Holy Resurrection
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St. Nilus of Sinai on Prayer Without Delusion
4:35
St. Nilus of Sinai's Ascetical Instructions from the Philokalia, Volume II, chapters 73-82 on prayer, are the basis of this teaching. When the mind begins to pray purely without passions, demons shift their attack from the left to the right, presenting false visions of divine glory or pleasing sensory images to deceive the mind into thinking it has reached the full goal of prayer.
Evagrius explains this deception comes from vain glory and demonic manipulation of a specific brain area, causing vascular trembling or inflammation that alters the light around the mind and leads it to rashly claim divine knowledge. Because the mind stands pure before God, it never suspects hostile activity and is convinced the manifestation is truly divine, though it is demonic.
An angel of God ends these enemy activities with a single word and restores the mind's light to work without delusion. The speaker identifies this with the angel offering incense in Revelation, which signifies the grace that enables right prayer so the mind stands without confusion, discouragement, or distress. The vessels of incense are the prayers of the saints offered by the twenty-four elders; the vessel itself means communion with God or perfect spiritual love in which prayer is offered in spirit and truth.
When one thinks there is no need to weep over sins during prayer, one should consider how far one is from God despite being called to abide in Him, and this realization brings hot tears of repentance like Isaiah's lament over his uncleanness among a people of unclean lips and enemy thoughts. Right prayer brings full certainty on many things, surrounds one with angels as with Daniel, and illumines insight into the causes of things.
Angels urge us to pray, stand beside us, and rejoice in praying for us; therefore sloth and contrary thoughts grieve them deeply because they labor for us while we scarcely beseech God for ourselves, abandoning our service to God to converse with unclean demons in our thoughts. The speaker concludes by urging prayer with peace and without disturbance, chanting with understanding and a good soul, so one becomes like an eaglet soaring on high.
Key moments
- When the mind begins to pray purely without passions, demons no longer attack from the left but from the right, presenting what appears to be a manifestation of God's glory or pleasing sensory images to deceive the mind into thinking it has reached the full goal of prayer.
- Evagrius explains this deception comes from vain glory and demonic manipulation of a certain brain area, causing vascular trembling or inflammation; the devil touches that spot and changes the light around the mind as he wishes.
- Vain glory then produces a thought that rashly urges the mind to attribute divine, essential knowledge to itself; because the mind stands pure before God, it never suspects hostile activity and is convinced the manifestation is truly divine, though it is demonic.
- An angel of God, with a single word, puts an end to enemy activities within us and moves the mind's light to work without delusion; the speaker links this to the angel offering incense with the prayers of the saints in Revelation, seeing it as the grace that grants the ability to pray rightly so the mind stands without confusion, discouragement, or distress.
- The vessels filled with incense are the prayers of the saints offered by the twenty-four elders; the vessel signifies communion with God or perfect spiritual love for Him, in which prayer is offered in spirit and truth.
- When one thinks there is no need to weep over sins during prayer, one should consider how far one is from God despite the call to abide in Him always, and this realization brings the hottest tears; after recognizing one's true poverty and nothingness, one weeps with repentance like Isaiah, lamenting one's uncleanness among enemies of God and forces of impure thoughts while daring to stand before the Lord of hosts.
- If one prays rightly, one receives full certainty about many things, angels surround one as they did Daniel, and insight is illumined with knowledge of the causes of things; angels urge us to pray, stand beside us, and rejoice in praying for us.
- Sloth and allowing contrary thoughts grieve the angels greatly because they labor diligently for us while we scarcely wish to beseech God for ourselves, neglecting our service to God and abandoning their God and Master to engage in conversation with unclean demons; therefore pray with peace and without disturbance, chant with understanding and a good soul, and you will become like an eaglet soaring on high.