Work And Prayer

Οὕτως ὁ χειροτέχνης· οὕτως περὶ λόγους ἠσχολημένος· οὕτως ὁ δικαζόμενος· οὕτως ὁ δικαζειν λαχὼν, περὶ τὰ ἐν χερσὶν ἔκαστος ὅλος τῇ σπουδῇ ῥέπων, ἐκλέλησται τῆς κατὰ τὴν εὐχὴν ἐργασίας, ζημίαν κρίνων πρὸς τὸ ροκείμενον ἑαυτῳ, τὴν περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀσχολίαν. Οἰεται γὰρ ὁ μὲν τὴν τέχνην μετιὼν, ἀργόν τι χρῆμα καὶ ἀπρακτον εἴναι, τὴν θείαν πρός τὸ προκείμενον συμμαχίαν· διὸ καταλιπὼν τὴν εὐχὴν, ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ τὰς ἐλπίδας τίθεται, ἀμνημονῶν τοῦ δεδωκότος τὰς χεῖρας. Ὡσαυτως καὶ ὁ τὸν λόγον δι’ ἐπιμελείας κατορθῶν ἑαυτῷ, οὐ λογίζεται τὸν δεδωκότα τὸν λόγον· ἀλλ’ ὡς ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν φύσιν ταύτην παταγαγὼν, οὒτως ἑαυτῷ καὶ ταῖς τῶν μαθητῶν προσανέχει σπουδαῖς, οὐδεν αὐτῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐνεργείας αὐτῷ γενήσεσθαι τῶν ἀγαθῶν νομίζων, προτιμοτέρον ποιεὶται τῆς προσευχῆς τὴν σπουδὴν, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἐκκρούει τὴν περὶ τὰ μείζω καὶ οὐράνια τῆς ψυχῆς ἀσχολίαν, τῇ τῶν σωματικῶν τε καὶ γηὶνων φροντίδι. Διὰ τοῦτο πολλὴ κατὰ τὸν βίον ἠ ἁμαρτία ἀεὶ ταῖς προσθήκαις ἐπὶ τὸ μεῖζον αὒξουσα, πάσαις ταῖς ἀνθρωπίναις σπουδαῖς ἐμπεπλεγμένη, διότι λήθη τοῦ Θεοῦ κατακρατεῖ τῶν πάντων, καὶ τὸ τῆς εὐχῆς ἀγαθὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῶν σπουδαζομένων οὐ συνεφάπτεται. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος Νύσσης, Εἰς Τὴν Προσευκήν Source: Migne PG 44.1120c-1121b

As with the craftsman so it is with the orator, as with the one who brings a lawsuit so it is with the one who dispenses justice, each one applies himself with zeal to the work in his hands, forgetting the work of prayer because he judges that he would lose the time he gives to God. The one who is about practical work thinks the Divine aid useless for his business, so he neglects prayer and places his hope in his own hands, unmindful of Him who gave him hands. In a similar manner a man who carefully composes a speech does not think of Him who has given him speech, but he goes his own way, and so those who are his pupils study as if a man depends on himself alone and need not think that something good might come from God, and so he fixes his care on study rather than prayer. It is the same with other occupations, a greater inclination to worldly things rather than the soul's labour about heavenly business. Thus life is so full of sin, which is ever growing greater and involved in all the interests of men. Forgetfulness of God prevails over everyone, and the good of prayer does not appear to men to worth attending to. Saint Gregory of Nyssa, On the Lord's Prayer