Even a hasty prayer…

by Father Thomas Kulp

Our Heavenly Father rejoices in our every gesture towards salvation, no matter how small or insignificant. It may seem that our faith is weak and that our efforts to serve God are not so impressive. However, it is wrong to think that, simply because we cannot do something great and important for God, we might just as well do nothing at all. No! None of us is too busy to offer up a prayer or two during the day, to speak a word of kindness to a discouraged friend, or to greet a stranger with a smile. Even to read a short verse of Scripture and to reflect on the goodness of God are far from futile things.

Truly God takes into account all of the little things that we do. For every good word, for every good deed, or for every upright entreaty that we offer up to God, we will receive reward of a hundredfold. It is not that the All-Perfect God needs anything from us. Our laziness in doing nothing good does not detract from the Author of all goodness. It is we who suffer if we do not take advantage of every opportunity that God gives us to draw closer to Him.

Our words, thoughts, and actions also have a much greater effect on the lives of others than we generally realize. Sometimes the smallest gesture of kindness and compassion will draw someone away from the path of destruction. Perhaps a single good deed in and of itself cannot accomplish much. But these small and simple acts of kindness taken together over the course of time may eventually help others, and certainly they can become the building-blocks of our own salvation.

Let me illustrate how important small things are in our spiritual lives—even a hasty prayer said on the spur of the moment—by citing an incident from the life of an Orthodox monk. It seems that this monk was overcome by the desire for some dried fish. As there was none in his monastery, he decided to go to the market to get some. He knew that this desire was wrong, since a monk should be content with what he has. Moreover, he well knew that the marketplace was filled with temptations. Nonetheless, unable to resist his desire, he set out.

On the way to the market, the monk suddenly remembered the prayer rope in his pocket and decided that it would be good for him to offer up a short prayer to God, the usual one used by Orthodox monks, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Having done so, he continued on his way. He had gone only a short distance when, in front of him, a cart-load of tubs came tumbling down on his path, just missing him. Had he been in their path a moment sooner, he would undoubtedly have been killed.

That night as he slept, a Heavenly visitor appeared to the monk and explained to him the significance of what had happened. The monk's failure to resist temptation had given Satan a chance to destroy him. Fortunately, his Guardian Angel foresaw the impending disaster and put into the monk's mind the thought of prayer. It was his brief prayer on the spur of the moment which had delayed him and thus saved him from a certain death. Thus we see that even a hasty turning towards God, when the desire comes upon us, can reap abundant rewards.

We must never neglect to do whatever little good lies within our power. We must not turn a deaf ear to the prompting of our consciences or reject any opportunity, however insignificant, to raise our hearts and minds towards God, whether through a good word, a kind gesture, or a hasty prayer. We are enjoined by Scripture to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, in the awareness that we shall all be judged one day according to the quality of our spiritual lives and the good things that we have done here on earth. Today is the day of salvation. Tomorrow may be too late!

 

Source: Orthodox Tradition, Vol. X (1993), No. 2, pp. 52-53.