66) Can not God grant us what we need before we ask? But He awaits our prayer, so that He may take from Him an occasion to righteously vouchsafe us His special providence [Ibid.].

67) Though we receive what we ask for, though we do not receive it, let us remain in prayer. And we will be grateful not only when we receive it, but also when we do not receive it. For not to receive when God wills it is no less good; How to get it. For we do not know what is good for us, for God knows. Wherefore we consider both receiving and not receiving to be equal good, and for both we must thank God. "Don't be surprised that we don't know what is good for us. And Paul, this contemplator of the wondrous mysteries, did not know what was more useful to him, and in ignorance he prayed for what was useless. There was something oppressive to him, and he prayed to deliver him from it. And he did not pray once, but said: "For this the Lord prayed three times" (2 Corinthians 12:8). But he did not receive what he asked for. What then? Was it hard for him? mournfully? unpleasantly? Not at all. The Lord said to him, "My grace shall take possession of thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness." And St. Paul replied to this in this way: "For I will boast more sweetly in my infirmities" (v. 9). Not only, he says, do I not seek to be delivered from that which burdens me, but it is sweet for me even to boast about it. Do you see how grateful this soul is? Do you see what her love for God is? — Listen to what the same Apostle says in another place: "For what we pray for, as befits us, we do not know" (Romans 8:26). It is impossible, he says, for us people to know everything exactly. Why is it necessary to leave to the Creator of our nature the definition of what is useful for us, and then to accept with joy and full pleasure what He approves, not looking at the appearance of what happens, but at the fact that it is pleasing to the Lord [4: 280-1].

68) Let it be our constant task to be diligent in prayer and not to lose heart at the slowness of hearing, but to show patient good humor. Let us accustom ourselves to clinging to prayer — and to pray day and night, especially at night, when no one bothers us with business, when thoughts settle down, when everything around is silent, and the mind has complete freedom to ascend to the Physician of souls. If the blessed David, the king and the prophet at the same time, being so busy and weary with work, devoted midnight to prayer, as he himself says: "At midnight I confess to Thee the fate of thy righteousness" (Psalm 118:62), then when we spend a private and short life, what can we say in our justification if we do not act as he did? Let us also imitate him, simple people, the king, who lead a life of little business and peace to him who, in diadem and purple, surpassed the life of monks. For listen to what else he says in another place: "My tears were my bread day and night" (Psalm 41:4). Do you see the soul that abides in unceasing contrition? My food, he says, my bread, my table was nothing else but my tears, shed day and night. And again: "Thou shalt labor with my sighing, I will wash my bed every night" (Psalm 6:7).

"At midnight," say Acts, "Paul and Silas prayed to God" (16:25). David spent his whole life in the kingdom in a diadem in tears and prayer. The Apostle, caught up to the third heaven, vouchsafed the ineffable mysteries of revelation, while in chains, at midnight lifted up prayers and songs to the Lord. And the king, rising at midnight, confessed to the Lord; and the Apostles at midnight performed hymns and diligent prayers. We will imitate them, protecting our lives from all unpleasant and calamitous things by the continuity of our prayers. If you have your mind cleansed of impure passions, then be you in the marketplace, be at home, be on the road, be in the judgment seat, be at sea, be in the workshop, and wherever you are, calling on God everywhere, you can obtain what you ask for [4, 281-2].

69) Hannah, Samuel's mother, inspired by love for God, lifted up her mind to heaven, and as if in vain, prayed to Him with all her warmth. What did she say? At first nothing, but before the beginning of the prayer she made deep sighs and tearing lamentations, and let out streams of hot tears. As dry and hard earth, watered and softened by rain falling on it, becomes capable of producing fruit, so it was with this woman. Softened by weeping, the soul gave birth to a powerful prayer: "Touched in soul, pray to the Lord: Adonai, Lord of hosts" (1 Samuel 1:10, 11). Not with one word did she call upon Him, but with many, applied to Him, showing her love and ardent affection for Him. The prayer itself was inspired by the painful sorrow of the heart. She was soon heard, because her petition was written extremely reasonably. Such are the prayers that usually come from a soul torn apart by sorrow. Instead of charters she had a mind, instead of a pen a tongue, instead of ink tears. Why is her petition read to this day: for the writings written with such ink remain indelible [4, 640].

