Prayer in Christian History, Part 4

So often we modern's or postmoderns believe we have the best answers to life and faith. However, I have found that often we overly complicate rather simple matters in the effort to be more advanced. Sometimes simple is best. 

Evagrius Ponticus lived in the fourth century (345-399 AD). That was a few years back, even before "back in the day." Evagrius, a Greek Christian mystic & monk, was perhaps best known for his devotion to prayer. As a teacher he brought simplicity and common sense to his lessons on a life dedicated to God and experienced through prayer and meditation. 

I hear people complain so often that they do not have time to pray, or, when they do pray it does not benefit them throughout the day. Perhaps we can learn from Evagrius,

"If you desire to pray, do nothing that is opposed to prayer, so that God may draw near and go with you."

How profound! How many of us examine our daily lives for the purpose of simplification in order to remove from our activities and thoughts those things that are a hindrance to prayer? If our desire is for constant, consistent communication with God it should be obvious that we should not be involved in activities and preoccupied with thoughts that in essence push God away or build a wall before God. 

I am convinced that God can affect all areas of our lives. But upon close examination there are usually activities or thoughts that are sinful in nature which focus my attention away from what is best or even what is wholesome for me. Examining life from a perspective of prayer might highlight such activities or thoughts in fresh ways. 

The mystic also advised those who pray to do so without preconceptions about God. 

"Struggle to settle your intellect for the time of prayer, keeping it deaf and dumb, and then you will be able to pray."

"The settled state of the intellect is the summit...which at the time of prayer becomes resplendent with the light of the Holy Trinity,"

and

"Blessed is the intellect that for the time of prayer has gained perfect freedom from all impressions." 

Our ideas of who God is and how God acts can limit what God might be trying to teach us or motivate us to do. Openness to God in humility is a key to communion with God that changes us into the likeness of Christ and enables us to gain the mind of Christ. When we approach God adamant in our opinions of others and in our theology and doctrine about God we place a wall up through which God can have a difficult time speaking. Such walls act like colored glasses, obscuring what is actually before us, giving us the impression that what we see is real. Our own biases affect our faith. I love the statement attributed to various comedians, "You can be sure that you are wrong when it turns out that God hates all the same people you hate." When we pray we should seek to do so with an attitude of complete openness, allowing God to give us fresh eyes and ears - God's eyes and ears - with which to see the world anew.