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or to be weak; 31.1332 but ask, as you were commanded, for the kingdom of God. For concerning the need of your body, as I said before, He Himself will take care of it. For our king is most worthy of honor, and is indignant, if anyone asks Him for something small, if one of us asks Him for things that are in no way fitting for Him. Therefore do not bring indignation upon yourself in your prayer, but ask for yourself things worthy of God the King. And when asking for things worthy of God, do not desist until you receive. For alluding to this the Lord says in the Gospel: Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight, and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he from within shall answer, ‘Do not trouble me; for the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed, I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I say to you, though he will not rise and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. The Lord gives us an example, so that he might teach us to be vigorous and persistent in faith. For He takes an example from man to man, so that you might learn never to give up; so that, when you ask, and do not receive, you might not desist until you receive, provided, as I said before, that you ask for what God wills; and do not say, "I am a sinner, and I am not heard." For so that you may not despair, for this reason he says: Though he will not give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will give him as many as he needs. Therefore, even if a month should pass, or a year, or a three-year or four-year period, or more years, until you receive, do not depart, but ask with faith, always doing what is good. For often one of us in youth laid claim to self-control, then pleasure crept in, the natural desires were stirred up, prayer grew weak, wine was inflicted upon youth, self-control was lost, and the man became completely different from what he was. Thus the changes happen, because of not resisting the passions with a noble mind. Therefore one must contribute everything from oneself, and cry out to God, that He may fight alongside him. For if anyone gives himself over to desires with laxity, 31.1333 and betrays himself to the enemies, God does not fight alongside such a one, nor does He listen; for by his sin he has already alienated himself from God. For he who wishes to be helped by God does not betray what is fitting; and he who does not betray what is fitting is never betrayed by the divine alliance. Therefore it is necessary to be condemned in nothing by one's own conscience, and thus to call upon the divine alliance; and to call upon it not lazily, not with the mind wandering here and there; for such a person will not only not receive his request, but will also greatly provoke the Master. For if, when someone is standing and speaking before a ruler, he stands with great fear, keeping his outward eye and his inward soul's eye from wandering, lest he be in danger; how much more ought one to stand before God with fear and trembling, having the whole mind stretched toward Him alone, and nowhere else? Because He not only sees the outward man, as men do, but also beholds the inward one. If, therefore, you stand thus, as you ought, before God, and contribute everything from yourself, do not desist, until you receive your request; but if you are condemned by your conscience as being contemptuous, and if you stand at prayer with a wandering mind when you are able to stand without wandering, do not dare to stand before God, lest your prayer become a sin. But if, having been weakened by sin, you are not able to pray without distraction, compel yourself as much as you are able, and persevere in standing before God, having your mind towards Him, and gathering it to yourself, and God grants forgiveness, because it is not from contempt, but from weakness that you are not able, as you ought, to stand before God. If you thus compel yourself to every good work, do not desist, until you receive the

