Photo: pinterest.com Christians are required not only to pray often, mentally, daily, but also unceasingly. It was commanded to us by the holy Apostle Paul, who wrote: Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17), and by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who said: Watch ye therefore, and pray always (Lk. 21:36). He who understands earthly life, the influence of the evil spirit on the world, and sees the dangers threatening man every minute, won’t be surprised by the need to follow the holy commandment on unceasing prayer, for men need God’s equally unceasing help. Without this help, without the influence of grace upon us, we become susceptible to all kinds of falls and to all mortal sins. There is but one means of salvation: to be vigilant and pray at all times, that is, to unceasingly invoke God’s help.
“Such prayer, the Holy Fathers say, is healing, killing not only the passions but also their very effect. Just as a doctor uses a bandage on a patient’s wound and the patient doesn’t know how the healing takes place, so the Name of God, when invoked, kills all the passions—although we don’t know how it happens” (St. Barsanuphius).
“Prayer consists not only in standing and prostrating before God and reading written prayers at appointed times,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, “but in praying at all times and in all places—with the mind and spirit. You can elevate your mind and heart to God and entreat His mercy and help whether sitting, lying down, traveling, sitting at table, working, whether alone or among people, for God is everywhere and in every place.”
But for people in the world, unceasing prayer seems impracticable, incomprehensible, certainly not obligatory, belonging only to monastics, recluses, schemamonks, not to people who are constantly engaged in mental labor and find rest in spending their free time in pleasures and entertainments. Before doubting the possibility and benefits of unceasing prayer, you should, of course, try and test it; then doubters will be convinced that the prayer of the heart not only doesn’t hinder, but even facilitates work, even if it’s performed with your mind, not with your hands only. You can call upon the Lord not only with your lips, but with your heart alone, especially during reading and studies. After all, the Lord knows and looks only at the heart. If someone is engaged in such work that prevents him from secretly invoking the name of God in his heart (though this is scarcely justified), but can only think about God, even this suffices, as it substitutes for prayer. Therefore, during work or conversation, before work and after conversation, that is, at all times and in every pace, you can and must invoke the Name of God for help. Only such constant prayer can make us live the Heavenly life on earth and stimulate the achievement of this main goal in the Chrisitan life, for it keeps us pure, delivers us from enemies and temptations, makes us patient and strong for trials, and finally, it warms our hearts.
Let no Christian think that only monastics should pray unceasingly; no, every Christian is obliged to fulfill this commandment. Patriarch Philotheos of Constantinople writes in the life of St. Gregory Palamas that the latter had a beloved brother, a certain Job, a simple and virtuous man, with whom he once raised the topic of unceasing prayer and the need for laymen to learn it. The Holy Hierarch spoke for a long time and cited as proof the words of St. Gregory the Theologian that, “all Christians should remember the Name of God in prayer more often than they breathe,” but Elder Job wasn’t convinced. Later, when Fr. Job was praying alone in his cell, an angel appeared to him, sent by God, reproaching him for arguing with St. Gregory and resisting a practice that is essential for the salvation of Christians. The angel announced this to Job on behalf of God that he should henceforth take heed and beware of saying anything against this soul-saving work, and not even harbor contrary thoughts and not allow himself to philosophize. Job immediately hastened to St. Gregory, fell at his feet, asked his forgiveness, and revealed everything that the angel of the Lord had told him.
Beloved ones! Of course, God hasn’t commanded us to do anything impossible, but only what we’re able. If unceasing prayer were impossible, then we wouldn’t find so many people in the world who have fulfilled this saving commandment. St. Gregory Palamas’ father, the wonderful Constantine, lived at the imperial court, was called the father and teacher of Emperor Andronicus, was daily occupied with state affairs in addition to his obligations to his family and large estate, and yet was never separated from God, but was devoted to unceasing, noetic prayer.
“Don’t tell me,” writes St. John Chrysostom, “that it’s impossible for a man who’s busy with work to spend the whole day in prayer. It’s possible and quite easy. Prayer needs not so much sounds as thought; not the lifting up of hands, but the elevation of the mind; not external appearance, but inner meaning. It’s possible to offer lengthy prayer while going to the marketplace, while walking the city streets. It’s possible to dedicate your spirit to God while sitting at work.”
What kind of prayer do the Holy Fathers call noetic, unceasing? When the one praying gathers his mind in his heart and from there silently sends up his prayer to God, praising and thanking Him, contritely confessing his sins before Him, and entreating of Him the spiritual, mental, and bodily good things he needs. We must pray not only in words, but with the mind, and not only with the mind, but with the heart, that the mind may clearly see and understand what is being uttered in words, and the heart may feel what the mind is contemplating. It’s customary to call noetic prayer the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” In their rules of prayer, the Holy Fathers change certain words so the prayer might be offered for others as well or that petitions might be received through the intercession of the Mother of God. Thus, they might say: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners,” or: “Through the prayers of the Theotokos, having mercy on me, a sinner!”
Brothers and sisters, don’t forget this commandment of Christ and the Apostles. Practice unceasing prayer and study this important matter for the sake of the salvation of your souls. Every task is difficult at first, but when you get used to it, then you’ll know how sweet the Name of the Lord is! The holy Apostle Paul wouldn’t oblige us to pray if it were extremely difficult or impossible. Let us work with our body and pray with our spirit at the same time! Let our outer man perform his daily tasks and let our inner man be wholly devoted to the service of God. This is the angelic life, for the angels have no voice, yet they offer unceasing noetic praise to God; this is the whole of their work, to which the whole of their life is dedicated.
O taste and see that the Lord is good! (Ps. 33:8).
Amen.
