How we pray: our reality vs Christ's teaching

We are broken and our prayer reflects that brokenness. But we are called to be one, to be simple with God's simplicity. As our prayer grows, we grown as well. As we spiritually heal and let go of our complexities and divisivenesses (which are results of our fallen nature), our prayer slowly lets go of its brokenness and becomes what it is supposed to be: a prayer beyond words, a silent prayer which is an act of being.
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The video 'How we pray: our reality vs Christ's teaching' was recorded by Fr Seraphim (Aldea) at Mull Monastery (The Orthodox Monastery of All Celtic Saints), on the Isle of Mull.

[@mullmonastery]

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[@gretagarbo1119]

❤

[@lindamcauley4728]

Even to be addressed as Seraphim, gives me hope. I have sinned and been sinned against. Three of my children have ghosted/abandoned me. I have complex post traumatic disorder. I am 61 and now know that I need The Father, TheSon and The Holy Spirit beyond Even the excruciating pain of my children leaving me. I am not faultless but I feel unworthy of such a penece. Please pray for me to accept my earthly burdens. I will pray for you and your family in all its forms. God bless you Seraphim. Amen, Amen, Amen 🙏

[@Sera1314]

Dearest Father Seraphim, I am someone who does not have ready access to a spiritual father, and at times must travel for hours to the nearest Orthodox Parish. I just wanted to let you know that your words always give me such peace and comfort, and give me the spiritual strength to keep going, to keep praying, to keep trying. Thank you for all that you do, and for your prayers for us all. Both you and the monastery have my prayers.

[@deirdrelewis1454]

Dear Father, you have put into words exactly why I would not leave the Catholic Church easily. The tradition, the liturgy, the sacraments, the safety! I have been called to contemplative prayer and have been reading the western mystics from Dionysius the Aereopagite up to the modern western mystics. Now I’m going to start on the desert mothers and fathers. From your perspective, I’m probably doing it backwards. I absolutely love your weekly video. You have the insight and wisdom to explain what I feel and experience but lack the ability to verbalise. Thank you so much and may God bless you richly in all your endeavours.

[@kadmii]

these lessons have been a a spiritual nourishment, especially in the way that you respond to comments and concerns that are particular to the commenter but often encountered by us all

[@kevinmckay6815]

Father thank you for your prayers. You are in mine daily. We all appreciate your ministering to us and thank God for your weekly talks.

[@robynmarler1951]

Yes🌹🌹🌹

[@mullmonastery]

That is very kind of you, dear Kevin. Thank God for all good things in our lives.

[@orthocatsr.8723]

I'm a westerner where pride of life is practically mandatory and I was a giant at my tier of sports involment and I can tell this priest will be a champion in Christ's kingdom and people where I come from like me will have very little there and that is RIGHT!

[@jamesshumate782]

Please pray for me father. Blessings be upon you. ☦️

[@mullmonastery]

May Christ bless all of us, dear James. May we all rejoice in His Resurrection

[@PaulTheHermit77]

Exactly what I needed. Amazing. Amen.

[@robynmarler1951]

Amen x

[@mullmonastery]

Glory be to God, dear one.

[@yennguyen-uj3ri]

Got came to me and teach me about prayer 10 years ago. He said continuous prayer is the most powerful prayer. He also let me know that all kind of prayers are necessary. It’s like a garden he gave examples like good soil, water, air and different elements to have a healthy garden. Reading Bible, singing, conversation with God, doing good deeds and many more. He let me see vision a waterfall in the garden is like singing praises, good soil is like reading Bible. Sending love to God is like sunshine to the garden. It took him a week to teach me about prayer and sin is like pest eating away the leaves.

[@ritakevorkian2649]

Thank you Father ❤ Thank you for always opening your heart to us

[@mullmonastery]

By the grace of God, where two or three gather in His name, He will be there too. This is my hope, dear Rita, that Christ is with us even when we gather together in this virtual way.

[@jeffreyukutegbe962]

God bless you, Father.

[@robynmarler1951]

Amen x

[@helinasebsibew8615]

Thank you father for all of the teaching🙏 Sending love for my Orthodox Brothers and sisters from an Ethiopian Orthodox sister🥰

[@peteh2603]

Thank you Father ☦️ God Bless You & the Brothers & Sisters of the Monastery. 🙏🏻

[@mullmonastery]

May we all be blessed, dear Pete. Thank you for your prayers.

