Read the morning and evening prayer rules. How to pray correctly at home, in church, in front of an icon, relics, so that God hears and helps us: Orthodox church rules. Is it possible and how to pray correctly in your own words? What basic prayers you need to know

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Part 1.

Where did morning or evening prayers come from? Can something else be used instead? Is it necessary to pray twice a day? Is it possible to pray according to the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov?

We are talking about the prayer rule with Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, rector of the Church of the Holy Martyr Tatiana at Moscow State University.

– Father Maxim, where did the existing things come from? prayer rule– morning and evening prayers?

– In the form in which the prayer rule is now printed in our prayer books, others do not know it Local Churches, except for those Slavic Churches that at one time began to focus on the church press Russian Empire and de facto borrowed our liturgical books and corresponding printed texts. We will not see this in the Greek-speaking Orthodox Churches. There as morning and evening prayers for the laity, the following scheme is recommended: in the evening - a reduction in Compline and some elements of Vespers, and as morning prayers - unchangeable parts borrowed from Midnight Office and Matins.

If we look at a tradition that was recorded relatively recently by historical standards - for example, we open the “Domostroy” of Archpriest Sylvester - then we will see an almost fantastically ideal Russian family. The task was to provide some kind of role model. Such a family, being literate according to Sylvester, reads the sequence of Vespers and Matins at home, standing in front of the icons along with the household and servants.

If we pay attention to the monastic, priestly rule, known to the laity in preparation for receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, then we will see the same three canons that are read at Little Compline.

The collection of prayers under numbers arose quite late. The first text known to us is Francis Skaryna’s “The Road Book,” and today liturgists do not have a clear opinion about when and why such a collection was made. My assumption (it cannot be considered a final statement) is this: these texts first appeared in southwestern Rus', in the volosts, where there was a very strong Uniate influence and contacts with the Uniates. Most likely, there is, if not direct borrowing from the Uniates, then a certain kind of borrowing of liturgical and ascetic logic characteristic of that time catholic church, which clearly divided its composition into two categories: the church of those who teach and the church of students. Texts were offered for the laity, which had to be different from the texts read by the clergy, taking into account the different educational level and intra-church status of the laity.

By the way, in some prayer books XVIII- XIX century we still see a relapse of that consciousness (now this is not reprinted, but can be found in pre-revolutionary books): say, prayers that a Christian can read at the liturgy during the first antiphon; prayers and feelings that a Christian must read and experience during the small entrance... What is this if not some kind of analogue for a layman of those secret prayers that the priest reads during the corresponding parts of the liturgy, but only assigned not to the clergyman, but to the layman? I think that the fruit of that period in the history of our Church was the emergence of today’s church.

Well, the prayer rule became widespread in the form in which it is now already in the synodal era in the 18th-19th centuries and gradually established itself as a generally accepted norm for the laity. It is difficult to say in what year, in what decade this happened. If we read the teaching on prayer of our authoritative teachers and fathers of the 19th century, then we will not find any analyzes or discussions about the morning-evening rule either in St. Theophan, or in St. Philaret, or in St. Ignatius.

So, on the one hand, recognizing the existing prayer rule has been used for several centuries within the Russian Church and in this sense has become partly unwritten, partly written norm of our spiritual-ascetic and spiritual-prayerful life, we should not overestimate the status of today’s prayer books and given they contain prayer texts as the only possible norm for organizing prayer life.

– Is it possible to change the prayer rule? Now this approach has been established among the laity: you can supplement, but you cannot replace or reduce. What do you think about this?

– In the form in which they exist, morning and evening prayers are in some inconsistency with the principle of construction Orthodox worship, which combines, as we all know well, a changeable and an unchangeable part. Moreover, among the changing parts there are repeated - daily, weekly, once a year - circles of worship: daily, weekly and annual. This principle of combining a solid, unchanging backbone, a skeleton on which everything is built up, and variable, changeable parts is very wisely designed and corresponds to the very principle of human psychology: on the one hand, it needs a norm, a charter, and on the other, variability so that the charter does not become into formal reading and repetition of texts that no longer evoke any internal response. And here there are just problems with the prayer rule, where the same texts are used in the morning and in the evening.

When preparing for Communion, the laity follows three of the same canons. Even in priestly preparation, the canons differ by week. If you open the service book, it says that each day of the week has its own canons. But among the laity the rule remains unchanged. So what, read only this for the rest of your life? It is clear that certain types of problems will arise.

