I often read from The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, which is a compilation of Russian Orthodox writing through the centuries on ‘The Jesus Prayer”.
This morning the following by Theophan the Recluse (1815-94), the most cited author in the anthology, got me thinking about this blog.
“Spiritual effort, if blazoned abroad, is empty and nothing worthy.”
Whatever I blog, I blazon abroad. Here I am, writing about the very thing that Theophan the Recluse warns against. Prayer should be private, secret, between me and God. And yet, talking about spiritual effort, sharing what, when, where and how we pray helps us grow closer to God, which is the very reason that I write this blog—for others and for me.
Yesterday 801 different people read aprayerdiary. My hope is that what I share helps them grow in prayer and draws them to God. For sure, writing this blog helps me in that very way.
I’m also aware that aprayerdiary primarily reaches people I don’t know. If you passed me on the street, you’d never know that I’m a prayer person, which gets me wondering how many prayer people I pass? I have a secret suspicion that being a prayer person is everyone’s secret.
Final thought for today: there’s a huge difference between talking about prayer, and praying.
This morning the following by Theophan the Recluse (1815-94), the most cited author in the anthology, got me thinking about this blog.
“Spiritual effort, if blazoned abroad, is empty and nothing worthy.”
Whatever I blog, I blazon abroad. Here I am, writing about the very thing that Theophan the Recluse warns against. Prayer should be private, secret, between me and God. And yet, talking about spiritual effort, sharing what, when, where and how we pray helps us grow closer to God, which is the very reason that I write this blog—for others and for me.
Yesterday 801 different people read aprayerdiary. My hope is that what I share helps them grow in prayer and draws them to God. For sure, writing this blog helps me in that very way.
I’m also aware that aprayerdiary primarily reaches people I don’t know. If you passed me on the street, you’d never know that I’m a prayer person, which gets me wondering how many prayer people I pass? I have a secret suspicion that being a prayer person is everyone’s secret.
Final thought for today: there’s a huge difference between talking about prayer, and praying.
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