|
Each of us has a prayer book - a collection of prayers compiled by saints. But the relationship of a believer with God is individual. So, maybe it’s better to pray to God in your own words? NS correspondents Ekaterina STEPANOVA and Alexey REUTSKY asked Orthodox priests about this. Priest Boris LEVSHENKO, cleric of the Moscow Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kuznetskaya Sloboda, head of the department of dogmatic theology at PSTGU: “It’s better from a book than by heart”
— In his “Catechism,” Metropolitan of Moscow Philaret (Drozdov) gives the following definition of prayer: “This is the lifting of the mind and heart to God, which is a person’s reverent word to God.” In other words, this is a special, elevated state of soul in which a person glorifies, thanks and asks the Lord for his needs. There is prayer without words - in this case it is called mental or heartfelt, and also internal prayer. If in such a state of soul you turn to God with words, then Metropolitan Philaret calls this prayer “oral” or “external.” We need to understand that if a person prays, no matter according to a prayer book or in his own words, but without a reverent, attentive feeling for the Lord, then such a prayer is disgusting to God, causes his indignation and anger: “These people draw near to Me with their lips, and honor Me tongue, but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they seek Me…” (Matthew 15:8-9). Now about why it is still better to pray not only in your own words, but also according to the prayer book. For every person, an important choice is: are you together with the Church or are you alone? For some reason, it seems to me that the path to God, where you do not break away from the Church, is more reliable than the one that you invent yourself. And for several reasons. When we read morning or evening prayers from the prayer book, we seem to help each other in this prayerful appeal to God. Because we are all, as humanity, one, we are one. Just like believers in different churches, reading the same prayers, although slightly different different time, help each other in communication with God. There is also an old rule that says that it is advisable to read prayers not from memory, but according to the prayer book. What's the matter here? The Holy Fathers noticed: when reading this way, it happens that some word suddenly touches us, and in this case you stop. They explain this by saying that the guardian angel prays with us and wants to remind us of something, draws our attention to something. And in this regard, reading prayers from a prayer book is better for us than reading them by heart. Oddly enough, experience shows: you rattle off a prayer by heart and that’s it, but when you read it, you feel this connection with your guardian angel.
Sometimes people ask if it is possible to exclude words from prayer that confuse them. For example, the Lord's Prayer asks that God judge us in the same way that we judge others. Is this a convenient request? Not at all. Because we ourselves do not really like to forgive others for their sins. And it turns out that in this prayer we ask God to treat us in the same way as we treat those who have sinned against us, so that he does not forgive us our sins. Eliminate these words from your prayer. What will change? In my opinion, in the words “and forgive us our sins” there is a certain connotation, as if saying: “Lord, I cannot forgive, but I know that if I pray for this person, sooner or later my attitude towards him will change and I will have the strength to forgive him.” If I exclude these words, it turns out that I do not want this. And I will be able to oppose myself to God. Lewis has a classification of people into two groups - some say: “...thy will be done,” and to others God says: “...thy will be done.” And here - “thy will be done” and “my will be done” - this contrast lies. When we cross out something from a prayer, this is self-will. And it turns out that then the whole prayer loses its meaning. Because if we refuse to obey God and are going to live the way we want, “according to our own will,” then we have no right to count on His help. Archpriest Igor IUDIN, cleric of the Diveyevo Holy Trinity Metochion in Nizhny Novgorod: “When you repent, do not hide behind Church Slavonic words”
- In my own words, I think you need to repent of your sins. Repentance must be your own. Both in private and in confession. Do not hide behind Church Slavonic words, which are obscure and not very shameful, but say specifically what you have done and ask God for forgiveness.
But when we pray in our own words, our prayer is imperfect. After all, our heart is imperfect, it is not cleansed, it is mired in sins, in carnal passions and in worldly vanity. Our heart is made of stone, it will pull us down, and the prayer in our own words will turn out to be proud and vain, but we ourselves may miss it, not notice. And when we pray with the words of the holy fathers, we partly receive the spiritual state in which they were when they prayed. That is, we reach out to God for them, we rise upward on their prayer. Archpriest Valerian KRECHETOV, rector of the Church of the Intercession in the village of Akulovo (Odintsovo district, Moscow region): “Lord, have mercy on me forty times! Where is this good?!”
- Every person can pray in his own words. But the prayers from the prayer book were compiled by saints, and their prayers allow us to feel and experience what they themselves felt and experienced. Comparing your own prayers with the prayers of saints is like comparing Chopin’s music and the melody you composed and hum, Pushkin’s poems and your poems. At the same time, whether the Lord will hear you depends on the state of the person’s soul, on his spiritual level. I read somewhere that one person (the most ordinary) prayed in his own words literally until he sweated blood, like the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane. He had such strong experiences and faith in God. Without a doubt, the Lord heard such a prayer. When reading a prayer book or Psalter, some people come across frightening expressions contained there. In fact, ancient texts have an ethnographic basis. For example, someone is shocked by the words “deliver me from bloodshed” (Psalm 50). What is meant here is: deliver me from the consequences of my sins. That is, if something is unclear in prayers, especially those that came to us from antiquity, we need to look at their interpretation, and not exclude them, shortening our prayer rule. Some people, however, joke: why say “Lord, have mercy” forty times - it’s easier to say: “Lord, have mercy on me forty times.” It's simpler, shorter and clearer. So should we live by this principle, or what?! Archpriest Anatoly EFIMENKOV, cleric of the Assumption cathedral city of Smolensk, head of the department for interaction with law enforcement agencies, member of the Pardon Commission under the governor of the Smolensk region: “If you’re late, pray in your own words!”
- When there is a lot of work, you get up early and run about business without having time to open your prayer book - in these cases, be sure to pray to God in your own words (do not skip morning prayer “with self-reproach” at all), and God will hear you. But at the same time, a person is necessarily taught to read and write using an alphabet book, although he can speak his own language. Moreover, the mother understands her child, even if he speaks poorly and is difficult to understand for others. But he still needs to learn to speak competently. So it is with prayer. A person can speak to God all his life only in his own words, but if he wants to strive for perfection in this, he needs to learn from the holy fathers. A prayer book is the ABC of prayer. Hegumen Vasily PASKIER, rector of the Church of the Iveron Icon Mother of God city of Alatyr Chuvash Republic: “I don’t use my words in prayer.”
