Every believer must be in contact with God every second of his existence. This should be his goal and daily work expressed in prayer. Many holy elders said that each appeal to the Creator should be accompanied by three prayers. The first is read as given by the Almighty, the second as gratitude to the Mother of God, and the third - for support in faith and Christian morality.
In order to facilitate the path to God for believers, some holy people created special prayer rules that indicated when and where it was appropriate to read a particular prayer. Also, thanks to this list, one could find out how many times a day one should turn to the Creator. The days of church holidays and sacraments were especially distinguished, requiring special spiritual preparation from the laity. The most famous prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity, which we will tell you about today. In addition to him, we will touch upon in the article some additional nuances of turning to God.
Prayer Labor of the Soul
Christianity takes daily prayer very seriously. The priests instruct the flock, explaining to them that it is necessary to advance towards God in small steps, but without stopping for a minute. You should not immediately after baptism rush headlong into reading religious books and actively attend all services in the church. This way you will not gain spiritual purity, but only become entangled in your feelings and sensations.
It is worth starting your movement towards God by studying the prayer rule, which will help you to correctly clothe your spiritual impulse in words. Moreover, every minister of the church will say that it is necessary to accustom oneself to prayer. Despite the daily rhythm of life, mood and fatigue, you need to force yourself to turn to God with gratitude and a request for protection. At first it will be quite difficult to do this, but gradually prayer will begin to bring joy and spiritual enlightenment.
At this stage, the believer can already say all the prayers from the prayer rule. And this work gives him an incredible feeling of unity with the Creator, which pushes him to further self-improvement. And over time, prayer begins to cause such happiness that a special state of peace and tranquility descends on a person. Filled with such feelings, the believer can leave his daily activities in order to immediately turn to God.
It is these religious feelings that push people to go to the monastery, because within its walls, prayer takes on a completely different meaning - turned into a single impulse of several souls, it becomes a real purification. Many holy elders say that it is for prayer that people go to the monastery. It becomes their reward, because with different ideas about God, very few people will be able to handle difficult monastic everyday life.
We have already used such a phrase as "prayer rule" more than once in the article. Let's take a closer look at this church term.
Prayer Rule for Laymen: A Brief Description
Since it is rather difficult for laymen who have just come to faith to accustom themselves to daily prayer, special collections have been compiled that help to correctly calculate their strength and turn to the Creator with a certain spiritual message.
Prayer rules were not invented overnight. Sometimes they were created by holy elders at the request of the laity, while others appeared in connection with various church rituals. Be that as it may, but every Orthodox believer must adhere to a certain regulation that allows him to cleanse himself as much as possible from everything worldly and vain in order to open his heart to his Creator.
Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for laity
It is worth noting that the holy elder considered communication with the Creator to be the first necessity for a Christian. She should be more important to him than food, water and air. No believer can imagine his life without prayer.
The elder himself spent most of his time doing this and bequeathed such a pastime to his spiritual children. Sometimes he even demanded many hours of daily prayer from the followers, therefore he made up a rule for them, helping them in difficult spiritual work.
Morning
Seraphim of Sarov believed that the new day should be met with the sign of the cross and the fulfillment of the morning prayer rule. The elder argued that in order to pray, a Christian must stand near the icons or in another place where nothing will distract him from communion with God.
The morning prayer rule includes three passages. Reading must be done in the following order:
- "Our Father";
- "Virgin Mary, rejoice";
- Symbol of faith.
Keep in mind that the first two texts should be read three times, but for the last prayer, one is enough. After fulfilling the rules, a person can start their daily activities and responsibilities.
Day
Seraphim of Sarov advised not to forget about the prayer rule during everyday activities. In Russian, you can quietly read the Jesus Prayer. This allows you not to be distracted in your thoughts from communication with the Creator and gives you the opportunity to correlate your thoughts with Christian virtues every second.
You should not start your lunch meal without repeating the morning ritual, only after it can you start eating.
Afternoon
According to the precepts of Seraphim of Sarov, an Orthodox believer cannot be distracted from prayer even after dinner. At this time, it is better to read:
- "Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God have mercy on me, a sinner";
- "Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner."
The first of these texts is suitable for solitude, when you can completely surrender to the appeal to the Almighty. But the second can be read, doing business up to bedtime.
Prayers for Evening Time
Naturally, a Christian cannot calmly fall asleep without taking time out for his God. The evening prayer rule is identical to the morning one, all words must be pronounced when you are definitely no longer doing business. At the end of the prayer, the believer signs himself with the sign of the cross and can calmly go to bed.
Interestingly, it is customary for Christians to fall asleep only after turning to God, because in a dream a person can end his life's journey, and there is nothing worse than to appear unprepared before the Creator. Therefore, believers end each day with prayer and repent of their sins. This alone characterizes the true relationship between the soul and the Almighty.
Communion: preparation features
Communion is a special procedure that requires a lot of work and abstinence from the Orthodox. He must approach the sacrament prepared according to all the rules. They include a list of six points that include a prayer rule before Communion.
First of all, a Christian must keep himself physically and spiritually clean, and also fast. Usually, preparation for the sacrament lasts several days, on the evening before Communion it is necessary to take part in the church service, and read a few prayers at night:
- penitential canon;
- prayer canon to the Mother of God;
- canon to the Guardian Angel;
- Follow-up to Holy Communion.
Do not forget that the listed texts are read several times in a row, and the Orthodox believer should be in an even frame of mind and not harbor evil against anyone. Only in this state can one come to the sacrament.
Bright Week: the first days of Easter
Many Christians who have recently come to God are interested in the prayer rule on Bright Week. Lay people are often confused in the numerous rituals and ceremonies that accompany this or that church festival.
During this period, Christians must completely change the order of previous prayers, because the prayer rule on Bright Week includes a fairly wide list of canons and chants. So, on the eve of the holiday (on the night of Easter), Orthodox Christians should read:
- Easter hours;
- "Christ is Risen";
- "Who saw the Resurrection of Christ";
- Easter troparia;
- "Lord have mercy";
- "Christ is Risen" (again).
