Questions
Copy these questions into an email, provide brief answers, and send to Fr Charles who will comment on them. After you have received you comments, then you can go onto the next lesson.
Questions for Lesson 10: Prayer
Prayer in Orthodoxy is not merely something we do—it is our faith in action, a living encounter with God that heals the soul and draws us into deeper communion with Him. This chapter explores prayer as both outer practice and inner transformation, emphasizing stillness of heart, spiritual struggle, discipline, and the Jesus Prayer. Rooted in the life of the Church and supported by Holy Tradition, prayer becomes the path by which we learn to cooperate with God’s grace and grow toward union with Christ.
I. The Nature and Purpose of Prayer
1. What is prayer in Orthodox Christianity, and why is it understood as entering into communion with God rather than simply saying words or making requests?
2. Why is prayer considered central to the Orthodox way of life and essential for spiritual healing and transformation?
II. Inner and Outer Prayer
3. What is the difference between outer prayer (services, reading, spoken prayers) and inner prayer of the heart, and why are both necessary?
4. Why is stillness of mind and heart important in prayer, and what makes prayer difficult for most people?
III. Struggle, Watchfulness, and Discipline
5. How do distractions, passions, habits, and spiritual warfare affect prayer, and what does “guarding the heart” mean in this struggle?
6. Why does Orthodox spirituality emphasize repetition, discipline, and a daily prayer rule, and how do these practices help reshape both soul and mind?
IV. The Jesus Prayer
7. What is the Jesus Prayer, and why has it been central to Orthodox spiritual life for centuries?
8. How does repetition of the Jesus Prayer cultivate humility, repentance, inner stillness, and awareness of God’s presence?
V. Prayer in the Life of the Church
9. Why is prayer practiced within the life of the Church, and how do intercessory prayer, the saints, the Theotokos, icons, and relics reflect the communal nature of Orthodox prayer?
10. Why does Orthodoxy distinguish between worship offered to God alone and veneration offered to saints, icons, and relics?
VI. Living Prayerfully
11. How does daily prayer shape our thoughts, emotions, and choices, and how does it help us grow toward union with God?
12.What practical steps can you begin taking now to establish a prayer rule and begin a faithful daily prayer life?
Integrative Reflection Question
13. How does understanding prayer as communion with God—supported by stillness, discipline, the Jesus Prayer, and life in the Church—reshape your approach to daily spiritual life and your relationship with Christ?