This is part two of some of St. Theophan’s collected writings on prayer.

Chapter 2: Developing a Prayer Rule

Learning to pray is essential.  We should master the skill of understanding the feeling of each phrase within a prayer so that we are not simply reading aloud, but arousing and strengthening a prayerful spirit within us.

To succeed in that we should:

• First: never pray hastily. Rather it should be done slowly, as if we are singing. In old times, when all the prayers were taken from psalms, they were sung, not read.
• Second: perceive every word, not only understanding the idea conscientiously, but involve the appropriate emotion.
• Third: a common trap is to think of the prayer rule as a certain number of prayers that we must read through to reach the end. Such a mentality causes us to quickly read through the set of prayers in a hurried or absentminded way. However, that is not prayer. To avoid this trap, determine a definite amount of time you should spend completing your rule, whether it be a quarter of an hour, half an hour, etc. Then, focus not on the number of prayers but on the quality of prayer within that span of time. When the set time is up, and you do not feel like praying any longer, bring the rule to a close.
• Fourth: with determination to spend a set amount of time in quality prayer, do not distract yourself by looking at the clock.   Instead, stand as if you will be there forever, then you will not rush ahead. [Editor’s note: I find it helpful to set a timer so that I can completely ignore the clock while praying.]
• Fifth: in order to help the movement of prayerful feelings, reread and ponder over all the prayers of your prayer rule in your spare time with the appropriate feelings. That way, when you are praying, you will know beforehand what feeling should be borne in your heart.
• Sixth: never read all the prayers one after another. Instead, intersperse them with your own prayers and bows. When you feel something arise in your heart, you should pause your prayer rule and make bows [while contemplating the phrase that moved you]. This last rule is the most important and necessary for arousing the prayerful spirit. If you are overcome by some very strong feeling, retain it and make bows until the end of the set time without reading prayers.

Pray not only in the morning and evening, but if you have a chance — at any time of the day, bowing several times.

Praying When Short on Time

When you are too busy to fulfill your normal prayer time allotment, then make it shorter. But never pray hastily. God is everywhere. When such a day occurs, give thanks to God immediately upon rising from bed. Ask Him to bless the work of your coming day in your own words, then make some bows and that is sufficient! Never turn to God nonchalantly [or hurriedly], but always with great reverence. He does not need either our bows or long prayers. A short, but strong cry of your heart – that is what reaches Him! And you are always able to do that.

Developing Your Own Rule

You can compile your own prayer rule, too. Memorize the prayers printed in prayer books and recite them by heart – with understanding and feeling.  While doing so, insert your own prayers. The less you depend on the book, the better.

Memorize some psalms.  When you are going somewhere or doing something – while your attention is not required for the task at hand, quietly read or recite the psalms.  That is your conversation with God.

The prayer rule is a guide, not a task master. You are not its slave. By all means, avoid mechanical and formal reading. Prayer should always be the result of a thoughtful, free-will decision, performed with conscience and feeling, not neglectfully. You should be free to shorten your prayer rule when necessary. Family life is full of such instances. For example, in the morning and in the evening, you might recite only the memorized prayers. You could even omit some of them. Or, when time is short, you may choose to skip reading prayers altogether, making several bows with a prayer coming purely from your heart. You should be the master of your prayer rule, not its slave.  It is to God alone that we are servants; to Him we must devote every minute of our lives.

The prayer rule is like a safety shell for prayer. Prayer is an internal matter, while the rule is an external thing. But like a person without a body is incomplete, so is a prayer without a prayer rule. We need to have both – fulfilling the rule as much we can without being its slave.

We must be guided by reason while deciding when, where and how long we should stand praying, in addition to determining what prayers to say. We can choose that according to our circumstance: whether we can spend more time for prayer, reduce it, or postpone the time and change the place of prayer. Our main effort should be directed to internal prayer, which must be ceaseless.

