26) Great is the power of sorrow for God, and it brings great benefit. Wishing to show this, this is what the Prophet Isaiah, or even more so God Himself through Isaiah, says: "For sin they grieved him little," but when he saw that "he was grieved, and went away decrepit, healed him" (Isaiah 57:17). Not what should have been, he says, I have laid down the punishment for sin. For in the rewards of virtues God exceeds the proper measure; but for the most part he only rebukes sins, and the punishment, if he sometimes sends, is always much lighter in comparison with sins. But even this cancels it, if one repents of his sins. This is indicated by the above words. Do you see how swift and how great the benefit flows from repentance? Not much, he says, having punished him for his sins, when he saw that he was grieved and went to decrepit, and this small punishment he forgave him. God is so quick and ready to reconcile with us, and waits for only a pretext for this, even the slightest. Let us always give Him an opportunity to show our love for us, trying in every way to protect ourselves from sins, and when we fall, hastening to rise up with bitter weeping over sins, in order to gain joy in the Lord. If the one who is sorrowful and decrepit has reconciled God to himself, then what will not he do who has added tears to it and diligently beseeches Him [2, 651]?

(27) At the shore of the Red Sea, God said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me?" while Moses said nothing. By this God revealed this: I am a God who hears not only what comes out of the mouth, but also knows what is in the heart; Prayer is not something that the lips cry out, but something that moves in the heart. "Why do you cry out to me?" his mouth said nothing, but his heart cried out. A prayer that is quickly heard is one that comes from a good heart, and is not pronounced with one strong voice [2, 743].

28) For two reasons, it is fitting to bless the holy servants of God and marvel at them, — both because they placed the hope of their salvation in fervent prayers, and because, having preserved through the Scriptures the songs and prayers which they lifted up to God with fear and joy, they also handed down to us this treasure, so that all the generation that follows them may attract to imitate their prayerful zeal (for the way of life of teachers should pass on to the disciples, and the hearers of the Prophets should be imitators of their righteousness), so that we, too, like them, spend all the time of our lives in prayer, worship and contemplation of God, now in life, now in health and wealth, now considering the height of good things, so that we may constantly pray to God from a pure and blameless soul [2, 775].

29) As the sun is light for the body, so prayer is for the soul. If it is a great deprivation for a blind man not to see the sun; then how great is the deprivation for a Christian not to pray often, so that by prayer he may bring the light of Christ into his soul? [Ibid.].

30) Who will not be amazed, and who will not be amazed at the love for mankind that God shows to us, granting people such honor that He vouchsafes them to converse with Himself in prayer? For truly we converse with God during prayer, and through this we come into contact with the Angels and depart far from other living, but irrational creatures. Prayer is the work of the Angels; it exceeds even their dignity, since to converse with God is above the angelic dignity (in itself) [Ibid.].

31) The angels, offering their prayers with great fear and joy, teach us that when we approach God in prayer, we must do this with fear and joy: with fear, fearing that we may be unworthy of prayer; and we must be filled with joy because of the greatness of honor, that our mortal race is vouchsafed such and so great favor of God, that it is given to it to converse with God often, by virtue of which we cease to be mortal and temporal; — by nature we are mortal, but through conversation with God we pass on to immortal life. For he who converses with God cannot but rise above death and corruption. As one who is enveloped in the rays of sunlight cannot but be far from the darkness of even the slightest; so it is impossible for one who is vouchsafed to converse with God not to rise above death. Such greatness of honor places us in the realm of immortality (gives us a breath of the air of immortality). If those who converse with the king and are vouchsafed honor from him, cannot be poor in anything; how much more are it impossible for those who approach God in prayer and converse with Him to have mortal souls: for the death of the soul is impiety and lawless life; On the contrary, the life of the soul is service to God and a life in accordance with this: but prayer prepares a venerable life and a life in accordance with the service of God, and wonderfully treasures in our souls [2, 775].

32) Whether one has loved virginity, or zealously honors marital chastity, whether one has given up anger to tame and meekness as his concubine, whether he is to guard himself pure from envy, or something else that is befitting to be done, he will easily and conveniently complete his pious course, if he takes prayer as a guide and with it in advance smooths such a path of life. For whoever asks God for chastity, righteousness, meekness, and mercy, it is impossible for him not to receive what he asks. "Ask," says the Lord, "and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; pound and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and seeks, finds, and to him who interprets it will be opened. Or who eateth of you, and his son asks him of his bread, and the food of the stone shall give him? Or if he asks for fish, will he give food to the serpent? For if ye are deceitful, and know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him" (Matt. 7:7-11), or, as it is said in another place, "He will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him" (Luke 11:13). With such words and such promises, the Lord urges us all to be diligent in prayer; but we must, in obedience to His divine inspiration, spend our lives in hymns and prayers, zealous to please God in the most accurate way. Only by living in this way will we live a real human life [2, 776].

