The Prayer and Contemplative Wisdom of Evagrius Ponticus

Introduction

Evagrius Ponticus (345-399 AD), has been called the “Father of Christian Mysticism,” and is one of the most important figures in the history of Christian thought. He was a gifted teacher and scholar and wrote many works about prayer and asceticism. His writings helped to develop what later became the monastic tradition within Christianity.

A brilliant theologian, desert monk, and master of the interior life, Evagrius developed a comprehensive system of contemplative prayer and spiritual warfare that has shaped Christian mysticism for sixteen centuries. Though some of his theological speculations were later condemned, his practical teachings on prayer, the discernment of thoughts, and the stages of spiritual ascent remain treasures of Christian wisdom, offering profound guidance for all who seek deeper communion with God.

From Worldly Success to Desert Solitude

Evagrius was born in Pontus (modern-day Turkey) to a Christian family. Ordained a reader by St. Basil the Great and later a deacon by St. Gregory of Nazianzus, he seemed destined for ecclesiastical prominence. Gifted with brilliant intellect and rhetorical skill, he moved in the highest theological circles of Constantinople.

Yet worldly success brought spiritual danger. Evagrius fell into temptation—reportedly a romantic entanglement with a married woman—that threatened his soul. In crisis, he fled Constantinople, eventually making his way to Jerusalem and then to the Egyptian desert around 383 AD, joining the monastic communities at Nitria and later the more remote Kellia (the Cells).

This dramatic conversion from worldly ambition to desert asceticism echoed Jesus’s teaching:

What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

Matthew 16:26

Evagrius had tasted success and found it empty; now he sought the one thing necessary—intimate knowledge of God through contemplative prayer.

His flight to the desert reflected the biblical pattern of wilderness transformation. Moses spent forty years in Midian before leading Israel. Elijah fled to the desert where God spoke in silence. Jesus himself withdrew to lonely places for prayer (Luke 5:16). The desert became Evagrius’s school of contemplation, the place where God strips away everything false and reveals himself to seeking hearts.

The Three Stages of Spiritual Life

Evagrius provided a model to help navigate one’s Spiritual Journey through three distinct, yet interrelated stages – Praktike (practical asceticism), Physike (contemplation of nature) and Theologike (theology or prayer). This model has significantly shaped Eastern Christian Spirituality and also had a major influence on western mystics.

Praktike: The Ascetical Foundation

Praktike is the “work out” of our virtue through our efforts and cooperation with God’s grace to cleanse our hearts of the deformity of all of our disordered desires. Evagrius understood the Apostle Paul when he stated:

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires

Galatians 5:24

This understanding of Praktike led him to identify eight “logismoi,” or principal thoughts, which assail the soul – gluttony, lust, avarice, sadness, anger, acedia (spiritual listlessness), vainglory and pride. These eight thoughts have become the basis for what we later referred to in the West as the Seven Deadly Sins. Evagrius’ genius was in recognizing that our battle against Satan primarily occurs in our minds — that he attacks us with thoughts that, if entertained, will result in sinful actions.

During this phase of prayer, Evagrius placed particular importance on vigilance and being ever aware of the thoughts that are coming into our minds. He urged an immediate refusal of temptation and the cultivation of the opposite virtue. His prayer reflected the teaching of Christ:

Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

Matthew 26:41

During this time, by learning how to be vigilant, he learned how to distinguish between that which comes from God, that which comes from Satan, and that which comes from our human nature.

The end goal of Praktike is apatheia, which is often, in our modern English, interpreted as “apathy” . This interpretation is inaccurate. Instead, it means “freedom from passions” . During this state of apatheia, the passions no longer have control over our souls, and therefore our souls are at peace, thus enabling a deeper experience of The Lord:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God

Matthew 5:8

Physike: Contemplation of Creation

Once the soul has achieved a certain amount of stability through the process of praktike, it moves into physike – the contemplation of the creation of the world as a revelation of the wisdom of God. To contemplate physike is to look beyond the surface of the physical things of our world and see the spiritual meaning within all creation and to understand that every part of creation has its own testimony to God.

Evagrius contemplated Paul’s teaching:

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made

Romans 1:20

The entire universe bears the mark of God’s divine wisdom; therefore we need to view all of creation as our way of coming to a fuller understanding of Him, and how creation exists as a book of God.