70) There is nothing equal to prayer, nothing is stronger than faith. Both were shown to us by Anna. For having approached God with these gifts, she received all that she desired: she corrected her barren nature, and took away the shame of childlessness, and stopped the reproaches of the jealous (of her couple), and to great boldness, when she plucked from a stone that did not bear fruit. You have heard and know how she prayed and asked, how she begged and received, how she gave birth, brought up, and dedicated her Samuel to God: so that it will not sin who calls this woman the mother and at the same time the father of the child. Her prayers, tears, and faith were the beginning of a birth, though not a seedless one. Men will imitate her, and women imitate her. This wife is a teacher of both kinds. Which of you are barren, do not despair; Who have become mothers, raise children like her. Let us all be jealous of the wisdom of this woman before birth, faith in birth, and care after birth [4, 643].

71) "Multiply those who pray before the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:12). Two virtues are indicated in Anna by these words: patient abiding in prayer and cheerfulness of mind; the first with the word, "multiply," and the second, with the word, "before the Lord." We all pray, but not all before the Lord.

But how is it said, "multiply," when her prayer was not verbose? "Multiply" means: she often pronounced the same words, repeating the same words for a long time, did not get tired and did not retreat. In the same way, Christ the Lord commanded us to pray in the Gospel. For having told His disciples not to pray in a pagan way, talking much in prayer, He indicated the measure of prayer (Matt. 6:7), and thus showed that in order to be heard, it does not depend on the multitude of prayer words, but on the sobriety and cheerfulness of the mind of the one praying. But how, someone will say, did He teach in a parable that one should always pray and not lose heart, if one should not pray verbosely? As St. Paul commands us to continue in prayer (Rom. 12:12), and to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)? For not to talk much in prayer, but at the same time to pray unceasingly, is contrary to the other. No, this is not at all contrary to one another, but on the contrary one is in complete agreement with the other. Both Christ the Lord and St. Paul command that prayers be made frequently, but briefly, at short intervals [4, 645-6].

72) It is written about St. Anna that during prayer her lips moved, but no words were heard. This is true prayer, when cries rise from within, when prayer is expressed not by the tone of voice, but by the aspiration of the mind. Thus prayed Moses, to whom, when he did not utter anything with his lips, God said: "Why do you cry out to me" (Exodus 14:15)? People hear only this sound voice, and God hears what is crying out inside before it. Why is it possible to be heard without crying, and walking in the marketplace to pray with one's mind with all earnestness, and sitting with friends, or whatever else makes the cry strong to call upon God — inwardly, I mean — without making it manifest to any of those who are inherent in anyone. This was also done by St. Anna at that time. "Her voice was not heard" (1 Samuel 1:13). But the Lord heard her. Such was her inner cry [4, 646].

(73) "And Hannah arose after they had eaten in Shiloh, and stood before the Lord" (v. 9). You see? "What time others make a time of sweet rest, she made a time of prayer, and after the meal she hastened to the place of prayer and poured out streams of tears, presenting to God a chaste and sober mind. Even after the meal, she prayed so diligently and fervently that she received a supernatural gift. Thus this woman sets an example for us – to pray after meals. And how much use it would be if we undertook to imitate this! For he who thinks about prayer after the meal will not drink much, and will not allow himself to become drunk, will not eat much, and will not allow himself to be satiated. The expectation that he will have to pray after the meal will be a bridle for his thoughts, so that he may touch in moderation all that is before him: and this will be a great blessing for both soul and body. A meal that begins with prayer and is followed by prayer will never become impoverished, but will bring us good more abundantly than a spring. Where there is prayer and thanksgiving, there the grace of the Holy Spirit sits: from there the demons flee and all the opposing power retreats. Whoever thinks of turning to prayer after the meal will not dare to say anything inappropriate during the meal, and if he says so, he will immediately come to his senses and repent. Therefore, when approaching the meal, and after finishing it, one should pray to God and thank Him [4, 650].

74) Let us also take St. Anna as our teacher, let us always and in everything run to God and ask Him for everything we need. For there is nothing equal to prayer: it makes the impossible possible, the difficult comfortable, the obstinate smooth. Blessed David always kept it, which is why he says: "On the week of the day we praise thee for the destinies of Thy righteousness" (Psalm 118:164). If a king, a man immersed in innumerable cares and amused everywhere, calls on God so many times a day; then what excuse or excuse can we have, who spend such an idle life that we do not pray so often, having to receive such great fruits from it? For it is impossible, in no way impossible, for a man who prays with due fervor and often calls upon God, to sin at any time. And here's why it's so. Whoever, having warmed his heart and stirred up his soul, moves entirely to heaven, and thus calls upon his Lord, confessing his sins and asking forgiveness for them, with such dispositions he naturally puts aside all worldly cares, takes wings and becomes the highest of human passions. Therefore, after prayer, whether he sees an enemy, he will no longer look upon him as an enemy, or a beautiful woman, nor will he be carried away by her appearance, because the fire, kindled by prayer, still dwells in him and repels every inappropriate thought. But as it is customary for us, human beings, to cool down, when, after two or three hours after prayer, you notice that the warmth generated in you begins to dissipate and weaken little by little, — quickly resort to prayer again and warm your cooling heart. If you do this throughout the day, warming yourself with frequent prayers at convenient intervals, you will not give the devil a reason or access to your thoughts. If you do this, then no matter what winds blow against you — temptations, sorrows, unpleasant thoughts, and anything heavy — they will not be able to knock down and destroy your house, which is so tightly bound by frequent prayers. "You will say: but how is it possible for a man of this life, or assigned to the trial of court cases, to stand for three hours a day at prayer, and also to go to church? — It is possible and very convenient. It is not convenient for everyone to go to church, but it is possible to pray to everyone and everywhere. For prayer requires not so much a voice of prayer as a thought turned to God, not so much the lifting up of the hands as the aspiration of the soul, not so much the position of the praying person as the mood of the heart of prayer. Do so. Groan the mountaineer, remember your sins, look up to heaven and say in your heart: "Have mercy on me, O God!"

