The work of a Christian, aimed at acquiring the virtue of humility, should have an inseparable connection with his general religious and moral development, aimed at achieving Christian perfection. Growing in virtue and having a constant striving for a holy, God-pleasing life, a Christian must remember the essence of his calling, which is very clearly and simply expressed in the following exhortation of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. "Let us know, beloved," he writes, "that we are Christians from Christ who is meek and humble in heart; it is shameful and very unseemly for Christians to be proud when Christ, the great and lofty God, has humbled Himself. It is shameful for servants to be proud when their Lord is humble. There is nothing so unseemly and unseemly for Christians as pride, and nothing shows a Christian more than humility. From humility a man is known that he is a true disciple of the meek and lowly in heart Jesus. If we wish to show testimony that we are true Christians, let us learn from Christ to be humble, as He Himself exhorts us: "Learn from Me, that I am meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29)" (5:228). The constant striving of a Christian to realize this ideal in his life is the determining factor in the acquisition of the virtue of humility. The Divine ideal of meekness and humility should be sought not only by those who are just embarking on the path of salvation, but also by those who have already reached the heights of Christian humility, for every Christian is called to put on meekness and humility, "following the Only-begotten Son of God" (2:165).

6. Prayer

In the matter of Christian perfection and salvation, prayer occupies a special place. It contributes to the spiritualization of the life of a Christian, the enlightenment of his mind, the purification of his heart, supports and strengthens the strength of the soul in the feat of good deeds. He who has acquired true prayer ascends to the height of all virtues and becomes the abode of the Holy Spirit.

According to the teaching of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, prayer is a Divine commandment. Even in the Old Testament God cried out to man: "Call upon Me in the day of thy affliction" (Psalm 49:15). The incarnate Only-begotten Son of God, who came to earth, confirmed this Old Testament commandment, giving hope for the fulfillment of what is asked to everyone who prays: "Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and ye shall find: pound, and it shall be opened unto you" (Matt. 7:7) (3:101).

The commandment to pray testifies to God's boundless love for humanity. Although the all-perfect, all-satisfied, and omniscient God does not need the prayers of men, for even without prayerful appeals He knows the needs of all His creatures, prayer is needed first of all by man himself and is the greatest good for him. Only through prayer can people, created and limited beings, communicate with God – the almighty Creator of the world, the Provider and Savior, on Whom both earthly, temporal life and the eternal fate of each person entirely depend. That is why St. Tikhon calls prayer a deed of great God's goodness (3:101).

Prayer is an essential need of the human spirit, an expression of faith and hope in Christ Jesus, for where there is faith, there is prayer, since it is virtually impossible to believe and not pray. Prayer is the soul of faith, its very life.

With the coming of Christ to earth, prayer acquired a new meaning, significance and power. For the sake of Christ's righteousness and His highest merits, for the sake of His redemptive sufferings and death, God the Father bestows blessings on all who ask Him (3:103). The Holy Spirit, attracted to the soul by prayer, helps a person to prepare the soul for blessed eternity. And truly, when the good Comforter touches the human heart, then from Him, as from incense, ascends to the throne of the Most High sighing, holy desire, true prayer (3:104).

In his works, the saint also points to the natural reasons that prompt every believer to pray. Constant and numerous bodily needs, troubles, sorrows, and temptations prompt a Christian to pray fervently to God (3:101). A special prayerful feat is required by his spiritual needs associated with concern for salvation. The one who strives for eternal life and asks God with faith for help in the struggle against sin, he will certainly and without doubt receive what he asks for (3:102).

Perfect prayer in its ideal manifestation is similar to angelic prayer. In order to attain such a height of prayer, a Christian must apply all the strength of his soul to it, for prayer is the complete turning of the mind and heart of man to God (4:316-317; cf. 2:325). This definition expresses the inner character of prayerful activity. True prayer is not always verbal; it is able to perform salvific actions without words. Such a prayer is often inaccessible to the sight and understanding of the people around him, but God, the Knower of the Heart, "hears our heart's desire, sighing... and our very thought knows; both our word and our thought are equal before Him" (2:325-326).

And if prayer is a conversation between man and God (2:325), then this not only indicates its inner dignity, but also best testifies to the nature of the relationship between God and man. As sons of God by grace, Christians are vouchsafed the highest mercy and honor to converse with God; only they can, like children to their father, speak to Him with fear and trembling about their various needs (3:434). Thus, this conversation – prayer – is a symbol of reconciliation with God of fallen humanity, adopted in Christ by God the Father.

That is why prayer is the most important means of salvation of man, for through it a Christian not only comes to God, but is also eternally united with Him (3:257-258). With constant prayerful exercise, he enters into spiritual communion with the heavenly world, is transported there by his mind and heart, so that the heavenly homeland becomes close and native to him already here on earth. And this approach to eternity gives the Christian the opportunity to experience the joy of the soul's communion with God and the heavenly world, the joy of a new, grace-filled life in Christ. The heart of the praying person, feeling the influx of Divine grace, which renews his spiritual and bodily strength, becomes an unshakable stronghold of saving faith. A zealous man of prayer is free from the temptations of lack of faith, since he actually learns the virtues of the Christian religion and clearly feels the presence and action of Divine grace in the Church of Christ. His faith rises to the level of unshakable confidence, which, as a rule, manifests itself in all spheres of human activity. In this respect, prayer can be compared to the moisture that irrigates a tree: for the grace of God, like a gentle rain, descends on the one who prays, watering his heart and making him capable of doing works of faith (2:324).

Thus, in the matter of spiritual and moral perfection of a Christian, prayer is of great importance. Like light, it shows the praying person the path of spiritual ascent (4:379), enlightens all his spiritual powers: it illumines the mind with the truth of the knowledge of God, fills the heart with holy desires and aspirations, and strengthens the will on the path of true pleasing God (2:154). Sanctified by Divine grace, the human soul aspires to the acquisition of Christian virtues. The whole being of a Christian acquires spiritual value, concentration, and a salvific striving for salvation and eternal life.

Christian perfection, directed and supported by prayerful podvig, is inseparably linked with the moral progress of a Christian. The soul and heart of the person praying always react sensitively to the slightest deviation from the norms of moral life, prompting him to vigilantly watch over the purity of his own conscience before God and all people. In this sense, prayer can be called not only a means of moral perfection, but also a conductor of chastity in the highest sense of the word (1:233).

The connection between prayerful activity and the feat of Christian perfection is also revealed through the characteristic spiritual sensations of the person praying. Sincere, heartfelt prayer, with the participation of all the spiritual powers of a person, always awakens in him a sense of his own unworthiness, which comes from the awareness of the greatness, holiness and omnipotence of God, and this, in turn, compels the Christian to seek help from God, the Giver of all blessings and perfections, with even greater zeal. It is in this sense that St. Tikhon calls prayer "an intercessor of all good things" (4:40). Thus, prayer in itself expresses the desire of the performer for holiness and perfection. From this we can point out another meaning of prayer: it is a kind of indicator of the level of spiritual life of a Christian, a mirror of his religious and moral state. If a Christian has a desire to pray, it means that he also has a desire for a holy, perfect life, and if there is no such desire, there is no desire for moral renewal and a God-pleasing life.