[@raphaelfritzler8228]

Hello Fr Seraphim Aldea. I came across your channel a week or so ago, and you have been very helpful. I am not Christian, but after learning of the Orthodox Church, mainly through listening to the hymns and Psalms, and the stories of the saints, I have accepted LORD Jesus Christ as my Savior, and want to become part of the Orthodox Church. Though I've been taking it slow. I have an Orthodox Study Bible which I read, and been using the Jesus Prayer as much as possible. Thank you Father Seraphim, and to all in the Christian Orthodoxy. Raphael 🙏

[@ronaldmcdowell6474]

I am deeply indebted to you, that you live your life as a willing vessel of God's grace to us. We see you receiving grace and thanking God as you discover His gifts to you, before pouring forth that grace to our souls. Thankyou in the love of Christ

[@mullmonastery]

My dear Ronald, I am very far from the person you describe because of my sins, but that is my prayer - that one day, I shall become that person. One day, may God grant all of us that joy, to become whom He created us to be.

[@ronaldmcdowell6474]

Most sincerely I thank you. In your answers to questions the Lord has shown me more than in years of Pentecostalism. In deep humility I am unlearning many harmful habits. Thankyou for your help on this path ❤️

[@lindazama5498]

Thank you so much for this sharing. What an enriching response.

[@davidhensley76]

Blessed Fr. Seraphim, the best prayer I have ever composed is this: "Holy God, please make me into the man/husband/father You want me to be."

[@lauradavid6702]

For me Father, you are the best teacher on the Internet. In awe of your deep spiritual teachings that hit my heart each time. May God bless you and Mull Monastery.

[@joereen409]

Thank you Father. Be blessed by our hearts.

[@annasen5651]

So awesome ! Thank you Father.

[@lesliehatun2044]

Many blessings father. 🙏🫠

[@bartlord1009]

I'm listening to your posts for the first time, I accidentally discovered them on the Internet (I think it's God's providence) and I admire every word. It is wonderful to listen to all the wisdom that our Holy Fathers and our Holy Church have left for us to draw on and learn from. Thank you very much and greetings from Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am an Orthodox Serb. Our ancestor is Saint Sava, the famous monk of Mount Athos.

[@suchAslug]

God bless you Father. 🙏🙏🙏

[@mmaakkiinn]

AMHN ☦️

[@DavidArtemio1558]

thank you for your words father i was very in need to listen to this video i just sinned today and i feel so bad because of what i did i pray for god to forgive me and help me to achieve my one true desire and it is to live under his light and by his grace all the days of my life and not be bothered by this world and to separate myself from anything that has nothing to do with god and only focus on god all the time, i know that i am not worthy but i also know that god loved me and called to me to know his name and to change my life so i can live my life only to god im still trying to figure how can i achieve this level where i dedicate myself completely to god please pray for me father god bless you

[@mkeenan1955]

Thank you Father for those inspiring words on prayer at the beginning of our Lenten journey. I will continue to keep you in my prayers.

[@mullmonastery]

Thank you for your prayers, dear Matthew. We need them and they help us more than any of us understands. May we all be blessed.

[@dimitrije018]

I've truly started my Christian journey only a couple months ago. I'm pretty young, 16. I'm still learning how to properly perpetuate myself towards our Lord and savior. I'm grateful to you Father Seraphim for teaching me and guiding me towards Christ. Thank you Father Seraphim. If you are reading this i have a question, I've been battling lust and I've been struggling with the feeling of guilt, is that normal? Will i ever outgrow my habitual sin? God bless!

[@dschmid8845]

Please know you are not alone in your battles. Confession and prayer, and reforming my life has helped me. However, we will always face temptations. I agree with Mike Coppock’s suggestion.

