AC 8179 - Prayers in Temptations

AC 8179 [2-3]

Those who are in temptations
are wont to slack their hands
and betake themselves solely to prayers,
which they then ardently pour forth,
not knowing that prayers will not avail,
but that they must fight against the falsities and evils
which are being injected by the hells.
This fight is performed by means of the truths of faith,
which help because they confirm goods and truths
against falsities and evils.
Moreover in the combats of temptations,
the person ought to fight as of himself,
but yet acknowledge and believe that it is of the Lord.
If a person does not fight as of himself,
the good and truth
which flow in through heaven from the Lord
are not appropriated to him;
but when he fights as of himself,
and still believes that it is of the Lord,
then they are appropriated to him.
From this he has an own [proprium] that is new,
which is called the heavenly own [proprium],
and which is a new will.

Moreover those who are in temptations,
and not in some other active life than that of prayers,
do not know
that if the temptations were intermitted (suspended)
before they had been fully carried through,
they would not be prepared for heaven,
and thus could not be saved.
For this reason, moreover, the prayers of those
who are in temptations are but little heard;
for the Lord wills the end,
which is the salvation of the person,
which end He knows,
but person does not;
and the Lord does not heed prayers
that are contrary to the end, which is salvation.
He who conquers in temptations
is also confirmed in the truth stated above;
whereas he who does not conquer
entertains a doubt
with respect to the Divine aid and power,
because he is not heard;
and then sometimes,
because he slacks his hand, he partly yields.
From all this it can be seen what is meant by
there being no need of intercession,
namely, that prayer is not to be relied upon.
For in prayer from the Divine
it is always thought and believed that the Lord alone
knows whether it is profitable or not;
and therefore the suppliant
submits the hearing to the Lord,
and immediately after
prays that the will of the Lord,
and not his own,
may be done,
according to the Lord's words
in His own most grievous temptation at Gethsemane:

Then Jesus went with His disciples
to a place called Gethsemane,
and He said to them,
"Sit here while I go over there and pray."

He went away a second time and prayed,
"My Father, if it is not possible
for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it,
may Your will be done."

So He left them and went away once more
and prayed the third time,
saying the same thing.
(Matthew 26: 39, 42,44)