They say one day the guardian angels given to people at their baptism came before God and complained that they didn`t know what else to do as the men had become very careless and bad; they have time for all wicked things, only for prayer they don`t. God asked them:
`What do you think,what should I do for them ?`
The angels said:
`God, make their day one hour longer and we will tell them that it is Your gift for them so that they may pray.`
`Very well` said God.
And the day become of 25 hours. But the men still didn`t pray. Then the angels came again before God upset because of the men`s recklessness.
`God, the men still don`t pray at all.`
God asked again:
`What else do you think I should do for them ?`
`God, make their day 4 hours shorter, to be of only 20 hours. They will realize how short is life and how quickly comes Your judgment and then they will pray.`
God approved their demand and life became shorter. But the men didn`t make any time for praying
The angels went again before God and complained that the men are bad.
`What`s to be done?` asked God.
The angels had nothing more to add and then God told them:
`The prayer is not a matter of time but of love. Who loves Me finds enough time in the 24 hours to pray.`
And He left time as i twas before.
The prayer is the hardest good deed. I think you became aware of that. The true Christians do many good deeds: they help their brothers, read spiritual books, they strive in a way or another but when it is a matter of prayer…Why is it so? Because prayer means to talk with God and this is something the enemy hates. For this reason there are obstacles of all kinds before and during prayer.
“Pray without cease!”