75) Let us not hide behind pretexts, saying that there is no prayer house nearby. The grace of the Holy Spirit deigns to make us churches of God, if we are sober, so that everywhere we have complete convenience in praying. Our service to God is not such as the Jews used to have, which had much of the senses and needed visible things and actions. There the one praying for something had to come to the temple and bring the substance for the sacrifice, for which a knife, fire, wood and something else were again needed. There is nothing of the kind here; but wherever you are, you have with you an altar, and a knife, and a sanctuary, being yourself a priest, and an altar, and a sanctuary. Wherever you are, you can erect an altar, showing only a sober disposition; place does not interfere, and time does not interfere either; and though you do not bow your knees, though you do not strike your breast, or stretch out your hands to heaven, but only show the warmth of your feeling for God, you have done the work of prayer properly. A woman sitting at a spinning wheel, or a loom, can look up to heaven with her mind and warmly call upon God. It is also permissible for a man who has entered the market place, or who is walking alone, to pray diligently. And he who sits in a shop and sews leather can ascend to God with his soul. And a servant, when he buys something, or runs upstairs and runs downstairs to serve the master of the house, or stands before the hearth in the kitchen, can pray diligently in his heart, if he has no time to go to church. God is not ashamed of a place; He seeks only one thing, a warm heart and a chaste soul. "Therefore I urge you, go to church more often, and pray at home; when you are able, kneel and lift up your hands; and when it happens to be in the midst of many others, do not forsake prayer because of this, but in the way in which I have now indicated to your love, call upon God, in the assurance that you will nevertheless receive what you ask for [4, 667-8].

76) It is not the abundance of words that beseeches God, but the pure soul, zealous for good deeds. To those people who, living a vicious life, hope to implore God with an abundance of words, see what He says: "If ye increase your supplication, I will not hear you: when ye stretch forth thy hands, I will turn my eyes away from you" (Isaiah 1:15). St. The Prophet David says: "When the God of my righteousness has called me, he will hear me" (Psalm 4:2), i.e. God, Who sees my righteousness. Let no one think that he is exalted when he says this. He does not say this in order to exalt himself, but to offer some instruction and exhortation, very useful to all. Lest anyone say, "He has been heard because he is David, and I will not be heard because I am small and insignificant," he suggests that his God hears him for a reason, and that He does not hear you in vain or accidentally, but always looks at the works. If you have works that can intercede for you, then surely you will be heard; and on the contrary, if you do not have them, then even if you are David, you will not be able to pray to God. Whoever approaches God, Who loves righteousness, will not depart from Him with anything: on the contrary, whoever approaches Him without it, or having been defiled by its opposite vices, even if he asks a thousand times, will not succeed, because he does not have with him what he can beseech God [5, 40].

77) If he who treats a wondrous man receives great benefit from this very treatment; how much more is he who constantly converses with God. But we do not properly know how much benefit there is from prayer, because we do not pray attentively and do not pray as God commanded. When we intend to speak to one of the people who are higher than us, we first put in order our appearance, and the position of the body, and clothes, and everything, and only then we enter into conversation: and when we approach God, we yawn, move from place to place, look around, get bored, and although sometimes we kneel, but in our thoughts we wander about the market. When we approach prayer with due reverence, remembering that we have to converse with God in it, we would learn, even before receiving what we ask for, what great benefit we receive from prayer itself, as if it were prayer. A man who has learned to converse with God in prayer, as one who converses with God should converse with, will finally be like an angel: his soul is at the same time renounced from the bonds of the body, so his thoughts are exalted, so transferred to heaven, so he does not heed anything of life, so he stands before the very throne of the king, even if he be poor, even if he be a servant, even if he is simple and unlearned. 41].