Saint Theophan gives advice, which at one time I was very happy about. I myself and other people I know have found much spiritual benefit in this advice. He advises, when reading the prayer rule to combat coldness and dryness several times a week, noticing the standard chronological period taken to read the usual rule, to try in the same fifteen to twenty minutes, half an hour, not to set yourself the task of necessarily reading everything, but repeatedly returning to the place from which we were distracted or wandered in thought, to achieve utmost concentration on the words and meaning of prayer. Even if in the same twenty minutes we read only the initial prayers, we would learn to do it for real. At the same time, the saint does not say that it is generally necessary to switch to this approach. And he says that you need to combine: on some days, read the rule in its entirety, and on others, pray in this way.

If we take the church-liturgical principle of constructing a prayer life as a basis, it would be reasonable to either combine or partially replace certain components of the morning and evening rules with, say, the canons that are in the canon - there are clearly more of them there than in the prayer book. There are absolutely wondrous, amazing, beautiful prayers of the Octoechos, going back in large part to St. John of Damascus. When preparing for Communion on Sunday, why not read that Theotokos canon or that Sunday canon to the Cross of Christ or the Resurrection, which is in the Octoechos? Or take, say, the canon to the Guardian Angel of the corresponding voice from the Octoechos, rather than the same one that has been offered to a person to read for many years.

For many of us, on the day of receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, especially for the laity, regardless of the frequency of communion, the soul, and not laziness, prompts a person to rather seek thanksgiving to God on that day than to repeat again in the evening the words that “we have sinned, lawless” and so on. . When everything in us is still full of gratitude to God for accepting the Holy Mysteries of Christ, so that, for example, we don’t take this or that akathist chant or, say, an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus, or some other prayer book and make it the center of our prayer rule for this day?

In fact, prayer, I’ll say such a terrible phrase, needs to be approached creatively. It is impossible to dry it down to the level of a formally executed scheme: to have, on the one hand, the burden of having to carry out this scheme day after day, year after year, and on the other hand, some kind of periodic internal satisfaction from the fact that I am fulfilling what is due , and what else do you want from me in heaven, I did, not without difficulty, what was required. Prayer cannot be turned into reading and performing only a duty, and counting - I don’t have the gift of prayer, I’m a small person, the holy fathers, ascetics, mystics prayed, but we’ll just wander through the prayer book - and there’s no demand.

– Who should decide what prayer rule should be - should the person himself decide, or should he still go to his confessor, to a priest?

– If a Christian has a confessor with whom he determines the constants of his internal spiritual structure, then it would be absurd to do without him in this case, and decide for himself what to do with his own head. We initially assume that a confessor is a person at least no less experienced in spiritual life than the one who turns to him, and in most cases somewhat more experienced. And in general - one head is good, but two are better. From the outside it is clearer that a person, even a reasonable person in many respects, may not notice. Therefore, it is prudent, when determining something that we seek to make permanent, to consult with our confessor.

But there is no advice for every movement of the soul. And if today you wanted to open the Psalter - not in terms of regular reading, but simply open and add the psalms of King David to your usual prayer routine - shouldn’t you call the priest? It’s another matter if you want to start reading kathismas along with the prayer rule. Then you need to consult and take a blessing for this, and the priest, based on whether you are ready, will help you with advice. Well, as for just natural movements of the soul - here you somehow have to decide for yourself.

“I think that it is better not to omit the initial prayers unnecessarily, because they contain perhaps the most concentrated experience of the Church - “To the Heavenly King,” “ Holy Trinity", who taught us the prayer "Our Father" we already know, "It is worthy to eat" or "Rejoice to the Virgin Mary" - there are so few of them, and they are so obviously chosen by the prayer experience of the Church. The charter sometimes asks us to abstain from them. “To the King of Heaven” - we wait 50 days before the Feast of Pentecost, on Bright Week We generally have a special prayer rule. I don't understand the logic of this refusal.

– Why is it necessary to pray exactly twice a day – morning and evening? One of our readers writes: when I work with children, cook or clean, it’s so easy for me to pray, but as soon as I stand in front of the icons, everything seems to cut off.

– Several themes arise here at once. Nobody calls us to limit ourselves to morning or evening rule. The Apostle Paul says directly: pray without ceasing. The task of a good arrangement of prayer life implies that a Christian strives not to forget about God during the day, including not to forget in prayer. There are many situations in our lives when prayer can be developed in a distinct way. But the reluctance to stand up and pray precisely when it is supposed to be a duty must be fought, because, as we know, the enemy of the human race is especially opposed there when there is no self-will. It's easy to do, it's done when I want. But it becomes a feat that I have to do regardless of whether I want to or not. Therefore, I would advise you not to give up efforts to put yourself in morning and evening prayers. Its size is another matter, especially for a mother with children. But it should be like some constant value of the prayer structure.

As for prayers during the day: if you stir porridge, young mother, chant a prayer to yourself, or if somehow you can concentrate more, read the Jesus Prayer to yourself.

