I'm writing to you - what's wrong?
A . WITH . Pushkin
Letters were written by everyone - tsars, merchants, district young ladies, hussars in love, Vanka Zhukov and even Zaporozhye Cossacks. What was in them? Village and trade news, business state secrets and love letters, requests for financial assistance and maiden secrets, the aroma of perfume and sealing wax - all of life. All these works of the genre, called epistolary, were delivered by the Post Office! The same Russian Post, which is now 180 years old!
The need for communication through writing arose so long ago that not a single birch bark letter can tell us about it for certain, because the first of them has not yet been found! But the first post network appeared in St. Petersburg in January 1833. The capital was divided into 17 postal districts, and then letters were not thrown into the mailbox (it appeared later - in 1848), but were taken to the shopkeeper! Letters were collected by the postman three times a day and delivered to the post office. And from there - oh, bird-three...to the postal stations. I wonder how often letters went missing back then?
An ancient letter book or how to write letters
For centuries, writing was not only popular, but sometimes the only means of communication. Writing letters was even elevated to the rank of art and they taught how to write letters correctly and even beautifully. An educated person simply had to be able to express his thoughts in writing competently, beautifully, and correctly. Those who could not write at all applied for this service for a certain fee - every tavern had such a “writer”, every village had its own literate…. 
In 1822, the Printing House of the Imperial Theaters published “The newest most complete and detailed letter book or general secretary in 4 parts, containing
Letters of all kinds, used in the community and adapted to all occasions and circumstances, with preliminary rules and instructions for composing and writing all kinds of letters to different persons and about different subjects.”
The letterman talked about letters and the attitude towards them in general, about the style of the letter, decency, clarity and cleanliness, about the form of the letter and how one should work on writing it.
Everything that can be said personally to a friend can also be written to him during separation, with the only caution that one should not always entrust one’s secret to paper: it can get lost or fall into the wrong hands.
The written style should not be too high, not forced and not buffoonish. It should be simple and similar to an ordinary conversation depicted on paper. The simpler it is, the more pleasant it is, the closer to the heart.
What is decent to write to an equal will be offensive in a letter to a nobleman. What is beautiful in a letter from an old man and an important person is most ridiculous in a letter from a young man of low birth and rank. You can’t talk about a warrior the way they talk about the female sex.
You must test yourself, i.e. write suddenly and quickly, then show what you have written to people with purified taste. If the writing is called good, then one must continue to write in exactly the same way.
First think about whether this expression is good, whether there is a better, more accurate one; Think about whether your thought is true, whether it is decent, whether it is consistent with the character and condition of the person to whom you are writing, whether it suits your business? think - and then put it on paper.
Novels, painting, interesting facts
Your letter comforted me extremely. It reminded me so vividly of St. Petersburg, I thought I heard you. How ridiculous are your eternal assumptions! You suspect some deep, secret feelings in me, some kind of unhappy love - don’t you? calm down, honey; you are mistaken: I am like the heroine only in that I live in a remote village and pour tea, like Clarissa Garlov. (A.S. Pushkin. A novel in letters)
Letters were not only a purely personal matter - they penetrated literature! They can be found in detective stories and adventures, they have become the basis of many love stories - entire novels in letters! Portuguese Letters (1669) by Gabriel Joseph Guillerag - a collection of love letters from the nun Mariana Alcoforado, a novel in letters of the 17th century. Love correspondence between a nobleman and his sister (1684) by Aphra Behn were among the first. The genre grew - writers wrote letters for their heroes, making readers worry and worry even more, because reading other people's letters is much more exciting! Pamela, or Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson, Julia, or the New Heloise by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Dangerous Liaisons of Choderlos de Laclos, The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Goethe - all this could be found in almost any bookcase. 
An interesting letter (Julius Leblanc Stewart) 
The Letter (William Maw Egley) 
Love Letter (Jean-Honore Fragonard)
The methods and rules for delivering letters were also very diverse: from officially approved ones to the most original methods that have become legends.
In 18**, a romantic story took place: a young couple, because of the prohibition of a strict father, exchanged notes through a hollow oak tree. In the end, the father's heart melted and he allowed them to get married. The wedding was celebrated under that same oak tree. The story became a legend, and the oak tree was credited with the ability to connect the halves of hearts. Now those who want to find their destiny send letters here. Yes, yes, they send it, because oak has a real postal address and if you are still looking for your soul mate, write here: Bräutigamseiche, Dodauer Forst, 23701 Eutin.
In the 19th century in England, letters were written in a special way - crosswise, perhaps this is where the expression “read along and across” came from. The thing is that the postage rate was calculated based on the number of sheets of paper. Thrifty Englishmen wrote a letter on one side of a sheet of paper, folded it into an envelope and wrote the address. If the letter was long, the sheet was turned 90 degrees and written reproachfully; if this was not enough, then diagonally! And two centuries earlier in England there was a position of a royal uncorker of ocean bottles with letters. Ordinary citizens who opened such a bottle faced the death penalty!
It's in the bag - an expression that was also born thanks to letters! In the old days, messengers sewed important letters under the lining of their hats so that in case of emergency they would not fall into the hands of robbers.
How long ago did you write or receive letters? No, not business workers - about delivery times or provision of contractual documents, not explanatory notes to superiors or electronic - hello - bye, not letters to various authorities with demands and requests, not SMS messages. I'm talking about those live letters to your best friend or mother, holiday cards to friends and relatives, which were so joyfully full of our mailboxes, where now only receipts, notices, and letters of happiness from the tax office fly. Letters written in your own hand on beautiful notepaper or on a piece of paper from a student notebook, triangle letters, postcards from travel or for special dates - the story of your life. Has letter writing become a lost art that has sunk into oblivion?
Galina Zamyslova, etoya.ru
Writing has always been a very popular (and sometimes the only) means of communication. It is not surprising that letter writing has been elevated to the rank of a full-fledged art. We learned to write letters beautifully starting from the lyceum. It was believed that an educated person simply must be able to write beautiful letters. Those who did not have an easy syllable turned to more gifted people for help; writing letters was not a free service. Now the situation has not changed at all, except that the letters have also become electronic.
