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59. IF you wish to pray, you need God who gives prayer to the one who prays (1Sam 2:9). Therefore call upon him saying, Hallowed be your name, your kingdom come (Matt. 6:9-10), that is to say, your Holy Spirit and your only-begotten Son. For He taught you this by saying, the Father is worshipped in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23-4).	̈ΝΗ´. Εἰ προσεύξασθαι βούλει, Θεοῦ χρεία τοῦ διδόντος εὐχὴν τῷ εὐχομένῳ· οὐκοῦν ἐπικαλοῦ αὐτὸν λέγων, <Αγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου, ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου,> τουτέστι τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, καὶ ὁ μονογενής σου Υἱός οὕτω γὰρ ἐδίδαξε, λέγων, ἐν Πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ προσκυνεῖσθαι τὸν Θεὸν,
60. THE one praying in spirit and truth (Jn 4:23-4) no longer honors the Creator because of [His] creatures, but instead praises Him for His own sake.	ΝΘ´. Ο ἐν Πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ προσευχόμενος οὐκέτι ἐκ τῶν κτισμάτων τὸν Δημιουργὸν γεραίρει, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ αὐτὸν ἀνυμνεῖ.
61. IF you are a theologian, you pray truly; and if you pray truly, you are a theologian.	̈Ξ´. Εἰ θεολόγος εἶ, προσεύξῃ ἀληθῶς, καὶ εἰ άληθῶς προσεύξῃ, θεολόγος εἶ.
62. WHEN your nous in great yearning for God gradually withdraws, so to speak, from the flesh; and when it deflects all thoughts *(noemata)* that come from sensation, or memory or temperament, having become full of reverence and joy, then you may believe it has drawn near the borders of prayer.	̈ΞΑ´. Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς σου τῷ πολλῷ πρὸςτὸν Θεὸν πόθῳ κατὰ μικρὸν οἷον ὑπαναχωρεῖ τῆς σαρκὸς, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐξ αἰσθήσεως ἢ μνήμης ἢ κράσεως νοήματα ἀποστρέφηται, εὐλαβείας ὁμοῦ, καὶ χαρᾶς ἐμπλεως γενόμενος, τότε νόμιζε ἠγγικέναι, ὁροις προσευχῆς.
63. THE Holy Spirit, sympathizing with our weakness (Rom. 8:26), repeatedly visits us even when we are unclean; and, if he only finds the nous loving truth [and] praying to, he lights upon [and disposes] it, dispersing the whole battle-array of [tempting-] thoughts *(logismoi)* and concepts *(noemata)* circling around it, encouraging it on to the [rapturous] love *(eros)* of spiritual prayer.	63. Τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα συμπάσχον τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ ἀσθενίᾳ καὶ ἀκαθάρτοις οὖσιν ἐπιφοιτᾷ ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐὰν εὕροι τὸν νοῦν μόνον φιλαλήθως αὐτῷ προσευχόμενον ἐπιβαίνει αὐτῷ, καὶ ἅπασαν τὴν κυκλοῦσαν αὐτὸν τῷν λογισμῶν ἢ νοημάτων φάλαγγα, ἐξαφανίζει, προτρεπόμενον αὐτὸν εἰς ἔρωτα πνευματικῆς προσευχῆς.
64. THE others implant thoughts *(logismoi), ideas (noemata), or contemplations in the nous* by affecting the body. God, however, does the opposite: he himself lights upon [and disposes] the nous and places within it knowledge as he wishes; and through the nous he soothes the body’s disharmony.	64. Οἱ μὲν λοιποὶ διὰ τῆς ἀλλοιώσεως τοῦ σώματος ἐμποιοῦσι τῷ νῷ λογισμοὺς ἢ νοήματα ἢ θεωρήματα. ̔Ο δὲ γε θεὸς τοὺναντίον δρᾳ· αὐτῷ τῷ νῷ ἐπιβαίνων, ἐντίθησιν αὐτῷ γνῶσιν ὧν βούλεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ σώματος κατευνάζει.
65. NO one yearning *(erô)* for true prayer who also becomes angry or remembers injuries can be anything but insane: it is like wishing for good eyesight while tearing at your own eyes	̈ΞΔ´. Οὐδεὶς ἐρῶν ἀληθοῦς προσευχῆς, καὶ ὀργιζόμενος, ἢ μνησικακῶν ἐκτός ἐστι μέμψεως· ὅμοιος γάρ ἐστι τῷ ὀξυπεῖν θέλοντι, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐκταράσσοντι.
