HOW TO PRAY WHEN THERE IS NO LIFE IN YOU. HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR WAY BACK TO LIFE, BACK TO CHRIST?

Summary

In this heartfelt video, the speaker addresses the struggle of feeling spiritually dead, a sentiment that resonates with many. Drawing from Orthodox and Catholic teachings, the speaker emphasizes the importance of the body in spiritual asceticism, suggesting that even when one's mind and heart seem lifeless, the body can serve as a lifeline through acts like prayer and fasting. The speaker also discusses the concept of 'scaffolding' in prayer, urging viewers to hold onto physical acts of devotion when their inner life falters. The message concludes with encouragement to avoid despair, as God allows such trials knowing we have the strength to overcome them, and to learn from the ascetical practices of the Saints.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The speaker addresses the audience with a prayer for safety and health, highlighting the importance of addressing the feeling of being 'dead inside'.
• 📚 The speaker draws from the teachings of the Fathers and personal experience to offer guidance on dealing with the feeling of spiritual and emotional emptiness.
• 🏜 The script emphasizes the importance of the body in spiritual practice, especially when one's mind and emotions feel 'dead', suggesting physical acts like prostrations can serve as a form of prayer.
• 🧘 The concept of asceticism is presented as vital for spiritual survival, using the body as a 'scaffolding' for prayer and connection with God when the mind and heart are not responsive.
• 🤲 The speaker refutes the idea that the body is inherently evil, arguing instead that it can be a tool for salvation when used with wisdom and discernment.
• 🕊 The body is described as a 'safe haven' and an 'instrument' that can help in prayer, especially when mental and emotional faculties are not cooperating.
• 🛌 The script talks about the power of fasting as a form of non-action that can eventually lead to spiritual cleansing and the return of love and feeling loved by God.
• 🚶 The lives of the Saints are cited as examples of extreme physical practices that can make sense in the context of spiritual struggle and the use of the body in prayer.
• 🌅 The speaker encourages the audience to always orient themselves towards God, associating thoughts and emotions with love, hope, joy, and light to avoid spiritual despondency.
• 🛡 The importance of rejecting dark thoughts and emotions, no matter how insignificant they may seem, is stressed to prevent them from taking root and controlling one's life.
• 💎 Even in the face of spiritual death, the speaker assures that God's allowance of such a state is a blessing, indicating that He has provided the grace and strength to overcome it.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the video script?

The main topic discussed in the video script is dealing with the feeling of being spiritually dead or experiencing a state of despondency and despair, and how to use one's body and asceticism to overcome this state.

What does the speaker suggest as a way to deal with the feeling of being dead inside?

The speaker suggests using the body as a means of prayer and asceticism, such as bowing, prostrating, and fasting, to help deal with the feeling of being spiritually dead inside.

Why does the speaker emphasize the importance of the body in spiritual struggle?

The speaker emphasizes the importance of the body because, in the state of spiritual desolation where thoughts and emotions are dead, the body can serve as a 'scaffolding' to maintain a connection with God and a means to pray.

What is the role of asceticism in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions as described in the script?

Asceticism, as described in the script, plays a vital role in the Orthodox and Catholic traditions as a means to discipline the body and soul, helping individuals to stay connected with God during times of spiritual darkness.

How does the speaker describe the relationship between the body, brain, and heart in the context of sin?

The speaker describes that the body by itself cannot sin; it requires the participation of the brain or heart. However, the heart and brain can sin without the body, highlighting the body as a potentially safe haven in spiritual struggles.

What is the significance of the 'scaffolding' metaphor used by the speaker?

The 'scaffolding' metaphor signifies the structure or framework that holds up the spiritual life when the inner life, represented by the heart and brain, has collapsed. It suggests holding onto physical acts of prayer and asceticism as a means to maintain spiritual life.

What are some examples of ascetical practices mentioned in the script?

Some examples of ascetical practices mentioned in the script include prayer with the body, such as bowing and prostrating, fasting, standing in prayer through the night, and living in extreme conditions like towers or caves.

How does the speaker view the role of emotions and thoughts in spiritual life?

The speaker views emotions and thoughts as potentially unreliable in spiritual life, as they can fail or work against an individual during times of spiritual struggle. Therefore, reliance on the body and asceticism is suggested as a more stable path.

What advice does the speaker give to prevent falling back into spiritual despondency?

The speaker advises always orienting oneself towards God, love, hope, joy, and light, and to reject any dark thoughts and emotions, no matter how insignificant they may seem, to prevent falling back into spiritual despondency.

