Demonstration 4: On Prayer

Demonstration on Prayer Purity of heart is prayer, more than all prayers. For one who prays in a loud voice, and is silent while mixing with pure thoughts, is better than one who prays in a loud voice while disturbing the silence. Now, my beloved, give me your heart and your mind, and hear the power of pure prayer, and see how the first righteous fathers were confirmed in it through their prayer before God, and how their pure offering was. For through prayer offerings were accepted, and it also turned back the flood, and it healed barrenness, and it overthrew camps, and it revealed mysteries, and it divided the sea, and it closed the Jordan, and it stopped the sun, and it raised the moon, and it destroyed the idols, and it brought down the mountain, and it stopped the heavens, and it brought up from the pit, and it brought out from the mountain, and it saved from the sea, and its power is much greater, as the power of pure fasting is great. And just as I distinguished and showed you in the previous discourse concerning the order of fasting, so also concerning prayer, it is not fitting for me to be negligent and not show you. For first, through the purity of his heart, Abel's offering was accepted before God, and Cain's was rejected. And how is it known to you that Abel's offering was accepted and Cain's was rejected? And Abel knew that his offering was accepted, and Cain also knew that his own was rejected. Concerning this, as much as I am able, I will persuade you. Know, my beloved, that by this the offering was distinguished, whether it was accepted before God. A living fire came down from heaven and consumed the offering. For when Abel and Cain offered their offerings together, a living fire descended which was serving before God, and it consumed the pure offering of Abel, and it did not approach that of Cain because it was not pure. And from that time Abel knew that his offering was accepted, and Cain also knew that his own was rejected. And the fruits of Cain's heart...

They saw and testified concerning him, that he was full of words while he killed his brother. For what his hands produced was by the error of his thought, and the purity of his heart was the prayer of Abel. And I wish to persuade you, my beloved, concerning this: that all the sacrifices that were accepted, fire was a seal for them. For when the father of the priests offered a sacrifice, a living fire came down and sealed it. And in that flame, the angel who spoke with him ascended to heaven. And also Abraham, when God commanded him concerning the covenant that was to be born to him, said to him: "Take for yourself a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old goat, a turtledove, and a young pigeon." And when Abraham sacrificed them, and divided them, and placed the portions opposite his companion, a stupor and a trance fell upon him. And fire came down and passed between the halves, and consumed Abraham's sacrifice. Also the sacrifices that were offered in the tent of meeting, fire came down and consumed them. Also the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, when they were busying themselves with the service of the sacrifice, fire came down as was its custom in the time of sacrifice, and it did not find their sacrifices pure, and it did not approach them. And when they saw that the sacrifice was not consumed, they brought fire from outside to consume it, so that they would not be rebuked by Moses, because of why the sacrifice was not consumed. And the fire from outside consumed the sacrifice, and it is this that consumed them from heaven. And the Lord was sanctified by them because they busied themselves with its service. Also when the two hundred and fifty men divided against Moses, and offered incense without commandment, that fire was commanded, and it came out from before the Lord, and consumed them, and their incense was sanctified by their souls. Again, when Solomon built the temple, and offered sacrifices and oblations, he prayed, and fire came down from heaven, and consumed the fat of the offerings on the altar. Again, Elijah, when he offered a sacrifice.

...the offering of Cain was accepted like that of Abel, and the worshippers of Baal were rejected like Cain. This whole discourse that I have written to you concerning Cain is to open for you the word that Cain consumed the offering of Abel. Hear now, my beloved, concerning this pure prayer: how many powers were revealed in it. For when Abraham prayed, the captivity of the five kings was overturned, and the barren one again gave birth through his prayer. And again by the power of his prayer he received the kingship, so that through his seed the nations would be blessed. Isaac also showed the power of prayer when he prayed concerning Rebecca, and she gave birth, and concerning Abimelech, and his wrath was stayed from him. And our father Jacob prayed at Bethel and saw the gate of heaven open and the ladder ascending to the height. This is the mystery of the Savior that Jacob saw: the gate of heaven is Christ, as he said, "I am the gate of life," for everyone who enters through me lives forever. David also said that this is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous enter. And the ladder that Jacob saw is the mystery of the Savior, by which the righteous ascend from below to above. And it is also the mystery of the cross of the Savior, which was raised up in the form of a ladder, and the Lord stood above it. For above the Lord Christ is the Lord of all, as the blessed Apostle said, that the head of Christ is God. And Jacob called that place Bethel, and Jacob set up there a pillar of stone as a testimony, and poured oil on its head. And this too our father Jacob did beforehand as a mystery: that stones receive anointing. For the nations that believed in Christ were anointed, as John said concerning them, that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. For the prayer of Jacob beforehand revealed in it the mystery of the calling of the nations. See now, my beloved,

