§76
THE saying in the Apocalypse that the angel takes incense to add to the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:3) refers, I believe, to the grace that is effected by the angel. He implants knowledge of true prayer, so that from then on the nous stands without any agitation from acedia or negligence.
§77
THE bowls of incense are said to be the the prayers of the saints that the twenty-four elders offered (Rev 5:8) ‘Bowl’ (phialên) is understood to mean the friendship (philian) with God or that perfect and spiritual love in which prayer is effected in Spirit and Truth.
§78
WHEN you imagine you no longer need tears for sins in your prayer on account of sin, examine how far you have moved from God, when you are bound to always be in him; and you will weep even more fervently.
§79
YES, when you recognize your measure, you will be take pleasure in mourning, calling yourself, like Isaiah, wretched, like an unclean person with unclean lips, living in the midst of a people similarly [unclean] (Is 6:5) So how in the face of this can you stand boldly before the Lord Sabbaoth?.
§80
IF you pray truly, you will find very great assurance and angels will accompany you as they did Daniel (Dan 7:6); and they will enlighten you concerning the logoi of what has come into being.
§81
KNOW that the holy angels urge us to pray and stand with us, rejoicing and praying for us. (KG 3.62 and 3.84)
But if we are negligent and [willingly] receive opposing [tempting-] thoughts (logismoi), we greatly provoke them: since although they struggle for us, we are not willing even to supplicate God on our behalf, treating our own worship with contempt and abandoning their Lord and God to consort with unclean demons
§82
PRAY: [1] gently and [2] undisturbed, SING PSALMS: [1] with understanding (Ps. 46:8) and [2] good rhythm; then you will be like the young eagle borne aloft in the heights.
§83
PSALMODY calms the passions and puts to rest the body’s disharmony; PRAYER arouses the nous to activate its own proper activity.
§84
PRAYER is the power befitting the dignity of the nous; it is the nous’ highest and purest power and function.
§85
PSALMODY pertains to multiform wisdom; (Eph 3:10) PRAYER is the prelude to immaterial and uniform knowledge.
§86
KNOWLEDGE has great beauty: it is the co-worker of prayer, awakening the intellectual power of the intellect to contemplation of divine knowledge. Cf.
§87
IF you have not [yet] received the gift of PRAYER or PSALMODY, persevere and you will receive it.
§88
HE told them a parable so that they would pray always and not lose heart (Lk 18:1). So neither lose heart nor be discouraged in the meantime if you do not receive [i.e. the gift of prayer or psalmody]; you will receive it later. And in the parable he continued, Even if I do not fear God or respect man, still, since this woman is a nuisance, I will judge her case. So too will God similarly avenge those who cry out to him night and day, and he will do it soon (Lk 18:4-8). So be of good cheer and persevere eagerly in holy prayer.
§89
YOU should not wish for things that concern you to take place as seems good to you, but rather as is pleasing to God. Then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your prayer.
§90
EVEN if you suppose yourself to be with God, guard against the demon of sexual immorality, for he is very deceitful and extremely vengeful; and he wants to be quicker than the movement and watchfulness of your nous, so that he can tear it away from God, while it stands beside Him in reverence and awe.
§91
If you are taking care of [your] prayer, prepare for invasions from the demons and patiently endure their scourging. They will come upon you like [wild] beasts and injure your whole body.
§92
PREPARE yourself like a skilled wrestler not to be confused even if you suddenly see some apparition, and not to be upset even if you see a sword drawn against you or a light passing before your eyes, and not become agitated, even if you see some horrible, bloody shape; do not let your soul by completely defeated. Instead, stand firm, making your good confession of faith (1 Tim. 6:12), and you will easily look upon your enemies (Ps. 117:7).
§93
If you endure painful things, you will also obtain joyful ones; and one who is patient with unpleasant things will not lack a share in what is pleasant.
094_fiery_supplication
§94
SEE that the evil demons do not deceive you with some vision: be deeply thoughtful, turn to prayer, and call upon God to enlighten you himself as to whether the idea (noema) comes from him; or if not, to quickly expel the deception from you. And take courage: the dogs will not stand against you, if you are fiery* in wielding the staff of supplication to God against them. For they will instantly be driven far away, invisibly and secretly flogged by the power of God.
* fiery prayer De Orat.111; cf. Cassian Conf 9.15]
§95
IT is [only] just that you not be ignorant of this deceit: at times the demons divide themselves [into two groups], and if you appear to be calling for help, the second [group] enters arrayed as angels and drives away the first [group] that is assailing you, in order to make you conclude that they are holy angels.
§96
TAKE care to acquire great humility and courage, and no demonic spite will accost your soul and ‘the scourge will not draw near your tent, for God will give his angels charge over you to guard you’ (Ps. 90:10-11), and unseen they will chase away from you the whole enemy - maneuver.
§97
NOISES, crashes, voices, and tortured [screams] will he hear - the person carefully attending to pure prayer: but he will not cave in or surrender his rationality, saying to God, ‘I will not fear evil things, for you are with me,’ (Ps. 22:4) and other similar [verses].
§98
IN the times of these sorts of temptations employ brief, intense prayer.
§99
If the demons threaten to suddenly appear to you out of the air to shock you and seize your nous or to injure your flesh like [wild] beasts, do not let them dismay you, take no thought of their threats. They are tempting you to fear them, to see whether you bother about them or regard them with total contempt.
§100
IF it is God Almighty, creator of the universe, provident [administrator] of all, on Whom you attend in prayer, why do you stand before Him so irrationally as to circumvent by the impassable fear of him, while [yet] alarmed by mosquitoes and dung-beetles? Have you not heard that it said, ‘The Lord your God shall you fear ’ (Deut. 6:13) and again, ‘At Whom all things fear and tremble, before the Face of his power’ (Dan. 6:27 [Theodotion] + Joel 2:11?)?