When is the right time to pray? Tenderness and tears
To God, Theophan the Recluse gives in his message “Four Words on Prayer.” It contains a precise explanation of how to turn to the Almighty and be heard by Him. The great Russian saint convinces that the presence of attributes that promote a prayerful mood (icons, candles, bows) is not prayer itself, but only preparation for it.
It doesn’t matter where the desire to talk to God found you: at home or in the field. Communication with the Creator is equally accessible everywhere. Man communicates with Him in his heart. If it is not possible to
visit the temple as often as you would like, don’t worry. If you are interested in Christian topics, you will definitely understand how to pray correctly at home.
In his explanations, Theophan the Recluse points out the importance of love in the soul of the person praying. He calls it “the crown of Christian life,” “spiritual paradise.”
Without knowing how to pray correctly at home, you can simply engage in “shaking the air.” Empty pronunciation of words, even those written in sacred books, will not give the believer anything: neither overcoming his passions, nor God’s help.
In critical situations, a person calls on the Lord, without thinking about whether he is in church or not. And often help comes, the prayer is heard. To understand how to pray at home, you need to realize that in essence we are always communicating with God, at every moment of our lives.
Therefore, there are no strict rules on how to pray correctly at home. The main thing is to fill the soul with love, faith and sincerity.
Nowadays, detailed explanations of who a person is and how
he can
to build your communication with God, says researcher-psychologist S. N. Lazarev. In his books, he convinces that the root cause of all the troubles of humanity is the small amount of love in the souls of our contemporaries. Lazarev’s works confirm the long-known
universal truths. They talk about how important inner attitude is. In his books, as well as in the instructions of the holy fathers, you can find detailed explanations on how to pray correctly at home.
However, the priests recommend that the layman pay attention to some technical aspects of home prayer. They give advice on what to do if you can’t concentrate on readable texts. They teach you to think about the meaning of words. Give special importance
Sincere repentance.
In their opinion, the main purpose of prayer is to help in overcoming one's vices. A person must, in a sincere impulse, turn to the Creator and ask that the sins of both himself and the human race be removed. But without your own internal change, automatic removal of sins is impossible. With the help of prayer, you need to realize your shortcomings and overcome them.
If a person is close Christian tradition, then it is better to ask in prayer not for yourself, but for your loved ones, thereby proving your love for humanity. The natural desire of any believer is to become like God. Therefore, it is so important not to be distracted by trifles, but to focus on doing good deeds.
It is important to understand that no matter what, we are still always heard by God, no matter in what place and at what time of day we pray to Him.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) in his “Teaching on the Prayer Rule” wrote: “Rule! What an accurate name, borrowed from the very effect produced on a person by prayers called the rule! Prayer Rule guides the soul correctly and holyly, teaches it to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23), while the soul, being left to itself, could not walk correctly through prayer. Due to her damage and darkening by sin, she would constantly be seduced to the sides, often into the abyss, now into absent-mindedness, now into daydreaming, now into various empty and deceptive ghosts of high prayerful states, created by her vanity and voluptuousness.
Prayer rules keep the person praying in a saving disposition, humility and repentance, teaching him constant self-condemnation, feeding him with tenderness, strengthening him with hope in the All-Good and All-Merciful God, delighting him with the peace of Christ, love for God and for his neighbors.”
From these words of the saint it is clear that it is very saving to read the morning and evening prayer rules. It's in spiritually pulls a person out of the confusion of night dreams or daytime worries and brings him before God. And the human soul enters into communication with its Creator. The grace of the Holy Spirit descends on a person, brings him into the necessary repentant mood, gives him inner world and harmony, drives away demons from him (“This race is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21), sends down God’s blessing and strength to live. Moreover, the prayers were written by holy people: Saints Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom, Rev. Macarius the Great and others. That is, the very structure of the rule is very useful for the human soul.
Therefore, of course, reading the morning and evening prayer rules every day, so to speak, is the necessary minimum for an Orthodox Christian. Moreover, it does not take much time. For someone who has gotten into the habit of reading, it takes about twenty minutes in the morning and the same in the evening.
