{"id":2897,"date":"2022-08-13T06:56:10","date_gmt":"2022-08-13T12:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/?p=2897"},"modified":"2022-08-13T06:57:05","modified_gmt":"2022-08-13T12:57:05","slug":"orthodox-elders-on-how-we-can-learn-to-pray","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/?p=2897","title":{"rendered":"Orthodox Elders on How We Can Learn to Pray"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In order to learn to pray we should start to pray!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, the Church of Cyprus:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a Greek proverb: \u201cAppetite comes with eating.\u201d In order to learn to pray we first must force ourselves to pray. The Lord in the Gospel says, The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force<\/em> (Mt. 11:12).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to learn to pray we should start to pray! Through our efforts prayer will be in action inside us. And in each one of us it will work in a unique way because we are all unique, and prayer is the expression of every individual soul in its communion with God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What helps us pray? The fulfilment of the commandments. Once we have broken any commandment, we \u201cstumble\u201d in prayer. The Church sacraments, especially confession and Communion, were given us to help us improve. Staying in the spirit of obedience, concentration and silence also has a salutary effect on our prayer…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then prayer begins to work in us. Elder Ephraim of Katounakia used to say: \u201cMy prayer directs me, and not vice versa.\u201d And prayer will guide us where the Lord wants us to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You just need to start praying<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin):<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prayer of every human being is of cosmic importance\u2014that is, it has an effect not only on somebody individually, or his family and immediate circle of friends, but also on the entire world. Likewise, every sin brings the universe closer to its destruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we take care of our bodies, nourishing, clothing and protecting them, then how can we fail to take care of our souls? The life of the soul is sustained by prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You just need to start praying. When a baby is born, he receives all-round care from its parents. Likewise, when a person is born into spiritual life, God helps him in everything in the initial stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Understand what you are reading and feel what you understood<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Priest Igor Blinov, Sts. Martha and Mary\u2019s Convent in Moscow:<\/em>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I especially like the instruction of St. Theophan the Recluse. \u201cFirst and foremost, you need to prepare for prayer, realizing your unworthiness before the greatness of Him Who you are going to address. If your heart trembles and you feel your smallness, then the Lord will condescend to you and show you much favor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPray, discerning every word and taking it close to your heart. In other words, you should understand what you are reading and feel what you understood. No other rules are needed,\u201d St. Theophan taught. It is useful to read the Holy Fathers, about how they learned to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Fr. Nikolai Gurianov answered this question<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schema-Hieromonk Valentin (Gurevich)<\/em>,<\/strong> father-confessor of Donskoy Monastery<\/em> in Moscow:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once someone asked Fr. Nikolai Gurianov to teach him how to pray the Jesus Prayer. Fr. Nikolai replied: \u201cLord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I won\u2019t tell you anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: https:\/\/orthochristian.com\/133349.html<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In order to learn to pray we should start to pray! Metropolitan Athanasios of Limassol, the Church of Cyprus: There is a Greek proverb: \u201cAppetite comes with eating.\u201d In order to learn to pray we first must force ourselves to pray. The Lord in the Gospel says, The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2897","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2897"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2901,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2897\/revisions\/2901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2897"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2897"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/svetisimeon.org\/en\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2897"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}