Why doesn't my prayer feel REAL?

[@mullmonastery]

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[@MicahSmyth-op4jh]

Love your videos, quick question, being as I don't have an Orthodox church near me of any kind, but I read my Bible and pray, would you consider me as a believer in Jesus Christ a member of the church? I am not a Mormon or Jehovah's witness, nor am I affiliated with any church organization. Your feedback would be appreciated, I have heard other Orthodox priests say that if I am not part of the Church then I am anathema. Perhaps it is a matter of location that challenges me.

[@goodwill8750]

Dear Father, Please do not worry that you may be losing people with lots of words. Your words are grounded in much practical and loving wisdom. People like myself need guidance in our prayer lives. Thank you for sharing from your heart and many blessings 🙏🏻

[@mullmonastery]

Please forgive me for not yet replying to your comments, dear ones. I am away for the Consecration of the Orthodox Church in Durham this weekend, but I'll get back to you when I return to Iona. Have a beautiful and blessed day, wherever you are.

[@RoadKing-ky2bs]

I live in Tampa, FL, and we were affected by Hurricane Milton on Wednesday into Thursday this week. Thank God we didn't suffer any damage, like any flooding or structural problems. But, many of the neighbors did, as well as other parts of my county. I kept my faith throughout the storm as the wind and rain beat against our house. God is good always.

[@zzzaaayyynnn]

Thank the Lord you are safe. I have family and friends in the Tampa area.

[@maryanncathopoulis5420]

Orthodox people in Tampa believe that St. Nicholas protects us from the hurricanes. Just before Milton arrived, two priests from the Cathedral in Tarpon Springs took icons and went into the sea praying for us all. St. Nicholas heard those prayers and prayed to God for us. We were blessed that so little harm was done to the people in Tampa.

[@sara-anna]

These words of Saint John of Kronstadt have been helpful for me when struggling with prayer. I wrote them out and put them in my prayer book as a reminder. "During prayer, be like a lisping infant, mingling your spirit in one with the spirit of the prayer you are pronouncing. Count yourself as nothing and accept the prayer as a great gift of God." Also these: "When during oral prayer the Devil gnaws at your words by a multitude of most subtle thoughts, say: 'The power of the Savior is in every word and in every sound.'" (from My Life in Christ, Saint John of Kronstadt, Fourth Printing, 2000, Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, NY)

[@Nolosses777]

Father your words help this unworthy person,much love and blessings! Christ's love and peace be with you ☦️🙏❤️

[@rainastor4789]

Prayer is huge to me right now, much like as you've talked about. The world is a lament to the heart of God and it's like we're being pulled into that lament. One thing I have used to help prayers become genuine is to take one line and softly repeat it until the words become real. If I "read prayers" in a rush to get "finished" I don't feel the prayer at all. But if I take it line by line and repeat each line until it speaks into me, then it is able to rightly speak out from me as well. I'm so thankful for every single person who is called to pray.

[@ThunderbirdRocket]

Thanks for sharing this helpful message / coaching !

[@LazrBrain1031]

I love how this video pops up as soon as I was done with a prayer I was feeling wasn't "personal" enough. Thank you Lord in heaven, and thank you father

[@lordoftheeaglesreaches3710]

God bless you father, your wisdom is greatly appreciated. 🙏🙏🙏

[@las9105]

Father Seraphim, I hope my comment finds its way to your gaze. Your words help me so much since I found your channel, and began exploring Orthodoxy recently. I am a Lebanese Druze American and am very crushed by the recent events in my country happening to my close family and home. It is testing my faith, and it brings light into my heart that you acknowledged the events and how they relate to our faith. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your incredible work and all that you bring to our earth. I wish we could speak more in depth on this issue, but I am so grateful that this medium exists to access your great wisdom. Eternally grateful, Lyla

[@adelinacod5683]

Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, multumim pe noi pacatosii si pe mine pacatoasa! Amin 💖

[@skndr3067]

Doamne ajută părinte, mă bucur ca v-am găsit canalul si vorbele de ajutor

[@Zachary-Nichols]

Thank you father I often find myself falling into the sin of vain prayers please pray for me brothers and sisters I am in desperate need of any prayers I can get

[@crystalbarnard3905]

Thank you, Father. I need to watch this over and over, to keep me on track, and to keep my pride in check! God bless you!

