)

The Secret of Spiritual Life: One Cannot Stand in the Heart Without Painful Seeking

Whether this happens quickly or slowly depends on God’s grace: one person may spend years, another tens of years, laboring until he succeeds in standing in the heart and receives what is sought, because, for all the labor and seeking, this arrangement is not produced by our efforts alone. The Lord gives it, but does not give it without seeking and effort. He sees earnest seeking, painful labor, and the longing of the thirsting heart—He has compassion and gives the hoped-for good. Why He does this—only He knows alone: but without this painful seeking, no one attains to that normal arrangement. This is the secret of spiritual life… One cannot be admitted to God’s treasury without first being proven in trustworthiness. (16, 22–23)

Three Powers of the Soul Are Necessary for Unceasing Prayer

A brother said: “What then must I do, father, so that my mind might be constantly occupied with God?” The elder answered: “The mind cannot be constantly occupied with God unless it first acquires the following three virtues: love, temperance, and prayer. Love tames anger, temperance extinguishes lust, and prayer frees the mind from all earthly thoughts and, stripped of all things, presents it to God. These three virtues embrace all others, and without them it is impossible to remain constantly in God.” (18, 72–73)

Let the Jesus Prayer be on the tongue, a vision of the Lord before you in the mind, and a hunger for God, or communion with the Lord, in the heart. When all this is constant, then the Lord, seeing how you press yourself, will give what is asked. (13, 94)

The essence of the matter is conscious standing in the presence of the Lord with fear, faith, and love. This disposition is possible even without words. This is what must be restored in the heart first of all. Then words will come, to maintain attention on this one thing and to deepen those feelings and dispositions. (7, 194–195)

I give you a comprehensive remedy. Its essence is this: remembrance of God, remembrance of death, and fear of God. When these take root in the heart, prayer and everything else will proceed well. (11, 29)

Fear of God is paramount. When it comes, it arranges everything in the soul like a good master… From fear of God comes its first fruit—a contrite spirit, a broken and humble heart… To maintain fear of God, you must keep an unfailing remembrance of death and judgment… Add to this awareness of the Lord’s presence near you and within you, so that He sees all things, even what is most hidden. This awareness—united with remembrance of death—inseparably holds fear of God. When this trinity dwells in your heart, then prayer will come from your heart with unceasing cries to the Lord your Savior. (8, 251–252)

How to reconcile unceasing prayer with daily tasks

God Does Not Command the Impossible

The Savior commanded: go into your room and pray to your Father in secret. This room, as Saint Dimitry of Rostov interprets it, signifies the heart. Consequently, the Lord’s commandment binds all Christians to pray mentally in the heart to God in secret. What does the Apostle Paul command when he says one should pray at all times with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18)? He commands noetic prayer—spiritual prayer—and commands it to all Christians without exception. He also commands all Christians to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). And one cannot pray without ceasing except through noetic prayer in the heart. Thus, it cannot be disputed that noetic prayer is binding for all Christians; and if it is binding, one cannot say it is hardly possible, for God does not command the impossible. That it is difficult is true; that it is impossible is unjust. Yet all that is good is difficult; still more so should prayer be, which is the source for us of all good and its true support. (4, 382)

Scripture Commands Nothing Impossible

A brother asked: “How can the mind pray without ceasing when, singing psalms, reading, conversing with others, attending to our needs, we distract it with various thoughts?” The elder answered: “Holy Scripture commands nothing impossible. The Apostle himself, who wrote this commandment, sang, read, taught, worked and suffered persecution, yet prayed without ceasing. Unceasing prayer consists in maintaining the mind in great goodwill and ardent aspiration toward God, to think of Him alone, to occupy oneself with Him alone, to see Him alone, to fall down to Him in heartfelt prayer, always to hang on an unshakeable hope in Him and in trust in Him to be bold in all deeds and circumstances.” (3, 76)

Work Should Not Distract From God

You have touched on work. Since your work is not by obedience but by your own will, you can arrange it so that it does not distract you at all from your inner labors. Follow in this Saint Isaac the Syrian. He does not favor work and permits it only when necessary, rarely. For it distracts the mind. One must acquire a special habit so it does not distract. One cannot avoid work entirely. There is a natural need for it; yet one should not be drawn away by it either. The Egyptian monks worked all day long; yet their minds did not depart from God. (4, 407–408)

Physical Labor Sometimes Turns Away From God

Physical labor humbles, fills the intervals, and does not let thoughts wander. To replace it with prostrations is good—this is better work. But is this always possible? The Egyptian elders sat at work from morning to evening in noetic prayer and contemplation of God. They performed their prayer rule at night. Yet Saint Isaac the Syrian does not favor work: it turns away from God, he says. This is true when the work is complex; when it is simple—no matter. (7, 147)

Do Not Begin Tasks When Prayer is Active

When attention to God is living and prayer is proceeding within, then it is better to begin nothing (at home), but to sit, or walk, or better still, stand before the icons and pray; when it begins to weaken, revive it with reading or reflection. (7, 176)

One Must Both Do Work and Not Turn the Mind Away From God

One must both do work and not turn the mind away from God—that is, to be as though standing in prayer. This is the law: work with your hands, but be with God in mind and heart. Write, yet let your mind not depart from God and do not let warmth diminish or watchfulness weaken. How to succeed in this, experience will teach. And so, you will gain a new skill—and grow even firmer in inner dwelling. (9, 229–230)

To Pray Without Ceasing is the Duty of All

As if the only thing is prayer? Prayer service is one task among many and cannot replace all others. Both pray and perform your other duties, everything as it should be. Mind and heart must become accustomed to praying without ceasing. This is the duty of all; it is the same as having remembrance of God. (7, 80)

How to Reconcile Work With Constant Attention to God

We cannot be without work and occupation. God gave us active faculties, which require exercise. Everyone therefore has their own work and occupations. They require attention; but, on the other hand, moral progress, which matters more than anything else, requires that attention always be in God. How can we reconcile these two? All work and occupations must be done as God’s work, imposed on us by God and dedicated to God. Then, in doing them, we will not lose God from our attention; for in this case anxiety is inevitable—how to do everything in a way pleasing to God. (4, 450)

How the Apostles Were Able to Pray Without Ceasing

I recall that in Basil the Great, the question of how the Apostles could pray without ceasing is resolved thus: they thought of God in all their works and lived in unceasing surrender to God. This disposition of spirit was their unceasing prayer. There is your example. I think I have already written to you that from active people, to whom you belong, one cannot demand what is demanded of those at rest. Their main concern should be not to allow improper feelings when doing work and to strive in every way to dedicate all their work to God. This dedication will transform work into prayer. (13, 8–9)

Never approach God in a careless way. Always with great reverence. He has no need for our bows, nor for our lengthy prayers… A cry from the heart, brief and strong—that is what reaches Him! And this can be done while going about… And so one can pray without ceasing. Attend to this and direct everything toward it. The holy Epiphanius was asked: “How should we keep the hours?”—The hours?! Prayer has no particular hours: it must be every hour and every minute. Saint Basil the Great was asked: “How can one pray without ceasing?” He answered: “Keep a prayerful disposition in your heart and you will pray without ceasing. Work with your hands, but raise your mind to God.” The Apostles traversed the whole earth—what labors! And yet they prayed without ceasing. And they wrote down this commandment. A spirit of faith, hope, and surrender to the will of God—this is what must be kindled in the heart. (7, 78–79)

So the Lord Himself Commands Us to Act

The question arises: how then are we to keep God in mind? Thus: whatever work, great or small, you are doing, hold in mind that the Lord Himself, the Omnipresent God, commands you to do it and watches how you do it. Keeping yourself this way, you will do every work with attention and remember God. In this is the whole secret of successful action in your situation toward your main goal. Please understand this and arrange yourself accordingly. When you have arranged yourself this way, then thoughts will cease to wander here and there…

Why are things not going well for you now? I think because you want to remember the Lord while forgetting about worldly matters. But worldly matters press into consciousness and push out remembrance of the Lord. But you should do the opposite: be concerned about worldly matters, but as about the Lord’s commission and as before the Lord. With you, neither one nor the other comes out… but this way both will be done properly. (9, 7)

Stages of ascent to unceasing prayer

Three Stages of Prayer

One can distinguish three stages of prayer. In the first, it is predominantly external: readings, prostrations, vigils, and so on. People begin here, and some labor for quite a long time before the first signs of prayer or light movements of the prayerful spirit appear. Prayer, as a supreme gift, is granted as if drop by drop, so small, to teach a person to greatly value it. In the second stage, the bodily and spiritual appear in equal strength. Here each word of prayer is accompanied by a corresponding feeling, or inner prayerful movements, moved from within, express and manifest themselves through their word. This is the most widespread prayer, common to almost all. It is customary in one whose spirit of piety is alive. In the third stage, the inner or spiritual predominates in prayer—when without words, without prostrations, without even reflection, without any image, in a kind of silence or stillness, deep in the spirit the action of prayer takes place. This prayer is not limited by time, place, or anything external and can never cease. Therefore it is called the action of prayer, that is, something that remains always. But to reach this last stage, one must first pass through the earlier ones and, consequently, take up all the labors of bodily practice for prayer, such as fasts, prostrations, reading of prayers, vigils, kneeling. Whoever passes through this enters the second stage, when, as Macarius the Great says, you have only to bow and the spirit is already warmed in prayer. As one who does not know the alphabet cannot begin to read, because that would be a waste of time, so too here: one who cannot swim in a shallow river—how can he be sent into the deep sea? Yet even when one reaches the last stage of prayer, external prayer does not cease but also participates in the inner. The only difference is that in the first case the external precedes the inner, while here the inner precedes the external. How then can one take on only the inner when one has not yet learned through labor and experience to move from the outer to the inner! (3, 360–361)

Noetic Prayer Has Power When the Inner Drawing Comes

Noetic prayer exists when someone, having established themselves in attention in the heart, raises prayer to God from there. Noetic practice consists of when someone, standing in attention in the heart with remembrance of the Lord, tears away every other thought that tries to penetrate the heart. (7, 56)

Noetic prayer consists of standing with the mind in the heart before God, simply or with petition, thanksgiving, and praise. This is not the time to occupy oneself with reasoning: everything has its own moment. When that inner drawing comes, then noetic prayer appears in power and in its true form, while until that moment it is only sought; here it exists in deed. Therefore, reflections, self-reflection, and reasoning, as well as all other self-movement, must truly be abandoned and suppressed if they arise during the manifestation of the inner drawing, but not the noetic prayer itself. One should not only not abandon it but maintain it in every way, so that this good and beneficial state continues as long as possible. (16, 47–48)

The Transition From Noetic to Prayer of the Heart—When the Heart is Filled With Love for God

From such noetic prayer there is a transition to prayer of the heart, inward prayer, if only there is an experienced teacher, which is very easy and free. When we are with God through the senses of the heart, and love for God fills the heart, then such prayer is called prayer of the heart. (10, 227)

Noetic Prayer Transitions to Prayer of the Mind in the Heart With the Birth of Warmth and Inner Drawing

Noetic prayer transitions to prayer of the heart, or prayer of the mind in the heart. Its appearance coincides with the birth of heart warmth. There is no other prayer in the ordinary course of spiritual life. Prayer of the mind in the heart can deeply penetrate the heart and in that case exist without words and thoughts, consisting only of standing before God and reverently-lovingly falling down to Him. Here it is the same as the inner drawing before God to prayer, or the finding of the prayerful spirit. (16, 132)

Noetic Prayer, Warming the Heart, Leads it Into Prayer of the Mind in the Heart

At first the mind prays with effort, forcing itself to prayer by the power of will. And this is certainly noetic prayer. Noetic prayer gradually warms the heart and leads it into another prayer—prayer of the mind in the heart. The heart, having grown accustomed to praying under the action of the mind, and having warmed, itself begins to move toward prayer and to draw the mind into it. This prayer of the heart—true prayer, as it should be—prayer that embraces all the existence of a person, for where the heart is, there is the whole person. This state shows itself as a weight inward, which happens during prayer, reading, reflection, and even without all this, simply—while doing some work. The latter is higher than the former. (15, 483)

Self-moving Prayer Stands and Acts of Itself

Noetic prayer exists in two states: it is either laborious, when a person strains at it themselves, or self-moving, when it stands and acts of itself. (16, 49)

The More the Heart Warms, the More Self-moving the Prayer of the Mind in the Heart Becomes

This saving prayer [the Jesus Prayer] is at first ordinarily laborious, worked at. But if one does not tire of laboring at it, it will become self-moving, will be performed of itself, like a stream murmuring in the heart. This is a great good, and it is worth laboring to attain it… It is better to take on the work with zeal and not to turn back until you reach what you desire, or until this prayer begins to move of itself in the heart: after that, only sustain it. The heart warmth, or burning of the spirit, spoken of before, come precisely by this path. The more the Jesus Prayer penetrates the heart, the more the heart warms and the more self-moving the prayer becomes, so that the fire of spiritual life in the heart ignites, and its burning becomes unceasing, at the same time as the Jesus Prayer fills all the heart and becomes constantly moving. (16, 129–130)

Two Kinds of Self-moving Prayer—Voluntary and Unfree

Only self-moving prayers, when the prayerful spirit comes, are of this kind. But they too are of two types: in one, a person has power to obey it or not, to assist it or to disturb it; in the other, they have no power to do anything, but are seized into prayer and held in it by another power, having no freedom to act otherwise. (16, 135)

The Distinction Between Prayer of the Mind in the Heart and Spiritual Prayer in Self-movement

