All Sacred Scripture is God-inspired, and we should read it all. In the Old Testament, we should devote particular attention to the Psalter. It is extremely powerful prayer.
We receive a dual benefit from reading lives of Saints. The first benefit is that the example of their podvig, their spiritual struggles, wakes us from the somnolence of sloth. The second is that, when we reverently read the lives of Saints, those Saints pray to Christ for us.
However, before beginning to read, we should always pray. After praying, reading of Saints lives brings us to such feelings of tenderness, that it is already impossible to hold back our tears. This happens because prayer enlightens the mind.