Evagrius also engaged in a contemplation of the deeper meaning of the Scriptures – how the biblical narratives reveal spiritual truths in addition to historical truths, how the Message of the law is a foreshadowing of Christ, and how creation itself is a living Book of God that reveals God. Evagrius called this theoria, or spiritual insight, allowing the contemplative to see reality as God sees it.

Evagrius also engaged with the angels, demons and all the invisible, Spiritual beings found in the Scriptures. He recognized that the physical world is intertwined with the Spiritual world, creating a continuous communion where “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Theologike: Pure Prayer

The pinnacle of Evagrius’s contemplative system was Theologike, or Pure Prayer, which is a prayer devoid of words. The individual is now completely united with God; their minds are entirely naked before the divine light; their souls are completely merged with the mind of God, and all concepts, images and discourses have vanished.

Evagrius’s most famous saying was:

Prayer is the laying aside of thoughts

He spoke of prayer at its highest level, as an encounter with God, that transcends any mental activity. He separated prayer from words or thought (which can be necessary and good) from pure prayer (the ultimate goal).

He contemplated Moses entering the darkness on Sinai (Exodus 20:21), seeing this as image of the soul entering divine mystery beyond comprehension. He meditated on Paul’s experience of being caught up to paradise and hearing “inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell” (2 Corinthians 12:4). Pure prayer means entering this realm where human language fails and only silent adoration remains.

For Evagrius, pure prayer realizes the deepest human capacity—direct knowledge of God. This isn’t knowledge about God but knowledge of God, not information but intimate communion. It fulfills Jesus’s definition of eternal life:

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent

John 17:3

The Battle with Demons

Evagrius wrote extensively about battling against evil spirits. One of Evagrius’s contributions is a thorough examination and description of how evil spirits tempt Christians. Evagrius learned through experience in the Desert that evil spirits are real, active, and that they plan attacks against people trying to live holy lives. Through prayer and contemplation, Evagrius realized that Jesus has already won the final victory. Therefore, Christians are fighting back from victory, not trying to earn victory for themselves.

Evagrius taught that evil spirits are unable to know what people are thinking, nor can they force them to sin. However, evil spirits can suggest thoughts, observe patterns, and exploit weaknesses. Evil spirits attempt to ensnare the human soul into passion at the expense of contemplation by attacking the soul with the eight chief thoughts, which eventually lead to impure prayer. The primary goal of evil spirits is to interfere with and stop the soul from attaining unity with God through pure prayer.

Evagrius prayed vigilantly and had trust in God at the same time when struggling against demonic temptations. He paid close attention to his thoughts and quickly spotted negative thoughts as coming from evil spirits, as he also had full faith in the power of Christ’s authority to help him. Evagrius continually thought of what Christ said in Luke 10:19:

I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

Evagrius saw that evil spirits hated pure prayer, and therefore, intensified their attacks when someone made progress toward theologike. As a person contemplates, the spiritual warfare that the person will have to face will increase. This is why many people quit the contemplative path—they view the increased level of spiritual struggle as a sign that they have gone “backward” rather than recognizing that they are making progress and thus, “threaten” the interests of evil spirits.

Evagrius contemplated and prayed everyday regarding spiritual warfare—including recognizing that the spirit commonly attacks people at specific times of the day. Noon corresponds to spirits of acedia; nighttime is often associated with lustful thoughts. Recognizing the pattern of the time of a demonic attack allowed Evagrius to be prepared spiritually for the assault.

The Prayer of the Heart

Evagrius practiced what later tradition called “prayer of the heart” —continuous prayerful attention to God’s presence regardless of external circumstances. This wasn’t merely praying at set times but cultivating ongoing awareness of God through brief, frequent prayers that anchor consciousness in divine reality.

He meditated on Paul’s instruction: “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). How could one pray while working, eating, or sleeping? Evagrius discovered the answer: brief prayers repeated frequently throughout the day, creating contemplative rhythm that sanctifies all activities.

His practice included what Eastern Christianity calls “monologistic prayer” —single-sentence prayers repeated with attention. Though the Jesus Prayer ( “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” ) developed after Evagrius, his teaching laid its foundation. He recommended prayers like

O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me

Psalm 70:1

These brief prayers served multiple purposes. They interrupted obsessive thoughts, reoriented attention toward God, invoked divine help against temptation, and gradually trained the mind in continuous God-consciousness. Over time, the prayer becomes semi-automatic, the heart praying even when the conscious mind focuses on tasks.

