Prayer is necessary not for God but for us; it is like spiritual oxygen without which a person dies. This conversation with God provides a source of life for a person.

It is one thing when people shed blood for Christ, and the other when they tolerate abuse, insults, and resentment for the sake of their faith. Such people receive the crown of bloodless martyrdom.

Thoughts filled with love, mercy, patience, and respect attract God’s grace, and those that harbor anger, hatred, and pride drive it away. If we are overcome by anger, hatred, and pride, it indicates that God’s image within us is damaged.

Nowadays, we need to live according to Christian laws and not according to the laws of this world. There is no need to watch how the world lives; it is governed by somewhat different rules.

If God’s grace is lacking, a man can be placed in the most beautiful place, surrounded by all the benefits of the world, and he will still be unhappy.

The more one collects earthly goods, the more desperate one becomes, because they do not bring spiritual joy. You can collect all the treasures of the earth and put them in front of you, and still be the most miserable person.

(Metropolitan Onuphry of Kiev in ‘Orthodox Life’)