“Do not impose any vows and rules on yourself without the approval of your spiritual father, with whose advice one bow will bring you more benefit than a thousand self-made bows.”
Also Reverend Anthony wrote:
“The Pharisee prayed and fasted more than ours, but without humility all his work was nothing, and therefore be jealous of the most publican humility, which is usually born from obedience, and dominates you.”
Elder Joseph (Litovkin) warned that fulfilling a rule with a blessing is more difficult than one that one took without permission. Can be done great amount bows out of vanity, but when we do something with blessing, with humility, it is much more difficult. But it is good for the soul:
“The imposed rule is always difficult, and doing with humility is even more difficult. What is acquired with labor is useful.”
Failure to comply with the rule
In the world, there are various circumstances beyond our control: business trips, protracted meetings, emergency work at work, as well as illnesses of our own and loved ones. In general, it may happen that even the most pious layman will somehow be unable to fulfill the daily rule. At the same time, Elder Nikon advised not to be embarrassed in any way, but simply humbly reproach yourself for weakness:
“Try not to miss the prayer rule either in the morning or in the evening, but if for any reason you lower it, especially due to circumstances beyond your control, then do not be embarrassed, but humbly reproach yourself for weakness, for self-reproach is an invisible ascent, and embarrassment, according to Father Ambrose, it is not listed anywhere among the virtues.
Permanent prayer memory
The elders reminded us that, in addition to the rule, we need to have a constant prayer memory, constantly remember God and repeat more often during the day: “Lord, have mercy!”, “Lord, bless”, “Lord, protect!” These short prayers will sanctify our daily life.
“Every deed must begin with an invocation of the name of God to help,” Elder Hilarion (Ponomarev) taught.
Saint Nikon reminded:
“At any time, no matter what you do: whether you are sitting, walking, working, read with your heart: “Lord, have mercy!””;
“When you are sorrowful and despondent and a heavy temptation comes upon you, you only repeat one thing: “Lord, have mercy, save and have mercy on Your servant!” And sorrow will be lightened.
To the question about short prayer, which can be often repeated, the Monk Nikon answered:
“Pray simply: “Lord, grant me Thy grace!” And the Lord will carry a storm past you.”
Asking for Prayer for Others
So that people do not remain careless and do not place their hope only in an outside prayer help, St. Ambrose instructed:
“Remember, the twelve apostles asked the Savior for a Canaanite wife, but He did not hear them; but she herself began to ask - she begged.
And sometimes he repeated the folk saying:
"God, help me - and the man himself does not lie down."
prayer mood
The Optina elders advised us to stop verbosity and idle talk during prayer, as this disrupts the prayer mood and drives away grace. Saint Nikon wrote:
“Especially during prayer, leave all thoughts about worldly things. After prayer, home or church, in order to maintain a prayerful tender mood, silence is necessary. Sometimes even a simple, insignificant word can break and frighten away tenderness from our soul.
Silence prepares the soul for prayer. Silence, how it has a beneficial effect on the soul!
This, of course, is not about the necessary business conversations or communication with relatives, raising children - I mean the empty talk that we so often fall into.
Elder Ambrose advised:
“Smart silence is the most precious thing. If we put all the rules of prudence on one weight bowl, and put prudent silence on the other bowl, then silence alone will outweigh ";
“When you feel that you want to say something out of passion, be silent. Hold on, don't speak. After all, this is abuse, you need to win, then only you will fall behind.
You need to pray even to learn how to pray correctly. Saint Nikon wrote:
“We are on our own, without Divine help, and we are not able to pray: we cannot pray properly and do not know how and for what to pray.”
About prayer gifts
Prayer feat is accompanied by gifts to zealous prayer books. The Optina elders warned that one should not arbitrarily seek these gifts, such as tears at prayer or purity and dispassion. This can be dangerous for an inexperienced prayer book.
He wrote about tears in prayer:
“Not everyone can cry, but to whom God will give tears. And God seldom gives tears to the beginners. And then they will become proud and will be worse than those who do not cry.
He also instructed those who wish to achieve purity and dispassion:
“Let us humble ourselves, and the Lord will cover, and we will be holy. In the meantime, we don’t humble ourselves and propitiate God - even if we break our foreheads on the floor with bows, passions will not decrease.
How do we know if we are praying correctly?
Prayer is a spiritual activity that brings spiritual fruit. Fruits of the Spirit: love, meekness, patience, peace of mind. Of course, for the fruits to ripen, time must pass. But one should strive for them, spiritual growth should take place. Man must struggle with his passions, infirmities, bad habits.
“Believe yourself every day ... If the real day was badly spent, so that you didn’t offer a decent prayer to God, didn’t break your heart even once, didn’t humble yourself in thought, didn’t show mercy or gave alms to anyone, didn’t forgive the guilty, didn’t endure the insult On the contrary, he did not refrain from anger, did not refrain from words, food, drink, or immersed his mind in impure thoughts, having considered all this according to conscience, condemn yourself and set the next day to be more attentive to good and more careful to evil.
Saint Macarius warned:
“But prayer rules alone cannot be of any use to us… I advise you to try as much as possible to pay your attention to deeds of love for your neighbors; in relation to your mother, wife and children - take care of raising them in Orthodox faith and good morals towards people subordinate to you and towards all your neighbors.
The one who strives correctly follows the middle, “royal” path. Irritability decreases and, on the contrary, complacency grows, thoughts of anger, condemnation, grumbling come less often. A peaceful dispensation, a patient attitude towards the infirmities and shortcomings of others, is experienced more and more often and gradually becomes permanent.
