The pleasure in prayers

There are a series of preliminaries, both inside and outside prayers, which would help one feel the pleasure in prayers. That which needs to be paid attention before and outside prayers is that one must refrain from committing sins, and not blacken his heart. Sins sadden the soul and take away the light from the heart. As for during the prayers, one must set up chains around himself so that no one besides God enters the heart; in other words, he must not think about anyone other than God.