— When we teach children to speak, we use literary texts from famous talented authors and classics. Then, when children grow up, these words they read become familiar, clear, powerful to them and help shape their thinking and conversation. Also, the prayers that are found in the prayer book or Psalter teach a person to communicate with God. I don’t think there is a difference for God when a person prays in his own words or reads prayers from a prayer book. After all, there is a silent form of prayer, prayer without words, which was practiced by the hesychast fathers. But for a person there is a difference, and a big one. Because the hesychasts were raised and imbued with prayers, psalms, scripture, and the word of God. And we, reading prayers according to the prayer book with all attention, learn to communicate with God in this way. Therefore, charismatics have no right to accuse the Orthodox of formalism. After all, Jesus Christ prayed in the synagogue, using words from traditional Jewish services, as did the apostles. Even in the new form of worship that the Lord Jesus Christ gave to his disciples (I mean the Eucharist), prayers from ancient Jewish traditions were used.
I personally do not use my own words in prayers, but read the Jesus Prayer in my native language, and also read prayers from services in French. But now, after 13 years in Russia, I have become accustomed to the Church Slavonic language, I like to read prayers in it, and, despite the fact that I did not study it specifically, I understand it.
I cannot help but recall the words of St. John Climacus: “Prudent silence is the mother of prayer... The lover of silence approaches God and, conversing secretly with Him, is enlightened by Him.” Archimandrite ALEXIY (Polikarpov), abbot of the Moscow St. Danilov Monastery: “I look at Him, and He looks at me, and we both feel good!”
- Every person has the right to pray in his own words, and there are many examples of this. We see this in church families when small children, imitating praying adults, raise their hands up, cross themselves, perhaps clumsily, take some books, babble some words. Metropolitan Nestor Kamchatsky in his book “My Kamchatka” recalls how he prayed as a child: “Lord, save me, dad, mom and my dog Lily of the Valley.” There is a vivid example of one’s own prayer, which was found in the tunic of a killed soldier. Red Army soldier Alexander Zaitsev turned to God before a difficult battle and said that he could die in this battle. And although I never knew Him, but:
“Isn’t it strange that in the midst of the most terrible hell
Suddenly the light was revealed to me and I saw You?
Other than that I have nothing to say.
I also want to say that, as you know,
The battle will be fierce;
Perhaps at night I will knock on You.
And so, although until now I have not been Your friend,
Will You let me in when I come?” We know that priests pray for their children and their flock at home and in their cells. I know an example when a priest in the evening, after working day puts on clean clothes and simply, in his everyday words, grieves before the Lord for his flock, saying that some of them are in need, someone is sick, someone has been offended, “Lord, help them.” And of course, I think, in all these cases, the Lord hears the prayers of children and adults.
I knew one nun, Magdalene, about whom the book “Everyone is Alive with God,” published by the Danilov Monastery, tells the story. In the world her name was Tatyana, she was a psalm-reader. Under Stalin, she was sentenced to ten years in the camps. Even at this stage, as a pious person, she earned universal respect; people came to her for resolution of spiritual issues. And when, after the break, they walked on, she raised her hands up and said: “Lord, bless us all!” Tatyana could not come to terms with her sentence and in her prayers asked God to shorten her sentence. She prayed like this: “Lord, divide my term into four parts: two and a half years for the Mother of God, two and a half for St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, two and a half for the Prophet Elijah, and for me what remains.” All these saints were revered by her: she served in the temple of the Prophet Elijah and revered St. Nicholas. She meant that these saints would help her endure her imprisonment. And it so happened that she only served two and a half years. Her prayer was answered.
The prayer of the holy Venerable Silouan of Athos is well known, who, as a housekeeper at the Panteleimon Monastery, prayed for the workers who were subordinate to him. The other monks were surprised that his workers obeyed, but theirs did not. Saint Silouan explained it this way: “Having given the workers the task, I go to my cell and pray for each of them. Lord, look at Nikolai - he is so young, he left his village, his nineteen-year-old wife, who just gave birth to his child. He works here because he couldn't feed his family at home. Remember him, protect him from bad thoughts and be his protector. And so I pray for everyone. And the feeling of God’s closeness gradually grows, and at some point it is so strong that I cannot discern anything earthly.” In these moments he appeared before the face of God and already in this love of God he saw his suffering workers and prayed for them, and thus received God’s grace. There is a known case when one day a felled log rolled down a mountain and could crush a person. Elder Silouan began to pray - and the log stopped. Prayer can also be silent. If we have reached such a level of spiritual life, words are not necessarily needed. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh gives such an example in his sermons. One peasant sat in the church for a long time and silently looked at the icons. He did not have a rosary, his lips did not move. But when the priest asked him what he was doing, the peasant replied: “I look at Him, and He looks at me, and we both feel good.” Here is a man who has achieved such a state. After the death of Father John Krestyankin, his cell book was published. It contains prayers that the elder read daily, prayers of ascetics of the faith, prayers of saints. And I think there are his own prayers in there too. And his spirit, his aspirations towards God are also expressed through these prayers. So, praying in your own words is appropriate, but let's look at it from another angle. Suppose a person prays only in his own words, what will his prayer be? He will thank God, ask for forgiveness, and make some requests of his own. Will he still have a need for prayer after this, or will it turn out that his thoughts and feelings have already been exhausted? Perhaps his thoughts are unclean and nasty, his spiritual life is primitive and shallow. But when we turn to God with the prayers of the saints who experienced high states, understood our sinfulness and insignificance before God, understood His greatness and holiness, then, of course, we are approaching their state to the extent of our weak strength. And then the words of their prayers become close to us, and we can pray, first of all in church, with the prayers of these saints. Therefore, there is no need to contrast prayer in your own words with prayer according to the prayer book. On the contrary, they complement each other. If we read carefully, trying to penetrate with our minds and hearts into the meaning of these prayers, they will become our own.
Father Sergius, please tell me: is it possible to pray mentally while walking slowly?
in a lonely and deserted place?
It’s just that sometimes feelings and thoughts suddenly come, and especially gentle but, in my timid opinion, urgent urges of the soul to talk with God. And any delay, in this case, (as I noticed) i.e. specially preparing oneself for prayer, transferring the thought of prayer “for later,” indoors, on one’s knees, sometimes seems to slightly dissipate the sincerity and clarity of that appeal to God that sometimes arises right on the go. On my way. That's why I pray when I walk in a deserted place, in nature, without opening my lips. Sometimes prayer goes very well, it flows as if by itself. As if from a vessel that is not clogged. And there is no resistance or interference in the “vessel”. In general it goes easily. After such a prayer it is much easier if you do not miss the moment. I don’t mean the absence of sorrows, if they have a place in the soul, but the very presentation of the call to God, as if it happens more easily. Not in vain or something... It’s difficult... Spiritual wisdom
Holy Fathers on Prayer
1. How should you pray? Etc. Isaac the Syrian:
When you stand before God in prayer, in your thoughts become like an ant, like a reptile on the ground, like a leech and like a silent child. Do not speak before God anything out of knowledge, but draw closer to Him with your childish thoughts and walk before Him, so that you may be worthy of that paternal providence that fathers have for their children and infants.