How many hidden mysteries are in the vision that Jacob saw! For he saw the gate of heaven, which is Christ. And he saw the ladder, the mystery of the cross. And he anointed the stones with the pattern of the peoples. And he vowed tithes to give to Levi. For in him were hidden those who give tithes and take first-fruits. And in his loins was the lion cub of Judah, in whom the king Christ was hidden. And in him he showed the messiahship. And the tribes that were in him vowed to the Levites. And the kings that were in his loins troubled his heart. And at the end, the spirit of the prophets was in him, those who, with his seed, were destined to be. With his staff alone he crossed the Jordan. He took the wonderful mystery in his hand. For he saw the cross of the great prophet, and he lifted his feet from the land of the sons of the east, because with him the light dawned for the peoples. And he placed the stone on its mouth, which many were unable to move. For many minds were unable to move it and open the well, until Jacob came, and with the strength of the shepherd that was hidden in his loins, he rolled the stone from the well and watered his flock. And many prophets came, and they were unable to turn aside the baptism, until the great prophet came, and alone he opened it and was baptized in it. And he cried out and said in his sweet voice, "All who are thirsty, come to me and drink." And again Jacob prayed in his return from Laban. And he was delivered from the hands of Esau his brother. And thus he prayed, and confessed and said, "With my staff I crossed this Jordan, and now I have become two camps." Or the wonderful mystery of the Savior. For when the Lord came first, he brought forth a staff from the stump of Jesse, in the likeness of Jacob's staff. And when he returned from his father at his second coming, he went to him in two camps: one with the people, and the other with the peoples, in the likeness of Jacob.

he turned back to Isaac his father with twelve mysteries. For Jacob turned back with eleven of his sons, and the Savior came with eleven of his disciples, because Judah was not with them. After that, Benjamin was born, and Jacob’s sons became twelve. And after that, Matthias was chosen, and the Savior’s disciples became twelve. This is the efficacy of Jacob’s prayer. What then shall I say about the power of Moses’ prayer, which has no limit? For his prayer was his deliverance from the hands of Pharaoh, and it was the revelation of the hidden glory of his God. And by his prayer he brought ten plagues upon Pharaoh. And again, his prayer divided the sea, and sweetened the bitter waters, and brought down manna, and brought up quails, and split the rock, and brought forth water, and conquered Amalek, and prevailed over Sihon, and terrified Og and Sihon in battle, and cast the wicked down to Sheol, and turned away the wrath of his God from his people, and ground the calf of sin, and brought down the tablets from the mountain, and made his face shine. And many are the prayers of Jacob to be recounted. Also Joshua son of Nun, by his prayer prevailed before his God. His prayer divided the Jordan, and again it overthrew the walls of Jericho, and terrified the Canaanites, and stopped the sun, and made the moon stand still, and destroyed the kings, and subdued the land, and gave inheritance to the sons of Israel. Come now to the prayer of Hannah, who prayed, the mother of Samuel, and she was pleasing before God, and opened her barrenness, and passed over her shame, and bore a Nazirite and a priest. And also Samuel prayed before his God, when he came to the sons of Israel, when he made known to them their sins, because they had asked for a king for themselves. And Samuel brought up a sacrifice upon the altar, and rain fell in the days of the wheat harvest. Again, also David prayed before his God, and was delivered from the hands of Saul. Also when he prayed for the people, he turned away from them wrath and anger.

When he prevailed over the destroyers, and again Asa prayed, and his prayer showed great power, when Zerah the Indian went out against him, and thousands of troops were with him. Then Asa prayed and said, "By this your power is known, O God, when a great multitude is delivered by a small people." And God heard his prayer, and sent his angel, and confounded the Assyrians, and the great army was defeated by the power of Asa's prayer. And also Jehoshaphat his son, the power of the enemies was destroyed by his prayer, and the Assyrians were smitten. And also Hezekiah prayed, and one hundred and eighty-five thousand were laid low by his prayer, through the angel who was the leader of the army. And again Jonah prayed before his God from the depths of the sea, and he was heard and answered, and was delivered without harm. For by his prayer the deeps were stirred, and the waves were conquered, and the obstacles were removed, and the clouds were stirred, and he flew through the air, and opened the heavens, and approached before the throne of majesty, through Gabriel, the presenter of prayers before God. And the deeps were terrified of the man of prayer, and the fish cast Jonah out onto dry land. Again, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, their prayer conquered the flame, and the power of the fire was subdued, and the burning furnace was changed, and the king's wrath was quelled, and the righteous men were saved. And again Daniel prayed, and his prayer shut the mouths of the lions, and the devouring mouth was stopped from the flesh and bones of the righteous man. And the lions stretched out their paws, and received Daniel so that he did not fall to the ground; they embraced him with their arms, and his feet were pressed together. And when Daniel stood in the den of lions, they stretched out their hands to heaven, and they also were in the likeness of Daniel, and the receiver of prayers descended to them, and shut the mouths of the lions. For Daniel said to Darius, "My God sent his angel and shut the mouths of the lions, and they did not harm me." For the den was covered and sealed, and light shone within it.

