What kind of prayer should you read? How to properly prepare and read prayers at home
The person constantly utters an internal monologue, and sometimes argues furiously with an imaginary opponent. He is torn apart by conflicting feelings and oppressed by the need to make decisions. Vain thoughts big problems and small matters, a stream of daily, endless worries. And it already seems that no one can help, and life is passing by, and nothing good awaits ahead. And then we suddenly remember that we have someone to turn to, someone to rely on and from whom to expect help.
It’s better, after all, not to wait for a special mood, failure, God forbid, misfortune, but to know the prayers for every day and read them regularly.
Daily attendance at church is almost impossible for a modern, active, working person, but everyone can read prayers in the morning, entrusting their destiny into the hands of God. The church rite suggests that a full reading of the daily prayer for each day takes at least 40 minutes. Not everyone can afford this, and besides, there are difficulties in understanding Church Slavonic words. This makes it difficult to read and remember. Parish priests and confessors allow and advise to reduce the number of prayers, leaving only those that, as they say, “feel good to the soul.” Orthodox prayers for every day - these are appeals to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity, Saints, Reverends, Archangels, Apostles, Guardian Angels. And every person praying can turn to the one who is closest to him. Prayer is not a request, much less a demand: to do, to give, to organize, to cure. Deeply felt, correctly read morning prayer helps to concentrate, being a kind of meditative aid. Prayers for every day discipline the mind and soul, giving us the opportunity to feel protected and preserved. Unless there is a special occasion, the daily Orthodox ritual usually includes several basic prayers.
We were not taught to pray, but direct appeal to God, the main prayer for every day, is known to many. This is Our Father. Orthodox Church is a cathedral church, and when a prayer is read by many people at the same time, its power becomes irresistible. That is why prayer services, prayers said during church services.
You can contact the Guardian Angel throughout the day, he is always nearby, protects, protects, and guides.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me by the Lord, I pray to you: protect me every day from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.
Saint Nicholas the Pleasant is highly revered in Russia. Icons with his image can be found in the cottages of wealthy people and in poor apartments. Smart and stupid, educated and ignorant, people of the most different ages and professions considered and consider him theirs. The Great Saint does not refuse help to anyone, and this help is always timely and effective.
Prayer to Nicholas the Ugodnik
O All-Good Father Nicholas! Shepherd and teacher of all who pray with faith for your intercession and call to you in fervent prayer! Try and deliver the flock of Christ from the wolves that are destroying the Christian country. Protect and protect the saints with your prayers from rebellion, war and internecine warfare, from hunger, flood, fire, ball and death in vain. And just as you had mercy on three men sitting in prison and delivered them from the wrath of the king and the beating from the sword, so have mercy on me and deliver me from the wrath of the Lord and eternal torment. Through your intercession and help, and through His mercy and grace, Christ God will give me a quiet life and deliver me from troubles and misfortunes. Amen
For a woman no better than prayer for every day than appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It helps with illnesses, protects against despair and evil thoughts.
Lady, Holy Mother of God. With your omnipotent and holy prayers before the Lord, take away from me, your humble servant of God, foul and evil thoughts. I ask You, strengthen me in my faith! Protect my weak soul and sinful heart from despondency and despair. Our intercessor, the Most Holy Theotokos! Do not let yourself fall into the sin of evil thoughts and deeds. May you be blessed your name forever and ever. Amen.
What prayers should you read?
People often come to me asking me to choose the right prayer for them for some illness, or to get married, or asking for a prayer for good luck at work or before an exam. But such requests are rooted in a misconception about God. People think that if they say a certain prayer, a miracle will happen and God will do what they want. As if prayer can control God.
Some even distinguish between so-called strong prayers, that is, those prayers that supposedly have a stronger effect on God, and He will quickly fulfill a person’s desire. But this is all just fiction.
God really cannot be controlled, and no amount of prayer will make God do anything. God is not some machine or robot that can be controlled by the right instructions. On the contrary, God Himself controls the entire Universe, everything is under His control, and no one can ever control Him.
You can only ask God for something. And it is not so important what exact words we ask God for. For God, what is more important is what goes on in our soul, what our intentions and motives are. God knows our thoughts, He knows our deepest desires and dreams, He knows everything about us. Therefore, prayer is more than just saying certain words.
How to read prayers correctly.
This popular expression to say prayers is actually not entirely true. Prayer is an appeal to God, it is communication with Him. John Chrysostom said: During prayer we talk with God. If you were to talk to your friends by reading something to them, what would they think of you? God is also a Person, and much more supreme Personality than us, both in intellect and in all other respects, so there is no need to read anything to Him. We just need to say what we really think, what is in our soul.
Of course, sometimes we can use such well-known prayers as the Our Father or the prayer of the Optina elders. There are also many beautiful prayers in the Bible, in the book of Psalms. For example, Psalm 50, or Psalm 90, or 120. They can be read in Old Testament. But these prayers can only be used if they reflect what you really want to say to God.
One day an acquaintance of mine confessed to me: I read prayers and don’t even understand what I’m reading. What then is the point in reading the prayer like this? Imagine what God thinks when he hears a person address Him in this way. Neither God nor ourselves need such prayer. It is not surprising that some people, when reading prayers in this way, begin to yawn, fall asleep, or think about something extraneous. Written prayers can only be used if we understand what they say and if they reflect the state of our soul.
In most cases, we will see that the text of these prayers does not mention what is currently happening in our lives, so it is better if we simply tell God about it in our own words. Our sincere words, coming from the heart, are much more precious to God than a beautiful prayer read from a prayer book or spoken from memory. God, as the Heavenly Father, wants to hear us, his children. And He won’t be very pleased if we turn to Him only by reading something. In the temple you can sometimes buy a prayer book with prayers for all occasions. But such a prayer book will never replace our personal communication with our Heavenly Father.
When I write this article now, I want to pray to God for those people who will read it. I will write an example of a short prayer with which I now turn to God:
Lord God, I thank You that You love us, that You have given us the opportunity to turn to You, and that You hear us. I also thank You for giving me the opportunity to talk about You through the Internet. And I pray to You for every person who will read this site, I ask You: open up to each of them, please. Help them get to know You personally. So that through faith in Jesus Christ their lives will be transformed, and they will experience Your special love for them in their lives. I ask You this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Similar in simple words you too can turn to God.
Prayer Rule
Prayer rule- daily morning and evening prayers performed by Christians. Their texts can be found in the prayer book.
The rule can be general - mandatory for everyone, or individual, selected for the believer by the confessor, taking into account his spiritual state, strength and employment.
Consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This vital rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult matter, “inspiration”, “mood” and improvisation are not enough.