Etc. John Climacus:
If you have ever stood before an earthly judge as an accused person, then you do not need to look for another image to stand in prayer. If you yourself have not stood trial and have not seen others being tortured, then at least learn to pray from the example of the sick, as they beg the doctor for mercy when he was preparing to cut or burn their body.
St. Theophan the Recluse:
They wanted to learn mental prayer. Good! And before that, what kind of prayer did you have?! Prayer is essentially... Dear Irina!
First, it is necessary to say that prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God, which is a person’s reverent word to God.
A Christian, having raised his mind and heart to God, must do the following. Firstly, glorify Him for His Divine perfections, secondly, thank Him for His benefits, thirdly, ask Him for your needs. Therefore, there are three main types of prayers: doxology, thanksgiving, and petition.
You can pray without words - with your mind and heart. An example of this is the prophet Moses, who prayed this way before crossing the Red (Red) Sea (Ex. 14:13).
This prayer has a special name. It is called spiritual, or mental and heartfelt - in a word, internal prayer, while, on the contrary, prayer pronounced in words and accompanied by other signs of reverence is called oral, or external.
There can also be external prayer, without internal prayer, when someone pronounces the words of prayer without attention and zeal. But…
Is it possible to pray to Saint Nicholas?
When and to which saint should you pray?
I once had an interesting conversation with a Christian: I asked him why, when he prays, he turns to God through the saints or asks the saints themselves for something, instead of turning to God directly, like us does the Bible teach? After thinking a little, he answered like this: “Imagine this situation: when we need something from a big boss, we turn to people who know him well and whom he certainly will not refuse. We ask them to intercede for us. So are the saints. They know God better, and God knows them well, so the Lord will probably answer their request much faster than for us, such sinful people. That’s why I ask the saints to be mediators and intercessors for me before God.”
He practically conveyed the official view of some churches on this: “In addition to God, we depict the Mother of God on holy icons,... Questions about prayers
Father Maxim, how to pray for victims of terrorist attacks? Is it possible to go to church for them if I don’t know which of them is baptized and who is of what faith? Inna.
In church or at home, you yourself can pray for whomever you want: baptized, unbaptized, heterodox and others. But it is customary for the baptized to order commemoration in the Church.
[Questions about prayers]
Father, during Holy Week no prayers are said other than the Hours? Or is it still possible to read something at home: akathist, canon?
[Questions about prayers]
Father Maxim, is it possible to pray for the Japanese who suffered from such a terrible disaster? I feel very sorry for them, but there is no other way I can help. Tamara.
It is possible and necessary. After all, all people are brothers and sisters, not only Russians and Orthodox.
[Questions about prayers]
Father Maxim, is there any... To search, enter the word:
Tag cloud
Question to the priest
Number of entries: 775
Hello! Please tell me, is it possible to mentally baptize a person? So I always read a prayer at night and get baptized. And in my mind I imagine my mother, father, brother and husband in turn. And I cross them (three times). Is it possible to do this?
In general, it’s not worth it, limit yourself to prayer for your loved ones. Just visualization itself during prayer can lead to wrong spiritual consequences.
Deacon Ilya Kokin
Hello, father. Please tell me whether despondency, the cry of the soul, is a great sin. I have a little daughter Angelina. The child was born with a congenital pseudarthrosis of the right tibia lower limb, at one year and three months old, she fell from a swing and broke her leg. For a year and a half now, the child has had a broken leg, the doctor who is observing us says that it is too early to operate, the little one... SECRETS OF HEALING MAGIC AND FOLK MEDICINE
NATALIA ANDREEVNA FROLOVA - folk healer
/A manual to help the healer and those being healed/
MY VIEWS ON THE TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE HUMAN BODY, FORMED ON THE BASIS OF PRACTICE, FOLK MEDICINE, FOLKLORE.
CHAPTER V. IS IT POSSIBLE TO TREAT USING PRAYERS AND ICONS?
Icons are conductors of the Holy Spirit to Earth. Working with
ancient icons, you can foresee events, or view the past.
An icon, regardless of the time of its appearance, can send
energy wave, provide information about treatment. Healer through the icon
can heal people by taking energy with his left hand, lowering it over his shoulders and
the right hand on the affected organ of the patient. To enhance energy
it is necessary to remove all unnecessary items from the table, leave only the lit
candle and 12 icons.
If a healer needs... I began to pray, read the prayer rule and any prayers in general, not out loud, but silently. I began to pray longer, but the tongue is silent, and “inner speech” works, not like before only words with the tongue. Here’s the question: a) is it possible to pray like this all the time? b) do you need to take a blessing from your priest? c) do Angels and saints “hear” me when I don’t pray out loud?
Langepas
Dear George, when praying to the holy saints, the angels of God, in order for them to hear us, it is not necessary to pronounce the words of the prayer out loud, loudly and clearly, but even the wordless cry of the heart will be fully accepted by them. If you turn to God, the Mother of God, the saints sincerely, from a pure heart, without guile and “second thoughts,” then do not doubt that everything you want to tell them will be heard and understood. It is not at all necessary to speak out loud - the Lord also hears what we turn to Him within ourselves.
The experience of the Orthodox... Prayer to Saint Nicholas the Pleasant Many people wonder: which saint should you pray for your work, or for your health? But let's first answer another question: Is it possible to pray to saints at all? The Bible contains the well-known Ten Commandments. And the first two commandments sound like this:
“You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth; You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God.” (Exodus 20:3-5)
From these commandments we see that you cannot worship anyone or anything other than the Lord God. Therefore, prayers and worship of holy saints and their images clearly contradict the Bible. In this commandment, God uses quite a lot in relation to Himself. strong word zealot. This means that God is not indifferent when he sees a person worshiping someone else or some image.
IN different eras in the Church there were various forms of morning, afternoon, and evening prayers. Our time is characterized by the tradition of reading a certain relatively small number of morning prayers, as well as prayers for the future, which constitute the minimum prayer rule of a believer. Despite its apparent simplicity, this is one of the topics that regularly gives rise to questions for people living church life. How to overcome yourself and establish regular prayer? How to turn a rule from some text into an integral part of your life? Your pastoral and personal Christian experience Hegumen Nektary (Morozov) shares these questions.
Resisting Chaos
Before talking about the prayer rule, it is necessary to say, at least briefly, in principle about the place of prayer in a person’s life. We know that the purpose of man, unlike all other earthly creatures created by God, is constant communication with God. And prayer is, of course, that... Why there are so many memorial days of saints in December, explains Andrey Muzolf, a teacher at the Kyiv Theological Seminary.