In the last 3 weeks, 2 people have approached me with a request to teach them how to pray. This surprised me a little (although it made me happy), because I do not have any kind of spiritual order or religious education, so it's strange that they asked such a question to me. But in fact, these people simply did not even know who to ask such questions, and the need of the soul for prayer was ripe.
I do not own dignity and education, but I will share my experience with pleasure. My knowledge of the prayer rule is based on what my spiritual mentor recommended to me and on those lectures of the holy fathers that I listened to. I will try to explain everything as simply as possible. So, if you are interested in information of this kind, then welcome under cat. If you have any questions on the topic - welcome to the comments; questions about "how am I, a person with 2 higher education, I believe in aboriginal tales", please do not send :)
What do I need?
Select a corner in your home in which you will have icons. Icons should not be nailed to the wall, it is better that they stand on something (a shelf or stand). Be sure to purchase the icon of Jesus Christ and the Most Holy Theotokos, and the faces of other saints - if desired. By the way, as a rule, very kind grandmothers work in church stalls, who will gladly answer all your questions. Just come during the day, when there is no service and few people, and ask you to tell more about the icons that you like.
What is the best way to pray?
It is best to pray standing, in front of the icons, with a straight back. Place your hands in a boat near your chest. During prayer, the eyes can be kept both closed and open. With open eyes, you will be able to see the icons, in which there is actually so much purity and light that sometimes it is simply impossible to take your eyes off. With closed eyes, you are immersed in a certain meditation, so it is more convenient to focus on prayer. So the choice is yours. If possible, read the prayers out loud. If not, whisper. Most likely, during prayer, your mind will constantly disappear and you will think about something else. It's okay, it happens to everyone, especially at first. Just keep track of these moments and return your thoughts and heart to prayer.
When is the best time to pray?
You need to read prayers in the morning and in the evening. Take a shower in the morning, brush your teeth, and only then proceed to prayer. In the evening, it is best to read prayers before going to bed. Before reading prayers, you need to say "In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit" three times and at the same time cross yourself three times. With the same words (also three times) it is necessary to finish prayer rule.
What prayers to read
There are 2 options here. The first one is complete and most correct. All prayers are read 3 times. Perhaps, at first glance, the list of prayers seems too long and the prayers themselves too, but in fact, reading all the prayers three times takes 15 minutes. The second option is a short one, mainly for those who have little time or who are just starting to pray and a large number of his prayers are somewhat frightening. It takes about 1.5 minutes. So, how much time a day to devote to prayer - half an hour or 3 minutes, everyone decides for himself. God will accept both options :)) I also highly recommend turning to God and the saints in your own words every time after prayers. You can talk about your problems and experiences, about what weighs on your heart. You can talk about dreams and ask for mercy. But remember, you can ask for anything and for anyone, but not material goods.
1 option:
Option 2:
Below is the text of all the prayers. By the way, prayers to the Guardian Angel, the Mother of God and for the departed, you can pick up others, those that you like best. A lot of them. Can be found on the Internet or in the Prayer Book (A prayer book can be bought at any church).
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake.
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with sign of the cross and a bow).
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Yes, shine your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Virgin Mary, rejoice
Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Gracious Mary, the Lord is with you: blessed are you in women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if you gave birth to our souls as the Savior.
Prayer to the Holy Cross of the Lord
(with this prayer, Father Anatoly in the film "The Island" casts out the demon from the daughter of Admiral Tikhon. Yesterday we watched it with our parents)
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; like wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face loving God and those who are signified by the sign of the cross, and who say in joy: Rejoice, O Most Pure and Life-Giving Cross Lord, drive away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell, and corrected the strength of the devil, and gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God, and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Psalm 90 ("Alive in the help of the Most High")
Alive in the help of the Most High, in the blood of the God of Heaven will settle. The Lord says: Thou art my intercessor and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. As if He will deliver thee from the net of the hunter, and from the rebellious word, His splash will overshadow thee, and under His wings you hope: His truth will be your weapon. Do not be afraid of the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days, from the things in the darkness of the transient, from the scum, and the demon of the afternoon. A thousand will fall from your country, and darkness at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, both look at your eyes, and see the reward of sinners. As you, O Lord, are my hope, the Most High have laid down your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and the wound will not approach your body, as if by His Angel a commandment about you, save you in all your ways. They will take you in their hands, but not when you stumble your foot on a stone, step on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and, as I know My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will crush him, and I will glorify him, I will fulfill him with long life, and I will show him My salvation.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven to keep. I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to a good deed and direct me to the path of salvation.
Prayer to the Mother of God
What to pray to You, what to ask of You? You see everything, you know Itself, look into my soul and give her what she needs. You, who have endured everything, overcome everything, you will understand everything. You, who raised the Child in a manger and accepted Him with Your hands from the Cross, You alone know the whole height of joy, all the oppression of grief. You, who received the whole human race as an adoption, look at me with maternal care. Lead me from the shadows of sin to Your Son. I see a tear that irrigated Your face. It's over me You shed it and let it wash away the traces of my sins. Here I have come, I am standing, I am waiting for Your response, oh Mother of God, oh All-Singing, oh Lady! I don't ask for anything, I just stand before You. Only my heart, a poor human heart, exhausted in anguish for truth, I throw at Your clean feet, Lady! May all who call upon You reach the eternal day with You and bow down before You face to face.