The holy fathers distinguish prayer of the mind in the heart from spiritual prayer. The first is accomplished through the conscious self-activity of the one praying, while the second comes, and though conscious, moves of itself apart from the efforts of the one praying. This is spirit-moving prayer. The latter cannot be prescribed; for it is not in our power. It can be desired, sought, and gratefully received, not performed whenever one wishes. Yet in people who are purified, prayer is for the most part spirit-moving. One must therefore understand that the Apostle prescribes prayer of the mind in the heart when he says: pray in the Spirit [Eph. 6:18]. One can add: pray with mind in the heart, with the desire to attain also spirit-moving prayer. Such prayer keeps the soul consciously before the face of God the Omnipresent. Drawing to itself and repelling from itself the ray of God, it drives away enemies. One can confidently say that a soul in such a state is impregnable to demons.—Only this way can one pray at all times and in all places. (14, 487)

Prayer of the Mind in the Heart Transitions to Unceasing Prayer When Inner Drawings Become Constant

Prayer of the mind in the heart then gains independence and appears sometimes as worked at, strained by its own efforts, sometimes as self-moving, coming of itself. In the latter form it is the same as the shown inner drawings: it occurs alongside them and develops from them. When the state in which the soul is during those drawings then becomes constant, prayer of the mind in the heart becomes ceaselessly active. (16, 43–44)

The Main Condition for Ascending to Unceasing Prayer—Purification of the Heart From Passions

The main condition for success in prayer is purification of the heart from passions and all attachment to anything sensual. Without this, prayer will remain only at the first stage, or the reading stage. As the heart is purified, the reading prayer will transition to prayer of the mind in the heart, and when it is completely purified, then unceasing prayer will be established. (7, 61)

Contemplative prayer

Prayer That Comes, and Contemplative Prayer

In this state [of unceasing prayer], prayer that comes is given, not created by the person themselves. The prayerful spirit comes and draws inward to the heart—it is all one, as if someone took another by the hand and by force drew him from one room to another. The soul here is bound by an outside power and stays willingly within it, while the finding spirit is over it. I know two degrees of this finding. In the first—the soul sees all, is conscious of itself and its outer position—and can reason and govern itself, can even destroy this state of itself, if it wishes. And this should be clear to you.

Among the holy fathers, especially in Saint Isaac the Syrian, another degree of given or finding prayer is indicated. Standing above what was shown is the prayer which he called ecstasy, or rapture. And here too the prayerful spirit comes; but the soul drawn by it enters such contemplations that it forgets its outer position, does not reason, but only contemplates, and is powerless to govern itself or to destroy its state. Remember, in the Sayings of the Fathers it is written that someone stood to pray before his evening meal, and came to himself only in the morning. This is prayer in rapture, or contemplative prayer. In some it was accompanied by the brightening of the face, light around them; in others by lifting from the earth. The holy Apostle Paul was seized in this state and caught up to paradise. And the holy prophets were in it when the Spirit took them up.

Marvel at what great mercy God shows us sinners. Few labor; and what do they receive? To all who labor we can boldly say: labor, there is something to labor for! (9, 240–241)

Contemplation is Higher Than Activity

Active and contemplative life proceed thus: they are established in deeds and labors and develop contemplation in themselves. But activity does not cease even after this, only yields first place to contemplation… Contemplation is higher, because it is the beginning of future blessedness, and we live here for that very reason—to prepare for the future life. (7, 147)

Contemplative prayer is the highest state of prayer, appearing at times in the chosen of God. (16, 132)

The Distinctive Mark of Contemplative Prayer—the Loss From Consciousness of Everything Surrounding

Contemplation is the captivation of the mind and all consciousness by some spiritual object so strong that all the external is forgotten, falls away from consciousness: mind and consciousness depart into the object being contemplated, so that they seem to be no longer in us. Here is an example: an elder was conversing with disciples and stopped, seeming to have forgotten himself. When later he came to himself, the disciples asked where he had been.—“I was,” he said, “on Golgotha, before the crucified Lord,—there, at the feet of the Magdalene.”—But this contemplation was only intellectual. Contemplative prayer is like this in the forgetting of all and captivation in the unseen world. Another example: an elder prepared his meal at the usual hour and stood to pray; but was seized into contemplative prayer and stood in it until the next day, when he came to himself. Saint Isaac the Syrian places as the distinctive mark of contemplative prayer precisely the loss from consciousness of all surrounding and captivation in the heavenly world. According to his witness, the mind has power over itself until this time, but when it enters contemplation or contemplative prayer, it has no power over itself whatsoever. (16, 44–45)

Perfect Non-thinking of Contemplation is Foreign to the Holy Fathers

Only one feature of what Speranski2 expresses seems untrue or falsely expressed. “The form,” he says, “of my contemplation was always emptiness, an absence of every image and every thought.” Such perfect thoughtlessness is foreign to the holy fathers. They taught that one must abandon everything, but in order to be united with the Lord. They stood during noetic prayer and counseled all to stand in the conviction that the Lord is near and listens, that is, to stand mentally before the Lord and call out to Him: “I seek You; let my face come before You” (), as the Prophet sings, “Your face, O Lord, I will seek” (). When they spoke of the need to drive away every thought, they always added: drive away every foreign thought. (16, 228)

Pure Prayer is Given to One Out of a Thousand; Contemplative Prayer, Across the Generations, to Barely One

Regarding contemplation, we find in none of the fathers that one could enter into it by one’s own effort and, consequently, do anything on one’s own part to enter it. Contemplation, according to their words, was given precisely to those who had already succeeded in cleansing their heart completely and had united themselves deeply with the Lord. Out of a thousand, one succeeds in attaining pure prayer; and spiritual prayer, or what is the same thing, contemplative prayer, across the generations is barely found in one who possesses it. (16, 215)

The Degrees of Blessed Life in God Before the Age to Come

Amazement, reverent fear, joyful praise of God, and walking before God encompass above all the life in God. This is because in all of them the human being himself and every creature disappear from thought, and God alone is beheld… The one who walks before God is initiated into knowledge of God’s perfections and all His perfection, and becomes accustomed to praising God. The one who has ascended to this enters even deeper into God and acquires reverent fear. Whoever after this rises above all that is distinguished in God tastes amazement. This is the limit, beyond which one cannot go. Whoever has passed through all these degrees finds himself in the most blessed state and lives in it before the age to come, passing from amazement to reverence, and from this to the praise of God, walking or moving spiritually, as in a house, in Divine vision filled with light and supernal purity. This is life in God! (3, 344–345)

A prayer rule oriented toward unceasing prayer

The Rule of Praying Without Ceasing

When, where, how long to stand in prayer and what prayers to use—each person can determine according to their circumstances—increasing, decreasing, moving the time and place—all directed toward the goal that inner prayer be performed as it should be. Regarding inner prayer, there is one rule: pray without ceasing.

What does “pray without ceasing” mean? To be continually in a state of prayer. A prayerful state is thought of God and feeling toward God—together. Thought of God is the thought of His omnipresence, that He is everywhere, sees all things, and upholds all things. Feeling toward God is fear of God, love of God, zealous desire to please Him alone in all things, with the same desire to avoid all that displeases Him, and, chiefly, the surrender of oneself to His holy will without hesitation and the acceptance of all that happens as coming directly from His hand. Feeling toward God can take place in all our works, occupations, and circumstances, if it is not sought for anew, but is already established in the heart.

Thought can be drawn away by various subjects; but even there it is possible to gain the habit of not departing from God, to occupy oneself in all things in the light of remembrance of God. It is these two—thought and feeling toward God—that you must care for above all. When they are present, there is prayer, even without spoken prayer words.

Morning prayer is ordained precisely to establish these two things in consciousness and heart… And then go forth to your work and labor with them. If you set these in your soul in the morning, you will have prayed as you should, even if you do not read all the prayers…

Let’s say you settled yourself in the morning and went out to work. From the first step, impressions from tasks, things, and people will begin, pulling your soul away from God… What should you do? You must renew your thought and feeling by an inner turning of mind and heart toward God. And to make this easier, you should become accustomed to some short little prayer and repeat it as often as you can. Any short little prayer serves this purpose…

In case you cannot read all the prayers in the morning or evening, choose from the prayers the more substantive ones… and read them… but above all, take more care to establish in your mind and heart the thought of God with fitting feeling. (11, 20–22)

The Direct Path to Unceasing Prayer

If someone asked me, “How should I carry out the work of prayer?” I would say to him: “Become accustomed to walking in God’s presence or preserve the remembrance of God and show reverence; to sustain this remembrance, choose several short little prayers or simply take the 24 short prayers of Chrysostom and repeat them often with fitting thoughts and feelings. As the habit grows, your mind will become enlightened by the remembrance of God, and your heart will be warmed. In this state, finally a spark from God—a ray of grace—will fall into your heart. You cannot produce this with anything; it comes directly from God… Then you can remain with the Jesus Prayer alone and with it fan the prayer-spark into flame.” Such is the direct path. (10, 190)

The General Rule—kindle Warmth From Morning and Do Nothing That Disturbs It

From your first waking in the morning, take care to gather yourself inwardly and kindle warmth. Consider this your normal state. As soon as this is lacking, know that something within you is amiss. Having placed yourself in the morning in such a collected and warmed state, then all necessary duties must be performed so as not to disturb this inner mood, and from voluntary things, do those that maintain this state; but under no circumstance do what disturbs it, for that would mean waging war against yourself. This is your general rule. (9, 175–176)

In earnestly fulfilling your rule, preserve the sobriety of mind and warmth of heart. The latter, when it begins to diminish, hasten to rekindle, knowing firmly that as soon as it is gone, it means that the greater half of the path to turning away from God has been traversed. Fear of God is the guardian and awakener of inner warmth. But humility too is needed, and patience, and faithfulness to the rule, and above all sobriety. Pay attention to yourself, for God’s sake. Trouble yourself in every way so as not to fall asleep, or if you have dozed, to awake. (9, 214)

Strive to do this: in the morning—during your prayer rule—strive so to establish yourself in attention before God that afterward and throughout the entire day you will stand before Him, whatever you may happen to do. If you set yourself up thus and begin to foresee the Lord before you as the prophet did—with fitting feelings to match, of course—then you will indeed pray without ceasing. And then prayer will not weary you. Do not depart from your prayer rule until contrition awakens in your heart along with surrender to God. (10, 121–122)

An Example of a Daily Rule With Unceasing Prayer

Throughout the whole time, from waking to sleep, walk in remembrance of God’s omnipresence, in the thought that the Lord sees you and counts all movements of your thought and heart. For this reason, pray ceaselessly with the Jesus Prayer, and, coming frequently to the icons, make a few prostrations according to the movement and need of your heart, so that all your daytime is frequently interrupted by a few prostrations and passes in unceasing meditation on God and the performance of the Jesus Prayer amid every kind of occupation. Your prayer rule—your cell prayer or domestic prayer—perform only before sleep. Less reading and more of your own prayer with prostrations… If these are the usual canons appointed for each day to the Lord Jesus, the Mother of God, your Guardian Angel, the saint of the day (of the week), then after reading all this, what more need you add? Perform this with reverence, without haste, attend to every word, and confine your daytime prayer-reading to this. The canons and acathists you have gathered, gradually learn to leave off and replace them with noetic prayer. (9, 166)

One Does Not Arrive at Unceasing Prayer All at Once, but Through Intermittent Prayers

One does not arrive at such unceasing prayer, or the reception of the prayer-action, all at once, but through intermittent, appointed prayer-workings that are both necessary means to attain unceasing prayer and conditions for preserving it throughout one’s whole life.

The performance of these prayers requires both special outward order and special inward disposition. (3, 359)

Read the short prayers of holy Chrysostom both in the morning and evening, repeating each prayer three times. They greatly aid in preserving attention. They will introduce us to walking before God and to unceasing prayer. (8, 162)

Exhaust Yourself So That You May Receive the Remembrance of God

God Himself implants the remembrance of God in the soul. But for this, the soul itself must exhaust itself and labor. Labor, compelling yourself with all your might to the unceasing remembrance of God. And God, seeing how earnestly you desire this, will give you the remembrance of Himself. Short little prayers are very suited to our own labor in remembering God. These prayers—whatever you wish… “Lord, have mercy!”—“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!”—“Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me!”…and others… Any will do. Use whichever touches your heart most. (11, 49)

Two Methods to Draw the Mind to the Heart

Set aside a certain hour for yourself—outside your prayer rule; take a prayer book and read—read and ponder the appointed prayers, and bring the thoughts set forth there to feeling. When you later perform your prayer rule, all those feelings will at once be renewed in your soul, and your prayer will be in proper order…

This is the first method to draw the mind to the heart, namely through sympathy with the prayers read and heard, because the feelings of the heart usually hold sway over the mind. The second method is the following: when you perform your home rule, insert into the intervals between the prayers you read your own prayers, whatever arise from the action of those prayers… This method is stronger than the first and will sooner bring the mind into the heart. But it can act only after the first method or together with it.

But you need to have ready still another auxiliary method, or sub-method. If you perform your prayer rule in the way described, it can happen that a small rule, like, for example, the prayers before sleep… would extend very long… You must determine the length of your prayer-reading by a measure—not by the number of prayers you must read, but by time; that is, set aside how long to spend on such and such a rule… not at all increasing it beyond the time you usually spend on it…

Make it a law for yourself never to read prayers merely to finish what is appointed, but to be in prayer under the action of the reading. Read what is appointed as an aid—to hold yourself in prayerful thoughts and feelings.

