After the past day, many people accumulate negativity in their souls, which violates peace of mind. In order to get rid of it, calm down and fully relax at night, believers read special prayers before going to bed. The prayer book offers several different prayers for the future, but each person can choose those other prayer appeals in accordance with the current situation in his life. The main thing to remember is that evening prayers have miraculous power.
Evening prayer rule for the future
The Evening Rule offers a series of prayers that allow the believer to ask:
- About the salvation of the soul and body.
- Protection from external influences.
- Forgiveness of their known and unknown sins.
- The gift of restful sleep.
- Getting rid of enemies and enemies.
- Protection from devilish temptations.
- Accompanying Guardian Angel.
- Observance of a chaste life and obedience.
- Deliverance from eternal torment.
- Patience and wisdom.
How to prepare for an Orthodox prayer for a dream to come
Special preparation for evening prayers is not required. But at the same time, it is very important to discard all extraneous thoughts in order for communication with the Higher Forces to be effective. This will take some time to learn. Icons and church candles will help in this. Therefore, if you are just learning to offer prayers for the future, then you should definitely organize a red corner in your own bedroom.
In doing so, the following must be taken into account:
- The images should be on the side of the opposite door.
- Icons can be broadcast on the wall, or you can simply put them on the table.
- Next to the icons there should not be any souvenir paintings and household appliances.
- Church candles or lamps should be placed on a small table next to the icons. These attributes are lit during prayer.
If everyone in your family is a believer, then it is necessary to provide a place for prayer in such a way that all household members are comfortably placed in front of the icons.
How to read prayers for a dream to come
Prayers for sleep to come should be read immediately before going to bed. After that, you can no longer do any household chores. It should be remembered that the reading of prayers requires silence. Nothing and no one should distract from communication with the Higher powers. A believer must fully concentrate on his inner feelings. That is why you need to remove or turn off all communication devices.
It is very important to sit in silence for a while and calm down before saying prayer words. It is necessary to remove anger from the soul and tune in to the positive. Evening prayers, read with sincere faith, allow you to get rid of internal fears and prevent trouble.
It is forbidden to read evening prayers in anticipation of euphoria or some special feelings. It is not necessary to follow exactly the texts proposed in the prayer book, but it is not recommended to show violent imagination. It is very important to pronounce prayer texts sincerely and with deep feeling. Their meaning must be fully understood.
All the prayers that need to be read at night are collected in the prayer book. Due to the workload of a modern person, one can choose short prayers that have great power and are in no way inferior in effectiveness to long prayer texts.
If there are problems with sleep, then you should ask for a restful sleep with such a prayer:
“Eternal God and the King of Heaven, the creator of all life on earth. You are the Almighty and the All-Merciful. I turn to you at the evening hour, hear my prayer and grant peace of mind. Forgive me all my all my sins, committed not from evil and not from the desire to harm anyone, but through my own ignorance and inexperience. I sincerely repent of my misdeeds and hope for your forgiveness. Cleanse, Lord, my humble soul, do not let me experience eternal torment. Give me the opportunity to go to sleep in peace and tranquility, so that I can do my deeds for the glory of the Lord with renewed strength the next day. Only your kingdom has power and glory. Deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts and deeds. Amen".
Prayers of Optina Pustyn
Prayers for the future are offered by the elders of Optina Hermitage. It is believed that these prayers, first of all, need to be listened to. Therefore, you need to turn on the audio recording and repeat the prayer words after the monks. If in this way one prays every evening, then one can gain confidence in one's own goals. This will allow you to successfully move towards your goals, overcoming all obstacles. By saying prayers, you can reliably protect yourself from temptations and choose the right path in life. The prayers of the elders of Optina Hermitage are a real example of insight and wisdom for every believer.
But if it is not possible to repeat prayers by audio, then you can independently pronounce such a short prayer text in Russian:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, Your Mother. Have mercy on us for the sake of all the reverend Saints of your servants. Amen. We praise you Almighty, Comforter and Guardian of Truth. You are everywhere and endow all those who pray to you with your good treasures. Save our souls from all filth and dwell in us, filling our souls with joy. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us."
The prayer book contains a short evening prayer rule. But it is not required reading. Each person can choose which prayers are more important for him to read on a particular day, and this approach is allowed by the Church.
Before going to bed, be sure to thank the Lord for the day you have lived. And you need to do this regardless of how successful the day was. You also need to ask for blessings for the coming day in any form.
Always further communication with God must begin with the words:
“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
After that, an appeal to Jesus Christ is pronounced, which is used by the Optina monks, it is translated into Russian above. Then the prayer "To the Holy Trinity" is read.
In short, it sounds like this:
“Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; cleanse our sins, Lord; Lord of Heaven, forgive sins; Almighty and all-merciful, visit us and heal us from various infirmities, for the sake of Your Holy Name.
Then a prayer is said, which has great power and is known to everyone - “Our Father”. It is on it that you can finish the evening reading of prayers, and go to rest. But if an inner need arises, then prayerful communication with the Higher powers can be continued. So, mothers can pray to the Most Holy Theotokos for the well-being of their children. For a small child, you can ask for a restful sleep. You can also turn to other saints with requests that are especially important to you in this life period. A prayer appeal to your own Guardian Angel is considered very useful.
If you are just starting to read prayers for the future or are accustoming your child to them, then this should be done gradually. You can't overexert your mind. It is important to ensure that prayer texts become part of your soul and do not cause tension.
