On Prayer: The Morning Rush

To live an Orthodox Way of Life it is important to begin the day in peace. One cannot live spiritually if your day begins with a harried mad dash to work, eating on the way, rushing through traffic. It's amazing what you see people doing in the morning commute.


The morning can be very busy especially if you have small children to get ready for school, but the key is to program enough time for all the essential activities plus Prayer. This may mean getting up an hour earlier so you have time for meditation and prayer as well as a relaxed and nutritional breakfast.
If you get up earlier you will find that all is quiet. You can shower in peace and then go to your quiet place in the house for prayer. Because you have provided the proper time, this does not have to a quick perfunctory prayer, but one where you appreciate the quietness and go deep within opening your heart to God. To enter into prayer we need to sit quietly and steady our minds on God. We leave behind all the cares of the coming day because we know we have this special time to do this. You remember that you are God's child whom He loves unconditionally, and then with humility enter into a dialogue with Him. The essential ingredient is to create this peaceful time where you are not rushed or forced into the worldly cares of the day. This is your private time with God. Protect it.


You can find advice on morning prayers here. Be sure to allow time for the practice of the Jesus prayer as well as this is the prayer that will get you thorough the day.


When you have completed your daily prayer routine think about the difficulties you might face during the day. Think how you can handle them in a way that will be pleasing to God. At the end of the day you can evaluate how well you did and give thanks to the Lord and ask for His help to handle them better if need be. (Morning and evening prayer are like bookends on an Orthodox Way of Life.)


Once you have finished this, the you can with a peaceful mind, filled with God's presence proceed with the essential activities which you have organized to accomplish before leaving for work without undue rush. It's important to allow time to prepare and eat a good breakfast sitting comfortably. You have nourished you soul and you also need to nourish your body.


As you begin your commute, do not try and beat the traffic or allow yourself to be irritated about delays or missing a stop light. Allow sufficing time so you will not be rushed but arrive a few minutes early at for work. Go with the flow of the traffic, not trying to beat it. Try and keep in mind the quiet presence you enjoyed in prayer.

Once at work, review your activities of the day and commit yourself to doing them according to the will of God. All ow for unexpected events. When you do find situations that begin to upset you, remember your prayer time and immediately recite the Jesus prayer. If you encounter a situation where you anger is aroused or if you find yourself emotionally upset, take a walk while you recite the Jesus prayer to yourself. Saying it just ten times will calm your soul so you can continue without causing greater stress or difficulty to yourself or others.


The key is to allow the proper amount of time in the morning so you can begin with peace. This morning peace will go along way during the day. There is only so much time and we have to allocate it so we can maintain our peace and stay in contact with our Lord.

When Grace is Active

Those who are saved, that is, those who will enter the eternal Kingdom of God, are only those in whom grace dwells; not secretly, but openly, permeating our entire essence and becoming even outwardly visible, absorbing, as it were, our entire nature. – Saint Theophan the Recluse


So, what does it mean to have grace permeate our entire being? Saint Theophan offers the following,

All those entering into contact with such a grace-filled person feel an unusual force present within him, which manifests itself in different ways. When such a person begins to speak about something spiritual, everything emanates from him as brightly as the midday sun, and his words go directly to the soul, authoritatively forming corresponding feelings and dispositions within. Even if he does not speak, he exudes a warmth which touches everything, and a certain force goes out, which stimulates moral energy and engenders readiness for every kind of spiritual action and exploit.

For grace to permeate our entire being requires our total dedication to doing the will of God. We cannot be lukewarm in our commitment. This is the worst condition because we are complacent and God will surely reject us. St. John the Theologian reports to us the following,

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. (Revelations 3:15–16)

St. Theophan says,

One must be fervent towards God and all that is Divine, but cold towards everything secular and worldly. If you are neither cold towards the secular, nor fervent towards the Divine, but are instead lukewarm and half-cold towards both one and the other, you will be cast out by God.

We must work to maintain our zeal so we will not be lukewarm in our relationship with God.

Finding Inner Peace

How to gain peace in our lives? There is one thing above that is essential and that the satisfaction of our spiritual needs. When we know our purpose and seek the Holy Spirit, when it comes it comforts us and beings peace to all the other aspects of our being.


Saint Theophan says they are "the one thing needful."

When spiritual needs are met, they teach a person to harmonize with those needs the satisfaction of other needs, so that neither the needs of the intellect or the needs of the body interfere with the spirit for life, but, instead, aid it. Then within a person is established complete harmony of all motions and revelations of his life. There is a harmony of thoughts, feelings, desires, undertakings, relationships, pleasures. And this is Paradise! Contrary to this, when the spirit is not satisfied, and this one thing needful is forgotten, that each of these other needs runs off in a different direction, each one demands fulfillment of its own needs, and their muddle and cry, like noise at a bazaar, deafen the poor person, and he runs around like a madman trying to satisfy them. But he never has peace, because when one need is being satisfied, the others are not...