For the departed
For the sake of the precious blood of Jesus, save, Heavenly Father, our dear departed and let them return to the hearth through the holy angels eternal love yours. Mother of God, Comforter of poor souls, and you, Angels and Archangels, ask for them! Give them back. Lord, for I myself cannot, for the good they have done me. In the name of Jesus - forgiveness and mercy
Symbol of faith
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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, 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 look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
The lay prayer rule consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the life of prayer, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult task, inspiration, mood and improvisation alone are not enough.
There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced lay people, which is printed in 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. Usually confessors advise to start with several prayers, and then add one prayer to the rule every 7-10 days, so that the ability to read the rule develops gradually and naturally.
In addition, situations sometimes arise for the laity when there is little time left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read with attention and reverence. short rule than hastily and superficially, without a prayerful attitude, mechanically read complete rule.
Thus, cultivating a reasonable attitude to the rule of prayer, Saint Theophan the Recluse writes to a family person:
“Bless, Lord, and continue to pray according to your rule. But never bind yourself to a rule and think that there is anything of value in having such a rule or always making it. The whole price is in the heart before God falling down. The saints write that if someone does not depart from prayer as a condemned person, worthy of any punishment from the Lord, then such a person departs from it as a Pharisee. Another said: "standing at prayer, stand as at the Last Judgment, when God's decisive decision about you is ready: depart or come."
Formality and mechanism in prayer should be avoided in every possible way. Let this every time be a matter of deliberate free decision, and do it with consciousness and feeling, and not somehow. In case you need to be able to shorten the rule. Little in family life accidents?.. It is possible, for example, in the morning and in the evening, when there is no time, to read from memory only the morning prayers and for the coming sleep. You can even not read all of them, but several. You can read nothing 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 a slave. A servant only of God, obliged to devote all the minutes of her life to please Him.
For such cases, there is short prayer rule for all believers.
In the morning it includes:
“King of Heaven”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “Have mercy on me, God”, “I believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angel ”, “Most Holy Lady”, invocation of the saints, prayer for the living and the dead.
In the evening it includes:
“King of Heaven”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “Choose Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”.
morning prayers
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.Predestinatory 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.
Trisagion
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.)
Lord's Prayer
Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.
Prayer to the Holy Trinity
Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for many, for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering, have not been angry with me, lazy and sinful, below have destroyed me with my iniquities; but you usually loved humanity and in the hopelessness of the lying one raised me up, in a hedgehog to matine and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my mouth to learn Thy words, and understand Thy commandments, and do Thy will, and sing Thee in confession of the heart, and sing of Thy all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever centuries. Amen.
Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and bow down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)
Psalm 50
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Wash me most of all from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and my sin before me is taken out. I have sinned against you alone and done evil before you, as if you were justified in your words, and conquered when you judge Thee. Behold, in iniquities I was conceived, and in sins my mother gave birth to me. Behold, thou hast loved the truth; the unknown and secret wisdom of Thy revealed to me. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Give joy and joy to my hearing; the bones of the humble will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create a pure heart in me, 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 from me. Reward me the joy of Your salvation and confirm me with the dominating Spirit. I will teach the wicked in Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from blood, O God, God of my salvation; my tongue rejoices in thy righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will proclaim your praise. As if you would have desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. Sacrifice to God the spirit is broken; a contrite and humble heart God will not despise. Please, O Lord, with Thy favor Zion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, an offering and a burnt offering; then they will offer bullocks on your altar.
Symbol of faith
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, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with 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, 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 look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.
First Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great
God, cleanse me a sinner, for I have done no good before Thee; but deliver me from the evil one, and let Thy will be in me, but without condemnation I will open my unworthy mouth and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever Amen.
The prayer of the same saint
To Thee, Lord, Lover of mankind, I have risen from sleep, and I strive for Thy works by Thy mercy, and I pray to Thee: help me at all times, in all things, and deliver me from every evil worldly thing and the devil's haste, and save me, and enter into your eternal kingdom. Thou art my Creator and Provider and Giver of every good, all my hope is in Thee, and I send glory to Thee, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
Holy Angel, stand before my accursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me a sinner, depart from me below for my intemperance. Give no place to the crafty demon to possess me, the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, the holy Angel of God, the guardian and patron of my accursed soul and body, forgive me all, insult you with great insults all the days of my stomach, and if I have sinned this past night, cover me this present day, and save me from every temptation of the opposite Yes, in no sin will I anger God, and pray for me to the Lord, may he confirm me in His fear, and show me worthy of His servant of goodness. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
My Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos, with Thy holy and all-powerful supplications, expel from me, Thy humble and cursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all filthy, crafty and blasphemous thoughts from my wretched heart and from my darkened mind; and extinguish the flame of my passions, for I am poor and cursed. And deliver me from many and fierce memories and enterprises, and from all the actions of evil free me. As if you are blessed from all generations, and Your honorable name is glorified forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer 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.
Prayer for the Living
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives (names), bosses, mentors, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians.
Prayer for the dead
Give rest, Lord, to the souls of the departed Thy servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, free and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.
End of prayers
It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed Theotokos, Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Prayers for the dream to come
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Tropari
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having made me sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, O Lord, to pass in peace in this night of sleep, and having arisen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Good Tsar, good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without a blemish and I will find paradise with You, Virgin Mary, one Pure and Blessed.
