Bad Prayers

Ἀμαθεῖς τινες καὶ φιλόκοσμοι ἄνδρες προσεοικότες τῇ σῇ ἀθλιότητι ἐμπαθῶς φερόμενοι, ὑγίειαν, καὶ πλοῦτον, καὶ σπατάλην, καὶ ἐχθρῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπώλειαν δι' εὐχῆς τὸν Κύριον αἰτοῦσιν· εἶτα τῆς τοιαύτης βλαβερᾶς ἀποτυχόντες αἰτήσεως εἰς ἀπιστίαν χωροῦσιν, ἢ μέμφονται τὸν Θεὸν. Ἄλλοι πάλιν ἄλλο τι ἐξαιτοῦντες, καὶ μὴ κομιζόμενοι συμφερόντως, οὐ γὰρ πάντες ἄπερ φιλοῦμεν καὶ ὠφελεῖ· τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξόμεθα, φησὶ, καθ' ὃ δεῖ, οἴδαμεν, γογγύζουσιν εὐθὺς χαλεπαίνοντες, καὶ δυσανασχετοῦντες ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποτεύξει, καίτοι πολλάκις κατεγνωσμένοι τὸν βίον ὑπάρχοντες, ἐτοίμως βούλονται ἐπακούεσθα· ἀρα γὰρ οὐκ ὀφείλεις εὐχαριστεῖν, ὅτι κατηξιώθης, καὶ μόνον ὀρθρίσαι πρὸς τὸν Κτίσαντα πάντα, καὶ συνομιλῆσαι αὐτῷ διὰ τῆς εὐχῆς; ἀλλὰ καὶ μηδ' εὐχαριστῆσαι θέλων, ὀνειδίζεις σὺ, ὁ πηλὸς, τὸν Πλάστην σου; Ἄλλὰ νῦν γοῦν σαυτὸν δοκιμάσας, ἄνθρωπε, γνώριζέ σου τὰ μέτρα. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ Ν´, Θεοδοριανῳ Source: Migne PG 79.104d-105a

Some uneducated folk and lovers of the world, bearing a resemblence to you in your troubles, ask in prayer from the Lord for health and wealth and luxury and the ruin of enemies, and since these petitions are vain, they lead them to faithlessness, or reproof of God. Others again asking for something and not being able to receive it profitably, for not everything which we love is useful, and we know it is said we should pour out prayers for what is needful, instantly grumble, bearing it ill, and become disillusioned because they are refused, even though it is often things which will ruin the life they lead that they so eagerly wish to be heard for. Should it not be that you should pray only that with the dawn you come to the Creator of all things, and speak as one with Him in prayer? 1 Is it possible that, unwilling to give thanks, you, the clay, reprove your Creator? Now, my man, look to yourself, and know your measure. 2 Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 50, to Theodorian 1 cf Ps 5.4-5 2 cf Isaiah 45.9, Rom 9.21