With the help of letters, modern people exchange very large flows of information. The letter may describe the latest news, it may contain an appeal or proposal, the letter may be an invitation or informational. But in any case, it must be compiled correctly.
If earlier there were very high requirements for letters (good paper, high-quality ink, glue that does not bleed), now everything is much simpler. It is enough to compose the letter correctly - without spelling and grammatical errors. It is permissible to put various kinds of smiley pictures in emails if it is a letter to a loved one. Business letters exclude the presence of such elements, unless the opponents have known each other for a long time, and there is a certain level of trust and understanding. In a sense, email gives more concessions; I wrote a letter, came to my senses, and canceled it. But there are also oddities when a letter for one person can be sent to many people who should not know why you divorced your wife, or how you bought furniture last summer. That is why the buttons must be pressed correctly and carefully. Email also provides the ability to format a letter. But here again you need to proceed from the person for whom the letter is being written. If this is the director of a partner company with whom you periodically play golf, then such a letter may contain a logo and basic information about the company and that’s all. What comes as an addition may turn out to be unnecessary.
The important elements of an email are the greeting, title, and signature. If you are in a dialogue with a person, then the time of day at which you communicate is indicated. If you are just writing to a person, then it is better to put a neutral “good afternoon.” The signature must contain your first name, last name, phone number and Skype (or email). The recipient, of course, will see from which service the letter came, but it won’t hurt to make his life easier either. The Post.su mail service makes it possible to create such a signature automatically and not have to worry about typing the same details every time.
Any leadership position involves a significant amount of letters, and letters always reveal the personality of the author. Take, for example, the Apostle Paul. We learn more about his moral purity, rational sincerity and spiritual life from his letters than from any other source. When a difficult situation required Paul's attention, he dipped his pen in tears, not in acid. “Out of great sorrow and troubled heart I wrote to you with many tears” (2 Cor. 2:4a).
After his rebuking letter to the erring Corinthians, Paul's sensitive heart prompted him to inquire whether he had been too strict. “Therefore, if I saddened you with the message, I do not regret it, although I did regret it; for I see that that message saddened you, but only for a while. Now I rejoice... that you were saddened to repentance” (2 Cor. 7:8,9). The purpose of his letter was not to win the argument, but to solve the spiritual problem that had arisen and help the Christians in Corinth become more mature.
The letters of the Apostle Paul are full of inspiring words, generous in praise, and full of compassion. All who received his letters felt encouraged (Phil. 1:27–30). But this did not stop him from being straightforward when it was necessary to correct someone’s mistakes. “So, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?<… >I wish I could now be with you and change my voice, because I am perplexed about you” (Gal. 4:16,20).
Clear, understandable language is important in our letters, but the appropriate spirit of the letters is even more important. Letters are not the best means of communication. They cannot convey a smile when talking about something difficult, and therefore special attention must be paid to ensuring that their tone is sufficiently soft.
The letters were an important part of Paul's program to further work with the churches he founded. George Whitefield did the same. It was said of him that after preaching to large audiences, he always sat up late, busy writing letters designed to encourage new converts.
Notes
1. Quoted in S. W. Hall, Samuel Logan Brengle(New York: Salvation Army, 1933), 278.
Samuel Jones on (1709–1784) was an English poet, essayist and lexicographer. His Dictionary of the English Language (1747) was considered the standard for a century.
2. Helmut Thielecke, Encounter with Spurgeon(Philadelphia: Fortress, 1963), 26. Charles Hudson Spurgeon (1834–1892), one of the most famous preachers of the 19th century, was pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church for thirty-two years. ") in London.
3. A. E. Norrish, Christian Leadership(New Delhi: Masihi Sabiyata Sanstha, 1963), 28.
4. Latin American Evangelist, May-June 1965.
5. Robert E. Speer, Christ and Life(New York: Revell, 1901), 103. Frederick William Robertson (1816–1853) was ordained in the English Church in 1840, and went on to become a prominent preacher among the poor working-class population of Brighton. William Wilberforce (1759–1833), mentioned earlier, was a member of the British Parliament whose work, opposed by business leaders, eventually led to the passage of laws prohibiting slavery and the slave trade. In 1804 he helped organize the British and Foreign Bible Society.
6. Ibid., 104. The original text has been modified. Joseph Butler (1692–1752), Anglican bishop, became famous for his book The Analogy of Religion (Analogy of Religion, 1736), which is perhaps the best work in defense of the Christian faith written in the 18th century.
7. William Barclay Letters of Peter and Jude (Edinburgh: St. Andrews, 1960), 258. John Chrysostom (347–407), mentioned above, became one of the early Church Fathers. For ten years he was a monk and hermit; then he served as a deacon and priest in Antioch, after which he became patriarch in Constantinople. He was sent into exile for the reason that he preached against evil and intemperance among the supreme clergy and dignitaries.
8. J. S. Pollock, Hudson Taylor and Maria(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1962), 35.
9. Earnest Gordon A. J. Gordon(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1897), 191.
10. Phyllis Thompson D. E. Hoste(London: China Inland Mission, n.d.), 158.
11. A. E. Thompson, The Life of A. B. Simpson(Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1920), 204.
12. H. C. Lees, St. Paul's Friends(London: Religious Tract Society, 1917), 11.
13. A. W. Tozer, Let My People Go (Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications, 1957), 36.
14. S. P. Carey, William Carey (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1923), 256.
15. Lettie B. Cowman Charles E. Cowman(Los Angeles: Oriental Missionary Society, 1928), 269.
16. Mrs. Hudson Taylor Pastor Hsi(London: China Inland Mission, 1949), 164, 167.
17. Mark Clark (1896–1984) was a lieutenant general in the US military during World War II. He commanded the Fifth Army during the Italian Campaign, and during the armed conflict in Korea he commanded all United Nations forces.