Now for most of us there is a great school of prayer - this is the road. Each of us goes to school, to work on public transport, in a car in the well-known Moscow traffic jams. Pray! Don't waste your time, don't turn on unnecessary radio. If you don’t hear the news, you’ll survive for several days without it. Don’t think that you are so tired on the subway that you want to forget yourself and fall asleep. Well, okay, if you can’t read the prayer book on the subway, read “Lord, have mercy” to yourself. And this will be a school of prayer.

– What if you’re driving and put on a CD with prayers?

– I once treated this very harshly, I thought, well, these discs are some kind of hack, and then, from the experience of various clergy and laity, I saw that this could be an aid to the prayer rule.

The only thing I would say is that you don’t need to reduce your entire prayer life to listening to discs. It would be absurd to come home in the evening and stand on evening rule, instead of yourself, turn on the disc, and some reverent Lavra choir and experienced hierodeacon will begin to lull you to sleep in a familiar voice. Everything should be in moderation.

– How can you relate to the rule given by the great saint? Like the rule given by the great saint. I just want to remind you under what circumstances he gave it: he gave it to those nuns and novices who were in difficult labor obediences for 14-16 hours a day. He gave them so that they could start and end their day without having the opportunity to fulfill regular monastic rules, and reminded them that this rule must be combined with internal prayer work during the labors that they carry out during the day.

Of course, if a person in a hot shop or in no less tedious office work comes home in such a state that he can eat dinner made by his beloved wife on a quick fix and reading prayers is all he has the strength left for, let him read the rule St. Seraphim. But if you still have the strength to leisurely sit at your desk, make a few not-so-necessary phone calls, watch a movie or news on TV, read a friend’s feed on the Internet, and then - oh, you have to get up for work tomorrow and only have a few minutes left - then, perhaps, it is not the most correct way to limit yourself to the Seraphim rule.

To be continued…

HOW TO READ MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERS CORRECTLY

Prayer there is a conversation or conversation between us and God. It is necessary for us just like air and food. We have everything from God and have nothing of our own: life, abilities, health, food and everything is given to us by God. Therefore, in joy and in sorrow, and when we need something, we must turn to God in prayer.

The main thing in prayer is faith, attention, reverence, contrition of heart and a promise to God not to sin. The reading technique should not obscure the meaning of what is being read. Prayers are usually read evenly and calmly, without any exaggerated intonation.

Saint Theophan the Recluse wrote in the article “How to Pray”: The work of prayer is the first task in Christian life. If in relation to the usual order of affairs the saying is true: “Live forever, learn forever,” then all the more does it apply to prayer, the action of which should not have an interruption and the extent of which has no limit.

The ancient holy fathers, greeting each other on a date, usually asked not about health or anything else, but about prayer: how, they say, prayer goes or how it works. The action of prayer was a sign of spiritual life for them, and they called it the breath of the spirit.

There is breath in the body - and the body lives; When breathing stops, life stops. So it is in the spirit: there is prayer - the spirit lives; no prayer - no life in the spirit.

But not every performance of prayer, or prayer, is prayer. Standing in front of an icon in a church or at home and bowing down is not yet prayer, but only an accessory to prayer.

Prayer itself is the emergence in our hearts of one after another reverent feelings towards God: self-abasement, devotion, thanksgiving, glorification, forgiveness, diligent prostration, contrition, submission to the will of God and others.

All our concern should be that during our prayers these and similar feelings fill our soul so that when the tongue reads prayers or the ear listens and the body bows, the heart does not remain empty, but that there is some kind of feeling directed towards God.

When these feelings are present, our prayer is prayer, and when they are not there, then it is not yet prayer.

It seems that what would be simpler and more natural for us, like prayer, or the aspiration of the heart to God? And yet it does not happen to everyone and does not always happen. It must be aroused and then strengthened, or, what is the same, cultivate a prayerful spirit in oneself.

The first way for this is reading or listening prayer. Do it properly, and you will certainly awaken and strengthen the ascent in your heart to God, and you will enter into the spirit of prayer.

Our prayer books contain the prayers of the holy fathers Ephraim the Syrian, Macarius of Egypt, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and other great prayer books. Being filled with a spirit of prayer, they expressed what was inspired by this spirit in word and conveyed it to us.

A great prayer power moves in their prayers, and whoever looks into them with all his zeal and attention, by virtue of the law of interaction, will certainly taste the power of prayer as his mood approaches the content of the prayer.

In order for our prayer to become a valid means for us to cultivate prayer in ourselves, we must perform it in such a way that both the thought and the heart perceive the content of the prayers that make it up. Here are the three simplest techniques for this:

- do not start praying without preliminary, albeit brief, preparation;

- don’t do it haphazardly, but with attention and feeling;

- do not immediately after finishing your prayers go on to your usual activities.