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning today, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy, so that I will not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Kontakion to the Theotokos
The chosen Governor is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, thankfully we will write down Ti Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, from all troubles of freedom, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.
Glorious Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may our souls be saved by You.
I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.
Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of St. Joannicius
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
* From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:
"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and bestowing life on those in the tombs." (Thrice) From Ascension to Trinity, we begin prayers with "Holy God ...", omitting all previous ones. This remark also applies to prayers for the coming sleep.
Throughout Bright Week, instead of this rule, the hours of Holy Pascha are read.
** From Pascha to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the refrain and irmos of the 9th song of the Paschal canon are read:
“An angel crying out more graciously: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And pack the river: rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the tomb and raised up the dead; folks, have fun! Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and rejoice, Sione. But you, Pure One, show off, Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.
These remarks also apply to prayers for the coming sleep.
Compiled using materials from the book:
How to learn to pray at home. Moscow, "The Ark", 2004. Trifonov Pechenga Monastery
The Orthodox believer differs from worldly people in that in Everyday life keeps the commandments of God and continues in prayer. Prayer rule for beginners - reading certain appeals to the Almighty and the saints in order to acquire a closer knowledge of the Creator.
What are the rules for?
Experienced Christians know them by heart, but every Orthodox person should have a “Prayer Book” filled with texts of appeals 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 every individual case the spiritual mentor corrects the prayer law, taking into account the degree of employment of a person, his place of residence and spiritual age.
Prayer Rule
Often novice believers rebel against reading texts written by saints in hard-to-read language. 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 model, 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 invocation 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.
About important church prayers:
The Church offers a prayer rule for beginners so that the infant soul in Christianity grows in actions pleasing to the Creator.
A daily conversation with the Creator is a live communication, not an empty phrase. The boldness of fellowship with the almighty God provides for a conversation the right words in which there is no void.
Important! Turning to the Almighty, the Orthodox are then filled with God's knowledge and His protection, when they leave the fuss and completely immerse themselves in prayer.
How to Behave in Prayer Fellowship
Prayer communion of all Orthodox Christians is performed while standing, only the 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 make prostrations.
Prayer fellowship with God
Some Orthodox perform prayer communion on their knees. 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 kind of sin, it is not forbidden to kneel in humility, begging for forgiveness.
About prayer rules:
- Prayer Rule of Schema-Nun Anthony for Murdered Babies
Beginning believers sometimes do not know how to correctly make the sign of the cross. Fingers right hand should be added as follows:
- pinky and ring finger pressed to the palm, they mean that Jesus was God and man at the same time;
- large, index and middle fingers put together, with three fingers, as a symbol of the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
How to be baptized
Drawing a cross in the air, with folded fingers touch the middle of the forehead, then lower the hand just below the navel, move to the right, and then the left shoulder, only after that they bow.
Careless attitude to the sign of the cross, according to John Chrysostom, causes joy only among demons. The sign of the cross, made with faith in reverence, is filled with God's grace and is a frightening force for demonic attacks.
Before reading spiritual texts, you should try to get rid of vain thoughts, this is sometimes not easy, so try to imagine the great sacrifice of Christ and your presence before Him in this world.
Never make your prayers "for show", in spiritual world they will be empty. Delve into every word of the appeal to the Savior, being filled with His grace and love.
Prayer Rule - Law or Grace
Many novice Orthodox are interested in the question, if prayer is a free appeal to the Creator, then why should it be adjusted to the law.
The Saratov abbot Pakhomiy, in response to such an appeal, 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 then it is much more difficult to return under 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 stay in reverent worship for hours, while others cannot stand even half an hour.
Regular, constant pastime in reading prayers will help to develop the habit of daily communication with the Creator, let it be 15 minutes in the evening.
Prayer Rule
First you need to purchase the "Prayer Book" and read it. Sometimes Orthodox person understands that reading out of duty turns into an empty habit, if this happens, then you can go, as St. Theophan the Recluse did, to reading psalms and scriptures from the Bible.
The main thing is to be filled with the worship of the Creator every day, to enter into His presence, to feel His protection during the day. The Evangelist Matthew wrote that in order to conquer the Kingdom of God, force must be exerted. (Mat. 11:12)
Help for the Beginning Prayer
For Orthodox believers, there are three prayer lists.
- The complete prayer rule is designed for spiritually steadfast believers, which include monks and clergy.
- The prayer rule for all the 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: “King of Heaven”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “Have mercy on me, God”, “I believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “ Holy Angele”, “Most Holy Lady”, invocation of the saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
- in the evening: “King of Heaven”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “Choose Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”.
Seraphim of Sarov offered 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 reciting each prayer three times:
- "Our Father";
- "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
- "I believe."
Particular attention should be paid to reading spiritual appeals to the Supreme Creator and Savior during the period of fasting, before accepting the Sacrament of Communion and at the hour of difficult life trials.
Advice! The grace of God accompanies those who began communion with God in the morning, before breakfast, and finished by reading spiritual texts before dinner.
Moral Preparation for Worship
For a novice Orthodox believer, it is advisable to purchase a "Prayer Book" in modern Russian in order to read what is written, to delve into every word, being filled with its power and grace, to receive guidance and support.
This is the advice of Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer, 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, one should ask the Holy Spirit to show if there are remnants of resentment, bitterness or irritation in the heart. Mentally forgive all the offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were treated unfairly, this is how the Orthodox pray.