Evagrius understood this practice as fulfilling Jesus’s command to “watch” (Matthew 24:42). Watchfulness isn’t anxious vigilance but peaceful attentiveness maintained through brief prayers that keep the soul oriented toward God like a compass needle pointing north.

Meditation on Scripture

Evagrius’s life was filled with prayers, through the Psalms in particular. Evagrius recognized that God wrote the Psalms as a “manual” to teach humanity how to pray—the Psalms express every emotion, situation, and condition of humanity.

Evagrius inclined toward contemplative reading of the Scriptures. He read the Old Testament narratives as an illustration of an individual’s inner spiritual experience: The Exodus describes humanity’s journey from sin to holiness, Jerusalem is the “heavenly” reality towards which we are journeying, and the enemies of the Jewish people represent the demons and passions that are attacking our souls.

Although allegorical readings of the Scriptures may seem to be arbitrary, this was an accurate understanding of Scripture’s unity. Evagrius spent time praying over Christ’s words:

These are the very Scriptures that testify about me

John 5:39

Therefore, to Evagrius (and to all future theologians) all Scriptures ultimately “testify” of Christ—throughout the Old Testament, types and shadows are describing who Jesus is.

The last component of Evagrius’s contemplation of Scripture was through memorization. Evagrius, as did many desert monks, memorized great portions of Scripture, thereby allowing the richness of God’s Word to abound within him (Colossians 3:16). This provided Evagrius with an internal “library” from where the Holy Spirit could reference during Evagrius’s prayer life, spiritual warfare, and pastoral care.

Tears as Prayer

Evagrius of Pontus wrote about what he referred to as the “gift of tears” or, in other words, tears shed during prayer that are indicative of God’s grace working within a person and softening their heart toward Him. Evagrius wrote about the distinction between tears of compunction (the outward act of mourning over one’s sins) and the tears of joy. These experiences can both serve as manifestations of authentic prayer, which are born from the depth of the individual, and therefore cannot be expressed in words.

Evagrius wrote that the psalmist recorded that, “My tears have been my food day and night” (Psalm 42:3) and Jesus’s beatitude:

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted

Matthew 5:4

The gift of tears also marks one’s progress towards apatheia (a state of being free of disordered passions) rather than apathetic stoicism.

It is also important to note that Evagrius cautioned against seeking tears as an experience of prayer. Specifically, tears are a gift of grace that cannot be earned or produced through an intentional act or methodology. If someone attempts to force tears upon themselves, that is typically the result of an emotional manipulation rather than a prayer experience. Accordingly, the contemplative soul simply opens itself to God touching the heart of the individual according to His sovereign will.

Solitude and Silence

Evagrius’s monastic tradition was rooted in the idea of solitude, or being physically separated from people and being alone with God, with the emphasis on silence. Evagrius understood that silence creates the environment, or space needed to hear God’s “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12, KJV). Additionally, silence creates an atmosphere conducive to pursuing deep prayer that cannot be realized unless the distractions of the world are removed.

Evagrius wrote about Jesus’ own practice of solitude:

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed

Mark 1:35

If the sinless Son of God lived in solitude while on the earth, how much more do sinful human beings need to be alone with God?

However, Evagrius recognized that having physical solitude without the interior silence of one’s heart does not serve to accomplish anything. The body may be out alone in the desert, yet the mind can be full of worries and distractions; therefore, true hesychia occurs when a person has both physical and inner tranquility.

After spending long hours in silence, Evagrius discovered that God often speaks through a person when he or she stops speaking. As the psalmist wrote,

Be still, and know that I am God

Psalm 46:10

Evagrius taught that the fear of demons prevents them from entering into solitude and silence because demons prefer to keep a person preoccupied with constant work and distractions.

The Practice of Fasting

The practice of fasting played an integral role in Evagrius’s asceticism. The monks of the desert consumed food in a very limited quantity, typically only one meal daily. The purpose was not to reject one’s body, rather to create a foundation of bodily control that would lead to developing the ability to control oneself spiritually, i.e., to create the ability for self-control through the control of the food appetite.

Evagrius wrote about Jesus fasting prior to His public ministry, illustrating that fasting prepares the minister for spiritual warfare (Matthew 4:1-2) and that fasting prepares a person for intensive ministry activities, as illustrated by Jesus’ statement that some demons are cast out only through “prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21 in some manuscripts). Therefore, to achieve certain religious “breakthroughs,” one must have increased self-control through fasting in that area of ministry.