Keep in mind that the first song should be sung for at least seven minutes. The Orthodox claim that during this time incredible grace descends on them. The second and third prayers are read three times, but the fifth must be said at least forty times.
From Easter to the Ascension of the Lord
The Prayer Rule for Easter is to begin and end the day with the troparion of Easter. It is necessary to read it three times, but more times will not be a violation - this is the impulse of your soul in honor of the bright holiday.
Also, the prayer rule for Easter includes the Trisagion. This prayer must be recited at least three times.
From the Ascension to the Trinity
If you are not strong on church holidays, then keep in mind that all days from the beginning of Easter to Trinity are considered holidays. Therefore, special prayers are read during this period. Of course, if you start and end your day with an ordinary appeal to the Almighty out of unreason, then this will not be a serious deviation from the rules. However, it is best to observe a special prayer rule after Easter.
Every holiday that comes, changes the order in which prayers are read. We have already covered the period from Easter to Ascension in the previous section. Now we need to tell about the prayer rule after Easter until Trinity.
During this period, which lasts ten days, the troparia of the Theotokos and the "Heavenly King, Comforter" are not read. It also introduces a ban on bowing to the ground. Every day the clergy recommend starting with the Trisagion.
Optina elders
Many believers have heard about the prayer rule of the Optina elders. However, not every Christian understands who these holy people are and how effective their advice is in a given life situation. Therefore, we decided to tell you a little about the Optina elders themselves.
So, Optina Hermitage is one of the most ancient monasteries in Russia. It is located near the Kaluga province, and the first mention of it dates back to the time of Boris Godunov.
Of course, the main value of the monastery was its monks, who quickly began to be called elders. All of them were not ordinary people, but possessed a number of characteristics that put them, even during their lifetime, on a par with recognized Orthodox saints.
The following characteristics can be safely attributed to the features of the Optina elders:
- The gift of healing or predicting the future. Almost each of the elders had some kind of gift received from above. But more often than not, these holy people predicted the future or healed the seriously ill. There are cases when they were even called sorcerers, but all their actions were only with the blessing of God.
- Faith. Each of the elders stood firm in the faith, regardless of what happened in his life. This condition was one of the main ones for admission to the monastery, because only a true believer can help other people.
- Service. The whole life of the Optina elders was aimed at serving the Creator and the people. For them there was no concept of fatigue; everyone in need of help received it from the monks.
- Repentance for the sins of others. The fact is that the Optina elders bore a vow of repentance for all Orthodox Christians in this world. Often people came to the monastery for confession, telling about all their sins. The elders spent long hours praying for human misdeeds and then letting them go with a pure soul and heart.
It is worth noting that people went to Optina Pustyn regardless of their social status and financial situation. And for every misfortune, the elders found words of consolation, they advised many pilgrims certain prayer rules, which turned out to be very effective.
Prayers from the Optina elders
The monks of the Optina Hermitage spent most of their time in prayer. Therefore, they had accumulated a sufficient number of prayer rules, which they shared with the pilgrims.
For example, in the morning it was supposed to read twenty-seven texts. Among them it is especially possible to highlight:
- Trisagion;
- Symbol of faith;
- prayer for the living;
- prayer for the dead;
- prayer to the Most Holy Trinity.
The Optina elders advised to read the prayers one time at a time and in no particular order. The main attribute of turning to God is true faith and thirst for communion with the Almighty. Only in this case will prayer be effective and bring purification.
The monks of the Optina Monastery shared with the pilgrims the prayer rules for any occasion in life. For example, in case of temptation, it was necessary to read a psalm to David. And if you cannot attend church services for one reason or another, then you should read the following texts at home during the day:
- morning - twelve psalms, prayer to the Mother of God, day akathist;
- evening prayer rule - canon to the Guardian Angel, twelve psalms, chapters from the Gospel, the prayer "Loosen up, leave";
- for a dream to come - the prayer "Everyday Confession".
It is interesting that the Optina elders allowed some deviations from these regulations. They believed that for certain reasons, lay people can completely and completely immerse themselves in everyday affairs. This may be due to some serious problem or illness. However, after solving all the problems, the Christian should return to his former religious behavior and again devote time to communion with the Creator.
Conclusion
We hope that our article will be useful to you and you can choose for yourself some kind of prayer rule that will gradually bring you closer to God. Of course, the prayers we have listed are not the only ones, and if desired, every Christian can find other religious texts, the reading of which will cause him a feeling of grace and spiritual joy. Remember that it is this feeling that accompanies your daily appeal to the Almighty, which indicates that you are doing the right thing and your prayer has been heard. Many Christians consider this to be work, but there is really no greater joy than working with the name of God on our lips and in the name of His glory. Do not forget about daily prayer in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and perhaps then the Lord will change your life.
How to prepare yourself to attend the temple. The temple is the house of God, heaven on earth, the place where the greatest Sacraments are performed. Therefore, it is necessary, always preparing for the acceptance of shrines, so that the Lord does not condemn us for negligence in communicating with the Great. * Eating before visiting the temple is not recommended, it is forbidden by the statute, it is always done on an empty stomach. Some, retreats are possible with weakness, with the obligatory reproach of oneself.
Clothing is of great importance, the Apostle Paul mentions about this, commanding women to cover their heads. He notes that the covered head of a woman is a positive sign for angels, for it is a sign of modesty. It is not good to attend the temple in a short, bright skirt, in a defiant open dress, or in a tracksuit. Anything that forces others to pay attention to you and distracts from service and prayer is considered bad. A woman in trousers in a temple is also unacceptable. In the Bible, there is still an Old Testament prohibition for women to dress in men's clothes, and for men - in women's. Respect the feelings of believers, even if this is YOUR first temple visit.
In the morning, getting up from your bed, thank our Lord, who has given us the opportunity to spend the night in peace and who has extended our days of repentance. Wash yourself slowly, stand in front of the icon, light an icon lamp (necessarily from a candle), to give a prayer spirit, bring your thoughts into silence and order, forgive everyone, and only then start reading 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 must be remembered that it is always better to read one prayer, with a sincere feeling, than all prayers, with an obsessive thought, to complete it as soon as possible. Before leaving, say the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I am combined 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 to the first bow: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." the second bow: "God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me."