Listen to audio prayer for the night:
Video online prayers for a dream to come
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:
Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life on those in the tombs . (Three times)
From the Ascension to the Trinity, we begin prayers with "Holy God ...", omitting all the previous ones.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Three times)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
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 our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Tropari
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who hope in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having vouchsafed me to sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, Lord, in this night's sleep to pass away in peace, but having risen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the enemies of the flesh and fleshless who fight me. And deliver me, O 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 forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus, to our Lord Jesus Christ
Almighty, Word of the Father, He is perfect Himself, Jesus Christ, for the sake of Your mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always rest in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not betray me to sedition of the serpent, and do not leave me the desire of Satan, for there is a seed of aphids in me. You are, O Lord God, worshiped, Holy King, Jesus Christ, while sleeping, save me with a flickering light, by Your Holy Spirit, Who sanctified Your disciples. Give, Lord, to me, Your unworthy servant, Your salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of the mind of Your holy Gospel, soul with the love of Your Cross, heart with the purity of Your word, my body with Your impassive passion, save my thought with Your humility, and raise up me in time like Your praise. As if you were glorified with Your Father without beginning and with the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Prayer 3, to the Holy Spirit
Lord, the King of Heaven, the Comforter, the Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and let me go unworthy, and forgive all, the fir tree has sinned today like a man, moreover, not like a man, but more woeful than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, led and unknown: even from youth and science are evil, and even from impudence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I reproach; or I slandered whom with my anger, or grieved, or about what I became angry; or lied, or was worthless, or came to me poor, and despised him; or my brother grieved, or married, or whom I condemned; or you become proud, or you become proud, or you become angry; or standing by me in prayer, my mind moving about the wickedness of this world, or the corruption of thoughts; or overeat, or drunk, or laughing madly; or a crafty thought, or seeing a strange kindness, and by that wounded by the heart; or unlike the verbs, or the sin of my brother laughed, but my essence is countless sins; or about prayer, not radih, or otherwise that crafty deeds, I don’t remember, that’s all and more than these deeds. Have mercy on me, my Creator, Lord, dejected and unworthy of Your servant, and leave me, and let go, and forgive me, as Good and Lover of mankind, but I will lie down in peace, sleep and rest, prodigal, sinful and accursed, 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 4, Saint Macarius the Great
What will I bring to Thee, or what will I repay Thee, the most gifted Immortal King, the generous and philanthropic Lord, as if lazy to me for Your pleasure, and did nothing good, did You bring to the end of this past day, the conversion and salvation of my soul building? Be merciful to the sinner and naked of every good deed, raise up my fallen soul, defiled in immeasurable sins, and take away from me all the evil thought of this visible life. Forgive my sins, O only Sinless One, even though I have sinned on this day, in knowledge and ignorance, in word and deed, and thought, and all my feelings. You yourself, covering, save me from every opposing situation with your divine power, and indescribable philanthropy, and strength. Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Delight, Lord, deliver me from the net of the evil one, and save my passionate soul, and fall on me with the light of Your face, when you come in glory, and now sleep uncondemned, create sleep, and without dreaming, and undisturbed, keep the thought of Your servant, and all Satan's work reject me, and enlighten with me the reasonable eyes of the heart, so that I will not fall asleep in death. And send me an angel of peace, a guardian and mentor of my soul and body, may he deliver me from my enemies; so that, having risen from my bed, I will bring you prayers of thanksgiving. Hey, Lord, hear me, a sinful and wretched servant of Yours, with pleasure and conscience; grant me that I have risen to learn Thy words, and demonic despondency is far from me driven away to be created by Thy Angels; May I bless Your holy name, and glorify and glorify the Most Pure Theotokos Mary, You have given us sinners intercession, and accept this one who prays for us; we know, as if imitating Your philanthropy, and praying does not stop. Toya by intercession, and the sign of the Holy Cross, and for the sake of all Your saints, keep my poor soul, Jesus Christ our God, for Thou art Holy, and glorified forever. Amen.
Prayer 5th
Lord our God, if I have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, forgive me as Good and Lover of mankind. Peaceful sleep and serene grant me. Send your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, as if you are the guardian of our souls and our bodies, and we send glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 6th
Lord our God, in Worthless faith, and His name more than any name we call, give us, departing to sleep, weaken the soul and body, and keep us from every dream, except for dark sweetness; set the striving of passions, quench the kindling of the uprising of the body. Give us a chaste life of deeds and words; Yes, a virtuous residence is receptive, the promised ones will not fall away from Your good ones, for blessed are You forever. Amen.
Prayer 7, Saint John Chrysostom
(24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)
Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings.
Lord, deliver me eternal torment.
Lord, whether in mind or thought, in word or deed, I have sinned, forgive me.
Lord, deliver me from all ignorance and oblivion, and cowardice, and petrified insensitivity.
Lord, deliver me from every temptation.
Lord, enlighten my heart, darken the evil lust.
Lord, if a man has sinned, You, like God, are generous, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul.
Lord, send Thy grace to help me, may I glorify Thy holy name.
Lord Jesus Christ, write me Thy servant in the book of animals and grant me a good end.
Lord, my God, if I have done nothing good before You, but grant me, by Your grace, to lay a good beginning.
Lord, sprinkle in my heart the dew of Thy grace.
Lord of heaven and earth, remember me Thy sinful servant, cold and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
Lord, receive me in repentance.
Lord, don't leave me.
Lord, do not lead me into misfortune.
Lord, give me a good thought.
Lord, give me tears and the memory of death, and tenderness.
Lord, give me the thought of confessing my sins.
Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience.
Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness.
Lord, instill in me the root of the good, your fear in my heart.
Lord, grant me to love Thee with all my soul and thoughts, and to do Thy will in everything.
Lord, cover me from certain people, and demons, and passions, and from all other unsimilar things.
Lord, weigh, as you do, as you will, may your will be done in me a sinner, as if you are blessed forever. Amen.
Prayer 8, to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of Your most honest Mother, and Your bodiless Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Your Baptist, the apostles of God, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing father, and all the saints with prayers, deliver me from the present demonic condition. Hey, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if to turn and live to be him, give me the conversion of the accursed and unworthy; deliver me from the mouth of the destructive serpent that gapes, devour me and bring me down to hell alive. Hey, my Lord, my consolation, Even for the sake of the accursed in corruptible flesh, throw me out of wretchedness, and give consolation to my wretched soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and leave evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: in Thee, O Lord, trust, save me.