Evagrius taught that fasting attacks the demon of gluttony first because controlling the food appetite is foundational for controlling other appetites. A person who cannot control his or her emotions regarding food and has an insatiable desire to eat will not have success in fasting, self-control and overcoming anger and lust. Fasting is training for total control of one’s being, i.e., eating, sleeping, speaking, etc. once the body has been disciplined in these basic aspects of life, one will be able to develop total self-control.

Along this line, Evagrius cautioned against fasting when done too severely, ending in damaging physical health, out of pride, or done out of spiritual necessity. The goal of fasting is to provide a means for prayer and spiritual intimacy, not deprivation for the sake of being deprived. Some monks practiced fasting to the extent that they became unable to pray or think clearly; this was contrary to the purpose of fasting.

Discernment of Thoughts

It may well be Evagrius’s most significant spiritual teaching to the followers of Christ remains his teaching on nepsis (vigilance) and diakrisis (discernment)—the careful observing of one’s thoughts as they come into the person’s consciousness. He taught that spiritual warfare primarily takes place within the mind, thereby making it essential to discern between the thoughts of God, one’s self, the world and the devil in order to achieve spiritual maturity.

Evagrius outlined the steps by which an inspired thought, or a suggestion from the devil, transforms into a sin: first, the “bare thought” (logismos); second, the engagement (prosbolē) with the thought; third, the dialogue or conversation with the thought (synduasmos); fourth, the assumption of the thought (synkatathesis); fifth, a passionate attachment (pathē); all of which culminate in committing an act. Victory over temptation can be achieved when one teaches himself to reject inappropriate thoughts at the earliest possible point of the process before the thought has an opportunity to take root in his mind.

Evagrius meditated on Paul’s admonition to the Corinthians, saying,

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5

This capturing involves examining each thought: Where does it come from? Where does it lead? Does it move me toward or away from God? Is this thought from God, demons, or human nature?

His method involved “talking back” to demonic thoughts with Scripture, much as Jesus quoted Scripture to Satan during wilderness temptations (Matthew 4:1-11). When gluttony suggested eating outside proper times, Evagrius might counter with “Man shall not live on bread alone” (Matthew 4:4). When vainglory suggested pride in achievements, he’d recall “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

This practice required memorizing Scripture extensively, creating an arsenal of divine truth for combating demonic deception. The Word of God is “living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword” (Hebrews 4:12)—wielding this sword requires knowing it intimately.

The Luminous Mind

Evagrius noted that the “luminous mind” (the intellect, or nous) referring to the intellect illuminated by Divine Light, in the pure experience of prayer, was a subject of mystic contemplation. When the heart is cleaned and freed of its passions, and there are no distractions, the intellect reflects the Divine Light and is then looked at by God, as water looks at itself, or as a mirror displays God’s Image perfectly.

This luminosity echoes biblical themes. Moses’s face shone after encountering God (Exodus 34:29-30). Jesus was transfigured in dazzling light (Matthew 17:2). Paul described believers

being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit

2 Corinthians 3:18

For Evagrius, this luminosity wasn’t physical light visible to bodily eyes but spiritual illumination—the mind enlightened to perceive divine truth, the soul radiant with God’s presence. This represented the fulfillment of Psalm 34:5:

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

He taught that the mind’s natural state is luminous contemplation of God—this is what humans were created for. Sin darkened the mind, passions clouded it, demons attempt to keep it obscured. Spiritual practice removes these obstacles, allowing the mind to return to its original purpose: beholding God’s glory.

Prayer as Communion with the Trinity

Evagrius interceded for the sinners to be included in his prayers to God, and for believers to have daily and eternal fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Through Evagrius’ meditation on Jesus’ words, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13)he understood that the Holy Spirit guides prayers; teaches the believer about the Son; takes the believer to the Father. Therefore, Prayer is not a human effort to reach out to a distant God but a response to God’s Initiative. The Spirit intercedes for us (Romans 8:26); the Son intercedes for us (Romans 8:34); and the Father draws us to the Son (John 6:44).

Evagrius contemplated how the goal of human existence is becoming “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4)—not becoming God in essence but sharing God’s life through grace. This theosis (deification) happens through union with Christ in the Spirit, drawing us into the Father’s embrace.

