To support our Monasteries on Mull and Iona, join our Online Community here mullmonastery.com/our-online-community/ Sign up for our 2025 Summer Pilgrimages to the Celtic Isles here mullmonastery.com/the-celtic-islands-pilgrimage/ Sign up for our 2025 Pilgrimage to Romania here shop.mullmonastery.com/product/pilgrimage-to-romania-2025/ To make a donation, click here mullmonastery.com/donation/ May God bless us all!
Please pray for my mom. She had a massive heart attack. Her name is Barbara. I would send a donation, but money is not available right now. I will donate when I have the means. God bless you.
Don't worry about making a donation, dear one. Focus on your mum and on those around you. Try to keep control over your pain and allow everyone the space to manifest their fear and pain. Pray in your heart and work acts of love and compassion with your hands. Christ will bless you for it. We are praying. St Barbara is an extraordinary Saint, one of the most powerful, beautiful of the early female saints.
My initial draw to Orthodoxy was the Jesus prayer. I used to dabble in new age meditation and practiced a lot of mantra meditation... Long story short, I very quickly got the the point where I was very mindlessly repeating the Jesus prayer, treating it as a magic mantra that could crank out "grace" the more I repeated it, chasing after spiritual experiences and idolizing them, rather than as a way to humble myself and deepen my relationship with the Living and personal God. I'm still trying to recover from this.
My story is similar. Just chasing “spiritual highs”. It’s a hard habit to break coming from new age when that’s basically the whole spiritual life for one who’s into occult stuff. Been a huge humbling lesson thus far. All the best bud
@danielreed823 If you meditate in your mind, fixing your thoughts upon some aspect of Christs life within the Jesus Prayer as you pray it, or upon some fault/ sin to overcome, this is filling your prayer with beauty or intention.
Being a convert to Orthodoxy you are truly a gift from God. I find your teachings very spiritually moving. God bless you and all Orthodox Christians. ☦️
12:14 I stopped smoking, taking snus and started praying, with a prayer book, but why does ist feel so difficult and hard to worship, if we are made to do so ? Why is it so hard to be on the right path 🤔 The best greetings from Germany and gods blessing ✌️☺️ And father, I do not get any happier, no one seem to be able to help me, I trust in the lord but my logic lacks the evidence that it is all true and I am not wasting my energy, love and life, I need indestructible prove that the lord is my way. (And I know that those who trust and don’t see are worthy, but it is difficult father) God bless you🥰
How powerful. My father is agnostic and worships nature's beauty but refuses to worship the maker. God grant me the wisdom to recover my father before his days are over...
The Church has carefully tested and preserved for us all the spiritual tools of those who struggled before us. She is placing before our eyes the failures of those who led themselves, and the virtue of those who have learnt how to fight spiritually from their ancestors with patience and humility. The choice is always ours, always free. May we all have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, dear one.
Glory to God. This video startled me in a good way. I have been satisfied with my state, prayer and worship thinking I’m safe and nothing can hurt me. Like I am immune but i now realize that spiritual life is not just a walk in the park but a battle. And that the evil one is constantly looking for ways to bring us all down. Thank you father and please pray for me.
There’s potential self sufficiency in doing just that and thinking it’s the best prayer - how do we know which voice is talking to us? Is what Father is warning us about. And are we to judge what is pleasing to the Lord as best prayer? The safest prayer is that blessed by our Spiritual Father and aligned to the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church. May Lord keep us under the shelter of His Wings 🙏🏻
I use the Orthodox prayers Father. I am afraid to pray with my own words. I don't want to upset God. Most of all, I want to be Orthodox. My wife Cathy not so. Thank you for teaching us.
❤❤DANIEL, THIS IS LINDA. I am using my husband's phone and I am being lazy and not frwdng this video to my phone first. I haven't seen it this video yet. It just started and I was looking at comments and found yours. I don't seem to get to watch many Orthodox videos lately. But I seem to be on these 2 phones a lot for other reasons. BOTTOM LINE::: I HAVE WONDERED how you were and what has been happening because I haven't seen anything posted from you in a long time. I will leave it at that for right now. So glad to see that you are here.. I don't know what dear Fr. Seraphim will say, but I do know in my own way that I have learned and sensed to be careful with prayer. I don't check this phone as much as mine, so don't be surprised if I don't respond quickly. ☦️💜📿💜☦️
Go and be Orthodox, pray for your wife and set for her an example. Talk to God about your wife more than talking to your wife about Orthodoxy, and show her Orthodoxy by your changed life! It will be difficult, but when we stand before Christ in judgment we will have no excuse. Praying for you and your wife!