[@ritakevorkian2649]

May God be with you in every spiritual battle you face 🙏 Remember me in your prayers

[@mullmonastery]

My dear Dimitrije, thank you for your kindness towards us. We are all 'beginners', dear one, even Saints are still beginners, because the thing we learn is how to be One with God Himself, in eternity. There is no limit to God's existence (both in terms of time and the wealth of its content), so no matter how 'advanced' we get, we are still at the beginning in relation to something eternal and limitless. Guilt is good if it helps you to stay away from sin for longer and if it gives your heart the courage to go back - again and again - to your confessor, but be careful that the devil doesn't use it to throw you into despair. You have to gain the wisdom to see who is using the guilt in you and for what purpose: is it God, calling you to Him and encouraging you to stay away from sin? or is it the evil one, trying to make you believe that all hope is lost and that God cannot forgive you anymore? Once you discern this, you are safe. Be blessed, dear one. Please keep all of us in your prayer.

[@adelinacod5683]

Doamne Iisuse Hristoase ,Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieste-ma pe mine pacatoasa! Amin 🙏

[@mullmonastery]

Amin, doamna Adelina, amin.

[@adelinacod5683]

@@mullmonastery Va multumesc nespus pentru raspuns, si pentru continutul plin de harisma, si credinciosie! Doamne ajuta 🙏! Salutari de la Berlin!

[@gwenechotaylor96]

God Bless you Father for your encouragement and wisdom. I did not know much of what you discussed today but I look for prayers that I feel will nourish me on a daily basis. As you say, there are many different states of being that call forth the right prayer to God. I don't have a spiritual home although I am looking. An Anglican looking for an Orthodox Anglican Church (a hard task!) anyway, I pick my way through the stony path and know that I will find a Home. Perhaps it will be here for a time. I love your talks. Blessings and Thanks.

[@ioanaradu6106]

De fiecare dată nu mă satur să vă ascult,dragul nostru Părinte Serafim! Rugați -va și pentru noi,știm că o faceți cu tot Sufletul! Fiți binecuvantat! Doamne, ajută!

[@mullmonastery]

Sa ne dea Domnul putere si har, sa trecem cu bine Postul Mare si sa ne bucuram impreuna de Inviere.

[@saint5203]

I am a broken sinner. forgiveness Sunday is fast approaching. Lord Jesus Christ son of God have mercy on me a sinner please forgive me.

[@MrJag1]

Thank you for this video and God bless you. :)

[@robynmarler1951]

Amen, God bless you too x

[@mullmonastery]

Thank you for your blessing, dear one. May we all be blessed.

[@PhoebeK]

Father bless, I wish you a good struggle for lent. Your words are powerful as ever father and an encouragement to continue in the struggle of the long lenten services (although I enjoy the long services even if long night services can sometimes leave me physically and mentally drained). Despite my love for the services I also appreciate your encouragement that prayer does not have to look like what is expected by wider ideas of prayer and can relate to our own internal way of being as sometimes (with the blessing of my spiritual father) my prayer looks nothing like the classic image of prayer but is a state of being for which words are not needed as I do not always think in words.

[@robynmarler1951]

You have brought so much light into my life Father Seraphim. God bless you and everyone at the monastery.

[@mullmonastery]

Thank God for everything, dear Robyn. Please keep me and the Monastery in your prayers, especially now that Lent is almost here.

[@Mystic-ql7qg]

I love your words.

[@tracieclark8546]

Amen amen amen Thank you Your videos seem to come as my questions arise

[@mariusstiglet9257]

❤

[@robynmarler1951]

🌱🌿🌾x

[@violetfern9885]

Thanks!

[@gheel]

I'm so thankful for what you said about being careful about the source of our spiritual food. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with gratefulness that God brought me into the Orthodox church, because the safety of her spiritual food is something I longed for ever since becoming a believer, and I was constantly told that it didn't exist.

[@linguafiles_]

Thank you, Father.

[@lu-xm5]

Благодарность за Ваши слова и сердце, дорогой отец!

[@jbarnets6246]

Father God Bless You 🙏during this Lent 👁🕊Keep the videos coming ✨ I truly believe they are more important then you may realize stay blessed 🙏✨🕊🛡⚔

[@heinrichlehne7425]

I really do appreciate your videos father. Though I'm Catholic I love the message and it helped my a lot in my spiritual journey. I just want to say THANK YOU from all my heart. May God bless you Father and have a wonderful and Holy Lent!

[@mullmonastery]

Glory be to God for all good things, dear one. I pray you and all of us have a blessed Lent and that we may all rejoice in Christ's Resurrection.