His Trinitarian contemplation shaped his understanding of prayer’s progression. Praktike relates particularly to the Spirit’s sanctifying work. Physike involves the Son’s wisdom revealed in creation. Theologike means entering the Father’s presence, beholding the One Jesus called “Abba.”

The Cell as School of Prayer

Evagrius lived alone in his small desert cell, a simple dwelling where he could only sit and sleep to pray, and accomplish the daily works of his hands through the sweat of his brow. The Desert Cell served as an instrument of Divine Transformation, as Evagrius wrote:

Sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything

Through the consistent solitude of the cell, the monk is in constant awareness of his interior condition.

The Cell as a School of Prayer strips away the distractions of life, entertainment, and escape routes from solitude. The monk has nowhere to go but into the heart of God. With no one to listen to or distract him, he sees himself in the light of God’s holiness and his own sinfulness. The cell serves as both a mirror and a window. Evagrius reflected on what Jesus taught:

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen

Matthew 6:6

The Cell, spiritually speaking, is the room. The room can be understood as an interior place of prayer, where one meets God alone.

Evagrius teaches that many beginners run from the cell, making excuses to avoid returning to the cell until they are in deep pain. The cell seems to confine them. When a monk perseveres until he becomes aware of God’s divine presence, he will see the cell as something that becomes both a sanctuary and a refuge. What he previously believed to be empty will become filled with God’s glorious presence, and what previously appeared tedious and boring will become an exciting encounter with the divine mystery. A cell provides an unwavering commitment to growing roots deeply in Christ; once rooted, the monk will be ready for spirit to produce fruit, through the deep prayer of God’s divine providence.

Manual Labor and Prayer

Manual labor in prayer is part of the monks’ rhythmic life. The monks’ manual labor consists of weaving baskets or ropes while meditating on the Sacred Scriptures and using short prayers. Evagrius felt that there was rhythm between manual labor and prayer. Manual labor and manual prayers complement and support one another–both are necessary in order for the monks to fulfill their spiritual life.

Evagrius speculated upon Paul’s example:

We worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you

2 Thessalonians 3:8

Paul combined ministry with his tentmaking. Likewise, monks combine contemplation with manual work.

Manual labor serves many purposes in the monks’ spiritual existence. Manual labor prevents idleness (the devil’s workshop, later wisdom called it). Manual labor keeps the monks humble—reminding them that spiritual life includes their everyday activities. Manual labor economically supports the communal aspect of the monks. Manual labor allows the monks to engage in rhythmic work and simultaneously pray using their hearts, with their hands engaged. Evagrius discovered that unconscious work and habitual tasks enable contemplation to be developed. While the hands are occupied with habitual work, the heart is free to engage God in prayer. Evagrius understood how praying in all life activities is similar to “practicing the presence of God”—whereby one is aware of God’s presence in all daily activities.

The Passions as Teachers

According to Evagrius, the passions, when fully comprehended, actually teach the way to virtue. The passions can be transformed by God’s grace into the corresponding virtues. For example, anger can be re-directed into righteous indignation towards sin, and desires when cleaned will become holy longing for God. Even pride can be ordered properly into joy in the image of God.

He meditated upon how God wastes nothing – even the disordered passions of fallen humanity contain the energy that grace can use to redirect. Paul taught the same thing concerning spiritual gifts, that the various gifts are given to us by the same Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and that which is destructive can become constructive when turned over to God. This gives hope to those who are struggling with passion or who have a passion for a particular sin. A person who has been battling anger has a passion which can, when healed, be transformed into a holy warrior against injustice. The same is true of lust. A person who struggles with lust has the potential to be a great lover (of God), once their lust has been cleansed – it enables them to be devoted deeply to God. The weak becomes the strong when surrendered to God’s transforming grace. Evagrius discovered through contemplation that spiritual warfare is not about destroying our nature, but healing and transforming it. He did not wish to eliminate emotions completely, but rather to help people know how to have healthy emotions – to love what God loves, hate what God hates, and desire what God desires.

Dreams and Spiritual Discernment

Evagrius placed great emphasis on dreams because he believed they reveal a person’s internal state. He taught that dreams can be from God, from demons, or as a result of natural causes. Thus, discernment is necessary in order to properly understand and interpret one’s dreams.

