Kudos to the Western Christians who are open to equipping themselves with the spiritual tools and wisdom of the spiritual walk from Christian faith traditions outside Protestantism. Including the Eastern Orthodox faith tradition.
*An emerging innovative Western soldier of Christ seeking to equip himself with depth of spiritual wisdom, understanding (Colossians 1:9), and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9) talks his professor of church history and spiritual formation while in his "armoury" aka personal library of godly wisdom stored up throughout the ages of Church history*
Western soldier of Christ sees a book with the spine entitled 'The Way of a Pilgrim'. Says: "What's that?"
Professor: "Oh, 'The Way of a Pilgrim'? Oh, you wouldn't be interested in that"
*Western soldier of Christ takes it off the bookshelf and starts to flip through it and meditate on some excerpts*
Professor: "This book contains an account of an anonymous pilgrim in the 19th century who went on a journey to learn how to pray without ceasing according to an Eastern Orthodox book on prayer called The Philokalia. The Philokalia is the full and detailed science of constant, unceasing interior prayer, set forth by twenty-five Eastern Orthodox Christian holy Fathers. It's content contains centuries of accumulated first-hand wisdom in how to attain unceasing prayer"
(some quotes from the book)
But what is prayer? And how does one learn to pray? Upon these questions, primary and essential as they are, one very rarely gets any precise enlightenment from present-day preachers. For these questions are more difficult to understand than all their arguments that I have just spoken of, and require mystical knowledge, not simply the learning of the schools. And the most deplorable thing of all is that the vain wisdom of the world compels them to apply the human standard to the divine. Many people reason quite the wrong way round about prayer, thinking that good actions and all sorts of preliminary measures render us capable of prayer. But quite the reverse is the case, it is prayer which bears fruit in good works and all the virtues. Those who reason so, take, incorrectly, the fruits and the results of prayer for the means of attaining it, and this is to depreciate the power of prayer - pg. 7
The continuous interior Prayer of Jesus is a constant uninterrupted calling upon the divine Name of Jesus with the lips, in the spirit, in the heart; while forming a mental picture of His constant presence, and imploring His grace, during every occupation, at all times, in all places, even during sleep. The appeal is couched in these terms, 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' One who accustoms himself to this appeal experiences as a result so deep a consolation and so great a need to offer the prayer always, that he can no longer live without it, and it will continue to voice itself within him of its own accord. - pg. 8-9
"Is [the Philokalia] more sublime and holy than the Bible?" I asked.
"No, it is not that. But it contains clear explanations of what the Bible holds in secret and which cannot be easily grasped by our short-sighted understanding. I will give you an illustration. The sun is the greatest, and the most resplendent and the most wonderful of heavenly luminaries, but you cannot contemplate and examine it simply with unprotected eyes. You have to use a piece of artificial glass which is many millions of times smaller and darker than the sun. But through this little piece of glass you can examine the magnificent monarch of stars, deilght in it, and endure its fiery rays. Holy Scripture also is a dazzling sun, and this book, the Philokalia, is the piece of glass which we use to enable us to contemplate the sun in its imperial splendour. - pg. 9-10
Sit down alone and in silence. Lower your head, shut your eyes, breathe out gently and imagine yourself looking into your own heart. Carry your mind, i.e., your thoughts, from your head to your heart. As you breathe out, say 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' say it moving your lips gently, or simply say it in your mind. Try to put all other thoughts aside. Be calm, be patient, and repeat the process very frequently. - St. Simeon the New Theologian (pg. 10)
The faculty of pronouncing words lies in the throat. Reject all other thoughts (you can do this if you will) and allow that faculty to repeat only the following words constantly, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Compel yourself to do it always. If you succeed for a time, then without a doubt your heart also will open to prayer. We know it from experience. - Nicephorus (pg. 12)
in my lonely hut I said the Prayer of Jesus six thousand times a day for a whole week. I felt no anxiety. Taking no notice of any other thoughts however much they assailed me, I had but one object, i.e., to carry out my starets' bidding exactly. And what happened? I grew so used to my Prayer that when I stopped for a single moment, I felt, so to speak, as though something were missing, as though I had lost something. The very moment I started the Prayer again, it went on easily and joyously. - pg. 13
My whole desire was fixed upon one thing only - to say the Prayer of jesus, and as soon as I went on with it I was filled with joy and relief. It was as though my lips and my tongue pronounced the words entirely of themselves without any urging from me. I spent the whole day in a state of the greatest contentment. I felt as though I was cut off from everything else. I lived as though in another world, and I easily finished my twelve thousand prayers by the early evening. - pg. 14-15
that is how I go about now, and ceaselessly repeat the Prayer of Jesus, which is more precious and sweet to me than anything in the world. At times I do as much as forty-three or four miles a day, and do not feel that I am walking at all. I am aware only of the fact that I am saying my Prayer. When the bitter cold pierces me, I begin to say my Prayer more earnestly and I quickly get warm all over. When hunger begins to overcome me, I call more often on the Name of Jesus and I forget my wish for food. When I fall ill and get rheumatism in my back and legs, I fix my thoughts on the prayer and do not notice the pain. If anyone harms me I have only to think, "how sweet is the prayer of Jesus!" and the injury and the anger alike pass away and I forget it all. I have become a sort of half-conscious person. I have no cares and no interests. The fussy business of the world I would not give a glance to. The one thing I wish for is to be alone, and all by myself to pray, to pray without ceasing; and doing this, I am filled with joy. - pg. 18
*Western soldier of Christ closes book, and looks at the professor*
Western soldier of Christ: "Does it come in Protestant theology?"