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εἴτε ἀσθε 31.1332 νεῖν· ἀλλ' αἴτει, καθὼς προσετάχθης, τὴν βασι λείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Περὶ γὰρ τῆς χρείας τοῦ σώμα τός σου, καθὼς προέφην, αὐτὸς φροντίσει. Ἀξιωμα τικώτατος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀγα νακτεῖ, ἐάν τις αὐτὸν μικρόν τι αἰτήσῃ, ἐάν τις ἡμῶν περὶ τῶν οὐδὲν προσηκόντων αὐτὸν αἰτῇ. Μὴ τοίνυν ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου ἀγανάκτησιν σεαυτῷ προσαγάγῃς, ἀλλ' αἴτησον σεαυτῷ ἄξια τοῦ βασιλέως Θεοῦ. Αἰτῶν δὲ τὰ ἄξια τοῦ Θεοῦ, μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἕως ὅτου λάβῃς. Τοῦτο γὰρ αἰνιττόμενος ὁ Κύριός φησιν ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ· Τίς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἕξει φίλον, καὶ πο ρεύσεται πρὸς αὐτὸν μεσονυκτίῳ, καὶ ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ· Φίλε, χρῆσόν μοι τρεῖς ἄρτους, ἐπειδὴ φίλος μοι παρεγένετο ἐξ ὁδοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔχω ὃ παραθήσω αὐτῷ· κἀκεῖνος ἔσωθεν ἀποκριθῇ· Μή μοι κό πους πάρεχε· ἤδη γὰρ ἡ θύρα κέκλεισται, καὶ τὰ παιδία μου μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐν τῇ κοίτῃ εἰσὶν, οὐ δύναμαι ἀναστὰς δοῦναί σοι. Λέγω ὑμῖν, εἰ καὶ οὐ δώσει αὐτῷ, ἀναστὰς διὰ τὸ φίλον αὐτοῦ εἶναι, ἀλλά γε διὰ τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ ἀναστὰς δώσει αὐτῷ ὅσων χρῄζει. Ὑπόδειγμα ἡμῖν δίδωσιν ὁ Κύριος, ἵνα διδάξῃ ἡμᾶς εὐτόνους εἶναι καὶ φιλονείκους ἐν πίστει. Ὑπό δειγμα γὰρ λαμβάνει ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου πρὸς ἄνθρωπον, ἵνα μάθῃς μὴ ἀπαγορεύειν ποτέ· ἵνα, ὅταν αἰτήσῃς, καὶ μὴ λάβῃς, μὴ ἀποστῇς ἕως ὅτου λάβῃς, πλὴν, καθὼς προεῖπον, ἐὰν αἰτῇς ἅπερ ὁ Θεὸς θέλει· καὶ μὴ εἴπῃς, ὅτι Ἁμαρτωλός εἰμι, καὶ οὐκ ἀκούομαι. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀπογινώσκῃς, διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Εἰ καὶ μὴ διὰ τὸ φίλον αὐτοῦ εἶναι δώσει αὐτῷ, ἀλλά γε διὰ τὴν ἀναίδειαν αὐτοῦ δώσει αὐτῷ ὅσων χρῄζει. Λοιπὸν κἂν μὴν παρέλθοι, κἂν ἐνιαυτὸς, κἂν τριετὴς, κἂν τετραετὴς χρόνος, κἂν πλείονα ἔτη, ἕως ὅτου λάβῃς, μὴ ἀναχωρήσῃς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πίστεως αἴ τει, διαπαντὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐργαζόμενος. Πολλάκις γάρ τις ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐν νεότητι ἀντεποιήθη σωφροσύνης, εἶτα ὑπεισῆλθεν ἡ ἡδονὴ, ἐκινήθησαν αἱ κατὰ φύσιν ἐπιθυμίαι, ἠσθένησεν ἡ προσευχὴ, ἐπεβλήθη τῇ νεό τητι οἶνος, ἀπώλετο ἡ σωφροσύνη, καὶ γέγονεν ὁ ἄν θρωπος ἄλλος ἀντ' ἄλλου. Οὕτως αἱ μεταβολαὶ γίνον ται, διὰ τὸ μὴ γενναίῳ λογισμῷ ἀνθίστασθαι τοῖς πάθεσι. ∆εῖ οὖν τὰ μὲν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ εἰσφέρειν πάντα, βοᾷν δὲ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ἵνα συμμαχήσῃ αὐτῷ. Ἐὰν γάρ τις χαυνότητι ἐκδώσει ἑαυτὸν ταῖς ἐπιθυ 31.1333 μίαις, καὶ ἑαυτὸν προδώσει τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, τούτῳ ὁ Θεὸς οὐ συμμαχεῖ, οὐδὲ εἰσακούει· προλαβὼν γὰρ διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἠλλοτρίωσεν ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ θέλων βοηθεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ πρέπον οὐ προδίδωσιν· ὁ δὲ τὸ πρέπον μὴ προδιδοὺς οὐ προδίδοταί ποτε ὑπὸ τῆς θείας συμμαχίας. Χρὴ τοί νυν ἐν μηδενὶ καταγινώσκεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου συνειδό τος, καὶ οὕτως τὴν θείαν συμμαχίαν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι· ἐπικαλεῖσθαι δὲ μὴ ῥᾳθύμως, μὴ μετεωριζομένῳ τῷ νῷ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε· ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος οὐ μόνον οὐ λήψε ται τὸ αἴτημα, ἀλλὰ καὶ μειζόνως παροξυνεῖ τὸν ∆εσπότην. Εἰ γὰρ, ἐπὶ ἄρχοντός τις ἑστὼς καὶ διαλε γόμενος, μετὰ πολλοῦ φόβου ἵσταται, ἀμετεώριστον ἔχων καὶ τὸ ἔξωθεν ὄμμα καὶ τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔνδοθεν, μήποτε κινδυνεύσῃ· πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ Θεοῦ χρὴ ἑστάναι μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου, ὅλον τὸν νοῦν τετα μένον ἔχοντα πρὸς αὐτὸν μόνον, καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ μηδα μοῦ; ∆ιότι αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον τὸν ἔξωθεν ἄνθρωπον βλέ πει, καθὼς οἱ ἄνθρωποι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἔνδοθεν καθορᾷ. Ἐὰν τοίνυν οὕτως, ὡς χρὴ, στήκῃς ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὰ παρὰ σεαυτοῦ πάντα εἰσφέρῃς, μὴ ἀπο στῇς, ἕως ὅτου λάβῃς τὸ αἴτημά σου· ἐὰν δὲ καταγι νώσκῃ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος σου ὡς καταφρονῶν, καὶ ἐὰν μετεώρως στήκῃς εἰς εὐχὴν, δυνάμενος ἀμετεω ρίστως στῆναι, μὴ τολμήσῃς στῆναι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα μὴ γένηται ἡ προσευχή σου εἰς ἁμαρτίαν. Εἰ δὲ, ἐξασθενήσας ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀπερισπάστως οὐ δύνασαι εὔχεσθαι, ὅσον δύνασαι σεαυτὸν βιάζου, καὶ προσκαρτέρει στήκων ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸν νοῦν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχων, καὶ ἐπισυνάγων αὐτὸν πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς συγγνώμην ποιεῖ, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπὸ κα ταφρονήσεως, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας οὐκ ἰσχύεις, ὡς χρὴ, στήκειν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐὰν οὕτω βιάζῃ ἑαυτὸν εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν, μὴ ἀποστῇς, ἕως ὅτου λάβῃς τὸ