– Andrey, December is rich in holidays, including the memorable days of the holy saints of God. This is St. Catherine, and St. Varvara, and ap. Andrew the First-Called and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, also St. Spiridon Trimifuntsky and others. How can one explain such veneration of saints by the Church?
– The veneration of saints is indirectly explained by the words of Christ the Savior Himself: “You are the light of the world. A city that is on the top of a mountain cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Dogmatically, the veneration of the saints was expressed in the acts of the Seventh Ecumenical Council, which decreed: “Whoever does not confess that all saints ... are venerable in the eyes of God, and does not ask for their prayers, as those who, according to church tradition, have the boldness to intercede for peace, - anathema".
Such widespread veneration of saints is also explained by the fact that all Orthodox Christians, both living and dead, as... About prayer
How to pray for those about whom it is unknown whether they are alive?
“You will not be mistaken if you pray as if you were alive, because with God everyone is alive. Everyone except heretics and apostates. These are the dead” - (Elder Nectarius of Optina).21
Soulful teachings of the Venerable Optina Elders. Publication of the Holy Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, 2007.
Lay people, except priests and deacons, are allowed to read prayers from the Breviary. For example, there are such remote places where there is no church; there the believers themselves perform an incomplete funeral service, that is, they sing the stichera, read the canon, the Apostle, but do not read the Gospel, the prayer of permission, and do not say the exclamations and litanies of the priest and deacon. They even perform services in this way; for example, they serve not mass, but lunch service.
Is it possible for those who work the night shift to eat at night after twelve o'clock? Do they need to read prayers “for the future”?
Prayers to the Saints Is it correct to say prayers to saints, since prayer is an appeal to God? How does God feel about someone praying to saints?
Should we pray to saints?
Who among us in difficult times has not felt the need to ask for help? Depending on the cause of concern, we will likely want to contact
a sympathetic friend who has experience in solving these types of problems.
The combination of experience and responsiveness makes this friend truly invaluable. Some may feel the same way about prayer. Read
Instead of turning to God, whom they may consider too distant and unapproachable, it is easier for them to direct their requests to one of the saints.
They feel that the saints can be more compassionate because they have endured the trials and difficulties that people on earth face.
For example, when setting off on a journey or finding themselves in an extremely difficult situation, some turn to Nikolai... "There is nothing in the world harder than prayer" (Schiarchimandrite Sophrony).
Among musicians there is a concept of “position of hands”, among singers - of “position of voice”, among writers - of “development of style”.
In relation to prayer, we can also talk about its “production” and its style. And here there is the danger of a wrong start and a bad habit of carelessness and haste in prayer and the habit of only “reading” it.
As Fr. writes. Alexander Elchaninov - “Prayer is an art; incorrectly formulated prayer increases internal chaos, especially in nervously unstable people.”
Prayer is a sacrament, a sacred act of the soul; it must be approached with trepidation, with the deepest attention to inner experiences and the state of the heart.
Father John S. said this to the pastors (from among his spiritual children): “Don’t get used to serving.” He commanded this church services produce not out of habit - formally and without feeling, but always as if... FAQ
These are questions encountered in the practice of parish counseling, asked by people who rarely come to church or who are just starting out church life, and answers that are understandable to a person with little church.
As answers to some questions, quotations from the Holy Scriptures are given to show those who advise them a guideline for their answers, and those who go to church - the main source of doctrinal knowledge. Counselors are not encouraged to answer questions with memorized quotes, but if necessary, based on the situation, they can support the answer with the authority of Holy Scripture.
It should also be remembered that some questions do not have clear answers. Based on the spiritual state of the questioner and the established tradition at the parish, different answers can be given to the same question.
In church knowledge we must distinguish:
dogmas - truths Christian teaching, truths of faith, deviation from...
Short prayers
Church prayers
On the power of prayers of Church ministers
Canonical prayers
Prayer in your own words
Short prayers.
People often ask: how should one pray, in what words, in what language? Some even say: “I don’t pray because I don’t know how, I don’t know prayers.” No special skill is needed to pray. You can simply talk to God. At a service in Orthodox Church We use a special language - Church Slavonic. But in personal prayer, when we are alone with God, there is no need for any special language. We can pray to God in the language we speak. people as we think.
The prayer should be very simple. The Monk Isaac the Syrian said: “Let the whole fabric of your prayer be a little complicated. One word of a tax collector saved him, and one word of a thief on the cross made him heir to the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Let us remember the parable of the publican and the Pharisee: “Two men entered the temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, and the other was a publican. The Pharisee, standing there, prayed to himself like this: “God! I thank You that I am not like other people, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this tax collector; I fast twice a week, I give a tenth of everything I acquire." The publican, standing in the distance, did not even dare to raise his eyes to heaven; but, striking himself on the chest, he said: "God! be merciful to me, a sinner! "" (Luke 18:10-13). And this short prayer saved him. Let us also remember the thief who was crucified with Jesus and who said to Him: “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). This alone was enough for him to enter heaven.
The prayer can be extremely short. If you are just beginning your prayer journey, start very short prayers– ones you can focus on. God doesn't need words - He needs a person's heart. Words are secondary, but the feeling and mood with which we approach God is of primary importance. Approaching God without a sense of reverence or with absent-mindedness, when during prayer our mind wanders to the side, is much more dangerous than saying the wrong word in prayer. Scattered prayer has neither meaning nor value. A simple law applies here: if the words of prayer do not reach our hearts, they will not reach God either. As they sometimes say, such a prayer will not rise higher than the ceiling of the room in which we pray, but it must reach heaven. Therefore, it is very important that every word of prayer is deeply experienced by us. If we are not able to concentrate on the long prayers that are contained in the books of the Orthodox Church - prayer books, we will try our hand at short prayers: “Lord, have mercy,” “Lord, save,” “Lord, help me,” “God, be merciful to me.” , sinner."
Some ascetics said that if we could, with all the strength of feeling, with all our hearts, with all our soul, say just one prayer, “Lord, have mercy,” this would be enough for salvation. But the problem is that, as a rule, we cannot say it with all our hearts, we cannot say it with our whole lives. Therefore, in order to be heard by God, we are verbose.
Let us remember that God thirsts for our heart, not our words. And if we turn to Him with all our hearts, we will certainly receive an answer.
Church prayers.
You can pray everywhere - on the road, at home, at work. But a special place of prayer is God's temple. IN Sundays, and also on weekdays, if time permits, we should go to church to pray, where our brothers and sisters in Christ - Christians - gather to pray together, all together. This kind of prayer is called church prayer.
