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].

39) During prayer it behooves us to forget our human nature, and, embraced by a warm aspiration towards God, in union with reverent fear, not to see anything of the world, but to think that we stand among the angels and perform the same service with them to the Most High God [Ibid.].

(40) All the other things of us and the Angels, such as nature, mode of being, wisdom, knowledge, and everything else you touch, are different: but prayer is a common cause, of the angels and of men, and in this respect there is nothing in the midst of them and of us (one choir). But whoever diligently applies himself to prayer and his heart to striving for God, he will soon become like them in knowledge, and in wisdom, and nobility, and in the way of life (Ibid.).

41) If one who has occasion to converse with wise men, by frequent conversation with them he assimilates their wisdom and becomes like them in it; then what can be said about those who often converse with God in their fervent prayers? What wisdom, what virtue, what knowledge, goodness, chastity and good manners will not fill them with prayer and unceasing dealings with God! So it is not a sin who says that prayer is the source of all virtue and righteousness, and that nothing that promotes piety can enter into a soul empty of prayer and supplication [2, 780].

42) Just as a city that is not surrounded by walls easily falls under the power of enemies, due to the absence of any obstacle to occupying it, so the devil easily takes a soul that is not protected by prayers into his power and fills it with all kinds of sins. As for those who are devoted to prayer, he has no success. Seeing the soul protected by prayers, he does not dare to come close to it, fearing the power that prayers impart to the soul, nourishing it more than bread nourishes the body. Moreover, those who pray earnestly do not allow anything unworthy of prayer to enter into themselves, but reverently before God, with whom they have just conversed, they immediately repel all the snares of the evil one, bringing to their mind how inappropriate and bad it is for one who has just asked God in prayer for chastity and reverence, immediately goes over to the side of the enemy, allowing the soul to lust for shameful sweets and thus give the devil an entrance into the heart, which God has just set down (Ibid.).

43) Without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible for a person to properly conduct a divine conversation; therefore, first of all, we must pray, so that His grace may be inherent in us and our prayerful work will be inspired, when we enter our church or at home into our cell, in order to kneel and lift up our prayers and supplications to God. When you are convinced that, while praying, you also converse with God and receive the assistance of the Holy Spirit; then you will no longer allow the devil to have access to your soul, sanctified by the Spirit [2, 781].

44) Whoever says that prayers are the nerves of the soul will tell the truth. For just as, with the integrity of the nerves, the body is kept in order and lives, stands and walks, but with their suppression it is completely upset: so the souls, under the action of prayers, are well-ordered, firm, and easily flow along the path of piety; but if you deprive yourself of prayer, you will do in your soul what the cutting off of the nerves does in the body—it will freeze—or, in another comparison, it will be like taking a fish out of water, for just as life is water for a fish, so prayer is for your soul [2, 781].

45) Wishing to draw people to prayer and to present to our souls what a great blessing prayer is, Christ the Lord introduces a certain evil and cruel judge, who has lost all shame before people and expelled the fear of God from his soul. It would be enough to assume a truthful and merciful person, and, comparing his truthfulness with God's love for mankind, to show through this the power of prayer. For if a good and meek man graciously receives those who turn to him with supplication; Is not God all the more so, the greatness of Whose love for mankind not only surpasses our understanding, but is inconceivable even to the Angels themselves? Therefore it was enough, I say, to suppose the face of a righteous judge; but the Lord introduces a cruel, impious, inhuman judge, saying at the same time that he, who in all cases manifests indomitable cruelty, did not endure this character in the face of fervent and persistent petition, but appeared here good and meek. Why did the Lord do this? "In order to make you understand that petition and supplication easily transform the evil nature into good and merciful, and in this way the power of prayer will no longer remain unknown to anyone. For this purpose, having placed the widow before the most wicked judge of all, and having shown him, not according to his natural character, to be philanthropic, from him, evil, He transfers the word to His Father, good, meek, philanthropic, surpassing iniquity, forgiving many sins, blaspheming and bearing blasphemy, seeing the worship of demons and insulting Himself and His Son, and not taking revenge. If now He, the blasphemer, so meekly endures those who insult Him, then, when we fall down to Him with due fear, will He not have mercy on us quickly and generously? Do you hear, says the Lord, that the judge of iniquity speaketh? "If I fear not God, and man am not ashamed: but this widow does not work for me, I will avenge her" (Luke 18:4-6). If the widow, falling down, made cruel so meek; what can we not expect from a man-loving God, falling down before Him? [2, 782].