The Watchful Gate

"So the whole thing could be briefly stated thus: go within and enter a state of spiritual awareness, motivate your life activity or spiritual tone, then proceed in the ascetical order you have arranged."

-from "The Path To Salvation" by St. Theophan the Recluse

"Our whole task may be reduced to the following rule: colllecting yourself within, recover your spiritual self-awareness, set to work inwardly, and, prepared in this way, practise the external duties imposed upon you either by your spiritual director or by Providence.  But while doing this you must watch and notice with strict and unwavering attention everything that arises within you.  As soon as some passion is awakened, chase it away and strike it down, both mentally and actively, not forgetting to rekindle within yourself and rouse to warmth the spirit of contrition and of sorrow for your sins."

-from E. Kadloubovsky and E. M. Palmer (trans), "The Art of Prayer," (London: Faber & Faber, 1966), pp.

"The recollection (or remembrance) of God is mentally standing before God in the heart."

"Everywhere and always God is with us, near to us and in us. But we are not always with Him, since we do not remember Him; and because we do not remember Him, we allow ourselves many things which we would not permit if we did remember."

"The more firmly you are established in the recollection of God, the more quiet your thoughts will become and the less they will wander."

"Remembrance of God is something that God Himself grafts upon the soul. But the soul must force itself to persevere and to toil. Work, making every effort to attain the unceasing remembrance of God, and God, seeing how fervently you desire it will give you this constant remembrance of Himself."

"To succeed in this remembrance it is advisable to accustom oneself to the continual repetition of the Jesus Prayer, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,' holding in mind the thought of God's nearness, His presence in the heart."

"To pray does not only mean to stand in prayer. To keep the mind and heart turned towards God and directed towards Him...this is already prayer."

-From "The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to it" by
 St. Theophan the Recluse.

“Let us guard the heart with all diligence from thoughts that obscure the soul’s mirror; for in that mirror Jesus Christ, the wisdom and power of God the Father, is typified and luminously reflected. And let us unceasingly seek the Kingdom of Heaven inside our heart, the seed, the pearl and the leaven. Indeed if we cleanse the eye of the mind, we will find all things hidden within us. This is why our Lord Jesus Christ said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within us, indicating that the Divinity dwells in our hearts.”

-Saint Philotheos of Sinai (from the Philokalia)