[@Sudden-Death]

This helps me so much thank you for your kind wisdom

[@mimimoonie]

Thank you father 🙇🏼‍♀️♥️

[@malinaluca7579]

Thank you father!

[@remahunt4277]

In this you spoke of prayer in such gentle and beautiful words. It reminded me of a descriptive poem of lovely stanzas. I have not considered someday we will be flames of prayer and beings of prayer; but I intend to consider it from now on. What a hope this is and when you add eternity in this thought it is overwhelmingly good. I have been reading Orthodox prayers lately. They seem to include every word one needs to be praying and nothing unnecessary because it has been filtered out over the years of their existence, as you said. I would not blame you for clinging onto such perfection. I wish that I had been led to the same. Perhaps I am being led now. I thank you Dear Father Aldea for these videos you have made. I believe they will change lives. Such wisdom, humility and gentleness of being are not often seen in this world. God Bless you and Mull Monastery and all the Orthodox Christians in the world. I am sure they realize they are Blessed.

[@ventiankraus980]

Wish we could all join as one church. So young in my walk, about 3 years, and there has been a lot of bobbing and weaving trying to learn how to live a proper life. Thank you for your words and insight. Your channel has been a blessing.

[@mullmonastery]

Glory be to God that anything we say was even of little help, dear one. Step by step, year by year, you will get closer and closer to that wonderful person Christ created you to become. In the process, you will perceive yourself increasingly worse, because holiness is founded on humility and Christ will allow you to see more and more of your own darkness to protect you against pride and to encourage your heart to pray for all who are caught in that darkness. Trust Him to arrange everything in your life for your salvation, even when nothing seems to be right.

[@marshajones8685]

God bless you and get well soon!

[@jesusfan1453]

It feels like you know exactly what I'm in need of hearing every time, thank you and God bless you brother ❤️

[@mullmonastery]

Glory be to God, dear Natalya. I know nothing, but Christ knows everything and He can give us the words we need to say or hear.

[@antuzapletea7968]

Thank You, Father Seraphim.

[@I_Wish_I_Was_Home]

Matthew 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

[@I_Wish_I_Was_Home]

Psalms 34:17 - The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. Luke 18:1 - And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

[@gattrep]

So helpful Thank you!

[@shreedove69]

Thank you.

[@acextensionsinc]

0:34 🙏🏾✨🙏🏼

[@kenkola3208]

☦️☦️☦️

[@stylist62]

Thank you so much🙏😭❤️💔

[@senayghirmay8172]

Thank you father..this is a new perspective that I have never thought of.. thank you for sharing your beautiful words.

[@mullmonastery]

Thank God that anything we say can help someone else, especially in the world we live in today. We learn from each other, and we grow through each other's prayers.

[@jovanlee1876]

Lovely fact I found out father you have attended my church in Oxford, st Nicholas! Amazing to think you have prayed in the same building and enjoyed it in my home city ☦️

[@OrthodoxReview]

💯 needed to hear this.

[@mullmonastery]

Thank God you found what you needed, dear one. We all learn from each other and we grow through each other's prayers.

[@GenoBady2738]

Mulțumesc din suflet părinte. 🙏

[@TickledFunnyBone]

I had favorited the Matthew 6 : 7 on February 14th on bible gateway and heard Father Anthony and father harry talking about this scripture on Ancient faith radio shortly afterwards. i was very thankful to hear any response about that scripture. (I am also thankful to hear what you have to say about this) and i like the response of; "learning together". I in no way meant for it to be an attack on orthopraxy, however it did make me wonder about orthopraxy and cathlicism. i believe that prayer is a connection of our spirit and soul to the trinity in loving god with all our heart, mind, spirit, soul and body. there is more i would like to talk about this scripture.

[@Vule-gd5io]

Everything you're saying is exactly what i need to hear, God is speaking to me through you and that is a testament of your faith, thank you and bless you Father.

[@OrthodoxChristian809]

Thank you so much for this. It has answered the questions I have been having about the prayer life and will help me in establishing a better prayer rule for the Great Lent as I am lazy and poorly disciplined at the present time 🙏🕊️☦️ Prayers for you and everyone at the monastery 🙏

[@mullmonastery]

Thank you for your prayers, dear one. Aim for a little simple rule, something you can hold on to even when praying is the last thing you want to do or when you feel you have no strength left in you. It is then, in those moments, when prayer changes us.

