It seems to me that these things have necessarily been said, while examining the place of prayer and representing what is exceptional as in a place at the assembly of the saints, and, more reverently, of those coming together for the same purpose in the church. 32.1 Now a few things must also be said about the direction towards which one ought to look while praying. Since there are four directions, north and south, west and east, who would not at once agree that the direction of the east clearly indicates that we ought to make our prayers facing that way, symbolically, as the soul looks toward the rising of the true light? But if someone wishes rather to offer his petitions toward an open door of the house, wherever the doors of the house may be situated, saying that the view to the heaven is something more inviting to itself than looking at a wall, if it should happen that the parts of the house facing east are not open, it must be said to him that since the buildings of men are opened by design towards these or those directions, but by nature the east is preferred to the other directions, what is by nature must be preferred to what is by design. But also one who wishes to pray in an open field, why according to this reasoning would he pray more towards the east than towards the west? And if the east is to be preferred there for good reason, why should this not be done everywhere? And so much for these things. It seems to me that I should conclude my discourse by further discussing the topics of prayer. For four topics seem to me to be sketched out, which I have found scattered in the scriptures, and a prayer for each one should be structured according to them. These are the topics: according to the power of doxology, in the beginning and preface of the prayer, one must speak of God through Christ, who is glorified together with him in the Holy Spirit, who is praised together with him; and after this, each one must arrange both common thanksgivings, adding to the thanksgiving the benefits towards many, and those which he has personally received from God; and after the thanksgiving, it seems to me that one must, becoming a bitter accuser of his own sins before God, ask first for healing in order to be delivered from the habit which brings about sin, and second and for forgiveness of past sins; and after the confession, fourth, it seems to me one must add the petition for great and heavenly things, both personal and general, and concerning relatives and loved ones; and to crown all, the prayer must be concluded with a doxology to God through Christ in the Holy Spirit. 33.2 Now these topics, as we said before, we have found scattered in the scriptures, that of doxology through these words in the one hundred and third psalm: “O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with confession and majesty, who covers yourself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heaven like a curtain, who covers his upper chambers with waters, who makes the clouds his chariot, who walks on the wings of the winds, who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire, who establishes the earth on its foundations, it will not be moved for ever and ever; the deep as a garment is its covering, the waters shall stand on the mountains; at your rebuke they will flee, at the voice of your thunder they will be afraid”; and most of this psalm contains a doxology of the Father. And it is possible for one reading for himself to see more, how the topic of doxology is scattered in many places. 33.3 And for thanksgiving, let this be set forth as an example, which is in the second book of Kingdoms, after the promises through Nathan to David, spoken by David, who was amazed at the gifts of God and gave thanks for them in these words: “Who am I, my Lord, Lord, and what is my house, that you have loved me thus far? And I have been made small a little before you, my Lord, and you have spoken concerning the house of your servant for a great while to come. And this is the law of man, my Lord, Lord. And what more shall David add to say to you? And now you know your servant, O Lord. For your servant’s sake you have done, and according to your heart you have done all this your greatness, to make it known to your servant