The lions were glad, because Daniel was victorious. They saw a great light, for when Daniel was with them and wanted to sleep, the lions bowed their heads over him and slept, and did not fall to the ground. For the pit was deeper than the height of their many cubits, and his prayer there increased more than in the upper chamber. Three times only he prayed in it, and Daniel came up victorious, and his accusers fell before him, and the mouths of the lions were opened, and they ate them, and their bones crunched. And his prayer again turned captivity, for the seventy years from Babylon, and each one of the righteous fathers, in the time of the distress that was upon them, took up the armor of prayer over them, and by it they were delivered from distress. Again the Savior taught prayer and said, "You who pray in secret to the secret one, he who sees all sees." For he said, "Enter the room and pray to your Father in secret, and the Father of secrets sees your reward." And why, my beloved, did the Savior teach and say, "Pray to your Father in secret, when the door is shut"? Concerning this, as much as my understanding reaches, I will show you. For he said, "Pray to your Father in secret when the door is shut." This is how it is, and it shows the word of the Lord, that you should pray in secret in your heart and shut the door. And what is the door that he said to shut? It is your mouth, which is the temple in which Christ dwells, as the Apostle said, "Your bodies are the temple of the Lord," that the outer man should not enter into this house and defile it with anything unclean, when the door which is your mouth is shut. And if it were not so, how would this command be heard by you? For if it happens that you are in the desert, and there is no house and door, would you not pray in secret? And if it again happens that you are on the top of a mountain, would you not pray?

as was a pit for the lions. And this shows that the Saviour knows the will of the heart and the thought, as the Lord wrote: "Your father knows before you ask him what is necessary for you." And in Isaiah the prophet it is written: "Before you call, I will answer; before you speak, I will act." Again Isaiah says concerning the wicked: "Even if you multiply prayer, I will not answer." Again he says: "Call with a loud voice, and I will not answer." This he says concerning the prayer of the bride, which is not accepted. For all these words I have heard in a distinct sense, and their force I will explain. The Saviour says another word, and it is understood in a distinct sense. For he says: "Where there are two or three gathered in my name, there I am in their midst." How is this word to be understood by you, O my beloved? For behold, the Saviour says: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst." But if he who is alone does not have Christ with him, and behold, it is written concerning those who believe in Christ, that Christ dwells in them, and by this he shows that until they become two or three, then Christ is with them. But I will show you that there is a place where, instead of two or three, more than a thousand are gathered in the name of Christ, and Christ is not with them. And there is a person who is alone, and Christ is with him. And this word that the Saviour speaks is fitting and beautiful for his hearers. For he says: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst." When a person crucifies himself in the name of Christ, Christ dwells in him, and God dwells in Christ. Therefore, that person becomes one of the three: his own person, and Christ who dwells in him, and God who is in Christ, as the Lord said: "I am in my Father and my Father is in me," and he said: "I and my Father are one." And again he said: "You are in me, I am in you.

and this is in you. Again he says in the prophet: "I dwell in them and walk in them." With this thought you are able to understand this word which the Life-giver spoke. And now, my dear brother, I will show you one by one from the righteous fathers who prayed: God was with them when they were alone. For when Moses prayed on the mountain, he was alone, and God was with him. And it was not because he was alone that he was not heard, but rather Moses' prayer was heard all the more, and the wrath of his God was appeased. Also Elijah on Mount Carmel was alone, and his prayer showed wondrous powers. For by his prayer the heavens were shut, and again by his prayer their bonds were loosed. And his prayer snatched from the hands of death and delivered from Sheol. And his prayer again uprooted impurity from Israel. And his prayer brought down fire three times: once upon the altar, and twice upon the great ones, and it made for him a resurrection. When he brought down fire by his prayer, he knelt and prayed, and he was answered quickly. But the four hundred and fifty who cried out with a loud voice were not heard, because they called in the name of Baal. And Elijah, when he was alone, was heard all the more. Also Jonah the prophet, when he prayed from the depths of Sheol, was heard; when he was alone in the fish, he was heard and answered quickly. And also Elisha prayed and turned back from Sheol, and was delivered from the hands of the evil ones who surrounded him. And when he was alone in the vision, yet great power was arrayed for him. For he said to his disciple: "Many are the eyes that are with you, from those who are with them." And when they were alone, they were not alone. For in this matter which I have set before you, you are able to understand the word of the Lord, who said: "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst." As I have set before you above, for at the time when you pray, give your heart upward.