18. George Adam Smith The Book of Isaiah(London: Hodder & Stoughton, n.d.), 229.
19. James Burns Revival, Their Laws and Leaders(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1909), 311.
20. World Vision, February 1966, 5.
Chapter 10
Above all
Therefore, brethren, select from among yourselves seven men known, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom... and chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit...
In order to provide spiritual leadership, we need people filled with the Holy Spirit. Other qualities are also important, but being filled with the Spirit is essential. The Book of Acts is the story of those who founded the church and led the missionary movement. It is no coincidence that the most important requirement even for those who did not occupy leading positions in the early church was that they be “filled with the Holy Spirit.” These ministers also had to be distinguished by their honesty and justice, but first of all, by their spirituality. One may have a clear mind or outstanding skill in managing people, but lack of spirituality makes it impossible to become a true spiritual leader.
Behind all the busyness of the apostles was the action of the Holy Spirit performing His work. His work in governing the church and His leading role in developing the plan for the spread of the gospel is hard to miss. The Spirit does not give authority to temporal or carnal leaders: even if the work itself does not imply any spiritual teaching, ministers filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit are necessary for its execution. Choosing leaders for the Kingdom should not be based on worldly wisdom, financial wealth, or social status. The main condition is spirituality. When a church or missionary organization follows a list of leadership qualities, it removes the Holy Spirit from leading. This behavior insults and quenches the Holy Spirit, and the result can be spiritual hunger and spiritual death for those who do this.
Electing leaders without taking into account the criterion of spirituality always leads to unspiritual leadership. Pearson compared this situation to a large corporation that needs to get rid of its chief executive. Gradually, key positions on the board and among directors are occupied by those people who are not satisfied with the policies of their boss. Unnoticed, they obstruct the execution of his orders, frustrate his plans and in every possible way destroy his policies. Where previously the chief administrator met with support and cooperation, he now faces indifference and inactivity, until he finally resigns from his post, completely unable to manage any longer. corporation 1. Likewise, appointing leaders with a secular or materialistic worldview does not allow the Holy Spirit to provide for the spiritual growth of the community.
The Holy Spirit never controls anyone against his or her will. When a leadership position is occupied by a person who lacks the spiritual fitness to work with Him, the Holy Spirit simply steps aside, leaving him to carry out his own plans, according to his own standards, but without the help of the Spirit. The inevitable result of this is unspiritual leadership.
The church in Jerusalem listened to the preaching of the apostles and chose seven ministers who possessed this one necessary quality. Through their work, empowered by the Holy Spirit, the church received a great blessing: those chosen to distribute food and care for earthly things soon proved themselves to be messengers of the Spirit, distributing heavenly blessings. Stephen became the first martyr for Christ, and his death played an important role in the conversion of the Apostle Paul. Philip became an evangelist and his Spirit was used to start a great revival in Samaria. Leaders who are faithful in using and developing their gifts prepare the way for greater accomplishment and greater effectiveness in ministry.
The book of Acts clearly shows that the leaders who had a significant impact on the Christian movement were filled with the Spirit. About the One who commanded His disciples to wait in Jerusalem for power from on high, it is written that He Himself was anointed “with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38a). The one hundred and twenty disciples who were in the upper room were also “all filled with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:4a). Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit as he addressed the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:8). Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit, testified for Christ and died a martyr’s death (Acts 6:3–5; 7:55). Paul began his extraordinary ministry and continued it, being filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17; 13:9). Barnabas, Paul's missionary companion, was filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:24). We would be astonishingly blind if we failed to recognize the obvious necessity of this quality for a spiritual leader.
These early church leaders were sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Because they surrendered their will to the Holy Spirit, they joyfully obeyed His instructions and followed His promptings. Philip left Samaria, where the great revival was in full swing, and went into the wilderness, but what a wonderful convert he thus brought to Christ (Acts 8:29-39)! The Holy Spirit helped Peter overcome his prejudices and go to Cornelius, which resulted in a blessing to the pagan world (Acts 10:9–23; 11:1–18). The Spirit called Paul and Barnabas and sent them out as the first missionaries of the church (Acts 13:1–4). Throughout his active life, Paul obeyed the Holy Spirit when He either moved him to do something or restrained him from doing certain things (Acts 16:6–8; 19:21; 20:22). The leaders of the church in Jerusalem were submitting to the Spirit. “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us,” was how the meeting of leaders voiced their decisions (Acts 15:28).
The Holy Spirit intervened when it was necessary to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. The greatest purpose of the Holy Spirit is missionary work. Shouldn't we also pursue the same goal?
Even as I write these lines, the Holy Spirit is working in the Asian churches, giving ministers new vision and awakening in them a burning desire to serve. For example, churches in Japan have sent missionaries to many parts of the world, from Taiwan to Brazil. While the number of North American and European missions remains unchanged, the heavenly Strategist is awakening the Asian churches to help them fulfill their missionary responsibilities. Just recently, more than three thousand Third World Christians followed God's call to missionary work.
Paul explained to the church leaders in Ephesus how to approach their positions: “Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers” (Acts 20:28a). These leaders held their positions not by apostolic election or popular vote, but by divine appointment. They reported not only to the church, but also to the Holy Spirit. What wonderful confidence, what a sense of responsibility, what spiritual authority such a teaching brought them and continues to bring us!
How would the apostles have been able to cope with the superhuman task facing them without this filling of the Holy Spirit at the Feast of Pentecost? They needed superhuman power to wage an irreconcilable battle against the devil and hell (Luke 24:49; Eph. 6:10–18).
To be filled with the Holy Spirit simply means that a Christian voluntarily surrenders his life and his will to the Holy Spirit. Through faith, the believer's personality is filled with the Spirit, and then He begins to lead and control the Christian. The word “fulfill” does not mean “to fill an indifferent vessel,” but “to take the direction of the mind.” We find this meaning of the word in the Gospel of Luke: the witnesses to the miracle performed by Jesus were “filled with fear” (Luke 5:26). When we ask the Holy Spirit to fill us, He takes possession of our lives with amazing power and enthusiasm.
