Elder Sophrony of Essex: God's commandments are the manner of divine life...

God's commandments are the manner of divine life.
Man cannot keep the commandments of God to the full, so he needs grace. 

Prayer accomplishes this. 

Sometimes, when someone keeps God's commandment and lives the ethos of the crucified Christ, he senses God's grace with praying, or he prays out of love. 

The aim is not to pray without ceasing (when it is done mechanically and formally); the aim is our communion with God, which is also achieved through prayer.

Elder Sophrony of Essex