To the third: "Without the number of those who have sinned, Lord, forgive me."
Then, having done the same, having entered the door of the temple, bow on both sides, say to yourself: "Forgive me, brothers and sisters."
* In the temple, kissing icons correctly should be like this:
Kissing the holy icon of the Savior - you should kiss the feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
and the not-made image of the Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist - in hair.
And remember !!! If you come to the service, then the Service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not an obligation, but a sacrifice to God.
NOTE: - if you do not have the strength to stand 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 standing with your feet."
However, you must stand while reading the Gospel !!!
How CORRECT TO BE BAPTIZED.
The sign of the cross is performed as follows.
We put the fingers of our right hand: thumb, index and middle - together (with a pinch), ring and little fingers - bending together, press them to the palm.
Three folded fingers mean our faith in God, worshiped in the Trinity, and two fingers - faith in Jesus Christ as true God and true Man. Then, with the tips of three folded fingers, we touch the forehead to sanctify our thoughts; belly to sanctify our body; right and left shoulder to sanctify the works of our hands. Thus, we depict a cross on ourselves.
Then we bow down. Bows are belt and earth. The bow is the bowing of the upper body forward after the sign of the cross. With an earthly bow, the believer kneels, bending over, touches the floor with his forehead and then stands up.
There are extensive church rules regarding what obeisances should be performed and when. For example, prostrations are not performed during the period from Easter to the day of the Holy Trinity, as well as on Sundays and on the days of 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 dismissal "Christ our true God."
4. At the beginning of the reading of Holy Scripture: the Gospel, the Apostle and the Paremias.
To be baptized with a bow at the waist:
1. At the entrance to the temple and at the exit from it - three times.
2. At each petition of the litany after singing "Lord, have mercy", "Give, Lord," "To you, Lord."
3. At the exclamation of a priest who gives glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. With the exclamations “Take, eat”, “Drink everything from her”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words "Most Honorable Cherub".
6. With every word "let us bow down", "worship", "let us fall down."
7. During the words "Alleluia", "Holy God" and "Come, let us worship" and with the exclamation of "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. In the litany, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one at a time.
Baptized with an earthly bow:
1. In fasting at the entrance to the temple and at the exit from it - 3 times.
2. In fasting after each refrain to the song of the Mother of God "We magnify thee."
3. At the beginning of the singing "It is worthy and righteous."
4. After "We sing to you."
5. After "It is worthy to eat" or Zadostinik.
6. With the exclamation: "And make us worthy, Master."
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words "With the fear of God and with faith, approach," and the second time - with the words "Always, now and ever."
8. In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing "Most Holy Lady" - at every verse; when singing "Virgin Mary, rejoice" and so on. three obeisances are performed at Lenten Vespers.
9. In fasting, during the prayer "Lord and Master of my life."
10. In fasting with the concluding chant: "Remember me, Lord, when you come in Your Kingdom." Only 3 earthly bows.
Bow bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest "Peace to all"
2. "The blessing of the Lord is on you",
3. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ",
4. "And may there be mercies of the Great God" and
5. At the words of the deacon "And forever and ever" (after the exclamation of the priest, "For thou art holy, our God" before the singing of the Trisagion).
You are not supposed to be baptized.
1. During the psalms.
2. Generally while singing.
3. During the litany, to the kliros who sings the litany refrains
4. It is necessary to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at the last words.
Bowing to the ground is not allowed.
On Sundays, in the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (this day, three earthly bows to the Cross). The bows stop from the evening entrance on the day of the holiday to "Grant me, 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". 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. Learning that in Palestine, there is a great "prophet and miracle worker" Jesus, who teaches about the Kingdom of God and heals any disease in people, Abgar believed in Him, and sent his court painter Ananias to give Jesus a letter from Abgar, asking for healing and your repentance. In addition, he ordered the painter to paint a portrait of Jesus. But the artist failed to make a portrait, "because of the radiant shine of His face." The Lord himself came to help him. 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 him with faith and received healing for his faith.
For this miraculous image, the name was fixed - * Savior Not Made by Hands *.
The purpose of the icon
The main purpose of the icon is to help people rise above the worldly vanity, to help in prayer. “The icon is prayer embodied. It is created in prayer and for the sake of prayer, the driving force of which is love for God, striving for Him as for perfect Beauty. "
The icon is called to awaken in what is before her the spiritual need to pray, to fall to God in repentance, to seek consolation in sorrows and prayers. 
What icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian
At home, it is imperative to have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. From the images of the Savior, for home prayer, they usually choose a half-length image of the Lord Almighty. A characteristic feature of 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 Virgin is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
"Tenderness" ("Eleusa") - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, "Recovery of the dead", etc .;
"Guide" ("Odigitria") - Kazan, Tikhvinskaya, "Skoroposlushnitsa", Iverskaya, Georgian, "Three-handed" and others.
Usually in Russia it is customary in every home iconostasis to place an icon of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia (Nicholas the Ugodnik). Of the Russian saints, the most common are images of the Monks Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov; Of the icons of the martyrs, icons of St. George the Victorious and the healer Panteleimon are very often placed. If space permits, it is desirable to have images of the holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, the archangels Gabriel and Michael.
If you wish, you can add patron icons. For example: Patrons of the family - saints Prince Peter (in monasticism David) and Princess Fevronia
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. Through their prayers, they bring down a heavenly blessing on those entering into marriage.
- Holy Martyrs and Confessors Gury, Samon and Aviv - are known among Orthodox Christians as patrons of matrimony, marriage, a happy family; they are prayed to “if the husband innocently hates his wife” - they are the protectors of women in a difficult marriage. PATRON OF CHILDREN. - holy infant martyr Gabriel of Belostok.
How it is CORRECT to pray. Prayers are read according to certain RULES. The rule is the order of reading prayers, fixed by the Church, their composition and sequence. Distinguish between: morning, afternoon and evening rule, the rule for Holy Communion.
