Drive Out Despair With The Jesus Prayer - St. Barsanuphius of Optina

A brief but powerful word on defeating despair. Say "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me" even if your heart isn't devoted the Lord. As St. Barsanuphius says, "Always say the Jesus Prayer, and leave everything to the will of God.” An excerpt from "Elder Barsanuphius of Optina" by Victor Afanasiev, p. 454-456 📖 Read a lengthy portion of the book here, including the passage in this recording: http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/elderb... 📖 Elder Barsanuphius of Optina by Victor Afanasiev https://www.sainthermanmonastery.com/... 🎧 On the Jesus Prayer - St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia    • On the Jesus Prayer - St. Porphyrios of Ka...   🎧 Spiritual Medicine for the Spirit of Dejection - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk    • Spiritual Medicine for the Spirit of Dejec...   🎧 Difficulties in Prayer - St. John of Kronstadt    • Difficulties in Prayer - St. John of Krons...   ⛪ FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodox-world.org/ https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ St. Barsanuphius teaches: And I earnestly beg you—banish all images from your head and heart, that there might be only one image there—Christ’s. But how do you attain this? Again, by the Jesus Prayer. The other day one of our skete schema-monks came to see me. “I’ve fallen into despondency, Abba, since I don’t see in myself—in one who bears the exalted angelic habit—a change for the better. The Lord calls one strictly to account if he’s a monk or schema-monk only according to his clothing. But how can I change? How can I die to sin? I sense my total feebleness.” “Yes,” I replied, “we’re absolutely bankrupt, and if the Lord judges according to works, He will find nothing good in us.” “But is there hope for salvation then?” “Of course there is. Always say the Jesus Prayer, and leave everything to the will of God.” “But what kind of benefit can there be from this prayer if neither the mind nor the heart participates in it?” “Enormous benefit. Of course, this prayer has many subdivisions, from simple utterance to creative prayer. But for us, even if we were to be on the bottom step, it would be salvific. The powers of the enemy run from one who utters this prayer, and sooner or later he’ll be saved all the same.” “I’ve been resurrected!” the schema-monk exclaimed. “I won’t be despondent anymore.” And so I repeat: say the prayer, even if only with your lips, and the Lord will never abandon you. The utterance of this prayer doesn’t require the study of any kind of sciences. Count Leo Tolstoy was a man of well-rounded education, but he didn’t have Christ in his soul—and he perished. Earthly knowledge didn’t help him. He rejected the Holy Church—and was rejected. Now is a joyous time—Pascha. Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and on those in the tombs bestowing life. Who are “those in the tombs?” They are those sinful people who before were dead to God, but have been resurrected into new life through the death of Christ the Savior. ______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!