I have been trying to force myself to pray more, and have realized it has not been taking me where I want to go. This explains so much. Truly grateful for your time and your willingness to share your wisdom. Be blessed dear father 🌻❤️
Yes. I'm learning to stick to the prayer rule my spiritual father gave me and not deviate from it, either to the left or to the right. Just making sure I actually pray what I've been prescribed, and nothing more or less.
Father, I have been watching your videos for a couple years now. And because of my pride and sin it took your gentleness those two years to let me allow the Holy Spirit to touch my heart. And now I rejoice in my Lord Jesus Christ and give Him thanks that He used you to let me know of His true nature. I am starting my process of catechism. Father, please pray for me that I may rely on Christ in all things, and to run from my own will which knows nothing but sin.
If only I could set a phone to be ready for me around this time, I would never struggle with these video, dear one. I am aware that these conversations lack structure, but we have never set out to preach or teach anyone anything. All we do is give witness to the teachings of the Church and we share our (very limited) experience in the hope that people will respond with love and will support our lives and our work here, in the Scottish islands.
Thank you Father, at first I was bitter in my heart towards this teaching, but I see now it was conviction and I haven't been praying right recently. Please pray for me because I'm struggling to keep my soul in check recently. I hope you are well and the Lord keeps you. God bless.
This has been immensely helpful and no doubt another sign from Our Heavenly Father I’ve been wanting to boost my prayer life and graduate to a state where I can spend more of my night in prayer ( since I don’t sleep at night and being inspired by the great ascetics who spent their nights in prayer ) but the last few days I have getting messages after messages to be very careful and only to be done under the watchful eye of my spiritual father Thank you Father Seraphim and to all your brothers and sisters at the monastery for all that you do May it be blessed 🌴🌴🌴
Your spiritual father needs to know and bless anything that may expose you to additional spiritual dangers, dear one. They don't need to micromanage your prayer, nor your night vigil, but you need to place your struggle under the protection of their prayer. This will keep you humble and safe from pride and self-delusion.
@@mullmonastery thank you very much for taking the time to respond to me. I immensely appreciate it and will take your advice and guidance to heart PS if you’re wondering why I placed palms in my comment the answer is threefold- 1. it’s a sign of peace that one gets from observing palms quietly swaying in the wind 2. It being my way for Our Lord Yeshua to bless our interaction by laying “palm reeds” before Him just as it was when arrived in Jerusalem 3. To lay reeds of palm for Him for His impending return to us all
Thank you, Father, for this insightful message. Your words are truly valuable. This is the first video of yours I've watched, and I'm now a subscriber. Reading the Holy Bible brings me so much peace, and I recently started reading the Philokalia-it’s been mind-blowing.I feel like I'm doing so many things wrong and I have so many questions.. I will pray for clarity and discerment. May Jesus Christ have mercy on us all. Amen
Your blessing father! I pray that the winter is not too harsh over there this season and may the monastery be absorbed in loving worship and prayer during this time!! May the Most Holy Mother of God abide with you all!
The Sayings of the Fathers (and Mothers) of the Desert of Egypt are good to read on this subject. God bless. Mainly posting this for the system to know this video is useful. What's important is in the video.
Thank you Father for this beautiful and very clear addition or explanation of your last video! Thank you so much for caring and for speaking this important truth with much love.🌻 Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as 😢we pray for you and all those with you!🎉❤
I don't play nearly as much as i should, but once I prayed that the war in Ukraine ends. That was end it started. I stopped because The Lord sent an angel to help the Prophet Daniel and it took the angel quite a while because he had to fight demon. So I figured it would end when it's time. Then November of 2023, I had abscessed tooth. The fleshy middle was exposed and I prayed to have the strength to endure the pain. It didn't hurt at all, and everyone told me that it should hurt, but it didn't.
Thank you, Father, for this word of caution! May God guide us in the proper way to pray! Father, I wonder, can we purchase your beautiful mugs online????