About the power of prayers of Church ministers.
The prayer of a clergyman, a person who has received the sacrament of the priesthood, has special power.
It would be good to remember that God will most likely hear you (Christians) when the ministers of the Church pray with you for you and for you. The prayers sent to God by the servants of the Church are especially holy before Him and accessible to Him... Just as certain valuable beads are accepted by the Lord, like a fragrant censer, pleasing to Him.
We Christians know how quickly God hears the prayer of the ministers of the Church when they pray to Him while performing the Holy Mysteries. When consecrating, for example, the gifts of bread and wine, the priest says: and create this bread, the honorable Body of Thy Christ, and in this cup, the honorable Blood of Thy Christ, and according to the word of his prayer, the bread is immediately transformed into the Body, and the wine into the Blood of Christ . And this prayer has such powerful power only in the mouths of the ministers of the Church: no one except them has the power to perform the holy Sacraments.
If God so quickly and immutably hears the servants of the Church when they perform the Holy Mysteries, then, without a doubt, in all other cases, and at any other time, and in any other place, He hears their prayer more quickly.
The prayers of those whom the Lord allows to His holy throne are without a doubt more holy and more accessible to Him. From whom the Lord always lovingly accepts gifts and spiritual sacrifices, from those He always listens with special love to every request. Yes, God primarily listens to the lips of the ministers of the Church, and through their prayer, grace descends from above, the mercy of God is declared; The blessing of the Lord is given to you primarily by the blessing hand of the clergyman; Through them, the Lord primarily receives everything from you and gives everything. Why is this? Where do the ministers of the Church get such grace and strength? Why are their prayers so holy and accessible to God? Not because of their own holiness and strength - they are not holier than others, although they should be holier. From the holiness and grace of Him Whom they represent when they pray - the holy Church they serve. And who constitutes the glory of the holy Church? The Lord Jesus Christ, always inseparably abiding with her by His grace. Consequently, for whom the ministers of the Church pray, the whole Church prays for him, for whom Jesus Christ Himself, the only intercessor of God and men, intercedes (1 Tim. 2:6). Jesus Christ promised to always be there with those who pray, where two or three of them will gather in His name (see: Matt. 18:20). Moreover, He is with the entire Church, praying in the person of its ministers, and with their lips He prays then, with their hands He brings offerings. Yes, when the ministers of the Church pray with you for you and for you, it is the same as Jesus Christ Himself with His entire Church praying for you and for you to His Father. Through the praying lips of the priest, Jesus Christ Himself gives you the mercy of God. This is whose grace flows from the lips of the ministers of the Church when they perform church prayers, and this is whose power comes from their right hand when they bless those praying in the name of God. This is why the prayers of the servants of the Church are holy and accessible to God: in their person the Son of God Himself prays to His God. So, Christians, pray unceasingly, but unite your prayers with the prayers of the ministers of the Church; ask them to always pray for you with you: then you will receive all mercy from God, then all your petitions will be fulfilled, even for salvation; not we, the ministers of the Church, praying for you and for you, but Christ, our true God, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, will save and have mercy on you.
The power of the prayers of the ministers of the Church is based on the power of the Church itself, on the fact that church prayer is the true path to salvation, of course, for those who seek salvation and strive for it by purifying their hearts. Therefore, one must believe in the power of the prayers of the Church.
When you are not in church during services, mentally remain in it, remember it and in spirit you will be in it during the sacred rites and prayer.
Canonical prayers.
You can easily find canonical prayers, or so-called “ready-made prayers” for all occasions, in any Prayer Book. The canonical collections of prayers are arranged very conveniently: they contain Morning and Evening prayers, prayers to the Lord, prayers to the Mother of God and prayers to the saints. Some expanded Prayer Books also contain akathists, troparia, kontakia and magnifications for the Feasts of the Lord, the feasts of the Mother of God, saints and icons of the Mother of God. Which Prayer Book to choose depends only on you. At first, it is best to opt for the simplest, small Prayer Book.
How to use the Prayer Book? Of course, you can simply find this or that prayer in the table of contents: as a rule, it is immediately clear from the headings for what occasion the prayer is intended (“for the living,” “for the dead,” “for illnesses,” “for fear,” etc.). d.).
You can read the lives of saints and the stories of icons, figure out which saints are addressed with prayers in what needs, and which icons it is customary to pray in front of in certain life circumstances.
But this is probably not the most important thing. If we summarize the entire centuries-old experience of the Orthodox Church, in essence, it will immediately become obvious that you can pray to any saint, in front of any icon, as long as your prayer comes from the heart!
In the book “Learn to Pray!” Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh wrote:
We have a rich selection of prayers that were suffered by ascetics of the faith and born in them by the Holy Spirit... It is important to find and know a sufficient number of them in order to find the appropriate prayers at the right time. The point is to learn by heart a sufficient number of significant passages from the psalms or from the prayers of the saints; Each of us is more sensitive to one passage or another. Mark for yourself those passages that touch you deeply, that are meaningful to you, that express something - about sin, or about bliss in God, or about struggle - that you already know from experience. Memorize these passages, because some day when you are so discouraged, so deep in despair that you cannot summon anything personal, no personal words, into your soul, you will find these passages floating to the surface and appearing before you, as a gift from God, as a gift to the Church, as a gift of holiness, replenishing the decline of our strength. Then we really need the prayers that we have memorized so that they have become a part of us...
Unfortunately, too often we poorly grasp the meaning of the canonical prayers. An inexperienced person, picking up a Prayer Book, as a rule, does not understand many of the words in it. Well, what, for example, does the word “create” mean? Or the word "imam"? If you have an innate verbal sense, then “translating” incomprehensible words will not be so difficult for you. The word “create” is clearly derived from the word “creation”, that is, creation, creation; “create” means “create, create.” And “imam” is an old version of the word “I have,” and they have the same root. Only after you understand the meaning of the prayer texts can you proceed directly to prayer, otherwise your appeal to higher powers will be for you just a set of incomprehensible words. And, unfortunately, one cannot expect any effect from such a request.
Prayer in your own words.
Quite often you can hear the following question: is it possible to pray in your own words? Of course you can! After all, we are all very different. It is easier for some to read “ready-made prayers,” while others are simply not currently able to fully understand the meaning of the canonical prayers, and therefore cannot use them.
This is what representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church say about prayers in their own words.
Every person has the right to pray in his own words, and there are many examples of this. We see this in church families when small children, imitating praying adults, raise their hands up, cross themselves, perhaps clumsily, take some books, babble some words. Metropolitan Nestor Kamchatsky in his book “My Kamchatka” recalls how he prayed as a child: “Lord, save me, my dad, my mom and my dog Lily of the Valley.”