your eyes downward, and enter into your inner heart, and pray in secret to your Father in heaven. And behold, all that I have written to you concerning the order of prayer: that when it is pure it is heard, and when it is not pure it is not heard, because there are men who multiply prayers, and lengthen prostrations, and bow their persons, and spread out their hands, and the doers of prayer are far from them. For they pray the prayer of the Life-giver who taught, "Forgive me my debts, that he also may forgive his debtors," or when he prays, remember that before God you offer an offering. Do not be ashamed to offer prayers in an offering that has a blemish. You, when you pray, you are asking that you be forgiven, and you confess that you forgive. Consider first in your thought: Are you one who forgives? And then confess that you forgive. Do not lie to God and say that you forgive when you do not forgive. For God is not a man like you, that you may lie to him. For a man sins against a man, he asks of the Lord; and when a man is foolish toward God, he asks of whom? Do not condemn yourself by your prayer. Hear again what the Lord says: When you approach an offering, and you remember that you hold a grudge against your brother, leave your offering before the altar, and go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your offering. So that when you pray, you do not remember that you hold a grudge. Thus consider in your thought: that your prayer is left before the altar, and it does not wish to offer prayers that it may be taken up from the earth, because your offering is performed with a blemish. If it is pure, offer it before God. And as for that which is possible in your prayer, "Forgive me and I forgive," thus it is said to the one who prays: When you offer prayers, first forgive your debtor, and then offer your own to the Lord of your debt. Forgive a hundred denarii according to your poverty.

your debtor will forgive you his debt as great as it is, and will not reckon with you the interest and the increase. And if you wish, you may forgive him; then he will take your offering and bring it up with him, offering prayers. But if he does not forgive you, I say to you thus: that a polluted offering is not brought before the holy altar. Rather, you have come to defilement, to add a thought to your debtor, and you bring your dead offering with you. Leave your offering and go. Now hear what the prophet says: "Cursed is he who, when he has a good ram in his flock, vows and sacrifices to his Lord a blemished one." For he says, "Approach your ruler, lest he be angry with you, or strike you in the face." Therefore, you also must not leave your guilty one before your prayer, and then pray. And when you pray, your prayer ascends before God above, and does not remain on earth. For the prophet says, "This is my rest: I rest the weary." So make the rest of God, O son of man, and do not have the excuse, "Leave me, I am resting the weary," and attending to the sick, and spreading out the coverings. And this is prayer. And I will convince you, my beloved, concerning this: that at every time, the rest of God is itself prayer. For it is written thus: that when Zimri was committing fornication in Midian, Phinehas son of Eleazar saw him, and entered the chamber, and killed them both. And their killing was accounted to him as prayer. For thus David says of him: "Phinehas stood and prayed, and it was accounted to him as a victory for generations and for ever." And the killings he killed for the sake of his God were accounted to him as prayer. And see, my beloved, lest the occasion of the rest of God be profaned for you, and you say that the time of prayer has come: pray first, and then attend to your work. And while you are seeking to complete your prayer, the occasion of rest will escape from you.

and you will be helped by the will and the grace of God. And by your prayer you will atone for sins. But do the grace of God, and that is prayer. Hear now the word that the Apostle said: that if the flesh were not sinful, it would not be judged. See for yourself now something that I say to you. If it happens that you go on a long journey, and thirst happens to you in the heat, and you meet with one of the brothers, and you say to him, "I am thirsty," and he withholds his flask from the thirsty one, and he says to you, "It is the hour of prayer; pray, and then I will come to you." And while he is praying and coming to you, you die of thirst. Which seems better to you: that he go and pray, or that he give you his flask? And if again you go on a journey in the time of winter, and rain and snow come upon you, and your companion is with you in the flask, and again at the hour of prayer you meet your friend, and like this word he answers you, and you and your companion die, what is the benefit of his prayer, that he did not give to drink? For the Lord, when he showed the sign of the time of judgment, when he separated and set apart those on his right and those on his left, thus he said to those on his right: "You were hungry and you gave me to eat, and I was thirsty and you gave me drink, and I was sick and you tended me, and I was a stranger and you sheltered me." And like these he said to those on his left, and because they did not do these things, he sent them to the abyss. And the sons of the right he sent to the kingdom. Prayer is fitting and its deeds are good, and prayer is accepted when grace is in it, and prayer is heard when forgiveness is found in it, and prayer is beloved when it is pure from all blemishes, and prayer is powerful when the power of God is fulfilled in it. And this that I have written to you, my beloved, that a man should do the will of God, and that is prayer. For thus it seems to me that it is good, and not because I have said it to you should you cease from prayer.