Reading prayers connects a person with their creators: the psalmists and ascetics. This helps to gain a spiritual mood akin to their heartfelt burning. Our example in praying in other people’s words is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His prayerful exclamations during the suffering of the cross are lines from the psalms (Ps. 21:2; 30:6).
There are three basic prayer rules:
1) The complete prayer rule, which is published in the “Orthodox Prayer Book”;
2) A short prayer rule. The laity sometimes encounters situations when there is little time and energy left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read with attention and reverence short rule, rather than hastily and superficially, without a prayerful attitude - the entire established rule. The Holy Fathers teach to treat your prayer rule with reason, on the one hand, not giving indulgence to your passions, laziness, self-pity, etc., which can destroy the correct spiritual structure, and on the other hand, learn to shorten or even slightly change the rule without temptation or embarrassment when there is a real need for it.
in the morning : “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “Creed”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angela", "Holy Lady", invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
In the evening : “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”;
3) Brief prayer rule St. Seraphim Sarovsky: three times “Our Father”, three times “Virgin Mother of God” and once “Creed” - for those exceptional days and circumstances when a person is extremely tired or very limited in time.
It is not advisable to completely omit the prayer rule. Even if the prayer rule is read without due attention, the words of the prayers, penetrating the soul, have a cleansing effect.
The main prayers should be known by heart (with regular reading, they are gradually memorized by a person even with very bad memory), so that they penetrate deeper into the heart and so that they can be repeated in any circumstances. It is advisable to study the text of the translation of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian (see “Explanatory Prayer Book”) in order to understand the meaning of each word and not pronounce a single word meaninglessly or without precise understanding. It is very important that those who begin to pray should expel resentment, irritation, and bitterness from their hearts. Without efforts aimed at serving people, fighting sin, and establishing control over the body and spiritual sphere, prayer cannot become the inner core of life.
In the conditions of modern life, given the workload and accelerated pace, it is not easy for the laity to set aside a certain time for prayer. The enemy of morning prayer is haste, and the enemy of evening prayer is fatigue..
Morning prayers are best read before starting anything (and before breakfast). As a last resort, they are pronounced on the way from home. Late in the evening it is often difficult to concentrate due to fatigue, so we can recommend reading the evening prayer rule in the free minutes before dinner or even earlier.
During prayer, it is recommended to retire, light a lamp or candle and stand in front of the icon. Depending on the nature of family relationships, reading prayer rule together, the whole family, or each family member separately. Common prayer It is recommended before eating food, on special days, before a festive meal and in other similar cases. Family Prayer- this is a type of church, social (the family is a kind of “home Church”) and therefore does not replace individual prayer, but only complements it.
Before starting prayer, you should sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make several bows, either from the waist or to the ground, and try to tune in to an internal conversation with God. The difficulty of prayer is often a sign of its true effectiveness.
Prayer for other people (see memorial) is an integral part of prayer. Standing before God does not alienate a person from his neighbors, but binds him to them with even closer ties. We should not limit ourselves to just praying for people close and dear to us. Praying for those who have caused us grief brings peace to the soul, has an impact on these people and makes our prayer sacrificial.
It is good to end the prayer with thanksgiving to God for the gift of communication and contrition for one’s inattention. When getting down to business, you must first think about what you have to say, do, see during the day and ask God for blessings and strength to follow His will. In the midst of a busy day, you need to create a short prayer(see Jesus Prayer), which will help you find the Lord in everyday affairs.
Is it possible to shorten the prayer rule?
This question worries many modern people. However, it seems that it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to it, “yes” or “no,” regardless of the circumstances.
On the one hand, the rule exists to be followed. The importance of the prayer rule lies in the fact that it guides the Christian in the right direction.
The rules of prayer included in the composition contribute to the formation of the proper relationship of the pilgrim with God, the saints and in general with his neighbors, protecting him from the actions of evil forces and internal passions.
Many, if they did not have this saving rule, perhaps would not even know how exactly, what exactly and with what regularity they should pray to God and His saints.
On the other hand, there are various life situations when it is either extremely difficult for a believer, either due to physical or spiritual weakness, or due to other reasons (for example, in the case of especially responsible watches and duties, guard duty, active combat operations), to regularly read the prayer rule in its entirety, or almost impossible.
In such a case, it should be remembered that although the prayer rule is a rule implying the appropriateness of its fulfillment, it does not imply the absolute, unconditional necessity of its observance.
Sometimes it is better to read fewer prayers, but sincerely and with zeal (from the heart), than to read all (component complete rule), but “formally” (casually, patter, jumping over lines, etc.).
There are, by the way, shortened versions of the prayer rule.
But still, if doubts arise about this, it makes sense to seek a specific recommendation from an experienced, spiritually wise shepherd or confessor.
Morning and evening rules– this is just necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray unceasingly (see the Jesus Prayer). The Holy Fathers said: if you churn milk, you will get butter, and so in prayer, quantity turns into quality.
“For a rule to become not an obstacle, but a real driver of a person towards God, it is necessary that it be proportionate to his spiritual strength, correspond to his spiritual age and state of soul. Many people, not wanting to burden themselves, deliberately choose too easy prayer rules, which because of this become formal and do not bear fruit. But sometimes big rule, chosen out of unreasonable jealousy, also becomes a shackle, plunging into despondency and preventing spiritual growth.
A rule is not a frozen form; throughout life it must necessarily change both qualitatively and externally.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse so briefly systematizes advice on reading the prayer rule:
“a) never read hastily, but read as if in a chant... In ancient times, everything recited prayers taken from the psalms... But nowhere do I find the word “read”, but everywhere “sing”...
b) delve into every word and not only reproduce the thought of what you read in your mind, but also arouse the corresponding feeling...
c) in order to trigger the urge to hastily read, make it a point - not to read this and that, but to stand for a reading prayer for a quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour... how long you usually stand... and then don’t worry... how many prayers you read - and how the time has come, if not If you want to stand any further, stop reading...
d) having put this down, however, do not look at the clock, but stand in such a way that you can stand endlessly: your thoughts will not run ahead...
e) to promote the movement of prayer feelings in free time, reread and rethink all the prayers that are included in your rule - and re-feel them, so that when you begin to read them according to the rule, you know in advance what feeling should be aroused in the heart...
f) never read prayers without interruption, but always break them up with personal prayer, with bows, whether in the middle of prayers or at the end. As soon as something comes to your heart, immediately stop reading and bow. This last rule is the most necessary and most necessary for cultivating the spirit of prayer... If any other feeling is very consuming, you should be with it and bow down, but leave reading... so until the very end of the allotted time.”
