Section 34

“Therefore we should not place great value on such things, nor should we practice the ascetic life and labor in order to obtain them. Our purpose should be to live well and please God.

“We should not pray to know the future or ask for foreknowledge as a reward for our ascetic practice. Rather, our prayer should be that the Lord will work with us and help us gain victory over the devil.

“If at some point we do desire to know something about the future, let us first be pure in mind. I believe that when the soul is completely pure and remains in its natural condition, it becomes clear-sighted and is able to perceive more and farther than the demons, because it has the Lord who reveals things to it. Such was the soul of Elisha: it saw what Gehazi had done and also beheld the armies that stood on its side.