Each of the rules has almost the same beginning - initial 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 (thrice).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.
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 Mary, Rejoice * and, finally, - the Symbol of Faith.
Is it okay to pray in your own words? It is possible - but within some limitations.
The Church does not forbid praying in your own words. Moreover, she points to this and prescribes, say, in the morning rule: "Briefly bring the prayer for the salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, bosses, benefactors, who you know, who are sick or are 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 placed in the prayer book.
However, without reaching spiritual perfection, praying 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 has given us an example of how to pray. The prayer that He left to His disciples is called the Lord's. It exists in all prayer books and is part of church services. This is a prayer - * Our Father *.
The Lord's Prayer (given to us by Jesus Christ) -
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be thy name, may thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done, as in heaven on earth. Give us our daily bread for this day;
and forgive us our debts, just 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, all visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, from the Father born to the beginning of time; Light from the Light, the true God from the true God, born, not created, consubstantial with the Father, through whom everything was created.
For us, for the sake of people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became a man; crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures predicted. And he ascended into heaven and reigns with the Father. And again coming in glory to judge the living and the dead, His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, Life-giving, proceeding 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 tea the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the century to come. Amen.
The Symbol of Faith is a summary of the foundations of the Orthodox Faith, compiled at the I and II Ecumenical Councils in the IV century; recited in the morning as daily prayer.
PSALM 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, 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. Before You alone I have sinned, and I have done evil before You, so that You are right in Your judgment and just in Your judgment. From my very birth I am 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. Bring back joy and gladness to my soul, and my bones, broken by Thee, will rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Give me back the joy of Thy salvation, and by Thy Sovereign Spirit, establish me. I will teach the wicked your ways, and the wicked will turn to you. Deliver me from premature death, O God, God my salvation, and my tongue will praise Thy righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you do not desire the sacrifice - I would give it - and you do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Renew, O God, according to Thy mercy Zion, raise up the walls of Jerusalem. Then the righteous sacrifices will be pleasing to You; then they will lay sacrifices to you on your altar.
* Song of the Most Holy Mother of God:
Virgin Mary, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as the Savior gave birth to our souls.
* Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos:
O Most Holy Lady the Lady Theotokos! Elevate us, servant of God (names) from the depths of sin and deliver us from sudden death and from all evil. Grant, O Lord, to us peace and health and enlighten our mind and eyes of the heart, even to salvation, and vouchsafed us, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God: as His kingdom is blessed with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit.
* A simpler prayer -
Most Holy Mother of God, pray to His Son and God for the revelation of my mind and for the blessing of my undertakings, and for the sending down of help in my deeds, and for the forgiveness of my sins, and for the receipt of eternal blessings. Amen. 
PRAYERS BEFORE FOOD AND AFTER EATING FOOD
Blessing of food or prayer of thanksgiving, is said before the beginning of the meal.
The prayer can be read while sitting or standing. But, if there are people professing a different faith, then it is better not to say the prayer aloud!
Prayer, in content, can be short or lengthy. The three options below for prayers before a meal are the most common, since they are the shortest:
1. Lord, bless us and these Thy gifts, bounty we eat
Yours. In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
2. Bless, Lord, this food, so that it will go for our good and give
strength to serve You and help those who need it. Amen.
3. Let us thank the Lord for the meal he has given 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,
Thou openest Thy generous hand and feed all living things.
2. We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly goods. Do not deprive us and
Thy Heavenly Kingdom, but as he once came to Thy 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, both now and ever and forever and ever. 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 wanted to have a snack with an apple or a sandwich, for example, the clergy recommend that you simply cross yourself or cross the food you eat!
PRAYERS FOR THE FUTURE DREAM:
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 Thy Most Pure Mother, venerable and God-bearing father of ours 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 fulfill everything, Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, Beloved, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquity; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, both now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also leave our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
* Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having made me worthy even at this hour of age, forgive my sins, I have also done this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to this dream in the night, to pass in peace, but, standing up from the humble bed, I will delight in Thy holy name, all the days of my life, and I will overcome the fleshly and incorporeal enemies who fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and the lusts of the wicked. As Thine is the kingdom, and the power and glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
* Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and let me go to the unworthy, and forgive all, the tree of Ti who have sinned today like a man, much less like a man, but even more than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, knowing and unknown: even from youth and science are evil, and even the essence of arrogance and despondency. If I swear by Thy name, or swindled in my thoughts; or someone reproached; or slander someone with my anger, or grieved, or about anything you were angry; or a lie, or useless spah, or a beggar came to me, and despise him; or who were saddened by my brother, or weddings, or whom they condemned; either puffed up, or puffed up, or outraged; or I stand in prayer, my mind has moved about the wickedness of this world, or the corruption of thoughts; or overeat, or overeat, or laughing madly; or evil thoughts, or seeing alien kindness, and with that he was wounded by his heart; or not like verbs, or laughing at my brother's sin, but my essence is countless sins; either they are not happy about prayer, or otherwise what deceitful things, I don’t remember, that’s all and great about these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator, Master, your despondent and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, as it is Good and Humanitarian, but I will lie down in peace, sleep and rest, prodigal, sinful and accursed I, and I will worship and sing , and I will glorify Your honorable name, with the Father, and His Only Begotten Son, now and forever and forever. Amen.
*Prayer
O Lord our God, those who have sinned in the days of this word, deed and thought, forgive me the Good and the Lover of Man. Peaceful sleep and serene grant me. Send your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, as you are the keeper of our souls and our bodies, and we glorify Thee, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever. Amen.
* Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of your most honest Mother Thy, and Thy incorporeal Angel, the Prophet and Forerunner and Thy Baptist, the God-speaking apostle, the bright and virtuous martyr, the reverend and God-bearing father, and all the saints with prayers, save me the demon of the real thing. To her, my Lord and Creator, not even though the death of a sinner, but as if to turn and live to be him, give me a conversion to the accursed and unworthy; Take me out of the mouth of the pernicious serpent, which is gaping to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, my consolation, For me, for the sake of the accursed in corruptible flesh, she was clothed, pluck me from accursedness, and comfort my soul cursed. Put in my heart to do Your commands, and abandon the crafty deeds, and receive Your blessedness: in You, Lord, hope, save me.
* Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Good King Mother, 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 guide me to good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without blemish and I will find Paradise by Thee, Virgin Mary, one Pure and the Blessed One.
* Prayer to the holy guardian angel
To the Angel of Christ, my saint guardian and protector of my soul and body, all forgive me, the tree of those who have sinned in this day, and save me from all cunning of the enemy, so that I will anger my God in no way; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if you were worthy of me showing 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 scatter Him, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. Yako smoke disappears, yes disappear; as if wax melts from the face of fire, so let demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and in joy say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of the prophesied Lord Jesus Christ on you, who descended into hell and corrected the power to the devil, and who gave us to you His Honest Cross to drive out every adversary. Oh, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady the Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Or in short:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of the Honest and Life-giving Your Cross, and save me from all evil.
*Prayer
Weaken, forgive, forgive, God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and not in knowledge, even in days and nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us all, as it is Good and Humanitarian.
*Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord, Human-loving. Beneficent beneficence. To our brothers and relatives, grant also petitions and eternal life for salvation. Visit the weak in existence and grant healing. Along the way, manage it. Travel travelers. Grant forgiveness to those who serve and have mercy on us sins. Those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them have mercy according to your great mercy. Remember, O Lord, the father and our brethren before the dead and rest them, where the light of Thy face is present. Remember, Lord, our captive brethren and spare me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them even petition for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, and us, the humble and sinful and unworthy of Thy servant, and enlighten our mind with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, with the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Our Lady and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: as you are blessed forever and ever ... Amen.
* CONFESSING SINS EVERYDAY:
I confess to Thee to the Lord my God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all my sins, the same in all the days of my life, and for every hour, both now and in days gone by and nights, deed, word, thought, gluttony, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, disobedience, disobedience, slander, condemnation, negligence, self-esteem, many acquisitiveness, embezzlement, untruthfulness, profanity, jealousy, jealousy , hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and my other sins, both soulful and bodily, the image of my God and Creator to anger, and my neighbor's unjust: regretting about these, I am guilty of myself to my God I imagine, and I have the will to repent: to that, O Lord my God, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: whoever passed away my sins by Thy mercy, forgive me, and permit me from all these, even the words before you, as good and lover of mankind.
When you go to bed, be sure to say:
* In Thy hand, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commit my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and give me an eternal belly. Amen.*
Save and save you LORD !!!
This article contains: prayer in the evening when to read - information taken from all over the world, electronic network and spiritual people.
Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed every day: morning prayers are read in the morning, and prayers for the coming sleep must be read in the evening.
Why do you need to read prayers before bed
There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and laymen who are experienced in the spiritual understanding.
But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning the prayer path, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that the laity have unforeseen situations when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.
In this case, it is better to read a short rule than to rattle the full text thoughtlessly and without reverence.
Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.
Important! Any prayer appeal will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serve God and people.
Evening prayers
In the evening, laymen read a short rule - a prayer at night before going to bed:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfill everything, Treasure of the good and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, Beloved, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also leave our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; every answer is bewildered, this Ti prayer as if to the Lord of sin we bring: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, in You with hope; Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look after us and now, as if you are well-to-do, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us get rid of Thy troubles: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having made me worthy even at this hour of age, forgive my sins, I have also done this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all defilement of flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to this dream in the night, to pass in peace, but, standing up from the humble bed, I will delight in Thy holy name, all the days of my life, and I will overcome the fleshly and incorporeal enemies who fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and the lusts of the wicked. As Thine is the kingdom, and the power and glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Good King Mother, 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 guide me to good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without blemish and I will find Paradise by Thee, Virgin Mary, one Pure and the Blessed One.
To the Angel of Christ, my saint guardian and protector of my soul and body, all forgive me, the tree of those who have sinned in this day, and save me from all cunning of the enemy, so that I will anger my God in no way; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if you were worthy of me showing the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
To the chosen Voevoda, victorious, as if we will get rid of the wicked, we will grateful to Ty Thy servant, the Mother of God, but as the one who has an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unmarried Bride.
Glorious Ever-ever, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son and our God, that Thou mayst save our souls.
I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.
Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, demanding Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
My hope is the Father, my refuge Son, my cover is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, Mother of God, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption, we magnify the Mother of God.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, venerable and God-bearing father of ours and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Interpretation of individual prayers
- Heavenly King.
In supplication, the Holy Spirit is called King, because He, as God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and to this day he comforts those who need it. He instructs believers on the righteous path, and therefore is called the Spirit of Truth.
The petition is addressed to the three persons of the Holy Trinity. The great song is sung by the angels of heaven before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy All-Powerful. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.
This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as a Father, we stand before Him as children before mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His might, we implore you to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death we will be honored to be in the Kingdom of Heaven.
He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, prayer to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will patronize the soul and body.
In the prayer, the danger of attacks by the enemies of the body (people pushing them to commit sin) and disembodied (spiritual passions) is especially highlighted.
Nuances of the evening rule
Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants in audio recordings?
In the Epistle of the Apostle Paul it is said that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work should be done for the glory of God.
The prayer should be started before bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He was given for the whole day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of each spoken word.
Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.
In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers about:
- close and dear people
- the living and the dead;
- about enemies;
- virtues and the whole world.
In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil's army, he is visited by sinful thoughts, bad desires. Night in the Christian sense is considered a time of revelry of demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious, they can send nightmares in a dream.
That is why believers pray every day before going to bed.
Advice! Even when all life circumstances develop successfully, one should not forget about faith and about the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.
- It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Pustyn. This male monastic abode is famous for miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and tunes in to the righteous path.
- The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated with great care, and while listening or watching, it is recommended to postpone worldly activities.
- Clergymen advise to include in the evening rule the prayers of the Optina elders. Their texts have evolved over the centuries and each of their phrases bears the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and knowing their full depth.
A prayer appeal is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep; other life processes are also difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at the Creator's participation in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.
Important! The ascension of prayer before bedtime is the acquisition of protection and support by an Orthodox Christian. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and bestow upon them mercy.
