9) What does it mean: "sing with understanding" (Psalm 46:8)? As in the reasoning of the food there is a sense of the quality of each food, so in the reasoning of the words of the Scriptures there is understanding. For it is said: "The larynx tastes," but the mind (in the Slavs. "ear"; but St. Chrysostom also reads: "mind".) "The words reason." Therefore, if a person's soul is so sensitive to the power of each word, as the taste is sensitive to the quality of each meal; then he fulfilled the commandment, which says: "Sing wisely" (5:356).

10) For what reason does a person lose his constant remembrance of God? If he does not remember the blessings of God and turns out to be unconscious before the benefactor (5:364).

11) Prayer should be preferred to everything. Martha receives (cares to treat) the Lord, and Mary sits at His feet. In both sisters one can see a wonderful zeal; but you discern the deeds. The Lord approved of the zeal of both women: but He preferred Mary to Martha. Martha is an image of active service to others; Mary is an image of contemplative standing before God in prayer. Imitate what you will: with both you will obtain the fruit of salvation; however, the latter is higher than the former. "Mary has chosen the good part" (Luke 10:42). If you also wish to be a mystery of Christ, sit at His feet and abide in prayerful contemplation of Him (5:379-81).

12) Prayer has two types: the first is doxology with humility, and the second, the lowest is petition. Therefore, when praying, do not suddenly approach the petition; otherwise, you yourself let everyone know about your own will that you are praying to God, forced by need. Therefore, when you begin your prayer, leave yourself, your wife, and your children, part with the earth, pass through heaven, forsake every creature, visible and invisible, and begin with the praise of Him who created all things: and when you glorify Him, do not wander your mind here and there, do not speak pagan fabulously, but choose words from the Holy Scriptures and say: I bless you, O Lord, who is long-suffering and not malicious. For this, O Lord, Thou art silent and tolerate us, that we may glorify Thee, Who is the builder of the salvation of our race, and so on. When you have finished the doxology, borrowed from the Scriptures to the best of your ability, and have sent up praise to God, then begin with humility and say: I am not worthy, O Lord, to speak before You; for I am very sinful, I am more sinful than all sinners. When you have completed both these parts of doxology and humility, then ask what you should ask, i.e. not riches, not earthly glory, not bodily health, because He Himself knows what is good for everyone: but, as you are commanded, ask for the kingdom of God. Our King will be haunted and indignant if anyone asks Him for any little, if any of us asks Him for something unworthy. Therefore, by your prayer do not bring indignation upon yourself, but ask for that which is worthy of the King God (5:381-3).

(13) When asking for what is worthy of God, do not cease to ask until you have received. Suggesting this, the Lord told the parable of him who begged bread from his friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-7). The Lord presents us with this example, in order to teach us to be steadfast and persistent in prayer with faith, not losing hope and not despairing if we do not suddenly receive what we ask for. Though a month, and a year, and three years, and a greater number of years will pass, until you receive it, do not turn away, but ask in faith, constantly doing good (5:384).

14) Therefore, ask God unceasingly for everything that concerns your salvation and progress in good, and you will certainly receive. But at the same time, know that on your part you must do everything in your power; but cry out to God for help, that He may be your helper. For if someone through inconstancy himself gives himself over to lusts (contrary to the commandments), then God does not help him and does not listen to his prayers, because he has previously made himself a stranger to God through sin. Whoever wants to have help from God does not change his duty: and he who does not change his duty is never left without God's help. Therefore, one should not bring oneself to the point where one's own conscience condemns oneself in something, and in such a state invoke God's help (5:385).

15) It should not be invoked with negligence, not with a mind wandering here and there. Such a person will not only not receive what he asks for, but will grieve Vladyka even more. If he who stands and speaks before the prince stands with great fear, not allowing his external eye to wander, as well as his inner spiritual eye, so as not to be exposed to danger; then should we not stand before God with fear and trembling, directing our whole mind to Him alone, and not to anything else? For He not only sees the outer man like men, but also sees the inner man. Therefore, if you stand before God as you should, and do everything on your part, then do not cease to ask for what you ask, and you will undoubtedly receive. (Ibid.).

