Quotes from The Art of Prayer

I posted a few quotes from the introduction HERE.

"Training, then, must also be twofold, outer and inner: outer in reading books, inner in thoughts of God; outer in love of wisdom, inner in love of God; outer in words, inner in prayer; outer in keenness of intellect, inner in warmth of spirit."
~St. Dimitri of Rostov, p. 44

"[Inner prayer is performed] not only standing or walking, but also lying down, in a word, always--whenever you happen to raise your mind to God."
~St. Dimitri of Rostov, p. 45

"The heart is a small vessel, but all things are contained in it; God is there, the angels are there, and there also is life and the Kingdom, the heavenly cities and the treasures of grace."
~St. Makarios of Egypt, p. 46

"No unity with God is possible except by an exceedingly great love."
~St. Dimitri of Rostov, p. 47

"Because all have grace, only one thing is necessary: to give this grace free scope to act....the more our heart is purified the more lively becomes our feeling towards God."
~St. Theophan the Recluse, p. 59

"You must never regard any spiritual work as firmly established, and this is especially true of prayer; but always pray as if beginning for the first time. When we do a thing for the first time, we come to it fresh and with a new-born enthusiasm."
~St. Theophan the Recluse, p. 74

"But constant repetition is not required. what is required is a constant aliveness to God--an aliveness present when you talk, read, watch, or examine something."
~St. Theophan the Recluse, p. 83


It is important to remember that these authors are writing for other Orthodox Christians. They are assuming that their readers will attend church, confess and receive Communion regularly. St. Theophan says specifically not to regard the development of inner prayer as a substitute for the life in the Church or the Sacraments.