66. IF you long to pray, do none of the things that oppose prayer, so that God will draw near and travel with you on [your] way (Lk 24:15).	̈ΞΕ´. ^[79.1181] Εἰ προσεύξασθαι ποθεῖς, μηδὲν τῶν ἐναντιουμένων τῇ προσευχῇ πρᾶττε, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς ἐγγίσας συμπορεύσηταί σοι.
67. DO not give [any] shape to the Divine in yourself when you pray, nor should you permit any form to stamp an impression on your nous: instead, approach immaterially what is immaterial; and you will understand.	̈Ξ´. Μὴ σχημτίζῃς τὸ Θεῖον ἐν ἑαυτῷ προσευχόμενος, μηδὲ προς μορφήν τινα συγχωρήσῃς τυπωθῆναι σου τὸν νοῦν· αλλ' ἄϋλος τῷ ἀύ̈λῳ πρόσιθι καὶ συνή́σεις.
68. GUARD against the snares of the enemies. For sometimes while you are praying purely and undisturbed, suddenly there stands before you some strange and alien form to lead [you] astray into conceit, [by] rashly localizing the Deity in order to persuade you that the Deity is quantifiable: whereas the Deity is not quantifiable and is without shape.	̈68. ^{[T13; 1181]} Φυλάττου τὰς παγίδας τῶν ἐναντίων. Γίνεται γὰρ ἐν τῷ προσεύχεσθαί σε καθαρῶς καὶ ἀταράχως ἀθρόως ἐπιστῆναί σοι μορφὴν τινα ξένην καὶ ἀλλόφυλον, πρὸς τὸ εἰς οἴησιν ἀπαγαγεῖν, τοπάζοντα τὸ θεῖον εἰκῆ͂, ἵνα τὸ ἀθρόως ἐκκαλυφθέν σοι ποσὸν τὸ θεῖον εἶναι πείσῃ· ἄποσον δὲ τὸ θεῖον καὶ ἀσχημάτιστον.
69. WHEN the spiteful demon is unable to move the nous through the memory during prayer, he strikes out against the body’s temperament to create some strange fantasy in the nous, and [thus] shape it. And [the nous] will easily yield to its influence, because it is used to dealing in thoughts *(noemata)*; so when it was pressing on eagerly to immaterial and formless knowledge, it comes to be deceived into accepting smoke instead of light.	̈69. ̔́Οταν μὴ δυνηθῇ κινῆσαι τὸν νοῦν τῇ μνήμῃ ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ ὁ φθονερὸς δαίμων, τότε τὴν κρᾶσιν τοῦ σώματος ἐκβιάζεται εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι ξένην τινὰ φαντασίαν τῷ νῷ καὶ μορφῶσαι αὐτον. ̔Ο δὲ ἔθος ἔχων ἐν νοήμασι συνεῖναι ῥᾳδίως κάμφεται, καὶ πρὸς ἄϋ̈λον, καὶ ἀνείδεον γνῶσιν ἐπειγόμενος ἀπατᾶται, καπνὸν ἀντὶ φωτὸς κατέχων.
70. STAND on your guard, protecting your nous from thoughts *(noemata)* at the time of prayer: and take your stand on your own [inner] quiet, so that He who suffers with the ignorant will manifest Himself to you too; then you will receive a most glorious gift of prayer.	̈ΞΘ´. Στῆθι ἐπὶ τῆς φυλακῆς σου φυλάττων τὸν νοῦν σου ἀπὸ νοημάτων κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, στῆναι ἐπὶ τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἠρεμίᾳ, ἵνα ὁ συμπάσχων τοῖς ἀγνοῦσι, καὶ σοὶ ἐπιφοιτήσῃ, καὶ τότε λήψῃ δῶρον προσευχῆς εὐκλεέστατον.
71. YOU are not able to pray purely if you are enmeshed in material affairs and shaken about by constant cares, because prayer is [the] putting aside of thoughts *(noemata)*.	̈Ο´. Οὐ δυνήσῃ προσεύξασθαι καθαρῶς, πράγμασι συμπλεκόμενος ὑλικοῖς, καὶ φροντίσι συνεχέσι δονούμενος· προσευχὴ γὰρ ὲστιν ἀπόθεσις νοημάτων.
