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Often God postpones the request, not wishing to neglect us, but by the delay of the giving wisely contriving for us constant attendance. For thus also do loving fathers, often by the promise of a gift and a very great present, keep by their side their idle children who are running to childish games.

For when we ask of men, we need expenditure of money and servile flattery, and there is need of much going about and 15Ε_144 business. For it is not often possible to give the favor directly to the masters themselves and to speak with them, but it is necessary first to attend to their servants and stewards and managers, with both money and words and in every way, and then through them to receive the request. But with God it is not so. For He does not need mediators for those who ask; nor, being beseeched by others, does He grant the favor as when we ourselves ask.

Sweet-sounding is that voice, and ascending to the divine hearing; not the cry made with a certain straining; but the thought that is kindled from a pure conscience.

Greg. Nyss. He who at the time of prayer is disposed not toward what is profitable for the soul, but toward the passionate movements of the mind, expecting God to be similarly disposed, is truly a certain trifler, and a babbler and a fool and a chatterer, and whatever else is of such a meaning.

Of Eusebius. It is necessary to pray first for the common salvation, then so for themselves.

Of Nilus. Just as the sparrows by the movement of their wings become airborne, so also the God-fearing man through prayers transports himself from earthly things to heavenly things.

If you ask badly and unprofitably, just as (812) a man with a fever asks to be given wine, God, foreseeing the future, does not do your will, nor grant the irrational request.

Do not seek wealth in prayer, nor health, or defense from enemies; nor human glory; but only those things which contribute to the salvation of the soul.

Just as breathing is never untimely, so neither is asking mystical requests from the Lord until the last breath.

When you beseech God for some good thing, and He does not 15Ε_146 immediately hear you, do not be neglectful, nor be fainthearted; for often the request is not profitable for you at the present time.

Aristot. He who prays must be prudent; lest he unawares pray for something evil for himself.

Alexandr. King Alexander, since Antipater wrote to him many things against his mother, said, Do you not know, Antipater, that one tear of a mother erases the letters of many slanders?

Epicur. If God were to heed the prayers of men, all men would quickly perish, continuously praying for many and harsh things against one another.

Isocrat. Men then become better, when they approach God; and they have this in common with God, to do good and to speak truth.

Bias. This man once, sailing with impious men, when the ship was tossed by a storm, and they were calling upon the gods, said, Be silent, lest they perceive that we are sailing here.

Those asking from the gods for a good mind, and not educating themselves, he said were senseless. For neither would a painter praying to the gods to give him line and good color receive it, if he did not learn the art; nor a musician

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Πολλάκις ὁ Θεός ἀναβάλλεται τήν αἴτησιν, οὐ βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς παρελκῦσαι, ἀλλά τῇ μελλήσει τῆς δόσεως τήν διηνεκῆ προσεδρείαν ἡμῖν σοφιζόμενος. Οὕτω γάρ καί φιλόστοργοι πατέρες ποιοῦσι, τά ῥάθυμα τῶν παίδων, καί πρός τά παιδικά παίγνια τρέχοντα, πολλάκις ὑποσχέσει δόσεως καί δώρου μεγίστου κατέχουσι παρ' ἑαυτοῖς.

Ἀνθρώπων μέν γάρ δεόμενοι, καί δαπάνης χρημάτων δεόμεθα καί κολακείας δουλοπρεποῦς, καί πολλῆς περιόδου καί 15Ε_144 πραγματείας χρεία. Οὐ γάρ ἐξ εὐθείας αὐτοῖς τοῖς κυρίοις δοῦναι τήν χάριν ἔνι καί διαλεχθῆναι πολλάκις, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνάγκη πρότερον διακόνους καί οἰκονόμους αὐτῶν καί ἐπιτρόπους, καί χρήμασι καί ῥήμασι καί παντί θεραπεῦσαι τρόπῳ, καί τότε δι᾿ ἐκείνων τήν αἴτησιν λαβεῖν. Ἐπί δέ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν οὕτως. Οὐ γάρ δεῖται μεσιτῶν ἐπί τῶν ἀξιούντων· οὐδ᾿οὕτως δι᾿ ἑτέρων παρακαλούμενος, ὡς δι' ἡμῶν αὐτῶν δεομένων ἐπινεύει τῇ χάριτι.

Εὔηχός ἐστιν ἐκείνη ἡ φωνή, καί μέχρι τῆς θείας ἀναβαίνουσα ἀκοῆς· οὐχ ἡ μετά τινος διατάσεως γινομένη κραυγή· ἀλλ᾿ ἡ ἀπό καθαρᾶς συνειδήσεως ἀναπτομένη ἐνθύμησις.

