Care And Prayer

Καλὸν μὲν τὴν κεφαλαιωδεστέραν κρατεῖν ἐντολὴν, καὶ μηδὲν κατ' εἰδος μετιμνᾷν, μηδὲ κατ' εἶδος προσεύχεσθαι, ἀλλὰ μόνον ζητεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν, κατὰ τὸν λόγον Κυρίου. Εἰ δὲ περὶ ἐκάστης χρείας φροντίζομεν, ὀφείλομεν περὶ ἐκάστης προσεύχεσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ ἐκτὸς προσευχῆς τι ποιῶν ἤ φροντίζων οὐκ εὐoδοῦται ἐπὶ τῷ τέλει τοῦ πράγματος. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔστιν ὅ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος· Οὐ δύνασθαε χωρὶς ἐμοῦ ποιεῖν οὐδεν. Ἅγιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἐρημίτης, Περὶ Τῶν Οἰομένων Ἐξ Ἔργων Δικαιοῦσθαι Source: MignePG 65.953c-d

Beautiful it is to cleave to that sublime commandment and care for no appearance here, nor pray for any, but seek only the kingdom, according to the word of the Lord. 1 But if one must think of some needful thing, prayer is an aid for each such thing. For without prayer what one does and what one cares about has no good end. And this is what the Lord says: 'Without me you can do nothing.' 2 Saint Mark The Ascetic, On Those Who Think Themselves Justified By Works 1 Mt 6.33 2 Jn 15.5