Prayer 9, to the Most Holy Theotokos, Peter the Studio
To Thee, the Most Pure Mother of God, as a cursed one, I pray: weigh, Queen, as if I sin without ceasing and anger Your Son and my God, and many times I repent, I find lies before God, and I repent trembling: will the Lord really strike me, and by the hour I will create ; lead this, my mistress, the Lady Theotokos, I pray, have mercy, yes strengthen, and do good work and grant me. Vesi bo, my Lady Mother of God, as if by no means an imam in hatred of my evil deeds, and with all my thought I love the law of my God; but we do not know, the Most Pure Lady, from where I hate it, I love it, but I transgress the good. Do not allow, Most Pure One, my will to be done, it is not pleasing, but may the will of Your Son and my God be done: may it save me, and enlighten me, and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I would stop foul deeds, and the rest would live in command Your Son, to Him is due all glory, honor and power, with His Beginningless Father, and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos
Good Tsar, good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without a blemish and I will find paradise with You, Virgin Mary, one Pure and Blessed.
Prayer 11, to the holy guardian angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning in this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy, but in no sin will I anger my God; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Kontakion to the Theotokos
The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, gratefully we will write down Ti Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, from all troubles of freedom, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.
Glorious Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may our souls be saved by You.
I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.
Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of St. Joannicius
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
From Pascha to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the refrain and irmos of the 9th ode of the Paschal canon are read:
An angel crying out of grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And pack the river: rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the tomb and raised up the dead; folks, have fun! Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and rejoice, Sione. You, Pure One, show off, Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity .
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord have mercy. (Three times)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Prayer of Saint John of Damascus
Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me, or will you enlighten my wretched soul in the daytime? Seven coffin is before me, seven death is coming. I am afraid of Your judgment, Lord, and endless torment, but I do not stop doing evil: I will always anger the Lord my God, and Your Most Pure Mother, and all the heavenly powers, and my holy guardian angel. We know, O Lord, that I am not worthy of Thy love for mankind, but I am worthy of all condemnation and torment. But, Lord, either I want it or I don't want it, save me. If you save the righteous, you are nothing great; and if you have mercy on the pure, it is nothing marvelous: for the essence of Thy mercy is worthy. But on me, a sinner, surprise Thy mercy: in this, show Thy philanthropy, so that my malice will not overcome Thy inexpressible goodness and mercy: and if you wish, arrange a thing for me.
Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, lest I fall asleep into death, lest my enemy say: Be strong against him.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Be the intercessor of my soul, O God, as I walk in the midst of many nets; Deliver me from them and save me, Blessed One, like a Lover of mankind.
And now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
The Most Glorious Mother of God, and the Most Holy Angel of the Holy Angels, silently sing with heart and mouth, confessing this Mother of God, as if she truly gave birth to God incarnate to us, and praying unceasingly for our souls.
Mark yourself with the sign of the cross.
Prayer to the Holy Cross
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from His face. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and in joy they say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell and corrected his strength the devil, and who gave us His Honorable Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
Prayer
Weaken, leave, forgive, God, our sins, free 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 Good and Humanitarian.
Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord, Lover of mankind. Bless those who do good. Grant to our brethren and relatives even for the salvation of petitions and eternal life. In the infirmities of the being, visit and grant healing. Izhe govern the sea. Travel travel. Fight Orthodox Christians. Grant forgiveness to those who serve and pardon us of sins. Those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them, have mercy according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, before our departed father and brothers, and give them rest, where the light of Thy face dwells. 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 grant them even salvation, petitions and eternal life. Remember, Lord, also us, the humble and sinful and unworthy servants of Thy, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, with the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: blessed be Thou forever and ever . Amen.
Confession of sins daily
I confess to you the Lord my God and Creator, in the Holy Trinity, the One, glorified and worshiped, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all my sins, even when I have done all the days of my life, and for every hour, and now, and in the past days and night, deed, word, thought, overeating, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, contradiction, disobedience, slander, condemnation, neglect, self-love, avarice, theft, ill-spokenness, filthy gain, mischief, jealousy, envy, anger, remembrance , hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and my other sins, both spiritual and bodily, in the image of you my God and the Creator of anger, and my neighbor unrighteousness: regretting these, I blame myself to you my God I imagine, and I have the will to repent: to the point, Lord my God, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me, who has passed my sins by Thy mercy, and resolve from all these, even those who have spoken before You, as Good and Humane.
When you go to sleep, say:
In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commit my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.
Notes:
- Printed in italics (explanations and names of prayers) are not read during prayer.
- When it is written “Glory”, “And now”, it is necessary to read in full: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Now and ever and forever and ever. Amen"
- There is no sound ё in the Church Slavonic language, and therefore it is necessary to read “we call”, and not “we call”, “your”, and not “your”, “mine”, and not “mine”, etc.
In this article you will find prayers for the coming dream with interpretation. We have selected for you church texts and their translation into understandable Russian.
Prayers for the coming dream with interpretation
Tropari
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this Timolitva as the Mistress of sin: have mercy on us.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. Finding no justification for ourselves, we sinners offer You, as the Lord, this prayer, have mercy on us.
Glory:
Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
Lord, have mercy on us, for we hope in You. Do not be very angry with us and do not remember our iniquities; but look now, as the Merciful, and deliver us from our enemies, for You are our God and we are Your people; We are all the work of Your hands and we call on Your name.
And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who hope in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, Blessed Mother of God, so that we, who trust in You, would not perish, but would be delivered through You from troubles, for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having vouchsafed me to sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, Lord, in this night's sleep to pass away in peace, but having risen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the enemies of the flesh and fleshless who fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Eternal God and King of all creatures, who has honored me to live to this hour! Forgive me the sins that I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my poor soul from all impurity of body and soul. And help me, Lord, to spend the coming night calmly, so that, having risen from my miserable bed, I could do what is pleasing to Your most holy name all the days of my life and defeat bodily and incorporeal enemies attacking me. And deliver me, Lord, from empty thoughts that defile me, and evil passions. For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever.
Amen.
In this prayer, we thank God for a well-spent day, ask Him for forgiveness of sins, save us from all evil and good night. This prayer ends with the doxology of the Holy Trinity.
Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus, to our Lord Jesus Christ
Almighty, the Word of the Father, He is perfect Himself, Jesus Christ, for the sake of Your mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always in me
rest. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not betray me to sedition of the serpent, and do not leave me the desire of Satan, for there is a seed of aphids in me. You are, O Lord God, worshiped, Holy King, Jesus Christ, while sleeping, save me with a flickering light, by Your Holy Spirit, Who sanctified Your disciples. Give, Lord, to me, Your unworthy servant, Your salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of the mind of Your holy Gospel, soul with the love of Your Cross, heart with the purity of Your word, my body with Your impassive passion, save my thought with Your humility, and raise up me in time like Your praise. As if you were glorified with Your Father without beginning and with the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Almighty, Word of the Father, Jesus Christ, being Himself perfect, according to Your great mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always abide in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not deliver me to the rebellious serpent and do not leave me to the will of Satan, for in me is the seed of destruction. You, Lord God, Who is worshiped, the Holy King, Jesus Christ, preserve me during my sleep with an unfading light, by Your Holy Spirit, with which You sanctified Your disciples. Give, Lord, to me, Your unworthy servant, Your salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of understanding Your holy Gospel, soul with love for Your Cross, heart with the purity of Your word, my body with Your suffering, alien to passion, save my thought with Your humility . And lift me up at the proper time to glorify You. For You are glorified together with Your Father without beginning and with the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Prayer 3, to the Holy Spirit
Lord, the King of Heaven, the Comforter, the Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and let me go unworthy, and forgive all, the tree You have sinned today as a man, more so, and not as a man, but also more woefully than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, known and unknown: even from youth and from science they are evil, and even the essence is from arrogance and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I reproach; or I slandered whom with my anger, or grieved, or about what I became angry; or lied, or was worthless, or came to me poor, and despised him; or my brother grieved, or married, or whom I condemned; or you become proud, or you become proud, or you become angry; or standing by me in prayer, my mind moving about the wickedness of this world, or the corruption of thoughts; or overeat, or drunk, or laughing madly; or a crafty thought, or seeing a strange kindness, and by that wounded by the heart; or unlike the verbs, or the sin of my brother laughed, but my essence is countless sins; or about prayer, not radih, or otherwise that crafty deeds, I don’t remember, that’s all and more than these deeds. Have mercy on me, my Creator, Lord, dejected and unworthy of Your servant, and leave me, and let go, and forgive me, as Good and Lover of mankind, but I will lie down in peace, sleep and rest, prodigal, sinful and accursed, 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.
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, let me go and forgive me, unworthy, everything that I have sinned against You today as a man, and, moreover, not only as a man, but even worse livestock; and forgive me, unworthy, all my sins, voluntary and involuntary, conscious and unconscious, committed from youth from evil deceit, irascibility and carelessness, and if by Your name I swore or blasphemed Him in my mind, or whom I reproached, or slandered in my anger, or grieved, or got angry about something, or lied, or slept untimely, or despised a beggar who came to me, or grieved my brother, or stirred up quarrels, or condemned whom, or became proud, or became proud, or became angry, or during prayer my mind strove for crafty worldly thoughts, or had cunning thoughts, or ate too much, or got drunk, or laughed without a mind, or thought evil, or, seeing the good of another, was wounded in the heart, or spoke obscenely, or laughed at the sin of my brother, while my sins are innumerable, or I was negligent in prayer, or I forgot everything else that I did evil, for my iniquities surpass those listed. Have mercy on me, my Creator and Master, your dull and unworthy servant, and allow me, and free me, and forgive me, as the Good and Humanitarian, so that I, prodigal, sinful and unhappy, lie down in peace, fall asleep and rest, bow, sing and glorifying your most honorable name with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 4, Saint Macarius the Great
What will I bring to Thee, or what will I repay Thee, the most gifted Immortal King, the generous and humane Lord, as if lazy to me for Your pleasure, and did nothing good, did You bring to the end of this past day, the conversion and salvation of my soul building? Be merciful to the sinner and naked of every good deed, raise up my fallen soul, defiled in immeasurable sins, and take away from me all the evil thought of this visible life. Forgive my sins, O only Sinless One, even though I have sinned on this day, in knowledge and ignorance, in word and deed, and thought, and all my feelings. You yourself, covering, save me from every opposing situation with your divine power, and indescribable philanthropy, and strength.
Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Delight, Lord, deliver me from the net of the evil one, and save my passionate soul, and fall on me with the light of Your face, when you come in glory, and now sleep uncondemned, create sleep, and without dreaming, and undisturbed, keep the thought of Your servant, and all Satan's work reject me, and enlighten with me the reasonable eyes of the heart, so that I will not fall asleep in. And send me an angel of peace, a guardian and mentor of my soul and body, may he deliver me from my enemies; so that, having risen from my bed, I will bring you prayers of thanksgiving. Hey, Lord, hear me, your sinful and wretched servant, with your will and conscience; grant me that I have risen to learn Thy words, and demonic despondency is far from me driven away to be created by Thy Angels; May I bless Your holy name, and glorify and glorify the Most Pure Theotokos Mary, You have given us sinners intercession, and accept this one who prays for us; we know, as if imitating Your philanthropy, and praying does not stop. Toya by intercession, and the sign of the Holy Cross, and for the sake of all Your saints, keep my poor soul, Jesus Christ our God, for Thou art Holy, and glorified forever.
Amen.
What will I bring to You or what will I reward You, O Greatly Gifted Immortal King, Generous and Humane-Loving Lord, because You brought me, lazy in Your service and did nothing good, to the end of this past day, directing my soul to obedience and salvation. Be merciful to me, a sinner who has no good deed. Restore my soul, fallen and defiled by countless sins, and turn away from me the earthly sinful thought. You alone are Sinless, forgive my sins committed before You on this day consciously and unconsciously, in word, deed and thought, and all my feelings. You yourself save me from any enemy attack, protecting me with Your Divine power, indescribable philanthropy and strength; God, blot out and forgive my many sins, have mercy on me, Lord, free me from the nets of the devil, save my suffering soul and shine on me with the light of Your face when You come in Your glory. And now let me fall asleep with an uncondemned sleep and guard the thoughts of Your servant from dreams and embarrassment. Drive away the satanic action from me, enlighten the mental eyes of my heart so that I do not fall asleep in the sleep of death. Send me an angel of peace, a guardian and mentor of my soul and body, who delivers me from my enemies, so that, getting up from my bed, I offer prayers of thanksgiving to You. Oh Lord, hear me, your sinful and wretched servant. Give me, upon awakening, with a clear conscience, to learn Your law, remove demonic carelessness from me through Your Angels in order to bless Your holy name and glorify and praise the Most Pure Theotokos Mary, given to us, sinners, for protection; accept Her, praying for us, for I know that She, imitating Your philanthropy, prays unceasingly for us. By her intercession, the sign of the much-venerated Cross, and through the prayers of all Your saints, save my poor soul, Jesus Christ our God, for You alone are Holy and Most Glorified forever. Amen.