Prayer rule - daily morning and evening prayers that Christians do. Their texts can be found in the prayer book.

The rule can be general - mandatory for everyone, or individual, selected for the believer by the confessor, taking into account his spiritual state, strength and employment.

Consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This vital rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult matter, “inspiration”, “mood” and improvisation are not enough.

Reading prayers connects a person with their creators: the psalmists and ascetics. This helps to gain a spiritual mood akin to their heartfelt burning. Our example in praying in other people’s words is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His prayerful exclamations during the suffering of the cross are lines from the psalms (Ps. 21:2; 30:6).

There are three basic prayer rules:
1) a complete prayer rule, designed for spiritually experienced laity, which is published in “ Orthodox prayer book»;

2) a short prayer rule; in the morning: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angela", "Holy Lady", invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead; in the evening: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”;

3) a short prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Our Father” three times, “Virgin Mother of God” three times and “I Believe” once - for those days and circumstances when a person is extremely tired or very limited in time.

It is not advisable to completely omit the prayer rule. Even if the prayer rule is read without due attention, the words of the prayers, penetrating the soul, have a cleansing effect.

The main prayers should be known by heart (with regular reading, they are gradually memorized by a person even with a very poor memory), so that they penetrate deeper into the heart and so that they can be repeated in any circumstances.

It is advisable to study the text of the translation of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian (see “Explanatory Prayer Book”) in order to understand the meaning of each word and not pronounce a single word meaninglessly or without precise understanding.

It is very important that those who begin to pray should expel resentment, irritation, and bitterness from their hearts. Without efforts aimed at serving people, fighting sin, and establishing control over the body and spiritual sphere, prayer cannot become the inner core of life..

In the conditions of modern life, given the workload and accelerated pace, it is not easy for the laity to set aside a certain time for prayer. The enemy of morning prayer is haste, and the enemy of evening prayer is fatigue.

Morning prayers It is best to read before starting anything (and before breakfast). As a last resort, they are pronounced on the way from home. Late in the evening it is often difficult to concentrate due to fatigue, so we can recommend reading the evening prayer rule in the free minutes before dinner or even earlier.

During prayer, it is recommended to retire, light a lamp or candle and stand in front of the icon. Depending on the nature of family relationships, we can recommend reading the prayer rule together, with the whole family, or with each family member separately.

General prayer is recommended before eating food, on special days, before a holiday meal, and in other similar cases. Family prayer is a type of church, public prayer (the family is a kind of “home Church”) and therefore does not replace individual prayer, but only complements it.

Before starting prayer, you should enlighten yourself sign of the cross and make several bows, from the waist or to the ground, and try to tune in to an internal conversation with God. The difficulty of prayer is often a sign of its true effectiveness.

Prayer for other people (see memorial) is an integral part of prayer. Standing before God does not alienate a person from his neighbors, but binds him to them with even closer ties. We should not limit ourselves to just praying for people close and dear to us. Praying for those who have caused us grief brings peace to the soul, has an impact on these people and makes our prayer sacrificial.

It is good to end the prayer with thanksgiving to God for the gift of communication and contrition for one’s inattention. When getting down to business, you must first think about what you have to say, do, see during the day and ask God for blessings and strength to follow His will. In the midst of a busy day, you need to say a short prayer (see Jesus prayer), which will help you find the Lord in everyday affairs.

Morning and evening rules– this is just necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray unceasingly (see the prayer of Jesus). The Holy Fathers said: if you churn milk, you will get butter, and so in prayer, quantity turns into quality. God bless you!

"Every Christian should have a rule." (St. John Chrysostom)

“If you create a rule without laziness, then you will receive a great reward from God and remission of sins.” (St. Innocent of Irkutsk)

I. Initial bows

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Stay a little, silently and then pray slowly with the fear of God, if possible, then with tears, firmly believing that “the Holy Spirit strengthens us in our weaknesses: for we do not know what to pray for, and how we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed" (Rom. 8:26).

God, be merciful to me, a sinner (bow).

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me (bow).

Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me (bow).

Without the number of sinners. Lord, forgive me (bow).

My Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner (bow).

Angel, my holy guardian, save me from all evil (bow).

Saint (name of your Saint), pray to God for me (bow).

II. Initial prayers

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, 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 life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed One, our souls. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal; have mercy on us (thrice).

Note. During the period from Holy Easter to Pentecost, the prayer to the Holy Spirit - “Heavenly King” is not read. On the week of St. On Easter the entire trisagion is not read, but is replaced by the troparion “Christ is Risen...” three times. Also, before Easter is celebrated, instead of “It is worthy to eat, as in truth” the following is read or sung: “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem: For the glory of the Lord is upon You; rejoice now and be glad in Zion, you, the Pure One, show off to the Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

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 (three times).