We know that priests pray for their children and their flock at home and in their cells. I know an example when a priest in the evening, after a day of work, puts on clean clothes and simply, in his everyday words, grieves before the Lord for his flock, saying that some of them are in need, someone is sick, someone has been offended: “ Lord help them."
Archimandrite Alexy (Polikarpov), abbot of the Moscow St. Danilov Monastery
Sometimes it’s good to say a few words in prayer, breathing with ardent faith and love for the Lord. Yes, not everyone can talk with God in other people’s words, not everyone can be children in faith and hope, but one must show one’s mind and say one’s good word from the heart; We somehow get used to other people’s words and grow cold...
...When the prayer words are convincing for you, then they will be convincing for God...
Saint righteous John Kronstadt
Sometimes, in order to address your fervent request to God, there is no need to resort to words. Prayer can be silent. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh gives such an example in his sermons. One peasant sat in the church for a long time and silently looked at the icons. He did not have a rosary, his lips did not move. But when the priest asked him what he was doing, the peasant replied: “I look at Him, and He looks at me, and we both feel good.”
Brief Prayer Invocation
You can also pray briefly throughout the day. prayer calls. First of all, this is the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” This prayer in Orthodoxy is called the “prayer of stability.” Where did this name come from? The fact is that in the Jesus Prayer a person surrenders completely to the mercy of God, under His protection and intercession. According to the majority of Orthodox devotees, the Jesus Prayer sums up in a few words all the wisdom of the Gospels.
Prayer-appeals for help and protection to the saint whose name you bear are quite effective. It is best to contact your patron saints several times a day. There is also a short prayer for this.
Prayer addressed to the saint whose name you bear
Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.
We turn to the Mother of God for protection in the following prayer:
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with Thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, for thou hast given birth to the Savior of our souls.
If it’s difficult to remember the prayer right away, you can simply repeat to yourself from time to time:
Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
How to prepare yourself for visiting the temple. The temple is the house of God, heaven on earth, a place where greatest sacraments. Therefore, it is necessary to always prepare for receiving shrines, so that the Lord does not condemn us for negligence in communicating with the Great.* Eating food before visiting the temple is not recommended, it is prohibited according to the rules, this is always done on an empty stomach. Some retreats are possible due to weakness, with the obligatory reproach of oneself.
Clothes, has great importance, the Apostle Paul mentions this, commanding women to cover their heads. He notes that a woman's covered head is a positive sign for the angels, for it is a sign of modesty. It is not good to visit a temple in a short, bright skirt, in a provocatively revealing dress or in a tracksuit. Anything that forces others to pay attention to you and distracts you from service and prayer is considered bad. A woman in trousers in a temple is also an unacceptable phenomenon. In the Bible, there is also an Old Testament prohibition for women to dress in men's clothing, and for men to dress in women's clothing. Respect the feelings of believers, even if this is YOUR first visit to the temple.
In the morning, getting out of bed, thank our Lord, who has given us the opportunity to spend the night in peace and who has extended us the days of repentance. Slowly wash your face, stand in front of the icon, light a lamp (necessarily from a candle), to give a prayerful 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 is necessary to remember that it is always better to read one prayer, with sincere feeling, than all prayers, with obsessive thought, complete it quickly. Before you leave, say a prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I unite with you, Christ our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, cross yourself and calmly walk to the temple. On the street, cross the road in front of you, with the prayer: “Lord, bless my ways and save me from all evil.” On the way to the temple, read the prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
*Rules for entering the temple.
Before entering the temple, cross yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and say before the first bow: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” to the second bow: “God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.”
To the third: “I have sinned beyond number, Lord, forgive me.”
Then, having done the same, entering the doors of the temple, bow to both sides, say to yourself: “Forgive me, brothers and sisters.”
*In church, the correct way to kiss icons is as follows:
When kissing the holy icon of the Savior, one should kiss the feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
A miraculous image The Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist - in hair wool.
And remember!!! If you come to the service, then the Service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God.
NOTE: - if you do not have the strength to stand for the entire service, then you can sit, for as St. Philaret of Moscow said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing.”
However, while reading the Gospel you must stand!!!
How to be BAPTIZED CORRECTLY.
The sign of the cross is performed as follows.
We're putting our fingers together right hand: thumb, index and middle - together (in a pinch), ring and little fingers - bent together, pressed to the palm.
Three folded fingers mean our faith in God, worshiped in the Trinity, and two fingers mean faith in Jesus Christ as the true God and true Man. Then, with the tips of three folded fingers, we touch our forehead to sanctify our thoughts; belly to sanctify our body; right and left shoulders, to sanctify the works of our hands. In this way we depict a cross on ourselves.
After this we bow. Bows can be from the waist to the ground. The waist bow consists of bending the upper body forward after making the sign of the cross. When bowing to the ground, the believer kneels, bending down, touches his forehead to the floor and then stands up.
There are certain extensive church rules regarding what bows should be performed and when. For example, prostrations are not performed during the period from Easter to the Holy Trinity, as well as on Sundays and great holidays.
To be baptized without bowing: 1. In the middle of the six psalms on “Alleluia” three times.
2. At the beginning “I believe.”
3. On vacation “Christ our true God.”
4. At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.
Cross yourself with a bow:
1. When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
2. At each petition, the litany after singing “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words “Most honorable Cherub.”
6. With each word “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”
7. During the words “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and during the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.
8. On the canon on the 1st and 9th cantos at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saints.
9. After each stichera (moreover, the choir that finishes singing is baptized).
10. At the litia, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one each.
Be baptized with a bow to the ground:
1. During fasting, when entering the temple and when leaving it - 3 times.
2. During Lent, after each chorus to the song of the Mother of God “We magnify Thee.”
3. At the beginning of singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat.”
4. After “We’ll sing for you.”
5. After “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik.
6. When shouting: “And grant us, Master.”
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever.”
8. B Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “Holy Lady” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
9. During fasting, during the prayer “Lord and Master of my life.”
10. During Lent, during the final singing: “Remember me, Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom.” Total 3 prostrations.
Half bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest “Peace to all”
2. “The blessing of the Lord be upon you,”
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”,
4. “And may the mercies of the Great God be” and
5. With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).
You are not supposed to be baptized.
1. During the psalms.
2. In general, while singing.
3. During the litanies, to the choir who sings the litany choruses
4. You need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at the last words.
Prostrations to the ground are not allowed.
On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance before the holiday until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.
ICONS IN THE HOUSE
Savior Not Made by Hands Icon is a Greek word and is translated as “image.” Holy Bible says that Jesus Christ himself was the first to give people His visible image.