According to Tikhon of Zadonsky, all negativism should be abandoned, because, as Gregory of Nyssa wrote, the Creator is Kind, Righteous, Patient, Lover of mankind, Kindhearted, Merciful, the purpose of the prayer rule is to transform into the image of the Creator, to acquire all the qualities for humanity.
Reading prayers at home
Jesus Christ taught in order to communicate with Him to go to one's prayer room, closing the doors from the outside world. In each Orthodox family there is a corner with icons, however, it is less and less common to find a 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. The family, and this is the prototype of the church, has its own rules for those who pray in solitude, and some prefer to do it together, because the strengthened prayer of the righteous can do a lot. (James 5:16)
Theophan the Recluse, who spent a lot of time in worship of God, writes that there is no need to rush when starting prayers. Having made the sign of the cross, having bowed, one should be silent for a moment, entering a state of worship and reverence before God. Each 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;
- really forgive the debts, misdeeds of other people, for these are the necessary conditions for God to forgive each of the Orthodox;
- ask Him for mercy in dealing with all material problems the words "give us our daily bread";
- proclaim the power of God in your life and His protection over you and your family.
If during the reading of the “Prayer Book” a desire appeared in your heart to ask God for some need, do not put it off for later, but immediately bring it before the prayer throne of the Almighty.
The Lord teaches His children to be constant and persistent in prayer by the example of a poor widow (Luke 18:2-6), no petition will remain with Him without an answer. It is very important during communication with the Savior to discard all haste, only in a meaningful appeal can one reach out to God.
On the advice of Vladyka Anthony, in order not to be distracted by time when it is limited, you should wind up the clock so that the bell rings at the right moment. It does not matter how long the prayer rule lasts and how many prayers are read, the main thing is that they are completely dedicated to God.
Saint Ignatius calls regular prayers for sinners hard work, the righteous experience pleasure from communion with the saints and the Trinity.
If thoughts “run away”, there is no need to rush, one should return to where the scattered reading of the spiritual invocation began and start all over again. Helps you focus on readable text pronouncing all appeals aloud. It is not for nothing that they say that prayers read silently are heard by God, and those spoken aloud by demons.
Silouan of Athos noted that God does not hear the words spoken with empty thoughts and worldly affairs.
Silouan of Athos
The spirit of prayer strengthens from regularity, as the body of an athlete from training. Having finished praying, 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 prayers during the day
Once you have dedicated your life to the Lord, Orthodox people are under His protection all their lives.
Throughout the whole vain day, one should not forget to call on the mercy of the Father with the words “Bless, God!”, Having passed through the test, having received a reward or blessing, having done a successful deed, do not forget to give all the glory to the Creator with the words “Glory to you, my God!” Getting into trouble, in case of illness and danger, cry out: “Save me, God!” and He will hear. We must not forget about the thanksgiving of the Lord for everything that has been sent down from above.
Before eating, one should not forget to thank the Creator for the food given, ask for His blessing to accept it.
Constantly abiding in prayer, having acquired the habit at any moment to cry out, thank, ask, repent before God with all his heart, and not with empty words, an Orthodox person becomes God-thinking. God-thinking helps to understand the goodness of the Creator, the existence of the Heavenly Kingdom, and brings the Orthodox closer to God.
Video about the fulfillment of the prayer rule
What causes mental fatigue? Can a soul be empty?
Why can't it? If there is no prayer, it will be both empty and tired. The Holy Fathers do the following. The man is tired, he has no strength to pray, he says to himself: “Maybe your fatigue is from demons”, gets up and prays. And the man has strength. So the Lord did. In order for the soul not to be empty and to have strength, one must accustom oneself to the Jesus Prayer - "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (or a sinner)".
How to spend a day like God?
In the morning, when we are still resting, they are already standing near our bed - an angel on the right side, and a demon on the left. They are waiting for whom we will begin to serve on this day. And this is how you start the day. Waking up, immediately protect yourself with the sign of the cross and jump out of bed so that laziness remains under the covers, and we find ourselves in a holy corner. Then do three bow to the ground and turn to the Lord with these words: "Lord, I thank You for the past night, bless me for the coming day, bless me and bless this day, and help me spend it in prayer, in good deeds, and save me from all enemies visible and invisible ". And then we begin to read the Jesus Prayer. Having washed and dressed, we will stand in a holy corner, gather our thoughts, concentrate so that nothing distracts us and begin morning prayers. Having finished them, let's read a chapter from the Gospel. And then let's figure out what a good deed we can do today to our neighbor ... It's time to go to work. Here, too, you need to pray: before you go out the door, say the following words of St. John Chrysostom: "I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you and combine with You, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Fall yourself with the sign of the cross, and when you leave the house, quietly cross the road. On the way to work, and for any business, you need to read the Jesus Prayer and "Virgin Mary, rejoice ..." If we do housework, before preparing food, sprinkle all the food with holy water, and light the stove with a candle, which light from the lamp. Then the food will not harm us, but will benefit us, in strengthening not only bodily, but also spiritual strength, especially if we cook, constantly reciting the Jesus Prayer.
After morning or evening prayers, there is not always a feeling of grace. Sometimes drowsiness interferes with prayer. How to avoid it?