ταῦτα δέ μοι ἀναγκαίως εἰρῆσθαι φαίνεται, τόπον εὐχῆς ἐξετάζοντι καὶ τὸ ἐξαίρετον ὡς ἐν τόπῳ παριστάντι ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων καὶ εὐλα βέστερον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ γινομένων συνελεύσεως. 32.1 Ἤδη δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ κλίματος, εἰς ὃ ἀφορῶντα εὔ χεσθαι δεῖ, ὀλίγα λεκτέον. τεσσάρων δὲ ὄντων κλιμάτων, τοῦ τε πρὸς ἄρκτον καὶ μεσημβρίαν καὶ τοῦ πρὸς δύσιν καὶ ἀνατολὴν, τίς οὐκ ἂν αὐτόθεν ὁμολογήσαι τὸ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν ἐναργῶς ἐμφαίνειν τὸ δεῖν ἐκεῖ νεύοντας συμβολικῶς, ὡς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνορώσης τῇ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς ἀνατολῇ, ποιεῖσθαι τὰς εὐχάς; ἐὰν δέ τις ὅπου δή ποτε τῶν θυρῶν τοῦ οἴκου νευουσῶν βούληται μᾶλλον κατὰ τὸ ἀνεῳγὸς τῆς οἰκίας προσφέρειν τὰς ἐντεύξεις, λέγων τὴν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ὄψιν ἔχειν τι μᾶλλον προκαλούμενον ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν τῆς ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον ἐπιβλέψεως, εἰ τύχοιεν μὴ διανεῳγότα τοῦ οἴκου τὰ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς, λεκτέον πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι θέσει τῶν οἰκοδομημάτων ἀν θρώπων κατὰ τάδε τὰ κλίματα ἢ τάδε διανοιγομένων, φύσει δὲ τῆς ἀνατολῆς τῶν λοιπῶν προκεκριμένης κλιμάτων, τὸ φύσει τοῦ θέσει προτακτέον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἐν πεδίῳ εὔξασθαι βουλόμενος, τί μᾶλλον κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον ἐπ' ἀνατολὰς ἢ ἐπὶ δύσιν προσεύξεται; εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖ προκριτέον τὰς ἀνατολὰς κατὰ τὸ εὔλογον, διὰ τί τοῦτο οὐ πανταχοῦ ποιητέον; καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι ἔτι περὶ τῶν τόπων τῆς εὐχῆς διαλα βόντα οὕτω καταπαῦσαι τὸν λόγον. τέσσαρες δή μοι τόποι ὑπο γραπτέοι φαίνονται, οὓς εὗρον διεσκεδασμένους ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς, καὶ σωματοποιητέον ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τούτους εὐχήν. εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ τόποι οὗ τοι· κατὰ δύναμιν δοξολογίας ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ καὶ τῷ προοιμίῳ τῆς εὐχῆς λεκτέον τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ συνδοξολογουμένου ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι συνυμνουμένῳ· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τακτέον ἑκάστῳ εὐ χαριστίας τε κοινὰς, <τὰς> πρὸς πολλοὺς εὐεργεσίας προσάγοντα ἐπὶ τῆς εὐχαριστίας, καὶ ὧν ἰδίᾳ τέτευχεν ἀπὸ θεοῦ· μετὰ δὲ τὴν εὐχα ριστίαν φαίνεταί μοι πικρόν τινα δεῖν γινόμενον τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτη μάτων κατήγορον ἐπὶ θεοῦ αἰτεῖν πρῶτον μὲν ἴασιν πρὸς τὸ ἀπαλ λαγῆναι τῆς τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν ἐπιφερούσης ἕξεως δεύτερον <δὲ> ἄφεσιν τῶν παρεληλυθότων· μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν τέταρτόν μοι συν άπτειν φαίνεται δεῖν τὴν περὶ τῶν μεγάλων καὶ ἐπουρανίων αἴ τησιν, ἰδίων τε καὶ καθολικῶν, καὶ περί τε οἰκείων καὶ φιλτάτων· καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσι τὴν εὐχὴν εἰς δοξολογίαν θεοῦ διὰ Χριστοῦ ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι καταπαυστέον. 33.2 τούτους δὲ τοὺς τόπους, ὡς προείπομεν, διεσπαρμένους εὕρο μεν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς, τὸν μὲν τῆς δοξολογίας διὰ τούτων ἐν ἑκα τοστῷ τρίτῳ ψαλμῷ· «κύριε, ὁ θεός μου, ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθης σφόδρα· ἐξομολόγησιν καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσω, ὁ ἀναβαλλόμενος φῶς ὡς ἱμάτιον, ὁ ἐκτείνων τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡσεὶ δέριν, ὁ στεγάζων ἐν ὕδασι τὰ ὑπερῷα αὐτοῦ, ὁ τιθεὶς νέφη τὴν ἐπίβασιν αὐτοῦ, ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων, ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα, ὁ θεμελιῶν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῆς, οὐ κλιθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ἄβυσσος ὡς ἱμάτιον τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων στήσονται ὕδατα· ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου φεύξονται, ἀπὸ φωνῆς βροντῆς σου δειλιά- σουσι»· καὶ τὰ πλεῖστα δὲ τούτου τοῦ ψαλμοῦ δοξολογίαν περιέχει τοῦ πατρός. ἔνεστι δέ τινα ἑαυτῷ πλείονα ἀναλεγόμενον ὁρᾶν, ὡς ὁ τόπος τῆς δοξολογίας πολλαχοῦ διέσπαρται. 33.3 τῆς δὲ εὐχαριστίας ἐκκείσθω τοῦτο παράδειγμα ἐν τῇ δευ- τέρᾳ τῶν Βασιλειῶν κείμενον, μετὰ τὰς διὰ τοῦ Νάθαν πρὸς τὸν ∆αυῒδ ἐπαγγελίας ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἀπαγγελλόμενον, ἐκπλαγέντος τὰς τοῦ θεοῦ δωρεὰς καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντος ἐπ' αὐταῖς διὰ τούτων· «τίς εἰμι ἐγὼ, κύριέ μου κύριε, καὶ τίς ὁ οἶκός μου, ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με ἕως τούτων; καὶ κατεσμικρύνθην μικρὸν ἐνώπιόν σου, κύριέ μου, καὶ ἐλάλησας ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ δούλου σου εἰς μακράν· οὗτος δὲ ὁ νόμος τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, κύριέ μου κύριε. καὶ τί προσθήσει ∆αυῒδ ἔτι τοῦ λαλῆσαι πρός σε; καὶ νῦν σὺ οἶδας τὸν δοῦλόν σου, κύριε· διὰ τὸν δοῦλόν σου πεποίηκας, καὶ κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἐποίησας πᾶσαν τὴν μεγαλωσύνην σου ταύτην γνωρίσαι τῷ δούλῳ σου