Evagrius meditated upon Biblical examples of God speaking through dreams, for example, when Joseph was directed by God through a dream (Matthew 1:20), when the wise men were warned of Herod in a dream (Matthew 2:12), and when Pilate’s wife experienced great distress through a dream about Jesus (Matthew 27:19). Dreams have the potentiality of being a means by which we receive God’s message, warning or encouragement.

However, he also recognized that demons use dreams to attack and produce guilt or lustful thoughts on awakening. He taught that we are not responsible for the content of our dreams, however we are responsible for our response to the dream after awakening. If the disturbing dream you had is a product of demonic activity, brief prayers will disperse such dreams. Evagrius saw that dreams were oftentimes an outward expression of the level of spiritual progression one should expect. As the passions are diminished, so will be the disturbance within a dream. As peace grows, so will the calmness of one’s dreams. Thus, the dream-state can be used as a means of determining the spiritual state of one’s self, and of knowing whether or not there is movement (i.e., praktike) towards growth in God.

The Elder-Disciple Relationship

Evagrius had exceptional intelligence, and as such, submitted himself to spiritual elders, particularly Macarius of Egypt and Macarius of Alexandria. He understood from the Scriptures that contemplative wisdom cannot solely be obtained through reading, but rather, it is transmitted from teacher (elder) to student (disciple) through spiritual counselings.

He meditated on Biblical mentorships: Moses & Joshua, Elijah & Elisha, Paul & Timothy. These Biblical mentor relationships demonstrate how spiritual growth/maturity can only occur through the guidance of elders who have “gone before us” . Pride makes the seeker believe that he/she can rely solely on reading to develop their spiritual understanding; humility desires a living elder in order to receive counsel.

The elder was not to control the disciple, but rather to be a resource for wisdom, to be an encouragement, to be a corrector, and to be a discerner of spirits. Evagrius learned to speak of his thoughts to his elder (exagoresis) and thus, the problematic thoughts and demonic suggestions were cast into the light of day and therefore, lost their power. The elder/disciple relationship reflects a relationship of love between, to be nourished by the elder’s concern for the spiritual well-being of his disciple; the disciple’s honor for the elder’s wisdom/experience; and both serving God as a team where neither are dominant, nor are they subordinate, but united in seeking holiness. When Evagrius became an elder, he guided other disciples with the same wisdom he had received. His written works serve as spiritual guidance for those who do not have living elders, and thus, his teachings have been passed down through the last 1,600 years to countless seekers of God.

Prostrations and Bodily Prayer

Physical demonstrations of prayer and prostrations (Metanoia) were used by Evagrius as a way to express oneself physically while repenting and worshiping. Prostrations allow the individual to express their penitent feelings of being in communion with God as a whole person, body and soul working together.

Evagrius believed that mankind is made up of a whole body and soul united into one (unity of being). To him it would be very incomplete for someone to pray using only their mind, while disregarding their body. Physical postures during prayer provide physical expressions and reinforcement of spiritual attitudes. For example, kneeling communicates humility; prostrating oneself communicates repentance, and standing with one’s hands raised expresses praise.

By using physical postures, Evagrius was following the biblical precedent. After God delivered victory to Israel over the Midianites, Moses and Aaron “fell facedown” before God (Numbers 16:22). Joshua “fell facedown to the ground in reverence” (Joshua 5:14). Jesus “fell with his face to the ground and prayed” in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39).

In addition to physical postures, Evagrius also espoused the practice of rising from bed at midnight to perform a prayer vigil where one stands and prays for hours or sings the Psalms. Again, he viewed this physical posture as a method of concentrating on the Lord, and believed that fatigued conditions of the body, in a paradoxical way, actually bring the mind into a greater focus.

Compunction: The Piercing of the Heart

Evagrius describes his method as “compunction” or the piercing or conviction of one’s heart from the recognition of sin and the desire for God. This is not to say that he exaggerated guilt to the point of morbidness, but rather that he promoted a healthy sadness that leads to a change of heart—a broken heart that is aware of the holiness of God and sinfulness of man. In this way, Evagrius drew his audience’s attention to the prayer of the tax collector:

God, have mercy on me, a sinner

Luke 18:13

This simple prayer expresses perfect “compunction” —an expression of pure neediness without any other thoughts: no excuses, no comparisons to others—just plain need for God’s mercy.