What is the speaker's view on the human essence in relation to the brain and emotions?

The speaker asserts that human essence is not defined by the brain or emotions but by the image of God imprinted in every individual, emphasizing that all humans are equally valuable regardless of their mental or emotional capacity.

How does the speaker encourage the audience to use their bodies in times of spiritual struggle?

The speaker encourages the audience to use their bodies as a tool for salvation, suggesting practices like fasting, physical prayer, and asceticism, as a means to reconnect with God and overcome spiritual struggles.

Outlines

00:00

🙏 Overcoming Spiritual Desolation

The speaker addresses the audience with concern for their well-being and acknowledges the widespread feelings of being 'dead inside.' They share insights from religious teachings and personal experience on dealing with this spiritual temptation. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the body as a tool for asceticism and prayer, especially when one's mind and emotions are not responsive. They suggest physical acts like bowing and prostrating as ways to connect with God even when one feels spiritually lifeless.

05:06

🏗️ The Scaffolding of Prayer

This paragraph delves into the metaphor of scaffolding as a means to maintain spiritual structure amidst personal collapse. The speaker advises holding onto physical prayer and fasting as a way to cleanse the soul and mind, even when one cannot muster heartfelt prayers or emotions. They highlight the transformative power of fasting and the importance of using the body as a conduit for spiritual growth, drawing on examples from the lives of the Saints.

10:06

🕊️ Embracing the Body's Role in Salvation

The speaker continues to explore the role of the body in spiritual practice, contrasting it with the limitations of the mind and emotions. They recount stories of Saints who used their bodies in extreme ways to connect with God, such as standing all night or living in harsh conditions. The message is that the body is not an enemy but a sanctuary and a tool for salvation, especially for those whose mental or emotional faculties are compromised.

15:10

⚓ Finding Strength in the Scaffolding of Existence

In this paragraph, the speaker encourages the audience to view their bodies as a lifeline in times of spiritual darkness. They discuss the concept of using physical actions, such as wearing chains or standing in prayer, as a means to resist despair. The speaker emphasizes that our humanity is not defined by our mental or emotional state but by the divine image within us, and that even when our minds fail, our bodies can still serve as a scaffolding for spiritual life.

20:13

🛡️ Guarding Against Spiritual Darkness

The speaker offers advice on preventing spiritual desolation by consciously orienting oneself towards God and rejecting negative thoughts and emotions. They caution against the dangers of self-pity and sadness, urging the audience to learn from past experiences and to shut out darkness. The speaker reassures that even if one falls into despair, it is part of God's plan and a sign that one has the strength to overcome it, with the promise of spiritual growth as the reward.

🙌 Blessings for Spiritual Renewal

The final paragraph serves as a benediction, wishing the audience profound blessings that permeate every aspect of their being. The speaker prays for the audience to be filled with grace and emphasizes the transformative power of God's love, hope, joy, and light. The message is one of encouragement and faith in the divine ability to renew and restore spiritual life.

Keywords

💡Despondency

Despondency refers to a state of deep despair or loss of hope. In the video, it is depicted as a spiritual and emotional pit that individuals may fall into, feeling disconnected from God and life. The script mentions the importance of recognizing and overcoming this state, as it is a part of the spiritual journey that believers must navigate.

💡Asceticism

Asceticism is a practice of self-discipline, often involving the rejection of worldly pleasures and comforts, in pursuit of spiritual goals. The speaker discusses the role of asceticism in maintaining spiritual health, using the body as a tool for prayer and discipline, especially when the mind and emotions are not serving one's spiritual needs.

💡Scaffolding of Prayer

The term 'scaffolding of prayer' is used metaphorically to describe the structure or framework that believers hold onto during times when their inner life feels collapsed. It represents the external practices and rituals that can support one's spiritual journey, even when internal feelings of faith are weak or absent.

💡Prostration

Prostration is a physical act of worship, often involving bowing or lying down before God as a sign of submission and reverence. In the script, it is suggested as a bodily prayer that can be performed even when one feels spiritually dead, serving as a means to connect with God through the body.

💡Fasting

Fasting is the abstaining from food, drink, or other physical needs for a spiritual purpose. The video emphasizes fasting as a form of bodily discipline that can help cleanse the soul and mind, leading to a renewal of spiritual feelings and connection with God.

💡Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers were early Christian hermits, monks, and ascetics who lived in the Egyptian and Syrian deserts. They are mentioned in the script as sources of wisdom and examples of extreme asceticism, showing how they used their bodies in prayer and spiritual practices to overcome despondency.