72. IT is not possible one who is chained to run; nor is it possible for the nous to see the place of spiritual prayer while enslaved to passions, for it is carried to and fro by impassioned thought *(noemata)* and can have no firm standing place.	̈ΟΑ´. Οὐ δύναται δεδεμένος δραμεῖν, οὐδὲ νοῦς πάθεσι δουλεύων προσευχῆς πνευματικῆς τόπον ἰδεῖν· ἕλκεται γὰρ, καὶ περιφέρεται ἐκ τοῦ ἐμπαθοῦς νοήματος, καὶ οὐχ ἵσταται ἀκλόνητος.
73. ONCE the nous is praying purely unwaveringly, and truly, [completely] apart from the [passions], the demons no longer insinuate themselves from the left, but from the right. They set before it the glory of God and shape it in the form of things beloved by the senses, so that [the nous] will believe it has perfectly achieved its goal concerning prayer. An admirable and knowledge-filled *(gnostikos)* man explained that this is caused by the passion of vainglory and by the demon that attaches itself to [a particular] place in the brain and makes the veins pulsate.	̈ΟΒ´. ̓Επὰν καθαρῶς λοιπὸν ἀπλανῶς καὶ ἀληθῶς προσεύχηται ὁ νοῦς τὸ τηνικαῦτα, οὐκ ἔτι ἐκ τῶν ἀριστερῶν ὑπέρχονται οἱ δαίμονες, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν δεξιῶν· ὑποτίθενται γὰρ αὐτῷ δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ σχηματισμόν τινα τῶν τῇ αἰσθήσει φίλων, ὡς δοκεῖν τελείως τετεῦχθαι αὐτὸν τοῦ περὶ προσευχῆς σκοποῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ, ἔφρασε θαυμαστὸς καὶ γνωστικὸς ἀνὴρ, ὑπὸ τοῦ τῆς κενοδοξίας πάθους γίνεσθαι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος τοῦ ἁπτομένου_[,_] τοῦ κατὰ τὸν ἐγκέφαλον τόπου_[,_] καὶ φλεψὶ πάλλοντος.
74. I BELIEVE the demon touches that place [thus] manipulating the light surrounding the nous however he wishes; and in this way the passion of vainglory produces a [tempting-]thought *(logismos)* that shapes the nous so that it will lighheartedly [try to] localize the divine, essential knowledge. This sort of person is not troubled by carnal and impure passions; rather he seems to stand purely before [God]. So he presumes there is no longer any opposing energy at work within him: and therefore he assumes he sees a divine apparition; one that [actually] comes from the demon who very cunningly manipulates by means of the brain the light conjoined [to the nous], thus shaping [the nous], as we have said.	ΟΓ´. Οἶμαι τὸν δαίμονα ἐφαπτόμενον τοῦ εἰρημένου τόπου τὸ περὶ τὸν νοῦν φῶς τρέπειν καθὼς βούλεται, καὶ οὕτω κινεῖσθαι τὸ τῆς κενοδοξίας πάθος, εὶς λογισμὸν μορφοῦντα τὸν νοῦν κοῦφον γνωμόνως πρὸς τὸν ἀναπλασμὸν τῆς θείας καὶ οὐσιώδους γνώσεως, μὴ ὀχλούμενος δὲ ὁ τοιοῦτος ὑπὸ σαρκικῶν, καὶ ἀκαθάρτων παθῶν, ἀλλὰ καθαρῶς δῆθεν παρεστηκὼς, δοκεῖ μηκέτι ἐνέργειάν τινα ἐναντίαν γίνεσθαι ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ὃθεν ὑποπτεύει θεῖαν εἷναι ἐπιθάνειαν τὴν γενομένην αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τοῦ δαίμονος,δεινότητι λίαν χρωμένου καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου τὸ συνεζευγμένον φῶς ἀλλοιοῦντος καὶ μορφοῦ͂ντος αὐτὸν, καθῶς προέφαμεν. ^[79.1183]
75. THE angel of God comes and with a single word makes all the opposing activity within us cease, and moves the light of the nous to undeviating activity.	̈ΟΔ´. ̔Ο τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄγγελος ἐπιστὰς λόγῳ μόνῳ ἅπασαν τὴν ἀντικειμένην ἐνέργειαν παύει ἐξ ἡμῶν, καὶ κινεῖ τὸ φῶς τοῦ νοῦ ἀπλανῶς ἐνεργεῖν.
