Theophan the Recluse (1815 - 1894), a Russian Orthodox priest and saint who wrote prolifically about the Jesus Prayer, is one of my favorite religious writers. I often start my day reading a short line or two of his in The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, compiled by Igumen Chariton of Valamo, translated by E. Kadloubovsky and E.M. Palmer, and edited by Timothy Ware.
The other morning this got me going quickly:
“If you are not successful in your prayer, do not expect success in anything. It is the root of all.”
That is a mighty powerful comment, and needless to say, can be extremely frightening. “I can’t do that. I might as well give up and go off into the weeds.”
On the other hand, it can be extremely comforting. “I can do that. I want my life to be successful. It can be successful. I can get to the root of this.”
If you read even a little about prayer, you’ll become aware that there are many, many ways to pray. If you pray even a little, you are already aware of the many, many ways. If you don’t pray, you won’t be successful at it. Just do it, and God will lead you to success, God’s success. You’ll be amazed.
The other morning this got me going quickly:
“If you are not successful in your prayer, do not expect success in anything. It is the root of all.”
That is a mighty powerful comment, and needless to say, can be extremely frightening. “I can’t do that. I might as well give up and go off into the weeds.”
On the other hand, it can be extremely comforting. “I can do that. I want my life to be successful. It can be successful. I can get to the root of this.”
If you read even a little about prayer, you’ll become aware that there are many, many ways to pray. If you pray even a little, you are already aware of the many, many ways. If you don’t pray, you won’t be successful at it. Just do it, and God will lead you to success, God’s success. You’ll be amazed.
RSS Feed