💡Stylites

Stylites were Christian ascetics who lived on top of pillars or towers as an act of penance and devotion. The script refers to them as examples of extreme bodily discipline and the use of the physical body in spiritual practices, illustrating the lengths some saints went to in their devotion to God.

💡Mortality

Mortality refers to the state of being subject to death. In the context of the video, it is the recognition of one's physical and spiritual limitations and the acceptance of death as a part of the human condition. Saints are described as facing their mortality through physical acts of devotion.

💡Repentance

Repentance is the act of feeling regret or remorse for one's wrongdoings and seeking forgiveness. The script mentions repentance as a necessary spiritual emotion that can be triggered even when one feels emotionally dead, serving as a pathway back to God.

💡Resurrection

Resurrection in Christian theology refers to the rising from the dead, particularly the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the video, the concept is used metaphorically to describe the spiritual renewal and revival of life that believers can experience even in states of despondency and spiritual death.

💡Discernment

Discernment is the ability to make judgments based on knowledge and understanding. The speaker talks about the importance of discernment in using one's body as a tool for salvation, suggesting that wisdom and experience are needed to properly engage in ascetic practices.

Highlights

The speaker addresses a widespread issue of feeling emotionally and spiritually dead, emphasizing the importance of addressing this temptation.

Two key points are introduced: dealing with the feeling of being dead inside through asceticism, and avoiding falling into the same trap repeatedly.

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches' practices may seem foreign to those unfamiliar with these traditions, highlighting the importance of the body in spiritual practice.

The concept of asceticism through the body is introduced as a vital means of staying connected to life and God during spiritual deserts.

Physical acts like bowing and prostrating are suggested as ways to connect with God when the mind and heart feel dead.

The body is presented as a safe haven and instrument for prayer, separate from the mind and heart, especially when they are not serving us well.

The idea of 'scaffolding of prayer' is introduced, suggesting that even when inner life collapses, the physical acts of prayer can provide structure.

Fasting is recommended as a starting point for spiritual recovery, with the potential to cleanse the soul and restore connection with God.

The speaker encourages the use of the body as a tool for salvation, parallel to the brain or heart, with wisdom and discernment.

Examples from the Lives of the Saints illustrate extreme physical practices as means of spiritual connection and resurrection.

The importance of not despairing when the brain fails, as a person's humanity is defined by the image of God, not by mental capacity.

The speaker discusses the use of physical 'crutches' like chains and weights to aid in prayer and spiritual struggle.

Preventative measures include orienting oneself towards God and avoiding thoughts and emotions that lead to darkness and despair.

The advice to reject dark thoughts and emotions, no matter how insignificant they may seem, to prevent them from taking control.

A reminder that spiritual struggles are allowed by God and that overcoming them can lead to a great spiritual treasure.

The ascetical tradition is presented as a learned response to spiritual struggles, with the Saints having experienced and overcome similar challenges.

A blessing is offered to the listeners, wishing them to be blessed in their entirety, from the core of their being to the marrow of their bones.

Transcripts

Hello, my dear ones! I pray this finds you safe  and healthy wherever you are in this world,  

out of my heart. There have been so many  comments, so many emails, so many reactions  

to the previous video about going through  life feeling that you are dead inside,  

it has been frightening to see how many of  us are affected by this temptation and I need  

I need to say at least a few more words  about this. I want to say two things:  

I want to tell you what I've learned from  the Fathers and from my own experience that  

helps in dealing with this temptation,  that helps to survive this desert;  

and then in the second part towards the end of the  video I want to share with you the few things that  

could help us to avoid falling back into the same  trap again and again. Now, if you are not part of  

the Orthodox Church---and to some extent, part  of the Catholic Church---everything I'm going to  

share with you will seem crazy and just weird and  part of a version of Christianity that has nothing  

to do with the clean, hygienic Christianity that  we are used to have in the, in the West. The body,  

this body becomes essential. Once you feel  yourselves as being dead, once your brain  

is suspended because there is no thought in there,  because there is no strength in you to direct your  

minds your thoughts towards God, once your heart  is suspended because there is no emotion in you  

that can trigger repentance and a return to what  we know to be a loving God, once your faith even  

is suspended and everything you've known before,  everything you've believed in before is---not that  

you don't believe any more---it simply is, it is  frozen, once everything that you are, your brain,  

your heart, your soul, your faith is suspended,  frozen paralysed all you have left is your body,  

and in this, the body, and an awareness and  a culture of asceticism through your body  

is vital in that sense of the word vital  which means life-giving, it is the one thing  

that can keep you alive while you cross this  desert, when you can no longer pray because  

your thoughts and your emotions are  dead inside yourself, you can still  

force yourself to do a bow and to do a prostration  and just say: I am dead, God, resurrect me.  