Acting thus, you will become accustomed always during prayer-readings to be in feeling toward God, and your mind, being drawn by this feeling, will stand in the remembrance of God. (4, 327–329)

While the Mind is Entering the Heart, Do Nothing Else

Do this: when you feel the mind entering the heart and the action of prayer, give full freedom to such prayer, removing everything unfavorable to it; and while it continues—do nothing else. When you do not feel such an attraction, then pray with spoken prayer and prostrations, striving in every way to keep attention in your heart before the face of the Lord. Your heart will warm even in this way of praying. (10, 228–229)

Fear of God Will Lead to the Goal

How can you attain the state of standing unwaveringly before God?—Begin with walking before Him with fitting feelings. From this will come fear of God, which will lead you to the goal you seek. This is the true way—spiritual to a spiritual state. But the mechanical method, like that of Gregory of Sinai, is only an aid, and by itself does not lead to the goal. But with mental practices, it is necessary to join also active practices: keep your conscience pure, refine the flesh, persevere in prayer—all in the spirit of contrition and humility with reverence. (4, 453)

Frequent remembrance of God without reverence dulls the feeling of fear of God, and through this deprives it of the salutary action which belongs to it in the sphere of spiritual movements and which nothing else can produce. (4, 412)

It is good that you love the remembrance of God… add to it also reverent fear. The remembrance of death does not depress and does not bring gloom, but only arouses watchful vigilance over yourself… You must always hold together both the joyful and the sobering. Both love and fear must be in force… Angels stand before God with fear and trembling… and the Apostle commanded us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (). (11, 84–85)

What it Means to “Kindle Danger Around Yourself”

You ask what it means to “kindle danger around yourself.” It is a deep feeling of the danger of your position, and danger of the utmost kind, from which there is no other salvation except in the Lord Jesus Christ. This feeling will drive us to the Lord and force us to cry out without ceasing: “Help me, protect me!” All the saints had this feeling and it never abandoned them. Its opposite is the feeling of contentment with one’s position, which lulls a person and extinguishes in him all care for salvation. (5, 6)

Meditation on God Opens the Path to Unceasing Prayer

Apply meditation on God—at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end—or…however it comes for you without ceasing…often, as you wish. Meditation on God is deep reflection on the divine economy of salvation, either in general or on some one subject belonging to it. As soon as you awake, at once survey all things—from creation to the Second Coming, the Judgment, and the determination of everyone’s lot… Then take one subject and sink deeply into it until it embraces your heart… And in this embrace, then make your prayer… And so all day…mingle meditation on God with prayer. The Lord is near to all who call upon Him. (11, 209)

General meditation on God corrects and renews the overall disposition. It is good always to bring it to completion—that is, to place yourself at the judgment of God as though it were happening in reality, and then cry out: “Lord, have mercy!” The fathers write: the very best way to stand during prayer is to stand at the Judgment. From meditation on God, some subject will draw nearer to the heart than others. Then when this exercise is finished, you should linger on it and nourish yourself with it for longer. In this way the path to unceasing prayer is opened. (6, 227)

Meditation on God—the Key to Unceasing Prayer

If someone asked: “How can I always be with the Lord?”—One can boldly answer: “Have feeling toward the Lord—and you will be with the Lord…” But how can one have feeling? It seems to me that mere remembrance of the Lord already sets feeling toward Him in motion. If to this you add reflection on what He is and what He has done and does for us, I do not know whose heart would remain untouched. Therefore the holy fathers very rightly regard meditation on God, or contemplation of the Lord’s attributes and actions, as the key to prayer… and to unceasing prayer. Because from this feeling toward God is awakened and unites with the Lord. (11, 179)

Any Rule is Good That Keeps the Soul in Reverence Before God

Regarding the rule, I think this way: whatever rule one chooses for oneself, every rule is good—as long as it keeps the soul in reverence before God. Again: read prayers and psalms until the soul is stirred, then pray oneself, pouring out one’s own needs or asking simply, “God, be merciful…” Again: sometimes the entire time set aside for the rule can be spent in reading one psalm by heart, making from every verse your own prayer. Again: sometimes the entire rule can be spent in the Jesus Prayer with prostrations… Or take a little from this, a little from that, and a little from something else. God desires the heart (Prov. 23:26), and as long as it stands in reverence before Him, that is enough. Unceasing prayer consists precisely in this: to stand always in reverence before God. And in this, the rule is only a kindling or a throwing of wood on the fire. (6, 8–9)

The Rule Should Be in Your Own Will

You can arrange the prayer rule yourselves… Memorize the prayers you read, and read them by heart with understanding and feeling. Then insert into them prayers from yourself; the less you depend on the book, the better. Memorize several psalms and when you go somewhere or are doing other things and your head is not occupied, read them… This is conversation with God. The rule should be in your free will. Do not be a slave to it. (7, 79)

The prayer rule you have chosen for yourself you can perform completely, or by half, or by a quarter. Have freedom regarding it. Be its mistress, not its servant. Call upon God with mind and heart, and stand in prayer—for as long as you are able, stand; be not at all disturbed that you do not read all of it. Heart-turning toward God will make up for everything. (7, 80)

When [the beginners] arrive at certain inner sensations and especially at heartfelt warmth, rules [are] not strictly necessary [for them]. In general, one should not become attached to rules, but be free in relation to them, having only one intention: that attention to God in reverence should not depart. (7, 176)

All Rules Can Be Laid Aside Only by Those in Whom Noetic Prayer Has Become Unceasing

What is said about laying aside chanting for noetic prayer applies to those who have shut themselves away and to those persons in whom noetic prayer has unfolded and become unceasing. These can do everything instead of church service and cell prayer… Prayer-reading then ceases of itself. In this way, laying aside chanting does not apply to us, we must attend church services and fulfill what is appointed for cell prayer-reading. (7, 57)

But prayer-reading must still be performed in its proper time… All the great men of prayer did this. And it is necessary because the soul is seized with torpor, and it is fit for nothing… Then even with another’s prayer and mentally-vocally to pray—all the same it is good than to fall completely asleep without having prayed… or to spend the morning without prayer. Cannot pray for long stretches? Pray briefly. (11, 101)

The fruits of unceasing prayer and their connection with natural fruits

The Natural Fruits of the Jesus Prayer

The skillful practice of the Jesus Prayer…, its simple performance with attention in the heart or walking in the remembrance of God are our labor and have by themselves their own natural—not grace-filled—fruit. This fruit is the gathering of thoughts, reverence and fear of God, remembrance of death, the calming of thoughts and a certain warmth of heart. All this are natural fruits of inner prayer. One must hold this firmly so as not to trumpet it before oneself and exalt oneself before others.

As long as we have only natural fruits, we are not worth a cent both in the matter itself and in the judgment of God. We have worth when grace comes. For when it comes, this means that God has looked upon us with a merciful eye. But until it comes, whatever we do, whatever ascetic labors we undertake, it means that we are chaff-like persons, upon whom God does not even deign to look.

In what exactly this action of grace is manifested, I [here] cannot tell you [see below]; but this is certain, that it cannot come before all the fruits of inner prayer mentioned above appear. (6, 18)

The fruit of prayer—the chief fruit—is not warmth and sweetness, but fear of God and contrition. These must be continually rekindled, we must live with them, and breathe them. (10, 176)

Tears—the Measure of Progress

Progress in the spiritual life is marked by an ever-greater and ever-greater awareness of one’s worthlessness in the full sense of the word, without any limitation. (9, 172)

The path to perfection is the path to the recognition that I am both blind and poor and naked, bound up with which comes contrition of spirit, or sorrow and grief over one’s uncleanness, poured out before God, or, in other words, unceasing repentance. Feelings of repentance are the distinctive marks of true ascetic labor. Whoever turns away from them and avoids them has turned from the path. In the moment of the beginning of a new life there was repentance; in growth it must also be present and mature along with it. The maturing one ripens in the knowledge of his corruption and sinfulness and deepens in the sorrowful feelings of repentance. Tears are the measure of progress, and unceasing tears are a sign of speedy cleansing. (1, 199–200)

God has given you tears. That is good. But tears that are only temporary are not enough. There must be constant ones. There are tears in the heart that are better than those flowing from the eyes. Those flowing from the eyes feed the worm of vanity, while those, the tears of the heart, are known only to God. It is better to hold back tears in public, remaining with contrition of the heart. (7, 177)

A broken spirit, feelings of repentance and tears do not diminish strength but grant it, because they place the soul in a comforting state… There are also spiritual joys interspersed with contrition… True contrition knows how not to interfere with pure spiritual joy—and to dwell peacefully with it, as if concealing itself beneath it. (9, 154–155)

The Habit of Always Keeping Attention on the Lord Will Not Allow Sorrow

The whole matter is to become accustomed to always keeping attention on the Lord who is everywhere present, all-seeing, and desirous that all be saved, and ready to assist in that. This habit will not allow sorrow—whether inward or outward sorrow troubles, because it provides the soul with complete satisfaction, which, by filling the soul, leaves no room for any feeling of want and insufficiency, placing itself and all one’s concerns in the hands of the Lord and producing the feeling of His unceasing intercession and help. (10, 197–198)

Attention in the heart and warmth are the natural fruits of prayer

The fruit of prayer is the concentration of attention in the heart and warmth. This is a natural fruit. Everyone can attain it. And this prayer [the Jesus Prayer] everyone can perform, not only a monk but also a layperson. (7, 193)

A Sore in the Heart is a Natural Matter

Strive to form in your heart as it were a sore… Constant labor will quickly accomplish this. There is nothing special about it. This is a natural matter (that the sore—the soreness—will be evident). But even from this there will be more concentration. And the main thing is that the Lord, seeing the labor, grants help and His grace-filled prayer. Then the heart will establish its own order. (7, 199)

When a Person Does Everything With Full Awareness and Attention

With such a heart-condition [the union of mind with heart], everything from the head moves inward to the heart for a person, and then as it were a certain noetic light illuminates his entire interior, and whatever he does, says, or thinks, all is done with full awareness and attention. He can then clearly see what thoughts, intentions, and desires come to him and readily compels his mind, heart, and will to obedience to Christ, to the fulfillment of every commandment of God and the fathers; and any turning away from them he effaces with the feeling of heart-felt repentance and contrition with genuine sorrow and with contrite humble supplication before God, asking and awaiting help from above for his weakness. And God, seeing such humility in him, does not deprive him of His grace. (10, 228)

The First Gift to the Mind—concentration of Attention in Prayer

To the measure of our diligence and humble striving in prayer, God grants the first gift to our mind—concentration and focus in prayer. When attention to the Lord becomes inseparable, then it is grace-filled attention; but our own attention is always forced. (10, 227)

Next—unwavering Walk Before God

This rule [the noetic one], if you continue it as you should, will lead the sore to the heart, and this sore will bind your thoughts to the One—and to the wandering of thoughts an end. From this moment, when the Lord deems you worthy to attain it, there will begin a new reorganization of all that is within—and your walk before God will become unwavering. (4, 368–369)

True Warmth and Natural Warmth

True warmth is a gift of God; but there is also natural warmth, the fruit of one’s own efforts and inclinations. They stand apart from each other as heaven from earth… The first fruit of God’s warmth is the gathering of thoughts into one and their unwavering direction toward God. Here happens what happened with the woman with the hemorrhage. With her—a flow of blood… and here the flow of thoughts stops. (7, 181)

The Flame Always Comes Almost Through the Mysteries

You ask: ‘Is it not the flame when you stand in prayer with reverence and the feeling of your nothingness?’ This is connected with the flame; but it is inseparable from it. The flame comes without discernment. And it always comes almost through the Mysteries of Confession and Holy Communion. (10, 193)

Prayer of the Heart—a Gift of Grace, Given Through the Mysteries

True prayer of the heart is a gift of grace, given through the mystery of Confession or Communion. And after such a gift is given it is warmed by the same Mysteries. The distinctive mark of this gift is the continuity of prayer, which is expressed in feeling toward God, sometimes with words of prayer, and sometimes without words.

What grace gives, one’s own labor cannot give in any way. It only prepares for receiving the gift—and after receiving it warms it—together with the Mysteries. (10, 195–196)

Prayer of the Heart is Never Premature

Prayer of the heart is never premature. It is the beginning of the work. By its establishment in the heart the work of God matures. It must be developed without sparing labor. God, seeing the labor, gives what is sought. (7, 93)

The Grace-filled Mind is Always Gathered, Quick to Understand and Discerning, Illumined by Truth

When prayer has sunk into the heart and overshadowed it with warmth, then the mind is always gathered and present to itself, from which it becomes quick to understand and discerning. From this time all the truths of revelation begin to enter the heart, each in its own time, as if suddenly, in the form of illumination. (16, 228)

Inner Brightness, Driving Away What is Evil, Boldness in Prayer, Spiritual Fire in the Heart

The distinctive mark of the state when the Kingdom of God opens within, or, in other words, when unwavering spiritual fire in the heart begins to glow from one’s relation to God, is inner abiding. All consciousness is concentrated in the heart and stands before the face of the Lord, pouring out its feelings before Him, and above all—sorrowfully coming before Him with the humble feelings of repentance, together with the readiness to dedicate one’s whole life to serving Him alone. Such an order is established daily, from the moment of awakening from sleep, it is maintained all day, through all labors and occupations, and does not depart until sleep closes the eyes. Along with the formation of such an order, all the disorder that had reigned within ceases, in the period of seeking, in this transitional state of yearning as Speransky calls it. Irrepressible ferment of thoughts ceases; the atmosphere of the soul becomes pure and cloudless: there stands one thought and remembrance of the Lord. From this comes brightness in all that is within. Everything there is clear; every movement is noticed and properly valued in the noetic light proceeding from the face of the Lord contemplated. As a result of this, any evil thought and evil feeling approaching the heart are met with resistance in their very inception and are driven away. Here is fulfilled what Philotheos of Sinai advises: ‘From morning stand at the entrance of the heart and with the name of Jesus strike the enemies approaching.’ This driving away of evil can be instantaneous, but can last hours, days, months and years; nevertheless, the essence of the matter is always one, namely that nothing evil is admitted into the heart, but meets decisive opposition from the moment evil is recognized, and its driving away does not cease until it is completely eradicated from the heart. After this, whatever is thought, whatever is felt, whatever is desired, whatever is said and done—is thought, felt, desired, said and done with the full awareness that all such is not offensive to the unwavering contemplated Lord, is pleasing to Him and in accord with His will. If, against intention, something contrary should slip through, it is immediately humbly confessed to the Lord and cleansed through inner repentance or external confession, so that the conscience is always kept pure before the Lord. As a reward for all such inner labor, boldness toward God in prayer is granted, which continuously glows in the heart. The continuous warmth of prayer is the spirit of this life, so that with the cessation of this warmth the movement of spiritual life ceases, as with the cessation of breathing the life of the body ceases.

