Turn to God with a sigh from the heart


There are people who never turn to God, never pray. And suddenly their soul is filled with bitterness, their mind with anxiety, and their heart with sorrow. And the man feels that, in his desolate state, no other human being can help him – even if he listens to him to the end, he is not able to understand his pain. Then the man turns to God and says, sighing from the heart: “Lord, have mercy on me!”.

It would seem that it is enough to say “Lord, have mercy!” only once in prayer; but we say it three times, and twelve times, and forty times. This is done for tormented souls, who cannot even utter “Lord, have mercy!”. So the Church prays for them. And the Lord hears; and even if at first a person barely feels grace, like the flame of a candle, then he feels it more and more, and his soul becomes lighter. (Saint Elder Nectary of Optina)

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