To be filled with the Holy Spirit means to be controlled by the Spirit. The mind, emotions, will and physical capabilities of the Christian leader become available to the Holy Spirit so that He uses them and directs them on the right path. Under the direction of the Holy Spirit, the natural gifts of a leader are developed to the highest degree, blessed to achieve a holy goal. Through the work of the now unquenched and unoffended Holy Spirit, all the fruits of the Spirit in the life of the leader begin to grow. His evangelism becomes more successful, his ministry more stable, his testimony more convincing. Any true Christian service is nothing other than the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit through believers who obey Him (John 7:37-39).
If we pretend that we are filled with the Spirit, or withhold our desire to submit completely to the leading of the Holy Spirit, we put ourselves in the difficult situation that E. W. Tozer warns against:
No one whose senses have been trained by skill to distinguish between good and evil can help but be grieved by observing zealous souls striving to be filled with the Holy Spirit, and at the same time continuing to live in a state of moral carelessness bordering on sin. Anyone in whom the Holy Spirit dwells is obliged to examine his life for hidden iniquity. He must cleanse his heart from everything that does not agree with the character of God as revealed in the Holy Scriptures... There can be no condescension towards evil, one cannot simply laugh off what God hates 2.
Filling with the Holy Spirit is vital for a spiritual leader. And each of us is as filled with the Holy Spirit as we ourselves truly want it.
Spiritual Gifts
Christians all over the world have spiritual gifts that have not yet been discovered or used. The leader is obliged to help identify these gifts for serving the Kingdom, develop them, and distribute their capabilities. Spirituality alone does not make a leader such; he must also have natural talents and gifts received from God.
Our war against evil requires supernatural equipment, which the Lord has given us in the form of the spiritual gifts of the church. To be used effectively, spiritual gifts must be enriched with spiritual grace.
Very often, though not always, the Holy Spirit gives a Christian leader exactly those gifts that are wonderfully suited to his character and personality. Samuel Chadwick, the famous Methodist preacher, once said that when he himself was filled with the Holy Spirit, he received not a new mind, but a new thinking; not a new adverb, but a new effectiveness in what he said; not a new language, but a new Bible. Chadwick's natural abilities were developed, new life, new strength were invested in them.
The appearance of spiritual gifts in the life of a Christian does not exclude natural gifts, but improves and encourages them. The new birth in Jesus Christ does not change natural qualities, but when placed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, these qualities take on new effectiveness. Hidden opportunities are often discovered.
Anyone who is called by God to spiritual leadership can be confident that the Holy Spirit has equipped him or her with all the gifts necessary for the ministry that needs to be performed at that moment.
Notes
1. A. T. Pierson, The Ads of the Holy Spirit (London: Morgan & Scott, n.d.), 63. Arthur Tappan Pearson (1837–1911) was a preacher, writer, and missionary speaker who helped prepare the Scofield Commentary Bible (Scofield Reference Bible) as a consultant.
2. D. J. Fant A. W. Tozer(Harrisburg: Christian Publications, 1964), 73, 83.
Chapter 11
Prayer and Guidance
So, first of all, I ask you to make prayers, petitions, supplications, thanksgivings for all people.
The spiritual leader must go ahead of the entire church when it comes to prayer. And yet, even the most experienced leader recognizes that one can develop endlessly in one’s prayer life. And he will never feel that he has “already achieved.” DeanS. J. Vaughan once stated: “If I wanted to put someone in my place, I would ask him how he is doing with prayer. I don’t know of a single topic that can compare with this one in terms of the number of sorrowful confessions.”
Prayer is the oldest, most universal and most intense way of expressing religious feelings. These are simple words coming from the mouth of a child, and sublime prayers of the elderly. Both of them reach the heavenly throne. Prayer truly is the breath and native atmosphere of a Christian.
But, paradoxically, many of us find prayer quite difficult. We do not experience natural delight as we approach God. Often we pay lip service to the power and pleasure of prayer. We call prayer an essential attribute of the life of a believer; we know that Scripture calls for prayer. However, very often we simply do not pray ourselves.
Let us seek encouragement from those holy leaders who have overcome their innate reluctance to pray and become extremely powerful in prayer. About Samuel Chadwick they wrote:
He was eminently a man of prayer. Every morning, shortly after six, he was up and had a small room that he turned into a private sanctuary where he spent time with the Lord before having breakfast. In the presence of people, he prayed with such power precisely because he was constant in solitary prayer to God... When he prayed, he expected God to act. “I regret that I did not pray enough,” he wrote at the end of his life, “it would be better if I worked less, but prayed more; and in the depths of my soul I regret that I did not pray as well as I would have liked.” 1
“When I begin to pray,” one famous Christian admitted, “my heart goes very reluctantly to God, and then with great reluctance it remains with Him.” This is where self-discipline comes into play.
“When you feel a complete reluctance to pray, do not give in to it,” he advises, “but make every effort and pray anyway, even if you seem unable to pray.”
Perfecting the art of prayer, like everything else, takes time. The amount of time we devote to this will determine how much importance we attach to prayer. We always find time for what is important to us. The most common excuse for those who do not spend much time in prayer is the list of things that need to be done - all our tasks and responsibilities that fill the entire day. For Martin Luther, every additional burden of responsibilities was reason enough to pray more, not less. Just look at how he describes his plans for the next day: “Work, continuous work from early morning until late evening. In fact, I have so much to do tomorrow that I will devote the first three hours to prayer.”
If Martin Luther prayed even though he was so busy, then we can do it too.
Try to describe exactly how prayer works, and you will immediately be faced with a number of very difficult mysteries. But people who are skeptical about the effectiveness of prayer are usually those who are not serious about the practice of prayer or are not inclined to obey God when He reveals His will. We cannot understand what prayer is unless we pray. No philosophy has ever taught to pray. Reasonable questions about the nature of prayer are resolved through the joy of answered prayer and a closer relationship with God.