If you don’t have time to read the morning rule all at once, then break it into several parts. “Little Cap” from the beginning to “Lord have mercy” (12 times), inclusive, can, for example, be read at home; The following prayers are during pauses in work or during your daily activities. This, of course, needs to be confessed, but it’s better than not reading it at all. We are all human, and it is clear that we are very sinful and busy. Ending morning prayers You also regulate yourself. This concerns the commemoration. You can read the extended commemoration or the shortened one. At your discretion, depending on the time available.
A fairly common mistake of new Orthodox Christians is reading the evening prayer rule immediately before going to bed. You sway, stagger, mutter words of prayer, and you yourself think about how to lie down in bed under a warm blanket and fall asleep. So it turns out – not prayer, but torment. Mandatory hard labor before bed.
In fact, the evening prayer rule is read somewhat differently. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) wrote that after evening prayers you can leave time to talk and drink tea.
That is, in fact, you can read the evening prayer rule from the beginning to the prayer of St. John of Damascus “O Lord, Lover of Mankind...” If you, dear brothers and sisters, have noticed, then before this prayer there is a prayer of dismissal: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son God... have mercy on us. Amen". It really is a vacation. You can read the evening prayers up to and including it long before bedtime: at six, seven, eight o’clock in the evening. Then go about your daily evening routine. You can still eat and drink tea, as Father Nikon said, and communicate with loved ones.
And starting with the prayer “Lord, Lover of Mankind...” and until the end, the rule is read immediately before going to bed. During the prayer “May God rise again,” you need to cross yourself and you can cross your bed and house to the four cardinal directions (starting from Orthodox tradition from the east), protecting yourself, your loved ones and your home with the sign of the cross from all evil.
After reading the second half of the evening prayers, nothing is eaten or drunk. In the prayer “In Thy hands, O Lord...” you ask God for blessings on good dream and surrender your soul to Him. After this you should go to bed.
I would also like to draw your attention, dear brothers and sisters, to the rule St. Seraphim Sarovsky. Many understand it as reading three times a day (morning, lunch, evening) certain prayers “Our Father” (three times), “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” (three times) and the Creed (once). But it is not so. In addition to reading the rule three times, the Monk Seraphim said that in the first half of the day a person should read the Jesus Prayer almost all the time, or, if people are around, in his mind “Lord, have mercy,” and after lunch, instead of the Jesus Prayer, “Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner."
That is, Saint Seraphim offers a person spiritual exercise in continuous prayer, and not just a relief from the evening and morning prayer rules. You can, of course, read the prayer according to the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov, but only then you need to follow all the instructions of the great elder.
Therefore, I repeat once again, the morning and evening prayer rule is the necessary minimum for an Orthodox Christian.
I would also like to draw your attention, dear brothers and sisters, to a fairly common mistake that we often make.
Saint Ignatius warns us about it in the above-mentioned work: “When performing the rule and bows, one must not rush; It is necessary to perform both the rules and bows with as much leisure and attention as possible. It is better to say fewer prayers and bow down less, but with attention, than a lot and without attention.
Choose for yourself a rule that corresponds to your strengths. What the Lord said about the Sabbath, that it is for man, and not man for it (Mark 2:27), can and should be applied to all pious deeds, as well as to the prayer rule. A prayer rule is for a person, and not a person for a rule: it should contribute to a person’s achievement of spiritual success, and not serve as an inconvenient burden (onerous duty), crushing bodily strength and confusing the soul. Moreover, it should not serve as a reason for proud and harmful conceit, for harmful condemnation of loved ones and humiliation of others.”
The Monk Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain wrote in his book “Invisible Warfare”: “...There are many clergy who deprive themselves of the saving fruit of the world from their spiritual works by procrastinating on them, believing that they will suffer damage if they do not complete them, in false confidence , of course, that this is what spiritual perfection consists of. Following their will in this way, they work hard and torment themselves, but do not receive true peace and inner peace, in which God truly finds and rests.”
That is, we need to count our strength in prayer. You should sit down and think about the time that everyone has. If you, for example, are a freight forwarder in trading company and you are on the road from morning to night, or you are married, work and you also need to devote time to your husband, children, organize family life, then perhaps the morning and evening prayer rule and reading two chapters of the “Apostle”, a chapter of the Gospel, are enough for you in a day. Because if you also take upon yourself to read various akathists, several kathismas, then you will have no time left to live. And if you are a pensioner or work somewhere as a security guard or at another job, with free time, then why not read akathists and kathismas.
