3677. CONCERNING PRAYERS. It was perceived that prayers effect nothing while they are such that one merely intends to deprecate his evils, and thus thinks with himself "Provided only I shall have made deprecation, I shall obtain remission of sins." But sins are not remitted unless confessed truly from the heart, attended with a certain internal torture and anguish, and thus with an acknowledgment of vileness; in which and after which prayers avail. It was perceived that this was so, and that otherwise prayers, and sacraments, and external rites effect nothing; nay, they rather confirm a man, for they make his conscience quiet under the idea that sins are remitted, provided one has deprecated evils, and used the means of salvation. He thus returns to his former vileness. A certain person wished to deprecate [in this way], and then [the truth] was perceived by a spiritual idea.