When you feel nothing in your brain and in your  heart, you can still fall down to the ground  

before Christ and while you're down there say  just that I am nothing, out of this nothingness  

bring me back into being; You Who gave me being,  You who brought me into being out of nothingness,  

bring back life into this nothingness that I  am once again. Yet again our body is a huge  

blessing, remember that the body is not something  bad, something evil, the body cannot do anything  

bad unless the brain or the heart makes the body  act a certain way, the body by itself is nothing,  

it's just matter, you can sin without your body,  you can sin just in your brain, you can sin just  

in your heart, but you cannot sin only in your  body without the participation of the brain or of  

the heart. The heart and the brain can sin without  the participation of the body but not the other  

way around, and that makes your body a safe haven,  a safe instrument that can help you pray in a way  

that has nothing to do with your brain or your  heart when your brain and your heart are no longer  

serving you or even worse when your brain and your  heart are working against you and dragging you  

deeper and deeper in that pit of despondency and  despair at the base of which you know there's  

nothing of God nothing of life.  I mentioned in the previous video  

a sort of a scaffolding of prayer to which we must  hold on even if it's not filled with proper prayer  

and I didn't, I didn't explain that in any  way because I hadn't prepared that talk,  

I just spoke to you the way I speak now, out of my  heart, but this image of the scaffolding is very  

powerful and very important to hold on to, it's  like you have got this building around which you  

put scaffolding in order to repair it and because  of some dreadful temptation the building itself  

collapses to the ground and all you  have left is the shape of the building,  

which is exposed, which is held  by the scaffolding around it: hold  

onto the scaffolding, hold onto the shape of  the building if the building is no longer there,  

and what I mean by that is hold on to the prayer  of your body, use your body as the scaffolding  

around the inner life of what used to be a  living heart and used to be a living brain,  

even if your heart and your brain have collapsed  to the ground use the scaffolding of your body,  

even if you cannot master one thought of  salvation even if you cannot squeeze your heart  

to have one feeling that is directed towards  God or in love towards your neighbour you can  

still use your body, as you lie down in your bed,  even if you cannot prostrate, you cannot bow,  

you cannot use your body to do anything actively,  at least then fast, lie down in your bed in the  

depth of your despair and fast, eat only what you  need to keep yourself from further temptation,  

give God your fast and that is a  seed that can slowly grow in you,  

because if you start with fasting  which is a non-action physically,  

which is all you can do sometimes, if you  start with fasting, that fasting in time,  

in a matter of days will cleanse your soul cleanse  your mind and your heart and then this breath,  

this breeze of love and feeling loved by  God will return to you, and then grab that  

and work with that even when it feels like you  are completely dead, you still have your body;  

don't forget that the body is not evil, but a  tool that can be as useful for your salvation  

as your brain or your heart, it just takes a  bit of wisdom, a bit of experience and a ton  

of discernment in order to use your body  properly. You will find in the Lives of the Saints  

things that seemed so eccentric and extreme  which will all of a sudden make sense to you,  

such as just lying down and accepting that you  are nothing, thinking of yourself as a dead person  

into which Christ alone can bring back life,  you will find them using their bodies by,  

by standing up and lifting up their hands at the  beginning of the night--- there is one of the  

Desert Fathers who did that, I think St Arsenius,  but I'm not sure---he would raise his arms  

up to heavens at the beginning of the night,  symbolizing the night in him, the night in us,  

the darkness of this death we experience now,  and he would lift up his arms facing the sunset  

and turn around towards where the sunrise would  be and wait there through the night, not moving,  

holding his hands up until the sun would be lifted  up and a new day would begin and then his hands  

would go back to their normal position; there  are Saints who stood through night after night,  

year after year in prayer; there are Saints who  have not prayed in the sense of using their words  

or using any prayer, written prayer for months  or years or decades but they prayed with their  

bodies, they went like St Cuthbert and put  themselves, descended with their bodies in the  

cold, dark waters of the North Sea and kept  themselves there, because that's all they  

had to offer, this facing of their own mortality  and death, and from this the most beautiful Saint  

of England was shaped; there are Saints who  built towers for themselves and lived on top of  

that tower for decades and decades of their lives,  the so-called Stylites of the Orthodox tradition,  

and that may seem like, well, what's so  important? what's so great about that?  

