St. Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894) was a Russian Orthodox bishop and spiritual writer. He lived many years in solitude and wrote about the Christian life. One of his main themes was prayer.
For Theophan, prayer is not only words. It is movement of the heart towards God. A person may read prayers, but true prayer begins when the heart is awake and full of attention. He said that prayer is like breathing for the soul. Without it, the soul becomes weak.
He also taught that begginers should start with simple, regular prayers. Over time, prayer grows deeper and becomes constant. Then a Christian learns to keep God in mind during the whole day.
For Theophan, the goal of prayer is not to say many words, but to be united with God. Silence, humility, and attention are more important than speed or quantity.