Explore yourself, your time, your capabilities, your strengths. Balance your prayer rule with your life so that it is not a burden, but a joy. Because it is better to read fewer prayers, but with heartfelt attention, than to read a lot, but thoughtlessly, mechanically. Prayer has power when you listen and read it with your whole being. Then a life-giving spring of communication with God will flow into our hearts.
Priest Andrey Chizhenko
Prayer at home is not much different from prayer in church. The only exception is that it is allowed to commemorate all people, without exception, regardless of their religious affiliation. In church it is customary to pray for “our own people” and only mentally, so as not to disturb others. You can pray out loud at home, provided that it does not annoy your relatives. You need to become fully dressed for prayer. It is advisable for women to have a scarf on their heads and wear a dress or skirt.
Why pray at home?A conversation with the Lord can be conducted both in your own words and in ready-made “formulas” developed long before us by many generations of believers. Classic prayers are contained in the “Prayer Book” (“Canon”). You can buy it at any religious literature store. “Prayer books” can be short (containing the minimum necessary prayers), complete (intended for priests) and... ordinary (which contain everything that is needed for a true believer).
If you want to pray for real, pay attention to the fact that your “Prayer Book” contains:
- morning and evening (for bedtime) prayers;
- daytime (before the beginning and end of any task, before and after eating food, etc.);
- canons by day of the week and “Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ”;
- Akathists (“To Our Sweetest Lord Jesus Christ”, “To the Most Holy Theotokos”, etc.);
- “Following to Holy Communion...” and prayers read after it.
In addition to the Prayer Book, you can purchase the Psalter for home prayer. In Orthodox practice, reading one hundred and fifty psalms must be done in a week. It is customary to read the Psalter twice during Lent. At “Slava...” there is a commemoration of the living and the dead. Orthodox Christian can read the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased.
Reading the Psalter is a serious and responsible thing. Before you go, you should get permission from the priest.
Prayer Rule
Each of us is at our own point on the long path to the Lord. Each of us has our own time and physical capabilities for prayer. Accordingly, there is no single prayer rule for everyone. Each person should pray as much as he can. How much exactly? This must be determined by the priest.
Ideally, each of us should definitely read our morning and evening prayers. They are necessary to protect the soul during the day (morning) and night (evening) from evil forces and people. Those who start their working day very early or, conversely, finish it too late and do not have either the time or energy to read everything in the morning or evening rule, can limit themselves to basic prayers: for example, in the morning read “Our Father”, “Have mercy on me, O God...” (fiftieth psalm) and “Creed”, in the evening - the prayer of St. John Chrysostom, “May God rise...” and “ Confession of sins is everyday.”
If you have free time and desire, you can read the corresponding canons every day: for example, on Monday you can pray to your Guardian Angel, Archangels and Angels, on Tuesday - John the Baptist, on Wednesday - the Most Holy Theotokos, etc. Reading the Psalter also depends on your capabilities, desires and time.
Prayer before and after meals is mandatory.
How to pray before communion?
The answer to this question is usually contained in the Prayer Book. We will just remind you: all prayers performed before Communion are read at home, on the eve of the sacrament. On the eve of Communion, you must attend the evening service, after which you can begin to pray with a calm soul. Before Communion you must read:
- “Following to Holy Communion...”;
- three canons: penitential, Guardian Angel and the Most Holy Theotokos;
- one of the akathists;
- full evening prayers.
Home prayer is performed in front of the icons, standing, with the sign of the cross and bows from the waist. If desired, you can bow to the ground or pray on your knees.
During prayer, it is advisable not to be distracted by extraneous matters - telephone calls, a whistling kettle, flirting with pets.
If you are very tired and have a great desire to pray, you are allowed to pray while sitting. The Psalter, with the exception of the “Glory...” and the prayers closing the kathisma, is also read while sitting.
Despite the fact that prayer requires a certain concentration and attention, it is also useful to pray through strength. Our brain may not perceive what we read, but the soul will definitely hear everything and receive its portion of divine grace.