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Symbol of faith
What prayers cannot be read by the laity and why
Do not bring indignation upon yourself with your prayer, but ask yourself for what is worthy of God. And when you ask for something worthy of God, do not give up until you receive it.
St. Basil the Great
The everlasting psalter
The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.
It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself; you will feel the support. And one more the most important moment, but far from the least important,
There is eternal remembrance on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.
What is prayer
Each of us feels and knows that the Lord loves him. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.(2 Cor. 6:18). And we can always, at any time, as if we were our own father or mother, turn to God, to our Heavenly Father, and to our mistress Mother of God. Our appeal is prayer. She is necessary for us, like bread supra-essential necessary for our soul. We have everything from God and nothing is our own: life, abilities, health, food - everything is given by God. Therefore, in moments of sadness, inconsolable grief or, conversely, bright joy, we turn to God and pray to Him.
Prayer is the elevation of the mind and heart, which is expressed in a person’s reverent word to God.
What types of prayers are there?
Such prayers are called thanksgiving, and the prayer itself thanksgiving.
In sorrows, troubles, sorrows and sorrows, our prayer intensifies. Tears are her frequent companions. We call on the Lord, asking for help. We ask you not to leave us in sorrow, but to instruct and console us. And how important and necessary prayer is when misfortune happens to our loved ones - relatives or friends. Rev. Seraphim Vyritsky, great prayer book and the saint said: “And the prayer of loved ones is especially strong, the prayer of a mother, the prayer of a friend - it has great power.”
Prayers in which we ask the Lord for something are called pleading, and the prayer itself is called petition.
Human constantly sins, is guilty before God. Therefore, he must pray for forgiveness and repent of the sins he has committed.
Such prayers are called repentant. Whatever we ask the Lord for, turning to Him, we must first repent, and then ask for our needs. That is, any petitionary prayer begins with repentance.
When starting to pray, one must make peace with those whom one has offended or harmed, and then stand up for prayer with attention and reverence. Because how will we ask anything from God, having an unclean heart, how will we ask for forgiveness if we ourselves have not forgiven our neighbor even small offenses?
Church prayers
On the power of prayers of Church ministers
It would be good to remember that God will most likely hear you (Christians) when the ministers of the Church pray with you for you and for you. The prayers sent to God by the ministers of the Church are especially holy before Him and are accessible to Him. As if certain valuable beads are accepted by the Lord, like a fragrant censer, they are pleasing to Him.
We Christians know how quickly God hears the prayer of the ministers of the Church when they pray to Him while performing the Holy Mysteries. When consecrating, for example, the gifts of bread and wine, the priest says: and make this bread, the venerable Body of Thy Christ, and in this cup, the venerable Blood of Thy Christ, and according to the word of his prayer, the bread is immediately transformed into the Body, and the wine into the Blood of Christ. And this prayer has such powerful power only in the mouths of the ministers of the Church: no one except them has the power to perform the holy Sacraments.
If God so quickly and immutably hears the servants of the Church when they perform the Holy Mysteries, then, without a doubt, in all other cases, and at any other time, and in any other place, He hears their prayer more quickly.
The prayers of those whom the Lord allows to His holy throne are without a doubt more holy and more accessible to Him. From whom the Lord always lovingly accepts gifts and spiritual sacrifices, from those He always listens with special love to every request. Yes, God primarily listens to the lips of the ministers of the Church, and through their prayer, grace descends from above, the mercy of God is declared; The blessing of the Lord is given to you primarily by the blessing hand of the clergyman; Through them, the Lord primarily receives everything from you and gives everything. Why is this? Where do the ministers of the Church get such grace and strength? Why are their prayers so holy and accessible to God? Not because of their own holiness and strength - they are not holier than others, although they should be holier. From the holiness and grace of Him Whom they represent when they pray - the holy Church they serve. And who constitutes the glory of the holy Church? The Lord Jesus Christ, always inseparably abiding with her by His grace. Consequently, for whom the ministers of the Church pray, the whole Church prays for him, for whom Jesus Christ Himself intercedes, the only intercessor of God and men(1 Tim. 2:6). Jesus Christ promised to always be there with those who pray, where two or three of them will gather in His name (see: Matt. 18:20). Moreover, He is with the entire Church, praying in the person of its ministers, and with their lips He prays then, with their hands He brings offerings. Yes, when the ministers of the Church pray with you for you and for you, it is the same as Jesus Christ Himself with His entire Church praying for you and for you to His Father. Through the praying lips of the priest, Jesus Christ Himself gives you the mercy of God. This is whose grace flows from the lips of the ministers of the Church when they perform church prayers, and this is whose power comes from their right hand when they bless those praying in the name of God. This is why the prayers of the servants of the Church are holy and accessible to God: in their person the Son of God Himself prays to His God. So, Christians, pray unceasingly, but unite your prayers with the prayers of the ministers of the Church; ask them to always pray for you: then you will receive all mercy from God, then all your petitions will be fulfilled, even for salvation; not we, the ministers of the Church, praying for you and for you, but Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, will save and have mercy on you.
The power of the prayers of the ministers of the Church is based on the power of the Church itself, on the fact that church prayer- the true path to salvation, of course, for those who seek salvation, strive for it by purifying their hearts. Therefore, one must believe in the power of the prayers of the Church.
When you are not in church during services, mentally remain in it, remember it and in spirit you will be in it during the sacred rites and prayer.
molitva33.jpgSpiritual connection of Church members in prayer
Prayer does not stop, but intensifies and rises even more in the heavenly Kingdom.
Prayer illuminates the spirit, helps to move away from earthly vanity. The soul, talking with God, calms down and regains hope. Who hasn't experienced this? Our best poets spoke about this in their best poems.
Let us take, for example, the prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian: “Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. To her, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen".
The most heartfelt words coming from the depths of the soul are spoken by Pushkin about this prayer in his poem “The Desert Fathers”:
To fly with your heart into the field of correspondence,
To strengthen it in the midst of long storms and battles,
We composed many divine prayers.
But none of them touches me,
Like the one the priest repeats
During the sad days of Lent.
Most often it comes to my lips
And he strengthens the fallen with an unknown force:
Lord of my days! The spirit of sad idleness,
Lust of power, this hidden serpent,
And do not give idle talk to my soul -
Do not let me see my sins, O God,
Yes, my brother will not accept condemnation from me,
And the spirit of humility, patience, love
And revive chastity in my heart.
Another of ours also speaks about miraculous help and the effect of prayer on the soul. great poet Lermontov in the poem “Prayer”:
Is there sadness in my heart:
One wonderful prayer
I repeat it by heart.
In the consonance of living words.
And an incomprehensible one breathes,
Holy beauty in them.
And I believe and cry,
And it's so easy.