The Christian leader seeking to find a role model would do well to look to the example of Jesus Himself. Our belief in the necessity of prayer comes from observing His life. Undoubtedly, if anyone could spend life on their own, without prayer, it would be the Son of God Himself. If praying was stupid, Jesus would not waste time praying. But wait! Prayer was the most important characteristic of His life and a constant part of His teaching. Through prayer His moral vision remained clear and unclouded. Prayer gave Him the courage to fulfill the perfect but difficult will of His Father. Prayer paved the way for the Transfiguration. For Jesus, prayer was not just an addition to life that can be quickly abandoned, but a duty that brings joy.
In the Gospel of Luke we find a general remark that sheds light on the daily life of the Lord: “But He went into desert places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). This is not about a one-time event, but about many events that the evangelist describes in one phrase. It was the custom of our Lord to seek solitude for prayer. When He left people, He, as a rule, climbed quite far into uninhabited places - He went into the desert. It was quite strange to the observers of that time that He who had so much power, so much spiritual strength, considered it necessary for Himself to constantly resort to a source of strength in order to renew His weary spirit. What is even more amazing to us is that He, the Prince of Life, the Eternal Word, the Only Begotten Son of God, humbly fell on his face before the throne of God, in prayer asking for grace to help in time of need.
Christ spent whole nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). He often got up before dawn so that nothing would prevent Him from communicating with the Father (Mark 1:35). The greatest turning point in His life and ministry began with His long and intense prayer, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke: “He went into the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16). These words indicate that for Jesus this was the norm of behavior, the routine. By word and example, He instructed His disciples, showing them the importance of solitude in prayer (Mark 6:46 - immediately after the feeding of five thousand people; Luke 9:28 - before the Transfiguration). For those who bear the responsibility of choosing a team to perform a certain spiritual service, a shining example will be the Lord Himself, Who spent the whole night in prayer before choosing His apostles (Luke 6:12).
Both our Lord and His servant the Apostle Paul made it very clear that true prayer is not thoughtful daydreaming. “Any sincere prayer drains a person’s vitality. True intercession is a bleeding sacrifice,” wrote J. G. Jowett. Jesus performed miracles without visible signs of exertion, but offered “prayers and supplications with great crying and tears” (Heb. 5:7).
Sometimes our prayers are weak and look unimpressive compared to the prayers of Paul or Epaphras. “Epaphras greets you...who always strives for you in prayer,” writes Paul (Col. 4:12a). And in the same letter he declares: “I desire that you know what kind of fight I have for your sake” (Col. 2:1a). From the Greek word translated in this passage as “feat,” words such as “agony” and “agonize” come from. This word is used to describe someone who works hard to the point of exhaustion (Col. 1:29), or one who competes in an athletics competition to win a prize (1 Cor. 9:25). It is also used to describe a soldier fighting for his life (1 Tim. 6:12) or a man doing everything to save his friends from danger (John 18:36). True prayer is an earnest spiritual exercise requiring the greatest mental discipline and concentration.
We may be encouraged by the fact that Paul, who probably has no equal among men in the matter of prayer, confessed: “We do not know what to pray for as we ought.” And after this he hastened to add: “The Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed. But he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God” (Rom. 8:26,27). The Spirit joins us in prayer and invests its requests in our requests.
All Christians should learn more about the art of prayer, and the Holy Spirit is the best teacher. The Spirit's help in prayer is mentioned more often in the Bible than His help in any other situation. All true prayers come through the work of the Spirit in our souls. Both Paul and Jude point out that the most effective prayer is “praying in the Spirit.” This means that we pray in the same direction, about the same things, in the same name as the Holy Spirit. True prayer is offered in the Christian spirit by the indwelling Spirit.
Praying in the Spirit is important for two reasons. First, we must pray in the realm of the Holy Spirit, since He is the environment and atmosphere of a Christian's life. We often fail to do this. Many prayers are psychic, mental, rather than spiritual, they occur only in the realm of the mind, becoming the result of our own thoughts, and not what the Spirit teaches us. But real prayer goes much deeper. It uses the physical capabilities of the body, requires the mandatory cooperation of the mind, and occurs in the supernatural realm of the Holy Spirit. Such prayer truly has weight in the spiritual realm, in heaven.
Secondly, we should pray with the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. “Pray with all prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit, and be diligent about this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18). Because the task of prayer is superhuman, and it requires such strength that it exceeds human capabilities. We have the Spirit of power as well as the Spirit of prayer. All the energy of human hearts, minds and human will can produce miraculous human results, but prayer in the Holy Spirit releases superhuman possibilities.
The Holy Spirit is happy to help us in prayer. We can count on Him to help us overcome each of our three major obstacles to prayer. Sometimes what keeps us from praying is the sin in our hearts. When we become stronger in trust in God and humility, the Holy Spirit leads us to the blood of Christ, which cleanses all sin.
Sometimes, due to the weakness of the body, we are too attached to earthly, everyday concepts. We may get sick or feel unwell, we may be weak. The Spirit infuses life into our bodies and makes us able to overcome weakness, even when it is caused by a hot tropical climate.
In addition, as if these three obstacles to prayer were not enough, the spiritual leader also has to resist Satan in prayer. Satan will strive to cause doubt or disappointment in him, depression, and interfere with his communication with God. In the Holy Spirit we have a heavenly ally in the fight against this supernatural enemy.
For a spiritual leader, praying in the Spirit should be a part of his daily life. Do we sometimes strive to live independently of the Spirit? Does it happen that we do not see a full answer to prayer? We can read about prayer all day long but experience only a small portion of its power, thereby hindering the development of our ministry.
In the Bible, prayer is often identified with spiritual warfare. “For we wrestle... against the rulers, against the powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12). There are three personalities involved in the battle during prayer. A Christian, when he prays, is between God and Satan. Although Christians themselves may be weak, they play an important role in the struggle between the dragon and the Lamb. The praying Christian has no personal authority or power - he has only the authority given to him by the victorious Christ, to whom the devoted Christian is united by faith. Faith is like the link by which the victory won at Calvary reaches the prisoners of the devil and brings them out of darkness into the light.