Over the past 3 weeks, 2 people have approached me with a request to teach them how to pray. This surprised me a little (although it also made me happy), because I do not have any clergy or religious education, so it is strange that they asked me such a question. But in fact, these people simply didn’t even know who to ask such questions, and the soul’s need for prayer was ripe.
I do not have a rank or education, but I will share my experience with pleasure. My knowledge of the prayer rule is based on what my spiritual mentor recommended to me and on the lectures of the Holy Fathers that I listened to. I will try to tell everything as simply as possible. So, if information of this kind is interesting to you, then welcome to cat. If you have any questions on the topic, please feel free to comment; questions about "how am I, a person with 2 higher education, I believe in Aboriginal tales", please do not send :)
What do I need?
Select a corner in your home where you will have icons. Icons cannot be nailed to the wall; it is better that they stand on something (a shelf or stand). Be sure to purchase an icon of Jesus Christ and Holy Mother of God, and the faces of other saints - optional. By the way, as a rule, church stalls are staffed by very kind grandmothers who will be happy to answer all your questions. Just come during the day, when there is no service and few people, and ask to tell you more about the icons that you like.
What's the best way to pray?
It is best to pray standing, in front of the icons, with a straight back. Cup your hands near your chest. During prayer, your eyes can be kept either closed or open. WITH with open eyes you will be able to see icons that actually have so much purity and light that sometimes it is simply impossible to take your eyes off. WITH eyes closed you immerse yourself in a certain meditation, this makes it more convenient to focus on prayer. So the choice is yours. If possible, read your prayers out loud. If not, whisper. Most likely, during prayer, your mind will constantly drift away and you will think about something else. It's okay, it happens to everyone, especially at first. Just keep track of these moments and return your thoughts and heart to prayer.
When is the best time to pray?
You need to read prayers in the morning and evening. In the morning, take a shower, brush your teeth, and only after that start praying. In the evening, prayers are best read before going to bed. Before reading prayers, you need to say three times “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” and at the same time cross yourself three times. These same words (also three times) must end the prayer rule.
What prayers to read
There are 2 options here. The first one is complete and most correct. All prayers are read 3 times. Perhaps at first glance the list of prayers seems too long and the prayers themselves too, but in fact, reading all the prayers three times takes 15 minutes. The second option is short, mainly for those who have little time or who are just starting to pray and a large number of prayers frighten him somewhat. It takes about 1.5 minutes. So, how much time a day to devote to prayer - half an hour or 3 minutes, everyone decides for himself. God will accept both options :)) I also highly recommend turning to God and the saints in your own words every time after prayers. You can talk about your problems and experiences, about what weighs on your heart. You can talk about your dreams and ask for mercy. But remember, you can ask for anything, for anyone, just not material benefits.
Option 1:
Option 2:
Below I give the text of all prayers. By the way, you can choose other prayers to the Guardian Angel, the Mother of God and for the departed, those that you like best. A lot of them. Can be found on the Internet or in the Prayer Book (Prayer Book can be purchased at any church).
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be it your name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Virgin Mary, rejoice
Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Blessed Mary The Lord is with You: blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
Prayer to the Honest Cross of the Lord
(with this prayer, Father Anatoly in the film “Island” casts out a demon from the daughter of Admiral Tikhon. We watched it yesterday with our parents)
May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish in the face of those who love God, and those who sign the sign of the cross, and who joyfully say: Rejoice, O Most Pure One and Life-giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell, trampled upon the power of the devil, and gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary, and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Psalm 90 ("Living in the help of the Most High")
Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words, His splash will overshadow you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with weapons. Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon at noon. Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, step on an asp and a basilisk, and cross a lion and a serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and because I have known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will overcome him, and I will glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection. I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation.
Prayer to the Mother of God
What should I pray to You for, what should I ask of You? You see everything, you know it yourself, look into my soul and give it what it needs. You, who have endured and overcome everything, will understand everything. You, who entwined the Baby in a manger and took Him with Your hands from the Cross, You alone know all the heights of joy, all the oppression of grief. You, who have received the entire human race as adoption, look at me with maternal care. From the snares of sin, lead me to Your Son. I see a tear watering Your face. It’s over me You shed it and let it wash away the traces of my sins. Here I have come, I’m standing, I’m waiting for Your response, oh, Mother of God, oh, All-Singing, oh, Lady! I don’t ask for anything, I just stand before You. Only my heart, a poor human heart, exhausted in longing for truth, I throw at Your pure feet, Lady! Let everyone who calls You reach the eternal day with You and worship You face to face.
