let us first place in the register of our prayer a sincere and unfeigned thanksgiving to God

“Before all things, let us first place in the register of our prayer a sincere and unfeigned thanksgiving to God.


In the second place, let us confess our sins and offer the brokenness of our soul with true compunction.


Then, at the end, let us present our petitions before the King.


This manner of prayer is the best, as it was revealed by an angel of the Lord to one of the brethren.” From the Ladder of Divine Ascent




Saint John of the Ladder teaches that true prayer has an order born not from formality, but from humility. We begin not with demands, but with thanksgiving. We then descend into repentance and the honest confession of our sins. Only afterward do we dare to place our needs before God.


Modern man often approaches prayer as a list of requests. The saints approached it as an entrance into the presence of the King. Thanksgiving softens the heart, repentance purifies it, and only then can petitions be offered rightly.


In this short teaching, Saint John reveals the entire spirit of Orthodox prayer: gratitude, contrition, and trust before God.