With these few words is said all that comes with the establishment within of the Kingdom, or, in other words, the blessed fire that at last blazes up in the heart; by this too is determined the essence of true spiritual life, or its essential operations. (16, 80–83)

Remembrance of God, Contemplation of the Perfections of God, Zeal for God, Fear of God

God’s grace turns the attention of the mind and heart toward God and keeps it on Him. Since the mind cannot stand without action, being turned toward God, it thinks about God. From this comes remembrance of God—the constant companion of a grace-filled state… Remembrance of God is never idle, but necessarily leads to contemplation of the perfections of God and the works of God: goodness, justice, creation, providence, redemption, judgment and recompense. All this taken together is the peace of God, or the spiritual realm. One who burns with zeal dwells unceasing in this realm. Such is the nature of zeal. From this conversely—dwelling in this realm sustains and nourishes zeal. Do you wish to preserve zeal? Maintain all the described disposition… In parts—this is spiritual firewood. Always have such firewood at hand and as soon as you notice that the fire of zeal grows weak, take some log from your spiritual firewood and renew the spiritual fire. And all will go well. From the totality of such spiritual movements flows fear of God, reverent standing before God in the heart. This is the guardian and protector of a grace-filled state. (8, 25)

Pure Love—the Crown of Perfection in Pleasing God

Love of God is natural to our nature. I believe that it does not completely fade even in sinners, acts in them, calling them to repentance, until they become hardened and despair. But properly speaking, love is conceived from the moment when as a result of repentance the decision arises to serve the Lord, not sparing one’s life. The labors that follow in pleasing God develop it ever stronger and stronger, until it becomes a flame and embraces his entire nature. In these degrees of love there are so many shades that it is impossible even to enumerate them. Some love God because they receive much good from Him; some love God because they expect some good from Him; some love God because they expect all good from Him; some love God because He is God. Love is revealed in deed in such a way that some do only part for God, leaving part for themselves; another does all for God; and another offers both himself and all his own as a sacrifice to God unconditionally. To love God as God, with complete self-sacrifice, without any ulterior motive, is pure love. The Ladder-bearer speaks of himself, that even if God were to send him to hell, he would love Him with his whole soul just the same unwaveringly. Clearly, pure love is the crown of perfection in pleasing God and appears in strength only at the end of the labors undertaken on this path. At the beginning, in the first manifestations of the Kingdom of God in us, it cannot be required: it may be in the goal, but not in deed; it reigns when God has already consumed all that is ours. (16, 46–47)

On deviations from the right path of unceasing prayer

Two Wrong Methods of Prayer—the Imaginative and the Intellectual-cerebral

The first wrong method of prayer depends on the fact that some act in it chiefly through imagination and fantasy. These powers constitute the first station in the movement from without to within, which ought to be passed through, but instead one stops at it. The second station on the path within is represented by discernment, reason, mind, in general—the reasoning and thinking faculty. One must also pass through it and go down with it to the heart. But when one stops at it, there arises the second wrong form of prayer, the distinctive mark of which is that the mind, remaining in the head, wants to arrange everything in the soul by itself and govern it all; but nothing comes from its labors. It chases after everything, but can overcome nothing and only suffers defeat…

And meanwhile, while this ferment happens in the head, the heart goes its own way; no one guards it, and cares and passionate movements rush upon it. Then the mind forgets itself and flees to the objects of cares and passions; and only rarely, when it comes to itself…

The second form of prayer may be rightly called intellectual-cerebral, in contrast to the third—intellectual-cordial. (16, 170–173)

Turning Attention Away From the Heart is Turning Away From the Path to God

Images hold attention outward, however sacred they may be, but during prayer attention must be turned inward, to the heart: the concentration of attention in the heart is the starting point of proper prayer. And inasmuch as prayer is the path of ascent to God, turning attention away from the heart is turning away from this path. (16, 144)

There are deviations from the right path of this prayer. Therefore one must be taught it by one who knows it. Delusions come mostly from where one keeps attention—in the head or in the chest. Whoever is in the heart is safe. Even safer is whoever sorrowfully comes before God at every moment in contrition, with prayer for deliverance from spiritual delusions. (1, 245)

You stand before the Lord, without images, in the presence of the Lord… and you experience good feelings. What more is needed? There is everything. Or are you producing this in your head?!!—No, you must stand in the heart. But not to remember the heart, but only to see the Lord.—All can be expressed thus: ‘To stand in the heart with the mind before the Lord and to pray.’ (10, 175)

There is Disorder Within When the Mind Goes its Way and the Heart Goes its Way—they Must Be United

The reason you have all this disorder within is that there reigns within a dissolution of faculties; the mind goes its own way and the heart goes its own. You must unite the mind with the heart; then the ferment of thoughts will cease, and you will obtain a rudder for steering the ship of your soul—a lever by which you will begin to move your entire inner world. (16, 54)

Without Feelings of Repentance—prayer is Not Prayer

That you have feelings of repentance in prayer and tears—this is the real work. Without feelings of repentance—prayer is not prayer. So write it off as if it never happened. Prayer without these feelings is the same as a stillborn child. This is how the holy fathers say it. And tears—kindle them… Get used to wailing over yourself as over a dead person—and with funeral chants… For the chief thought, or the place where you should keep yourself mentally, is the hour of Judgment, or that moment when God is ready to pronounce: ‘Come’ or ‘Depart!’ O Lord, save me! And how can one not weep, unable to say with certainty that He will not say: ‘Depart’?! (7, 94)

One Who Yields to the Spirit of Arbitrary Willfulness Will Never Learn Prayer

In every way you must resist the spirit of arbitrariness, or the desire and impulse to act without restraint. This spirit whispers: ‘This is too much for me, I do not have time for it,’ or: ‘I should not take this on yet, I must wait,’ or: ‘Obedience to commands hinders’ and much else like this. Whoever listens to it will never learn prayer.—In alliance with this spirit stands the spirit of self-justification, which approaches and begins to act after someone, yielding to the spirit of arbitrary willfulness, has done something for which the conscience troubles him. Then the spirit of self-justification uses various devices to deceive the conscience and present its wrongdoing as rightdoing.—May God keep you from these evil spirits. (10, 229–230)

Artistic Technique of Prayer is Not Suitable for Everyone

All the practices of which one reads (to sit, to bow)… or the artistic technique of this prayer is not suitable for everyone and without a present teacher is dangerous. It is better not to attempt any of it. One practice is universally binding: ‘to stand in attention in the heart.’ Everything else is extraneous and does not lead to the work. (6, 17)

The Artistic Technique of Prayer Can Cut Off Spiritual Life

The artistic technique of practicing prayer is depicted by the fathers as an external aid and is subordinate to inner practice. But now most people adopt only the external side, not caring about the inner. As soon as some warm movement appears in the heart, they decide: God has granted it… and they give themselves over to fantasies about themselves. Then they criticize all who do not observe the artistic technique of prayer, and not only this, but also the church prayers, and those who strictly follow it, trying not to neglect it.—From this their progress in inner prayer ceases, and they remain with only external practice.—And spiritual life stops. (10, 193–194)

How to Guard Against the Artistic Technique of Prayer

The Jesus Prayer, practiced with faith in the simplicity of the heart, is always salvation-giving. What can prove harmful is the technique associated with it. From this one must guard… One need not rush to this prayer immediately, but first let everyone learn to pray from the heart with the appointed prayers and with prayers in church.

Then, when you notice that someone is beginning to deepen in prayer, you may suggest to him to perform the Jesus Prayer unceasingly, and in this to keep the remembrance of God with fear and reverence.—Prayer is the first work. The main thing sought by prayer is to obtain that spark which was given to Maximus of Kapsokalyvia… This spark is not attracted by any technique, but is given freely by God’s grace. For this reason labor in prayer is required. Teach this to all… But add that the house of prayer is a pure heart, and a peaceful conscience, and zeal for every virtue, and the planting of these in the heart. (10, 190–191)

To Avoid Deviation Into Spiritual Delusion One Can Only Do So With the Help of an Experienced Guide or Mutual Guidance

The right path of ascent through the degrees of prayer is the right path of ascent to communion with God, or in other words, it is true mysticism. Deviations from the right ascent of prayer to perfection are at the same time a deviation into false mysticism. It is not difficult to notice the place for this deviation, or the first point of departure into deviation: this is the transition from verbal prayer, according to appointed prayers, to one’s own prayer, otherwise, the transition from external prayer-words to inner, noetic prayer. To remove error from this point will mean to remove the deviation into false mysticism. The deviation into false mysticism, according to the fathers, ascetics of watchfulness, is called a deviation into spiritual delusion. We have seen these deviations from rightness on the path of movement from without to within… Some get stuck on imagination, others stop at intellectual-cerebral practice. Those who take the true step are those who, passing through these stations, proceed to the heart and hide themselves in it. But even here a delusion is still possible, because part of prayer of the mind in the heart is one’s own work, labor; and where we are, there is always the possibility of falling into spiritual delusion, just as into sin. Safety begins when pure and non-wandering prayer is established in the heart, which is a sign of the overshadowing of the heart by tangible grace, because here feelings are formed that have been trained in discernment of good and evil. Thus, from the very beginning of the movement from without to within until this blessed moment, there is possible a deviation into false mysticism. How then to avoid this misfortune? The fathers indicate one way for this: do not remain alone, have an experienced counselor and guide. If you do not have one, let two or three come together and guide one another in the light of the fathers’ writings. I know of no other path to avoid errors of mysticism, except perhaps the special grace-filled guidance which was granted to only a few of God’s chosen. But this is an exception; we speak of paths of life common to all. (16, 233–235)

Noetic Prayer Itself Has an Extreme Need for Guidance

Noetic prayer itself has an extreme need for guidance, while it is still self-wrought, or laborious. During this time of practicing noetic prayer, when not directed by a skilled hand, the greater part fall from the path…

All the fathers who wrote guides to spiritual life place as the first point in the rules for those entering the interior life: to have a spiritual father-guide and to obey him. I will set forth here one or two of their sayings… Gregory of Sinai says: “Without a teacher, it is impossible for one to succeed on their own in the noetic practice. What you do by yourself, and not by the counsel of those who have already made progress, gives rise to a dangerous self-opinion. If the Son of God did nothing by himself, but as the Father taught him, so he did, and the Holy Spirit did not speak of himself, then who among us has reached such heights of perfection that he no longer requires someone to guide him? That is pride, not virtue! Such a one is already in spiritual delusion, that is, has entered upon a false path of deviation into errors.”

And in active life, it is rare for one to get by without stumbling, relying on their own good sense alone. But there, at least, the harm is not so great: a single thing, if done wrong, can be easily redone or done properly next time. But in noetic practice, a deviation from the right path gives its direction to the entire interior life, which cannot be changed at once. Some of such, as we have seen, become entangled in the nets of imagination; others stop at intellectual-head practice, or, according to Symeon the New Theologian, at the first and second degree of attention and prayer, or noetic practice. And when they become fixed in this condition, then even the most experienced and most zealous instructor can scarcely, if at all, dislodge them or lure them from these thickets into which they have locked themselves, finding them exceedingly delightful. (16, 236–239)

Noetic Prayer Escapes the Danger of Deceptions When Self-love is Burned up in its Fire

Thus, when noetic prayer becomes established and reaches the final degree of its perfection, in which the mind, cleaving to God, becomes silent in union with him (becoming full of love and devotion to God), then self-love is burned up in this fire, and as a result, it escapes the danger of deceptions. (16, 235–236)

When Noetic Prayer Presents No Danger and Itself Serves as its Own Protection

Noetic prayer is when you, standing with attention in the heart, cry out to the Lord, whether asking, or repenting, or giving thanks, or praising him. In this action, there is also no danger; such prayer itself serves as its own protection. For the Lord is there, if you turn to him with faith. You can try this very thing in deed at this very hour. (7, 57)

Two Improprieties With Warmth: Warmth-love and Carnal Pleasure

When the warmth accompanying the Jesus Prayer is not accompanied by spiritual feelings, it should not be called spiritual warmth, but simply bodily warmth; and it is not bad in that state, if it does not consist in connection with carnal pleasure, however slight; but if it does consist in that, then it is bad and ought to be cast out.