Prayer 5th
Lord our God, if I have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as a Good and Lover of mankind, forgive me. Peaceful sleep and serene grant me. Send your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, as if you are the guardian of our souls and our bodies, and we send glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord our God, in which I have sinned this day in word, deed and thought, forgive me, as Good and Humanitarian; Grant me a peaceful sleep, free from the excitement of passions; send Your Guardian Angel, protecting and preserving 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 always and forever and ever. Amen.
In this evening prayer, we ask God for forgiveness of sins, peaceful sleep and a Guardian Angel who would save us from all evil. This prayer ends with a doxology to the Holy Trinity.
Prayer 6th
Lord our God, in Worthless faith and His name more than any name we call, give us, departing to sleep, weaken the soul and body, and keep us from
any dream, except for dark sweetness; set the striving of passions, quench the kindling of the uprising of the body. Give us a chaste life of deeds and words; Yes, a virtuous residence is receptive, the promised ones will not fall away from Your good ones, for blessed are You forever. Amen.
Lord our God, in whom we believe and whose name we call upon more than any name, grant us, who go to sleep, relief to the soul and body, save us from every dream and from vile voluptuousness; stop cravings; quench the flame of carnal excitations; Grant us to be chaste in word and deed, so that, having assumed a perfect life, we will not be deprived of Your promised blessings, for You are blessed forever. Amen.
Prayer 7, Saint John Chrysostom
(24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)
1 Lord, deprive me not of Thy heavenly blessings. 2 Lord, deliver me from eternal torment. 3 Lord, whether I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. 4 Lord, deliver me from all ignorance and forgetfulness, and cowardice, and petrified insensibility. 5 Lord, deliver me from every temptation. 6 Lord, enlighten my heart, darken the evil lust. 7 Lord, since I have sinned as a man, but You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. 8 Lord, send Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy holy name. 9 Lord Jesus Christ, write me thy servant in the book of animals, and grant me a good end. 10 O Lord my God, if I have done nothing good before Thee, but grant me, by Thy grace, to lay a good beginning. 11 Lord, sprinkle on my heart the dew of Thy grace. 12 Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, cold and unclean, in Thy kingdom. Amen.
1 Lord, receive me in repentance. 2 Lord, do not leave me. 3 Lord, do not lead me into trouble. 4 Lord, give me a good thought. 5 Lord, give me tears, and the memory of death, and tenderness. 6 Lord, give me the thought of confessing my sins. 7 Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience. 8 Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness. 9 Lord, plant in me the root of good things; your fear is in my heart. 10 Lord, make me worthy to love you with all my soul and mind, and do your will in everything. 11 Lord, cover me from certain people, and demons, and passions, and from every other unsimilar thing. 12 Lord, weigh, as you do, as you will, so that your will be done in me, a sinner, as blessed are you forever. Amen.
Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings. Lord, deliver me from eternal torment. Lord, I have sinned in mind or thought, word or deed, forgive me. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice and petrified insensitivity. Lord, deliver me from every temptation. Lord, enlighten my heart, darkened by evil aspirations. Lord, I have sinned as a man, but You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. Lord, send Your grace to help me, may I glorify Your holy name. Lord Jesus Christ, write me, Your servant, in the book of life and grant me a good end. Lord my God, even if I have done nothing good before Thee, but grant me, by Thy grace, to lay a good beginning. Lord, sprinkle my heart with the dew of Your grace. Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful, vile and unclean servant in Thy Kingdom.
Amen.
Lord, accept me, the penitent. Lord, don't leave me. Lord, do not lead me into misfortune. Lord, give me a good thought. Lord, give me tears, remembrance of death and tenderness. Lord, give me the disposition to confess my sins. Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience. Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness. Lord, plant Your good fear in my heart. Lord, make me worthy to love You with all my soul and mind, and in everything to do Your will. Lord, protect me from evil people, demons and passions, and from everything harmful to me. Lord, do according to Your will whatever You want, may Your will be upon me, a sinner, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 8, to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of Your most honest Mother, and Your bodiless Angels, the Prophet and Forerunner and Your Baptist, the apostles of God, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing father, and all the saints with prayers, deliver me the present situation
demonic. Hey, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if to turn and live to be him, give me the conversion of the accursed and unworthy; deliver me from the mouth of the destructive serpent that gapes, devour me and bring me down to hell alive. Hey, my Lord, my consolation, Even for the sake of the accursed in corruptible flesh, throw me out of wretchedness, and give consolation to my wretched soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and leave evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: in Thee, O Lord, trust, save me.
Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of Your Most Honorable Mother, Your incorporeal Angels, as well as Your prophet Forerunner and Baptist, the evangelizing apostles, bright and victorious martyrs, reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, deliver me from this demonic attack. Oh, my Lord and Creator, who does not desire the death of a sinner, but awaits his conversion and life, give conversion to me, who is cursed and unworthy; take me out of the mouth of the vicious serpent that wants to devour me and bring me down to hell alive. Oh, my Lord, my consolation, for the sake of me, the fallen, clothed in perishable flesh, deliver me from misfortune and give comfort to my soul, worthy of regret. Inspire my heart to fulfill Your commandments and leave evil deeds and receive Your blessedness, for in You, Lord, I trust, save me.
