Prayer And Memory

Τῇ εὐχῇ καὶ τῇ τῶν χειρῶν ἐκτάσει ἐτρέψατο Μωῦσῆς τὸν Ἀμαλήκ. Ἐὰν τοίνυν μὴ ἔχεις μνησικακίαν πρὸς ἀδελφὸν, καὶ εὔχη ὑπὲρ τοῠ πέλας θλίβοντος, καὶ λυποῦντός σε, πρόδηλον ὅτι ἄνω εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν αἱ χεῖρες σου ἀνατέτανται, καὶ πάντως βοηθείας ἐπιτυγχάνεις ἐν τῷ πειράζεσθαί σε, καὶ καταπονεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου· ἐὰν δὲ τὴν μῆνιν φυλάττῃς πρὸς τὸν πλησίον, καὶ καταβάλλεις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ψέγεις, καὶ διαβάλλεις τον ἄνθρωπον, πάντως ἔτι κάτω ἔχεις τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου, κἂν εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον δοκῇς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀναπετάζειν τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ τὸ ὄμμα, καὶ οὐ μὴ εἰσακουσθῇς δεόμενος· Αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες σου, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς, αἵματος ἀδελφικοῦ πλήρεις εἰσίν. Τί γὰρ μηνσικακίας φονικώτερον; Πεισθῶμεν οὖν τῷ λέγοντι· Λούσασθαι διὰ μεταμελείας, καὶ καθαροὶ γίνεσθε ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν ὑμῶν διὰ τῆς καθαρᾶς ἰκεσίας. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ Δ' Μαρκελλινῳ Μοναχῳ Source: Migne PG 79.84d

In prayer and with hands extended Moses turned back the Amalekites. 1 If then you do not remember the injuries of a brother and you pray for a neighbour in affliction and in distress, manifest it is that you have extended your hands to heaven, and aid shall not fail you in your trials, even when you are beset by the devil, but if you think on a neighbour so that you accuse him and malign him and defame him, then you have thrust down the hands of your inner man to earth, even if you appear to stretch them up to God, nor will your prayers be heard, for God says, 'Your hands are full with your brother's blood.' 2 What is more murderous than memory of wrong doing? Be persuaded, then, when it is said that you are washed through penance, and live cleanly being cleansed from your wickedness by pure prayers. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 4, to Marcellinus the Monk 1 Exod 17.8-13 2 Isaiah 1.15