The Prayer Life Of One Who Knows God iiiss
The Prayer Life Of One Who Knows God We are commanded to adore and honor the Lord, since we know that he is the Logos*, the Savior, and the Leader. By honoring him, we honor the Father. We are to do this continually in every way throughout our whole lives. It's not something we do just on special days. Of course the elect race
[the Jews] were right in saying, "Seven times a day I have praised you." (Ps 119:164) So the one who knows God honors
God and thanks him for this knowledge of the way to live.
He does this at all timses—when alone and when with fellow believers. He doesn't need a special place or a selected temple. He doesn't wait for certain festivals or appointed days. He honors God during his whole life.
A godly manisa good influence on the people around him.
He inspires respect and reverence in his associates. Likewise, God influences the person who has uninterrupted fellowship with Him. The one who fellowships with God will grow better in every way: in his conduct, in his speech, and in his character. He is confident that God is always beside him. He doesn't believe that God is confined to certain limited places.
So he doesn't think that he can somehow escape God's sight and get away with doing wrong things.
*The Greek word Logos is generally translated "Word" in our Bibles, but this term also means "Reason." The Logos of God is, of course, Jesus Christ.
Page 70 The One Who Knows God We should celebrate God in our entire lives, confident that he is always at our side. So we cultivate our fields, praising
God. We sail the sea, singing hymns. In all our conversation we conduct ourselves according to discipline. The one who knows God, then, is closely allied to God. He is always both serious and cheerful. He is serious because his soul is bent toward God. He is cheerful because he constantly thinks of all the blessings that God has given us.
So the one who knows God is truly a kingly man. He is the sacred high priest of God. Even the more advanced of the barbarians recognize the link between priesthood and rulership. For they promote their priestly caste to positions of royal power.
Godly Entertainment The one who knows God never surrenders himself to the mobs that attend the theaters. Even in his dreams, he is pure from desire of the alluring pleasures that are spoken about, viewed, and practiced. (1 John 2:15-17) He shows no interest in pleasures of sight or in other enjoyments such as expensive incense and perfumes, which bewitch the nostrils. He has no interest in fancy foods or in a great
We cultivate our fields, variety of wines, which ensnare the — d palate. He has no use for elaborate praising God. fragrant bouquets, which weaken the soul through the senses. Instead, the one who knows God offers God the first fruits of food, drink and ointments. He makes this offering by recognizing God as the source of all enjoyable things. And he gives thanks for these gifts.
The one who knows God rarely goes to banquets or parties, unless he knows that the entertainment will be of a friendly and harmonious nature. For he is convinced that God knows and perceives all things—not just the words, but the thoughts also. In fact, our sense of hearing is not totally a physical thing but one of mental perception. For the mind must interpret different sounds. But God does not have a
The Prayer Life Of One Who Knows God Page 71 SS SS 5 al 1 ese ee Al oh a a physical body, needing to hear audible sounds. He does not need senses, as the Stoics mistakenly think. They say that he particularly needs "hearing and sight, for he could never understand any other way."
Unspoken Communication With God How can anyone say that our voices do not reach God?
That they are rolled downward by the air? For the thoughts of the saints can penetrate not only the air but the entire earth.
The divine power sees through the whole soul with the speed of light. So our unspoken desires speak to God, uttering their own kind of voice. Even our own conscience communicates these desires. So what audible voice does God have to wait for? He knows the elect before they are even born. He knows the future as though it had already taken place. Doesn't the light of power shine down to the very bottom of the whole soul? As the Scripture says, "The lamp of knowledge searches the recesses?" (Prov. 20:27) So one could say that God is all ears and all eyes.
In general, an unworthy view of God maintains no holiness—whether in hymns, lectures, writings, or teachings.
Instead, it produces ideas and notions that are base and grovelling. Therefore, to receive the praises of the crowds is really to receive condemnation. For the crowds are ignorant of the truth.
Actually, then, our very desires and aspirations—the mind's impulses—are types of prayers. The one who knows
God prays for and requests the truly good things for his soul.
But he also contributes his own efforts to acquire the practice of goodness. He wants to actually be good, rather than merely having good things.
For this reason, it is essential that the ones who know God pray. For they know God in truth. They have virtues suitable to God. They know what things are really good and what things to pray for in each individual situation. Of course, we realize it's absurd to pray to those who are not really gods as if they were actually gods. But it is similarly ridiculous to ask
Page 72 The One Who Knows God God for things that are not truly good. In effect, you're asking to receive evil things that simply masquerade as good.
