My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of
Thee.
Thou and
Thou alone knowest my needs.
Thou lovest me more than I am able to love
Thee. O
Father, grant unto me,
Thy servant, all which I cannot ask. For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation; I dare only to stand in
Thy presence. My heart is open to
Thee.
Thou seest my needs of which I myself am unaware. Behold and lift me up! In
Thy presence I stand, awed and silenced by
Thy will and
Thy judgments, into which my mind cannot penetrate. To
Thee I offer myself as a sacrifice. No other desire is mine but to fulfill
Thy will. Teach me how to pray. Do
Thyself pray within me. Amen.
- St. Philaret of Moscow