This impropriety occurs when the warmth travels below the heart. The second impropriety is that, having loved this warmth, one limits everything to it alone, not concerning oneself with spiritual feelings and even with the remembrance of God, but only so that there be this warmth; this impropriety is possible, though not in everyone and not always, but from time to time. One must notice this and correct it, because in such a case only bodily, animal warmth will remain. (7, 65)

Carnal Excitation Must Be Cut Off Immediately

That which was carnal excitation is very bad. This can be a chance occurrence; but one should not allow it, but must cut it off immediately… Otherwise the matter, instead of spiritual, will turn out to be sensual and will bear an evil fruit instead of good. Read in the Philokalia about this, and especially about how to hold attention. (7, 195)

Spiritual Sensuality From Intensifying Attention to Warmth

Deep prayer to the Lord arouses warmth. The experienced fathers distinguish strictly between bodily warmth, simple, arising from the concentration of one’s powers toward the heart by attention and effort; bodily warmth, carnal, which sometimes attaches itself there and is maintained by the enemy; and spiritual warmth, sober, pure. It is of two kinds: natural, from the union of the mind with the heart, and grace-filled. Experience teaches how to distinguish each. This warmth is sweet, and it is desirable to maintain it, both for the sake of this sweetness itself, and because it imparts a good disposition to the entire interior life. But whoever strives to maintain and intensify this warmth for its sweetness alone will develop spiritual sensuality in himself. Therefore, the sober ones strive, passing by this sweetness, to establish themselves in standing before the Lord alone, with complete devotion to him, as if placing themselves into his hands; but they do not rest on the sweetness proceeding from the warmth and do not fix their attention upon it. But it is possible to become attached to it by attention, and resting in it as in warm comfort or clothing, to maintain it alone, not extending one’s thoughts higher. The mystics [in delusion – Ed.] went no further than this; this state was considered their highest: there was complete mindlessness, sunk in some emptiness. Such is the state of contemplation of the mystics. It has nothing in common with the state of contemplation that existed among the great fathers, the sober ones. (16, 219–220)

Spiritual Sensuality Arises From the Loss of Fear of God and Contrition

Do you fear falling into spiritual sensuality? How would it get there?! For prayer is not made for pleasure, but for the duty of serving God in this manner; pleasure is a necessary accompaniment of true service. Moreover, in prayer the chief thing is the mind standing with attention in the heart before God with reverence and fear, a fear that sobers and drives away all folly and plants contrition in the heart before God. These feelings—fear of God and contrition, or a heart contrite and humble—are the chief marks of true interior prayer and the test of all prayer, by which we must judge whether our prayer is proceeding in proper order or not. When they are present—prayer is in order. When they are absent—it is not in order, and we must put it back in its place. In the absence of them, pleasure and warmth can breed self-opinion, and this is spiritual pride… and this will be pernicious delusion. Then pleasure and warmth will depart; only the memory of them will remain… yet the soul will still think it possesses them. Fear this, and more greatly kindle fear of God, humility, and sorrowful approach to God; walk always in the presence of God. This is the chief thing! (7, 146)

The Humble Need Not Fear Delusion

There is nothing to fear from delusion. It happens to those who have become proud… who begin to think that as soon as warmth enters the heart, that is already the end of perfection. But that is only the beginning, and perhaps not a firm one. For both warmth and the calming of the heart can be natural, the fruit of the concentration of attention. But one must labor and labor, wait and wait, until the natural is replaced by the grace-filled. It is altogether better never to think you have achieved anything, but always to see yourself as poor, naked, blind, and good for nothing. (7, 195–196)

One Who Walks Without Pain Will Not Receive Fruit

You must know that the sure sign of the goodness of ascetic labor and at the same time the condition for making progress through it is sorrowfulness. One who walks without pain will not receive fruit. Heartfelt pain and bodily effort bring into manifestation the gift of the Holy Spirit, granted to every believer in Holy Baptism, which is buried by our negligence in the fulfilling of the commandments and in the passions, but by the unspeakable mercy of God is again raised up in repentance. Do not retreat from labors because of their sorrowfulness, lest you be condemned for fruitlessness and hear: “Take the talent from him.” Every ascetic labor, bodily or spiritual, not accompanied by sorrowfulness and not requiring effort, bears no fruit: The kingdom of heaven suffers violence and the violent seize it (Matt. 11:12). (16, 187–188)

Without Remembrance of God There Will Be No Spiritual Life

You must remember God. You must bring this to the point where the thought of God becomes intimate with and merged into your mind, and heart, and consciousness. To establish such remembrance and such a thought, you must labor on yourself without sloth. Labor—God will give, and you will achieve it; do not labor—and you will not achieve it. And if you do not achieve this, nothing will come of you; you will not gain any progress in spiritual life; indeed, you will have no spiritual life at all, for this is what spiritual life is. See how essentially important this is! (2, 181)

Conclusion

Whoever has received unceasing prayer is already standing in the vestibule of paradise

The Mystery of Unceasing Prayer is in Love for the Lord

Pray without ceasing—labor in prayer—and you will acquire unceasing prayer, which will of itself begin to be accomplished in the heart without special effort. It is evident to everyone that the commandment of the holy Apostle is not fulfilled by the mere performance of appointed prayers at fixed hours, but requires constant walking before God, the dedication of all deeds to God, the all-seeing and everywhere-present, by warming the affectionate turning of the mind to him in the heart. All life, in all its manifestations, must be pervaded by prayer. But the mystery of it is in love for the Lord. As a bride who has loved her bridegroom does not part from him in remembrance and feeling; so the soul, united with the Lord in love, remains inseparably with him, offering him warm discourse from the heart. He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17). (17, 219)

Meditation on God and Short Prayers Nourish the Feelings of the Heart

Striving to maintain the thought of God, do not hold it bare, but connect with it all known concepts of God, his divine attributes and actions, plunging your mind now into one, now into another. Reflect more on God’s creation and providence, on the incarnation of God the Word and the work of our salvation accomplished by him, on his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the establishment of the holy Church, keeper of truth and grace, and the preparation of heavenly dwellings for all who believe in the Kingdom of Heaven—and for yourselves. Add reflection on God’s attributes—his unspeakable goodness, wisdom, omnipotence, justice, omnipresence, almightiness, omniscience, all-blessedness, and greatness. Do all this during prayer, and better yet apart, in reading. When you have reflected on all and see it clearly, then in your thought of God you will have not a bare thought, but a thought accompanied and drawing with it a multitude of saving meditations, acting on the heart and arousing the energy of the spirit. You can compose for yourself a short prayer of praise to God, in which all this would be contained. For example, in some such form: “Glory to you, O God, worshipped in the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit! Glory to you, who created all things! Glory to you, who honored us with your image! Glory to you, who did not abandon us in our fall! Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ, who came, became incarnate, suffered, died for us, rose again, ascended into heaven, and sent us the Most Holy Spirit, established your Church for our salvation, and prepared for us the Kingdom of Heaven! Glory to you, Lord, who in a wondrous manner accomplish salvation both of each person and of entire peoples. Glory to you, Lord, drawing me too toward salvation.” (2, 181–182)

Love Does Not Let One Forget the Beloved Lord Even for a Moment

Review your entire life from the beginning, from when you first remembered yourself, and note all instances of unexpected deliverance from misfortune and unexpected receiving of joy. We do not notice many misfortunes, because they pass us by unnoticed. But looking back, we cannot help but see that here and there were misfortunes that passed us by—but how they passed, we cannot say. Observe such instances in your life and confess that it was the mercy of God toward you, who loved you. Know that the hidden mercies of God toward us—toward each one of us—are countless, for all things come from God. Confess these mercies and give thanks to God with all your heart. But if you look well into the course of your life, you will find many instances of God’s manifest mercy toward you. Misfortune should have come, but it passed—you do not know how. God delivered you. Confess this and thank God, who loves you.

And knowledge of the mercies common to all warms the heart; all the more will it be warmed by the sight of mercies directed specifically to you. Love kindles love. Having felt how the Lord loves you, you cannot remain cold toward him: the heart itself will be drawn to him in gratitude and love. Hold your heart under the influence of such a conviction of the Lord’s love for you: and heartfelt warmth will soon grow into a flame of love for the Lord. When this comes to pass, you will need neither reminders to remember God nor instructions on how to succeed at this. Love does not let one forget the beloved Lord even for a moment. This is the mark of the goal. Receive this in your mind, and receive it with conviction. And then direct all your labor toward this very thing—toward establishing in mind and heart the thought of God. (2, 183–184)

Standing With the Mind in the Heart Means Kindling in it the Fire Which the Lord Came to Cast Upon the Earth

In the beginning, God created light diffused everywhere; on the fourth day he concentrated it around the sun. So too in spiritual life—whether in reading, in meditation on God, in prayer, or in church, or in conversation—there is warmth in the heart; but what kind—light, wafted, not grafted. It must be concentrated in the heart, grafted into it, smoldered and burned. Then it is good. This is the fire which the Lord came to cast upon the earth. May the Lord bless you. Labor; but do not think you can do anything yourselves, but cry out with contrition: “Lord, help! Lord, kindle!”—One elder besought the Most Pure Mother of God for two years—and she gave him fire, and it became, he says, good.—And you too, pray and labor, that is, seek how to stand in the heart. And the Lord, seeing your labor and that you sincerely desire this good, will give you grace of heartfelt burning. This is what it means—to stand in the heart. Only then can one stand, when it has become kindled; until then there is labor. Do not be afraid. Flee various imaginings. There is nothing unusual in all this. This is the common path. Be strong. The Mother of God is your helper… Father Seraphim will teach you. Remember how once during the liturgy he was embraced by the fire of the heart. This is the blessed state!—It is possible for us too.—And it requires only constant labor. This is paradise!—Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. (3, 44–45)

Begin the Noetic Labor and You Will See Everything for Yourselves

A brother said: “What does the noetic labor consist of?” The elder answered: “The noetic labor is the striving of the mind to keep the remembrance of death, judgment, retribution, and the like; but chiefly, it is the foreseeing of the Lord before one always and the constant meditation on God.” (18, 72)

God is everywhere. And our soul is all before him, transparent. We too must stand before him with our consciousness. As all the Angels and Saints behold him and do not turn their eyes from him; so we too, still in the body, must behold him. As the sun holds the planets and leads them after itself; so all the spiritual world, and therefore our souls, must hold fast to God and be led by him. And this is not for an hour or two, but constantly, from the moment of waking until the very moment of sleep. One cannot suddenly place oneself in this state. Labor is needed.—It is this that is required now.—Get to it! There is nothing to fear.—For clarification of the matter, read in the Philokalia the articles on watchfulness. You must stand over the heart with attention. You must come down from the head into the heart. Now your meditation on God is in the head, while God himself—is outside, as it were, so that it turns out to be external work. While you are in the head, thoughts will not settle peacefully and everything will be tossed about like snow or summer dust. To the degree that your attention enters into the heart, thoughts will begin to settle, and then they will settle completely—and the atmosphere of the soul will become utterly clear. Then even a fly flying by you will notice, while before everything is darkness upon darkness. The beginning of fruit is concentrated and unceasing warmth in the heart. And that is all.—Only you must leave off familiarity with the Lord. Great fear is needed. As great nobles stand at attention before a king, so let the soul stand before God. What improper bodily position is before the face of a king, so are uncontrolled thoughts before God; and forgetting about God, even for a moment,—is the same as turning one’s back on the king.

Saturate your soul with fear. It is not painful, but refreshing. It is the beginning; but throughout the entire way it does not leave, only becoming ever purer and purer. Solitude and reading—two wings in this occupation. But begin—and you will see everything for yourselves. What helps and what harms will be revealed immediately. But then you must strictly fulfill what is learned. Conscience will take its place—and will begin to rebuke. Obey. How many reproaches there will be! Fulfill them. Later everything will be evened out and will proceed smoothly. May the Lord help you! (3, 48–49)

False States Are Not a Reproach to the Truth, but a Call to Renounce Everything

As a tethered bird flies and then falls again to earth, though tethered by the tiniest limb; as one with dust in the eye opens it but sees nothing with it—so one with an attachment thinks he has gone deep into God, but thereby only deceives himself. In this state there are false visions, delusions of fantasy, and along with them—also enchantments of Satan, who loves and knows how to exploit every weakness of ours. Many have been struck by this and perished forever. Yet this should not serve as a reproach to the truth or stop the zeal and desire of those who seek. One should only not forget the wise rules left by the godly fathers, that is, in striving toward God, not to forget renunciation of everything and to begin more strictly with the latter or devote oneself to it principally. (3, 345)

It is Easier for Monks, but Not Impossible for Lay People to Live in God

In the degrees of this renunciation, they distinguish first the painful tearing of the heart from sensible things through hatred, then tastelessness toward them, and further the contemplation of them from God, which does not turn one away from God. For renunciation of everything, and likewise for life in God, it is best for those who wish, are able, and are called to choose a special way of life—the monastic or solitary. In this life both become possible in their full purity and ripeness. And in the order of ordinary life it is not impossible, but is joined with great labors and obstacles. It is better when someone, having established himself in life in God in separation from the world, goes out or is called afterward into communal life for the sake of the work. In that life, life according to God has a special action; that person is the representative of God for people, distributing his blessing to all. (3, 345–346)

The Fruits of Unceasing Prayer Prepare the Soul for the Future Vision of God

God has no image or form; therefore those who love truth strive in every way to raise themselves to the state of beholding the Lord before them without image, with simple, pure thought. This is the height of perfection in walking before God. The fruits of this walking are countless; but—the chief one—from it naturally flows into our life the purity and blamelessness of words, thoughts, desires, deeds…

Another fruit from this is a certain warmth of spirit. The vision of God cannot be cold, if it is true. To the degree of progress in the vision of God, the warmth increases. Then they merge, and both the vision and the warmth transform into one continuous action of the spirit. Such a disposition of the spirit is the best preparation for the future all-blessed vision of God. Whoever has established himself in it stands already in the vestibule of paradise, has matured for it. And any person who does not know how to behold God, or, having thought of him, turns away from him, feeling that it is unpleasant and frightening and obligates to much, let him take care of himself; for from this one can conclude something about the future. (3, 343–344)