Denominations separate with personal interpretations etc., and have been a source of division even in Peter and Paul's time with the birth of The Christian Church. Good message!
its generous that you reply to so many of us, i know that a bunch of these comments were so long ago, may i ask, when you talk about theology and correct knowledge of God. may i be able to read this out of books and then pray? or would it help to read the bible before prayer? that is to read the word of God such as Jesus' teachings and then pray focusing on His words as He is the Word of God.. God bless you
Father, may I ask a question? When I pray, I try not pray for myself unless it's for forgiveness, I always try to pray for others first. When I'm struggling, which I always am, I ask God only that his will be done and for his intersession in my life. It feels wrong for me to ask God for actual things, like good health or a job for example, although I will ask him to help others if it's within his will. I guess what I'm trying say is that I'm afraid of asking God to do specific things because I know he has plans for us, and I don't dare assume I know what the best course of action is. For example, if God gives someone a burden, is it wrong for me to pray that their burden be lifted? Does that make sense? Sometimes I keep my prayers vauge because I just don't want to be presumptuous in front of God, who knows what's best for us all. I'm sorry, I hope that makes sense.
Father, I am beginning an inquiry to Orthodoxy but would ask this question- how can I strengthen my prayer? I know I am the greatest among sinners, the least deserving of His love and forgiveness. I try in my heart to pray from a position of humility and repentance, and give myself to God and His will and ask Him to guide me so that I may point to Him in all that I do. But… I worry about exposing myself to other spiritual entities and allowing them into my life as you said in this video. What can I do to ensure that I am praying correctly?
How should I pray I have no church I try and ask the holy spirt to guide me I prayed before I watched this that it would teach me to pray but I don't want to be my own guide and so deep in my own self delusion is it better for me to not pray at all or Find a church
Dear one, if you humble yourself and pray with the prayers of the saints (in Orthodox prayer books) you will be well. Jesus loves you. Ask Him to help you. He is faithful and merciful. 8:15
There are many sources, but not on the topic as we have structured it, dear one. The fact that we are created in the image of God and our gradual becoming into that image is basic Orthodox theology. And then there are countless examples of monastics and lay people who have failed in their spiritual lives because they have become their own guides - horrid stories about falls so violent that their souls became possessed by the evil one. Any collection of monastic literature will give you such examples, from the stories of the Desert Fathers to the more recent lives of the fathers who lived in the Kiev Caves.
dear holy Father Seraphim! I think you are saying we should always be bringing our prayers to the crucified Christ --is that because then we cannot miss that our sinfulness contributed and contributes to the crucifixion of Christ? How do we make sure we bring our prayers to the crucified Christ? I am trying to learn how concretely I can avoid bad prayers. It is so easy while I am praying to suddenly remember how my neighbor has wronged me and then I am all focused on that yet the words of prayer are coming out of my mouth. I don't even think I have succeeded in formulating a question. I hope it is still somehow clear what I am asking.
Hello, father. I have been thinking and praying, and I think I got a "call" as some might say for a monastic life. Could you maybe give me some help with this, since I do not know much about monastic life. I don't even know if it's the evil one trying to trick me into pride. Please help🙏
I have a question. I am Orthodox (ROCOR). Father, I pray formal prayers (from a prayer book) morning, night and throughout the day ( Saints Prayers, Jesus prayer and Lord prayers). But I also sometimes pray "informally" prayers, like, thanking God for specific blessings I've received that day, pouring out what I am struggling with, asking for guidance ect.. (I do this at the end of my formal prayers). Is that OK?
You can get an Orthodox prayer book, they are small and don't cost too much. Another option is to get the Orthodox Study Bible, it contains many prayers inside of it as well.
To those dear ones falling into despondency. Despondency is merely one of the many spirits which wish you to partake of it, instead of Christ. Cast out that despondency with the Jesus Prayer. Cling to Christ. Hope in His Grace. Dear Father in Heaven, forgive me a sinner. May these words be correct and true and if not, delete this comment and pray for me to be corrected.
At times, that can happen, dear one. A person may fall in some spiritual sin and learn from his / her fall; such a person becomes more experienced and, in time, with humility and patience, he may become one of the great saints of Christ. A different person may never learn from his / her falls - such a person becomes 'perfected' in pride, self-sufficiency, condemnation of others etc to the point that they end up reflecting the darkness of the evil one. This is why a guide is essential in the spiritual life, the presence of someone who can point out to us when we go astray.
@@mullmonastery I feel in this,for more then a year im stuck in some weird cycle to the point i have big mental problems,and my prayers are not the same,would you reccomend something?