Prayer Rule.
What is a prayer rule? These are prayers that a person reads regularly, every day. The prayer rule is different for everyone. For some, the morning or evening rule takes several hours, for others, a few minutes. It all depends on the spiritual constitution of a person, on the degree of his rootedness in prayer and on what time he has.
It is very important that a person fulfills the prayer rule, even the shortest one, so that there is regularity and constancy in prayer. But the rule should not turn into a formality. The experience of many believers shows that with the constant reading of the same prayers, their words fade, lose their freshness, and a person, getting used to them, ceases to focus on them. This danger must be avoided by all means.
I remember when I took monastic tonsure (I was twenty years old then), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what prayer rule I should have. He said: “You must read the morning and evening prayers daily, three canons and one akathist. Whatever happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. And even if you read them hastily and inattentively - it doesn't matter, the main thing is that the rule should be read. " I tried. It didn't work out. The daily recitation of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly became boring. In addition, every day I spent many hours in the church at the services that spiritually nourished me, nourished, inspired me. And the reading of the three canons and the akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary "appendage". I started looking for another piece of advice that was more suitable for me. And he found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to count not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and in the evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely devoted to God. And it is not so important whether we read all the prayers during these minutes, or just one, or maybe we will devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we are focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our hearts. This advice worked for me. However, I do not exclude that the advice I received from a spiritual father would be more suitable for others. Much depends on the individual's personality.
It seems to me that for a person living in the world, not only fifteen, but even five minutes of morning and evening prayer, if, of course, it is pronounced with attention and feeling, is enough to be a real Christian. It is only important that the thought always corresponds to the words, the heart answers the words of the prayer, and the whole life corresponds to the prayer.
Try, following the advice of St. Theophan the Recluse, to set aside some time for prayer during the day and for the daily fulfillment of the prayer rule. And you will see that it will bear fruit very soon.
The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer, "there is a conversation between the soul and God." And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful sometimes to stop and listen to the Lord's answer to our prayer.
The Church, praying daily “for everyone and for everything,” has established for everyone a personal, individual prayer rule. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, and human capabilities. The Prayer Book offers us morning and evening prayers available to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm atmosphere, then it is better to read them on the way than to omit them altogether. In any case, one should not have breakfast before the prayer "Our Father" is recited.
If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be performed not before going to bed, but shortly before that. And before going to bed, one should read only the prayer of the Monk John Damascene “Vladyka, Human-loving, really, this coffin will have a bed for me. "And following it.
A very important part of morning prayers is remembrance reading. You should definitely pray for the peace and health of His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if not through his own fault, he is obliged to remember the “hating” and sincerely wish him well.
The personal ("cell") rule of many Orthodox includes the reading of the Gospel and the Psalter. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read during the day one chapter from the Gospel, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. Moreover, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one a day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended at the same time, and a new circle of readings began.
The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, in his own jurisdiction to change it - to decrease or increase. Once a rule has been established, it should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and receive admonition from him.
When and for how long should you pray? The apostle Paul says, “Pray incessantly” (1 Thess. 5:17). Saint Gregory the Theologian writes: “One must remember God more often than breathe.” Ideally, a Christian's entire life should be permeated with prayer.
Many troubles, sorrows and misfortunes occur precisely because people forget about God. After all, there are also believers among criminals, but at the moment of committing a crime they do not think about God. It is difficult to imagine a person who would go to murder or theft with the thought of an all-seeing God, from whom no evil can be hidden. And every sin is committed by a person precisely when he does not remember God.
Most people are unable to pray all day long, so you need to find some time, even a short one, to remember God.
In the morning you wake up with the thought of what is to be done that day. Before you start your work and immerse yourself in the inevitable hustle and bustle, devote at least a few minutes to God. Stand before God and say: "Lord, you gave me this day, help me to spend an era without sin, without blemish, save me from all evil and misfortune." And invoke the blessing of God on the day that begins.
Try to remember God more often throughout the day. If you feel bad, turn to Him with a prayer: "Lord, I feel bad, help me." If you feel good, tell God: "Lord, glory to You, I thank You for this joy." If you are worried about someone, tell God: "Lord, I am worried about him, I am in pain for him, help him." And so throughout the day - whatever happens to you, turn it into prayer.
When the day comes to an end and you are getting ready for bed, remember the past day, thank God for all the good things that happened, and bring repentance for all those unworthy deeds and sins that you have committed that day. Ask God for help and blessings for the coming night. As you learn to pray this way every day, you will soon notice how much fuller your whole life will be.
Often people justify their unwillingness to pray by the fact that they are too busy, overloaded with things. Yes, many of us live in a rhythm in which the people of antiquity did not. Sometimes we have to do a lot of things during the day. But there are always some pauses in life. For example, we stand at a bus stop and wait for a tram - three to five minutes. We go to the subway - twenty to thirty minutes, dial the phone number and hear beeps - "busy" - for a few more minutes. We use at least these pauses for prayer, let them not be wasted time.
How to pray when you are pressed for time
Many of the elder's visitors blamed him for praying little, not reading even the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following easily observable rule for such people:
“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer“ Our Father ”three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the song to the Mother of God "Virgin Mary, Rejoice" also three times. In conclusion, the Symbol of Faith “I believe in one God” - once. Having fulfilled such a rule, every Orthodox person goes about his business, to which he is assigned or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere he quietly reads "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner (or a sinner)" so until lunchtime. Before lunch, let him again perform the morning rule.
After dinner, while doing his job, let every Christian read as quietly: "Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner." Going to sleep, let every Christian again read the morning rule, that is, three times "Our Father", three times "Theotokos" and once "The Symbol of Faith."
St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small "rule" one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, like a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the pattern of all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in the greeting of the Mother of God. The Symbol of Faith contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.
1. The Lord's Prayer "Our Father" (Matt. 6, 9-13; Luke 11, 2-4).
2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6, 5; Lev. 19.18).
