174. A brother said to this Elder: "Behold, Elder, you have been renewed by the prayers of the saints"; and he answered him: "Every time you have told me this, the demons have crushed my body, and I have noticed this for almost the fourth time." Another Elder was asked about this, and he answered.

John's answer. Envy and unbelief are at work in this matter: envy because the demons do not rejoice when a person is beneficial; Unbelief is such that a person, seeing his weakness, falls into doubt.

Question 175. Tell us, our father, do we suffer from unbelief, or do the demons lead us into it?

Answer. The demons, out of envy, inflict unbelief on us; and if we accept it, we become their servants and accomplices.

Question 176, the same to the Great Elder. My father, when I feel relief from illness, how should I pray then, and what should I practice daily?

Answer. Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say, rejoice (cf. Phil. 4:4)! Thou hast now rejoiced me with thy question (and not only with me), but even more with God and His angels. To what you wrote are the words of the Lord: "This is fitting to do, and not to forsake it" (Matt. 23:23). You must practice psalmody a little, pray a little orally; It also takes time to test and watch over one's thoughts. Whoever has a lot of different foods at dinner, eats a lot, and with pleasure; and whoever eats the same food every day, not only tastes it without pleasure, but sometimes feels, perhaps, disgust from it. So it happens in our state. Only the perfect can accustom themselves to eating the same food every day without aversion. In psalmody and oral prayer, do not bind yourself, but do as much as the Lord strengthens you; Do not abandon reading and inner prayer either. A little of this, a little of that, and so you will spend the day pleasing God. Our perfect fathers did not have a definite rule, but throughout the whole day they fulfilled their rule: they practiced psalmody a little, read prayers orally, tested their thoughts a little, but cared little about food, and did all this with the fear of God. For it is said: "If you do anything, do it all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). May the Lord Jesus preserve us from all evil. Amen.

Question 177, the same to the same Great Elder. How should one examine one's thoughts and how should one avoid captivity (passionate thoughts)?

Answer. The test of thoughts consists in the following: when a thought comes to you, consider what comes from it. I will give you an example of this: imagine that someone has annoyed you, and your thought prompts you to say something to him; and you say to your thought: "If I speak to him, I will trouble him through this, and he will grieve with me; therefore, I will endure a little, and it will pass." But if the thought is not about a person, but someone thinks evil in himself, then this is how the thought should be experienced: ask yourself what evil thoughts lead to, and they will cease. And with all your thoughts, do the same: as soon as a thought comes, test it and cut it off. As for captivity, know that it requires great vigilance. The Fathers say: if they lead your mind into fornication, remind it of chastity; but if they lead him into gluttony, bring to his remembrance fasting; act in the same way with regard to other passions. Do not grieve, meaning to receive mercy, as you have already been promised. For if we live, we live in the Lord, and if we die, we die in the Lord (Romans 14:8).

Question 178, the same to the same Great Elder. My father, tell me: to what measure (of spiritual stature) does unceasing prayer belong? And should there be a rule?

Answer. Rejoice in the Lord, my brother! Rejoice in the Lord, beloved! Rejoice in the Lord, my co-heir! Unceasing prayer belongs to the measure of impassibility. And through this the coming of the Spirit, Who teaches all things, is revealed; but if everything, then prayer as well. For the Apostle says: "For what we pray for, as befits us, we do not know, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with sighs that cannot be uttered" (Romans 8:26). What shall I tell you about the buildings of Rome when you have not yet been there? A person who is silent, and even more so lying on a bed, has no rule. Be like a man who eats and drinks as long as it pleases him: thus, if the desire comes to you and you see tenderness in your heart, read as much as you can, and do the same when singing. Try, then, according to your strength, to give thanks to God unceasingly, and cry out: "Lord, have mercy," and do not be afraid: the gifts of God are immutable (Romans 11:20).

179. A petition and a question of the same thing. The same (elder), after recovery, again fell ill with stomach and sent to the same Great Elder, asking to pray for him and saying:

From midnight I feel dryness in my mouth, (heaviness) in my eyelids, (weakness) in my arms and legs. And when I wake up, for almost an hour I feel trembling all over my body, starting with my stomach, and then weakening to the extreme. I want to read a psalm, but my lips cannot; but if I want to pronounce it in my heart, then sleep overcomes me. And I don't know what to do. I see obstacles to my salvation. I beg you, my father, for the Lord's sake, pray for me and explain to me what this means.

Answer Barsanuphius. This comes from a stomach disease, but there is also a burden due to the action of the demons. Despise both, according to what has been said: "Who is Christ's, the flesh is crucified with passions and lusts" (Gal. 5:24). Behold, the elders pray for your love, weep a little in prayer, thanking God and praying to Him for mercy; and He will have mercy on you, for we have a Lord, a merciful and generous Father. And no one from the Higher Powers, nor from His earthly true servants, no one is able to express how much His goodness desires to have mercy on the human race. But He delays (to deliver) us, in order to increase our patience for our salvation, as He Himself taught us, saying: "In your patience gain your souls" (Luke 21:19). Do not lose heart, brother, for Jesus has already begun to show you His mercy. Glory to Him forever, Amen. Pray for me.

Question 180, the same to another Elder. What did our father say about this: "Jesus has already begun to show you His mercy"?