Demons do not like prayer, as soon as a person begins prayer, drowsiness and absent-mindedness also attack. You must try to delve into the words of the prayer, and then you will feel it. But the Lord does not always comfort the soul. The most valuable prayer is when a person does not want to pray, but he forces himself... A small child cannot yet stand and walk. But his parents take him, put him on his feet, support him, and he feels help, stands firmly. And when his parents let him go, he immediately falls down and cries. So we, when the Lord - our Heavenly Father - supports us with His grace, we can do everything, we are ready to move mountains and we pray well and easily. But as soon as grace departs from us, we immediately fall down - we don't really know how to walk spiritually. And here we must humble ourselves and say: "Lord, I am nothing without You." And when a person understands this, the mercy of God will help him. And we often rely only on ourselves: I am strong, I can stand, I can walk ... So, the Lord takes away grace, therefore we fall, suffer and suffer - from our pride, we rely on ourselves a lot.
How to become attentive in prayer?
In order for prayer to pass through our attention, we do not need to clatter, do proofreading; rammed - and calmed down, Prayer Book postponed. At first they delve into every word; slowly, calmly, evenly, you need to set yourself up for prayer. We begin to gradually enter into it, there you can read quickly, anyway, every word will enter into the soul. It is necessary for a prayer so that it does not pass by. And then we fill the air with sound, but the heart remains empty.
I don't have the Jesus Prayer. What do you recommend?
If prayer does not go, then sins interfere. As we repent, we must try to read this prayer as often as possible: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner! (or a sinner)" And while reading, strike at last word. In order to constantly read this prayer, you need to lead a special spiritual life, and most importantly, find humility. We must consider ourselves worse than everyone, worse than any creature, endure reproach, insults, do not grumble and do not blame anyone. Then the prayer will go. You have to start praying in the morning. How is the mill? That he fell asleep in the morning, he will pray all day. As soon as we woke up, immediately: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Lord, thank You for the past night, bless me today. Mother of God, thank You for the past night, bless me today. Lord, strengthen me in me faith, send me the grace of the Holy Spirit! Give me a Christian death, shameless and good answer on the day of the Last Judgment. My Guardian Angel, thank you for the past night, bless me today, save me from all enemies visible and invisible. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!" So just read and read. We dress with prayer, we wash ourselves. We read the morning prayers, again 500 times the Jesus Prayer. This is a charge for the whole day. It gives a person energy, strength, expels darkness and emptiness from the soul. A person will no longer walk and be indignant at something, make noise, get annoyed. When a person constantly reads the Jesus Prayer, the Lord will reward him for his labors, this prayer begins to be created in the mind. A person concentrates all his attention in the words of prayer. But one can only pray with a repentant feeling. As soon as the thought comes: "I am a saint," know that this is a pernicious path, this thought is from the devil.
The confessor said "to begin with, read at least 500 Jesus prayers." It's like in a mill - that they fell asleep in the morning, then it grinds all day. But if the confessor said "only 500 prayers," then you don't need to read more than 500. Why? Because everything is given according to one's strength, according to the spiritual level of each person. Otherwise, you can easily fall into delusion, and then you will not approach such a "saint". In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, one elder had a novice. This elder lived in the monastery for 50 years, and the novice had just come from the world. And he decided to move on. Without the elder's blessing, he would stand the early liturgy, and set the later one, a big rule for himself and read everything, constantly remained in prayer. After 2 years he reached the great "perfection". "Angels" began to appear to him (only they covered their horns and tails). He was seduced by this, came to the elder and said: “You lived here for 50 years and did not learn to pray, but in two years I reached heights - Angels already appear to me. I am all in grace .. There is no place on earth like you I'll choke you." Well, the elder managed to knock on the neighboring cell; another monk came, this "saint" was tied up. And in the morning they were sent to the cowshed, and they were only allowed to go to the liturgy once a month: and they forbade praying (until he reconciled) ... In Russia, we are very fond of prayer books, ascetics, but true ascetics will never expose themselves. Holiness is measured not by prayers, not by deeds, but by humility, obedience. Only he has achieved something who considers himself the most sinful of all, worse than any cattle.
How to learn to pray purely, unabashedly?
We must start in the morning. The Holy Fathers advise that it is good to pray before we eat. But as soon as the food is tasted, it immediately becomes difficult to pray. If a person prays absent-mindedly, it means that he prays little and infrequently. The one who constantly abides in prayer has a living, unscattered prayer.
Prayer loves clean life without burdensome sins. For example, we have a telephone in our apartment. The kids were naughty and cut the wire with scissors. No matter how many numbers we dial, we will never get through. We need to reconnect the wires, restore the interrupted connection. In the same way, if we want to turn to God and be heard, we must establish our connection with Him - repent of sins, cleanse our conscience. Unrepentant sins are like a blank wall, through which prayer does not reach God.
I shared with a woman close to me, saying that you gave me the Mother of God rule. But I don't do it. I don't always follow the secret rule either. What should I do?
When you are given separate rule don't tell anyone about this. Demons will hear and will surely steal your exploits. I know hundreds of people who had a prayer, from morning to evening they read the Jesus Prayer, akathists, canons - their whole soul was blissful. As soon as they shared with someone - they boasted of a prayer, everything disappeared. And they have neither prayers nor bows.
I am often distracted during prayer or business. What to do - continue to pray or pay attention to the one who has come?
Well, since we have in the first place the commandment of God to love our neighbor, then we must put everything aside and pay attention to the guest. One holy elder was praying in his cell and saw through the window that his brother was coming towards him. So the elder, in order not to show that he was a prayer book, lay down in bed and lies. He read a prayer near the door: "Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us." And the old man from the bed and says: "Amen." His brother came to him, he received him with love, treated him to tea - that is, he showed love for him. And this is the most important thing!
