There are three most important conditions, three properties of true prayer that every Christian needs to know. The first is attention. Well, we can’t even talk to an ordinary person without paying any attention to him! What will happen? He will be offended, and nothing more. How do we turn to God? We read a prayer — and in our thoughts we wander around the whole world. Therefore the Lord says: these people draw near to Me with their lips, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me, but they honor Me in vain (Matthew 15:8). And Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov warns: “Prayer without attention is not prayer. She’s dead! She is useless, soul-harming, God-insulting idle talk! So, the first property of real prayer is attention.
The second property is reverence, both internal and external. It’s clear that you can’t pray while sitting cross-legged or picking your nose. And finally, the most important thing is repentance or thanksgiving to God, only they make prayer a prayer. Without this, there simply cannot be any prayer.
This means that just as it is completely wrong to seek pleasure in prayer, it is also deeply mistaken when a Christian is satisfied with reading out prayers. In both cases, he is simply engaged in self-deception. The same can happen with visiting a temple: “Was there?” — «Was». Where was he? Remember, St. Basil was asked how many people were in the temple, and he answered: two people. And the temple was full… Indeed, you can come to the temple — and not be in it, that is, not pray, but put a deceptive tick for yourself, check in… And your soul is calm — you did everything.
Fragment of the article “How to live today”
Charity fond Holy Land
Investment in the Soul!