On the Jesus Prayer

What is the Jesus Prayer

When we pray, we must stand with the mind before God and think only of him. Meanwhile, various thoughts constantly jostle about in the head and distract the mind from God. For this reason, to teach the mind to stand on one thing, the holy fathers used little prayers and practiced pronouncing them constantly… This constant repetition of the prayer kept the mind focused on the thought of God and drove away all extraneous thoughts. These short prayers were various… Among us, the Jesus Prayer has been especially established and has entered into general custom: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

So this is what the Jesus Prayer is. It is one of the short prayers, verbal, like all other short prayers. It is intended to keep the mind on a single thought of God. (7, 63)

Do not forget that one should not limit oneself to mere mechanical repetition of the words of the Jesus Prayer… The essence of the matter is a conscious standing in the presence of the Lord with fear, faith, and love. (3, 194)

The chief thing is standing and walking before God with a cry to him from the heart. (10, 189)

The chief thing here: to stand with attention in the heart and cry out to the Lord, present everywhere. (10, 163)

Why This Prayer is Necessary for Every Christian

…To anyone who has repented or begun to seek the Lord, one can and should at the very first time give full instruction in the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and thereby introduce them into all others, because by this path one can become established more quickly, can see spiritually more swiftly, and reach inner peace. Not knowing this, some, or rather most, stop at bodily and soulish practices and spend their labor and time almost in vain. (1, 244)

It seems a simple thing; but not knowing of it, one can labor hard—and bear little fruit. And this is by the nature of bodily activity. It is easier, so it attracts; interior practice is hard, so it repels… And it turns out that at first one will abandon the interior work, as if until maturity: the time will come, he thinks—but later, looking back, he finds that the time has passed and, instead of preparation, he has become wholly incapable of it. (1, 223)

And from what is the conscience troubled and discontented?.. You yourselves answer: from the fact that I do not remember God.—This is true: without the remembrance of God, without fear of God, without feeling toward God, the soul cannot be made content… If it is so, then now all care must be devoted to this. Prayer, which we have been discussing, is the straight path to this… The idea that it is not yet time for you to occupy yourself with prayer (the Jesus Prayer – Ed.) is false. All must pray with heart and mind. Any other prayer is not prayer. So labor, do not be lazy. (10, 173)

If you do not labor and do not sweat so that this fearful name is imprinted on your heart and mind, your silence is in vain, your singing is in vain, your fasting is in vain, your vigil is in vain. In a word, all the labor of a monk is nothing without such a practice, without remembrance of God. (20, 26)

…It is bad that some excuse themselves from it (from spiritual practice and the Jesus Prayer – Ed.). They themselves are the cause that their labor bears no fruit,—they sweat, but see no fruit, and then quickly cool off and all is over. (1, 246)

And let everyone, not only a monk but also a lay person, practice this prayer. It is not some high deed, but a simple one. And the Jesus Prayer in itself (alone) is not miraculous, but, like any other short prayer, is verbal and therefore external. But it can transition into noetic and heart prayer… (7, 193)

The place of the Jesus Prayer among other prayers

It is the Easiest Means to Continuity in Prayer

There are degrees of prayer. The first degree is bodily prayer, more in reading, standing, and bows. Attention wanders, the heart feels nothing, there is no inclination: here is patience, labor, sweat… The second degree is attentive prayer: the mind grows accustomed to gathering itself at the hour of prayer and speaking through the whole of it with awareness, without fragmentation. Attention fuses with the written word and speaks as if it were its own. The third degree is the prayer of feeling: from attention the heart grows warm, and what was there in thought becomes feeling here… And thus the common counsel of the saints is—do not let this pass without attention: that is, when feeling arises, cease every other activity (reading, thinking) and remain in it… By attention to these manifestations of prayer, the cultivation of prayer is knit together, but by inattention it is destroyed… However one may regard oneself as advanced in prayer, the rule of prayer should never be abandoned, but performed as indicated, and one should always begin with active prayer. With it there should be noetic prayer, and after them the prayer of the heart will come. Without this these latter ones scatter and a person will think he is praying when in fact he is not… The easiest means of ascent to continuity in prayer is the accustoming of the mind to the Jesus Prayer and rooting it within oneself. (1, 242–243)

The Chief Condition for Success in the Jesus Prayer

…The Jesus Prayer can accord with all these (degrees of prayer), but its proper place is in unceasing prayer. The chief condition for success in prayer is the purification of the heart from passions and every attachment to anything sensible. Without this, prayer will always remain at the first degree, or the reading stage. As the heart is purified, the prayer of reading will transition into noetic-and-heartfelt prayer, and when it is wholly purified, then unceasing prayer will be established. (7, 61)

When the Jesus Prayer is Stronger Than All Other Prayers

The Jesus Prayer is like every other prayer. It is stronger than all others only by the all-powerful name of Jesus, the Lord, the Savior, when it is invoked with full faith, warm faith, unwavering faith—that He is near, sees and hears all, and gives His whole attention to what is asked of Him—and is ready to fulfill and grant what is requested. Such hope does not shame us. If sometimes the fulfillment is delayed, this depends on the one asking not yet being ready to receive what is asked. (10, 113)

What to seek through the Jesus Prayer

The Path to Salvation

Ask and you will receive, knock and it will be opened to you. A blacksmith knows that if he strikes with a hammer, a nail will come out… But one who is zealous for spiritual things cannot say: I will do this and that and obtain this result. Strive, like a little fish against ice, seeking, and you will obtain what the Lord is pleased to give and when He is pleased to give it: write this lesson on your heart. Seek, cry out with contrition of heart, with utmost self-abasement and with unwavering faith that the Lord will give all that is needed; and when something is received… it is not ours… And even if the Lord gives nothing—glory be to God! You must entrust your entire salvation into the Lord’s hands—the surest, most reliable, good, and wise path. (10, 28–29)

The Lord is Near and Even in the Heart

What should be sought? Living, tangible communion with the Lord. Divine grace gives this, but we ourselves must also labor for it. Where then should we direct our labor? To always remembering the Lord, that He is near and even present in the heart… The first labor is the habit of repeating the Jesus Prayer unceasingly… And begin, keep saying it and saying it, but always with the mind on the Lord. And that is all… (10, 164–165)

Warmth in the Heart

When attention descends into the heart, it draws all the powers of soul and body into one point… This concentration of all human life into one place immediately produces there a special sensation; this sensation is the beginning of the future warmth… This sensation, at first gentle, continually grows stronger, deepens, and from cold, as it is at first, transitions into warm feeling and holds attention upon itself. And it happens thus: at first attention is held in the heart by the tension of the will, by its own strength attention produces warmth in the heart. This warmth then holds attention without special exertion on its part. They then support one another and must remain inseparable, for the scattering of attention cools the warmth, and the diminishing of warmth weakens attention. From this comes the law of spiritual life: keep your heart in feeling toward God—you will always be in the remembrance of God… Now the question—is this spiritual warmth? No—not spiritual! But ordinary, blood warmth… One can call this warmth spiritual only when it is accompanied by spiritual, prayerful movements. (7, 64–65)

To Receive the Spark and Kindle the Flame

What is sought through the Jesus Prayer? That grace-filled fire might sink into the heart and unceasing prayer begin, by which the state of grace is defined. You should know that the Jesus Prayer, when the spark of God falls into the heart, kindles it into flame; but it does not give this spark itself, only facilitates its reception. How does it facilitate? By gathering the thoughts into one and giving the soul the power to stand before the Lord and walk in His presence. (10, 189)

Do Not Seek Extraordinary Experiences

What should be sought through prayer is the establishment in the heart of a quiet but warm feeling toward God that does not depart; extraordinary experiences and special movements should not be sought; but when God sends special prayerful feelings, be grateful for them, do not claim them as your own, and do not grieve when they depart as if at some great loss, but always humbly return from them to the quiet feeling toward the Lord. (21, 47)

Spiritual Warmth

Grace-filled warmth is a special thing, and it is properly spiritual… It is separated from the flesh, and in the body produces no noticeable changes, and is witnessed by a subtle sweet sensation. By these sensations anyone can easily discern and distinguish the warmth… This each one should do; an outsider has no place or business here… Direct all your attention to spiritual actions and sensations. They will pass through the soul and body like a pleasant morning coolness. (7, 66)

Spiritual Burning

Spiritual burning of the heart toward the Lord is love for Him. It is kindled by the touch of the Lord upon the heart. As He is wholly love, the touch of Him upon the heart immediately kindles love toward Him. And from this love comes the burning of the heart toward Him. This is what should be the object of seeking. (13, 93–94)

How and when the Jesus Prayer takes root in the heart

The Imperceptibility of Progress

When it takes root in the heart, there are no breaks within, but all one continuous thing… How does it take root?! Who knows how? Yet it does take root. The one laboring perceives this, not knowing how it came to pass. Labor… walking in the presence of God with frequent, as much as possible, repetition of this prayer. Whenever there is free time—at once to it… And it will be given… (10, 49)

For Some Quickly, for Others Not Quickly

Know that the noetic-and-heartfelt prayer comes into the heart for some quickly, and for others not quickly. I know of three people: for one it came as soon as it was told, in that very hour; for another it came after six months; for a third—after ten months; and for one great elder—after two years. And why this happens thus—only God knows. (10, 228)

The Timeframe—According to One’s Strength and Diligence

Do not set a time for the progress needed in this prayer. Only decide to labor and labor. Months and years will pass before weak signs of progress appear. One of the Athos elders said of himself that two years of labor passed before his heart grew warm; for another it came after eight months. For everyone this occurs according to their strength and diligence in this matter. (22, 212)

Piecemeal Effort Will Bear No Fruit

And what is the main thing? If you take on the work, then take it on in full, but piecemeal effort will yield nothing. When a pond is dammed—how is it done? You hurry to seal the opening at once. But if you put down a lump of earth and then abandon the work, the water will wash it away. Put down another lump and leave it—again the water washes it away. And so—endless labor, yet the pond is never built. Apply this to the soul. The flow of thoughts, like a river, swiftly flows from the head and heart. Suddenly you must block the passages—and not let them go. But if you hold them back a little and then release them—there will be no benefit. It is the same as building and tearing down. (3, 51)

Perfection in Prayer Comes Together With All Virtues

But if we are negligent toward prayer, we will never advance in it. Remember also that prayer alone does not come to perfection, but together with all virtues. As the virtues are perfected, so is prayer perfected. The chief ones are: fear of God, chastity, humility, contrition, mortification of the flesh, patience, love… When these are present, all the others will appear, and with them prayer. (10, 168)

Given Through the Sacraments

True heartfelt prayer is a gift of grace, given through the sacraments of Confession or Communion… What grace gives, your own labor cannot give. It only prepares you to receive the gift—and after receiving it warms it—together with the sacraments. (10, 195–196)

Which rule should one choose?

General Instructions

Assign in your prayer rule a portion to the Jesus Prayer. Perform this prayer several times at the beginning of your liturgy of the hours and several times after it. If you have zeal, perform the same after each prayer that is part of such a liturgy…

Determine for yourself the number of times to repeat this prayer, in what manner—or seek the counsel of your spiritual father. Only at first do not set a large number, but then, as you grow to delight in this prayer, increase it gradually. If at any time the desire comes to repeat the set number again, do not refuse yourself, without making it a permanent rule, only for this occasion. And however many such repetitions your heart may require, do not refuse.

Do not hurry to rush one prayer after another, but pronounce them with measured length, as one ordinarily speaks before a great person when asking something of them. However, be not concerned with the words alone, but rather that your mind be in the heart and stand before the Lord as if present, with full consciousness of His greatness, grace, and justice…

Performing this prayer in your rule or apart from it, taking a prayerful posture for it, at each time you speak it make a bow: ten times from the waist, and then to the ground—so until you finish. (22, 209–210)

“Should one determine oneself by quantity of prayers and bows, or be more concerned with attention?”—Without attention, prayer is not prayer. Therefore, this is the chief thing. But at the same time one must determine the quantity of prayers and bows by the rule. This is for domestic prayer. Best of all for progress in prayer is to go to church for all services and there strive to pray with reverence. (10, 168–169)

The stomach should not be filled with food; let there be a sense of emptiness—and sleep should not be indulged. One should not allow diversions—neither laughter nor banter. Hold yourself always as if you were in the presence of a king. If you attend carefully to all things, the work itself will teach you much. Do not look at the [Revelations] of a Pilgrim [to His Spiritual Father]. There are counsels there not suitable for you, which could lead to spiritual delusion. Read the book On Sobriety and Prayer. (10, 112)

The Beginning Rule: the Whole Lesson at Once

Standing in consciousness and attention in your heart, pronounce unceasingly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,—without any image or form, by faith that the Lord sees you and attends to you. To establish yourself in this, you should set aside a definite time in the morning or evening, a quarter hour, half hour, or more, according to your ability, for doing this prayer alone. This is after your morning and evening prayers, standing or sitting. By this the beginnings of accustoming yourself will be laid. (1, 244–245)

Another Rule: Gradually, but More Frequently

For the practice of the Jesus Prayer, set aside a special time apart from morning and evening prayer. Stand twice before lunch, twice after lunch, each time performing one hundred Jesus Prayers with bows: bows from the waist at the small knots and full bows to the ground at the large knots. Once you have set this, fulfill it unfailingly each day, excusing yourself with nothing.