So, if you are feeling a disorder in your life, it is time to pay attention to the spiritual dimension of your life. Examine you attention to the basics: Daily prayer, the Jesus Prayer, reading of Scripture, attending worship services and with proper preparation participation in the sacraments, spiritual fellowship, and helping others.

Ten Point Program For Orthodox Life

Translating Orthodox Christian Ideals Into Daily Life

1. Praying Daily
Have a regular prayer rule that includes morning and evening prayer.

2. Worshiping and Participating in Sacraments
Attend and participate in the Divine Liturgy receiving Holy Communion regularly as well as regular participation in Confession.

3. Honoring the Liturgical Cycle of the Church
Follow the seasons of the church and participate in the fasts and feasts of the Church.

4. Using the Jesus Prayer
Repeat the Holy name whenever possible throughout the day or night.

5. Slowing Down and Ordering Your Life
Set priorities and reduce the stress and friction caused by a hurried life.

6. Being Watchful
Give full attention to what you are doing at the moment.

7. Taming the Passions
Overcome your habits, attachment to your likes and dislikes, and learn to practice the virtues.

8. Putting Others First
Free yourself from your selfishness and find joy in helping others.

9. Spiritual Fellowship
Spend time regularly with other Orthodox Christians for support and inspiration.

10. Reading the Scriptures and Holy Fathers
Be inspired by the lessons of the Holy Scriptures, the wisdom of the Holy Fathers and the lives of the Saints of the Church.

St. Innocent of Alaska: On the path into the Kingdom of Heaven

Without faith in Jesus Christ no one can return to God and enter the Kingdom of Heaven. No one, even though he believe in Jesus Christ, can regard himself to be His disciple and share His glory in Heaven if he does not act as Jesus Christ did. And no one is able to follow Jesus Christ if he does not receive help from the Holy Spirit.

To receive the Holy Spirit, we must use the means granted us by God.

We should remember that the path into the Kingdom of Heaven that has been opened to us by Jesus Christ is the only one, and there never was and never will be another path that leads to salvation. At times this path may appear difficult, but, again, you should remind yourself that this is the only one that leads toward your objective. At other times the Christian will encounter such consolations and delights on this path as cannot be found in any worldly thing. The Lord Jesus Christ assists us on this path. He gives us the Holy Spirit, He sends His angel to protect us, He provides instructors and leaders, and even He Himself takes us by the hand and leads us to salvation.

If the path into the Kingdom of Heaven seems difficult, then consider how incomparably more dreadful are the eternal torments in fiery Gehenna. If the path toward heavenly bliss seems difficult, compare it with the path toward earthly happiness, and you will see that the path toward earthly happiness is not really easier at all. Just observe how much people toil to amass earthly things, how many disappointments, fights, sleepless nights and deprivations they bear. Or remind yourself of how much effort and expenses it takes to achieve some meaningless and fleeting pleasure! And for what? Instead of the expected happiness, you are left with disappointment and weariness. When you carefully examine the heart of the matter, it becomes evident that people stay away from the Heavenly Kingdom not because the path to it is more difficult than the other paths of this world, but because it appears that way to them. Besides, the devil, an experienced and crafty deceiver, misleads people into believing that the path to salvation is difficult and the paths to perdition are easy, and he often succeeds in this.

So, my brethren, in order to avoid eternal perdition, let us definitely concern ourselves with our future. We know that beyond the grave there awaits one of the following two outcomes: either the Heavenly Kingdom or everlasting perdition in hell. There is no middle state, only everlasting bliss or everlasting torment. As there exist only two conditions past the grave, so there exist only two paths in this life. The one that seems wide and easy is taken by the majority. The other that seems narrow and thorny is taken by few. Those who follow the narrow path will be a hundredfold more happy than those who do not.

Brethren, if any of you who walk the wide path should suddenly die, what will happen to you? To whom shall you turn? To the Lord? You refuse to listen to Him now, so you must expect He will refuse to listen to you then. Now He is your merciful Father; then He will be your righteous judge. Who will defend you against His righteous rage? Ah! How frightful it is to fall into the hands of the living God! Therefore, concern yourselves now with the salvation of your soul while you still have time!

Work for your salvation while it is still daylight, for the night will come in which there will be no chance to change anything. Strive for the Heavenly Kingdom while you can still walk. Walk even a little bit, even if by crawling, but do it in the right direction. Then in eternity you will truly rejoice for every step you have taken!

