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].

78) God does not require from the praying person beauty of speech and skillful composition of words, but warmth of soul and diligence. If in such a disposition he speaks before Him that which is pleasing to Him; then he will depart from Him, having received everything. Do you see how comfortable it is? It happens that when approaching someone with a petition, it is necessary to choose special words. And here nothing of the kind is necessary; but if you have a sober mind, nothing will prevent you from being near God. "God draweth nigh, saith the Lord, and not God from afar" (Jeremiah 23:23); so that if we are far from Him, we ourselves are the cause of this, and He is always near. "But what do I say that there is no need to worry about the art of the word?" Often there is no need for a voice. For if in your heart you only express your need to Him and call upon Him as you should, then even in this case He will hear you. Thus He heard Moses, so He heard Anna [5, 42].

79) This is the form of prayer pleasing to God! Approaching God with a sober mind, with a contrite soul and streams of tears, do not ask for anything worldly, seek the future, beseech for spiritual things, do not pray against enemies and do not hold grudges against anyone, expel all passions from your soul, grieve over your sins, keep your inner things in order, express your readiness for any concession and to turn your tongue only to good words about others, Do not get involved in any business, neither by consent, nor by cooperation, have nothing in common with the common enemy of the universe, i.e. with the devil. For in this way you will be righteous; but being righteous, you will be heard, having righteousness as your intercessor [5, 43].

80) "Be merciful to me, and hear my prayer" (Psalm 4:2). What are you saying? Above I mentioned the truth, but here you turn to generosity and mercy? — And what kind of consistency can there be? — Great and very consistent with the previous one. For though we have done an innumerable multitude of good deeds, yet we are heard by generosity and love for mankind; even if we ascend to the very summit of virtue, we are still saved by mercy. From this we learn that with righteousness it is necessary to have a broken heart. If someone is a sinner, but begins to pray with humility, which is already a part of virtue, then he can receive much; on the contrary, if someone is righteous, but approaches God in prayer with pride, he will be deprived of all blessings. Both were taught to us by the example of the publican and the Pharisee. Learn from the publican, not being ashamed to take as your teacher one who has done the work of prayer so beautifully that he has achieved everything with words alone. For his soul was well prepared; And one word was strong enough to open the heavens to him. How was it prepared? He cursed himself, struck his chest, and did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven. If you pray in the same way; then you will make your prayer the lightest down [5, 44].

81) Prayers are not just heard, whatever they are, but prayers performed according to the law of God. What are they? Those in which they ask for what is proper for God to give, and do not ask for what is contrary to His laws. Who, you will say, is so bold as to ask God to do that which is contrary to His laws? He who prays against his enemies: for this is not in accordance with the law laid down by Him. He says: "Forgive" to your debtors (Matt. 6:14). And you call upon the very One Who commands you to forgive your enemies. Can there be anything worse than such madness? The one who prays must have the appearance, thoughts, and feeling of a supplicant. Why then do you accept another person, the person of the accuser? How can you receive forgiveness of your own sins when you pray to God to be the punisher of the sins committed by others? Therefore, let your prayer be meek, quiet, with a hospitable and benevolent face. Only such a prayer is worthy of the hearing of the King of Heaven, worthy of heaven — only such is the tongue of the angels. When she begins to intercede for those who have offended and offended, then the angels stand before her in great silence, and when she is silent, they do not cease to applaud her, praise her and marvel at her. When we approach God in prayer, let us not think that this is an ordinary spectacle. No, it is a spectacle of which the spectators are the whole universe, and even more so the hosts of the heavenly Powers, and among them is the King of Heaven, ready to hear our prayer. Let us perform it in such a way that it will be worthy of this spectacle. Let no guitarist, no lyricist be so careful in preparing for a performance on the stage for fear of allowing any unpleasant sound as we are when we intend to enter the spectacle of the Angels. Let us have a tongue that does not pronounce anything unpleasant, but one harmonious and euphonious, with the proper mood of the soul. Approaching God, asking Him and beseeching Him, let us propitiate Him also to our enemies: then, praying for ourselves, we will be heard [5, 45-6].

82) "Sons of mankind, how long are you heavy in heart" (Psalm 4:3)? The Prophet calls the sons of men people who are devoted only to the cares of life and inclined to evil. Wherefore what shall be the meaning of "heavy hearts"? Carnal, earthbound, inclined to evil, given over to vices, corrupted by voluptuousness. And what can make the soul light? A wondrous life, such as not to be carried away by anything here, and not even to attach anything to your feet that pulls you down. Of the material objects, some usually tend downward, as for example, stone, wood, and the like; and others upwards, as for example. fire, air, down, light in nature. If you tie to a light thing some thing that gravitates downwards, then its natural lightness will not help it in the least. So it is with the heart. By its nature it is created light and upward, and we, contrary to its nature, make it heavy by tying it to the earth. Let us not make it heavy, lest it sink like a ship that has too much cargo [5, 47].

(83) Why are many not heard? Sometimes because they ask for something useless: in this case, it is better not to be heard than to be heard; and sometimes because we ask negligently: in this case, God teaches us to be zealous for prayer by the slowness of almsgiving. God knows how to give and knows when to give and what to give (Matt. 7:11). "And Paul asked and did not receive; because he asked for what was useless (2 Corinthians 12:8); and Moses asked, but God did not hear him either (Exodus 32:32). Therefore, let us not retreat when we are not heard, let us not be discouraged and weakened, but continue to ask with earnestness; because God does everything for good [5, 48-9].

84) "As you speak in your hearts, be touched on your couches" [Psalm 4:5]. What do these words mean? —