Jesus was not so much concerned with evil people and their wrongdoings as he was with the forces of evil that cause these people to sin. Behind Peter's denial and Judas' betrayal stood the sinister figure of Satan. “Get behind Me, Satan,” the Lord responded to Peter’s unceremonious reproach. There are many people around us bound by sin, captives of the devil. Our prayers should be offered not only for them, but also against Satan, who keeps them as his prey. Satan must be forced to loosen his grip, and this can only be done through the victory of Christ on the cross.
Since Jesus focused more on the cause of sin than on its consequences, the spiritual leader should adopt the same prayer tactics. In addition, the leader must know how to help those around him who are also participating in this spiritual battle.
In one remarkable illustration, Jesus compared Satan to a strong man fully armed. Before anyone can enter such a person's house and free the captives, the owner of the house must first be bound. Only then can the successful rescue of prisoners be accomplished (Matt. 12:29). What can the words “bind the strong man” mean, except to deprive him of his power through the all-conquering power of Christ, who came “to destroy [annul, put into disrepair] the works of the devil”? And how can this happen, if not through the prayer of faith, which comes from the victory of Calvary and with its help solves any given problem? We cannot hope to free anyone from Satan's prison unless we first disarm the enemy. God reveals His holy authority through prayer, and we can claim it with confidence. “Behold, I give you authority to attack... against all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19a).
The spiritual leader will not ignore the most effective way to influence people. Hudson Taylor’s statement is widely known: “A person can be influenced by prayer alone, through God.” During his missionary career, he proved hundreds of times how true this statement is.
It is one thing to believe in the availability of such power, and another to use it. People are not so easily moved; it is much easier to pray for material things and needs than to deal with the stubbornness of the human heart. But it is precisely in such difficult situations that a leader must use God's power to influence the hearts of people in the direction that he believes to be God's will. Prayer plays the role of the key to this complex lock that he has to open.
The greatest honor and privilege of a human being is the right to say “yes” or “no” to God. People are given free will. However, therein lies a complication. If we can influence the behavior of others through prayer, is this not an infringement on free will? Does this mean that God, in answer to someone's prayer, limits the freedom of choice of another person? It's hard to imagine. But, on the other hand, if prayer does not influence the course of events, then why pray at all?
The first thing to note is the fact that God is always consistent in His actions and does not contradict Himself. If God promises to answer a prayer, the answer will certainly be - always in the form that corresponds to His divine nature, since God “cannot deny Himself” (2 Tim. 2:13). Not one word or action of God contradicts another of His words or actions.
Second, to answer these questions, it is important to know that intercessory prayer is God's command. God commanded us to pray, and we can be sure that if our prayers meet certain requirements, we will definitely receive answers. God sees no contradiction between free will and divine answer to prayer. When God commands us to pray “for kings and for all those in authority,” this suggests a hidden ability to influence where a person moves and how events happen. If this is not so, then why pray? Our duty to pray comes before any dilemma regarding the results of prayer.
Thirdly, we can know the will of God regarding the prayer that we offer to Him. Our ability to discern God's will is the basis for all prayer in faith. God can speak to us clearly through our mind and heart. The Bible gives us clear instructions about what God's will is in all areas of our lives. The Holy Spirit lives and works in our hearts, instructing us in the will of God (Rom. 8:26,27). When we persistently seek God's will regarding our request, the Holy Spirit enlightens our minds and convinces our hearts. This God-given confidence leads us from prayer of hope to prayer of faith.
When God burdens our hearts with something, thereby causing us to constantly pray, He clearly intends to answer our prayers. George Mueller was once asked whether he really believed that the two men for whom he had prayed for more than fifty years could still repent. Müller responded, “Do you think God would have encouraged me to pray for them all this time if He wasn’t going to save them?” In fact, both men came to God, one of them shortly after Müller's death 3 .
In prayer we deal directly with God, and only in the background with other people. The purpose of prayer is to reach the ear of God. Prayer moves people because of God's influence on them. It is not prayer itself that influences people, but God to whom we pray.
Prayer moves that hand
What moves the world
To influence people, a leader must be able to speak to God in a way that moves Him, since God has clearly shown that He moves people in answer to prayer. If the cunning Jacob received from God the power to “overcome men,” then surely any leader who follows God's principles of prayer can receive the same power (Gen. 32:28).
Effective prayer that influences people is the result of a right relationship with God. The Bible is quite explicit about the reasons why prayers go unanswered, and each of the reasons has to do with the relationship between the believer and God. God will not answer prayers that come from personal selfish ends or prayers that come from impure motives. If a Christian clings to sin, he thereby prevents God from hearing him. God is least inclined to tolerate unbelief, the main sin, since “he who comes to God must believe” (Heb. 11:6). In all our prayers, the most important motive is the glory of God.
The great leaders in the Bible were also great in prayer. “They were leaders not because they were distinguished by mental acuity, possessed inexhaustible capabilities, innate talents, or were well educated, but only because they had the power of God at their disposal, thanks to prayers.” 4
Notes
1. N. G. Dunning, Samuel Chadwick(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1934), 19.
2. D. M. McIntyre, The Prayer Life of Our Lord(London: Morgan & Scott, n.d.), 30–31.
3. George Muller (1805-1898) was one of the leaders of the Plymouth Brethren who refused his salary, believing that God, through prayer alone, would supply all his needs. Through the power of prayer, he founded a home for two thousand teenagers in Bristol and preached the importance of prayer during a seventeen-year world tour.
The ability to write messages that people keep and cherish for years -God's gift. However, it would be wrong to believe that without having this yes
rum, you shouldn’t try to write letters at all. Instead of thinking about
yourself and the impression you make on others, think about the address
sat and his or her feelings. Remember the letters you were pleased with
receive and read - most often there is a lot of personal content in them, which is why
it feels like the author is sitting next to you and chatting with you. To create
the magical feeling of conversation through writing and avoiding falsehood, you need to use
use certain techniques. The following recommendations will help you
express your personality in your letters.
In personal letters, you should use language that is characteristic of your speech.
companies, rather than replacing them with more official ones. Since your son usually
uses expressions in conversation like “amazing fellow” or “nail pro-
grams...", it will seem unnatural and pretentious if he writes
“a very pleasant young man” and “a noteworthy event of the day.”
