“Do you know why the Church, when arranging prayer, arranges for us seven prayers everyday–and between one prayer and another prayer, there are three hours? The Church wants us to be in continuous relationship with God, and wants us not to spend a maximum of more than three hours without communicating with God. If we are doing this, we will not be lukewarm. Yes maybe we have–like in meals–we have two or three meals a day but between meals we have snacks. In the same way in the spiritual life, maybe we have one or two or three prayers, in the morning, in the evening, and at night but between these three spiritual meals we need to have spiritual snacks. So every three hours or every two hours, lift your heart to God. Even with one sentence, even if two sentences, but from your heart–the tax collector, with one sentence, was justified and the right hand thief, with one sentence entered paradise. Keep God on your mind all day long, every now and then lift your heart to God in prayer.”

—H.G. Bishop Youssef

In our struggle for prayer the emotions are almost irrelevant; what we must bring to God is a complete, firm determination to be faithful to him and strive that God should live in us. We must remember that the fruits of prayer are not this or that emotional state, but a deep change in the whole of our personality.

What we aim at is to be made able to stand before God and to concentrate on his presence, all our needs being directed Godwards, and to be given power, strength, anything we need that the will of God may be fulfilled in us. That the will of God should be fulfilled in us is the only aim of prayer, and it is also the criterion of right prayer. It is not the mystical feeling we may have, or our emotions that make good praying.

Theophane the Recluse says: ‘You ask yourself, “Have I prayed well today?” Do not try to find out how deep your emotions were, or how much deeper you understand things divine; ask yourself: “Am I doing God’s will better than I did before?” If you are, prayer has brought its fruits, if you are not, it has not, whatever amount of understanding or feeling you may have derived from the time spent in the presence of God.’

—Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh, Arranged for Daily Reading

Why is it, you ask, that one can pray for so many years with a prayer book, and still not have prayer in his heart? I think the reason is that people only spend a little time lifting themselves up to God when they complete their prayer rule, and in other times, they do not remember God. For example, they finish their morning prayers, and think that their relation to God is fulfilled by them; then the whole day passes in work, and such a person does not attend to God. Then in the evening, the thought returns to him that he must quickly stand at prayer and complete his evening rule. In this case, it happens that even if the Lord grants a person spiritual feelings at the time of the morning prayer, the bustle and business of the day drowns them out. As a result, it happens that one does not often feel like praying, and cannot get control of himself even to soften his heart a little bit. In such an atmosphere, prayer develops and ripens poorly. This problem (is it not ubiquitous?) needs to be corrected, that is, one must ensure that the soul does not only make petition to God when standing in prayer, but during the whole day, as much as possible, one must unceasingly ascend to Him and remain with Him.

—St. Theophan the Recluse, On prayer, Homily 2

“If when praying no other joy can attract you, then truly you have found prayer.”

—Evagrius Ponticus

“To leave off praying is the same thing as deserting one’s post. The gate stands open for the ravaging hordes, and the treasures one has gathered are plundered.”

Way of the Ascetics: The Ancient Tradition of Discipline and Inner Growth
Tito Colliander

“In a weird way, it’s easier to do the fighting than to do the praying. It’s easier to do the discussing, it’s easier to do the arguing, it’s easier to try to convince than it is to stand & pray. Why is that? It’s easier to go to doctor after doctor after doctor, it’s easier to read different books, go to different seminars—it’s easier to try all these different things than pray. Why? Because we don’t really believe in the effectiveness of prayer. I’m happy to pray if I know at the end of the prayer, the problem is solved, but because we don’t see that direct one to one correlation, we would rather do something that seems more productive.”

—Fr. Anthony Messeh