I ask for your forgiveness for that, dear one. It is never about not being 'bothered' to reply. It is about time and about my personal struggle to retain some control over my peace. I am a monk, not a missionary,, and what we do - this public work of our videos and everything connected - is more than enough for a monastic. I pray for you, as I pray for everyone. I pray primarily that Christ leads you (and everyone else) to a good parish priest who can take you further, in person, in your spiritual life.
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May God bless us all!
Father, do you sell your pottery online? I would love to buy something.
I’m a new Orthodox convert formally Pentecostal thank you so much for this guidance may the lord Jesus and his mercy keep you well
Please pray for my mom. She had a massive heart attack. Her name is Barbara. I would send a donation, but money is not available right now. I will donate when I have the means. God bless you.
Don't worry about making a donation, dear one. Focus on your mum and on those around you. Try to keep control over your pain and allow everyone the space to manifest their fear and pain. Pray in your heart and work acts of love and compassion with your hands. Christ will bless you for it. We are praying. St Barbara is an extraordinary Saint, one of the most powerful, beautiful of the early female saints.
@@mullmonastery Thank you father. May God bring you the necessities to continue the beautiful ministry you share with all of us. 🙏🙏🙏
God , please have mercy on your child Barbara and help her to recover if it is Your will❤
Please God, help Barbara! ❤
Dear Father in Heaven please be with Barbara and her family at this trying time and guide and assist the medical personnel involved. AMEN.
My initial draw to Orthodoxy was the Jesus prayer. I used to dabble in new age meditation and practiced a lot of mantra meditation... Long story short, I very quickly got the the point where I was very mindlessly repeating the Jesus prayer, treating it as a magic mantra that could crank out "grace" the more I repeated it, chasing after spiritual experiences and idolizing them, rather than as a way to humble myself and deepen my relationship with the Living and personal God. I'm still trying to recover from this.
I wonder if the Jesus Prayer can be recited as a form of devotion to God ?
My story is similar. Just chasing “spiritual highs”. It’s a hard habit to break coming from new age when that’s basically the whole spiritual life for one who’s into occult stuff. Been a huge humbling lesson thus far. All the best bud
@@danielreed823absolutely yes
@danielreed823 If you meditate in your mind, fixing your thoughts upon some aspect of Christs life within the Jesus Prayer as you pray it, or upon some fault/ sin to overcome, this is filling your prayer with beauty or intention.
Being a convert to Orthodoxy you are truly a gift from God. I find your teachings very spiritually moving. God bless you and all Orthodox Christians. ☦️
How did you convert? Are you in UK? 🙏
12:14 I stopped smoking, taking snus and started praying, with a prayer book, but why does ist feel so difficult and hard to worship, if we are made to do so ?
Why is it so hard to be on the right path 🤔
The best greetings from Germany and gods blessing ✌️☺️
And father, I do not get any happier, no one seem to be able to help me, I trust in the lord but my logic lacks the evidence that it is all true and I am not wasting my energy, love and life, I need indestructible prove that the lord is my way.
(And I know that those who trust and don’t see are worthy, but it is difficult father)
God bless you🥰
How powerful. My father is agnostic and worships nature's beauty but refuses to worship the maker. God grant me the wisdom to recover my father before his days are over...
Pray for him
I understand father the Church is our protector and without her there is no guarantee for us
The Church has carefully tested and preserved for us all the spiritual tools of those who struggled before us. She is placing before our eyes the failures of those who led themselves, and the virtue of those who have learnt how to fight spiritually from their ancestors with patience and humility. The choice is always ours, always free. May we all have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, dear one.
Please pray for my family, that we find peace. Also that my mother recover from her heart problem!
✝️ CHRIST IS RISEN ☀️
GOD BE WITH US AND PROTECTS US AGAINST EVIL ✝🙏💪🕊️❤
Truly He is risen! May Christ hear your prayer and protect us all
Glory to God. This video startled me in a good way. I have been satisfied with my state, prayer and worship thinking I’m safe and nothing can hurt me. Like I am immune but i now realize that spiritual life is not just a walk in the park but a battle. And that the evil one is constantly looking for ways to bring us all down. Thank you father and please pray for me.
Peace be with you father.
May Christ's peace be with all of us, dear one.