[@I_Wish_I_Was_Home]

Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. John 15:7 - If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Mark 11:24 - Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 - Pray without ceasing. Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

[@patriciaschneider-zioga2500]

Thank you, our dear Father Seraphim. Can you help us understand more about prayers of repentance? 🕊

[@mullmonastery]

Dear Patricia, I'll pray about it and maybe we'll record a video on that topic. In a way, the prayer of repentance is the most intimate prayer, because it feeds on our person fears and sins, which makes talking about it almost like an indirect confession. May we all be blessed, dear one.

[@I_Wish_I_Was_Home]

Matthew 26:41 - Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 1 Timothy 2:5 - For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; James 5:16 - Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

[@mrgedu9595]

Dear Father, Thank you for your videos. They are much needed. If I can ask, I have been in this situation more than once now where I begin to feel God and feel good. Then I seem to go very deep and "extreme" (relative to my normal way of life) by reading books, listening to sermons, watching edifying videos/movies.. only for that feeling to eventually run out, and I end up slipping back to my more superficial way of life. It is clear to me in which state I am happier, but I want to know how to hold on to it. I realise that I need to give myself completely to God for this real peace to overcome me, but for some reason, I am unable to hold onto it indefinitely. Is there a specific strategy I should be following? Should I not be going so deep when this hunger arises in me? Should I be pacing myself more? It's just that when it comes, I really love the feeling and want to delve more into this relationship. I want it to be real, genuine, and not fleeting. I don't want to keep going back and forth. I feel like it is due to me not really knowing Him because if I did, I wouldn't go back and forth. My constant prayer is that I can truly know Him. Any advice would be much appreciated if you have the time. If not, I am receiving much from your videos, so I pray God continues to bless you in your service. Thank you

[@andrewmclellan1623]

Thank you Father, these talks are appreciated. God keep you. I find myself getting upset about politics and it's hard to calm down. Is there a church teaching or saying of the Fathers to help?

[@GCL82]

I have just come across your content and am really, really enjoying your fresh perspective and very deep insights. I'm not from the Orthodox religion but am genuinely wondering why there isn't much reference to Scripture? Is the Bible used in the Orthodox tradition? Is it seen as God's Word? I was raised in Catholicism but have been an Evangelical Christian for some years now. I listen to a wide range of content from various Christian demonisations so am genuinely curious.

[@mithrilfang]

Recently I have experienced prayer with tears of despair. Since then I begun praying on a regular basis but mostly out of fear. I do feel love towards Christ, his image looking back to me from the icon, however what pushes me from deep inside is fear of trauma. I know that if I neglect prayer and go back to a sinful way of life God will constrain me again. This is a pattern in my life. What good can come out of this? How long until I become like a praying flame? I want to be at that stage so much but all I can make use of for the moment is this paralyzing fear of pain. God bless you!

[@neptunetriton]

Thank you for your videos, they've been very helpful for me on my journey with Christ through Orthodoxy. I've often had the same question regarding Matthew 6:7, where just before instructing us with the "Our Father" prayer, Jesus tells us not to pray like the pagans do/did with long, complex, or repetitive prayers. How are we to understand this instruction that seems to conflict with traditional Orthodox teaching of repeating the Jesus Prayer continuously (hundreds if not thousands of times), repetitive 'arrow prayers', or some of the very long, complex prayers found in our prayer books? Am I missing something historical or contextual in the ways Pagans were praying that Jesus wanted to make an example out of? Thank you and God bless from Utah, USA

[@elvenkind6072]

God bless you so much, from Alv and my cat Lucis, in Bergen, Norway. ☦

[@mullmonastery]

Our best wishes to you, dear Alv. Please also send greeting to Lucis from our two monastery cats.

