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Life of Prayer

Life of Prayer. 1.Definition 4. Impediments to Prayer 2. Need to Pray 5. Efficacy of Prayer 3. How do we pray6. Degrees of Prayer 7. The Ceaseless Prayer. Life of Prayer. Definition and Comprehension of Prayer What is prayer?

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Life of Prayer

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  1. Life of Prayer 1.Definition 4. Impediments to Prayer 2. Need to Pray 5. Efficacy of Prayer 3. How do we pray6. Degrees of Prayer 7. The Ceaseless Prayer

  2. Life of Prayer Definition and Comprehension of Prayer What is prayer? + This is not a simple question that needs a simple answer. The holy Apostles themselves lacked this knowledge and asked our Lord Jesus to teach them how to pray (Lk 11:1). + The Saints and early church Fathers defined “prayer” each according to his/her experience of a holy life.

  3. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer + Strong resemblance between breathing and the necessity of prayer + It is the secret of our victory + A means for receiving blessings + The Lord Jesus as an example + The Apostles as examples + Vital to our existence in this world

  4. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer + Strong resemblance between breathing and the necessity of prayer: Breathing is necessary for the physical life. Likewise, prayer is necessary for the growth of the spiritual life. Physical death is certain if we stop breathing and if we stop praying, spiritual death will follow. Prayer brings us the love of God necessary for our spiritual being.

  5. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer, cont. + It is the secret of our victory: The Lord Jesus revealed to us the secret of victory over our spiritual enemies when He said "This kind (the devil) can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting" (Mark 9:29). The saintly fathers experienced prayer in this sense, which made one of them say "There is nothing fearful for the devil more than seeing a man praying".

  6. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer, cont. + A means for receiving blessings: In the forefront of the blessings of prayer are the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. There is a strong relation between the Holy Spirit and prayer. Prayer makes us ready to receive many spiritual blessings. The “Paradise of the Spirit” lists many from the sayings of St. Isaac the Syrian (P. 35).

  7. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer, cont. + The Lord Jesus as an example: Prayer was an integral part of the life of the Lord Jesus when He was in the flesh. The Scholar Tertullian said "What is more than the fact that the Lord Himself prayed, to let realise the importance of prayer!!"

  8. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer, cont. + The Apostles as examples: The Apostles - Disciples of the Lord - Leaders of the First Church, made prayer number one in their lives. See some of the situations and examples in the text below.

  9. Life of Prayer Our Need to Pray or Necessity of Prayer, cont. + Vital to our existence in this world: “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn 15:5) “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” (Lk 22:40) “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” (Ps 50 :15) “For such the Father seeks to worship Him.” (Jn 4:23)

  10. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY? + BODY POSTURE AND PRAYER + PREPARING FOR PRAYER + CONTROLLING THE THOUGHTS DURING PRAYER + WANDERING OF THOUGHTS DURING PRAYER + HEAT OF PRAYER + TALKING PRAYER + ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

  11. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY? + BODY POSTURE AND PRAYER: Body posture during prayer signifies how much we honor, revere and humble ourselves in front of God - Standing in prayer is the common posture - Kneeling or bowing down- suitable for confessing sins - Lying face down (Prostration) - Eyes lifted up to God in prayer - even closed

  12. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + PREPARING FOR PRAYER: • Need for Preparatory Period before prayer • Calm yourself down even for a little while • Read the Bible or chant a comforting hymn • Make yourself feel that you are in the presence of God • Draw the sign of the living cross on your heart and on your members

  13. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + CONTROLLING THE THOUGHTS DURING PRAYER: -Follow with your mind every word coming of your tongue -Let yourself be the words you say -Both the mind and heart should join the tongue in prayer - Not being occupied in any other matter during prayer

  14. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + WANDERING OF THOUGHTS DURING PRAYER: - Good and Bad Wandering - God is not offended if wandering occurs. He is offended if we submit to it and do not resist it - Pure prayer is not the one which lacks wandering of the thought, but is the one in which the thought does not wander in vain matters

  15. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + HEAT OF PRAYER: If we adhere in our striving to control the thought and resist its wandering during prayer - which results from the desires of the soul - we arrive to the pure prayer of the heart without wandering. This kind of prayer creates in the heart a state of spiritual warmth, about which David the Prophet sang in his psalm "My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue" (Psalm 39:3).

