St. Macarius of Optina (on dryness):
Pray simply. Do not expect to find in your heart any remarkable gift of prayer. Consider yourself unworthy of it. Then you will find peace. Use the empty cold dryness of your prayer as food for your humility. Repeat constantly: I am not worthy; Lord, I am not worthy! But say it calmly, without agitation.
Gladsome Lights 
I really like this. It’s an encouragement to me. Sometimes we feel less spiritual, or that we’re ineffective, when we don’t get the spiritual and emotional highs. It’s about Jesus, not us.
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The first part is very helpful, but the last two lines (“I am not worthy” prayer) focus so much on myself. A counterbalancing prayer (for me) is the “everywhere present, filling all things” one. I say it often and pretty soon it seems true no matter how distant I feel.
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I know what you mean, Albert. I also like as a simple prayer the hymn, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” It’s hard to get away from the self-focus, since the whole idea is that *I* am the one in need. 🙂 Once I get out of the dry state maybe I can more easily forget myself…?
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Simply, aptly spoken!
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And there is so much to pray about and for…I find myself gravitating to “Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
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My heart cries, “Come, Lord Jesus.” Come in disaster, come to heal, come to save.
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