The concept of grace is known in the tradition of the Christian church. According to canonical interpretations, grace is the divine energy bestowed by Jesus Christ on his Church. It is by the grace of the Holy Spirit that the Christian ascends on his difficult path to God.
Instruction manual
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With the Divine energy, in one or another of its manifestations, the Christian meets very often. When a priest blesses water, grace changes its properties, making it holy from ordinary water. Well-known in the Christian world, miraculous healings are also realized through the action of grace. She can manifest herself in the life of a Christian in many ways, including very explicitly. A vivid example of the action of grace is described in the famous conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarovsky and N.A. Motovilova.
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How is grace obtained? First of all, a righteous life, but not only it. Keeping God's commandments is a necessary, but not the only condition. Moreover, the very desire to receive grace is already a mistake, since grace is not a goal, but a reward in the path of serving God. Striving for grace, a person falls into a network of pride, self-confidence, a priori considering himself worthy of this divine gift.
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The main qualities in the presence of which a person gets a chance to feel the grace of the Holy Spirit are humility and meekness. But this is only the background against which grace can manifest itself, its necessary conditions. Before the Holy Spirit touches a person’s heart, it must be cleansed of dirt, which is achieved by meekness, humility, and malice.
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The heart is cleansed at least to the minimum extent that the Holy Spirit can touch it. But he must be called by opening himself. And this, in turn, is achieved by constant remembrance of God. One way to remember this is the Jesus Prayer. Remember that in Jesus prayer, not only the phrase that is repeated is important, but also the pause between its utterances. It is a pause, a moment of silence in which you stand before God without a single thought, and this is the time when you draw near to the Holy Spirit.
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Slowly increase the pause, this should happen naturally, organically. The criterion that the pause is too long is the appearance of extraneous thoughts. Silence should last exactly as long as you can stand before God. To come is to turn to the Almighty with all your being without a single thought.
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It is in such seconds that a person can feel grace as a completely concrete energy, a concrete feeling. It comes suddenly, filling the body and consciousness with indescribable bliss and sweetness. It cannot be confused with anything; the feeling of grace is divine and inexpressible. It is no coincidence that Saint Isaac the Syrian said that the one who drank this wine will never forget him.
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Grace comes very unexpectedly and just as suddenly leaves. Its appearance can be regarded as a kind of advance - God makes it clear to man that he sees his efforts, that he is on the right track. But the next manifestation of grace must be earned. The gravest mistake at this moment is the desire for grace, the desire to experience it again. A prayer will help here with a request to get rid of wrong thoughts, to keep on the right track. Rely on God in everything, because it is by his strength that your ascent is carried out.