3. Basic Gospel commandments (Matt. 5, 3-12; Matt. 5, 21-48; Matt. 6, 1; Matt. 6, 3; Matt. 6, 6; Matt. 6, 14-21; Matt. 6: 24-25; Matt. 7: 1-5; Matt. 23: 8-12; John 13, 34).
5. Morning and evening prayers for a short prayer book.
6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.
The fear of our time has not escaped the Orthodox either. How to protect yourself and your loved ones? - believers often ask. Our main protection is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as the Scriptures say, and a hair will not fall from our head (Luke 21, 18). This does not mean that in our reckless trust in God, we can behave defiantly towards the underworld. The words “do not tempt the Lord thy God” (Matthew 4: 7) we need to remember firmly.
God has given us the greatest shrines to defend against visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross that should not be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and artos, eaten every morning.
We also preserve the Christian by prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th psalm “Alive in the help of Vyshnyago. "And a prayer to the Honest Cross" May God rise again. " It is worn on the body, under clothing.
The ninety psalm is very powerful. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before every time we go outside, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to sign the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny to you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and I am combined with You, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Orthodox parents must by all means re-baptize their child if he goes out on the street alone.
When you find yourself in a dangerous situation, you need to pray: “May God rise again”, or “Victory to the chosen Voevoda” (the first kontakion from the Akathist to the Mother of God), or simply “Lord, have mercy,” many times. It is also necessary to resort to prayer when, before our very eyes, another person is being threatened, and we lack the strength and courage to rush to his aid.
Prayer is very strong to the saints of God, who became famous for their martial art during their lifetime: saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratilat, Demetrius Donskoy. Let's not forget about the Archangel Michael, our Guardian Angel. All of them have a special power with God to give the weak the strength to overcome their enemies.
"If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman is in vain" (Psalm 126: 1). A Christian's house must be consecrated without fail. Grace will keep the dwelling from all evil. If there is no way to invite a priest to the house, you yourself need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water, reading "May God rise again" or "Save, Lord, Thy people" (troparion to the Cross). From the danger of arson, fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of Her icon "Burning Bush".
Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life and do not repentance for a long time. The Lord often allows extraordinary circumstances to bring unrepentant sinners to their senses.
You can pray in different ways, for example, in your own words. Such a prayer should constantly accompany a person. In the morning and in the evening, day and night, a person can turn to God with the simplest words coming from the depths of his heart.
But there are also prayers that were compiled by saints in antiquity, they need to be read in order to learn prayer. These prayers are contained in the Orthodox Prayer Book. There you will find morning prayers, evening prayers, repentance, thanksgiving, you will find various canons, akathists, and much more. Having bought the "Orthodox Prayer Book", do not be alarmed that there are so many prayers in it. You don't have to read them all.
If the morning prayers are read quickly, it will take about twenty minutes. But if you read them thoughtfully, attentively, responding with your heart to every word, then reading can take an entire hour. Therefore, if you do not have time, do not try to read all the morning prayers, it is better to read one or two, but so that their every word reaches your heart.
Before the section “Morning Prayers” it is said: “Before you start praying, wait a little until your feelings subside, and then say with attention and reverence; “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Wait a little longer and only then start praying. ” This pause, a “minute of silence” before the start of prayer, is very important. Prayer must grow out of the silence of our heart. People who “read” the morning and evening prayers every day are constantly tempted to read the “rule” as soon as possible in order to get down to their daily activities. Often, with such reading, the main thing escapes - the content of the prayer.
In the prayer book there are many petitions addressed to God, which are repeated several times. For example, you might find a recommendation to read “Lord have mercy” twelve or forty times. Some take it as a formality and read this prayer at high speed. By the way, in Greek “Lord, have mercy” sounds like “Kyrie, eleison”. In the Russian language there is a verb “to play tricks”, which originated precisely from the fact that the psalmists in the kliros very quickly repeated many times: “Kirie, eleison”, that is, they did not pray, but “played tricks”. So, you don't need to play tricks in prayer. No matter how many times you read this prayer, it should be said with attention, reverence and love, with full dedication.
You don't have to try to read all the prayers. Better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer "Our Father", repeating it several times, pondering each word. It is not so easy for a person who is not used to praying for a long time, to immediately read a large number of prayers, but this does not need to be strived for. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that the prayers of the Church Fathers breathe. This is the main benefit to be derived from the prayers contained in The Orthodox Prayer Book.
St. TheophanPrayer rule- 1) daily mornings and evenings performed by Christians (recommended texts can be found in); 2) the regulated reading of these prayers.
The rule can be general - obligatory for everyone, or individual, selected for the believer, taking into account his spiritual state, strength and employment.
Consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This rhythm of life 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 task, one “inspiration”, “mood” and improvisation is not enough.
Reading prayers connects a person with their creators: psalmists and ascetics. This helps to gain a spiritual attitude akin to their heartfelt burning. In praying in other people's words, the example for us is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His prayer cries during the suffering of the cross are lines from ().
There are three basic prayer rules:
1) Complete prayer rule, which is printed in "";
2) A short prayer rule. The laity sometimes have situations when there is little time and energy left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read a short rule with attention and reverence than hastily and superficially, without a prayerful attitude - the entire rule set as a whole. The Holy Fathers teach to treat your prayer rule with consideration, on the one hand, not giving indulgences to your passions, laziness, self-pity and others that can destroy the correct spiritual order, and on the other hand, to learn without temptation and embarrassment to shorten or even slightly change the rule when there is a real need for it.
in the morning
: "Heavenly King", Trisagion, "", "Virgin Mary", "Rise from sleep", "God have mercy on me", "", "God, cleanse", "To You, Master", "Holy Angel", " Most Holy Lady ”, invocation of the saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
in the evening
: "Heavenly King", Trisagion, "Our Father", "Have mercy on us, O Lord", "Eternal God", "Blessed Tsar", "Angel of Christ", from "Chosen Voevoda" to "It is worthy";
The morning and evening rules are only necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray incessantly (see). The holy fathers said: if you churn milk, you get butter, and in prayer, it turns from quantity into quality.