What prayers should not be read by the laity?
molitva55.jpgThis is what Archimandrite Georgy, the vicar of Timashevsky Holy Spirits, writes about this monastery in his article “Mirage of Healing?”: “I strongly advise you not to read such newspapers and especially the “prayers” that are published in them. These prayers are combined and distorted, and often simply invented by the occultists themselves in order to attract more inquisitive (and illiterate in Orthodoxy) readers. Illiterate Christians are carried away by such prayers because they really see in front of them a certain text in which the Name of the Lord, the Mother of God, the saints is mentioned, and are deceived by this.” (On June 18, 2011, at about 18.00, the abbot of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Timashevsk Schema-Archimandrite Georgy (Savva).ed.)
In addition, such publications often contain Orthodox prayers read in various diseases, for example, “prayers for healing hearing”, “for correcting vision”, “for skin diseases” and so on.
Those publications that publish such prayers (supposedly for the healing of all human organs) are completely unaware that many of these prayers can only help the patient if they are read only by a clergyman, and not by the patient himself, and especially not by a “healer.” . Such newspapers take most of the prayers from the holy Breviary, which can only be used by a person who has received the sacrament of the priesthood, that is, a priest. Moreover, all those prayers taken by the “healers” from the Holy Book of Breviaries were completely distorted by them. For example, in the newspaper of Krasnodar “healers and clairvoyants” a prayer is given “for healing the brain,” but such a prayer is read only when a person has “dizzy spell,” that is, a mental illness, and not just a head illness. All these prayers are intended only for priests, and there are prayers for the laity.
In the New Testament Church, the sacrament of the priesthood was established, performed only by bishops. What is this sacrament? At the moment of its completion, the grace of the Holy Spirit descends on the one who is ordained, sanctifying and giving him spiritual power in the sacrament of repentance to forgive our sins. This power is passed down by succession from the apostles of Christ, to whom the Lord Himself gave it, sending them into the world: Whose sins you forgive, they will be forgiven; whoever you leave it on will stay on it(John 20, 23).
molitva22.jpgThere are liturgical and prayer rites compiled by the fathers of the Church of Christ. Their rites contain prayers that only priests can read. Even the deacon has no right or authority to read them. Those who do not have priestly rank, reading such prayers, for example, for the consecration of a house, for expulsion evil spirits and others are simply desecrated.
We commit the sin of sacrilege because we take upon ourselves a dignity that we do not have. In this regard, Archimandrite Gregory cites one very instructive case: “One young man (he lives in Timashevsk, visiting the Trinity-Sergius Lavra one day, went into a bookstore and bought a book there with the title “Servant Book” (this happened in the early 90s years). A missal is a book that includes liturgical sequences, in which there are secret prayers read exclusively by the priest. Of course, this guy did not know that such prayers cannot be read by a layman. At home, he began to read this book, reading those prayers as well. which it befits only a priest to pronounce. a short time the guy noticed that he had some kind of “warmth” in his body, a feeling of “grace.” The demon pulled him into the trap of charm through sensual seduction. I warned this guy that if he didn't stop doing this, something bad might happen to him. But this young man did not heed my instructions, insisting that through reading this book grace and the Holy Spirit would descend on him. Soon after our conversation with him, at the moment when he was once again reading the Priestly prayers, a demon entered into him. Only his mother can tell how much suffering and grief he brought to himself and his mother.
Here is an example of the fact that not all prayers can be read by a layman. “
What kind of recommendations and advice you won’t see in the newspapers of the so-called “traditional healers”! How to protect your home from evil and damage? It turns out that you need to walk around a house or apartment with a candle and say conspiracies (they are printed right away) that mention the name of Christ or the Virgin Mary! This will be the consecration of the house. But this is just a superstitious custom. All these councils only instill sectarian delusions among the people, bring confusion into the ranks of the newcomers, and insult the Holy Church and the clergy.
If you follow such advice, then a person should not do anything else but perform some rituals from morning to evening and read conspiracies and texts fabricated from all kinds of spiritual literature for days.
Everyone has their own responsibilities. The duties of the priest include fulfilling the requirements - prayer rites and prayers - to invoke God's help in the needs, that is, the requirements, everyday needs of Orthodox Christians - the laity.
molitva44.jpgNot a single law of Holy Scripture says that when we are sick, we turn to healers, clairvoyants, and so on for help. There is only one thing written in the Holy Scriptures: “If you are sick, call the elders of the Church (that is, priests), and they will say a prayer. “And only this prayer, pronounced by the priests, in combination with the great faith of the patient, can give the patient the desired healing, and “even many forgotten sins will be forgiven him.”
Be vigilant, brothers and sisters. Now it has become fashionable to print prayers for all ailments indiscriminately in newspapers and books. Many lay people use these prayers, but this is a very big sin, since these prayers are taken from church liturgical books.
What books are considered church liturgical?
Missal- a book for priests and deacons. It contains the order of Vespers, Matins and Liturgy. At the end of the Service Book there are dispensations, prokemenons, magnifications and months, that is, a list of saints commemorated daily by the Church.
The Bishop's Missal (or Bishop's Official) is distinguished by the fact that it also contains the rite of consecration of the antimension and the rite of ordination to the reader, deacon, priest, and more.
Book of Hours- a book that serves as a guide for readers and singers in the choir. The Book of Hours contains the order of all daily services, except the liturgy.
Breviary- a book containing the rites of the holy sacraments (except for the sacraments of holy communion and priesthood) and other requirements - the rite of funeral service and burial of the dead, the rite of the blessing of water, prayers for the birth of a baby, at the naming of the baby and his churching, and others.
Book of Prayer Songs contains the rites of prayers (prayer chants) on different cases life.
Octoechos, or Osmiglasnik, contains hymns (troparia, kontakion, canons, etc.), divided into eight tunes, or “voices.” Each voice, in turn, contains hymns for the entire week, so that the services of the Octoechos are repeated once every eight weeks. The division of church singing into voices was accomplished by the famous hymnist of the Greek Church, Saint John of Damascus, back in the 8th century. The compilation of the Octoechos is also attributed to him, although it should be noted that Saint Mitrophan, the Bishop of Smyrna, Saint Joseph the Songwriter and others took part in the compilation of the Octoechos.
Menaea menstruation contains prayers in honor of saints for every day of the year and solemn services for the feasts of the Lord and the Mother of God, falling on a specific day of the month. According to the number of 12 months, it is divided into 12 separate books.
Menaea general contains hymns common to a whole group of saints, for example in honor of prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, etc. It is used during divine services in the event that a separate service in the Menaion of the month has not been compiled for any saint.
Festive Menaion contains the services of the great holidays, extracted from the Menaion of the Month.