76. THE saying in the Apocalypse that the angel takes incense to add to the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:3) refers, I believe, to the grace that is effected by the angel. He implants knowledge of true prayer, so that from then on the nous stands without any agitation from acedia or negligence.	ΟΕ´. Τὸ λέγεἶν ἐν τῃ ̓Αποκαλύψει κομίζεσθαι τὸν ἄγγελον θυμίαμα ἵνα δῷ τὰς προσευχὰς τῶν ἁγίων, οἰμαι τὴν χάριν εἶναι ταύτην διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου ἐνεργουμένην· γνῶσιν γὰρ ἐμποιεῖ τῆς ἀληθοῦς προσευχῆς, ὥστε ἑτάναι λοιπὸν ἐκτὸς παντὸς κλόνου, ἀκηδίας τε καὶ ὀλιγωρίας τὸν νοῦν.
77. THE bowls of incense are said to be the the prayers of the saints that the twenty-four elders offered (Rev 5:8) ‘Bowl’ *(phialên)* is understood to mean the friendship *(philian)* with God or that perfect and spiritual love in which prayer is effected in Spirit and Truth.	Ο´. Αἱ φιάλαι τῶν θυμιαμάτων αἱ προσευχαὶ εἶναι λέγονται τῶν ἁγίων, ἃς εἰκοσιτέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἐπιφέρονται. [ΟΖ´.] Φιάλην δὲ ὑποληπτέον τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν φιλίαν, ἤτοι τὴν τελείαν καὶ πνευματικὴν ἀγάπην, ἐν ᾗ ἡ προσευχὴ ἐνεργεῖται ἐν Πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
78. WHEN you imagine you no longer need tears for sins in your prayer on account of sin, examine how far you have moved from God, when you are bound to always be in him; and you will weep even more fervently.	ΟΗ´. ̔́Οταν δόξῃς μὴ δεῖσθαι δακρύων ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου δι' ἁμαρτίας, σκόπει πόσον ἀφεστηκας Θεοῦ, ὀφείλων εἶναι ἐν αὐτῷ διὰ παντὸς, καὶ θερμότερον δακρύσεις.
79. YES, when you recognize your measure, you will be take pleasure in mourning, calling yourself, like Isaiah, wretched, like an unclean person with unclean lips, living in the midst of a people similarly [unclean] (Is 6:5) So how in the face of this can you stand boldly before the Lord Sabbaoth?.	ΟΘ´. Ναὶ μὴν ἐπιγινώσκων τὰ μέτρα σου, ἥδιον πενθήσεις, ταλανίζων ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὸν Ἡσαί̈αν, ὡς ἀκάθαρτος ὢν, καὶ ἀκαθαρτα χείλη ἔχων, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ τοιούτου ὑπάρχων, τουτέστιν ἐναντίων τολμᾷς Κυρίῳ Σαβαὼθ παρεστάναι.
80. IF you pray truly, you will find very great assurance and angels will accompany you as they did Daniel (Dan 7:6); and they will enlighten you concerning the logoi of what has come into being.	Π´. ̓Εὰν ἀληθῶς προσεύχῃ, πολλὴν πληροφορίαν εὑρήσεις, καὶ ἄγγελοι συνελεύσονταί σοι ὡς καὶ τῷ Δανιὴλ καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν γινομένων φωτιοῦσι.
81. KNOW that the holy angels urge us to pray and stand with us, rejoicing and praying for us.	ΠΑ´. Γίνωσκε, ὅτιπερ οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι προτρέπονται ἡμᾶς εἰς προσευχὴν, καὶ συμπαρίστανται ἡμῖν χαίροντες ἅμα, καὶ προσευχόμενοι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν·
But if we are negligent and [willingly] receive opposing [tempting-] thoughts *(logismoi)*, we greatly provoke them: since although they struggle for us, we are not willing even to supplicate God on our behalf, treating our own worship with contempt and abandoning their Lord and God to consort with unclean demons	ἐὰν οὖν ἀμελήσωμεν, καὶ δεξώμεθα λογισμοὺς ἐναντίους λίαν παροξύνομεν αὐτοὺς, ὅτιπερ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀγωνίζονται τοσοῦτον, ἡμεῖς δε οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν βουλόμεθα ἱκετεῦσαι τὸν Θεόν· ἀλλὰ καταφρονοῦντες τῆς αὐτῶν λειτουργίας, καὶ τὸν τούτων Θεὸν, καὶ Δεσπότην καταλιμπάνοντες δαίμοσιν ἀκαθάρτοις ἐντυγχάνομεν. ^[79.1185]
82. PRAY: [1] gently and [2] undisturbed, SING PSALMS: [1] with understanding and [2] good rhythm; then you will be like the young eagle borne aloft in the heights.	82. Προσεύχου ἐπιεικῶς καὶ ἀταράχως και ψάλλε συνετῶς καὶ εὐρύθμως, καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς νεοσσὸς ἀετοῦ ἐν ὕψει αἰρόμενος.