Nevertheless, there is such a thing as praying for the prevention of evil. This kind of prayer is never to be used to injure another person. However, the one who knows God, in devotion to righteousness, may use this kind of prayer on behalf of those who are beyond feeling.
To speak more boldly, prayer is conversation with God.
Even though we speak in silence, not opening our lips, inwardly we are crying out. And God continually hears all this inward conversation. So also we raise our heads and lift our hands to heaven and set our feet in motion at the closing prayers. As we pray, we try, so to speak, to separate our bodies from the earth. We raise the soul to heaven, winged with yearnings for better things. And so we drive the soul to the region of holiness, casting off the chains of the flesh. For we know quite well that the one who knows God leaves behind the whole world, just as the Jews left Egypt behind.
Above all, he wants to be as near as possible to God.
Some people assign specific hours for prayer—such as the third, sixth and ninth hours. But the one who knows God prays throughout his entire life, having [continual] fellowship with God through prayer. When he reaches this fellowship, he leaves behind him all useless things [of this world]. For he has now reached the fullness of one who acts by love. But the division of the day into three prayer times is understood by those who are familiar with the blessed triad of the holy dwellings.
The Heretics Say Prayer Is Unnecessary At this point, I want to address the teachings of some of the heretics who say that prayer is unnecessary. But the man of God does not listen to heretics.' For the only truly holy and righteous man is the who knows God according t o the rule of the church.
Only this man has his verbal and unspoken prayers answered according to the will of God. Since God can do anything he wants, the man who truly knows God receives ail that he asks for. For God knows who among all mankind are worthy of good things and who are not. So he
The Prayer Life Of One Who Knows God Page 73 gives to each person what is suitable. He does not give to those who do not deserve, even though they ask often. But he does give to those who are worthy. And even though God often gives good things without our asking, this doesn't mean that prayer is unnecessary.
The person who truly knows God gives thanks to God and prays for the conversion of his neighbors. The Lord prayed in this way, giving thanks for the completion of his ministry and praying that as many as possible might be saved. He prayed that people would be saved so that God would be glorified in their salvation. And he prayed that many would acknowledge him who alone is Good and him who alone is
Saviour, through the Son, from age to age.
When a person believes he will receive from God, his faith is in itself a type of prayer. It is prayer stored away. Since any occasion to converse with God is prayer, we should miss no opportunity to talk to God.
God is not involuntarily good, in the way that a fire is involuntarily hot. No, it is completely voluntary on God's part to give good things, whether or not he has been asked.
No one is saved against his will, for man is not some inanimate object. Rather, we run to salvation voluntarily and of our own free choice. Man received the commandments so that he could choose for himself what things to do and what things to avoid. God does not do good because he has no other choice. Rather, his free choice blesses those who spontaneously turn to him.
The care that God gives us is not like the service that servants give to their masters. Instead, God bestows his care out of compassion for our weakness. So his care is like the care a shepherd gives to his sheep. Or that a king gives to his subjects. And we must be obedient to our appointed leaders who are commissioned by God to direct us.
Therefore, the people who actually render the freest and most kingly service on earth are the servants and attendants of God. They do this because they have knowledge and a righteous mind. So, in reality, every place where we think
Page 74 The One Who Knows God about God is a sacred place. And every occasion when we think about God is a sacred occasion.
When a man possesses a thankful heart, chooses what is right, and then makes his request in prayer, he himself plays a role in receiving what he asks for. Through prayer, he eagerly grasps the thing he desires. For when the Giver of all good things sees that we are receptive, all good things follow as soon as we think of them. Our character is sifted through prayer, revealing how it stands with respect to duty.
God has given us vocal chords and speech so that we can communicate with each other. But God hears the soul and the mind directly, since soul hears soul and mind hears mind.
God doesn't wait for audible voices, as do human interpreters, for he already knows everyone's thoughts.
The things that are expressed to us sifted through by voices are expressed to God by our thoughts. Before the PEQUET beginning of creation, he alOur character is ready knew what our thoughts would be. Therefore we may pray without our voices. We do this by concentrating our whole spiritual natures on expressing our thoughts to God, turning to him with no distractions.