The Best Prayer is to Sit Still and Listen 😊❤
There’s potential self sufficiency in doing just that and thinking it’s the best prayer - how do we know which voice is talking to us? Is what Father is warning us about. And are we to judge what is pleasing to the Lord as best prayer? The safest prayer is that blessed by our Spiritual Father and aligned to the Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church. May Lord keep us under the shelter of His Wings 🙏🏻
I use the Orthodox prayers Father. I am afraid to pray with my own words. I don't want to upset God. Most of all, I want to be Orthodox. My wife Cathy not so. Thank you for teaching us.
❤❤DANIEL, THIS IS LINDA. I am using my husband's phone and I am being lazy and not frwdng this video to my phone first. I haven't seen it this video yet. It just started and I was looking at comments and found yours.
I don't seem to get to watch many Orthodox videos lately. But I seem to be on these 2 phones a lot for other reasons. BOTTOM LINE::: I HAVE WONDERED how you were and what has been happening because I haven't seen anything posted from you in a long time.
I will leave it at that for right now. So glad to see that you are here..
I don't know what dear Fr. Seraphim will say, but I do know in my own way that I have learned and sensed to be careful with prayer.
I don't check this phone as much as mine, so don't be surprised if I don't respond quickly. ☦️💜📿💜☦️
Go and be Orthodox, pray for your wife and set for her an example. Talk to God about your wife more than talking to your wife about Orthodoxy, and show her Orthodoxy by your changed life! It will be difficult, but when we stand before Christ in judgment we will have no excuse. Praying for you and your wife!
God is Love
I have been trying to force myself to pray more, and have realized it has not been taking me where I want to go. This explains so much.
Truly grateful for your time and your willingness to share your wisdom. Be blessed dear father 🌻❤️
Yes. I'm learning to stick to the prayer rule my spiritual father gave me and not deviate from it, either to the left or to the right. Just making sure I actually pray what I've been prescribed, and nothing more or less.
Father, I have been watching your videos for a couple years now. And because of my pride and sin it took your gentleness those two years to let me allow the Holy Spirit to touch my heart. And now I rejoice in my Lord Jesus Christ and give Him thanks that He used you to let me know of His true nature. I am starting my process of catechism. Father, please pray for me that I may rely on Christ in all things, and to run from my own will which knows nothing but sin.
Thank you for this beautiful word Father. Pray for me a sinner. ☦️
Thank you, father Seraphim.
Maica Domnului sa va intareasca Parinte cu Sf Manastire si cu maicutele🙏
Amin!!❤
feels like a 3am conversation, check. Good one.
If only I could set a phone to be ready for me around this time, I would never struggle with these video, dear one. I am aware that these conversations lack structure, but we have never set out to preach or teach anyone anything. All we do is give witness to the teachings of the Church and we share our (very limited) experience in the hope that people will respond with love and will support our lives and our work here, in the Scottish islands.
@@mullmonasterythis is a wonderful and organic format that feels easy to ingest - thank you!
@@mullmonastery I just meant it was easy to picture myself painting pottery next to you in the middle of the night. Makarios H
Thank you Father, at first I was bitter in my heart towards this teaching, but I see now it was conviction and I haven't been praying right recently. Please pray for me because I'm struggling to keep my soul in check recently. I hope you are well and the Lord keeps you. God bless.
Faith vs. Fear. Fear is praying for what you do not want 😊❤
This has been immensely helpful and no doubt another sign from Our Heavenly Father
I’ve been wanting to boost my prayer life and graduate to a state where I can spend more of my night in prayer ( since I don’t sleep at night and being inspired by the great ascetics who spent their nights in prayer ) but the last few days I have getting messages after messages to be very careful and only to be done under the watchful eye of my spiritual father
Thank you Father Seraphim and to all your brothers and sisters at the monastery for all that you do
May it be blessed
🌴🌴🌴
Your spiritual father needs to know and bless anything that may expose you to additional spiritual dangers, dear one. They don't need to micromanage your prayer, nor your night vigil, but you need to place your struggle under the protection of their prayer. This will keep you humble and safe from pride and self-delusion.
