God Does Not Listen to the Prayer of the Proud (St. Paisios)

- Geronda, after one ugly act on my part, I have the thought that my prayer is displeasing to God.

“If this thought comes from true humility and you say: “I anger God with my ugly behavior,” then you feel divine consolation. If you are upset because of selfishness and say: “How could I come to this?” - then you do not receive consolation, because “God opposes the proud.” God does not hear the prayers of the proud, because pride is a barrier.

     
For our prayer to be heard, it must come from a “contrite and humble heart.” Once we humbly say: “Lord, how can you listen to someone like me?” - then our Good God hears us.
    
- Geronda, why is it that sometimes, when some temptation befalls me, I cannot pray?
    
- When temptation comes and you cannot pray, know that you have selfishness and vanity. Temptation remains until a person begins to despise himself. As soon as he realizes his lewdness, help comes from the Lord and the temptation passes.
    
- Geronda, I ask God to help me free myself from insolence, but I don’t see any result.
    
- When a person tries and prays, but there is no result, this means that either selfishness and pride live in him, or there is a predisposition to pride, and this prevents the grace of God from acting through prayer. If we ask for something in prayer, then our Good God gives it if we have humility and awareness of our own sinfulness.
    
- Geronda, when I fervently ask God to save me from one of my weaknesses and, on my part, I fight against it, but because of pride I do not receive what I ask for, then what should I do?
   
- First, ask God for forgiveness. Say: “My God, I have pride, because of which help does not come to me from You, but I ask You, enlighten me so that I understand what needs to be done to overcome my weakness.” As soon as you admit that you have pride and that therefore a certain weakness does not leave you, God will tell you what its cause is and how to eradicate it.
    
- Geronda, how should I feel during prayer?
   
- Feel humble that God helps you. A humble person has no will of his own; he is obedient to the will of God and follows His commandments, therefore God hears his prayer and gives him a heavenly blessing. To the extent that a person listens to God, our Good God listens to him.
 
Source: St. Paisios of the Holy Mountain. About Prayer. Volume VI. Chapter 3.