Elder Iulian of Prodromos Skete († 3/10/23): How can I pray unceasingly?

If you do something good for someone or are thinking of doing something good, if you say something useful to someone - this is prayer. Don’t think there is no prayer there.

Prayer? Of course, you will not spend hours in prayer. When you have time - on feast days - you can read a Paraklesis or something like that…Don’t waste your time with vain things, watching TV and so on. You can say a prayer. But you can say a short prayer even when you go to work: “Lord, help me…” or “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” If you have gotten used to saying the prayer while you breathe, then you can pray anytime. A short prayer, and you pray! Even when you work, whatever work you do, or when you cook. Or you can sit on a chair and say “Lord, Jesus Christ..” there.

This is so that the prayer “Lord, Jesus Christ…” can be grafted onto your heart. And if it gets grafted there, then even if you talk to someone, the prayer works. If you do something good for someone or are thinking of doing something good, if you say something useful to someone - this is prayer. Don’t think there is no prayer there. 

“Where two or three gather in My name, there am I with them,” says the Savior. And so, if two people talk about spiritual things, from the Scriptures or something like that, God is there too, in their midst. And that is prayer. Do you think that isn’t a prayer? And when you leave from there, say “Lord, Jesus Christ…” or other prayers - and this is prayer. Don’t think that isn’t a prayer.

It says in the Paterikon: “prayer is not only when you sit down and read prayers; prayer is when you pray permanently.” And the Holy Apostle Paul says in Thessalonians 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” That is what he says, and he says it to all people, not only to monastics: “Pray without ceasing.” And now, think about it: how can I pray unceasingly? By saying even a short prayer: “Lord, help me,” or if some sorrow came over you, say: “Help me, Lord!” Do what you can and pray. And then think about what is written: “Knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Translated by Grig Gheorghiu

From: “Elder Iulian of Prodromou speaks to us” from the volume “Athonite Elders speak to us” Bunavestire Press, Romania, 2003.