[@janrenegar503]

I think i understand what Nicolas is saying. There's a difference in getting a card from someone in the mail with the words already typed in on the card, and a personal note from the person. It feels different... However, we sing songs of praise to God that others wrote, and it's not our own words. Both can be very beneficial; written words AND reading the prayers of the saints. As i read the psalm 42 about the deer panting for the water, my prayer to God was "i want that same desire as the psalmist" and God has slowly worked His way in my heart ❤️

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Thank you for what you and the monastery do and for all the prayers you all offer for the world. It has helped me in my becoming Orthodox and continuing in (broken) faithfulness.

[@HoustonFundraiser]

Father, you have provided such wisdom and love through your words in this video. Through the Lord's Spirit, you have provided a light that shines for us even in the surrounding darkness.

[@prophit267]

i absolutely needed this video. the Lord made this appear to me just as lustful tempations were coming upon me, which I was fearful of, as I also knew I would be reading my nightly prayers before sleep from my prayer book. the Lord truly does provide us help praise to Him. rather than succumb, I will pray by him who strengthens me until I give myself to sleep. i hope this encourages you brothers and sisters, I love you all, and pray that through the prayers of our Lady and all the saints, and by the saving hand of the Lord Jesus Christ we all fall in love with prayer and seek it before all wordly things. glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever unto the ages of ages. amen.

[@Sudden-Death]

❤️ thank you 🙏 much love in Christ!

[@cynthiajonasable]

Thank you, Father. You have answered so many questions, and clarified so much and for me I believe helped me move from the pit of stagnation. Thank you, Father and thank you Nicholas for asking the question that is so important.

[@BladeOfGrass-zn2fb]

Wow! So much in this. I have to watch again. Thank you! ❤

[@orthospch]

as a new convert i relate to Nicolas’s question deeply. it is a common temptation. may we continue to struggle in prayer and emulating the saints. thank you Father for this edifying video 🙏

[@zyzzyva303]

Thank you, father, for addressing these issues so directly. Your discourses bring light.

[@kathywhipp4669]

God bless and keep you, dear Fr. Seraphim!!!

[@katiebloor]

This video came at the perfect time. Thankyou fr

[@remahunt4277]

May Christ bless you and your communities dear Father Aldea.

[@marybenton8223]

If I am tired or not feeling well, distracted or rushed, it is easy to feel that I am just "going through the motions" when I use the prayers of others or of the Church. I can be upset with myself, or I can be humbled that perhaps that is all I can do at that moment. It is also an opportunity to look at myself and how I may have fallen into a spiritual laziness that doesn't allow the space for prayer to flourish in me. I get bored and want to move on to something "more interesting". It may make me think I need to pray in a different manner (more "personally or organically") but that is not the solution. Thank you, Fr. Seraphim for your very helpful reflections.

[@simpletings511]

Thank God for these blessings and guidance 🙏🏾

[@BastiaanSponton]

Thank you father for your wise words. It helps very much as I often struggle in my prayers………..god bless you.

[@andreigl]

God bless, Father Seraphim. Thank you for speaking to all of us Nicolases :). Prayer is so difficult to get 'right'... I personally find it very difficult, because I have 'expectations' of prayer and of myself (you've spoken about these expectations in a different video, how they are toxic and very common in our fallen generation) and somehow I am always focused on other things (concepts, feelings and the thoughts that usually storm in my mind after a day at work, where I'm involved in too many; and then the world with its news occupies the rest of my poor brain's capacity and my 'attention battery' is depleted at 7pm, on my commute back home) instead of being solely focused on God Himself. God is so Simple and Beautiful. God is so Graceful and Loving. And still, prayer is so difficult because of myself and somehow (I guess, but who am I to actually know for sure?), also our fallen nature (because most of us seem to have similar difficulties with prayer).

[@danielgaley9676]

Thank you Father for this video. You answered many questions about prayer that I needed to know.

[@jjedix5]

Glory be to God. We are always in need of prayer and constant repentence. Please pray for me and my family, as we also pray for the monastery and you, father Seraphim.

[@StuckInMud1]

Hello, Fr, great to have you in our parish today, I should have welcomed you

[@angelachiorean5151]

God bless everyone, the good and bad !❤❤❤

[@collincassady]

God bless you my beloved ❤

[@WORKOUTSOLUTIONS]

❤✝️ ХРИСТОС ВОСКРЕСЕ ✝❤ БОГ С НАМИ ПРОТИВ ЗЛА И ИСКУШЕНИЙ ✝🙏⛪🕊❤

[@colmcre6946]

I really needed this father. Thank you so much all your videos I’ve seen are so helpful please keep doing them

[@deannad2555]

Thank you for this gift of a video x

[@katkat2340]

A moth to the light . Face in the dirt. Then face to Face with God. Lord have mercy on us. Blessed be God forever. Pray my heart out Jesus.