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and throughout the age of ages. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be it your name, may your 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.

Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).

Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. You have loved the truth; you have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. God, create in me a pure heart, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed. O God, God of my salvation, my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness, O Lord, You have opened my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had wanted sacrifices, you would have given burnt offerings, but you would not have been pleased. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering: then they will lay the bullock on Your altar. (Psalm 50.)

1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. Who was born of the Father before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.

3. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human.

4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

5. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;

7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, we are worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

11. Tea of the resurrection of the dead;

12. And the life of the next century. Amen.

Morning prayer (read only in the morning)

To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running and strive for Your works with Your mercy; and I pray to You: help me at all times, in every thing, and deliver me from all worldly evil things and the devil’s haste, and save me and bring me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator, and the Provider and Giver of every good thing, and all my hope is in You, and I send up glory to You, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Evening prayer (read only in the evening)

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. To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the age of ages. Amen.

Virgin Mary, rejoice. 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.

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 in nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is Good and Lover of Humanity.

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. Contribute to the Emperor. 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 the greatness of Your 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 (bow).

Memorial for the living

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), and with his holy prayers forgive my sins (bow). Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents (their names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives according to the flesh and all my neighbors and friends, and grant them Your peace and the most peaceful goodness (bow).

Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me and create misfortunes against me, and do not leave them to perish for me for the sake of a sinner (bow).

Hasten, Lord, to enlighten the ignorant of You (the pagans) with the light of Your Gospel, and blinded by destructive heresies and schism, and unite them to Your Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church (bow).

About the departed

Remember, Lord, the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep, my parents (their names) and all relatives in the flesh; and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the Kingdom and the communion of Thy eternal good things and Thy endless and blissful life of pleasure (bow).

Grant, Lord, remission of sins to all who have previously departed in faith and hope of resurrection to our fathers, brothers and sisters, and create for them eternal memory (three times).

End of prayers

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

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 you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

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). Bless.

Vacation

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and the saint (remember the Saint of this day) and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen. (three bows).

Note 1st. In the morning, without praying, do not start eating, drinking, or doing anything. Before starting any task, pray like this: “Lord, bless! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” At the end of the task, say: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and in the age of ages. Amen.”

Before eating food, read: “Our Father”... to the end, then bless the food and drink with the cross. (In the family, the eldest in the house blesses.) At the end of the meal (food), read “It is worthy to eat, as truly...” to the end, for Blessed Virgin Mary, through the birth of the Son of God, gave the whole world “true food and true drink” (John 6:55), i.e. Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the day, keep in your heart the shortest but most saving prayer: “Lord, have mercy!”...

Note 2. If you have an urgent task and you are very busy with work, or you are in weakness, then never read the rules hastily without due attention, do not anger God, and do not multiply your sins: it is better to read one prayer slowly, reverently, than several prayers hastily , hastily. Therefore, a very busy person should, with the blessing of the Venerable Martyr Macarius of Kanevsky, read one prayer - “Our Father...” But if you have a little more time, then, with the blessing of St. Seraphim of Sarov miracle. - read “Our Father” three times, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” three times and “I Believe” - once.

Note 3. If, on the contrary, you have quite a bit of free time, then do not spend it idle, because idleness is the mother of vices, but even if you were no longer capable of work due to illness or old age, fill your time with prayerful deeds, so that you will find great mercy from the Lord God.

(The text is based on the book: Bishop Pavel of Nikolsk-Ussuriysk; “From the Holy Font to the Tomb”, 1915)

For our readers: a brief morning and evening prayer rule detailed description from various sources.

Prayer book

A short prayer book

PrefaceMorning prayersPrayers for the future The prayer rule of a layman consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult matter, inspiration, mood and improvisation are not enough.

There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced laity, which is printed in the Orthodox Prayer Book.

However, for those who are just beginning to get used to prayer, it is difficult to immediately begin to read the entire rule. Typically, confessors advise starting with several prayers, and then adding one prayer to the rule every 7-10 days, so that the skill of reading the rule is developed gradually and naturally.

In addition, lay people sometimes have situations when there is little time left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read with attention and reverence short rule than to hastily and superficially, without a prayerful attitude, mechanically read out the full rule.

Thus, cultivating a reasonable attitude towards the rule of prayer, Saint Theophan the Recluse writes to one family member:

“Bless, Lord, and continue prayer according to your rule. But never commit yourself to a rule and think that there is anything valuable in having such a rule or always following it. The whole price is in heartfelt surrender before God. The saints write that if someone does not leave prayer as a condemned man, worthy of all punishment from the Lord, then he leaves it as a Pharisee. Another said: “When you are praying, stand as if on Last Judgment, when God’s decisive decree about you is ready to come: go away or come.”