[@elvenkind6072]

@@mullmonastery Lucis say's "Meow!" to the monastery cats. 🙂 Here's a wonderful English-Gaelic song from my favorite cartoon, about Pangur Bán, the cat of an anonymous Irish monk and his cat, how the cat is hunting mice, and the monk is hunting words. God bless you and and the videos you publish, so filled with blessings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/f5evlIiqjK-VpJY The Scholar and His Cat, Pangur Bán I and Pangur Bán my cat, ‘Tis a like task we are at: Hunting mice is his delight, Hunting words I sit all night. Better far than praise of men ‘Tis to sit with book and pen; Pangur bears me no ill-will, He too plies his simple skill. ‘Tis a merry task to see At our tasks how glad are we, When at home we sit and find Entertainment to our mind. Oftentimes a mouse will stray In the hero Pangur’s way; Oftentimes my keen thought set Takes a meaning in its net. ‘Gainst the wall he sets his eye Full and fierce and sharp and sly; ‘Gainst the wall of knowledge I All my little wisdom try. When a mouse darts from its den, O how glad is Pangur then! O what gladness do I prove When I solve the doubts I love! So in peace our task we ply, Pangur Ban, my cat, and I; In our arts we find our bliss, I have mine and he has his. Practice every day has made Pangur perfect in his trade; I get wisdom day and night Turning darkness into light. -translated from the Gaelic by Robin Flowler

[@dionisoaps5100]

Thank you very much Father for your videos and your prayers.. if I may ask can you make a video for the mystery of confession? I've heard so many different things about confession... Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are very very careful and they write down everything , they have a notebook , some others keep it more free, some people prepare themselves with different kinds of spiritual "tools", and I remember Saint Paisios saying in regards of confession that we should have Christ as the oxygen of our lives and not like the carbon dioxide (I think he meant not to become obsessed with every tiny detail).. In the end I feel confused and I would love to hear your view on this..

[@Elunati456]

Hi you are blessed, I have difficulty in my prayer, I pray the 1st hour prime morning prayer and 9th None night prayer 9:00 I can't continue to pray, I'm always struggling with my prayer can you give me your suggestions what can I do? Thank you so much!

[@mullmonastery]

The best person to advise you, dear one, is your spiritual father or confessor. That is because he knows you, he knows your past and he know your wounds. He knows he details of your life (work, family, health) and so he will be in the best position to advise you according the reality of your life. This is the sort of thing that you should discuss with him after making your confession. What I can say, which is true for all of us, is that prayer begins to act on us, it begins to shape us precisely when it stops being easy and it begins to feel painful.

[@britviking5960]

One of the things I have taken from my faith is that God doesn't want me to feel guilty. Its a waste of time and energy,.repent and do better, feeling guilty is pointless

[@stergoulabuyondo8662]

Im trying to teach my children to pray... but we speak Swedish. How can I teach them? Should we pray in Greek (i know greek sort of) or in English (I found a english prayerbook on amazon) or should I try to find an orthodox prayer book in Swedish? Just starting to implement the orthodox way of life in our house... Thank you so much Father for guiding us!

[@christinah777]

Hello Fr. Seraphim, I have been struggling with the process of prayer for quite some time. Every time I approach prayer, I find I need complete silence, detachment from daily life, and a sense of separation from the world. So, as a practicing Catholic, I usually retreat to a quiet spot and pray the rosary. However, the minute I finish my prayers, depart from this solitude with God and return to the duties of the day, I feel so weak, drained, and physically exhausted, almost like the spiritual switch has turned off and I'm back in my heavy, sinful flesh. This frustrates me, even to the point of feeling depressed after prayer is over. It has even gotten to the point that if I have a big event to attend during the day that requires a lot of physical energy, I might skip morning prayer because the process of giving myself to prayer is so exhausting. I don't know if this makes sense, but if you have any advice, I’d gladly listen. Thank you, God Bless.

