The Prayer Rope & Prayer of the Heart Turning back to the discussion on the use of a prayer rope, we will begin by considering private, or interior, prayer—the Prayer of the Heart. The Scriptural motivation for such prayer is perhaps best typified by the injunctions of the Apostle Paul:Be persevering in prayer… (Colossians 4:2)…be praying unceasingly. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)This is not unlike what King David had to say:I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. (Ps 33:1)Achieving such a goal—continuous prayer—is what the practice of hesychasm (“stillness”) is intended to help one to achieve (see, for example, the Philokalia, the Ladder of Divine Ascent, the collected works of St. Symeon the New Theologian, and the works of St. Isaac the Syrian). However, one big problem that affects everyone—except perhaps for the most spiritually advanced—is the distraction that comes at us from all sides, physical and spiritual. In the words of several Church Fathers:
Posted on: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 19:41:36 +0000
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