Praying With The Spirit And The Mind (Thursday, August 22)

The Word of the Day is “understanding."  In today’s reading of 1 Corinthians 14:6-19, St. Paul compares “speaking in tongues” to praying with “understanding” (v. 5). Speaking in “tongues” seems to be a “gift of the Spirit” that divided the congregation at Corinth. Those who had this capability of uttering strange-sounding words must have boasted that they had superior spiritual knowledge. But St. Paul minimized the importance of this unintelligible speech. Those who had it might have been carried away into a higher mystical state. But not even the speaker would understand the message, though perhaps someone who had the gift of “interpretation of tongues” might comprehend it.

PRAYING WITH UNDERSTANDING

            St. Paul’s rule was that whatever is said in worship should be understood.  The word used in this passage means the “mind,” the faculty of reasoning and knowing. Therefore, it refers to the mind’s understanding, especially to the mind’s ability to comprehend the will and ways of God. The “mind” should not, therefore, be despised. St. Paul says, “I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with understanding” (1 Cor. 14:15).  Spirit and understanding are not opposed but soul and mind. but go together.  And the truth of God cannot be communicated except by the understanding of the mind. This is true whether revelation, knowledge, or prophecy proclaims the message (vs. 6).  If the hearers of the message are to respond to it, they must first comprehend it.

IN WORSHIP, CONSIDER OTHERS

Paul compares speaking in unintelligible tongues to playing a flute or harp (badly).  If the notes are indistinguishable, how will the hearer know “what is being played?” (1 Cor. 14: 7).  Or the practice is like speaking in a foreign language.  If the message is not spoken in a language the hearers understand, it might as well be proclaimed to the air (1 Cor. 14:9).

            Note that behind his teaching, Paul is appealing to the principle that has guided all of his counsel on ethical issues: whatever believers do, they should consider the good of others.  He says that those who speak in a strange tongue “edify” themselves (1 Cor. 14:4). The term comes from the combination of “house” and “build.” In other words, the speaker is “building up” his own benefit, disregarding the welfare of others. However, when a speaker addresses the assembly in meaningful language, they “build up” the whole church (1 Cor. 14:5), longstanding members, newcomers, and even visitors. Therefore, St. Paul rules that everything said in the church must be clear to others.  It must be intelligible to the mind so that it can speak to others and edify them, that is, build them up in their spiritual lives (vs. 12).

FOR REFLECTION

The book of James raises the question of why our prayers seem to be evaporating in thin air before they get to the throne of grace.  The apostle answers, “We do not have because we do not ask. You ask and do not receive because you ask amiss” (James 4:2-3). In other words, we do not receive the answer to our prayers because they are limited and self-seeking. Our prayers merely appeal to God for our “pleasurers”(James 4:3), which are our material welfare.

            Yet there is another reason for being conscious and careful about to think about the meaning of our prayers. When we pray, we should not skip over them while our mouths mumble and our minds wander.   We might consider whether absent-minded prayers are just as “unfruitful” (1 Cor. 14:13)  as the “speaking in tongues” at Corinth.  On the other hand, “Praying with understanding” is not only edifying for others but also for ourselves (OSB 1 Cor 14:16). This insight leads to the thought that we should pray with our “whole heart,” but we should also pray with a thought about what is being prayed.  Certainly, we do not earn God’s favor. Indeed, He knows what we need before we ask. But the Almighty desires that we bring our concerns and petitions to Him. According to the Orthodox teaching of “synergy,” we “cooperate” with God by our prayers (Matthew 7:7-8). But without the "cooperation" of our attentiveness, our prayers are weak and ineffective.

THE COUNSEL OF ST. THEOPHAN THE RECLUSE

How can we pray with understanding as well as the Spirit? St. Theophan the Recluse offers some counsel.  He advises, “Pray without haste, discerning every word and drawing the prayer close to your heart. You should understand what you are reading and feel what you understand.”¹ For example, St. Theophan says when you read “Cleanse me from every impurity,” you should both think and feel how impure you are.”  Your mind’s understanding should stir up the desire for cleansing and inspire you to sincerely ask the Lord for it.²  Likewise, if you pray “Thy will be done,” you should “commend your destiny to the Lord completely and wholeheartedly, with readiness to accept gladly whatever He sends you.”³  And when you say, “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors,” you should forgive all who have sinned against you in your soul.”⁴

NOTES

1.  St. Theophan the Recluse,  Compiled by Bishop Alexander (Mileant), translated by  Irina Nabatova-Barrett.  “Learning to Pray: Part 1”:  https://www.orthodoxroad.com/learning-to-pray-part-1/.

2. St. Theophan the Recluse.

3. St. Theophan the Recluse.

4.  St. Theophan the Recluse.