83. PSALMODY calms the passions and puts to rest the body’s disharmony; PRAYER arouses the nous to activate its own proper activity.	83. ̔Η μὲν ψαλμῳδία τὰ πάθη κατευνάζει καὶ τὴν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ σώματος ἠρεμεῖν ἀπεργάζεται· ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ ἐνεργεῖν παρασκευάζει τὸν νοῦν τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν.
84. PRAYER is the power befitting the dignity of the nous; it is the nous’ highest and purest power and function.	[84. Προσευχὴ ἐστὶ πρέπουσα ἐνέργεια τῇ ἀξίᾳ τοῦ νου,͂ ἤτοι ἡ κρείττων καὶ εἰλικρινὴς ἐνέργεια αὐτου καὶ χρῆσις.]
85. PSALMODY pertains to multiform wisdom; PRAYER is the prelude to immaterial and uniform knowledge.	85.̔Η μὲν ψαλμῳδία τῆς ποικίλης σοφίας ἐστὶν, ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ προοίμιόν ἐστι τῆς ἀύ̈λου, καὶ ἀποικίλου γνώσεως.
86. KNOWLEDGE has great beauty: it is the co-worker of prayer, awakening the intellectual power of the intellect to contemplation of divine knowledge.	86. ̔^[79.1185]Η γνῶσις, καλλίστη ὑπάρχει· συνεργὸς γάρ ἐστι τῆς προσευχῆς, τὴν νοερὰν δύναμιν τοῦ νοῦ διυπνίζουσα πρὸς θεωρίαν τῆς θείας γνώσεως.]
87. IF you have not yet received the gift of PRAYER or PSALMODY, persevere and you will receive it.	87. ^{[T17, 79.1185]} Εἰ οὔπω ἔλαβες χάρισμα προσευχῆς ἢ ψαλμῳδίας, ἐφέδρευσον καὶ λήψῃ.
88. HE told them a parable so that they would pray always and not lose heart (Lk 18:1). So neither lose heart nor be discouraged in the meantime if you do not receive [i.e. the gift of prayer or psalmody]; you will receive it later. And in the parable he continued, Even if I do not fear God or respect man, still, since this woman is a nuisance, I will judge her case. So too will God similarly avenge those who cry out to him night and day, and he will do it soon (Lk 18:4-8). So be of good cheer and persevere eagerly in holy prayer.	ΠΗ´. ̓́Ελεγε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς τὸ δεῖν αὐτοὺς πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν· οὐκοῦν μὴ ἐκκάκει τέως, μηδὲ ἀθύμει ὡς μὴ λαβών· λήψῃ γὰρ ὕστερον· καὶ ἐπήγαγε τῇ παραβολῇ, τό· < Εἰ γὰρ καὶ Θεὸν οὐ φοβοῦμαι, καὶ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐντρέπομαι, ἀλλά γε διὰ τὸ κόπους παρέχειν μοι τὴν γυναῖκα, ποιήσω τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῆς·> οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν βοώντων προς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐν τάχει. Εὐθύμει τοιγαροῦν προσκαρτερῶν ἐμπόνως τῇ ἁγιᾳ προσευχῇ.
89. YOU should not wish for things that concern you to take place as seems good to you, but rather as is pleasing to God. Then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your prayer.	89. Μὴ θέλε ὥς σοι δοκεῖ ἀλλ' ὡς Θεῷ ἀρέσκει γενέσθαι τὰ κατὰ σὲ, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀτάραχος, καὶ εὐχάριστος ἐν προσευχῇ σου.

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