Often this happens in our life: we read evening prayers, and suddenly a call (on the phone or at the door). How can we be? Of course, we must immediately answer the call, leaving the prayer. We found out everything with the person and again we continue the prayer from the place where we finished. True, we also have such visitors who come not to talk about God, not about the salvation of the soul, but to idle talk, but to condemn someone. And we should already know such friends; when they come to us, invite them to read together an akathist prepared in advance for such an occasion, or the Gospel, or a holy book. Tell them: "My joy, let's pray, read the akathist." If they come to you with a sincere feeling of friendship, they will read. And if not, they will find a thousand reasons, immediately remember urgent matters and run away. If you agree to chat with them, then both the "unfed husband at home" and the "uncleaned apartment" are not a hindrance to your girlfriend ... Once in Siberia I saw an interesting scene. One comes from the pumping station, there are two buckets on the yoke, the second one comes from the store, in the hands of full bags. We met and had a conversation between ourselves ... And I'm watching them. Their conversation is something like this: "Well, how is your daughter-in-law? And your son?" And the gossip begins. Those poor women! One shifts the yoke from shoulder to shoulder, the other hand pulls the bag. And all it took was a couple of words to exchange... Moreover, dirt - you can’t put bags ... And they stand not two, but ten, and twenty, and thirty minutes. And they don’t think about gravity, the most important thing is that they learned the news, they satiated the soul, they amused the evil spirit. And if they call to the church, they say: "It's hard for us to stand, our legs hurt, our back hurts." And with buckets and bags, nothing hurts to stand! The main thing is that the tongue does not hurt! I don’t feel like praying, but I have the strength to chat, and my tongue is well suspended: “We’ll sort through everyone, we’ll find out about everything.”
The best thing is to wake up, wash your face and start the day with morning prayers. After that, you need to read the Jesus Prayer with attention. This is a huge charge for our soul. And with such a "recharge" we will have this prayer in our thoughts throughout the day. Many say that when they stand up for prayer, they are distracted. You can believe it, because if you read a little in the morning, and a little in the evening, nothing will be in your heart. We will always pray - and repentance will live in our hearts. After the morning - "Jesus" prayer as a continuation, and after the day - evening prayers as a continuation of the day. And so we will be constantly in prayer and will not be scattered. Don't think it's very hard, very hard, to pray. It is necessary to make an effort, to overcome oneself, to ask the Lord, the Mother of God, and grace will act in us. We will be given the desire to pray at all times.
And when prayer enters the soul, the heart, then these people try to move away from everyone, hide in secluded places. They can even climb into the cellar, if only to stay with the Lord, in prayer. The soul melts in Divine Love.
In order to achieve such a state of mind, you need to work a lot on yourself, on your "I".
When do you need to pray in your own words, and when according to the Prayer Book?
When you feel like praying, pray to the Lord at that time; "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).
Prayer is especially useful for the soul of a person when there is a need for it. Let's say a mother's daughter or son is lost. Or they took their son to jail. Here you will not pray according to the Prayer Book. A believing mother will immediately kneel down and from the abundance of her heart speak to the Lord. Prayer comes from the heart. So you can pray to God anywhere; Wherever we are, God hears our prayers. He knows the secrets of our heart. We don't even know what's in our hearts. And God is the Creator, He knows everything. So you can pray in transport, at any place, in any society. So Christ says: “But when you pray, go into your closet (that is, inside yourself) and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly” (Matt. 6.6). When we do good, when we give alms, then we must do it in such a way that no one knows about it. Christ says: "When you give alms, let left hand your right hand does not know what your right hand is doing, so that your almsgiving is in secret "(Matt. 6,3-4). That is, not literally, as grandmothers understand - they serve only with the right hand. And if a person does not have a right hand? And if there are no both Good work can be done without hands. The main thing is that no one sees it. Good must be done in a secret way. All the boastful, proud, conceited do a good deed in order to receive praise, earthly glory from this. They will say to her: "What a good, what kind! Helps everyone, gives to everyone."
I often wake up at night, always at the same time. Does it mean anything?
If we woke up at night, then there is an opportunity to pray. Prayed - go back to sleep. But, if this happens often, you need to take a blessing from the confessor.
I was talking to one person once. He says:
Father Ambrose, tell me, have you ever seen demons with your own eyes?
Demons are spirits, they cannot be seen with simple eyes. But they can materialize, taking the form of an old man, a young man, a girl, an animal, they can take on any image. A non-church person cannot understand this. Even believers fall for his tricks. Do you want to see? Here, I have a woman I know in Sergiev Posad, her confessor gave her a rule - to read the Psalter in a day. It is necessary to constantly burn candles, slowly read - it will take 8 hours. In addition, in the rule it is necessary to read the canons, akathists, the Jesus Prayer, and eat only fast food once a day. When she began to pray (and this had to be done for 40 days) with the blessing of her confessor, he warned her: "If you pray, if there are any temptations, then do not pay attention, continue to pray." She accepted it. On the 20th day of strict fasting and almost unceasing prayer (she had to sleep sitting for 3-4 hours), she heard the locked door open and steps were heard, heavy - the floor was cracking. This is the 3rd floor. Someone came up behind her and began to breathe near her ear; breathe so deeply! At this time, from head to toe, she was covered with cold and trembling. I wanted to turn around, but I remembered the warning and thought: "If I turn around, I won't stay alive." So I prayed to the end.
