Well Chosen Words

St. Theophan the Recluse

".....because of our weakness, it is proper to have a prayer rule. For one thing, it controls excessive zeal. The great men of prayer had a prayer rule and kept to it. Every time, they began prayer with the established prayers, and then, if self-initiated prayer came, they turned to it from reciting prayers. If they needed a prayer rule, then we need one even more! Without formal prayers, we would not know how to pray correctly at all. Without them, we would be completely without prayer."

- St. Theophan the Recluse, "The Spiritual Life."

I've been thinking a lot about the discipline of prayer rules. Since discovering Orthodoxy I've been trying to find the right balance in my prayer life. Being an obsessive-compulsive person, I tend to "try too hard" to achieve my way into the spiritual life. I was struck by the reference to "excessive zeal," in the passage above from St. Theophan the Recluse, one of my favorite Orthodox saints.

In many prayer books there are a variety of morning and evening prayers to choose from, but, if we are tempted by "excessive zeal" we will try to pray through them all as if by many words we might gain "special favor" from the Lord.

Jesus taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer, the ultimate prayer in a few well-chosen words.

Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass
against us;
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.

(MATT. 6:9-13)

During the Divine Liturgy today, Fr. Steven gave a homily on the Lord's Prayer. He spoke about the intent of our heart as we pray this prayer.

Do I really want God's kingdom to come to earth?

Do I really want God's will to prevail over mine?

Do I really want what God provides or would I rather have whatever I want when I want it?

Am I really willing to forgive those who've wronged me?

Do I really accept God's forgiveness, or would I rather nurse the guilt?

The true purpose of a rule of prayer, like any spiritual discipline, is to conform me to the image of Christ. If I pray a few well chosen words or an entire litany of prayers without uniting my mind and heart with their meaning- I am merely mumbling meaningless words.

I used to think that prayer was all about changing God - but now I know that it's all about changing me.