King Abgar, who ruled during the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Syrian city of Edessa, was seriously ill with leprosy. Having learned that in Palestine there was the great “prophet and wonderworker” Jesus, who taught about the Kingdom of God and healed people of any disease, Abgar believed in Him and sent his court painter Ananias to give Jesus a letter from Abgar, asking for healing and his repentance. In addition, he ordered the painter to draw a portrait of Jesus. But the artist was unable to make a portrait, “due to the radiant shine of His face.” The Lord himself came to his aid. He took a piece of cloth and applied it to His Divine face, which is why His divine image was imprinted on the cloth, by the power of grace. Having received this Holy Image - the first icon created by the Lord Himself, Abgar venerated it with faith and received healing for his faith.
This miraculous image was given a name - *Savior Not Made by Hands*.
Purpose of the icon
The main purpose of the icon is to help people rise above the vanity of the world and provide assistance in prayer. “An icon is an embodied prayer. It is created in prayer and for the sake of prayer, the driving force of which is love for God, the desire for Him as for perfect Beauty.”
The icon is called upon to awaken in what lies before it the spiritual need to pray, to fall before God in repentance, to seek consolation in sorrows and prayers.
What icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian?
You must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home. From the images of the Savior, for home prayer Usually a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is chosen. Characteristic feature This iconographic type is the image of the Lord with a blessing hand and an open or closed book. Also, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often purchased for the home.
The icon of the Mother of God is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
“Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, “Recovery of the Dead”, etc.;
“Guide” (“Hodegetria”) - Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, “Quick to Hear”, Iverskaya, Gruzinskaya, “Three-Handed”, etc.
Usually in Rus' it is customary to place an icon of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia (Nicholas the Pleasant) in every home iconostasis. Of the Russian saints, images are most often found St. Sergius Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov; Among the icons of martyrs, the icons of St. George the Victorious and the healer Panteleimon are very often placed. If space permits, it is advisable to have images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael.
If desired, you can add icons of patrons. For example: Patrons of the family - the holy faithful Prince Peter (monastically David) and Princess Fevronia
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. With their prayers they bring down Heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage.
- the holy martyrs and confessors Gury, Samon and Aviv - are known among Orthodox Christians as the patrons of matrimony, marriage, happy family; They are prayed to “if the husband innocently hates his wife” - they are the intercessors of a woman in a difficult marriage. PATRON OF CHILDREN. - saint baby martyr Gabriel of Bialystok.
How to pray CORRECTLY. Prayers are read according to certain RULES. A rule is the order of reading prayers established by the Church, their composition and sequence. There are: morning, afternoon and evening rule, rule for Holy Communion.
Each of the rules has almost the same beginning - opening prayers:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King...
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us...
Lord, have mercy... (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son...
Our Father …"
these initial prayers are followed by the rest.
If you are limited in time, then take advantage of Prayer Rule, Seraphim of Sarov:
After sleep, having washed, first of all, you need to stand in front of the icons and, reverently crossing yourself, read three times Lord's prayer*Our Father*. Then three times *Virgin Mother of God, rejoice* and, finally, the Creed.
Is it possible to pray in your own words? It is possible, but within certain restrictions.
The Church does not prohibit praying in one’s own words. Moreover, she points to this and prescribes, say, in morning rule: “Briefly offer a prayer for the salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, superiors, benefactors, those you know who are sick or in sorrow.” Thus, we can tell the Lord in our own words about what concerns our friends or us personally, about what was not said in the prayers included in the prayer book.
However, without achieving spiritual perfection, praying with the words that come to mind, even if they come from the depths of the soul, we can only remain at our level of spirituality. By joining the prayers of the saints, trying to delve into their words, each time we become a little higher and better spiritually.
The Lord Himself gave us an example of how to pray. The prayer He left for His disciples is called the Lord's Prayer. It exists in all prayer books and is part of church services. This prayer is *Our Father*.
The Lord's Prayer (given to us by Jesus Christ) -
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for this day;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
**********
SYMBOL OF FAITH:
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before the beginning of time; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were created.
For us, for the sake of people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures predicted. And ascended into heaven and reigns with the Father. And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, equally worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
Symbol of faith - summary basics Orthodox faith, compiled at the I and II Ecumenical Councils in the 4th century; read in the morning as a daily prayer.
PSALM 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquities. Wash me from all my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. I have sinned only before You, and I have done evil before You, so You are right in Your verdict and just in Your judgment. From my very birth I have been guilty before You; I am a sinner from my conception in my mother's womb. But You love the sincere in heart and reveal to them the secrets of wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. Return joy and gladness to my soul, and my bones, broken by You, will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with Your Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from premature death, O God, God is my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice - I would give it - and You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Renew, O God, by Thy mercy Zion, erect the walls of Jerusalem. Then righteous sacrifices will be acceptable to You; then they will lay sacrifices to You on Your altar.
*Song of the Most Holy Theotokos:
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
*Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos! Raise us, servant of God (names), from the depths of sin and deliver us from sudden death and from all evil. Grant us, O Lady, peace and health and enlighten our minds and the eyes of our hearts to salvation, and grant us, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God: for His power is blessed with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit.
*A simpler prayer -
Most Holy Mother of God, pray to Your Son and God for the revelation of my mind and for the blessing of my undertakings, and for sending from above help in my affairs, and for the forgiveness of my sins, and for receiving eternal blessings. Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE EATING AND AFTER EATING FOOD
Blessing of food or Prayer of thanksgiving, pronounced before the start of the meal.
The prayer can be read while sitting or standing. But, if there are people present who profess a different faith, then it is better not to say the prayer out loud!
The content of the prayer can be short or lengthy. The three options for prayers before meals given below are the most common, as they are the shortest:
1. Lord, bless us and these Thy gifts that we partake of.
Yours. In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
2. Bless, Lord, this food, so that it will benefit us and give us
strength to serve You and help those who need it. Amen.
3. Let us thank the Lord for the meal given to us. Amen.
We present to you other options for prayers before meals:
1. Our Father... Or: The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, and You give food to everyone at the right time,
You open Your generous hand and satisfy all living things.
2. We thank You, Christ our God, for You have filled us with Your earthly blessings. Don't deprive us of
Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as you once came to Your disciples, giving them peace, come to us and save us.
Often, believers, before and after eating, simply read three prayers: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen". “Lord, have mercy” (three times). “Through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen".
And, if you want to snack on an apple or a sandwich, for example, then the clergy recommend that you simply cross yourself or cross what you are eating!