Γρηγ. Νύσσης. Ὁ ἐν καιρῷ προσευχῆς ή πρός τά λυσιτελοῦντα τῇ ψυχῇ τεταμένος, ἀλλά πρός τάς ἐμπαθεῖς τῆς διανοίας κινήσεις, συνδιατίθεσθαι τόν Θεόν ἀξιῶν, λῆρός τίς ἐστιν, ὡς ἀληθῶς, καί βαττολόγος καί φλήναφος καί φλύαρος, καί εἴ τι ἄλλο τῆς τοιαύτης σημασίας ἐστίν.

Εὐσεβίου. Ὑπέρ τῆς κοινῆς χρή εὔχεσθαι πρότερον σωτηρίας, εἶθ᾿ οὕτως ὑπέρ αὐτῶν.

Νείλου. Ὥσπερ τά στρουθία διά τῆς τῶν πτερῶν κινήσεως μετάρσια γίνεται, οὕτω καί ὁ θεοσεβής ἄνθρωπος ἀπό τῶν ἐπιγείων πρός τά οὐράνια διά προσευχῶν μετατίθησιν ἑαυτόν.

Ἐάν κακῶς καί ἀσυμφόρως αἰτεῖς, καθάπερ (812) ὁ πυρέττων ἄνθρωπος παρακαλεῖ παρασχεῖν αὐτῷ οἶνον, προβλέπων ὁ Θεός τά μέλλοντα οὐ ποιεῖ τό θέλημά σου, οὐδέ παρέχειν τήν ἀλόγιστον δέησιν.

Μή πλοῦτον ἐν δεήσει ζητήσῃς, μή ὑγείαν, ἤ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἄμυναν· μή δόξα ἀνθρωπινην· ἀλλά μόνον τά συντελοῦντα πρός σωτηρίαν ψυχῆς.

Ὥσπερ τό ἀναπνεῖν οὐδέποτε ἄκαιρον, οὕτως οὔτε τό αἰτεῖσθαι παρά Κυρίου αἰτήματα μυστικά μέχρις ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς.

Ὅταν περί τινος ἀγαθοῦ παρακαλέσῃς τόν Θεόν, καί μή 15Ε_146 εἰσακούσῃ σου παραυτίκα, μή ὀλιγωρήσῃς, μηδέ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς· πολλάκις γάρ πρός τό παρόν οὐ συμφέρει σοι τό αἴτημα.

Ἀριστοτ. Τόν εὐχόμενον δεῖ φρόνιμον εἶναι· μή λάθῃ τι κακόν εὐξάμενος ἑαυτῷ.

Ἀλέξανδρ. Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ βασιλεύς, ἐπεί Ἀντίπατρος αὐτῷ πολλά κατά τῆς μητρός ἔγραφεν, Ἀγνοεῖς, ἔφη, Ἀντίπατρε, ὅτι μητρός ἕν δάκρυον, πολλῶν διαβολῶν ἐπιστολάς ἀπαλείφει;

Ἐπικούρ. Εἰ ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων εὐχαῖς ὁ Θεός κατηκολούθει, θᾶττον ἄν ἀπόλοιντο πάντες ἄνθρωποι, συνεχῶς πολλά καί χαλεπά κατ᾿ ἀλλήλων εὐχόμενοι.

Ἰσοκράτ. Οἱ ἄνθρωποι τότε γίνονται βελτίους, ὅταν Θεῷ προσέρχονται· ὅμοιον δέ ἔχουσι Θεῷ, τό εὐεργετεῖν καί ἀληθεύειν.

Βίας. Οὗτος συμπλέων ποτέ ἐσεβέσι, χειμαζομένης τῆς νεώς, κἀκείνων Θεούς ἐπικαλουμένων, Σιγᾶτε, ἔφη, μή αἴσθωνται ἡμᾶς ἐνθάδε πλέοντας.

Τούς αἰτουμένους παρά τῶν Θεῶν φρένας ἀγαθάς, καί μή ἑαυτούς παιδεύοντας, ἀναισθήτους ἔφασκεν εἶναι. Οὔτε γάρ ζωγράφον εὐχόμενον τοῖς θεοῖς δοῦναι αὐτῷ γραμμήν καί εὔχροιαν λαβεῖν ἄν, εἰ μή μάθοι τέχνην· οὔτε μουσικόν