[@PhialoDesign]

Hi Christina, in hope that Fr. Seraphim or some other much more experienced person might chime in at one point, as I for sure can't give you the best advice. But, as someone who has aspired to learn much about and practice prayer, I'd suggest you try to not separate the prayer from the "daily life" so much as you do now. There are many kinds of prayer, and if one feels draining maybe this could be a sign to mix things up a bit. Yes, you can sit in prayer, deeply sunken in the beautiful things we can experience there. But we can also interweave prayer in our daily lifes. This is beautifully done in the "Prayer of the heart" or Jesus Prayer in Orthodoxy. The constant repetition of "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". Maybe you can also try this with the rosary or another shorter version of a prayer you enjoy. It will be a companion of your day and it doesn't have to be accompanied by intense feelings all of the time. This way you might be able to let go of this idea that you need to be completely detached from the outside world during prayer and it might help you to interweave the two aspects, the worldy and the spiritual, and "marry them", so to speak :) "Pray without ceasing" it says in the bible (1 Thessalonians 5:17) This can be one aspect of it. I suggest the book "Way of a Pilgrim - The Jesus Prayer Journey" by Gleb Pokrovsky to get a lighthearted yet very good introduction to how the prayer of the heart can work. This video of Fr. Seraphim is also good to understand more about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqbFdYCvhL6UrpI If it's ok, I will pray for you today, that your prayer may flow easily and will be a source of strength for you during the day :) Maria

[@vali6763]

Dear Father Seraphim, could you please explain how can we be one in God? It may sound foolish what I'm going to say but does that mean that we have no individuality, that we are actually just broken parts of Adam and Eve? This thought somehow scares me(maybe because I'm selfish and focus on myself most of the time) God bless you!

[@stephmorgan4121]

Nice videos! You really explain things well. I wanted to ask some questions and see if you could answer them for me. Why does God of the Old Testament seem so cruel, violent etc? Iv read certain parts of it and just find it really difficult. Parts about killing infants, slavery etc. Iv heard people defend this but I just don’t see how it can be justified. What are your thoughts on this? If God is all knowing and can see the future than why create us. He would have known Adam would have chosen to sin and therefore everything which happens after that. In essence he created something he hates which is sin. It’s like having a baby you know will end up been a serial killer but you have him anyway. I think most people would not have the baby. There’s just so many questions like these which make it hard to believe.

[@ofirshorshy8281]

I have a general question, is it common to start paying for jesus and then meet him in a dream? I remember a strong relaxing feeling and safty and a figure of a man, blond, blue eyes shining and he had this serious look and asked me "why do you love me?" and he took me out of trubles in the dream thought the sky -flying over stuff and people to a safe road to where I wish to go and the road had symbols of narrow path to the middle where is the exit to the road I wish to go. I can not forget his face and I often do remeber dreams and practice remembering. I woke up at exactly 3am in the night. with feeling of safty. And I am often afraid of darkness at nights. I would mentiong as well that he gave me a hand and I could feel. which is often does not happen in everyday dream. Do you know of people that it happened to them or how can I know if it is him or another being ? How could I understand it? thanks ahead.

[@budgieburger595]

How Can I Prey , When i I Hate The Entire Universe And Everything In It ....... x .

[@leebrit2903]

Can I pray while I am on pain killers?. Or any drugs that reduce leg spasms?. Can I pray next to an electrical supply on Friday and Saturday and even Sunday or shall I turn off the electric and Wi-Fi?

[@agaphpanta5421]

Can you make Greek titles?? ☦️

[@100kdollars2]

Where did u get that cross?

[@mullmonastery]

Do you refer to the wooden cross by my side? Someone dear to me gave it to the Monastery as a gift.

[@100kdollars2]

@@mullmonastery Yes the big cross to your left. Awesome gift. May Jesus bless you my brother.

[@yagooie]

Are all Orthodox churches 'the same' in practice and theology ?

[@tryingnottobeasmartass757]

There are some minor differences, but just minor ones.

[@mullmonastery]

There is only one Orthodox Church, dear one. We perceive the local churches as different from each other because of our own brokenness, but there is in fact One Church in different locations. Theologically, there is no such thing as a Greek Church or Russian Church - there is the Orthodox Church IN Greece; the Orthodox Church IN Russia and so on. As such, there are no differences in theology, because there is only One Church. There are, however, differences in terms of practice, because practice reflects local culture (different from place to place, and time to time), whereas theology reflects God (the Same everywhere, at all times).

[@yagooie]

@@mullmonastery Thankyou for your answer.

[@kirkks76]

When the Bible has been abridged, altered, reinterpreted, and changed over two thousand years, how can you even place any trust that Christ's teachings are from Christ himself?

[@dimitrisjim1216]

Does reincarnation exist according to Jesus?

[@giulia1606]

❤️