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PRAYERS are those by which we offer or vow something to God, what the
Greeks call euchh', i.e., a vow. For where we read in Greek ta`s eucha's
mou tw^ kuriw^ apodw'sw, in Latin we read: "I will pay my vows unto the
Lord;" where according to the exact force of the words it may be thus
represented: "I will pay my prayers unto the Lord." And this which we find
in Ecclesiastes: "If thou vowest a vow unto the Lord do not delay to pay
it," is written in Greek likewise: ea'n eu'xh(i) euchh`n tw^ kuriw^ i.e.,
"If thou prayest a prayer unto the Lord, do not delay to pay it," which
will be fulfilled in this way by each one of us. We pray, when we renounce
this world and promise that being dead to all worldly actions and the life
of this world we will serve the Lord with full purpose of heart. We pray
when we promise that despising secular honours and scorning earthly riches
we will cleave to the Lord in all sorrow of heart and humility of spirit.
We pray when we promise that we will ever maintain the most perfect purity
of body and steadfast patience, or when we vow that we will utterly root
out of our heart the roots of anger or of sorrow that worketh death. And
if, enervated by sloth and returning to our former sins we fail to do this
we shall be guilty as regards our prayers and vows, and these words will
apply to us: "It is better not and not to pay," which to vow, than to vow
and not to pay can be rendered in accordance with the Greek: "It is better
for thee not to pray than to pray and not to pay."
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