Learn to pray to God not only at prayer times, but every hour and every moment, since He is everywhere. From the constant remembrance of God, an inexpressible peace will flood your heart.
Saint Theophanes the Recluse
When we ask someone to pray for us and we become
complacent and fall asleep, that is, we become lazy, then does he eat so that
we can be satisfied? Is that possible? He has the fruit of love, since he prays
for us, but we remain hungry. If he begs God to give us bread, that is, His
gifts, and we do not stretch out our hand to receive them, his prayer is
useless and fruitless for us. Do not deceive yourself.
But if someone well-intentioned asks for your prayer,
do not refuse it (evasively?) with the excuse (or pretext?) of your
unworthiness; “for the faith of him who asked [for prayer] has often saved the
one praying with a broken heart” (Climax 28. 40). When we are asked to pray for
the correction of a negligent person, we are ashamed and we are corrected
ourselves.
Hieromonk Justin
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