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Matt. 6. When you pray, do not babble, (808) like the Gentiles; for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask him.

James 5. Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any cheerful? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

Solomon. The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord; but the prayers of the upright are acceptable to him.

Sirach 7. Do not lose heart in your prayer. Sirach 18. Do not hinder paying a vow in good time. Of Basil. The divine hearing does not need a voice for perception. For he knows even in the movement of the heart to recognize what is sought. Or do you not hear that Moses, uttering nothing, interceding with the Lord with his unutterable groans, was heard by the Lord, who said: Why do you cry to me?

For the presence of righteous works, is a loud voice before God.

Of the Theologian. Let us not be condemned for pettiness, in asking for small things and unworthy of the giver.

Chrysostom. A great good is prayer, if it is done with a thankful mind; if we teach ourselves not only when receiving, but also when failing, to give thanks to God. For sometimes he gives, and both are useful. So that whether you receive, or do not receive, you have received in not receiving. Whether you succeed, or do not succeed, you have succeeded in receiving. Whether you succeed, or do not succeed, you have succeeded in not succeeding. For there are times when not receiving is more profitable. For if it were not often profitable for us not to receive, he would certainly have given. But to fail profitably is to succeed.

When a petition comes forth from clean lips, (809) and from an unhypocritical heart, it knows how to reach the unflattering ear of the Master.

When through prayer we ask something of the Master, let us not quickly lose heart; but the continuance of failure, let us overcome with the continuance of our petition.

In the delays and in the postponements of the gifts of God, let us not grow weary beforehand, nor give up beforehand. For often the Master prolongs the seeming delay for the training of faith.

It is good always to converse with God through prayer. For if meeting a good man improves the one who meets him, how much more so to converse with God both by day and by night?

Often God postpones the request, not wishing to wear us out, but by the delay of the gift contriving for us continual attendance. For so also do loving fathers act, who often keep with them their indolent children who run to childish games, by the promise of a gift and a very great present.

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Ματθ. στ´. Προσευχόμενοι μή βαττολογήσητε, (808) ὥσπερ οἱ ἐθνικοί· δοκοῦσι γάρ, ὅτι ἐν τῇ πολυλογία αὐτῶν εἰσακουσθήσονται. Μή οὖν ὁμοιωθῆτε αὐτοῖς· οἶδε γάρ ὁ Πατήρ ὑμῶν ὧν χρείαν ἔχετε, πρό τοῦ ὑμᾶς αἰτῆσαι αὐτόν.

Ἰακ. ε´. Κακοπαθεῖς τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσευχέσθω. Εὐθυμεῖς τις; ψαλλέτω. Ἀσθενεῖ τις ἐν ὑμῖν; προσκαλεσάσθω τούς πρεσβυτέρους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, καί προσευξάσθωσαν ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν, ἀλείψαντες αὐτόν ἐλαίῳ ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου· καί ἡ εὐχή τῆς πίστεως σώσει τόν κάμνοντα, καί ἐγερεῖ αὐτόν ὁ Κύριος· κἄν ἁμαρτίας ᾖ πεποιηκώς, ἀφεθήσεται αὐτῷ.

Σολομ. Θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα Κυρίῳ· προσευχαί δέ κατευθυνόντων, δεκταί παρ᾿ αὐτῷ.

Σιράχ ζ´. Μή ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου. Σιράχ ιη´. Μή ἐμποδίσῃς τοῦ ἀποδοῦναι εὐχήν εὐκαίρως. Βασιλείου. Ἡ θεία ἀκοή, οὐ φωνῆς δεῖται πρός αἴσθησιν. Οἶδε γάρ καί ἐν τῷ

κινήματι τῆς καρδίας γνωρίσαι τά ἐπιζητούμενα. Ἤ οὐκ ἀκούεις ὅτι Μωϋσῆς μηδέν φθεγγόμενος, τοῖς ἀλαλήτοις ἑαυτοῦ στεναγμοῖς ἐντυγχάνων τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἠκούετο παρά τοῦ Κυρίου, λέγοντος· Τί βοᾷς πρός με;

Ἔργων γάρ δικαίων παρουσία, μεγαλοφωνία ἐστί παρά Θεῷ.

Θεολόγου. Μή μικρολογίαν καταγνωσθῶμεν, ἐν τῷ μικρά αἰτεῖν ἡμᾶς καί τοῦ διδόντος ἀνάξια.

Χρυσοστ. Μέγα ἀγαθόν εὐχή, ἐάν μετά διανοίας εὐχαρίστου γένηται· ἐάν παιδεύσωμεν ἑαυτοῦ μή μόνον λαμβάνοντες, ἀλλά καί ἀποτυγχάνοντες, εὐχαριστεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Καί γάρ ποτέ μέν δίδωσι, ἀμφότερα χρησίμως. Ὥστε κἄν λάβῃς, κἄν μή λάβῃς, ἔλαβες ἐν τῷ μή ἀπολαβεῖν. Κἄν ἐπιτύχῃς, κἄν μή ἐπιτύχῃς, ἔτυχες ἐν τῷ ἀπολαβεῖν. Κἄν ἐπιτύχῃς, κἄν μή ἐπιτύχῃς, ἔτυχες ἐν τῷ μή ἐπιτυχεῖν. Ἔστι γάρ ὅτι τό μή λαβεῖν λυσιτελέστερον. Εἰ γάρ μή συμφέρον ἡμῖν ἦν πολλάκις τό μή λαβεῖν, πάντως ἔδωκεν ἄν. Τό δέ συμφερόντως ἀποτυχεῖν, ἐπιτυχεῖν ἐστιν.

Ὅταν ἐκ καθαρῶν χειλέων ἐξέρχηται δέησις, (809) καί ἐκ καρδίας ἀνυποκρίτου, οἶδε φθάσαι τό ἀκολάκευτον οὖς τοῦ ∆εσπότου.

Ὅταν δι᾿ εὐχῆς αἰτησώμεθά τι τόν ∆εσπότην, μή ταχέως ἐξατονήσωμεν· ἀλλά τό συνεχές τῆς ἀποτυχίας, τῇ συνεχείᾳ τῆς αἰτήσεως ἐκνικήσωμεν.

Ἐν ταῖς ἀναβολαῖς καί ἐν ταῖς ὑπεθέσεσι τῶν δωρεῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, μή προκάμνωμεν, μηδέ προαναπίπτωμεν. Πολλάκις γάρ ὁ ∆εσπότης τήν δοκοῦσαν ἀναβολήν, εἰς τήν τῆς πίστεως γυμνασίαν παρέλκει.

Καλόν πάντοτε διά προσευχῆς ὁμιλεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Εἰ γάρ συντυχία ἀνδρός ἀγαθοῦ βελτιοῖ τόν ἐντυγχάνοντα, πόσῳ μᾶλλον τό καί ἐν ἡμέρᾳ καί ἐν νυκτί καθομιλεῖν τῷ Θεῷ ;

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.