May the All-merciful Lord help us all in this! Glory and thanksgiving be to Him throughout the ages of ages. Amen.

How Spirit Works in Us for our Salvation

When we are Baptized and Chrismated in the Orthodox Faith we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. We are reborn and become a new person We now have the force of God living within our heart. How does this Sprit then act in us?


We are told that it remains active as long as we continue to be repentive, being honest about our shortcomings in our relationship with God, and continue to do our part to control our passions and give priority to the work of the soul.


The Holy Spirit works secretly within us.
Saint Theophan says,

Our spirit, set in motion, recollects within itself its natural Divine knowledge that God exists, maintains everything, and is the rewarder. The consciousness of this gives rise to a feeling of complete dependence on God, and enkindles the fear (awe, respect) of God. These and other things are stirred up by the conscience, that witness and judge of our affairs and feelings, among which is rarely to be found anything which God would look upon with kindness... The goodness of God makes it so that the true awakening of the spirit is brought about and accompanied by the Gospel. To the person who inwardly asks as a result of awakening of the spirit “Where shall I go? Where shall I run to?” The Gospel proclaims, “Why run anywhere? Come beneath the protection of the Cross and be saved. The Son of God, Who was incarnate, died on the Cross to cleanse our sins. Believe this, and you will receive remission of sins and encounter the grace of God.

The soul is nourished by the reading and contemplation of the Gospel. As we begin to internalize the lessons taught in the Gospel our spirit becomes alive. And from its action we begin to have spiritual zeal, a strong desire to be with God and to do his will.

Saint Theophan says,

The Spirit, which, once it has heeded the good news of salvation and the Lord, undertakes with all its strength to do everything with good cheer and willingness, if only it may become a partaker of Gospel blessings. Such a disposition of our soul makes it ready for Divine communion, and the grace of the Holy Spirit, which has acted hitherto from the outside by arousing us, establishing itself within, not directly but through the means of a sacrament. ....

The Divine Spirit arouses, the good news indicates where to begin. This is from God. But, having done this, God stops and waits for our consent.

The door of our heart has been opened in this way. We must also do our part. God wants us to love Him like He loves us. But to have true love it has to be a voluntary choice made on our part. So, God presents us with a choice, and only those of us who choose salvation, and follow His way, are saved.


St. Theophan says,

Repent, desire salvation in the Lord, and acquire good cheer in it. These actions are calming; they occur inwardly and give contentment through their local manifestation. The final action––the willingness to do everything which is required––is the real active force in salvation, insofar as it depends on us; it is the source of saving activity and the life that is saved... It is the unquenchable zeal for pleasing God and complete sincerity in fulfillment of the Divine will, in the presence of complete faith in the Lord and trust in salvation in Him Alone.... When there is no zeal, then there is nothing at all; he who is not zealous for salvation is a non--participant in salvation.

Take heed, "When there is no zeal, then there is nothing at all." If you have this zeal, then work hard to maintain it..

How Do Saints Hear Our Prayers

Have you ever wondered about how the saints can hear our prayers. This is a question that Saint Theophan tries to answer for us using the analogy of a telegraph line,

He writes,

When true prayer–that is, sincere prayer–moves in the soul, then that prayer, by means of the action of the element upon it, flies it has if on a beam of light to the Saints, and tells him what we want and what we are praying about. There is no gap between the time we make our prayer and when it is heard; the only necessity is that it comes from our heart. It is our telegraph line to Heaven. The very same prayers, which are not from our heart, but which come only from our head and tongue, do not produce a ray which rises to heaven, and they are not audible there. Those are not even prayers, but only prayer-like modes.

Prayers need to be sincere and said with feeling and not just read as if reading an email. Only those that are sincere are heard according to Saint Theophan. As proof he suggests you notice how you feel after you have prayed fervently. If it was sincere you will feel a calming and an inner assurance that you will be able to cope with what is troubling you. This is the response that comes like the speed of light to a sincere prayer.


Saint Theophan says,

Prayer comes to someone who labors at it, but it will not come to anyone who does not work at it. We see that the Holy Fathers labored a great deal at prayer, and by these very labors kindled within themselves a prayerful spirit.

Our thoughts in prayer must reflect a humbleness. Ask always, "if It be you will." Ask always for forgiveness of your failing to act as God has intended. And, always give thanks for all God does give you, knowing that even in times of difficulty He is providing you what you need for you spiritual growth. Keep in mind that your aim is to become one with Him in His Kingdom and that all things of this world are only temporary and means for our becoming one with God.