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be your name, yes kingdom come Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
*Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and forgive me the unworthy, and forgive me all that You have sinned today as a man, and moreover, not as a man, but also worse than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, known and unknown: those who are evil from youth and science, and those who are evil from insolence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I will reproach; or slandered someone with my anger, or saddened someone, or became angry about something; either he lied, or he slept in vain, or he came to me as a beggar and despised him; or made my brother sad, or married, or whom I condemned; or became proud, or became proud, or became angry; or standing in prayer, my mind is moved by the wickedness of this world, or I think about corruption; either overeated, or drunk, or laughing madly; either I thought evil, or saw someone else’s kindness, and my heart was wounded by it; or dissimilar verbs, or laughed at my brother’s sin, but mine are countless sins; Either I didn’t pray for the sake of it, or I didn’t remember what other evil things I did, because I did more and more of these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator Master, Thy sad and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind, so that I may lie down in peace, sleep and rest, the prodigal, sinful and damned one, and I will bow and sing , and I will glorify Your most honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and ever and forever. Amen.
*Prayer
Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep. Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honorable Mother, and Your disembodied Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, the God-speaking Apostles, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints through the prayers, deliver me from my present demonic situation. To her, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if he were converted and live, grant me conversion, the accursed and unworthy; take me away from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, is my consolation, Who for the sake of the accursed one has clothed himself in corruptible flesh, pluck me from accursedness, and grant consolation to my more accursed soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and forsake evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: for in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, save me.
*Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.
*Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross:
May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; As wax melts in the presence of fire, so let demons perish in the presence of those who love God and are signified sign of the cross, and in joy saying: Rejoice, Most Honest and Life-giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
*Prayer
Weaken, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is good and Lover of Humanity.
*Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life. Visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. . Amen.
*CONFESSION OF SINS DAILY:
I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in Holy Trinity To the One, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, and at the present time, and in days and nights that have passed, by deed, word, thought, food, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, negligence, pride, avarice, theft, lack of speech, foulness, money-grubbing, jealousy, envy, anger, memory malice, hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator, who have angered You, and my untruthful neighbor: regretting these, I present my guilt to You to my God, and I have the will to repent: exactly, Lord God my, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that I have said before You, as You are Good and Lover of Mankind.
When you go to bed, be sure to say:
*In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.*
The LORD save and preserve you!!!
Every woman sooner or later wonders whether it is possible to read prayers during menstruation. Trying to find the answer, the girls turn to the clergy for help. Most priests believe that menstruation is not an obstacle to saying prayer, since in it a woman turns to God. The main requirement is that the reading of the prayer be sincere and without evil thoughts. However, there are priests who question the possibility of praying on menstrual periods and suggest refraining from visiting church during menstruation.
Concept of prayer
Prayer is considered to be an appeal to the Almighty in mental or verbal form, during which a woman asks the Saint to give her advice and guide her on the right path. The difference between prayer and ordinary petition is that the former has an energetic frame. Prayer must be sincere, come from the soul, and requests must not be of a material nature. If a person memorizes a prayer and says it without spiritual awareness, it loses its power and turns into a beautiful poem. It is worth remembering that in the process of prayer, the dominant role is given to human thoughts, and not to spoken words.
Is it possible for an Orthodox woman and a Muslim to pray?
According to historical references When approaching Jesus Christ and kissing his hands, women were in a state of natural bleeding, that is, this was not considered a sinful act. Modern temples On the contrary, they do not consider it correct to visit a holy place during menstruation, despite the fact that there is absolutely no doctrinal basis for this.
Orthodox women who follow the rules of the holy temple can pray at home at any time of the day. The only prohibition is the performance of special rituals that require the presence of a priest. A woman who reads a prayer during her period does not commit a sin, but cleanses her body and her thoughts.
A Muslim woman can also simply pray at home in front of icons. Sincere appeal to Allah does not require a certain place, a certain time, or a certain state for reading a prayer. Pray during critical days prohibited during Lent, which involves reading prayers daily for a month. Women who have begun menstruation stop reading prayers, and after the end of the cycle they begin to perform the sacred ritual together with everyone else.
What does the Old Testament say?
When asked whether it is possible to pray during menstruation, Old Testament expresses a categorical answer, explaining this for the following reasons:
- During menstruation, a woman is unclean and therefore cannot comply with hygiene standards. IN modern times this argument loses its relevance, since there are many hygiene products that make the menstrual period as easy as possible.
- A woman cannot attend church in any condition, since during menstruation the female body rejects a dead egg, which is perceived by many clergy as the murder of an unborn child.
- The menstrual cycle is the result of Adam and Eve committing sin, after which they lost the opportunity to live forever. Thus, the presence of menstruation prohibits a girl from visiting a temple, praying, or even picking up a prayer book.
God's commandments and menstruation
According to the Commandments of the Lord, there are no obstacles to reading prayers during critical days. The menstrual cycle is a natural biological process that the Almighty himself created, so it cannot be a sin. Reading the prayer should be carried out in any human condition - during a serious illness, during a period of hopelessness, as well as in joy. Prayer will help a seriously ill person to heal, return to his former life, and feel healthy.
According to the New Testament, turning to God does not depend on his bodily shell, the main thing is his sincerity and a pure soul. Thus, there is no prohibition on reading prayer during menstruation. A woman can visit Holy place with critical days, but she is not recommended to attend the service, since this process requires significant physical strength, which are not enough during natural blood loss.
Society's Beliefs
Women who occasionally attend church are poorly acquainted with its prohibitions and permissions. In many cases, they turn to relatives, acquaintances, and friends for advice. The opinions of most representatives of the fair sex agree that visiting the temple during menstruation is permitted. Firstly, when turning to God, it is important to be sincere and open, and not have any specific appearance. Secondly, a woman will not desecrate a holy place in any way, since she uses hygiene products that make menstruation invisible to other people. If a woman independently decides not to attend church during her period, she can pray at home. The main thing is to believe in its power.
The priest's answer
Priest Anatoly Smirnov:
“I, like many clergy, believe that a person should pray daily. Reading a prayer does not have to have a significant reason. When turning to the Almighty, a person can ask for a blessing or express gratitude for the past day. A woman's menstruation should not be an obstacle to performing a holy action. No one can prevent a woman from communicating with God if she needs it.”
Prayer to induce menstruation when delayed
Prayer for menstruation is very popular among the fair sex. Unfortunately, a delay in menstruation does not always indicate pregnancy, but can also notify a woman of many serious illnesses. In order to induce menstruation, it is necessary to say the following words: “Mother of God, Mother of God Mary, command Your servant to give blood in time, not to know grief. Amen". After making sure that the cause of the delay is not related to pregnancy, you need to use this prayer.
|
