How to Pray?: According to Saint Basil the Great

In this pamphlet, the approach to prayer will be presented in the hopes that you, the reader, gain an enhanced understanding of the life of prayer.
The writings of St. Basil are distinguished by his spiritual and practical approach. St. Basil never looked to prayer as a routine, but rather he looked at it as the instrument to use in working towards our goal of salvation. He was interested in presenting practical exercises of prayer that are effective. In discussing how to approach prayer in the text below, he introduces the concept of building up our prayer life through exercises and training in prayer under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Just as an athlete trains for a marathon, we as Christians must train our minds and bodies for prayer.