@@mullmonastery thank you very much for taking the time to respond to me. I immensely appreciate it and will take your advice and guidance to heart
PS if you’re wondering why I placed palms in my comment the answer is threefold-
1. it’s a sign of peace that one gets from observing palms quietly swaying in the wind
2. It being my way for Our Lord Yeshua to bless our interaction by laying “palm reeds” before Him just as it was when arrived in Jerusalem
3. To lay reeds of palm for Him for His impending return to us all
You look great father, theres an ambient and a glow. Please pray for me father thank you 🙏
Thank you, Father, for this insightful message. Your words are truly valuable. This is the first video of yours I've watched, and I'm now a subscriber. Reading the Holy Bible brings me so much peace, and I recently started reading the Philokalia-it’s been mind-blowing.I feel like I'm doing so many things wrong and I have so many questions.. I will pray for clarity and discerment. May Jesus Christ have mercy on us all. Amen
Please everyone pray for me that my prayer becomes better
Thak for your words. Amén, Amén, Amén
Glory be to God for all He sends our way, dear one.
@@mullmonastery ❤
Thank you for your courage and honesty. Please continue being truthful against despondency.
Greetings from Bulgaria
Your blessing father! I pray that the winter is not too harsh over there this season and may the monastery be absorbed in loving worship and prayer during this time!! May the Most Holy Mother of God abide with you all!
The Sayings of the Fathers (and Mothers) of the Desert of Egypt are good to read on this subject.
God bless. Mainly posting this for the system to know this video is useful. What's important is in the video.
❤ I'm so happy to see you , dear father!!
Thank you for warning father. I got baptised last year but haven't had much instruction. Priest went back to home country
Please pray for me father I am in deep struggle
Thank you. Amazing, I've never heard of the dangers of prayer before.
Thank you for your teachings leading many to orthodoxy.
Thank you father 🙏❤
Thank you Father for this beautiful and very clear addition or explanation of your last video! Thank you so much for caring and for speaking this important truth with much love.🌻 Please continue to keep us all in your prayers as 😢we pray for you and all those with you!🎉❤
I don't play nearly as much as i should, but once I prayed that the war in Ukraine ends. That was end it started. I stopped because The Lord sent an angel to help the Prophet Daniel and it took the angel quite a while because he had to fight demon. So I figured it would end when it's time.
Then November of 2023, I had abscessed tooth. The fleshy middle was exposed and I prayed to have the strength to endure the pain.
It didn't hurt at all, and everyone told me that it should hurt, but it didn't.
Thank you, Father. Really clear.
Thank you for your videos father.
Your videos teach me well, im saving this for later
Thank God for all good things in our lives. Please remember us in your prayers, dear one.
@@mullmonastery I will try my best
Father Bless. Than you.
Thank you ❤
Thank you for this video. I didn't understand this about meditation years ago but wholly agree with you. God bless!
Thank you!
I love your videos so much. Thankyou.
How unworthy I am to speak to God
AMEN
How true, thank you
❤️
Thank you, Father, for this word of caution! May God guide us in the proper way to pray!
Father, I wonder, can we purchase your beautiful mugs online????
Very good video. I as concerned at the start haha but you have the spirit of truth.
TY
Denominations separate with personal interpretations etc., and have been a source of
division even in Peter and Paul's time with the birth of The Christian Church. Good message!
its generous that you reply to so many of us, i know that a bunch of these comments were so long ago, may i ask, when you talk about theology and correct knowledge of God. may i be able to read this out of books and then pray? or would it help to read the bible before prayer?
that is to read the word of God such as Jesus' teachings and then pray focusing on His words as He is the Word of God..
God bless you
Father, may I ask a question? When I pray, I try not pray for myself unless it's for forgiveness, I always try to pray for others first. When I'm struggling, which I always am, I ask God only that his will be done and for his intersession in my life. It feels wrong for me to ask God for actual things, like good health or a job for example, although I will ask him to help others if it's within his will. I guess what I'm trying say is that I'm afraid of asking God to do specific things because I know he has plans for us, and I don't dare assume I know what the best course of action is. For example, if God gives someone a burden, is it wrong for me to pray that their burden be lifted? Does that make sense? Sometimes I keep my prayers vauge because I just don't want to be presumptuous in front of God, who knows what's best for us all. I'm sorry, I hope that makes sense.
❤❤❤
Why am i scared that in the past or recently i have been unknowingly receiving answers from the evil one without knowing, how would i discern that?
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
❤🧡💛🙏💛🧡❤
Father, I am beginning an inquiry to Orthodoxy but would ask this question- how can I strengthen my prayer? I know I am the greatest among sinners, the least deserving of His love and forgiveness. I try in my heart to pray from a position of humility and repentance, and give myself to God and His will and ask Him to guide me so that I may point to Him in all that I do. But… I worry about exposing myself to other spiritual entities and allowing them into my life as you said in this video. What can I do to ensure that I am praying correctly?