Lenten Triodion contains prayers for the days of Great Lent and for the preparatory weeks for it, starting from the week of the Publican and the Pharisee and until Easter. The word “Triode” is Greek and means three songs. This book and the following Triodion of Color received this name because they contain incomplete canons, consisting of only three songs instead of the usual nine songs of the canon.
The colored triode includes hymns from the day of Holy Pascha to the Week of All Saints (that is, until the 9th Sunday, counting from the day of Easter).
Typicon, or Charter, contains detailed instructions: on what days and hours, during what Divine services and in what order the prayers contained in the Service Book, Book of Hours, Octoechos and other liturgical books should be read or sung.
Irmology contains chants selected from various canons, called irmos (irmos is the initial chant of each song of the canon).
molitva777.jpgWhat prayers should the laity read?
To maintain their spiritual and physical health, the laity, first of all, should read morning and evening prayers. I need to train myself: if I don’t read my evening prayers, I won’t go to bed. If I don’t read my morning prayers, I won’t eat. Archimandrite George, whose words have already been quoted in this brochure, says: “No other prayers can replace morning and evening prayers. So, a person eats food to gain strength for physical and mental work; any food is food for the flesh, and to strengthen the soul, spiritual food is needed, which has always been morning and evening prayers. They need to be read daily without skipping. Morning prayers, for example, take only 20 minutes - this is quite accessible for anyone.”
In addition, reading the Psalms and the Gospels should be obligatory for a Christian. No book glorifies God as much as the Psalter. “By reading the Psalter,” says the holy Venerable Ephraim the Syrian, “even those who do not have wisdom will receive it, and if he has many sins, these sins will be forgiven him. “
It is imperative to read a prayer before and after eating food. “How often do we get sick because we don’t pray at meals and don’t call on God’s blessing on food. Previously, they did everything with prayer on their lips: they plowed - they prayed, they sowed - they prayed, they harvested - they prayed,” said St. Seraphim Vyritsky. But this does not mean that a layman stands in prayer all day. There is time for work and there is time for prayer. If you have worked for 3-4 hours, you can devote 20-30 minutes to prayer. It is better to follow the middle path, which is called “royal, saving,” and not take on more than what you should and can.
So, if a layman reads prayers that are forbidden for him (which only a priest should read), then from such self-will the demons will terribly take up arms against such a person. A person who reads prayers for priests becomes mentally ill, that is, for such a sin, the Lord allows demons to inhabit such a person and create various misfortunes with him. Unfortunately, these prayers are now published in various secular publications. We must be very careful! And it is best not to look for new prayers, but to pray according to the usual Orthodox prayer book.
All these prayers were compiled by the ancient holy fathers of the Church - very experienced in the matter of salvation, and there is no reason not to trust them. But looking for supposedly stronger prayers is very sinful and dangerous.
Copyright Symbol of Faith ©2007 – 2017. All Rights Reserved.
How to prepare yourself for visiting the temple. The temple is the house of God, heaven on earth, the place where the greatest Mysteries are performed. Therefore, it is necessary to always prepare for receiving shrines, so that the Lord does not condemn us for negligence in communicating with the Great.* Eating food before visiting the temple is not recommended, it is prohibited according to the rules, this is always done on an empty stomach. Some retreats are possible due to weakness, with the obligatory reproach of oneself.
Clothes, has great importance, the Apostle Paul mentions this, commanding women to cover their heads. He notes that a woman's covered head is positive sign for angels, for this is a sign of modesty. It is not good to visit a temple in a short, bright skirt, in a provocative open dress or in a tracksuit. Anything that forces others to pay attention to you and distracts you from service and prayer is considered bad. A woman in trousers in a temple is also an unacceptable phenomenon. In the Bible, there is also an Old Testament prohibition for women to dress in men's clothing, and for men - into women's. Respect the feelings of believers, even if this is YOUR first visit to the temple.
In the morning, getting out of bed, thank our Lord, who has given us the opportunity to spend the night in peace and who has extended us the days of repentance. Slowly wash your face, stand in front of the icon, light a lamp (necessarily from a candle) to impart a prayerful spirit, bring your thoughts into silence and order, forgive everyone and only then begin to read the morning prayers from the prayer book. If you have time, read one chapter from the Gospel, one of the Acts of the Apostles, one kathisma from the Psalter, or one psalm. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that it is always better to read one prayer, with sincere feeling than all the prayers, with an obsessive thought, to complete it as soon as possible. Before you leave, say a prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I unite with you, Christ our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, cross yourself and calmly walk to the temple. On the street, cross the road in front of you, with the prayer: “Lord, bless my ways and save me from all evil.” On the way to the temple, read the prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
*Rules for entering the temple.
Before entering the temple, cross yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and say before the first bow: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” to the second bow: “God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.”
To the third: “I have sinned beyond number, Lord, forgive me.”
Then, having done the same, entering the doors of the temple, bow to both sides, say to yourself: “Forgive me, brothers and sisters.”
*In church, the correct way to kiss icons is as follows:
When kissing the holy icon of the Savior, one should kiss the feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
A miraculous image The Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist - in hair wool.
And remember!!! If you come to the service, then the Service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God.
NOTE: - if you do not have the strength to stand for the entire service, then you can sit, for as St. Philaret of Moscow said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing.”
However, while reading the Gospel you must stand!!!
How to be BAPTIZED CORRECTLY.
The sign of the cross is performed as follows.
We're putting our fingers together right hand: thumb, index and middle - together (in a pinch), ring and little fingers - bent together, pressed to the palm.
Three folded fingers mean our faith in God, worshiped in the Trinity, and two fingers mean faith in Jesus Christ as true God and true Man. Then, with the tips of three folded fingers, we touch our forehead to sanctify our thoughts; belly to sanctify our body; right and left shoulders, to sanctify the works of our hands. In this way we depict a cross on ourselves.
After this we bow. Bows can be from the waist to the ground. The waist bow consists of bending the upper body forward after making the sign of the cross. When bowing to the ground, the believer kneels, bending down, touches his forehead to the floor and then stands up.
Regarding what bows should be performed and when, there are certain extensive church rules. For example, prostrations are not performed during the period from Easter to the Holy Trinity, as well as on Sundays and great holidays.
To be baptized without bowing: 1. In the middle of the six psalms on “Alleluia” three times.
2. At the beginning “I believe.”
3. On vacation “Christ our true God.”
4. At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.
Cross yourself with a bow:
1. When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
2. At each petition, the litany after singing “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words “Most honorable Cherub.”
6. With each word “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”
7. During the words “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and during the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.