[@densaakaldte1]

“Turn to the Lord, drawing down the attention of the mind into the heart, and calling upon Him there. With the mind firmly established in the heart, stand before the Lord with awe, reverence and devotion. If we would fulfil this small rule unfailingly, then passionate desires and feelings would never arise, nor would any other thought.” - St. Theophan the Recluse (From The Art of Prayer)

[@amirasaad630]

Thank you dear father Lord teach us to pray … It’s indeed a lifelong process of learning and a consistent prayer life rooted in imitation to the church saints and fathers is a process of purification that is so painful - a refiners fire 🔥 indeed ! To pray genuinely is to choose to not change and is rooted in so much hidden pride .. May the lord guide us all 🙏✝️

[@doobat708]

Empathy fatigue is apparently a thing - we may see so much suffering and pain other people experience, that we kind of burn out on it. Your advice to offer up this burn-out to Jesus is really helpful. Personally, I find existing prayers, written by others, very helpful when I experience spiritual desert and don't know how to express what I'm feeling.

[@henriettanovember4733]

I find the prayers by the saints and especially the prayer from Holy Scripture (psalms for ex) a blessing and we pray them every day. If one cannot pray anything say "Lord Jesus I am yours, save me" or ordinary Jesus-prayer.

[@jakefromspace4659]

It feels real when He answers back!

[@Boba899]

God help us see the truth and not be seduced by the evil powers and their lies. We do not understand and are biased by our crooked past, so let's stick to praying and not politics. God bless and open our eyes and ears.

[@ThatOneGamingHippo]

Hey Father, this video brings 3 questions to mind: 1) In prayer, what is the role of the heart? 2) Does God accept prayers from an impure heart? 3) If my heart is impure, is it better to ignore it in favour of the teachings of the church? Forgive me!

[@FormerSaint80]

Thank you!

[@thanasistama3943]

Amen! Great words of guidance. Pray. Two things: 1) The many denominations known collectively as the Protestants, dislike praying the prayers handed down to us from the saints. They tend to think being extempore in prayer is better. Again it is how pride poisons. I have been verbally criticized for using the ancient prayers of the saints when in ecumenical meetings. 2) One of the practices to help make prayer real for me in this world, is the 40 day tradition of the Trisagion for the Recently Departed. Take a recent school shooting, by the time I finish on the 40th day, my country even the community involved has forgotten the tragedy of so many killed. On some things like the killings in war and genocides that are ongoing, I end my list “for those that feel lost especially in the Ukraine, Russia, Israel, the Palestine and the Lebanon.” This open endedness at the end of my prayer lists is for those I do not know by name but know exist. Thank you Fr. Seraphim for a great talk on it from the meditative practices of Hindus, Buddhists and the like.

[@angelachiorean5151]

Doamne Ajuta!

[@cabellero1120]

For Orthodox, as well as Catholics Prayer isn't just individual, it's corporate. Meaning We unite our prayers with those of the Entire Church, The Body of Christ. We don't just say God help Me We pray God help US

[@satepestage3599]

It comes down to: the saints inspired by the Holy Spirit knew the _right things_ to pray for.

[@davidcerbu8467]

Doamne ajută!

[@mikebaker2436]

Responding line by line was helpful.

[@david248w6]

Please pray for the faithful departed🕯🪦🥀

[@AndrewMitchell-xv5uq]

Thank you Father! This is very helpful of what not to do. Any advice for how we should be praying? How can we distinguish between spiraling down, or persevering in difficult prayer times?

[@SEANPOL203]

Seeing all the victims of the military operations is horrific

[@patriciaschneider-zioga2500]

Thank you holy Father! IC XC NI KA

[@clarisaclaris7735]

Amin! Amin! Amin! ❤

[@classicme3496]

Father, this is a hard word. Does it apply to ALL personal prayers, or only to those that don't follow a set prayer rule? Some people may find this advice challenging, as it might seem to limit the ability to express personal requests to God. I've read in St. Theophan's writings and heard from priests that using one's own words for prayer is acceptable as long as it complements regular prayer practices and aligns with the general teachings of the Church. Thank you

[@alexb7596]

I have a question, Father. I pray formal prayers (from a prayer book) morning, night and throughout the day ( Saints Prayers, Jesus prayer and Lord prayers). But I also sometimes pray "informally" prayers, like, thankinh God for specific blessings I've received that day, pouring out what I am struggling with, asking for guidance ect.. (I do this at the end of my formal prayers). Is that OK?