Incomplete or abbreviated phrases can also help make your writing more meaningful.
natural. If you usually say: “I don’t know” instead of: “I don’t
I know,” why don’t you write like that?
Mention the name of the person you are writing to from time to time, this will do
makes your letter more friendly and sincere. Phrase: "Helen, try it
guess what we're going to do this summer!" will make Helen feel...
It means that you were really thinking about her when you wrote the letter.
Punctuation marks can add just as much content to your letter.
vigor, variety, liveliness and color than the intonation of the narrator -
the plot. An underlined word, an exclamation mark at the end of a phrase or pre-
Attachments help highlight what you find necessary. Dash replacing
a few words, often more expressive than a long one, even more graphic
a powerfully constructed phrase. "We went to a dance yesterday - what a party!"
- sounds more lively than: “We went to the dance yesterday, and the party was a success.”
glory." However, do not overdo it: a few dashes and exclamation points
kov will add liveliness to the letter, their excess will quickly get boring.
Don't think too long about how to express your thoughts. Re-
write what you want to say and write about it as quickly as possible; So
it will feel like you are actually having a conversation with your friend.
Finally, a short story is infinitely more interesting than a long chewing
expression" of the same thought. As Pascal wrote: "This letter should not
it was supposed to be so long, but I didn't have time to make it shorter."
How to start a letter
People who doubt that they will be able to fill out a blank sheet of paper
gi believe that the most difficult thing in writing is its beginning. Instructions in English
Lily professor who said: “Start with what you want
say at the beginning, continue until you finish, and then stop
"become" - will help you in the same way as the advice of the artist who affirmed
Gave that it is very easy to draw. All you need to do is take a little
paint the appropriate color and apply it in the appropriate place." I would like
Hope the tips below are more helpful.
You can write a letter by hand or type it, but never
you should not start it with the words: “I know what I should write
before, but there was simply nothing to write about,” or: “You know how much I don’t like
write letters..." People keep writing those words over and over again, yeah-
without suspecting that by doing so they are, in fact, showing insecurity
respectful attitude towards the person to whom they are writing.
Instead, write it like this: “Do you really think that I love you?”
was? You can't even imagine how many times I wanted you
write." Or: "I started to write to you many times, but every time,
when I sat down to write, believing that I had finally chosen the right time and
place, something was bound to tear me away!”
It’s bad if the response to a letter is delayed for such a long time,
that it has to start with an apology. However, this kind of distortion
Controversies at the beginning of a letter evoke sympathy rather than irritation.
Mention your mutual friends, but don’t talk about those you know
whom your addressee has not even heard of, and who does not interest him at all,
unless this person will occupy a significant place in your life?
nor in the future. There is no point in writing about Jane Jones, who received a naked
I welcome the community of amateur gardeners. Write about Jane Jones, who
plays an important role in your life - quite appropriate.
End of the letter
When leaving a close friend's house, you don't try to come up with a special
parting phrase. This also applies to letters. In personal correspondence
there is no need to use standard closing phrases (“Claim-
Renne Yours", "Devoted to You", etc.) Just write your name (only
necessarily by hand if the letter is typed): “With love, Be-
that one," or "Your Hank" - depending on your relationship with the recipient.
You should not end the letter with the words: “Well, well, I think you already
I’m tired of reading all this,” or: “You’re probably tired of my writings already.”
tired of death." Don’t write: “At sunset the mountains were magnificent,” this phrase
will not cause any personal associations with your recipient. However, if you
add, “They reminded me of our trip to Colorado,” that might be
will tell him a lot.
Letters You Shouldn't Write Letters of Foreboding
Even members of your family should not write unnecessarily about
parts and misadventures. Distance only intensifies our experiences of
about the illnesses and troubles of those we love. For example:
"My little Betty ("my little" sounds much more pathetic than
just “Betty”) has been feeling unwell for several days now. I'm dead-
I’m really afraid for her, there are so many cases of mononucleosis around. Doctor said,
that there are no alarming symptoms, but doctors see so many seriously ill patients,
that they don’t seem to take their mother’s worries seriously,” etc., etc.
Or: "Darker times are coming. I've always said that
you have to survive the night before the dawn breaks. Mark my words,
the night is just coming."
Such letters will not bring any benefit - they can only excite, irritate
pour or upset the addressee.
Unreasonable letters
Every day the post office sends out letters that would cause drama if
they are in the wrong hands. Letters that should never have been written
must be presented as evidence in courts, and the appearance of many of
they cannot be justified under any circumstances. Stupid women and unintelligent
men often write things that, for example, sound to the jury
not as innocent as the authors of the messages themselves claim.
And yet, in letters to their loved ones, people continue to trust
feelings and thoughts on paper. Therefore, if you are still young - or not too young anymore
young - and decided to write, say, a love letter, then at least
At least, put it under your pillow at night so that you can re-read it in the morning and make sure
The surprise is that they didn’t say anything there that could have been
interpreted differently.
Remember: what is written does not disappear. Thoughts thoughtlessly written down on paper
hey, they can exist for hundreds of years.
Evil letters
A light, playful tone that in conversation turns an insult into a
bone, is almost impossible to convey on paper, so what was done on
In words, a funny remark in a letter can not only offend, but also insult
beat.
Anger expressed in writing has the effect of “frozen rage.”
Bitter words spoken disappear when the reason that caused them is forgotten; on the-
what is written remains forever. Parental instructions are quite appropriate
The point is to put them in writing - they must always be remembered and followed.
A momentary irritation, on the contrary, should never be stored in memory. Ro-
Parents who have become in the habit of writing to their children when irritated or
in a picky tone, they will soon discover that their letters are rarely read.
One golden rule cannot be overemphasized: letters written under
strong emotional impact, should be postponed for a day and listed
steal before sending - or, after re-reading, tear them apart without regret
Do not send small pieces at all.