but you especially were eager for prayer. And do not be weary, as it is written that the Lord said: "You were praying and were not weary." And with wakefulness you were eager, and remove from yourself drowsiness and heaviness, and you were vigilant by day and by night, and you were not interrupted. And now I will show you, my brother, the kinds of prayer. For there is petition, thanksgiving, and praise. Petition is when a person asks for mercy on his sins; thanksgiving is when you give thanks to your Father in heaven; and praise is when you praise him for his works. When you have distress, offer petition; and when you are being benefited by his blessings, you give thanks to the Giver; and when your mind is joyful, offer praise. And all your prayers you should pray with discernment before God. And see that even David at all times spoke thus: "I arose to confess to you for your righteous judgments." Also in another psalm he said: "Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights." Again he said: "I will bless the Lord at all times, and his praises are in my mouth." And he did not pray in one manner only, but with discernment. And now, my beloved, this seems true to me: that everything which they asked for through prayers in idleness, God gave to them; but when they offered it in righteousness, he did not accept it, as it is written. Therefore, it is necessary for those who pray to offer a prayer that turns their offering into a good one, so that no defect be found in it, and then they offer it, so that your offering does not remain on the ground. And what is that offering but prayer? As I wrote to you above. For David said: "They sacrificed to the Lord thanksgiving," and "He completed for the Most High your help." For among all offerings, pure prayer is good. Therefore, my beloved, be eager for prayer that speaks on your behalf with God, as it is written in the prophet Isaiah.

When he made known the sins of the children of Israel, and called them the princes of Sodom, because of the great and haughty ones, and they exchanged their honor for shame. For above he said through Isaiah: "The great and haughty ones," and below he said: "The princes of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah." And when they did not listen to the voice of the prophet who said concerning them: "Their land is laid waste, and their cities are burned with fire," and he called them the princes of Sodom and the people of Gomorrah. Then they brought their offerings to be hidden from them, and their offerings were not accepted because their iniquity was great, as in the house of Eli. For it is written in the Scripture that the iniquity of the house of Eli was not hidden by sacrifices and offerings. And also to the children of Israel a similar word went forth. For Isaiah said to them: "Why are you bringing me the multitude of your sacrifices?" The Lord said: "I am sated with the fat of rams and the fat of fatted calves, and the blood of bulls and of goats I do not desire. What then do you seek from my hands?" And they said to him: "And why, when we seek, are our offerings not accepted?" The prophet said to them: "Because your hands are full of blood." They said to him: "What remedy is there for us?" He said to them: "Wash and be cleansed, and remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes. Cease from evil and learn to do good. Pursue justice and do good to the oppressed. Support orphans and support widows." They said to the prophet: "And when we do these things, what will be for us?" He said to them: "Thus says the Lord: 'When you have done these things, then come and speak with one another.'" And how can they speak with God except through prayer, when there is no blemish in it? And a hand that has a blemish does not speak with God, as it is written in the word: "Even if you multiply prayer, the Lord does not hear, because your hands are full of blood.

And he said to them: When you have washed and spoken together, if your sins are like scarlet, like snow, or if they are red like a worm, like crimson, or if you are sprinkled and hear my good news, you will eat of the land; and if you are not sprinkled and you delay, you will be destroyed by the sword, you will be eaten. The mouth of the Lord spoke. Or the glorious mysteries that Isaiah saw beforehand. For he said to them: Your hands are full of blood. Where is that blood that Isaiah saw beforehand? It is the blood of the Messiah, which they took upon themselves and upon their houses, and the blood of the prophets whom they killed. That blood became red for them like scarlet and like a worm, and it stained them, and it is not cleansed, except they wash in the waters of baptism and receive the body and blood of the Messiah. Blood is atoned by blood, and body is cleansed by body, and sins are washed away by water, and prayer speaks with the congregation. And see, my beloved, that sacrifices and offerings have ceased, and in their place prayer has been chosen. Therefore, love pure prayer, and be diligent in petition, and at the head of all your prayers, pray the prayer of your Lord, and be zealous in everything that I have written for you, and whenever you pray, remember your beloved. Completed: The Demonstration on Prayer.