  16. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + Talking Prayer: Let your prayer be a normal talk with God without formalities, a talk of a son with his Heavenly Father, or a talk of a lover to his beloved, even to his worshipped!!

  17. Life of Prayer HOW DO WE PRAY?, cont. + ELEMENTS OF PRAYER: Prayers to God do not consist of petitions only, else our relationship with Him would be to benefit from Him only.

  18. Life of Prayer Impediments to Prayer or (Some Obstacles against Prayer) + LUKEWARMNESS OF PRAYER + THE PROBLEM OF TIME + THE PROBLEM OF SPACE + THE PROBLEM OF SHYNESS + THE SUBJECT OF PRAYING IN SECRET + FAMILY OBSTRUCTIONS

  19. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer + LUKEWARMNESS OF PRAYER: _ No desire to pray as a result of not getting comfort. This state is also called "Dryness in prayer“. _The cause is either from the self or from the devil. _ The value of prayer is not measured by the degree of comfort but by the amount of toil.

  20. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer, cont. + THE PROBLEM OF TIME: -Busy in work and other numerous responsibilities! - Differentiate between necessary business which is out of one's hand and the many other businesses which a person carries out by one’s own will. - Organise time in order to coordinate between one's duties towards God and the rest of duties. - Regard prayer as an important matter, for which one reserves time.

  21. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer, cont. + THE PROBLEM OF SPACE: -To solve this problem, some people wake up early before those who share the room with them, and also wait at night until all are asleep. Then they stand for prayer. It is a problem, and it is a struggle which has its crown and its blessings. - Make a special room in the house dedicated for prayer.

  22. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer, cont. + THE PROBLEM OF SHYNESS: -Shyness may form a problem for some people, not only in public prayers but also in their private prayers. - Remedy by focusing energy towards God and not the people.

  23. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer, cont. + The Subject of Praying in Secret: When the Lord Jesus commanded us to pray in secret, He did not mean that nobody sees us or that nobody at all knows that we pray. But He meant elimination of hypocrisy, love of appearance and asking glory from the people.

  24. Life of Prayer Some Obstacles against Prayer, cont. + FAMILY OBSTRUCTIONS: - Faced by youth and young people who come from secular families. - Standing steadfastly against opposition, going to God, behaving wisely and prudently, are sufficient to make them victorious against such annoyances.

  25. Life of Prayer The Efficacy of Prayer The mystery of the efficacy of prayer is shown in Christ’s appeal when He urges us to pray: -”(You) ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Lk 18: 1) - “Watch and pray” (Mt 26:41) - “Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith” (Mt 21:22)

  26. Life of Prayer Degrees of Prayer • Vocal “standing before God in fear” • Meditation “moving toward God in longing” • Contemplation “resting in the arms of God in love”. 2&3 are considered “Mental Prayers” “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” (1 Cor 13:12)

  27. Life of Prayer The Ceaseless Prayer + The Lord Jesus teaches us that "men always ought to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1) + St Paul the Apostle commands the believers saying "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17) + David the great, a king of Israel, very busy with his kingdom, used to say "I have set the Lord always before me" (Psalm 16:8)

  28. Life of Prayer References • Paradise of the Spirit, volume 2, by Bishop Youanis of El-Gharbia Province , Published by St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Chicago, Ill., U.S.A . • Orthodox Prayer Life, The Interior Way, by Abbott Matthew The Poor (Father Matta El-Meskeen), Monastery of St. Macarius the Great, Wadi El-Natroun, Egypt, Published by St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, New York, 2003.

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