Formality and mechanism in prayer must be avoided in every possible way. Let this always be a matter of a deliberate, free decision, and make it with consciousness and feeling, and not somehow. In case you need to be able to shorten the rule. You never know family life accidents?.. You can, for example, in the morning and evening, when there is no time, read only the morning prayers and those for bedtime as a memory. You can not even read them all, but several at a time. You can not read anything at all, but make a few bows, but with true heartfelt prayer. The rule must be handled with complete freedom. Be the mistress of the rule, not the slave. She is only a servant of God, obligated to devote all the minutes of her life to pleasing Him.”

For such cases, there is an established short prayer rule designed for all believers.

In the morning it includes:

“To the Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “Have mercy on me, O God”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angel “,” “Holy Lady,” invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead.

In the evening it includes:

“To the Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”.

Morning prayers

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Initial prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist.)

Lord's Prayer

Hymn to 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.

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering, Thou hast not been angry with me, lazy and sinful, nor hast Thou destroyed me with my iniquities; but you usually loved mankind and in the despair of the one who lay down, you raised me up to practice and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my lips, to learn Thy words, and to understand Thy commandments, and to do Thy will, and to sing to Thee in heartfelt confession, and to sing Thy all-holy name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages. centuries. Amen.

Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and triumph over the judgment of You. Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. My hearing brings joy and joy; humble bones 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 my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.

I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

First prayer of Saint Macarius the Great

God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done nothing good before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and may Thy will be done in me, may I open my unworthy lips without condemnation and praise Thy holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages Amen.

To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running, and I strive for Your works with Your mercy, and I pray to You: help me at all times, in every thing, and deliver me from all worldly evil things and the devil’s haste, and save me, and bring us into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Provider and Giver of every good thing, and all my hope is in You, and I send up glory to You, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Holy Angel, standing before my accursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me, a sinner, nor depart from me for my intemperance. Do not give room to the evil demon to possess me through the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me everything, I have offended you so greatly all the days of my life, and if I sinned this past night, cover me on this day, and save me from every opposite temptation May I not anger God in any sin, and pray for me to the Lord, that He may strengthen me in His passion, and show me worthy as a servant of His goodness. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, with Your saints and all-powerful prayers, take away from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all the nasty, evil and blasphemous thoughts from my accursed heart and from my darkened mind; and extinguish the flame of my passions, for I am poor and damned. And deliver me from many and cruel memories and enterprises, and free me from all evil actions. For Thou art blessed from all generations, and glorified is Thy most honorable name forever and ever. Amen.

Prayerful invocation of 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.

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives (names), bosses, mentors, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians.

Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is worthy to eat as truly to bless Thee, Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption. **

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayers for the future

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)

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father, Eternal God and King of every creation, who has made me worthy even at this hour to be sung, forgive me the sins I have committed on this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, 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 Most Holy Theotokos of the Blessed King, Good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers 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, Virgin Mother of God , one Pure and Blessed.

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 I may not anger my God in any sin; 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.

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

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.

* From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs.” (Three times) From Ascension to Trinity, we begin prayers with “Holy God...”, omitting all the preceding ones. This remark also applies to future bedtime prayers.

Throughout Bright Week, instead of this rule, the hours of Holy Easter are read.

** From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the chorus and irmos of the 9th song of the Easter canon are read:

“The angel cried out with grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And again the river: Rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the grave and raised up the dead; people, have fun! Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and be glad, O Zion. You, Pure One, show off, O Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

These remarks also apply to future bedtime prayers.

Compiled using materials from the book:

How to learn home prayer. Moscow, “Ark”, 2004. Trifonov Pechenga Monastery

An Orthodox believer differs from worldly people in that Everyday life keeps God's commandments and remains in prayer. The prayer rule for beginners is to read certain appeals to the Almighty and the saints to acquire a closer knowledge of the Creator.

Why are rules needed?

Experienced Christians know them by heart, but every Orthodox person should have a “Prayer Book” filled with texts of proclamations not only for morning and evening, but for all occasions.

A prayer rule is a list of prayers. For morning and evening there is general order sacred reading. In each individual case, the spiritual mentor adjusts the prayer law, taking into account the degree of employment of the person, his place of residence and spiritual age.

Prayer Rule

Often, new believers rebel against reading texts written by saints in a language that is difficult to read. The prayer book was written on the basis of appeals to the Lord of people who accomplished the feat of faith, lived in purity and worship of Jesus Christ and were led by the Holy Spirit.