Probably everyone who had to write compositions, summaries, abstracts and essays at school has tried to become a writer. But are you now ready to try to write an interesting article, a long letter with a business proposal, not to mention an entire book? If you have come to this page, then you would probably like to improve your writing skills: the ability to easily create competent, beautiful texts.
Most people find it difficult to write even a short text. These difficulties can be of different types. For example, one person lacks the banal desire and willpower to just sit down and start writing something. Another would like to, but it’s difficult to decide on a topic or find the right words. The third one can write a lot, but then notices that there are a large number of errors in his text.
All these problems are associated not so much with our innate abilities, but with the knowledge and skills that our parents, teachers and lecturers instilled in us. Unfortunately, schools and universities rarely offer subjects or lessons that even to some extent teach how to learn to write correctly.
This course of online lessons contains useful tips to help beginning writers. In this training you will learn what the art of writing is, or as it is now fashionably called, copywriting, and you will be able to master basic writing skills. This course is focused primarily on practical knowledge that will help you show your talent and your creativity.
What is this writing skill?
(writing, writing, copywriting, literary activity) is the human activity of creating verbal works intended for reading by other people.
All people who can write with a pen or type on a computer have writing abilities to varying degrees. Naturally, each person develops these abilities to varying degrees. But still, not everyone is a writer. A real writer is a person who can write a good text that is interesting to readers.
If a person simply writes uninteresting and meaningless texts to anyone, this type of writing is called graphomania , and the authors themselves graphomaniacs. Today you can meet many graphomaniacs on the Internet. This is due to the fact that people are trying to create texts that are aimed not at readers, but at search engine algorithms. In addition, the process of popularizing graphomania is provoked by the readers (users) themselves. Remember when you read an article from cover to cover. Most likely, in most cases you simply view (scan) texts on website pages “diagonally”, trying to quickly find the information you need. And if there is no demand for good texts, then there is no supply of them.
In our course we will talk about a different type of writing, the fruits of which are interesting and useful to readers.
Applying the Skill of Writing
The ability to write beautifully, logically and competently is a skill useful to almost every modern person. Every day we write letters, communicate with colleagues and friends through mail and social networks. In our messages, we express thoughts, address the addressee with a request, or describe some events. In this case, competent written speech can serve as an excellent assistant in career growth and business relationships.
And even if you don't plan to become famous through your works, writing can be useful to you personally. For example, you can keep a diary and reflect your interesting thoughts in it; this will help you put things in order in your head, structure important ideas, plans and upcoming tasks.
How to learn to write?
Writing skill is complex skill consisting of various knowledge and skills. Firstly, in order to become a real writer, it is important to be a sufficiently educated and versatile person. At a minimum, you need to be clear about what you want to tell your readers and why it will be important and useful to them. Secondly, you cannot do without motivation and a strong desire to create a new work, because writing requires a lot of effort and time. Are you ready for this? Thirdly, you must know the norms of language, or in other words, the rules of writing, which will allow you to convey your ideas to readers as clearly as possible.
Some of the most essential attributes that will help you become a good writer include the following:
- Well-read and educated, good upbringing.
- Motivation, a strong desire to write, hard work and perseverance.
- Extensive active vocabulary.
- Literacy, knowledge of the rules of the Russian language.
- Harmoniously developed logical and creative types of thinking.
- Knowledge of genre, style and structural features of written speech.
In addition, writers often say that a work is helped to come into being by something elusive, related to morality, life ideals, creative inspiration, or perhaps a divine gift.
For example, Richard Bach claims that his most famous story, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, was literally “dictated from above” to him. And those who have also read Bach's other works will have noticed the striking contrast between his traditional stories and the deeply metaphorical Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
In this regard, the question arises:
Is it even possible to learn the art of writing?
How to take classes
In our training lessons you will find background information, as well as useful tips and exercises for mastering all the important writing skills that you can learn. The speed and efficiency of development of each of the skills presented varies from person to person. Therefore, it is impossible to say exactly how long each lesson or the entire course will take you.
- To make sure you don't miss anything, try to read all the lessons.
- Try to identify your main problems and solve them, understanding them in more detail in the relevant lessons, doing exercises, following the necessary recommendations.
- An important element of each lesson is practice, so be sure to try to apply the acquired knowledge in your writing activities.
- Test your work with experienced, objective readers who won't be shy about saying what they really think about the fruits of your creativity.
- Try to write constantly and don’t give up on it, otherwise both the muse and a good style will come to you as rarely and irregularly as you do to them.
Books and textbooks
The art of writing is not something that can be learned once and for all. The ability to write texts must be constantly improved, otherwise it will fade away. A writer needs to constantly maintain his form: read a lot, write, and also study specialized literature about writing. On this page we have listed a number of popular books and textbooks about authorship and literary skills.
- Stephen King "How to Write Books"
- Yuri Nikitin “How to become a writer”
- Umberto Eco “How to Write a Thesis”, as well as a number of other works
- Dietmar Rosenthal “Collection of exercises in the Russian language”
Quotes from writers about authorship
To help you find creative inspiration, we have collected quotes from successful famous literary (and other) figures, containing tips for combating various problems of writing:
Write freely and as quickly as you can to get everything out on paper. Never edit or rewrite until you are done. Rewriting as you go is usually nothing more than an excuse not to move forward. It also interferes with the free flow of thought and rhythm that only comes from unconsciously working with the material.
Our enemies can be more useful to us than our friends, for friends often forgive us our weaknesses, while enemies usually note them and draw our attention to them. Do not disregard the judgment of your enemies.
You need to write poetry every day, just as a violinist or pianist must play his instrument for several hours every day without skipping. Otherwise, your talent will inevitably become scarce and dry up, like a well from which no water is drawn for a long time.
A true writer is like an ancient prophet: he sees more clearly than ordinary people.
People who know how to think also know how to write. And those who suffer from a low level of intelligence write the same memoirs, letters and speeches. The ability to write well is not a natural gift. This can be learned. Write the same way you speak: naturally... Try to express your thoughts simply, without pretensions to excessive intellectuality... If you are working on something very important, then ask your friends or colleagues to express their opinions about your work.