8. On the canon on the 1st and 9th cantos at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saints.
9. After each stichera (moreover, the choir that finishes singing is baptized).
10. At the litia, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one each.
Be baptized with a bow to the ground:
1. During fasting, when entering the temple and when leaving it - 3 times.
2. During Lent, after each chorus to the song of the Mother of God “We magnify Thee.”
3. At the beginning of singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat.”
4. After “We’ll sing for you.”
5. After “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik.
6. When shouting: “And grant us, Master.”
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever.”
8. In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “The Most Holy Lady” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
9. During fasting, during the prayer “Lord and Master of my life.”
10. During Lent, during the final singing: “Remember me, Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom.” Just 3 prostrations.
Half bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest “Peace to all”
2. “The blessing of the Lord be upon you,”
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”,
4. “And may the mercies of the Great God be” and
5. With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).
You are not supposed to be baptized.
1. During the psalms.
2. In general, while singing.
3. During the litanies, to the choir who sings the litany choruses
4. You need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at the last words.
Prostrations to the ground are not allowed.
On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance before the holiday until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.
ICONS IN THE HOUSE
Savior Not Made by Hands
Icon is a Greek word and is translated as “image.” Holy Scripture says that Jesus Christ himself was the first to give people His visible image.
King Abgar, who ruled during the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Syrian city of Edessa, was seriously ill with leprosy. Having learned that in Palestine there was the great “prophet and wonderworker” Jesus, who taught about the Kingdom of God and healed people of any disease, Abgar believed in Him and sent his court painter Ananias to give Jesus a letter from Abgar, asking for healing and his repentance. In addition, he ordered the painter to draw a portrait of Jesus. But the artist was unable to make a portrait, “due to the radiant shine of His face.” The Lord himself came to his aid. He took a piece of cloth and applied it to His Divine face, which is why His divine image was imprinted on the cloth, by the power of grace. Having received this Holy Image - the first icon created by the Lord Himself, Abgar venerated it with faith and received healing for his faith.
This miraculous image was given a name - *Savior Not Made by Hands*.
Purpose of the icon
The main purpose of the icon is to help people rise above the vanity of the world and provide assistance in prayer. “An icon is an embodied prayer. It is created in prayer and for the sake of prayer, driving force which is love for God, striving for Him as for perfect Beauty.”
The icon is called upon to awaken in what lies before it the spiritual need to pray, to fall before God in repentance, to seek consolation in sorrows and prayers. 
What icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian?
You must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home. Among the images of the Savior, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen for home prayer. Characteristic feature This iconographic type is the image of the Lord with a blessing hand and an open or closed book. Also, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often purchased for the home.
The icon of the Mother of God is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
“Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, “Recovery of the Dead”, etc.;
“Guide” (“Hodegetria”) - Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, “Quick to Hear”, Iverskaya, Gruzinskaya, “Three-Handed”, etc.
Usually in Rus' it is customary to place an icon of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia (Nicholas the Pleasant) in every home iconostasis. Of the Russian saints, images of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov are most often found; Among the icons of martyrs, the icons of St. George the Victorious and the healer Panteleimon are very often placed. If space permits, it is advisable to have images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael.
If desired, you can add icons of patrons. For example: Patrons of the family - the holy faithful Prince Peter (monastically David) and Princess Fevronia
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. With their prayers they bring down Heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage.
- the holy martyrs and confessors Gury, Samon and Aviv - are known among Orthodox Christians as the patrons of matrimony, marriage, happy family; They are prayed to “if the husband innocently hates his wife” - they are the intercessors of a woman in a difficult marriage. PATRON OF CHILDREN. - Holy Child-Martyr Gabriel of Bialystok.
How to pray CORRECTLY. Prayers are read according to certain RULES. A rule is the order of reading prayers established by the Church, their composition and sequence. There are: morning, afternoon and evening rules, rules for Holy Communion.
Each of the rules has almost the same beginning - opening prayers:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King...
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us...
Lord, have mercy... (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son...
Our Father …"
these initial prayers are followed by the rest.
If you are limited in time, then use the prayer Rule of Seraphim of Sarov:
After sleep, having washed, first of all, you need to stand in front of the icons and, reverently crossing yourself, read the Lord’s Prayer *Our Father* three times. Then three times *Virgin Mother of God, rejoice* and, finally, the Creed.
Is it possible to pray in your own words? It is possible, but within certain restrictions.
The Church does not prohibit praying in one’s own words. Moreover, she points to this and prescribes, say, in morning rule: “Briefly offer a prayer for the salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, superiors, benefactors, those you know who are sick or in sorrow.” Thus, we can tell the Lord in our own words about what concerns our friends or us personally, about what was not said in the prayers included in the prayer book.
However, without achieving spiritual perfection, praying with the words that come to mind, even if they come from the depths of the soul, we can only remain at our level of spirituality. By joining the prayers of the saints, trying to delve into their words, each time we become a little higher and better spiritually.
The Lord Himself gave us an example of how to pray. The prayer He left for His disciples is called the Lord's Prayer. It exists in all prayer books and is included in church services. This prayer is *Our Father*.
The Lord's Prayer (given to us by Jesus Christ) -
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for this day;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
**********
SYMBOL OF FAITH:
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before the beginning of time; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were created.
For us, for the sake of people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures predicted. And ascended into heaven and reigns with the Father. And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, equally worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through 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.
The Symbol of Faith is a brief statement of the foundations of the Orthodox faith, compiled at the I and II Ecumenical Councils in the 4th century; read in the morning as a daily prayer.
PSALM 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquities. Wash me from all my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. I have sinned only before You, and I have done evil before You, so You are right in Your verdict and just in Your judgment. From my very birth I have been guilty before You; I am a sinner from my conception in my mother's womb. But You love the sincere in heart and reveal to them the secrets of wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. Return joy and gladness to my soul, and my bones, broken by You, will rejoice. Repel Your face Cleanse me from my sins and all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with Your Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from premature death, O God, God is my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice - I would give it - and You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Renew, O God, by Thy mercy Zion, erect the walls of Jerusalem. Then righteous sacrifices will be acceptable to You; then they will lay sacrifices to You on Your altar.
*Song of the Most Holy Theotokos:
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.
*Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos! Raise us, servant of God (names), from the depths of sin and deliver us from sudden death and from all evil. Grant us, O Lady, peace and health and enlighten our minds and the eyes of our hearts to salvation, and grant us, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God: for His power is blessed with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit.
*A simpler prayer -
Most Holy Mother of God, pray to Your Son and God for the revelation of my mind and for the blessing of my undertakings, and for sending from above help in my affairs, and for the forgiveness of my sins, and for receiving eternal blessings. Amen. 
PRAYERS BEFORE EATING AND AFTER EATING FOOD
Blessing of food or Prayer of thanksgiving, pronounced before the start of the meal.