“In order for the rule to become not an obstacle, but a real motive force of a person towards God, it is necessary that it be proportionate to his spiritual powers, correspond to his spiritual age and state of mind. Many people, not wanting to burden themselves, deliberately choose too light prayer rules, which because of this become formal and do not bear fruit. But sometimes a great rule, chosen out of unreasonable jealousy, also becomes shackles, plunging into despondency and interfering with spiritual growth.
A rule is not a frozen form, during life it must necessarily change both qualitatively and externally. "
"Do not impose any vows and rules on yourself without the approval of your spiritual father, with whose advice one bow will bring you more benefit than a thousand bows of your own kind."
Also the Monk Anthony wrote:
"The Pharisee also prayed and fasted more than we do, but without humility, all his labor was nothing, and therefore be jealous of the most taxing humility, which is usually born from obedience, and weighs on you."
Elder Joseph (Litovkin) warned that it is more difficult to fulfill the rule with a blessing than the one that he took without permission. It is possible to perform a huge number of bows out of vanity, but when we do something with blessing, with humility, it is much more difficult. But it is also good for the soul:
“The imposed rule is always difficult, and doing with humility is even more difficult. What is acquired by labor is useful. "
Failure to comply with the rule
In the world, there are various circumstances beyond our control: business trips, protracted meetings, an emergency at work, as well as our own and loved ones' illnesses. In general, it may happen that even the most pious layman is somehow unable to fulfill the daily rule. Elder Nikon advised at the same time not to be embarrassed, but simply to humbly reproach oneself for weakness:
“Try not to miss the prayer rule either in the morning or in the evening, but if for any reason you omit it, especially due to circumstances beyond your control, then do not be embarrassed, but humbly reproach yourself of weakness, for self-reproach is an invisible ascent, and embarrassment, according to Father Ambrose, it is nowhere listed among the virtues. "
Constant prayer memory
The elders reminded us that, in addition to the rule, we need to have a constant prayer memory, constantly remember about God and repeat more often during the day: “Lord, have mercy!”, “Lord, bless”, “Lord, protect!” These short prayers will sanctify our daily lives.
“Every deed must begin with invoking the name of God for help,” Elder Hilarion (Ponomarev) taught.
Reverend Nikon recalled:
“At any time, no matter what you do: whether you are sitting, whether you are walking, whether you are working, read with your heart:“ Lord, have mercy! ””;
“When you are sorrowful and despondent and find a grievous temptation on you, you only say one thing:“ Lord, have mercy, save and have mercy on Your servant! ” And sorrow will be relieved. "
When asked about a short prayer, which can be repeated often, the Monk Nikon answered:
“Pray simply:“ Lord, grant me Your grace! ” And the Lord will carry a thunderstorm past you. "
Asking for Prayer for Others
So that people do not remain in carelessness and do not place their hope only on outside prayer help, the Monk Ambrose exhorted:
“Remember, the twelve apostles asked the Savior for the Canaanite wife, but He did not hear them; and she herself began to ask - she begged. "
And sometimes he repeated a popular saying:
"God, help me - and the man himself does not lie."
Prayer attitude
The Optina elders advised to abandon verbosity and idle talk during prayer, since this disrupts the prayer mood, drives away grace. The Monk Nikon wrote:
“Especially during prayer, leave all thoughts of everyday life. After prayer, at home or in church, in order to maintain a prayerful tender mood, silence is necessary. Sometimes even a simple insignificant word can disturb and frighten away tenderness from our souls.
Silence prepares the soul for prayer. Silence, how it has a beneficial effect on the soul! "
Of course, we are not talking about the necessary business conversations or communication with relatives, raising children - I mean the idle talk into which we so often fall.
Elder Ambrose advised:
“Clever silence is the most precious thing. If we put all the rules of prudence on one weighing scale, and put prudent silence on the other, then silence alone will outweigh ”;
“When you feel that you want to say something out of passion, be silent. Hold on, don't talk. After all, this is abuse, you need to win, then it will only lag behind. "
You even need to pray in order to learn how to pray correctly. The Monk Nikon wrote:
"We are on our own, without Divine help, and we are not able to pray: we cannot pray properly and we do not know how and what to pray for."
About Prayer Gifts
Prayer deeds are accompanied by gifts to diligent prayer-books. The Optina elders warned that one should not arbitrarily seek these gifts, such as tears in prayer or purity and dispassion. This can be dangerous for an inexperienced prayer book.
He wrote about tears in prayer:
“Not everyone can cry, but to whom God will give tears. And God rarely gives tears to the new-born. Otherwise they will be proud and will be worse than those who do not cry. "
He also instructed those wishing to achieve purity and dispassion:
“Let us humble ourselves, and the Lord will cover, and we will be holy. Until we humble ourselves and propitiate God - even if you smash your forehead on the floor with bows, the passions will not diminish. "
How do we know if we are praying correctly?
Prayer is a spiritual activity that bears spiritual fruit. The fruits of the spirit: love, meekness, patience, peaceful disposition. Of course, for the fruits to ripen, time must pass. But one should strive for them, spiritual growth should take place. A person must fight his passions, weaknesses, bad habits.
“Believe yourself every day ... If the real day was badly spent, so that you did not bring a decent prayer to God, did not break your heart even once, did not humble yourself in thought, did not show mercy or donated alms to anyone, did not forgive the guilty, did not endure insults on the contrary, he did not abstain from anger, did not abstain in words, food, drink or in impure thoughts, his mind immersed himself, having considered all this in good conscience, condemn yourself and set yourself on the next day to be more attentive in good and more careful in evil. "
The Monk Macarius warned:
“But prayer rules alone cannot benefit us ... I advise you to try, as much as possible, to draw your attention to the deeds of love for your neighbors; in relation to your mother, your spouse and children - care about bringing them up in the Orthodox faith and good morality to people subordinate to you and to all your neighbors. "
The one who strives correctly follows the middle, "royal" path. The irritability decreases and, on the contrary, complacency grows, the thoughts of anger, condemnation, and murmurings are less common. A peaceful disposition, a patient attitude towards the weaknesses and shortcomings of others is experienced more and more often and gradually becomes permanent.