The first example, which became an integral part of the prayer rule for morning and evening prayers, was given to His followers by the Savior Himself. “Our Father” is the main appeal with which Orthodox believers begin and end the day. Daily reading of the prayer book becomes a habit that fills the soul with God's wisdom.

The Church offers a prayer rule for beginners, so that the infant soul in Christianity grows in actions pleasing to the Creator.

Daily conversation with the Creator is live communication, not an empty phrase. The Boldness of Communion with Almighty God Involves Conversation in the right words, in which there is no emptiness.

Important! By turning to the Almighty, the Orthodox are then filled with God's knowledge and His protection, when they leave vanity and are completely immersed in prayer.

How to behave correctly during prayer communication

Prayerful communication of all Orthodox Christians is performed standing; only elderly and sick people can sit. While reading the prayer book, in recognition of their sinfulness and imperfection, showing humility, people bow, some to the waist, while others bow to the ground.

Prayerful communication with God

Some Orthodox believers perform prayer communion while kneeling. The holy apostles opposed such worship, explaining that only slaves kneel; children do not need to do this. (Gal. 4:7) However, having committed some sin, it is not forbidden to kneel in submission, begging for forgiveness.

Beginning believers sometimes do not know how to correctly make the sign of the cross. The fingers of the right hand should be folded as follows:

press the little finger and ring finger to the palm, they mean that Jesus was God and man at the same time;
put the thumb, index and middle fingers together, three-fingered, as a symbol of the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How to be baptized correctly

Drawing a cross in the air, touch the middle of the forehead with folded fingers, then lower the hand just below the navel, move to the right and then the left shoulder, only after this they bow.

A careless attitude to the sign of the cross, according to Chrysostom, causes joy only among demons. The sign of the cross, performed with faith and reverence, is filled with God's grace and is a terrifying force for demonic attacks.

Before reading spiritual texts, you should try to free yourself from vain thoughts; this is sometimes difficult, so try to imagine the great sacrifice of Christ and your presence before Him in this world.

Never perform your prayers “for show”; in the spiritual world they will be an empty phrase. Delve into every word of the appeal to the Savior, filling yourself with His grace and love.

Prayer Rule - Law or Grace

Many novice Orthodox Christians are interested in the question: if prayer is a free appeal to the Creator, then why make it conform to the law.

In response to such an appeal, the Saratov abbot Pachomius clarifies that freedom and permissiveness should not be confused. The freedom of believers consists in the boldness of being before the throne of the Most High, which sinners and the unbaptized cannot afford. Permissiveness returns the believer to his former life, and it is then much more difficult to return to the grace of appeals to the Savior.

In the spiritual world there is no consensus regarding the duration and order of prayer before the Almighty. Some people remain in reverent worship for hours, while others cannot stand even half an hour.

Regular, constant spending time reading prayers will help you develop the habit of daily communication with the Creator, even if it’s 15 minutes in the evening.

Prayer Rule

First, you should purchase a “Prayer Book” and read it. Sometimes an Orthodox person understands that reading out of obligation turns into an empty habit; if this happens, then one can move on, as St. Theophan the Recluse did, to reading psalms and scriptures from the Bible.

The main thing is to be filled with worship of the Creator every day, to enter His presence, to feel His protection throughout the day. Evangelist Matthew wrote that to conquer the Kingdom of God you need to use force. (Matt. 11:12)

To help the beginning prayer book

There are three prayer lists for Orthodox believers.

The complete prayer rule is designed for spiritually persistent believers, which include monks and clergy.
The prayer rule for all laity consists of a list of prayers, read in the morning and in the evening, a list of them can be found in the “Prayer Book”:

in the morning: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “Have mercy on me, O God”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “ Holy Angel”, “Most Holy Lady”, invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
in the evening: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”.

Seraphim of Sarov proposed another short prayer rule for those laity who, for some reason, are limited in time or are in unpredictable circumstances.

Icon of Seraphim of Sarov

It consists of reading each prayer three times:

"Our Father";
“Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”;
"I believe."

Particular attention should be paid to reading spiritual appeals to the Almighty Creator and Savior during the period of fasting, before receiving the Sacrament of Communion and in the hour of difficult life trials.

Advice! God's mercy accompanies those who began communicating with God in the morning, before breakfast, and ended by reading spiritual texts before dinner.

Moral preparation for worship

For a beginning Orthodox believer, it is advisable to purchase a “Prayer Book” in modern Russian, so that while reading what is written, delve into every word, filling it with strength and grace, and receive instruction and support.

This is the advice of Nicodemus the Holy Mountain, which points out the importance of understanding every word of the text being read. Over time, many texts are stored in memory and read by heart.

Before reading the Prayer Book, you should ask the Holy Spirit to show whether there are any remnants of resentment, bitterness or irritation in your heart. Mentally forgive all offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were treated unfairly, this is how the Orthodox pray.

