If this was your last day on earth, how would you spend it? What would be the most important thing to you? Where would you go? Whom would you see? How would you spend your last amount of time, energy, and money?

God desires that we live each day as our last. Responsibly, and in anticipation of Christ’s imminent return.

Many things lose their importance when I imagine today to be my last day on the earth.

I need to live and love like it.

People, until they come to know something greater, are satisfied with the little that they have. Man is like a village rooster who lives in a small enclosure with few people and farm animals about, who knows his ten hens and is content with this life, because he knows no more. But an eagle, who circles high in the clouds, and sees great distances with his sharp eyes, who hears the sounds of the earth and revels in its beauty, who knows many lands, seas and rivers, and sees a multitude of animals and birds, would not be content to live in a small enclosure with a rooster.

It is the same in spiritual life. Whoever has not known the grace of the Holy Spirit is like the rooster who does not know the flight of the eagle; he cannot comprehend the sweetness of tender emotion and love of God. He knows God from nature and from Scripture, he is satisfied with the law and is content with his lot as is the rooster, and does not feel sorrow that he is not an eagle. But he who has experienced the Lord through the Holy Spirit, he prays day and night, because the grace of the Holy Spirit calls him to love the Lord, and the sweetness of the Lord’s love gives him the ability to carry the burdens of the world with ease; his soul pines only for the Lord and searches constantly for the grace of the Holy Spirit.

We are all suffering on this earth and searching for freedom, but few know what freedom is and where it can be found. The Lord gives the repentant His peace and the freedom to love Him. Oh, my brothers, all the earth, repent while you still have time. God awaits our repentance with mercy. And all the heavens, all the saints await our repentance. As God is love, so the Holy Spirit in the saints is love. Ask, and the Lord shall forgive. And when you receive absolution from your sins, then your soul will be joyful and happy, and the grace of the Holy Spirit will enter your soul, and you will say, "Here is true freedom: it is in God and of God."

The grace of God does not hinder freedom, but only helps to keep the commandments of God. Adam was in grace, and his will was not fettered. So too the angels are in the Holy Spirit, but their free will is not taken away.

The Lord wants us to love each other; this is the essence of freedom — love for God and for your neighbor. This is both freedom and equality. But in earthly titles there can be no equality; this is of no concern to the soul, however. Not everyone can be a king or a prince; not everyone can be a patriarch or an abbot, or a leader, but no matter what your title you can love God and serve Him, and that is all that matters. And whoever loves God more on earth shall be in greater glory in the Kingdom.

-Siluan

The pace of our society is crazy. We're always running in circles. We do not have time to sit quietly, to pray, and meditate. We're too busy with work, school, exercising, workshops, housework, yard work, television, church work, homework, cooking, cleaning, kids, meetings...STOP!

This group of scientists made an expedition into the forests of the Amazon. They took a group of natives to carry their luggage - clothes, food, water, and scientific equipment. For the first week, all went well. They were moving quickly and happy to be on schedule. Suddenly, the natives put down the loads and sat down. They refused to move. They refused to speak. The scientists tried to reason with them. They even offered them more money. Then, they threatened them and tried to move them forcibly, but all was in vain. The natives remained seated and silent. Two days later, they got up, lifted their loads, and started on the journey again as if nothing had happened!

When the expedition was over, the scientists asked the natives the reason for their strange behavior. Their answer was simple and forthright:

"We were hurrying too much. So much that our spirits could not reach us! We stopped to allow our spirits to catch up with us!"

Don't outrun your spirit or God.

The early church elders (I don't call them "Fathers" because Jesus said for us not to address any man as such) were true spirituals. You won't find their teachings in western churches. So, we are ill-equipped for spiritual battle. But, these ancient elders knew how to defeat passions of the flesh and secret thoughts of the heart, along with the fiery darts (evil thoughts) that bombard us daily from demonic forces. We can overcome these with the Jesus prayer and turn our heart and mind back to God to sit continually in His presence. Interior prayer is possible regardless what exercise or work our outside body might be engaged in or what unpleasant circumstances we may find ourselves in. We just have to learn how to do it. Paul commanded, "Pray without ceasing." This must be possible or he would never have commanded we do it.

My addiction is sugar (sweets). I eat and drink sugar continually for energy and for a high. But the bottom is deep and when I come down, I am exhausted! Not to mention how bad it is for me and my body! But, since I have been praying the Jesus prayer, sweets have become repulsive to me! I'm serious. Food is no longer a struggle. I have lost several pounds. I moved my belt up one notch just this morning! It is amazing. I'm calling it the Jesus prayer diet!

The ancient elders taught us to stop eating while still hungry and to eat humble food, not rich food. So, I have almost completely come off of rich deep-fried food and meat. I eat it very seldom. And, even then, very small portions. I have always had a problem with digestion and abstaining from rich food and large portions (especially large meat portions) seems to have fixed my digestion problems!

Discover the amazing power that defeats personal demons in our lives. The Name of Jesus has real power and praying continually keeps us in God's presence continually. This is a true out-of-this-world experience as we continue to be in this world.

Pray. Unceasingly.

Before the fall, Adam and Eve continually knew only God. When sin entered their lives and thoughts, God hastily exited the back door of their hearts and minds. The result: exclusion from the constant presence of God.

We live in the world, but our thoughts and hearts are created to be in the continual presence of Christ. When our hearts and minds are not devoted intentionally and ceaselessly toward God, we begin to be bombarded with thoughts alien to God. Some of this bombardment continually arrives from demons. Some come simply from our sensual passions. Others are just the cares and worries of this world.

We must redirect our hearts and minds so they flow back to God. To begin, we must control our thoughts. We start by simply sitting quietly with no sensory input and clear our minds of ceaseless thoughts. This is done intentionally through meditation in our prayer closet. We must start with brief moments devoted to God. Then, we increase them. We can make use of meditative CDs that do not include words or subliminal messages. This will help.

Paul says, “take captive every thought”. The first purpose of meditation is to absolutely clear our mind and heart of all thought and sit quietly with our spirit in the presence of God.

The purpose of the Jesus prayer is to force your tongue and lips to praise God and stay in humility! This forces our mind to focus on the name of Jesus. The name of Jesus drives out evil from our heart. Our constant cry for mercy brings God's protection and comfort as the Jesus prayer is melded into our heart and mind. We begin to attain a constant state of continual prayer and presence with God.

This is where we were created to be all along. So, welcome home.