When you stand for prayer, at once remember that the Lord is near—and sees, and hears, and wishes to give you what is salvific for you… Constancy in fulfillment is the chief condition of success. (10, 111)

Yet Another Rule: Frequently, With Doubling and Tripling

It is desirable for you to unite your mind with the thought of the Lord. The best means to this is the habit of the Jesus Prayer, as written above. Set yourself to stand three or four times a day before the icons to perform this prayer with reverence and with the vision of the Lord before you, and each time perform it 100, 200, 300 times, according to your strength. Having set this time, do not change it. Your thought the whole day will see ahead—soon I must stand again. And the Lord will be near. (9, 52)

The Technique

From Symeon the New Theologian on the technical practice of noetic prayer… Bodily postures and methods are not the main thing—they are nothing more than aids. I will set these out separately here: sit in a solitary place, bow your head to your chest, restrict your breathing somewhat, and turn your bodily eyes also inward toward the place of the heart, and in this posture, gathering your mind into the heart, say: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!”. (16, 180–181)

How to perform the Jesus Prayer apart from the rule

The Whole Day in the Labor of Attention

From morning establish yourself deeply in the thought of the Lord, stand before Him in the morning during prayer, and then throughout the whole day strive not to depart from Him, taking His sweetest name as your aid. Whatever you are doing, whether talking to someone, walking, sitting, eating—let your mind be always with the Lord. If you forget, return again to the Lord, and rebuke yourself with contrition… and so on… in this is the labor of attention. (3, 37)

There is No Requirement to Pronounce the Jesus Prayer Unceasingly

The generation of prayer during handiwork is the mercy of God—and pray then in the work itself. You grieve that the Jesus Prayer is not continuous, that you do not pronounce it unceasingly—this is not required… What is required is a constant feeling toward God, which can be present during conversation, during reading, during observing and considering something… But since the Jesus Prayer, when you pray it, is in the true form, continue to act thus, and this prayer… will expand its domain. (9, 155)

Let the Mind Labor Seated in the Heart

You for the most part live in the head, and descend into the heart only when head-work stirs up some feeling. But it should be the opposite: be always in the heart, and completely forsake the head; if there arises need, by the requirements of spiritual life, to labor with the mind, let it then labor while seated in the heart. (19, 527)

When to Perform the Jesus Prayer in Church and When to Pray the Common Prayer

You ask: should one force the mind to perform the Jesus Prayer in church, when the soul is at peace, calm, and when the mind in this silence attends to what is read and sung? One should stand in the presence of God and in feeling toward God, whatever you are doing… So also in church… This prayer enlivens and sustains attention to God with corresponding feelings. (8, 227)

During worship you must attend to the service, standing in attention where the Jesus Prayer is being offered. And when something is read or sung unclearly, then pray this prayer.

How should you be in church—pray silently with your own prayer, or listen to what is being read and sung? Heat up your inner prayer and listen while doing so… Prayer within is like a stove, and listening is like adding logs to the stove… But if listening breaks your inner prayer, it is better to remain with your own prayer; though on the Liturgy you must follow the service with both mind and heart. Here is something else to remember: we gather in church for common prayer, so that mind, feeling, and voice are one for all of us—otherwise we won’t receive what the Lord promised when two or three pray together.

What to do when attention wanders

The Mind Can Only Be Anchored by Feeling

The mind constantly jumps from subject to subject. How can it be anchored? By nothing except feeling. When some feeling is present in the heart, it anchors the mind to the object of that feeling. Therefore, whoever wants to anchor the mind to God so that it continually sees God must awaken feeling toward God.

And what about wandering thoughts? When there is feeling in the heart, they won’t wander. When the tap on the samovar is open, water flows unstoppably, but when you turn it off, the water stops; it is the same with thoughts: they keep flowing and flowing, turn off the tap and they stop. This turning off of the tap is the awakening of holy feeling in the heart and maintaining it.

Remembrance of God and Contrition Will Not Let Thoughts Scatter

I scatter my attention… Who is to blame? Don’t scatter. As soon as you notice that your thoughts are beginning to wander, immediately turn them back again. Practice being in God’s remembrance and in remembrance of death. There will be contrition, and it will not let your thoughts scatter.

Add Self-condemnation and Watchfulness—an End to the Flight of Attention

But our trouble is that thoughts scatter, attention goes with them, and the mind begins to wander outside and doesn’t know where it is going. Prayer is cut off, even though we are standing in prayer. What should we do? I see no clear instructions anywhere—everyone just says: when you come to yourself, turn back into the heart again and start calling out from the heart; call out that the mind not escape outward. Again the mind will escape—turn it back again and start calling again, and so on… What will come of it? Will this fleeing ever end? It should, but with us it’s always getting tangled. It seems to me that if we add self-condemnation in this struggle and ask the Lord for watchfulness, then the Lord, seeing our patient seeking and sincere desire for watchfulness, will grant us this by His mercy.

Meditation on God is Necessary

“I can’t,” you say, “be watchful and awake.” If this comes and goes, as you write, then it is nothing… But if it lasts a long time, you must strengthen yourself through meditation on God or contemplation of the mystery of our faith, especially: death, judgment, hell and paradise. The fear of God must be kindled—it has great awakening power. From its weakening comes laziness, negligence and drowsiness…

In the Jesus Prayer meditation on God is nonetheless necessary—otherwise it is dry food. It is good if the name of Jesus has stuck on your tongue. But you can do this while not remembering the Lord at all, and even holding thoughts contrary to Him. Therefore everything depends on conscious and free turning to God and the effort to keep yourself in this with discernment.

One Must Repent Continuously

…There is no moment when someone does not have something on their conscience—whether willing or unwilling, and therefore there is no moment when peace with God is not troubled in them… Consequently, one must repent continuously. For repentance washes every stain from the soul and makes it clean.

Through the Jesus Prayer at Once Erase the Trace of Sin

Usually thoughts circle in the head. These are empty. But you must watch for those which pierce the heart like an arrow and leave a trace there, like a scratch. At once take up and erase this trace with prayer, awakening in its place the opposite feeling. When warmth is preserved, these cases are rare and weak.

Frequent Remembrance of God Without Reverence Deprives of Spiritual Fruits

Regarding noetic prayer, keep one precaution: in frequent remembrance of God, do not forget to kindle reverent fear and the impulse to fall in dust before the face of God, the most merciful Father, yet also the awesome Judge. Frequent remembrance of God without reverence dulls the feeling of God’s fear and through this deprives it of that saving action which belongs to it among spiritual movements and which nothing else can produce.

The principal dangers

Temptation From the Enemy

At first it is hard, and seems like some absurdity, affectation, and there are so many unfavorable thoughts about this work! The main thing is to place the mind in the heart before the Lord and stand before Him continuously day and night until the end of life. Make a small effort. The length of study of the lesson and duty is short, depending on faith and zeal. Do not grow weak. There will be suspicion toward the one advising, and displeasure with the work of prayer itself: blasphemy against it, weakness, desire to abandon it—precisely because it is difficult. Beware! Do not listen, keep your work. The enemy above all sows blasphemy against this prayer. For then fire burns him and drives him away. He has no approach to the person in whose heart the Jesus Prayer is rooted. The most sweet name of the Lord, sounding ceaselessly and speaking in the heart, will even without your awareness strike him.

My Head Hurts

…You wrote that from attention your head even aches. Yes, if you work only with your head; but when you descend into the heart, there will be no labor, the head will empty and thoughts will end… If you find the heart and are able to stand in it, then whenever thoughts begin to trouble you, you only need to descend into the heart—and the thoughts will scatter. This will be a cozy corner, a safe haven. Do not be lazy to descend… Life is in the heart; there you must live. Do not think that this is the work of the perfect. No. This is the work of all who begin to seek the Lord.

The Technique is Dangerous

To pray the Jesus Prayer as we all learn to do is a good work. In monasteries it is given as a duty. Would it be given if it were dangerous?! What is dangerous is the technique which some have invented and adapted to this prayer. It has thrown some into fanciful spiritual delusion, and some, wonderfully to say, into a constant state of lust. For this reason it must be counseled against and forbidden. But the most sweet name of the Lord must be called upon in simplicity of heart by all, and all must be encouraged toward this.

Slight Warmth From Nature

…From the Jesus Prayer they have made something. They think that as soon as someone begins to pray this prayer, they have already done everything. The prayer has become for them like some incantation: pray it, adding bodily postures which are mentioned in some places, and you will get everything. So they hum along, but the heart remains empty, and thoughts wander, even shameful movements come, and they see nothing wrong with it, as if everything is in the natural order of things. Some feel a slight warmth with this, and they cry out: there is grace, there is grace! And they don’t remember that the experienced say: watch, a light warmth will come, do not marvel at it—this is from nature, not from grace.

The Beginning of Self-delusion

Know that true progress happens inside, imperceptibly, not showing itself, as the growth of the body takes place. Therefore, when you hear within you: ah, there it is!—know that this is the voice of the enemy, presenting you with something apparent instead of what is real. Here begins self-delusion. Silence this voice at once. Otherwise it will, like a trumpet, keep sounding in you, feeding self-conceit.

Discord From Sinful Habits

Madness from the Jesus Prayer can come about when, while praying this prayer, you do not stop some sins and sinful habits which your conscience condemns. In this case a deep discord occurs within, which drives out all peace of heart… From this the head can become confused and understanding come into chaos and entanglement.

False Mysticism

The true Christian life is a life hidden with Christ in God. It is mysterious in its arising, in the paths of its growth, and in its perfection. Therefore not all mysticism is false. False mysticism comes from departing from the right path of ascent to communion with God…

Departure into false mysticism, among the fathers and ascetics of watchfulness, is called departure into spiritual delusion… Some get stuck on imagination… others stop at intellectual exercise… The true step is taken by those who, bypassing these stations, proceed to the heart and remain hidden in it. But even here error is still possible, because the noetic-heartfelt prayer has a self-made, laborious aspect; and where we are, there is always the possibility of falling into delusion just as much as into sin. Safety begins when pure and effortless prayer is established in the heart.

Whoever is in the heart is safe. Even safer is whoever painfully clings to God every moment in contrition, with prayer for deliverance from delusions.

The necessity of having a guide

In Order to Avoid Delusion

So, from the very beginning of movement from without to within… it is possible to depart into false mysticism. How can one avoid this misfortune? Among the fathers there is indicated for this one means: do not remain alone, have an experienced counselor and guide. If you don’t have one, let two or three gather and guide each other by the light of the Fathers’ writings. I know no other path to avoiding the errors of mysticism, except perhaps a special grace-given guidance, which has been granted to few chosen ones of God. But these are exceptions, and we speak of the paths of life common to all.

Where Can a Layperson Find a Guide

Another question arises: in noetic prayer one must have a guide; where can a layperson find one? Right there, in the world—among spiritual fathers and even among laypeople. It is true that fewer and fewer are becoming the people to whom one can turn for advice about spiritual life. But they always exist and always will. And whoever seeks always finds them, by God’s mercy. Spiritual life is God’s life; and God has special care for those who seek it. Just show zeal—and you will find all that is needed around you.

An Experienced Teacher is Needed

When attention toward the Lord becomes unceasing, then it is grace-given attention; but our own attention is always forced. From such noetic prayer there is a transition to heartfelt prayer, if only there is an experienced teacher, very fitting and free.

Conclusion

What You Must Remember and Do

You ask what is needed… Remember it and do it thus… With attention you must descend into the heart and stand before the face of the Lord, the Omnipresent—in you and All-seeing—in you…

Standing before the face of the Lord, admit no other thoughts… but only gaze upon the Lord with the proper feelings toward Him: seeing, hearing, ready to listen and obey. Do not leave the word (of the Jesus Prayer) without thoughts of the Lord and of what He is for us, but have simple thoughts: that He is near, protects, sustains, teaches, guides…

When you begin, certain specific needs will become clear regarding this prayer… and you will ask.

Look to the goal of the matter… Your thought and feeling will become so united with the Lord that they will become inseparable—there will be a feeling toward the Lord that is constant, warm and sweet… All else will fall away as foreign.

When you become humble, God’s grace will soon bring this prayer into power…

Be concerned that everything comes from the heart. Do not think about external postures…

…As soon as such a thought arises (that the prayer is established), know beforehand that it lies—and do not stop at it.

Stability will begin when a small fire arises in the heart.

Make This Your Chief Work, and Then…

Struggle thus and ask the Lord to grant you finally to feel and know what a wound in the heart is, in the word of Elder Paphnutius. Perhaps this is not given at once. A year of intense effort may pass, or perhaps more, before any traces begin to appear. May the Lord bless you, on this labor and path. But do not consider this some side matter; make it your chief work… For when, God willing, a wound is born in your heart, then of itself there will come what you desire, or something far greater than it—a special kind of inner tact will be established, by which everything will go with you smoothly, harmoniously and fitly, without thinking about it. Then within yourself you will carry a teacher, wiser than whom there is no one on earth.

Scripture Index

Every Scripture reference identified in this book, sorted in canonical Bible order. Tap a reference to jump to the verse where it appears.

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 2:915. It Comes From Grace and a Pure Conscience (15.1)

Proverbs

Proverbs 23:2668. Any Rule is Good That Keeps the Soul in Reverence Before God (68.1)

Matthew

Matthew 11:12105. One Who Walks Without Pain Will Not Receive Fruit (105.1)

Luke

Luke 8:4415. It Comes From Grace and a Pure Conscience (15.1)

Luke 18:117. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

Romans

Romans 8:917. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

Romans 8:2617. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 6:17108. The Mystery of Unceasing Prayer is in Love for the Lord (108.1)

Ephesians

Ephesians 6:1817. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1); 26. God Does Not Command the Impossible (26.1); 45. The Distinction Between Prayer of the Mind in the Heart and Spiritual Prayer in Self-movement (45.1)

Colossians

Colossians 3:317. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

Colossians 4:217. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 5:1717. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1); 26. God Does Not Command the Impossible (26.1)

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 1:617. Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly (17.1)

Illustration Credits

Sources and attribution for every illustration in this book. Each entry lists the photographer or artist when known, the licence under which the image was released, and a link to the original page on Wikimedia Commons or the equivalent host. Images released into the public domain are listed without further obligation; images released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike licence are reproduced here under the same licence.