According to Tikhon of Zadonsk, all negativism should be abandoned, for, as Gregory of Nyssa wrote, the Creator is Kind, Righteous, Patient, Lover of Humanity, Kind-hearted, Merciful, the goal of the prayer rule is to be transformed into the image of the Creator, to acquire all the qualities for philanthropy.

Reading prayers at home

Jesus Christ taught to communicate with Him to go into your prayer room, closing the doors from the outside world. In each Orthodox family There is a corner with icons, although it is becoming increasingly rare to see an icon lamp there.

Red corner in the house

Before starting to worship God, you should light a candle; it is advisable to purchase it in the temple. In a family, and this is a prototype of the church, there are rules for who prays in solitude, and some prefer to do it together, because the intense prayer of a righteous person can do a lot. (James 5:16)

Theophan the Recluse, who spent a lot of time worshiping God, writes that there is no need to rush when starting to pray. Having made the sign of the cross and bowed, you should be silent for a moment, entering a state of worship and reverence before God. Every word of prayer must come from the heart; it must not only be understood, but also felt.

Reading "Our Father";

give praise to the Creator who is in Heaven;
submit your life to His will;
truly forgive the debts and misdeeds of other people, for these are prerequisites for God to forgive each of the Orthodox;
ask Him for mercy in solving all material problems with the words “give us this day our daily bread”;
establish protection over yourself from demons and satanic temptations;
Declare the power of God in your life and His covering over you and your family.

If, while reading the “Prayer Book,” a desire appears in your heart to ask God for some need, do not put it off until later, but immediately bring it before the prayer throne of the Almighty.

The Lord teaches His children to be constant and persistent in prayer through the example of a poor widow (Luke 18:2-6); no petition will remain unanswered by Him. It is very important when communicating with the Savior to put aside all haste; only through a meaningful appeal can one reach God.

According to the advice of Bishop Anthony, in order not to be distracted by time limits, you should wind the clock so that the bell rings at the right moment. It doesn’t matter how long the prayer rule lasts or how many prayers are read, the main thing is that they are completely dedicated to God.

Saint Ignatius calls regular prayers hard work for sinners, while the righteous experience pleasure from communion with the saints and the Trinity.

If thoughts “run away”, there is no need to rush, you should return to where you began the absent-minded reading of the spiritual proclamation and start all over again. Helps you focus on readable text pronouncing all appeals out loud. It is not without reason that they say that prayers read silently are heard by God, but prayers spoken out loud are heard by demons.

Silouan of Athos noted that God does not hear words spoken in empty thoughts and worldly affairs.

Silouan of Athos

The spirit of prayer is strengthened by regularity, just as the body of an athlete is strengthened by training. Having finished your prayer, do not immediately “pounce” on worldly vain affairs, give yourself a few more minutes of being in God’s grace.

Is it necessary to read a prayer book during the day?

Having once dedicated my life to the Lord, Orthodox people are under His protection all their lives.

Throughout your busy day, you should not forget to invoke the Father’s mercy with the words “Bless, God!” Having passed through a test, receiving a reward or blessing, having done a successful job, do not forget to give all the glory to the Creator with the words “Glory to you, my God!” When you get into trouble, when you are sick or in danger, cry out: “Save me, God!” and He will hear.

Before eating, one should not forget to thank the Creator for the given food and ask for His blessing to accept it.

By constantly being in prayer, having acquired the habit of crying out at any second, thanking, asking, repenting before God with all your heart, and not with empty words, an Orthodox person becomes God-thinking. God-thinking helps to understand the goodness of the Creator, the existence Kingdom of Heaven and brings the Orthodox closer to God.

Video about fulfilling the prayer rule

Date of publication or update 05/01/2017

A brief prayer rule for the laity

“Every Christian should have a rule.” (St. John Chrysostom)

“If you create a rule without laziness, then you will receive a great reward from God and remission of sins.” (St. Innocent of Irkutsk)

I. Initial bows

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner (bow).

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me (bow).

Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me (bow).

Without the number of sinners. Lord, forgive me (bow).

My Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner (bow).

Angel, my holy guardian, save me from all evil (bow).

Saint (name of your Saint), pray to God for me (bow).

II. Initial prayers

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Note. During the period from Holy Easter to Pentecost, the prayer to the Holy Spirit - “Heavenly King” is not read. On the week of St. On Easter the entire trisagion is not read, but is replaced by the troparion “Christ is Risen...” three times. Also, before the celebration of Easter, instead of “It is worthy to eat, as in truth,” the following is read or sung: “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem: for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you; rejoice now and be glad in Zion, but you, the Pure One, show off to the Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

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 (three times).

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and throughout the age of ages. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.