Can you pray for me olechka
I like these videos of you in the distance 🙂❤✌️🙏 🦘🦘
How should I pray I have no church I try and ask the holy spirt to guide me I prayed before I watched this that it would teach me to pray but I don't want to be my own guide and so deep in my own self delusion is it better for me to not pray at all or Find a church
Dear one, if you humble yourself and pray with the prayers of the saints (in Orthodox prayer books) you will be well. Jesus loves you. Ask Him to help you. He is faithful and merciful. 8:15
Fr. Seraphim, do you have any additional sources where I could read up on this?
There are many sources, but not on the topic as we have structured it, dear one. The fact that we are created in the image of God and our gradual becoming into that image is basic Orthodox theology. And then there are countless examples of monastics and lay people who have failed in their spiritual lives because they have become their own guides - horrid stories about falls so violent that their souls became possessed by the evil one. Any collection of monastic literature will give you such examples, from the stories of the Desert Fathers to the more recent lives of the fathers who lived in the Kiev Caves.
prayer can be dangerous but imagine that some people are doing psychedelics... God have mercy.
dear holy Father Seraphim! I think you are saying we should always be bringing our prayers to the crucified Christ --is that because then we cannot miss that our sinfulness contributed and contributes to the crucifixion of Christ? How do we make sure we bring our prayers to the crucified Christ? I am trying to learn how concretely I can avoid bad prayers. It is so easy while I am praying to suddenly remember how my neighbor has wronged me and then I am all focused on that yet the words of prayer are coming out of my mouth. I don't even think I have succeeded in formulating a question. I hope it is still somehow clear what I am asking.
So if im feeling anger or prideful in the moment i should avoid praying?
Hello, father. I have been thinking and praying, and I think I got a "call" as some might say for a monastic life. Could you maybe give me some help with this, since I do not know much about monastic life. I don't even know if it's the evil one trying to trick me into pride. Please help🙏
I have a question. I am Orthodox (ROCOR). Father, I pray formal prayers (from a prayer book) morning, night and throughout the day ( Saints Prayers, Jesus prayer and Lord prayers). But I also sometimes pray "informally" prayers, like, thanking God for specific blessings I've received that day, pouring out what I am struggling with, asking for guidance ect.. (I do this at the end of my formal prayers). Is that OK?
18:40 That rhymed! ❤
How can I learn to pray correctly in the Orthodox tradition please?
You can get an Orthodox prayer book, they are small and don't cost too much. Another option is to get the Orthodox Study Bible, it contains many prayers inside of it as well.
what does it mean to be a chosen one?
do they speak a different language in Iona?
Father, can I find some sign in my spiritual life that will tell me that I am praying with humility?
Self-judgement without despondency, and lack of judgement towards others.
@@mullmonastery Thank you, father. Please help me God to write it into my heart.
What to do if you made a prayer, or prayed in a way that you regret?
Pray psalm 91.
To those dear ones falling into despondency. Despondency is merely one of the many spirits which wish you to partake of it, instead of Christ. Cast out that despondency with the Jesus Prayer. Cling to Christ. Hope in His Grace. Dear Father in Heaven, forgive me a sinner. May these words be correct and true and if not, delete this comment and pray for me to be corrected.
:)
Does this mean we can lose our salvation forever if this happens?
At times, that can happen, dear one. A person may fall in some spiritual sin and learn from his / her fall; such a person becomes more experienced and, in time, with humility and patience, he may become one of the great saints of Christ. A different person may never learn from his / her falls - such a person becomes 'perfected' in pride, self-sufficiency, condemnation of others etc to the point that they end up reflecting the darkness of the evil one. This is why a guide is essential in the spiritual life, the presence of someone who can point out to us when we go astray.
@@mullmonastery I feel in this,for more then a year im stuck in some weird cycle to the point i have big mental problems,and my prayers are not the same,would you reccomend something?
Intention.
I have emailed you Father and you never bothered to reply?
I ask for your forgiveness for that, dear one. It is never about not being 'bothered' to reply. It is about time and about my personal struggle to retain some control over my peace. I am a monk, not a missionary,, and what we do - this public work of our videos and everything connected - is more than enough for a monastic. I pray for you, as I pray for everyone. I pray primarily that Christ leads you (and everyone else) to a good parish priest who can take you further, in person, in your spiritual life.