1. St. Theophan the Recluse

Photograph by P.F. Borel.

Licence: Public Domain Mark 1.0.

Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The Author: Saint Theophan the Recluse

Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815–1894) is among the most beloved teachers of the spiritual life in the Russian Orthodox Church. He was born on 10 January 1815 in the village of Chernavsk, in the Oryol province of central Russia, and given the name Georgy Vasilyevich Govorov. His father was a parish priest, and the boy was raised in the ordered piety of a country rectory. He studied first at the theological school in Livny, then at the Oryol Seminary, and finally at the Kiev Theological Academy, from which he graduated in 1841. The ancient monasteries of Kiev, and above all the Monastery of the Caves, left a deep mark on him during those years.

In his last year as a student, in 1841, Georgy Govorov was tonsured a monk and given the name Theophan, after Saint Theophan the Confessor, a defender of the holy icons. He was soon ordained hieromonk and set on the path of teaching and administration in the Church’s schools: he served in the theological schools of Kiev, as inspector at Novgorod, and as an instructor in moral and pastoral theology at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy. For several years he lived in the Christian East, attached to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, where in Jerusalem, Constantinople, and on Mount Athos he studied, copied, and gathered the writings of the Fathers that he would later render into Russian. In 1857 he was appointed rector of the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy.

In 1859 he was consecrated Bishop of Tambov and Shatsk, and in 1863 he was transferred to the ancient see of Vladimir. As a bishop he was known for gentleness, tireless preaching, and care for the education of his people, founding diocesan schools for girls in both dioceses. Yet the labours of administration drew him away from the inner life he most desired. In 1866, at his own request, he was released from the government of his diocese and withdrew to the Vyshensky Hermitage, a quiet monastery he had come to love while at Tambov.

At Vysha, Saint Theophan gradually gave himself wholly to prayer and writing. Beginning in 1872 he entered strict reclusion: he no longer left his cell for the monastery church, received almost no visitors, and lived for the remaining years in two small rooms, celebrating the Divine Liturgy alone in a chapel he had arranged. This seclusion, far from being idleness, became the most fruitful period of his life. From it flowed the works for which he is remembered: The Path to Salvation and What the Spiritual Life Is; his translation and great expansion of the Philokalia (the Russian Dobrotolyubie) and of other monastic writings; Unseen Warfare; his commentaries on almost all the Epistles of the Apostle Paul, together with expositions of several Psalms; and an immense correspondence, in which he answered, often at the rate of dozens of letters a day, the spiritual questions of people throughout Russia. In 1890 the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy conferred on him a doctorate in theology.

Saint Theophan reposed on 6 January 1894, the Feast of the Theophany whose name he bore, at the age of seventy-nine, and was buried at the Vysha monastery. In 1988, during the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church that celebrated the millennium of the Baptism of Rus’, he was numbered among the saints. His feast is kept on 10 January.

His significance for the Church lies in the way he gathered the whole ascetical and patristic inheritance of Orthodoxy and made it speak to ordinary Christians. He wrote not for specialists but for anyone seeking God, tracing with unusual clarity the movements of the heart, the discipline of unceasing prayer, and the long work by which grace and human freedom together bring a soul to salvation. In his Scripture commentaries this same pastoral aim is at work: he reads the sacred text through the eyes of the ancient Fathers and turns every doctrine toward the reader’s own inner life. For this the Russian Church honours him as a Father in her own age and a sure guide on the path of salvation.

Colophon

On Prayer
by St. Theophan the Recluse.

This edition was produced by
Royal Archives.

The text is set in Palatino and Georgia.

The first edition of this ebook was released on
August 16, 2026.

Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright
Introduction
What Prayer Is
On Unceasing Prayer

Familiarity with the Jesus Prayer—a means, not the essence of the matter

- The Jesus Prayer is Not Unceasing Prayer, but Only an Aid Toward It

- Whoever Stops at the Jesus Prayer Alone Stops Halfway

- The Matter is Not in Words, but in Faith and Feeling

- There is a Jesus Prayer and Warmth, Yet No True Prayer

- Not All Who Have Familiarity With the Jesus Prayer Taste its Fruit

- The Essence of the Matter—to Be Established in the Remembrance of God

- Familiarity With the Jesus Prayer Must Be With Thought of the Lord

- Some Forget the Cry From the Heart and Are Empty of Grace

- Mere Repetition of the Jesus Prayer Words Means Nothing

What is unceasing prayer

- Prayer That Prays Itself

- It Comes From Grace and a Pure Conscience

- It is a Feeling Toward God That Does Not Depart, Needing No Words

- Scripture Commands Us to Pray Unceasingly

- The Chief Event of Unceasing Prayer—the Union of Mind With Heart

- The Secret of Spiritual Life—to Concentrate the Mind in the Heart

- The Essence of Christian Life—to Stand With the Mind in the Heart Before God and From There Govern Everything Within Oneself

- The Law of Spiritual Life: Keep Your Heart in Feeling Toward God and You Will Always Be in God's Remembrance

- Constant Remembrance of God is Preserved in the Heart When Mind is United With Heart

- The Secret of Spiritual Life: One Cannot Stand in the Heart Without Painful Seeking

- Three Powers of the Soul Are Necessary for Unceasing Prayer

How to reconcile unceasing prayer with daily tasks

- God Does Not Command the Impossible
- Scripture Commands Nothing Impossible
- Work Should Not Distract From God

- Physical Labor Sometimes Turns Away From God

- Do Not Begin Tasks When Prayer is Active

- One Must Both Do Work and Not Turn the Mind Away From God

- To Pray Without Ceasing is the Duty of All

- How to Reconcile Work With Constant Attention to God

- How the Apostles Were Able to Pray Without Ceasing

- So the Lord Himself Commands Us to Act

Stages of ascent to unceasing prayer

- Three Stages of Prayer

- Noetic Prayer Has Power When the Inner Drawing Comes

- The Transition From Noetic to Prayer of the Heart—When the Heart is Filled With Love for God

- Noetic Prayer Transitions to Prayer of the Mind in the Heart With the Birth of Warmth and Inner Drawing

- Noetic Prayer, Warming the Heart, Leads it Into Prayer of the Mind in the Heart

- Self-moving Prayer Stands and Acts of Itself

- The More the Heart Warms, the More Self-moving the Prayer of the Mind in the Heart Becomes

- Two Kinds of Self-moving Prayer—Voluntary and Unfree

- The Distinction Between Prayer of the Mind in the Heart and Spiritual Prayer in Self-movement

- Prayer of the Mind in the Heart Transitions to Unceasing Prayer When Inner Drawings Become Constant

- The Main Condition for Ascending to Unceasing Prayer—Purification of the Heart From Passions

Contemplative prayer

- Prayer That Comes, and Contemplative Prayer

- Contemplation is Higher Than Activity

- The Distinctive Mark of Contemplative Prayer—the Loss From Consciousness of Everything Surrounding

- Perfect Non-thinking of Contemplation is Foreign to the Holy Fathers

- Pure Prayer is Given to One Out of a Thousand; Contemplative Prayer, Across the Generations, to Barely One

- The Degrees of Blessed Life in God Before the Age to Come

A prayer rule oriented toward unceasing prayer

- The Rule of Praying Without Ceasing

- The Direct Path to Unceasing Prayer

- The General Rule—kindle Warmth From Morning and Do Nothing That Disturbs It

- An Example of a Daily Rule With Unceasing Prayer

- One Does Not Arrive at Unceasing Prayer All at Once, but Through Intermittent Prayers

- Exhaust Yourself So That You May Receive the Remembrance of God

- Two Methods to Draw the Mind to the Heart

- While the Mind is Entering the Heart, Do Nothing Else

- Fear of God Will Lead to the Goal

- What it Means to "Kindle Danger Around Yourself"

- Meditation on God Opens the Path to Unceasing Prayer

- Meditation on God—the Key to Unceasing Prayer

- Any Rule is Good That Keeps the Soul in Reverence Before God

- The Rule Should Be in Your Own Will

- All Rules Can Be Laid Aside Only by Those in Whom Noetic Prayer Has Become Unceasing

The fruits of unceasing prayer and their connection with natural fruits

- The Natural Fruits of the Jesus Prayer

- Tears—the Measure of Progress

- The Habit of Always Keeping Attention on the Lord Will Not Allow Sorrow

- A Sore in the Heart is a Natural Matter

- When a Person Does Everything With Full Awareness and Attention

- The First Gift to the Mind—concentration of Attention in Prayer

- Next—unwavering Walk Before God

- True Warmth and Natural Warmth

- The Flame Always Comes Almost Through the Mysteries

- Prayer of the Heart—a Gift of Grace, Given Through the Mysteries

- Prayer of the Heart is Never Premature

- The Grace-filled Mind is Always Gathered, Quick to Understand and Discerning, Illumined by Truth

- Inner Brightness, Driving Away What is Evil, Boldness in Prayer, Spiritual Fire in the Heart

- Remembrance of God, Contemplation of the Perfections of God, Zeal for God, Fear of God

- Pure Love—the Crown of Perfection in Pleasing God

On deviations from the right path of unceasing prayer

- Two Wrong Methods of Prayer—the Imaginative and the Intellectual-cerebral

- Turning Attention Away From the Heart is Turning Away From the Path to God

- There is Disorder Within When the Mind Goes its Way and the Heart Goes its Way—they Must Be United

- Without Feelings of Repentance—prayer is Not Prayer

- One Who Yields to the Spirit of Arbitrary Willfulness Will Never Learn Prayer

- Artistic Technique of Prayer is Not Suitable for Everyone

- The Artistic Technique of Prayer Can Cut Off Spiritual Life

- How to Guard Against the Artistic Technique of Prayer

- To Avoid Deviation Into Spiritual Delusion One Can Only Do So With the Help of an Experienced Guide or Mutual Guidance

- Noetic Prayer Itself Has an Extreme Need for Guidance

- Noetic Prayer Escapes the Danger of Deceptions When Self-love is Burned up in its Fire

- When Noetic Prayer Presents No Danger and Itself Serves as its Own Protection

- Two Improprieties With Warmth: Warmth-love and Carnal Pleasure

- Carnal Excitation Must Be Cut Off Immediately

- Spiritual Sensuality From Intensifying Attention to Warmth

- Spiritual Sensuality Arises From the Loss of Fear of God and Contrition

- The Humble Need Not Fear Delusion

- One Who Walks Without Pain Will Not Receive Fruit

- Without Remembrance of God There Will Be No Spiritual Life

- Conclusion

- The Mystery of Unceasing Prayer is in Love for the Lord

- Meditation on God and Short Prayers Nourish the Feelings of the Heart

- Love Does Not Let One Forget the Beloved Lord Even for a Moment

- Standing With the Mind in the Heart Means Kindling in it the Fire Which the Lord Came to Cast Upon the Earth

- Begin the Noetic Labor and You Will See Everything for Yourselves

- False States Are Not a Reproach to the Truth, but a Call to Renounce Everything

- It is Easier for Monks, but Not Impossible for Lay People to Live in God

- The Fruits of Unceasing Prayer Prepare the Soul for the Future Vision of God

On the Jesus Prayer

- What is the Jesus Prayer

- Why This Prayer is Necessary for Every Christian

The place of the Jesus Prayer among other prayers

- It is the Easiest Means to Continuity in Prayer

- The Chief Condition for Success in the Jesus Prayer

- When the Jesus Prayer is Stronger Than All Other Prayers

What to seek through the Jesus Prayer

- The Path to Salvation
- The Lord is Near and Even in the Heart
- Warmth in the Heart
- To Receive the Spark and Kindle the Flame
- Do Not Seek Extraordinary Experiences
- Spiritual Warmth
- Spiritual Burning

How and when the Jesus Prayer takes root in the heart

- The Imperceptibility of Progress

- For Some Quickly, for Others Not Quickly

- The Timeframe—According to One's Strength and Diligence

- Piecemeal Effort Will Bear No Fruit

- Perfection in Prayer Comes Together With All Virtues

- Given Through the Sacraments

Which rule should one choose?

- General Instructions

- The Beginning Rule: the Whole Lesson at Once

- Another Rule: Gradually, but More Frequently

- Yet Another Rule: Frequently, With Doubling and Tripling

- The Technique

How to perform the Jesus Prayer apart from the rule

- The Whole Day in the Labor of Attention

- There is No Requirement to Pronounce the Jesus Prayer Unceasingly

- Let the Mind Labor Seated in the Heart

- When to Perform the Jesus Prayer in Church and When to Pray the Common Prayer

What to do when attention wanders

- The Mind Can Only Be Anchored by Feeling

- Remembrance of God and Contrition Will Not Let Thoughts Scatter

- Add Self-condemnation and Watchfulness—an End to the Flight of Attention

- Meditation on God is Necessary

- One Must Repent Continuously

- Through the Jesus Prayer at Once Erase the Trace of Sin

- Frequent Remembrance of God Without Reverence Deprives of Spiritual Fruits

The principal dangers

- Temptation From the Enemy
- My Head Hurts
- The Technique is Dangerous
- Slight Warmth From Nature
- The Beginning of Self-delusion
- Discord From Sinful Habits
- False Mysticism

The necessity of having a guide

- In Order to Avoid Delusion
- Where Can a Layperson Find a Guide
- An Experienced Teacher is Needed

Conclusion

- What You Must Remember and Do

- Make This Your Chief Work, and Then…

Scripture Index
Illustration Credits
The Author: Saint Theophan the Recluse
Colophon