Prayer to the Mother of God, St. Peter the Studio
To You, the Most Pure Mother of God, as a cursed one, I pray: weigh, Queen, as if I sin without ceasing and anger Your Son and my God, and many times I repent, I find lies before God, and I repent trembling: surely the Lord will strike me, and by the hour again I create; lead this, my mistress, the Lady Theotokos, I pray, have mercy, yes strengthen, and do good work and grant me. Vesi bo, my Lady Mother of God, as if by no means an imam in hatred of my evil deeds, and with all my thought I love the law of my God; but we do not know, the Most Pure Lady, from where I hate it, I love it, but I transgress the good. Do not allow, Most Pure One, my will to be done, it is not pleasing, but may the will of Your Son and my God be done: may it save me, and enlighten me, and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I would stop foul deeds, and the rest would live in command Your Son, to Him is due all glory, honor and power, with His Father without beginning, and His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.
To You, the Most Pure Mother of God, crouching, I, unfortunate, pray: You know, Queen, how I constantly sin and anger Your Son and my God. And although I repent many times, I turn out to be deceitful before God, and again I repent with fear, and immediately I do the same again: will the Lord really strike me? Knowing this, my Lady, the Lady Theotokos, I pray that she will have mercy and strengthen and teach me to do good. For you know, my Lady, Mother of God, that I absolutely abhor my evil deeds and with all my thoughts I love the law of my God, but I don’t know, Madam Most Pure, why I don’t do good, but I do evil that I don’t want. Do not allow, Most Pure, my evil will be fulfilled, but may the will of Your Son and my God, who will save me, enlighten me and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I would stop doing bad things, and the rest of the time I would live according to the commandments of Your Son, Who belongs all glory, honor and power with His Beginningless Father and the Most Holy, Good and life-giving Spirit of His, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
Every believing person should 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 make it easier for believers to reach God, some holy people created special prayer rules that indicated when and where it was appropriate to read this or that prayer. Also, thanks to this list, it was possible to find out how many times a day it is necessary to turn to the Creator. The days of church holidays and sacraments, requiring special spiritual preparation from the laity, were especially distinguished. The most famous is the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity, which we will tell you about today. In addition to it, we will touch on some additional nuances of turning to God in the article.
Prayer work of the soul
Christianity takes daily prayer very seriously. The clergy instruct the flock, explaining to them that it is necessary to move towards God in small steps, but not stopping for a minute. It is not necessary immediately after baptism to rush headlong into reading religious books and actively attend all services in the church. So you will not gain spiritual purity, but only get confused in your feelings and sensations.
It is worth starting your movement towards God with the study of the prayer rule, which will help you correctly clothe the spiritual impulse in words. Moreover, every minister of the church will say that you need to accustom yourself 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 causes 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 everyday affairs in order to immediately turn to God.
It is precisely such religious feelings that push people to leave for a 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 other ideas about God, few people will be able to cope with difficult monastic everyday life.
We have used such a phrase as "prayer rule" more than once in the article. Let's analyze this church term in more detail.
Prayer rule for the laity: a brief description
Since it is quite 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 the 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 the laity
It is worth noting that the holy elder considered communion with the Creator the first necessity for a Christian. It 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 in this occupation and bequeathed such a pastime to his spiritual children. Sometimes he even demanded many hours of daily prayer from his followers, and therefore he made up a rule for them that helps 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 should stand near the icons or in another place where nothing would distract him from communion with God.
The morning prayer rule includes three texts. Reading must be done in the following order:
- "Our Father";
- "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
- Symbol of faith.
Keep in mind that the first two texts should be read three times, but for the last prayer, one time is enough. After fulfilling the rules, a person can proceed to his daily affairs and duties.
Day
Seraphim of Sarov advised not to forget about the prayer rule during the usual affairs. 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 makes it possible to correlate your thoughts with Christian virtues every second.
You should not start a lunch meal without repeating the morning ritual, only after it you can 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 subtract:
- "Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner";
- "Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner."
The first of these texts is suitable for solitude, when you can completely surrender to turning to the Almighty. But the second is possible to read, doing business until going to bed.
Prayers meant for the evening
Naturally, a Christian cannot calmly fall into sleep without taking time for his God. The evening prayer rule is identical to the morning one, all words must be pronounced when you definitely no longer do business. At the conclusion of the prayer, the believer overshadows himself with the sign of the cross and can calmly lie down in 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, and there is nothing worse than appearing unprepared before the Creator. Therefore, every day believers end with a prayer and repent of their sins. Only this characterizes the true relationship between the soul and the Supreme.
Communion: preparation features
Communion is a special procedure that requires great labor and abstinence from the Orthodox. He must approach the sacrament prepared according to all the rules. They include a list of six items that include a prayer rule before Communion.
First of all, a Christian must keep himself in bodily and spiritual purity, and also observe fasting. Usually, preparation for the sacrament lasts several days, on the evening before Communion, it is imperative to take part in church services, 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 must be in an even frame of mind and not harbor evil on anyone. Only in such a 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 for Bright Week. Lay people often get confused in the numerous rituals and rituals that accompany this or that church festival.
During this period, Christians must completely change the order of their previous prayers, because the prayer rule for Bright Week includes a fairly wide list of canons and hymns. So, on the eve of the holiday (on the night of Easter), the Orthodox should read:
- Easter hours;
- "Christ is Risen";
- "Seeing the Resurrection of Christ";
- Easter troparia;
- "Lord have mercy";
- "Christ is Risen" (again).
Keep in mind that the first song is sung for at least seven minutes. The Orthodox claim that during this time an 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 involves starting and ending the day with the Easter troparion. It is necessary to read it three times, but more times will not be a violation - such is the impulse of your soul in honor of the bright holiday.
Also, the prayer rule for Easter includes the Trisagion. This prayer should be read at least three times.
From Ascension to Trinity
If you are not strong in 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 by simply turning to the Almighty out of ignorance, then this will not be a serious deviation from the rules. However, it is best to observe a special prayer rule after Easter.
Each coming holiday changes the order of reading prayers. We have already covered the period from Easter to Ascension in the previous section. Now we need to talk about the prayer rule after Easter until the Trinity.