33) Whoever does not pray and does not have the desire to enjoy frequent conversation with God is dead, soulless and has no part in the mind. The very fact that he does not like prayer and does not consider it death for the soul if it does not worship God is a sure sign of his lack of intelligence. Just as our body, when it is deprived of the presence of the soul in it, becomes dead and stinking: so the soul, which does not have the excitement that moves it to prayer, is in a bitter state, dead and stinking. That we should consider the bitterness of death an evil if we are deprived of prayer, this good was shown to us by Daniel, the great prophet, who decided to die rather than to remain without prayer for only three days. For the king of Persia did not command him to be completely dishonored, but wished that he should only stop his prayers for three days [2, 776].

34) Without God's command and care for us, nothing good will enter our souls. God's command descends upon our labors and makes them good, if He sees that we love prayer, often turn to God with petitions, and hope from then on to descend to us every good thing. Why, when I see someone who does not love prayer and does not have a warm and strong disposition for it, it is clear to me that this person has nothing noble and lofty in his soul. And when I see someone insatiably eating for divine services and depriving himself of frequent prayer, considering it one of the greatest losses and damages, then I am convinced that he is a faithful ascetic of every virtue, that he is the temple of God. For if "the garment of a man, and the laughter of a man's teeth and feet, proclaim him" (Sir. 19:27), —

This one pride befits those who honor Christ, not to be enslaved to anything shameful, but to guard their souls in freedom from everything and in a blameless life [2, 776-7].

35) That without prayer it is impossible to have virtue as a cohabitant and a mother-in-law along the path of life, I think it is self-evident to everyone. For how could anyone strive in virtue without approaching and falling down often to Him Who is the giver and giver of virtue? Who would even have had a strong desire to be chaste and righteous in himself constantly, not to have a happy conversation with Him who demands of us this and even more? But I undertake to prove in a short word that prayers (whether revived in us or begun by us), even if they find us full of all kinds of sins, soon cleanse us from them. And in this case, what will be greater than prayer great and divine, if it turns out to be a healing medicine for those who are sick in soul? Behold, the Ninevites are the first to be cleansed by prayer from their many sins before God. As soon as prayer took them (into its care), it immediately made them righteous — and the city, accustomed to live in lewdness, deceit and all kinds of iniquity, quickly corrected it, overcoming the obsolete bad habits, and establishing heavenly laws, bringing with it chastity, and love for humanity, and meekness, and care for the poor. Without these virtues, it does not dwell in the soul; but usually whatever soul it indwells, it makes it full of all righteousness, it attunes it to every virtue, and expels every evil from it. If at that time any of those who knew Nineveh well had entered it before, he would not have recognized this city: so soon did he pass from an unseemly life to piety [2, 777].

36) Perhaps someone who is lazy and unwilling to pray earnestly and carefully will decide to justify himself with the words of the Lord Himself: "Not everyone shall say to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but do the will of my Father who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). "To this I will say that if I considered one prayer sufficient for salvation, then it would be fair for someone else to use these words against me. But as I say that prayer is the head of all virtues, the root and foundation of the salvific life, let no one cover up his laziness to prayer with such words. Neither chastity alone can save without other virtues, nor care for the poor, nor goodness, nor any other of the laudable works; but it is necessary that all the virtues flow into our souls, and that prayer should lie under them as a foundation and root. As a ship and a house make the lower parts strong and cohesive: so our life is sealed by prayers; without them, nothing good and salvific in us can be. Why does St. Paul insistently command us to be diligent in prayer, saying: "Abide in prayer, watchful in it with thanksgiving" (Col. 4:2); in another place, he says: "Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all things: for this is the will of God" (Col. 5:17, 18): and in another place: "Pray with all prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit, and in these things be vigilant in all patience" (Ephesians 6:18). Thus this apostolic leader exhorts us in prayer with many and divine words. Why should we, his disciples, with the prayer of our mother-in-law follow the path of our life, and with her more often water and water our souls: for we all have no less need of it than trees have need of water. Neither can they bear fruit if they do not drink water with their roots, nor can we pour out the precious fruits of piety if we are not drunk by prayers [2, 778-9].

37) Rising from the bed, we must always forestall the rising of the sun by serving God, and when we begin to eat, we must pray, as well as when we go to sleep. But every day you need to bring a certain prayer to God, spending the time of the day in an even flow. In winter, we must spend most of the night in prayer, and with great fear, bending our knees, diligently listen to prayer, having blessed ourselves, that we serve the one true God. Tell me, how will you look at the sun, without first bowing down to Him Who sent this sweetest light for your eyes? How can you partake of a meal without bowing down to the Giver and Giver of these blessings? With what hope will you plunge into the darkness of the night? What dreams do you hope to encounter without protecting yourself with prayers, but giving yourself over to sleep unguarded? You will be despised (for your lack of prayer) and a delight for the worst demons, who always revolve around us, waiting for the time when someone remains naked from the veil of prayer, in order to seize us and rapture us suddenly. Therefore, when they see that we are protected by prayer, they immediately jump away, like thieves and evildoers, when they see a sword hanging in the head of a warrior. But if it happens that someone should be naked from the veil of prayer, the demons, having raptured him, draw him to sins and evil deeds. Fearing this, let us always protect ourselves with prayers and hymns [2, 779].

38) In the prophetic visions, the angels are represented with great fear as offering their songs of praise to the Lord of all: out of great reverence they cover their faces and feet, and when it is necessary to fly, they do this with great trembling. This is an example and lesson, just as we should perform our prayers [2, 779].