Why does the apostle call us to pray without ceasing?

St. Mark the Ascetic says, “Call upon God to open the eyes of your heart, so that you may see the value of prayer and of spiritual reading when understood and applied.”²⁸⁷

“Blessed Paul urges us not to neglect prayer for any reason, so he says, ‘pray without ceasing’ (1 Thess. 5:17). Moreover, he mentions discipline of thoughts [in prayer] when he says, ‘Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.’ (Rom. 12:2) … The apostle Paul directs us to the perfect will of God, wishing that we completely escape condemnation. And knowing that prayer helps us to obey all the commandments, he does not cease from advising us to pray by all means, saying, ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance’ (Eph. 6:18).”

285 St. John Cassian, The Conferences 9.2 (NPNF II/11:388).

286 St. John Cassian, The Conferences 9.3 (NPNF II/11:388).

287 St. Mark the Ascetic, “On the Spiritual Law, Two Hundred Texts” in The Philokalia: The Complete Text, Volume I , trans., G. E. H. Palmer et al., eds., Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain, and Makarios of Corinth (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1979) 7: p. 110.

“We should therefore set about our task, for by doing so and advancing steadily we will find that hope in God, sure faith, inner knowledge, release from temptations, gifts of grace, heartfelt confession and prolonged tears come to the faithful through prayer. For not only these blessings, but the patient acceptance of affliction, sincere forgiveness of our neighbor, knowledge of the spiritual law, the discovery of God's justice, frequent visitations of the Holy Spirit, the giving of spiritual treasures and all that God has promised to bestow to men of faith now and in the future age — in short, the manifestation of the soul in accordance with the image of God — can come only through God's grace and man's faith when. he guards his mind with great humility and undistracted prayer.”²⁸⁸

“If you understand what is said by St. Paul in a mystical sense, that ‘we wrestle … against spiritual wickedness’ (Eph. 6:12), you will also understand the parable of the Lord, which He spoke ‘to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to lose heart’ (Luke. 18:1).”²⁸⁹