“Pray constantly.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17.)

After visiting monasteries in the East, St. John Cassian (ca. 360–433), founded two monasteries in the West at Marseilles—one for men and another for women. His foundations were cenobia, community schools that formed candidates for a disciplined Christian life. To instruct his monks and nuns, Cassian wrote two significant books. The Institutes described the Eastern pattern of monastic life and the virtues required of monks. The Conferences presented the wisdom of the Egyptian desert in the form of discourses by famous abbots. In the following sample we hear “Abbot Isaac” on the practice of the presence of God by praying “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.”

I learned about this prayer as a young man from Dr. William Storey, my mentor, and I have prayed it daily for many years. It has been a source of strength, comfort, and joy for me. I recommend it as an easy way to call upon the Lord.

“In order to keep God always in mind you should frequently pray this verse: ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ (Psalm 70:2). With good reason this text has been selected from all of Scripture as a method of continual prayer. It encompasses all the emotions that human beings can experience. We can effectively apply it to any circumstance and use it to resist every temptation. Since the verse appeals to God against all danger, it expresses our humble dependence on him, our anxieties and fears, our admission of our own weakness, and our confidence in answered prayer. And it conveys the assurance of God’s present and ever ready help. A person constantly calling on his protector can be sure that he is near. . . .

So we will find this verse useful in all circumstances, whether adverse or prosperous and happy because it confesses our absolute dependence on God:

When I am tempted to gluttony, desiring to eat much more than I need, I must immediately pray, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When a headache or drowsiness interferes with my spiritual reading, I must say, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When I cannot fall asleep at night, I must sigh and pray, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’

“When I am struggling against a sexual temptation and a pleasant feeling draws me to say yes to it, I must cry out, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When anger or envy threatens to disturb my peacefulness and embitter me, I must force myself to pray, groaning ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When conceit and pride flatter me with the thought that I am more spiritual than other people, I must repent with all my heart and say, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ . . .

“When memories of conversations or of business interrupt my prayer, or when dryness keeps me earthbound and blocks all spiritual thoughts, I can get free from this state of mind only by pleading, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When the Holy Spirit strengthens my soul, fills me with unspeakable joy and enlightens my mind with new insights, in order to continue enjoying these graces I must pray, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ When diabolical horrors terrify me at night, and I fear that I cannot be saved, I must take refuge in this verse, crying out with all my strength, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’ And when the Lord’s consolation has restored me and cheered my by his coming to my aid, and I feel as though countless thousands of angels are supporting me, in order to continue to be encouraged in my spiritual battles, I must exclaim, ‘O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.’

So we must continuously pray this verse both in adversity that we may be delivered, and in prosperity that we may be preserved and not puffed up. Always turn this verse over in your mind. Repeat it when you are working, performing some duty or going on a journey. Meditate on it when you are going to bed, or eating, or taking care of personal needs. This thought may be a saving formula for you, not only protecting you from all the devil’s attacks, but also purifying you from your faults and sins, and leading you to that heavenly contemplation and that ineffable glow of prayer, which so few experience.

Fall asleep while reflecting on this verse, and when you wake up let it be the first thing to come into your mind. So let it precede all your waking thoughts, and when you get out of bed let it send you down on your knees, then let it send you off to all your work and business, and let it follow you all day long.