Letter 5 - Subject of Prayer from Screwtape Letters

The necessity to address "the painful subject of prayer" as an important aspect of spiritual life.
Warning against the unprofessional comments made by Wormwood regarding prayer practices.
Emphasis on personal responsibility for one's own mistakes.

Primary Strategy: Prevent the patient from engaging in serious prayer.
- Especially effective for an adult who has recently reconverted to the enemy’s (God's) party.
- Encourage thoughts about childhood prayers which were less sincere and more like a parrot’s mimicry.
- Encourage spontaneous, informal, and unstructured prayer forms.

New believers may attempt to cultivate a vague devotional mood.
- This mood should not engage real concentration of will or intelligence.
Reference to Coleridge's description of prayer:
- Not praying with physical motions but merely composing one’s spirit to love and indulging a sense of supplication.

The type of prayer that is favorable is emotionally resonant yet lacking in seriousness.
- It may superficially resemble the prayer of advanced believers, leading to the patient being misled for an extended period.
Key Misconception: A belief that bodily posture does not influence prayer.
- Reminder that humans are physical beings and their bodily actions affect their souls.

Humans often incorrectly believe that demons insert thoughts into their minds.
The reality is that demons primarily work to exclude thoughts of God or anything that leads to God.

Key Concept: Redirect the patient’s focus away from God during prayer.
- Aim to have them concentrate on themselves instead.
Examples of misdirection in prayer:
- When intending to pray for charity, instead cultivate feelings of charity within them.
- When praying for courage, prompt them to feel brave rather than seeking bravery from God.
- When asking for forgiveness, divert focus to how they can feel forgiven.
Teach patients to evaluate prayer by the feelings produced rather than the spiritual truth of their prayers.

The success of prayers is significantly influenced by the patient's physical state (wellness or fatigue).
The demonic plan must acknowledge that the enemy (God) is actively working against these temptations during prayer.

Acknowledge God’s indifference to the dignity of spiritual versus physical beings.
God can reveal self-knowledge to humans in a straightforward, shameless manner.
Demonic Perspective: The human understanding of God is limited to a construct made out of various influences, often distorted.

When examining a patient’s prayer, look for a mental composite of God rather than a direct perception of Him.
- This composite might include:
- Ridiculous images of God during the Incarnation.
- Puerile images associated with the divine figures.
- Individual experiences of reverence and bodily sensations resulting from the prayer.
Specific examples of misdirected perceptions of God:
- Being imagined as located in various places (such as corners of rooms or images on walls).

Encourage patients to pray to their composite object instead of inspiring thoughts about God’s true nature.
Avoid the reality that comes with focusing on the true God because it leads to genuine engagement with the divine.
Fear of the “nakedness of the soul” that arises when the individual truly connects with God.

Offer reassurance that humans generally do not desire a profound connection with the divine as much as they think.
Final Note: Express a cautionary view on the potential ramifications of genuine prayer.

Sincerely signed off from Screwtape, indicating a personal and familial connection to the advice given.