St. John Climacus on Prayer

Saint John Climacus

 Prayer is by nature a dialog and a union of man with God. Its effect is to hold the world together. It achieves reconciliation with God. Prayer is the mother and daughter of tears. It is an expiation of sin, a bridge across temptation, a bulwark against affliction. It wipes out conflict, is the work of angels, and is the nourishment of everything spiritual. Prayer is the future gladness, action without end, wellspring of virtues, source of grace, hidden progress, food of the soul, enlightenment of the mind, an axe against despair, hope demonstrated, sorrow done away with… It is a mirror of progress, a demonstration of success, evidence of one’s condition, the future revealed, a sign of glory. For the one who really prays, it is the court, the judgement hall, the tribunal of the Lord – and this prior to the judgment that is to come.

 * Taken from The Ladder of Divine Ascent.