Prayer, the Breath of Life

A far corner of a Mosaic Studio, where little threads of various projects bind the artists together as a whole.

Happy Apodosis of Nativity and a Blessed Saint’s Day, Melania!

I recently came across this excerpt on prayer by +Archpriest John Adams, of Eternal Memory. The subject matter is too practical and too timely not to share anew, especially as we move forward into the New Year.

I want to talk of something very important – a matter of life and death, and this is prayer. There are generally considered to be two kinds of prayer. Private prayer and public prayer.

Prayer has been compared to breathing. Without this Breath, there is no Life. Prayers are like threads that go in every direction, binding us to the people we’re near to… each with the whole fabric. It unites the members with each other, with the whole body, uniting the body with the head.

Prayer has been called conversation with God. In prayer, we praise or ask for what we need, or we pray to give thanks. We pray for ourselves and we pray for each other.

Don’t take prayer lightly. Don’t say “I can’t think of anything else to do, so I’ll pray about it.” Don’t put it last, put it first.

If you say to someone, “Oh, I’ll pray for you.” Do it... You’ve made a contract.

(If you ask someone to pray for you, do update them when a situation resolves.)

And, you can pray for someone in secret, hoping for a reward later. Just as you don’t know that someone else is having a conversation with God (about you). What more could you do for yourself, or for someone else, than seek God’s help? That doesn’t mean you won’t have to do anything else, as you may have to do a lot.

In the Gospels, Christ says to Peter, “I have prayed for you.” Many times we read, He went apart, He went up into a mountain to pray, He lifted up His eyes. St. Paul writes in his epistles asking for their prayers. And, he gives his famous commandment, “Pray without ceasing.” Without ceasing – this is what we must try to do – to continue this conversation, to try to come back to it as often as you can remember – and then more often.

Read the morning and evening prayers from the prayer book, you may even have memorized them by now. But don’t let them just run through your mind without attention, and here in this atmosphere, ask for what you need; help with your work, your health, your family, your specific aversion at this time. And in the evening, take a moment to be thankful, take a moment to ask forgiveness.

Breathe in. Breathe out. This is private prayer.

Whits of Wisdom

Church Mosaic Marble Walkways Strewn with Flower Petals for Funeral Procession

A person is humble when he knows that his very being is on loan to him. ~ St. Maximos the Confessor

Everyone is born at the time best suited for their salvation. ~ St. Ambrose of Optina

Evil walks with small steps. If it were to come all at once, we would not be deceived. – – So in every test, let us say, “Thank you, my God, because this was needed for my salvation.” ~ St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

Don’t expect only sweet things. Expect bitter things, too. When you are given a spiritual state full of grace, expect a temptation soon. Likewise, when you have temptations and grief, be aware that consolation from God is near. ~ Elder Ephraim (My Elder Joseph the Hesychast)

We Need Two Wings to Fly!

Parish Mosaic in Progress: The Dormition of the Theotokos

Prayer is one wing, faith the other, that lifts us heavenward. With only one wing no one can fly: prayer without faith is as meaningless as faith without prayer. But if your faith is very weak, you can profitably cry: Lord, give me faith! Such a prayer seldom goes unheard. The grain of mustard seed, says the Lord, grows into a great tree. ~ Tito Colliander (Way of the Ascetics)

A Little is a Lot

Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay

If you can help a person – help, if you cannot help – pray, if you do not know how to pray – think about the person in a good way! And this will already be a help, because godly thoughts [towards others] are also alms! ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovich

And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites [very small copper coins]  So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.” ~ St. Luke 21:1-4

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. ~ 2 Corinthians 9:7

It often seems those who possess the least (materially), are the most generous with others. Digging deeply into the pockets of their hearts, they’ll happily give away their own last “widow’s mite” to someone else… who, to them, appear to be in greater need.

God’s blessings abound, when we (without judging what others may do with what we give them, and without expecting anything in return) give from our needs, and not from our surplus.

It’s doubly blessed to give alms in memory of someone by saying, “Please accept this in memory of (Name).”

If we have no material alms available to give, we can always share the Gladsome Light and Love of Christ – through a warm smile, a kind word, and heartfelt prayer offered to God, on their behalf.

…And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ~ Acts 20:35

 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. ~ St. Matthew 25:35-40

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. ~ St. Matthew 5:7

Like Shavings of Wood

Image by Pexels from Pixabay

Most men are like shavings of wood curled around their central emptiness. ~ St. Theophan the Recluse

Sprigs of Prayer

Thriving in Son Shine!

A drop of prayer is worth more than a sea of worrying. ~ St. Nikolai Velimirovic

There is no need at all to make long discourses, it is enough to stretch out one’s hands and say, “Lord, as You will, and as You know, have mercy.” And if the conflict grows fiercer say, “Lord, help!” He knows very well what we need and He shows us His mercy. ~ Abba Macarius

Since God is continuously present, why do you worry? For in Him we live and move. We are carried in His arms. We breathe God; we are vested with God; we touch God; we consume God in the Mystery. Wherever you turn, wherever you look, God is everywhere: in the heavens, on the earth, in the abysses, in the trees, within the rocks, in your nous [eye of the soul], in your heart. ~ St. Joseph the Hesychast

Lord, I do not know what to ask of You. You know better than me what my needs are. You love more than I know how to love. Help me to see clearly my real needs which I do not see. I open my heart to You. Examine and reveal to me my faults and sins. I put all trust in You. I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray. Pray in me. Amen. ~ Prayers For All Occasions

error: Content is protected !!