16) If you are condemned by your conscience as a contempt of God's commandments, and if you stand absent-mindedly at prayer, when you could stand without distraction, then do not dare to stand before God, lest your prayer turn into sin. If you try, but do not have time to pray without distraction, then force yourself as much as you can, and continue to stand before God, turning your mind to Him and gathering it within yourself, and God will forgive you; for it was not out of neglect, but because of weakness, that thou hadst not the strength to stand before God as thou should. Therefore, if you thus compel yourself to every good work, do not cease to ask until you receive what you ask, but patiently push at His door, asking for what you ask. "For whosoever, it is said, asketh receiveth, and seeketh findeth, and to him that interpreteth it shall be opened" (Luke 11:10). For what else do you desire to be vouchsafed, if not the only salvation in God? (5, 386).

17) But you say, "I have asked many times, and I have not received what I asked." "Without a doubt, you did not receive because you asked badly, with unbelief and absent-mindedness, or because you asked for something that was not useful to you. And if he asked for useful things, he did not have constancy. For it is written: "In your patience gain your souls" (Luke 21:19), and "He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 10:22). [5, 388].

(18) God knows the heart of those who pray. Wherefore thou sayest, What need hath God of our petition? Does He not know what we need? Therefore, what need is there for a petition? "God knows what we need, and generously gives all bodily things for our enjoyment, even before our petitions; being good, He rains on the just and the unjust, and His sun shines on the evil and the good" (Matt. 5:46). "But faith, virtue worthy of this name, the kingdom of heaven, if you do not ask with difficulty and much patience, you will not receive, because you must first desire, but if you wish to seek actively in faith and patience, using everything on your part, so that your own conscience does not condemn you in anything, as if you were asking either negligently or lazily; and then you will receive it, if it pleases God. For He knows better than you what is good for you. (Also).

19) And it may be that He is slow to grant you what you ask for, so that you may be more inseparable before Him, and so that you, having learned what the gift of God is (how difficult it is to obtain), keep it with fear. For everything that a man acquires with much difficulty, he tries to preserve, so that, having lost it, he will not lose much of his labor, and having rejected the grace of God, he will not become unworthy of eternal life. Therefore, do not be faint-hearted, if you do not receive what you ask for soon. For if the good Lord had seen that you, having soon received a gift, would not lose it, then he would have been ready to grant it even before your request. And now, out of care for you, He does this (i.e., He does not give). For if he who accepted a talent and kept it intact is condemned for not putting it into circulation; then how much more will he be condemned who loses it? (5, 389).

(20) Therefore, knowing this, whether we receive it sooner or more slowly, let us be grateful to the Lord: for whatever the Lord does is for our salvation: only let you not cease your petitions out of faint-heartedness. For this is why the Lord spoke the parable of the widow, who by her persistence bowed down the wicked judge, in order to teach us, by her perseverance, to obtain according to her petitions. In this our faith and love for God are manifested, when, even if we do not receive it quickly, we remain grateful to Him. Let us always thank Him, so that we may become worthy to be worthy of His eternal blessings. [Ibid.].

21) First of all, we must restrain the thought by all means, establishing a sober surveillance of the mind over it, so as not to allow the soul to indulge in unbridled strivings for the attraction of the body. As bodily sight is in the eye, so the eye of the soul is in the mind innate to it.

When the soul, observing its mental power in sobriety and its proper deeds, is established in the contemplations described by all, then it will strongly direct its disposition and its aspirations to that which is right and righteous, beautiful and peaceful. As soon as it ceases to direct its mind to grief and to delve into proper contemplation, then the bodily passions, like dogs that have pushed away the taskmaster, immediately rise up with force and attack the soul, and each passion intensifies to torment it. When the soul makes its contemplative and rational power always awake, it lulls the bodily passions in two ways, i.e., by being occupied with the contemplation of the best and kindred, and by supervising the serenity of the body, it chastes and calms its passions. If, having loved laziness, he leaves the contemplative power in inactivity, then the bodily passions easily draw the soul to their strivings and actions [5, 390-92].