During this period, which lasts ten days, the troparia to the Theotokos and the "King of Heaven, the Comforter" are not read. There is also 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 Pustyn is one of the oldest 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 had a number of characteristics that put them on the same level with recognized Orthodox saints during their lifetime.
The following characteristics can be safely attributed to the features of the Optina elders:
- The gift of healing or predicting the future. Almost every one of the elders had some kind of gift received from above. But most often these holy people predicted the future or healed the seriously ill. There are cases when they were even called sorcerers, but all their deeds were only with the blessing of God.
- Vera. Each of the elders stood firm in the faith, no matter 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 who needed help received it from the monks.
- Repentance for the sins of others. The fact is that the Optina elders took a vow of repentance for all the Orthodox in this world. Often people came to the monastery for confession, telling about all their sins. The elders prayed for human misdeeds for long hours and then let 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, for many pilgrims they advised 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 pilgrims.
For example, in the morning it was supposed to be mandatory reading of twenty-seven texts. Among them, one can especially highlight:
- Trisagion;
- Symbol of faith;
- prayer for the living;
- prayer for the dead;
- prayer to the Holy Trinity.
Optina elders advised to read prayers one time and in random order. The main attribute of turning to God is true faith and a thirst for communion with the Almighty. Only in this case the prayer will be effective and will bring purification.
The monks of the Optina Hermitage shared prayer rules with pilgrims for any occasion. For example, in case of temptation it was necessary to read a psalm to David. And if for one reason or another you cannot attend church services, then you should read the following texts at home during the day:
- morning - twelve psalms, a prayer to the Mother of God, a daytime akathist;
- evening prayer rule - the canon to the Guardian Angel, twelve psalms, chapters from the Gospel, the prayer "Weaken, leave";
- for the coming sleep - the prayer "Everyday Confession".
Interestingly, the Optina elders allowed some deviations from these regulations. They believed that for certain reasons, the laity can completely and completely immerse themselves in everyday affairs. This may be due to some serious problems or illness. However, after the resolution of all problems, the Christian must return to his former religious behavior and devote time again to communion with the Creator.
Conclusion
We hope that our article will be useful to you and you will be able to 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 will be able to 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 that indicates that you are doing the right thing and your prayer has been heard. Many Christians consider this work, but in fact there is no greater joy than to work with the name of God on our lips and for His glory. Do not forget about daily prayer in the bustle of everyday life, and perhaps then the Lord will change your life.
I have done all the days of my belly- which I have created throughout my life.
secret eating- intemperance from food during fasting, eating secretly from others.
Neglect- carelessness (in the matter of salvation).
untruthfulness- a lie.
nasty business- criminal profit (profit).
by mischief- bribery, greed (mshel - self-interest).
Jealousy- jealousy, suspicion (incredulity).
memory malice- vindictiveness.
covetousness- greed, greed. In our tradition, enshrined in the catechism, it has become established that this word refers to any unrighteous robbed of one's neighbors: bribes, extortion, etc.
Feelings- feelings.
sins- sins.
Soul together and bodily- both spiritual and physical.
image to you- which you.
anger- angry.
One of the truths- I slandered; caused all evil, unrighteousness.
Winn to myself I present to you my God- I, guilty of all this, stand before You, my God.
I have the will to repent- I want to bring repentance.
tochia- only.
Past sins- my former (past) sins.
From all these, even the verbs- from all this that I said.
The need for daily repentance for sins committed throughout life is explained by the words of St. Anthony the Great: “Say that you are sinners, and mourn everything that you have done in a state of negligence. For this, the favor of the Lord will be with you and will act in you: for He is good and forgives the sins of all who turn to Him, no matter who they are, so that He will not remember them anymore.However, He wants those who have mercy themselves to remember the forgiveness of their sins, hitherto committed, so that, forgetting about that, to prevent what in his behavior in such a way, because of which they will be forced to give an account of those sins that have already been forgiven him ... ".
Preserving and constantly renewing repentance for the sins of our life, not forgetting about them, we should not at the same time “turn them in our mind”, re-experience, cling to them with memory. This is one of the manifestations of the art of "invisible warfare", the middle "royal" path, which a Christian should follow.
This prayer helps to consider daytime sins and maintains the memory of those committed earlier - all the days of life. Let us recall that sins sincerely confessed in the Sacrament of Penance are completely forgiven by the Lord, but this does not mean that we should forget about them. Sins remain in memory for humility and contrition about the deed.
Both at confession in the Sacrament of Repentance, and at daily confession to God, one must confess one's sins separately, consciously. Therefore, let us dwell on the sins mentioned in the prayer and indicate what deeds, deeds, words and thoughts can be meant by them. In doing so, we are guided by the Orthodox catechism and the instructions of the ascetics of the Orthodox Church.
drunkenness, drunkenness, secret eating- sins associated with the passion of gluttony, which is one of the eight major passions. secret eating- Eating secretly (out of greed, shame or unwillingness to share, in violation of the fast, in the use of unlawful food, etc.). The sins of gluttony also include polyphagy And guttural rage- a passion for enjoying taste sensations, that is, gourmandism, so planted in our days. drug use And smoking also belong to the field of drunkenness; if you have suffered or are suffering from these sinful addictions, include them in the list of sins.
idle talk. Let us recall the terrible word of the Lord Himself: I tell you that for every idle word that people say, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.(Matthew 12:36-37).
And here is the patristic recipe for how to behave if the situation and conversations in the company are conducive to idle talk: "If you do not have a special need to stay, then go away; and when there is a need to stay, then turn your mind to prayer, not condemning the idle talkers, but recognizing your weakness ". ( Reverend John the Prophet)
The Monk Ephraim the Syrian expands the concept of idle talk: “And what is an idle word? A promise of faith that is not fulfilled in deeds. A person believes and confesses Christ, but remains idle, does not do what Christ commanded. when a person confesses and does not correct himself, when he says that he repents, and sins again.
Despondency. This sin is often directly related to idle talk:
"Despondency is often one of the branches, one of the first offspring of verbosity ... Despondency is a relaxation of the soul, exhaustion of the mind ... a slanderer of God, as if He is unmerciful and inhumane; in psalmody it is weak, in prayer it is weak ... in obedience it is hypocritical" . ( Saint John of the Ladder)
Laziness, as we see, is closely connected with the passion of despondency. The Orthodox catechism names "laziness in relation to the teaching of piety, prayer and public worship" among the sins against the 1st commandment of the Law of God.