Every dawn is a replica of the day of birth. Light begins each morning as only a small point in the midst of darkness.
But it gets brighter and brighter as the day goes on. In the same way, the dawn of a new day of knowledge of truth shines forth on those lost in spiritual darkness. As the sun rises in the east, so we pray looking toward the sunrise in the east.* Even the most ancient [pagan] temples used to look toward the west. This was so the people would learn to turn to the east when facing the images. The Psalms say, "Let my prayer be directed before you as incense, the uplifting of my hands as the evening sacrifice." CPs. IGN
"It was customary among early Christians to pray facing the east. As widespread as this practice was in the second century, this custom probably originated during the days of the apostles. Nevertheless, this was a custom only, and not a commandment that was binding on Christians.
The Prayer Life Of One Who Knows God Page 75 However, when evil men pray, their prayers can actually bring harm to them. They can also bring harm to others. If they pray for and receive the things they consider to be good fortune, it will only bring them harm. This is because they are ignorant of how to use these things. For evil men pray to acquire the things they don't have, and they ask for things that seem to be good, but really aren't. (Jas. 4:3) The man who knows God simply asks to be able to keep the things he already has. He asks to be able to adapt to whatever the future brings. He seeks eternity for the things he will receive.
The man who knows God prays to receive and to keep the things that are really good—the things that concern the soul.
This man is content with what he has. He doesn't desire things he doesn't have. For he does not lack any good thing that he really needs. His needs have been supplied through divine grace and knowledge. Since he has everything he needs in himself, he does not want other things. He knows the mind of God and he receives good things as soon as he prays. He is in close contact with the almighty power. He earnestly desires to be spirit-minded. Because of these things, through boundless love, he is united to the Spirit.
Holiness: A Joint Project Being of noble character, the one who knows God gives himself to meditation. And he retains in his soul the permanent energy of the very thing he meditates about. He possesses the most precious thing. of all—keen perception [of the divine.] He strives to his utmost to acquire this power by controlling all the [outside] influences that attack his mind.
He ponders and meditates without ceasing. He disciplines himself to do without pleasures. He conducts himself righteously in whatever he does.
He can speak wisely and freely, without hiding the things that need to be said at the proper time. He can do this because he has experience, not only in study, but in living the [Christian] life. He has the power of plain speech rather than the power of a babbling tongue. He knows of the things of God from the mystic choir of "truth itself. Therefore, he is able to encourage the greatness of righteousness in a way that is worthy. The inspired elevation of his prayer life demonstrates his true righteousness.
He is always mild and meek, accessible, pleasant, longsuffering, and grateful. And he always holds a good conscience. Such a man is strict with himself, not merely to avoid corruption, but to avoid temptation. For he never puts
Holiness: A Joint Project Page 77 ee ae Os his soul at risk of being conquered by either pleasure or pain. When the Logos (who is the Judge) calls, he is ready.
Being spiritually uncompromising, not indulging the flesh at all, he is able to walk unswervingly where justice directs him to go. He is able to do this because he is er? that all things are being well-managed [by od].
He believes that all souls who have chosen righteousness will progress in their growth until they come to the ultimate
Good itself—-to the entryway of the Father's house, close to the great High Priest. This is the one who knows God: the one who is sure that the affairs of the universe are managed in the best possible way. He is pleased with everything that happens. It stands to reason, then, that he would not plead with God for the necessities of life. He knows that God, who knows everything, gives the righteous everything they need even though they do not ask.
In my opinion, God supplies all things to a man of art according to the rules of art. And to the [unbelieving] Gentile, he supplies in a way that befits a Gentile. Likewise, he bestows to the one who knows God ina way that befits such a person. For example, a man who merely leaves the Gentiles will ask for faith. But a person who ascends to the heights of knowing God will ask for the perfection of love. And the one who knows God, who has reached the summit, prays differently than the common man. The common man prays for continual good health. But the one who knows God prays that his contemplation [of God] will grow and abide.
The one who knows God will pray that he will never fall from righteousness. And he gives his most strenuous cooperation in order to never fall. For he knows that some of the angels were hurled to the earth through their own carelessness. Those angels had not yet reached that state of oneness. They never freed themselves from the natural inclination towards being double-minded.