For the departed
For the sake of the precious blood of Jesus, save, Heavenly Father, our dear departed and let them return to the hearth through the holy Angels eternal love Yours. Mother of God, Comforter of poor souls, and you, Angels and Archangels, ask for them! Give them back. Lord, for I myself cannot, for the good they did to me. In the name of Jesus - forgiveness and mercy
Symbol of faith
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
Prayer excites those people who are in a difficult situation of spirit; they are almost on the verge of losing themselves. But how to pray correctly so that the request reaches God. It turns out that there are also incorrect methods that do not bring spiritual strength to a person. The Internet is teeming with many sites that distribute texts with incomprehensible content and offer to offer prayers on them. It is worth paying attention to this and double-checking sources, and if this is not possible, then look for generally accepted variations. It doesn't stop with the text either. The important point is reverence.
How to pray correctly - how to meet and spend the day
In the morning they get out of bed and be sure to begin to live, thanking their Lord for a peaceful night and asking for fruitfulness for their future endeavors. There is no need to beg for anything, much less speak on an equal footing with God. Before work, there are free minutes - they are devoted to reading several chapters from the Bible. Read without rushing to complete, thoughtfully and consciously. Before and after prayer, they cross themselves 3 times. You can kneel in front of the image or simply bow your head on your crossed palms.
How to pray correctly - a false appearance
Prayer is essentially a short encounter with God. During this period of time, he listens to the person praying and heeds his words and questions. Sometimes it is not easy for people to pray without an image, without imagining its face; in this case, they create an image for themselves that would be pleasant to speak out. But it is wrong to do this, this face will be false. God's gifts have no face and he appears to man not as he is imagined to be. This means that God’s answer to prayers and petitions will not come from the face of the created image that appeared in the head. 
How to pray correctly - down with insolence
One must be ready to accept God's will, even if it does not coincide with the desires of the person praying. The priests call this “cutting off your will.” This is the mindset we strive for long time, until a person is completely confident in God and his omnipotence. 
How to pray correctly - basic rules
- You should tune in to God, and a prayer book will be your best helper in this. It is not forbidden to turn to prayer several times a day, devoting free time for a few minutes. In case of lack of time, when there is not a minute for full prayer, the Lord is remembered without resorting to reading holy book or to crossing.
- Is your heart heavy? Then they say: “Lord, help me, because I feel bad” or “Lord, thank you for giving me this day and bless me to live it to the end.”
- In the evening they remember all the good things that happened during the day, repent for inglorious deeds and sins committed. Thank you for peace and tranquility in your home.
- Many people are lazy to remember the Lord because they think they are too busy to do so. A person who has not learned to pray systematically will not be able to live a rich life.
- The sinner also needs repentance, this is what believers send prayers for, since all people need salvation. From forgiveness flows the whole essence of faith in God. And the speech sounds something like this: “Lord, forgive God’s servant (name) for he does not know what he is doing.”
- If you are ill, you are allowed to pray while lying or sitting on the bed.
Prayer - what is it?
- Prayer, said in one’s own words, constantly accompanies a person. They begin in peace and quiet, pausing before and at the very end. There is no formal proofreading; the text that is repeated all the time fades and ceases to be fresh.
- They pray not only when it’s bad, but also on joyful and boring days. Even if there is no strength from happiness or from hard work, by an effort of will they find a moment for thanksgiving.
- Extremely brief, the shorter and more concentrated the prayer, the better. The words are actually secondary, what is important is the message that is briefly stated. Conversion first comes from the heart and only then reaches heaven.
As you can see, everything rests on faith and sincerity in your words. The general conclusion that can be drawn is to keep your mind, be attentive, but do not forget about your feelings. Prayer gives a lot to the soul, although it often brings boredom and heaviness. It is not necessary to read the Church Slavonic language; they use the translation. The main rule is to never forget about prayer, so that faith does not fade into the background and a person does not end up on the wrong path.