The prayer can be read while sitting or standing. But, if there are people present who profess a different faith, then it is better not to say the prayer out loud!
The content of the prayer can be short or lengthy. The three options for prayers before meals given below are the most common, as they are the shortest:
1. Lord, bless us and these Thy gifts that we partake of.
Yours. In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
2. Bless, Lord, this food, so that it will benefit us and give us
strength to serve You and help those who need it. Amen.
3. Let us thank the Lord for the meal given to us. Amen.
We present to you other options for prayers before meals:
1. Our Father... Or: The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, and You give food to everyone at the right time,
You open Your generous hand and satisfy all living things.
2. We thank You, Christ our God, for You have filled us with Your earthly blessings. Don't deprive us of
Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as you once came to Your disciples, giving them peace, come to us and save us.
Often, believers, before and after eating, simply read three prayers: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen". “Lord, have mercy” (three times). “Through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen".
And, if you want to snack on an apple or a sandwich, for example, then the clergy recommend that you simply cross yourself or cross what you are eating!
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
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.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
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.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy 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.
*Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and forgive me the unworthy, and forgive me all that You have sinned today as a man, and moreover, not as a man, but also worse than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, known and unknown: those who are evil from youth and science, and those who are evil from insolence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I will reproach; or slandered someone with my anger, or saddened someone, or became angry about something; either he lied, or he slept in vain, or he came to me as a beggar and despised him; or made my brother sad, or married, or whom I condemned; or became proud, or became proud, or became angry; or standing in prayer, my mind is moved by the wickedness of this world, or I think about corruption; either overeated, or drunk, or laughing madly; either I thought evil, or saw someone else’s kindness, and my heart was wounded by it; or dissimilar verbs, or laughed at my brother’s sin, but mine are countless sins; Either I didn’t pray for the sake of it, or I didn’t remember what other evil things I did, because I did more and more of these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator Master, Thy sad and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind, so that I may lie down in peace, sleep and rest, the prodigal, sinful and damned one, and I will bow and sing , and I will glorify Your most honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and ever and forever. Amen.
*Prayer
Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep. Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honorable Mother, and Your disembodied Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, the God-speaking Apostles, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints through the prayers, deliver me from my present demonic situation. To her, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if he were converted and live, grant me conversion, the accursed and unworthy; take me away from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, is my consolation, Who for the sake of the accursed one has clothed himself in corruptible flesh, pluck me from accursedness, and grant consolation to my more accursed soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and forsake evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: for in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, save me.
*Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.
*Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross:
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 sign the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable One and Life-giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and 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.
Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
*Prayer
Weaken, forsake, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and in nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is good and Lover of Humanity.
*Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life. Visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. . Amen.
*CONFESSION OF SINS DAILY:
I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in Holy Trinity To the One, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, and at the present time, and in days and nights that have passed, by deed, word, thought, food, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, negligence, pride, avarice, theft, lack of speech, foulness, money-grubbing, jealousy, envy, anger, memory malice, hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator, who have angered You, and my untruthful neighbor: regretting these, I present my guilt to You to my God, and I have the will to repent: exactly, Lord God my, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that I have said before You, as You are Good and Lover of Mankind.
When you go to bed, be sure to say:
*In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.*
The LORD save and preserve you!!!
The person constantly utters an internal monologue, and sometimes argues furiously with an imaginary opponent. He is torn apart by conflicting feelings and oppressed by the need to make decisions. Vain thoughts, big problems and small things, a stream of daily, endless worries. And it already seems that no one can help, and life is passing by, and nothing good awaits ahead. And then we suddenly remember that we have someone to turn to, someone to rely on and from whom to expect help.
It’s better, after all, not to wait for a special mood, failure, God forbid, misfortune, but to know the prayers for every day and read them regularly.
Daily attendance at church is almost impossible for a modern, active, working person, but everyone can read prayers in the morning, entrusting their destiny into the hands of God. The church rite suggests that a full reading of the daily prayer for each day takes at least 40 minutes. Not everyone can afford this, and besides, there are difficulties in understanding Church Slavonic words. This makes it difficult to read and remember. Parish priests and confessors allow and advise to reduce the number of prayers, leaving only those that, as they say, “feel good to the soul.” Orthodox prayers for every day are appeals to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Trinity, Saints, Reverends, Archangels, Apostles, Guardian Angels. And every person praying can turn to the one who is closest to him. Prayer is not a request, much less a demand: to do, to give, to organize, to cure. A deeply felt, correctly read morning prayer helps to concentrate, being a kind of meditative tool. Prayers for every day discipline the mind and soul, giving us the opportunity to feel protected and preserved. Unless there is a special occasion, the daily Orthodox ritual usually includes several basic prayers.
We were not taught to pray, but direct appeal to God, the main prayer for every day, is known to many. This is Our Father. The Orthodox Church is a conciliar church, and when many people read a prayer at the same time, its power becomes irresistible. This is why reprimands during church services are so effective.
You can contact the Guardian Angel throughout the day, he is always nearby, protects, protects, and guides.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me by the Lord, I pray to you: protect me every day from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.
Ugodnik is highly revered in Russia. Icons with his image can be found in the cottages of wealthy people and in poor apartments. Smart and stupid, educated and ignorant, people of all ages and professions considered and consider him theirs. The Great Saint does not refuse help to anyone, and this help is always timely and effective.
Prayer to Nicholas the Ugodnik
O All-Good Father Nicholas! Shepherd and teacher of all who pray with faith for your intercession and call to you in fervent prayer! Try and deliver the flock of Christ from the wolves that are destroying the Christian country. Protect and protect the saints with your prayers from rebellion, war and civil strife, from hunger, flood, fire, ball and vain death. And just as you had mercy on three men sitting in prison and delivered them from the wrath of the king and the beating from the sword, so have mercy on me and deliver me from the wrath of the Lord and eternal torment. Through your intercession and help, and through His mercy and grace, Christ God will give me a quiet life and deliver me from troubles and misfortunes. Amen
For a woman there is no better prayer for every day than appeal to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It helps with illnesses, protects against despair and evil thoughts.
Lady, Most Holy Theotokos. With your omnipotent and holy prayers before the Lord, take away from me, your humble servant of God, foul and evil thoughts. I ask You, strengthen me in my faith! Protect my weak soul and sinful heart from despondency and despair. Our intercessor, the Most Holy Theotokos! Do not let yourself fall into the sin of evil thoughts and deeds. Blessed be Thy name forever and ever. Amen.