All things relating to time and place help him who has trained himself to the summit of knowledge and has raised himself to the height of the perfect man. He has made it his choice to live without transgressing. He disciplines himself
Page 78 The One Who Knows God in order to attain the stability of knowledge on all sides. Yet, if part of him is still weighed down by the flesh, it will drag down the part of him that had been elevated by faith.
Therefore, the person who knows God acquires a moral excellence that cannot be lost. So [good] habits become part of his nature. And just as a stone can never lose its weight, so such a person can never lose his knowledge. His moral excellence reaches this point (of never being able to be lost) through four things: (1) knowledge, (2) the exercise of his will, (3) the force of reason, and (4) the power of God. It is only through this care that moral excellence becomes incapable of being lost. So the one who knows God will be cautious in order to avoid sinning. He will use his faculties to avoid losing this righteousness.
Knowledge produces contemplation by teaching a person to recognize the things that contribute to the permanence of righteousness. The highest thing is the knowledge of God.
(John 17:3) This knowledge preserves righteousness in such a way as to make it incapable of being lost. And he who knows God is holy and righteous. In fact, the only righteous person is the one who knows God.
The one who knows God rejoices in good things that are present. And he is joyful about those things that are promtised.
For he views them as though they were already present. So the promised things don't escape his notice, as though they were still absent.
He foreknows what kinds of things they are. Because of his knowledge [of God], he knows what each future thing will be God gives closer supervision to those who know him, and he thereby honors them. like. So, in a sense, he already possesses those things. As far as possible, our man who knows God possesses all godly qualities. But he doesn't necessarily possess them to the same degree as someone else might. Otherwise, there would be no room for advancement.
Holiness: A Joint Project Page 79 i ee ee ee ee Se eS How God Empowers Those Who Know Him God gives closer supervision to those who know him, and in this way he honors them. After all, weren't all things made for the sake of good men? Aren'tall things for them to possess and enjoy, or rather to assist in their salvation? Therefore,
God will not deprive such persons (for whom all things were created) of the things that exist for the sake of righteousness.
God infuses those who have chosen the good life with strength for the rest of their salvation. He evidently does this in honor of their holy choice and their excellent nature.
The one who knows God can have every kind of goodness produced in him, just as long as it is his goal to know and do everything with understanding. A physician can help a person become and remain healthy only if that person cooperates with the physician in his recuperation. Likewise, God gives eternal salvation to those who work jointly with him in the attainment of knowledge and right conduct. We have the power to avoid the things the commandments forbid. And we also have the power to obey God's commandments.
I can think of a good illustration from Greek history. After working and training hard for a long time, a famous athlete was journeying to the Olympic games. On the way, he passed a statue of Zeus and looked up at it. "O Zeus," he prayed, "if Ihave prepared perfectly for this contest, then please give me the victory, as it is only fair." It is the same for the one who knows God. If he has blamelessly and with good conscience done all that he can do, all things will work to carry his salvation on to completion. In other words, God expects us to do the things that are in our own power to do. He will do iiewest."
Therefore, a person who wants to converse with God must have his soul immaculate and pure, without stain. It is essential for him to make himself perfectly good. But it is best for this person to make his prayers gently with those who are good. For it is dangerous to take part in the sins of others.
Therefore, the one who knows God will pray witha person who has recently become a believer about the things that the
Page 80 The One Who Knows God two of them have a duty to act on together. Actually, his whole life is a holy festival! His sacrifices consist of many things: Prayers, praise, and Scripture readings before meals.
Psalms and hymns during meals and before bed. And prayers again during the night. By these sacrifices, he joins himself to the divine choir. For he continually ponders over these things.
And what? Doesn't the one who knows God offer the other kind of sacrifice as well? I mean the one that consists of giving instruction and money to those who need? Of course he does!
But he doesn't spout forth long, wordy prayers with his mouth. Rather, he has learned to simply ask the Lord for the things that are necessary. (Matt. 6:11) He prays everywhere, but not ina showy way for everyone to see. (Matt. 6:5,6) He prays at every opportunity—while walking, while talking, while silent, while reading or while working.
He can communicate with God simply by forming a thought in the most secret part of his soul—calling on the Father "with unspoken groanings." For the Father is at his side, even while he is still speaking. Since there are only three goals of any action, the one who knows God concentrates on the goals of excellence and usefulness. He does nothing toward the goal of pleasure, leaving that for people who pursue the common life.