Evagrius maintained that compunction keeps the believer humble, as he continually comes back to the fact that he is utterly dependent upon God’s grace. The opposite of this is pride, which believes that one has made spiritual progress by his own accomplishments. If, however, one has true “compunction,” he will continually be reminded of what Jesus said, “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

While compunction is certainly not a permanent state of being miserable, it has alternating elements of sorrow and joy in the life of the believer. The sorrow produced from owning one’s sins will lead to gratitude for the forgiveness of those sins. The more aware a person is of his unworthiness, the more grateful he is for the grace of God. The heart pierced by compunction is the heart opened to receive God’s love.

The Final Stage: Union Beyond Understanding

As stated previously, the purpose of Evagrius’s system of contemplation was the attainment of direct knowledge of the Trinity through pure prayer. When a mind has been purified by God, and has gone beyond all of its thoughts and images, the individual “stands naked” before the Divine Light—this is “mystical union” (Theosis) and the complete fulfillment of mankind’s existence.

The “mysterious darkness” that the author associates with Moses’ ascent to Mount Sinai is a “luminous darkness” (Exodus 20:21) and is a paradox that describes the internal experience of the contemplative: “to see without seeing,” “to know without knowing,” and “to experience God above all concepts or comprehension”.

Evagrius meditated on Paul’s declaration:

Now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known

1 Corinthians 13:12

Pure prayer anticipates this face-to-face vision, participating now in what will be complete hereafter.

Finally, Evagrius declared that this ultimate state of contemplation, or pure prayer, cannot be obtained through the achievements of mankind, but is graciously given by God. All of the exercises in the three avenues of Evagrius’ system (praktike, physike, and theologike) are simply ways of removing the hindrances that would prevent the vision, which God ultimately gives according to His timing and wisdom through pure grace.

A Controversial Legacy

Evagrius, a thinker of the Church’s past, especially influenced by Origen, is known for many ideas that were condemned by the Fifth Ecumenical Council in 553 AD as being contrary to the orthodox belief system and his suggestions on the doctrine of the pre-existence of souls and the doctrine of universal restoration. However, although this was true from a theological standpoint, the Church has consistently recognized a differentiation between these questionable theological ideas and the value of his spiritual teachings and insights.

This distinction is very important. For even though many of Evagrius ideas on systematic theology were rejected by the Church, the Church still preserved Evagrius’ practical wisdom concerning prayer, spiritual warfare, and contemplative practice, which have been used as the basis of Christian spirituality throughout the ages. This also illustrates an important principle, that is, that theological accuracy does not always equal personal holiness and that someone can have profound personal holiness, but at the same time hold a lot of erroneous ideas in their doctrine. Discernment is necessary to accept something of value and reject error—taking the pure gold while leaving the dross.

Conclusion

Evagrius Ponticus reminds us that in order to attain a contemplative life, one must vigorously fight against sin and receive grace with an open heart; that in order to pray effectively, there must be a balance between active spiritual warfare over one’s thoughts and passive resting in God; and that we will get back more than we spend on our effort of seeking union with God.

In order for us to deepen our own spiritual lives, Evagrius is urging us to recognize the need for battling for control of our thinking, as spiritual warfare is primarily in the mind. Evagrius is teaching us to be vigilant over the thoughts that come into our heads, to immediately reject any thought that suggests the existence of a demon, and to strive to develop a habit of pure prayer.

Like Evagrius, we must avoid seeking the world’s definition of success that jeopardizes our souls and instead, pursue the ultimate treasure, the one pearl of great price (Matthew 13:46). The practice of praktike requires us to be honest in assessing our passions, to develop our virtues patiently, and to seek the freedom of apatheia, which is essential for love. Through physike, we will achieve a vision of God’s glory through creation, discern the spiritual implications of reading the Bible, and comprehend the meanings of earthly realities as they relate to the heavenly world. Ultimately, we will reach the ultimate goal of theologike‘s pure prayer, where we experience ourselves completely devoid of self and completely enveloped in God’s total majesty, united with the Trinity in an unbreakable bond of love.

May we practice brief, frequent prayer throughout the day, maintaining continuous awareness of God’s presence. May we learn to discern thoughts, taking captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. May we embrace solitude and silence, creating space for God to speak.

And may we remember Evagrius’s fundamental wisdom: prayer is the laying aside of thoughts, pure prayer is laying aside of self, and the goal of all contemplation is knowing God—not information about him but intimate communion with him, now and forever.

To the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—one God who invites us into contemplative union, who fights for us in spiritual warfare, and who will bring to completion the good work begun in us—be glory forever and ever. Amen.