well, think about living on top of a tower with  no roof above your head, constantly exposed to the  

winds and the rain and the cold and the sheer heat  of the desert in the summer or during the day;  

there are Saints who lived in caves, Saint Sisoes  the Great lived in the cave of Saint Anthony for  

72 years, Saint Anthony the Great himself lived  in tombs with the dead corpses around him;  

there are Saints who shut themselves in deserts,  shut themselves in mountains, shut themselves in  

the forests of Russia; there are Saints who took  boats and just disappeared at sea, they just  

sailed away and lived with Christ and died alone  with Christ because that's all they had to offer,  

and when they realized that this is all they have  to offer, this body of theirs and an action of the  

body then they offered it. Do not despair when  your brain fails to serve you any more, because  

you are not your brain. There are people in this  world, beautiful, amazingly beautiful people whose  

brains do not function properly and they suffer  from all sorts of mental afflictions or all sorts  

of diagnoses, illnesses that make them just not  function at the full capacity of a human brain:  

they are just as fully human as any one of  us, because we are not our brains---they  

are people who for various reasons cannot relate  emotionally in a full way to their brothers and  

their sisters: they are fully human, because it is  not emotion or mental, intellectual capacity that  

defines a human being; a human being is defined  by the image of God imprinted on him or her and we  

all have that image in us. If we are shorter, if  we are tall, if we are male, if we are female,  

if we have the biggest brain of the world or no  brain at all, if we are as active as we can be,  

we are lying down because of an illness or because  of old age, because of Parkinson's or dementia or  

God knows what other affliction: they are just as  fully perfectly human as me and as you are---we  

are not defined by our brains and our hearts  so when they fail to serve us and to direct us  

toward God, there's no reason to despair: we still  have the scaffolding of our existence: our bodies.

We've seen Saints who wore  chains around their bodies.  

I know people who put weight on them and  just prayed like that through the night,  

and when I say pray I mean they just stood before  the icon of the Saviour looking in His eyes if  

they gathered the courage and the repentance to  do so, if not eyes closed standing before an icon  

weighed down by the weight of the rocks and  the chains that they had on their bodies  

and just waiting with faith and patience for  life to be returned into their dead selves.

Do not we have this scaffolding, we have  these crutches of our being: use your body,  

my brother and my sister; God  gave it to us for a reason:  

use it because it can be  life-giving just like the soul.

What we can do to prevent this, we can learn to  always orient ourselves towards God: God is love,  

God is hope, God is joy, God is light: always  orient yourself, your being, your thoughts,  

your emotions while you are in control of them  towards light and joy and hope and love and  

the good things of God Who is love; don't tempt  yourself by allowing darkness to enter your heart;  

don't play with fire because you will be burned;  don't open the door to anything that you know  

already from the past experience of your past  collapses into nothingness and despondency;  

learn from your past failures not to open the door  of any thought, any emotion that can slowly grab  

hold of you and then drag you into this darkness.  The Fathers say to reject any dark thought and any  

dark emotion even if they seem insignificant to  us, even if we feel that we are in control of them  

because we might be in control of them today  but once they've caught roots in our hearts they  

will grow to the point where we are no longer in  control of them but they will be in control of us;  

we've gone down this path so many times,  my brother and my sister, we've seen  

how entertaining thoughts of self-pity and  darkness and sadness, we've seen where that  

leads us: it will never be different, it will  always lead you exactly to the same place,  

to the same outcome. Learn to fight your  enemy before your enemy grabs hold of you;  

learn to shut the door and not allow darkness  of any kind to enter your brain or your heart  

and if once you've done all of this you still  fall into this state of despondency and spiritual  

death, then at least you have the great, the  great blessing of knowing with complete certainty  

that this is something that God has allowed to  happen, not something you've triggered yourself  

and that is a huge blessing because you'll know  that if God allowed it He also knows that you have  

the grace you have the strength to overcome it  and that at the end of it an immense treasure,  

an immense spiritual treasure awaits for you. Hold  onto your scaffolding, hold onto your carcase,  

because this body is a huge beautiful  blessing and gift from God, it will  

bring you back to life if you learn how to use  it. Ascetical struggle, ascetical tradition  

is not there because the Saints have nothing  better to do with their time but because they have  

experienced what we are experiencing now before  us and to a depth that I pray we never shall,  

and they've learned how to survive them.  

Let's learn from them, my dear ones,  because they've learned from Christ Himself.  

Be blessed to the core of your being, to the  marrow of your bones, every pore of your skin, of  

your being may be blessed and filled with grace,  my brother and my sister. Amen, amen, amen.