Sea Green, See Blue

Click for song.

If you do not feel like praying, you have to force yourself. The Holy Fathers say that prayer with force is higher than prayer unforced. You do not want to, but force yourself. The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force (Matt. 11:12).

- St. Ambrose of Optina

I heard a lot about how prayer is essentially talking with God. It is supposed to be the most enjoyable thing one can do. But that's not really how I've ever felt. Sometimes, it's like pulling teeth to pray.

I've always wondered at that. It's saying a few words but it can be at times the last thing I want to do. Perhaps it's because I've been looking at it romantically. The Sunday service of the Orthodox Church is called the liturgy. It is essentially a collection of prayers. The word liturgy means "common work." Though it may not be how many of us view it, prayer is work, especially in regard to pious prayer. There are oil lamps to maintain, candles to light, incense to burn, bowing and prostrations. Prayer can be a lot of work. But it is a divine work. The proper name for this Sunday service is "The Divine Liturgy." Labor is good for us and spurs us toward humility and out of laziness. 

And why would prayer not be work or hard? Maintaining any relationship is hard, let alone one with you creator. And just like sometimes you may have to force yourself to love those around you when you don't feel like it, so we must also force ourselves to commit this act of love toward God.

Feeling is secondary and subjective. It comes and goes and should not hold sway over important matters. Those who typically profess to falling out of love with someone mean that they have lost feeling. The thing is, committing to acts of love when you don't feel like it produces sustained and lasting affection for the other person! And I believe it is the same with God. The more we pray, the more we'll want to pray.

Pray for me a sinner as I try to faithfully pray for you.