Prayer (Difficulties, Challenges of, Struggles)
“God is love and though it is at times hard for us to bear, God sometimes chooses for us a different path than that which we are praying for. If we remain faithful to God, unanswered prayer will not shake that faith because we believe God is love and His presence is essential to us even if God chooses not to do our will. God’s will can be quite mysterious to us because we have only a partial, incomplete picture of what is happening in the cosmos and through time.” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“I have heard it said that sometimes we have what we think are dry periods of prayer but which are really God’s giving us some other task to accomplish. Here again we must not worry but rather understand that lack of inspiration in one area of spiritual endeavor may be God pulling us toward some other aspect of spiritual life.” (Timothy G. Patitsas)
“Many people struggle to pray. And perhaps that struggle is because they’ve never really quite figured out what prayer is, why we do it, and how we do it. I’m one of those people that struggles…In fact, perhaps my greatest spiritual struggle is to pray. I’ve had struggles with various sins, but these come and go. I struggle with one, then get a handle on it, only to struggle with a different one. Prayer, however, has remained a lifelong struggle.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
“The Lord Jesus encourages us to pray always to our Father in Heaven: “I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mk 11:24). Despite such assurances there is no carte blanche to guarantee our prayer’s fulfillment – yet neither does a lack of response from God necessarily indicate that we are in His disfavor. Who has not offered heartfelt prayer? King David besought the Lord for the child he conceived by Uriah’s wife. Even after the Lord’s prophetic word that “your son who is born to you shall surely die” (2 Kgs 12:14), David prayed and “fasted, went in and lay on the ground” for a week, opening his heart’s desire before the Lord (vs. 16). Yet “on the seventh day the child died” (vs. 18). How many of us have prayed as rigorously and been denied? If we look at God’s message in refusing David, however, we understand why the great Moses, despite years of service to God, is likewise denied his heart’s petition. When God refuses our prayers, He does so graciously, continuing to assure us that our life in His service is neither wasted nor fruitless. We learn that whenever God denies a petition, He may yet reserve another portion for us in the future, in order to fulfill the vision He originally awakened within us.” (Dynamis 6/10/2022)
“Spiritual diseases, of course, can only be cured by spiritual means. For example, we must bear the cross of humiliation in order to become humble. The cross of helplessness and human indifference is so that we might feel the mercy and forgiveness of God and come to love Christ to the point of desiring to follow Him. The cross of self-will is so that we might willingly surrender to the good will of the Lord. The cross of disappointment in secular life is so that we might come to live for the Lord. The cross of our own sinfulness and impurity is so that we might truly repent and decide to conquer our sinfulness by tearful prayers to Christ and the Mother of God. The cross of captivity to evil spirits is so that we might thirst for Divine grace and, having experienced the immutability of every word of the Gospel, understand the teachings of Christ. The cross of struggle, suffering, patience, and temptation is so that we might become conscious Christians, righteous men capable of spiritual labors, and useful guides for others.” (St. Seraphim Chichagov)
“Prayer, fasting, and vigilance over ourselves, i.e., carefully watching our thoughts and feelings, make us victors over the enemies of our salvation. The most difficult of these three works is prayer—an everlasting virtue which will become a habit if we practice it. But prayer, until our very death, will require coercion on our part, a constant struggle.” (St. Barsanuphius of Optina)
Many people seem to find prayer a difficult thing to do, but when questioned, it often becomes clear that they are not actually praying. What they mean is they find it difficult to start praying. This is because we have sunk deep into the world, like a mud pool up to our necks (and sometimes over our heads). We have given so much of our attention and effort to the world and our bodily desires, that prayer can at first seem alien to the state we have entered." (Father Spyridon Baily)
“It seems clear that too often what destroys our relationship with God and makes us avoid disciplined, regular prayer are a lack of openness during such periods and a predetermined idea of how God should respond to us during our quiet time (which only leads to discouragement when prayer doesn't turn out as we would have it).” (Robert J. Wicks)
"But prayer can be difficult, and if we rely on emotional states to sustain our prayer then it will fail us at the very time we need it. If we only pray when we feel moved, it will be at the times when we are emotionally and psychologically exhausted that we will need prayer, but we will be unable to find or summon up the necessary emotions. Prayer must be a regular part of our day, something we do without question." (Father Spyridon Baily)
“Prayer requires a completely carefree life, for even the slightest worry disrupts our prayer…Just as the slightest speck of dust can blur our vision, so, too, does the slightest worry interfere with our concentration in prayer…When we are praying, the first thing that’s needed is attentiveness. Without attentiveness prayer is not worthwhile, but if one neglects prayer completely, that is the worst. You have to work!” (Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica)
"Today let me remember that prayer, as Christ sees it, is a loving discipline. I need not be overwhelmed by prayer, because my God is not a God Who demands words, and more words, for His “satisfaction.” Through prayerful communion with Him, He teaches me to explore and know my heart, which He knows already." (Sr. Dr. Vassa Larin)