On Prayer
-St. Basil the Great
Prayer, brothers, should not be placed in words alone, but rather in the disposition of the soul and in good deeds performed unceasingly throughout one’s life. Do not think that God requires verbal petitions from us: He knows, even if we do not ask, all that is beneficial for us. God’s hearing does not need a voice to understand: from a single movement of the heart, He discerns what we seek from Him. Or do you not know that Moses, without uttering a single word, but sighing within himself to the Lord, was heard by God, who said: “What criest thou unto Me?” (Exod. 14:15). On the contrary, those who do nothing good in this life but think they are justified merely by the length of their prayers will hear this voice: “When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear you” (Isa. 1:15). For it is not mere prayerful words that avail, but when they are offered with fervent zeal; for the Pharisee prayed thus within himself, but not to God, since he turned to himself, abiding in the sin of pride. Therefore, the Savior, speaking of prayer, said: “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking” (Matt. 6:7). And Solomon likewise said: “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin” (Prov. 10:19). This is the reason why God’s eyes turn away when hands are spread forth; for these signs of prayer are but a cause of provocation. It is as if someone who killed a beloved son, still stained with the blood of the murder, stretched out those hands to the enraged father, seeking friendly hands from him—would not the blood of the child shown on the murderer’s hands further incite the offended one to wrath? So too are the prayers of the Jews: for when they stretch out their hands, they remind God and the Father of the sin committed against His Only-Begotten Son, and with every extension, they show their hands filled with Christ’s blood. For those who remain in their blindness are heirs of their forefathers’ vile murder; they themselves cry out: “His blood be on us, and on our children” (Matt. 27:25).
Therefore, mortal, always remember God, keep His fear in your heart, and receive all into the fellowship of prayer: for great is the help from those who can appease God. And as prayer greatly aids those still in this flesh, so too it is a sufficient guide for those departing from here to the age to come. Care for the soul is a good work; but despondency, on the contrary, brings despair and distrust in salvation, causing ruin to the soul. Therefore, hope in God’s goodness and await His protection, being certain that when we turn to Him worthily and righteously, He will not utterly reject us but, even as we utter our prayerful words, will say to us: “Behold, I am here.” How can a believer doubt that God is everywhere present, that He is near to all that happens, stands before every deed, and looks upon the intentions of the heart? How much less, then, would one think to do any evil? But people, thinking that God does not observe or care about things, rush toward evil deeds. Consequently, tranquility is the beginning of the soul’s purification, for then neither does the tongue prattle about human affairs, nor do the eyes examine the beauty and form of bodies, nor does the ear weaken the soul’s vigor by hearing songs composed to stir lust or words of mockers and scoffers that typically bring the soul’s strength to weakness. Then the mind, not wandering in external things nor carried away by the senses into the world, returns to itself and, through itself, comes to the contemplation of God. Illuminated and enlightened by such beauty, a person forgets even their own nature, not burdening the soul with care for food or clothing, but being free from earthly concerns, applies all zeal to acquiring eternal blessings.
Do not allow half your life to pass in senseless sleep without profit; rather, divide the night between sleep and prayer, so that even your sleep becomes a meditation on piety; for dreams are often, as it were, echoes of daily occupations. What, then, is more blessed than a person who hastens to prayer at the dawn of the day, offering honor to their Creator with songs and hymns, then, when the sun has risen, turns to their work, with prayer ever-present, like salt adding flavor to their deeds? For the consolations contained in spiritual songs make the soul’s state joyful and carefree. Prayers before meals should be worthy of the gifts God now provides and those He preserves for us in the future. After eating, we should give thanks for the gifts received and ask for the promised blessings. A good prayer is one that instills in the soul a clear understanding of God. And this—God’s presence within us—is to keep in memory the God who lives in us. Thus, we become a temple of God when the constant memory of Him is not interrupted by earthly cares, nor is the mind disturbed by sudden passions, but, withdrawing from all, we love only God and, fleeing to Him, drive out the passions that incite us to intemperance and remain in exercises leading to virtue. Thus, what is morning to others is midnight to those practicing piety, for then the quiet of the night most grants tranquility to the soul, when neither eyes nor ears admit harmful sights or sounds to the heart, but the mind, abiding alone with God, corrects itself by recalling its sins and, setting a limit to avoid evil, seeks God’s aid to accomplish what is desired.
This is also what the story of Moses presents to us, for that event bore in itself an image of the human condition: that those who progress do not always act consistently, but sometimes lead a better life, and at other times, due to weakness, falter and do worse. For it is said: “When Moses lifted up his hands, Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed” (Exod. 17:11). That is, when our active strength fails, then opposing forces prevail against us; but when it is raised and lifted up, then our discernment becomes stronger. For one lifts up who seeks heavenly things, but stretches out who seeks aid in bodily matters. And one standing in God’s temple does not speak evil, vanity, or words of shameful deeds—let this not be! But in His temple, as David’s word says: “In His temple doth every one speak of His glory” (Ps. 29:9). For there Angels stand, recording the words. The Lord Himself is present, observing the thoughts of those who enter. The prayer of each is manifest to God: who seeks heavenly things with sincerity, who seeks hypocritically, who proudly speaks words with the edge of their lips while their heart is far from God, and if they pray, they ask for bodily health, worldly wealth, and human glory. It is not fitting to pray for any of these, as Scripture teaches us; but in His temple, every one speaks of His glory. And, O wonder! “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Ps. 19:1). It is proper for Angels to praise God; the sole task of all the heavenly host is to send up glory to the Creator. Every creature, silent and speaking, heavenly and earthly, glorifies the Creator. But wretched people, leaving their homes and gathering in temples as if to gain some benefit for themselves, do not heed God’s words, do not enter into themselves, are not contrite though weighed down by sins, do not grieve when recalling their transgressions, and do not fear judgment. Instead, smiling and taking one another by the hand, they turn the house of prayer into a house of conversation, not heeding David, who testifies and says that in the Lord’s temple, every one speaks of His glory. But you, O man, not only do not speak of glory but become an obstacle to another, turning them to yourself. God does not need glory; but He desires that you be worthy of His glorification. “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (2 Cor. 9:6).
Always remember that if God grants us blessings, we are bound to offer Him gratitude; and when He withholds, even then we must not complain. If He wills that we have these things, we accept them with joy as good; but if He chooses to withhold them, we bear the loss magnanimously. For without doubt, He orders all our affairs better than we ourselves could foresee. The halcyon is a seabird that commonly builds its nest by the shore and sits on its eggs in the midst of winter, hatching its young when great and strong winds cause the sea to beat against the shore with waves. Yet, all the winds cease, and the sea’s tumults rest for seven days while the halcyon sits on its eggs, for in that time it hatches its young. But since nourishment is greatly needed for them, God, in His great generosity, grants another seven days for their rearing to this small creature. All seafarers know this and call those days the Halcyon Days. Such care has God ordained for irrational creatures, so that you too may ask God for what is necessary for your salvation. What miracle cannot be done for you, created in God’s image, when for such a small bird, the great and fearsome sea is commanded to be calm and tranquil in the midst of winter? If He grants such to a swallow, will He not grant greater things to people who cry out to Him with all their hearts? Therefore, brothers, let us establish ourselves in this: that, as in our other petitions, so too in times of trial, we do not resort to human hope or seek help here, but with tears, sighs, fervent petition, and unceasing vigilance, send our prayers to God. For thus, one who despises all human aid as vain and places all their hope in Him who is able to save us receives help in distress. To Him be glory and worship with His Eternal Father and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.