Ceaseless Prayer

What does ceaseless prayer mean? To be constantly in the prayerful spirit, to turn one’s thoughts and feelings toward God. Thinking of God means always keeping in mind His omnipresence, omnipotence, and ability to see everything.  [Desirable] feelings towards God are fear of God, love for Him, an ardent wish to please Him alone, and an eagerness to avoid all that displeases Him. We accomplish this by commending ourselves obediently to His will and accepting everything that happens to us as something sent directly by Him. We can sustain that feeling for God at any time, doing anything, and under any circumstance if that feeling is not still being sought, but has already been established in one’s heart [through prayer].

While various subjects distract us, it is possible to develop the skill of holding our thoughts on God and feeling His presence while completing whatever task is at hand. We must be totally concerned with those two things: thoughts and feelings oriented toward God. When they are present within us, prayer is happening even though there are no words. The morning prayer rule was established exactly for setting our mind and heart on those two things, so that we can dwell with God while going about our daily duties. If in the morning your soul is filled with God, then your prayer rule was successful, even if you have not gone through all the prescribed prayers.

Dealing with Failure

When you try this method, you will find that, despite your efforts, the first tasks of the day will quickly distract you from God. What can be done? Refresh your thoughts and feelings for God through your internal appeals to Him. Christians throughout all ages have found that short, little prayers, repeated all day, help draw us back to God.  Any short prayer will do, though the best prayer of all is, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” [which is the Jesus Prayer]. Become accustomed to it, and never quit saying it. When it finds a home within you, that prayer will become a driving force, an appeal to God with your thoughts and feelings.

Beginners should first of all learn how to pray appropriately according to written prayers [for our crass culture does not teach us how to address the almighty God in a respectful and reverential manner]. The words with which we turn to God must be good and beautiful. When the beginner learns to think and pray beautifully, he can utilize both prayers from the book and his own prayers.

Examples of short prayers are provided in the twenty-four little prayers of the venerable John Chrysostom, which are located in the “Evening Prayers” of most prayer books. Additionally, you can also choose other short prayers from psalms, church prayers, or even write your own.  [Find a quote that inspires you, and hold onto it throughout the day.]

The Prayer of John Chrysostom.

• Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly good things.
• Lord, deliver me from eternal torments.
• Lord, if I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me.
• Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, forgetfulness, faint-heartedness, and stony insensibility.
• Lord, deliver me from every temptation.
• Lord, enlighten my heart which evil desire hath darkened.
• Lord, as a man I have sinned, but do Thou, as the compassionate God, have mercy on me, seeing the infirmity of my soul.
• Lord, send Thy grace to my aid, that I may glorify Thy holy name.
• Lord Jesus Christ, inscribe me Thy servant in the Book of Life, and grant me a good end.
• Lord my God, even though I have done nothing good in Thy sight, yet grant me by Thy grace to make a good beginning.
• Lord, sprinkle into my heart the dew of Thy grace.
• Lord of heaven and earth, remember me Thy sinful servant, shameful and unclean, in Thy kingdom. Amen.
• Lord, accept me in repentance.
• Lord, forsake me not.
• Lord, lead me not into temptation.
• Lord, grant me good thoughts.
• Lord, grant me tears, remembrance of death, and compunction.
• Lord, grant me the thought of confessing my sins.
• Lord, grant me humility, chastity, and obedience.
• Lord, grant me patience, courage, and meekness.
• Lord, implant in me the root of good, Thy fear in my heart.
• Lord, vouchsafe me to love Thee with all my soul and mind, and in all things to do Thy will.
• Lord, protect me from evil men, demons, and passions, and from every other unseemly thing.
• Lord, I know that Thou doest as Thou wilt: Thy will be done also in me a sinner; for blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.

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The information here was compiled by Bishop Alexander (Mileant) and translated by Irina Nabatova-Barrett.  In order to make the translation more readable for an English audience, it was edited quite heavily by Subdeacon Jeremiah McKemy. “The Prayer of St. John Chrysostom” was copied from the Jordanville Prayer Book.

 

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