Rebuttal. "Bind your tongue, furiously striving for contradiction, and seventy times seven times a day fight with this tormentor," the holy fathers teach in the words of John of the Ladder. “Whoever in a conversation stubbornly wishes to insist on his opinion, even if it is fair, let him know that he is possessed by a diabolical illness; and if he does this in a conversation with his equals, then perhaps the denunciation of his elders will heal him; if but treats the big ones and the wisest in this way, then this disease from people is incurable.
Disobedience. “The one who disobeys the word without a doubt does not obey the deed either, for whoever is unfaithful in word is adamant in deed,” St. John of the Ladder connects disobedience with contradiction. Everything in the Church is built on obedience; we must obey everyone and everyone whom the Lord has placed over us. Complete obedience in matters of spiritual life is necessary in relation to the spiritual father, in general, to pastors and spiritual teachers. But complete and unquestioning obedience (in everything that does not contradict the faith and the Law of God) should be rendered by the wife to her husband, the children who have not yet created their own family - to their parents. Obey your superiors.
slander- a direct violation of the 9th commandment of the Law of God ( Do not bear false witness against your neighbor- Ref. 20.16). Any slander, any gossip and gossip, any unfair censure is slander. Almost certainly leads to slander condemnation of a neighbor, directly forbidden by the Lord: Judge not lest ye be judged(Matthew 7:1).
neglect- negligent fulfillment of the duties assigned to us by God, or even neglect of them. Neglect at work, neglect of one's household and family duties, neglect of prayer...
pride Abba Dorotheos calls the root of all passions, and St. Ephraim the Syrian - the mother of all evil.
"Self-love is a passionate and reckless love of the body. Love and continence are opposite to it. It is obvious that one who has self-love has all the passions." ( Saint Maximus the Confessor)
Acquisition. Covetousness...is idolatry, - says the apostle Paul (Col. 3, 5). Acquisitiveness is the passion of love of money, which is one of the eight main passions, in action: any hoarding, addiction to various objects, stinginess and, conversely, wastefulness.
Theft. This concept includes not only any theft, but also any use of what is "bad": for example, "read out" a book in the library or with friends. A particularly severe type of theft is sacrilege - "appropriation of what is dedicated to God and what belongs to the Church" (see "Orthodox Catechism"), that is, not only the direct theft of sacred objects, but also: to take, without asking for the priest's blessing, donated on the eve or brought to the temple by benefactors for distribution, etc.
untruthfulness- any lie word. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are pleasing to Him(Prov. 12:22).
We must remember that there is no "innocent" lie, any lie is not from God. “A lie, in which there is no intention to harm one’s neighbor, is impermissible, because it does not agree with love and respect for one’s neighbor and is not worthy of a person, and especially a Christian, created for truth and love,” says St. Philaret in his Orthodox Catechism.
bad business- making a profit, profit in a bad, unrighteous way. The concept can include any body kit, measurement, deceit, but also any earnings that bring evil to people - for example, based on the satisfaction or incitement of sinful passions. The falsification of any documents and the use of forged documents (for example, travel tickets), the purchase of stolen goods on the cheap are also bad business. This also includes parasitism, "when they receive a salary for a position or pay for a business, but they do not fulfill their positions and deeds and, thus, they steal both the salary or pay, and the benefit that labor could bring to society or to the one for whom they should have worked. "(see "Orthodox Catechism").
mischief- covetousness, greed mshela- gain. This includes all types of extortion and bribery. And, since this sin is included in the prayer of repentance for all Orthodox Christians, you should carefully consider your life and discover its manifestations in it.
Jealousy- jealousy of all kinds.
Envy."Whoever envies his neighbor, he rebels against God - the giver of gifts." ( Saint John Chrysostom)
"... Envy and rivalry are a terrible poison: slander, hatred and murder are born from them." ( Venerable Ephraim the Syrian)
Anger- one of the eight major passions.
“Whatever the cause, the movement of anger kindles, it blinds the eyes of the heart and, putting a cover on the sharpness of mental vision, does not allow the Sun of truth to be seen. metal makes no difference in glare." ( Rev. John Cassian the Roman)
memory malice"there is the last limit of anger, the keeping in memory of sins against our neighbor, the aversion of the image of justification (God has determined: "forgive and it will be forgiven" - cf. shame to pray (how do you say: "leave it, like we do..."?), a nail driven into the soul, unceasing sin, vigilant lawlessness, hourly evil. ( Saint John of the Ladder)
“If you bear a grudge against someone, pray for him; and, by prayer separating sorrow from the memory of the evil that he caused you, you will stop the movement of passion; becoming friendly and philanthropic, you will completely drive out passion from the soul.” ( Saint Maximus the Confessor)
Hatred. He who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.(1 John 2:11). Whoever hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him(1 John 3:15). Whoever says, "I love God," and hates his brother, is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?(1 John 4:20).
covetousness- "when, under the guise of a certain right, but in reality with a violation of justice and philanthropy, they turn to their own advantage someone else's property or someone else's labor, or even the very misfortunes of their neighbors, for example, when lenders burden debtors with growth (loan interest), when owners exhaust those who depend from them by excessive taxes or work, if during the famine they sell bread at too high a price" (see "Orthodox Catechism"). In a broad sense, the word covetousness means in general covetousness, greed (passion for avarice); in this sense the word is used in the New Testament (Rom. 1:29; 2 Cor. 9:5; Eph. 4:19 and 5:3; Col. 3:5).
Serious sins committed during life, from among those that are not directly named in this prayer, should be included in it, and not “summed up” under one of the points (for example, blasphemy, grumbling against God, or attempting suicide, or killing the unborn children - abortion, etc.). In particular, this list does not contain sins related to the passion of fornication (and among them such as adultery and any extramarital cohabitation, and all violations of purity and chastity), and to the passion of pride, which is rightfully considered the most terrible of passions.