HOW TO READ MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERS CORRECTLY The prayer rule is the daily morning and evening prayers that Christians perform. Their texts can be found in the prayer book. The rule can be general - mandatory for everyone, or individual, selected for the believer by the confessor, taking into account his spiritual state, strength and employment. Consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This vital rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult matter, “inspiration”, “mood” and improvisation are not enough. Reading prayers connects a person with their creators: the psalmists and ascetics. This helps to gain a spiritual mood akin to their heartfelt burning. Our example in praying in other people’s words is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His prayerful exclamations during the suffering of the cross are lines from the psalms (Ps. 21:2; 30:6). There are three basic prayer rules: 1) a complete prayer rule, designed for spiritually experienced laity, which is published in the “Orthodox Prayer Book”; 2) a short prayer rule; in the morning: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angela", "Holy Lady", invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead; in the evening: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”; 3) a short prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Our Father” three times, “Virgin Mother of God” three times and “I Believe” once - for those days and circumstances when a person is extremely tired or very limited in time. It is not advisable to completely omit the prayer rule. Even if the prayer rule is read without due attention, the words of the prayers, penetrating the soul, have a cleansing effect. The main prayers should be known by heart (with regular reading, they are gradually memorized by a person even with a very poor memory), so that they penetrate deeper into the heart and so that they can be repeated in any circumstances. It is advisable to study the text of the translation of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian in order to understand the meaning of each word and not pronounce a single word meaninglessly or without precise understanding. It is very important that those who begin to pray should expel resentment, irritation, and bitterness from their hearts. Without efforts aimed at serving people, fighting sin, and establishing control over the body and spiritual sphere, prayer cannot become the inner core of life. In the conditions of modern life, given the workload and accelerated pace, it is not easy for the laity to set aside a certain time for prayer. The enemy of morning prayer is haste, and the enemy of evening prayer is fatigue. Morning prayers are best read before starting anything (and before breakfast). As a last resort, they are pronounced on the way from home. Late in the evening it is often difficult to concentrate due to fatigue, so we can recommend reading the evening prayer rule in the free minutes before dinner or even earlier. During prayer, it is recommended to retire, light a lamp or candle and stand in front of the icon. Depending on the nature of family relationships, we can recommend reading the prayer rule together, with the whole family, or with each family member separately. General prayer is recommended before eating food, on special days, before a holiday meal, and in other similar cases. Family prayer is a type of church, public prayer (the family is a kind of “home Church”) and therefore does not replace individual prayer, but only complements it. Before starting prayer, you should sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make several bows, either from the waist or to the ground, and try to tune in to an internal conversation with God. The difficulty of prayer is often a sign of its true effectiveness. Prayer for other people is an integral part of prayer. Standing before God does not alienate a person from his neighbors, but binds him to them with even closer ties. We should not limit ourselves to just praying for people close and dear to us. Praying for those who have caused us grief brings peace to the soul, has an impact on these people and makes our prayer sacrificial. It is good to end the prayer with thanksgiving to God for the gift of communication and contrition for one’s inattention. When getting down to business, you must first think about what you have to say, do, see during the day and ask God for blessings and strength to follow His will. In the midst of a busy day, you need to say a short prayer (see Jesus prayer), which will help you find the Lord in everyday affairs. The morning and evening rules are just necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray unceasingly (see the prayer of Jesus). The Holy Fathers said: if you churn milk, you will get butter, and so in prayer, quantity turns into quality. God bless you!
What are morning and evening prayers and why are they so important in the life of every Orthodox Christian? Many holy fathers call these daily prayers spiritual hygiene, the bare minimum for a beginning believer. With the help of these prayers and especially through their regular and conscientious reading, the laity become closer to the Lord, become spiritually cleansed, and learn humility, repentance and gratitude. It is difficult to overestimate their importance, especially in the modern world.
What prayers exist and how to read them?
In Orthodoxy there is such a term - a prayer rule. This is the name given to sets of prayer texts intended for morning and evening readings. These obligatory prayers can be found in every prayer book. Among them are “Our Father”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, “Creed” and others. The prayer rule was formed several centuries ago, and since then has become a guideline for Orthodox believers.
The prayer rule is divided into complete, that is, common to everyone, and short, individual (it is discussed with the confessor and assigned with his blessing, in cases of, for example, illness, lack of strength, heavy workload, etc.). There is also a version of a short prayer rule from St. Seraphim of Sarov. According to it, if a believer is in an extremely weak state or is very limited in time, then only the following prayers can be read: three times “Our Father”, three times “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” and once “Creed”.
Prayer "Our Father"
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”
Virgin Mary, Hail 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 "Creed"
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 only begotten Son of God, 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.
Tea of the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the next century. Amen.
How to read morning and evening prayers
In the morning you are supposed to pray immediately after waking up, before meals and the start of the work day, and in the evening you can choose any time, the main thing is that all work for the current day is completed.
Prayer should be performed in a secluded place, in front of an icon, with a lit lamp or candle. First you need to cross yourself and make several bows. Then tune in, concentrate and begin to read the prayers in the order indicated in the prayer book. You can read both aloud and silently. Prayers for loved ones, appeals to the Lord, spoken in your own words - all this is also an obligatory part of prayer.
It is important to thank the Lord and ask for His blessings before the upcoming trials of life.
It is very important to understand the meaning of each word that is spoken in prayers. For this purpose, there are translations of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian in explanatory prayer books, they are worth studying so that reading is conscious.
It is important to pray with a pure heart, in which there is no bitterness, evil, resentment, or irritation. If a believer feels these emotions, it is necessary to get rid of them. One way is to pray for the health of the one who offended. This will cleanse the soul, calm the ardor and set one in a gracious mood.
As a rule, with some practice, reading morning and evening prayers takes an average of 20 minutes. But currently the laity is faced with a problem. In our modern world, when the pace of life is so high that the lack of time is felt at every step, it can be difficult for Orthodox believers who begin to practice daily readings to find time for prayer in their busy schedule. As a rule, people rush to work in the morning and collapse from fatigue in the evening. And there is no time left for reading prayers with a thoughtful, focused approach. And it is important to read prayers sincerely, with diligence.
Pronouncing the text in a tongue twister, formally is not necessary for anyone and is even harmful in a conversation with God.
In this case, you need to rearrange your daily schedule, find another time for prayers, some prayers can even be read at work or on the road. But all this must be discussed with your confessor or the priest with whom you regularly confess. Sometimes the priest may allow you to read not the full volume of prayers. The main thing in morning and evening prayers is the right attitude, concentration, sending to the Lord from the heart.
The importance of prayers in the morning and evening
Why is it so important to perform morning and evening prayers daily? Priests always say that this ritual trains the will, makes the believer stronger in spiritually and does not allow you to forget about God and the need to keep the commandments. And it is especially important for beginning Orthodox Christians.
