Prayer Quote from your Prayer Fraternity

 

from  St. Isaac of Syria

 

When someone has become aware of the coming of divine help, and that it is this which aids and assists him (her), then at once his (her) heart is filled with faith, and from this he (she) understands that prayer is:

     --  the haven of help,

     --  the fountain of salvation,

     --  a treasury of assurance,

     --  a saving anchor in time of storm,

     --  an illumination to those in darkness,

     --  a staff for the weak,

     --  a shelter in time of trials,

     --  a source of recovery at the time of sickness,

     --  a shield of deliverance in war,  and

     --  an arrow sharpened in the face of enemies.

 

(St. Isaac of Syria lived in the 7th century, for a short time was Bishop of Nineveh before retiring to a monastic way of life.  He is one of the greatest spiritual writers of the Christian East and his influence on the Orthodox Church continues to be profound.   This quote is from The Heart of Compassion, Daily Readings with St. Isaac of Syria, edited by A.M.Allchin and translated from the Syriac by Sebastian Brock.)