[@conleycarter7415]

I would like to know as well

[@Donnielucas77]

According to what I have learned, and my spiritual father, of course you can pray your own words.

[@salamawitberhane9122]

Please pray for Sudan

[@dunkeymonkey5991]

Hi I'm sorry if i misunderstood you, but how can we lay down our hearts for our sisters and brothers around the world without using our own words? Praying the prayers of saints is essential but what if i have something really personnal to say to God ? How can find the right prayer? Sorry again, God bless thank you father

[@mkeenan1955]

Thank you, Father, for your sincere, heart-felt effort to explain what prayer is. From what you said I am getting a glimmer of what prayer is, and from what St Silouan says in his writings. It is unfortunate that someone like, for example, Fr Keating of the Catholic Church went down the rabbit hole of Zen Buddhism because his syncretistic teaching is so misleading. It is even tragic that the void this teaching leads to is not even recognized as being filled with the demons. It is, as you say, as if one is confronted by dust. Satan does not even have to delude the misguided with visions. I don’t know if what I am saying makes any sense.

[@Kurtofon]

Dear father can I use your videos as prayer? I feel like I'm a new person whenever I finish your videos, whenever I truly listen with my soul, there was an evening when I felt so much despair and God provided me with you, you were the light in all the darkness that evening and it has changed me. I'm so glad the Lord provided me with your videos at the perfect time. Thank you Father Seraphim, and bless you beyond our imaginations!

[@direkhtor4061]

❤️

[@jenntaa]

💛🙏💛

[@hokulani8]

🕊🙏🏼☦️🕯

[@zzzaaayyynnn]

I have a question, Father. When I pray the prayers of the Holy Fathers, tears run down my face even though I try to stop. It's as if water is running. When I pray in my own words, I always force myself NOT to cry for fear it will make me proud. Am I doing the right thing? I will talk about this to my priest, also. This is a very confusing dilemma.

[@Lee-lc1iq]

Father, I am confused. And I am sure I am not interpreting what you are saying correctly. But do you mean that we should not pray prayers of our own? I have written several prayers and now fear I should not have. Thank you and may God bless you and the monastery.

[@jovanblom7742]

The Prince of Darkness is walking the world freely. For now...

[@stheo8651]

Father, at 24:06 in this video, you mention, “Once you’ve tasted Christ’s personal divine love.” Could you please elaborate on how you experienced this “tasting of divine love”? I feel that if you help us understand how to feel this divine love, we can better approach prayer in the correct way. Is this “tasting of divine love” a prerequisite for effective prayer? In my own experience, I deeply believe in Christ, the Trinity, and everything Orthodox, based on other encounters/ experiences, but not directly through His love.

[@pajcka]

Father, which calendar do you practice, Julian or Gregorian? Thank you.

[@E9819_]

I've defintley got thick skin and I'm not at peace with it. I think many people are like this nowadays, especially my generation (z) due to growing up and living in a world with not just a 24hr news cycle but a device constantly stealing our attention only to show us suffering. Case in point, my earliest memory of television was the broadcasts of 9/11. I'm incredibly fortunate, I live in a peaceful, stable, well off country with easy access to every necessity I need to thrive yet I find myself seeing footage or photos of immense suffering and barely feel any shred of emotion, just numbness. I know I should feel some degree of sadness but I don't.

[@JoeM-g6l]

How do I find a spiritual guide if there are no Orthodox churches near where I live.

[@tim9170]

Im torn i love orthodox and tge church but my whoke family is pentecostal its hard to pray😢

[@Tdhydfbbjjr]

first

[@orthodox.saints.teachers]

🩵🩷💚💗💜💝♥️❤️‍🔥💓🧡☦️

[@Akuma.73]

Are Stoicism and Christianity compatible?

[@Tdhydfbbjjr]

I would say so, my friend! Jesus tells us to wash our face and clean ourselves up while we fast so that those around us don’t know we are fasting! We are supposed to endure the discomfort of fasting, disciplining our flesh to nourish our spirit.

[@Giorgio8006]

❤

[@angelachiorean5151]

❤