St. Theophan on Prayer
Warning: Undefined property: linknotes::$are_links in /var/www/vhosts/basil/kbsite/blog/wp-content/plugins/linknotes.php on line 73
“Every prayer must come from the heart, and any other prayer is no prayer at all. Prayer-book prayers, your own prayers, and very short prayers, all must issue forth from the heart to God, seen before you. And still more must this be so with the Jesus prayer.”
This little gem is from the book, The Art of Prayer, by Hegumen Chariton of Valaam. In it, Abba Chariton has collected various texts in his prayer journal on the prayer of the heart, with extensive emphasis on the spirituality of the Jesus prayer. Since prayer is perhaps my weakest point, surpassed only by my weak and feeble love for God and the Lord Jesus, I have endeavored to read this book and take its advice to heart. It is highly recommended. It includes texts from St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Theophan the Recluse, and Bishop Ignatii Brianchianinov, the desert fathers, and many others.