Then I looked - everything is in place: the door is locked, everything is fine. Further, on the 30th day, a new temptation. I was reading the Psalter and heard how, from the back of the windows, the cats began to meow, scratch, climb out the window. They scratch - and that's it! And she survived it. Someone from the street threw a stone - the glass was shattered, stone and fragments were lying on the floor. Can't turn around! The cold went through the window, but I read everything to the end. And when she finished reading, she looks - the window is whole, there is no stone. This is the demonic forces attacking a person.
The Monk Silouan of Athos, when he prayed, slept for two hours sitting. His spiritual eyes were opened and he began to see evil spirits. I saw them firsthand. They have horns, ugly faces, hooves on their feet, with tails ...
The person with whom I spoke is very obese - more than 100 kg, loves to eat deliciously - and eats meat, and everything in a row. I say: "Here, you will begin to fast and pray, then you will see everything, you will hear everything, you will feel everything."
How to thank the Lord correctly - in your own words or is there any special prayer?
We must thank the Lord with all our lives. Is in the prayer book thanksgiving prayer but it is very valuable to pray in your own words. The Monk Benjamin lived in one monastery. The Lord allowed him a disease - dropsy. He became huge, the little finger could only be clasped with two hands. They made a huge chair for him. When the brethren came to him, he showed his joy in every possible way, saying: "Dear brethren, rejoice with me. The Lord has mercy on me, the Lord has forgiven me." The Lord gave him such an illness, but he did not grumble, did not despair, rejoiced at the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of his soul, and thanked the Lord. No matter how many years we live, the main thing is to remain faithful to God in everything. For five years I carried in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, a difficult obedience - I confessed day and night. There was no strength left, he could not stand even for 10 minutes - his legs could not hold. And then the Lord granted polyarthritis - 6 months lay, acute pain in the joints. As soon as the inflammation passed, he began to walk around the room with a stick. Then he began to go out into the street: 100 meters, 200, 500 ... Each time more and more .... And then, in the evenings, when there were few people, he began to walk 5 kilometers; left the wand. In the spring, the Lord gave - and stopped limping. To this day, the Lord keeps. He knows who needs what. Therefore, thank the Lord for everything.
You need to pray everywhere and always: at home, at work, and in transport. If the legs are strong, it is better to pray standing up, and if the legs are sick, then, as the elders say, it is better to think about God during prayer than about sick legs.
Is it okay to cry while praying?
Can. Tears of repentance are not tears of evil and resentment, they wash our souls from sins. The more we cry, the better. It is very valuable to cry during prayer. When we pray - we read prayers - and at that time our mind lingered on some words (they penetrated our soul), we should not skip them, speed up the prayer; return to these words, and read until the soul dissolves in feeling and begins to cry. The soul prays at this time. When the soul is in prayer, and even with tears, the Guardian Angel is next to her; he prays next to us. Any sincerely believing person from practice knows that the Lord hears his prayer. We turn the words of prayer to God, and He returns them by grace to our hearts, and the heart of the believer feels that the Lord accepts his prayer.
When I read prayers, I often get distracted. Shouldn't you stop praying?
No. Read the prayer anyway. It is very useful, when you go out into the street, to walk and read the Jesus Prayer. It can be read in any position: standing, sitting, lying... Prayer is a conversation with God. Here, we can tell our neighbor everything - both sorrows and joys. But the Lord is closer than any neighbor. He knows all our thoughts, the secrets of the heart. He hears all our prayers, but sometimes he hesitates to fulfill them, which means that what we ask is not for the benefit of our soul (or not for the benefit of our neighbor). Any prayer must end with the words: "Lord, Thy will be done. Not as I want, but as You."
What is the daily prayer rule for an Orthodox layperson?
There is a rule and it is obligatory for everyone. These are morning and evening prayers, one chapter from the Gospel, two chapters from the epistles, one kathisma, three canons, an akathist, 500 Jesus prayers, 50 prostrations (and more with blessing).
I once asked one person:
Should I have lunch and dinner every day?
It is necessary, - he answers, - but besides this, I can intercept something, drink some tea.
What about praying? If our body requires food, is it not more than that - the soul? We feed the body so that the soul can be kept in the body and cleansed, sanctified, freed from sin, so that the Holy Spirit abides in us. She needs to be united with God already here. And the body is the clothes of the soul, which grows old, dies and crumbles into the dust of the earth. And we are on this temporary, perishable Special attention pay. We take care of him so much! And we feed, and give water, and paint, and dress in fashionable rags, and give peace - we pay a lot of attention. And for the soul, sometimes our care is not left. Have you read the morning prayers?
So you can’t even have breakfast (i.e., lunch, Christians never have breakfast). And if you're not going to read evening books, then you can't even have dinner. And you can't drink tea.
I will die of hunger!
So your soul is dying of hunger! Now, when a person makes this rule the norm of his life, then he has peace, peace and quiet in his soul. The Lord sends grace, and the Mother of God and the Angel of the Lord pray. In addition, Christians still pray to the saints, read other akathists, the soul is fed like that, contented and glad, peaceful, a person is saved. But it is not necessary to read like some, to do proofreading. They read it, rattled it - through the air, but it didn’t hit the soul. Slightly touch this - it flared up! But he considers himself a great prayer book - he "prays" very well. The Apostle Paul says: "It is better to speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than the darkness of words in an unknown tongue" (1 Cor.
You can read akathists at least every day. I knew one woman (her name was Pelagia), she read 15 akathists every day. The Lord gave her special grace. Some Orthodox sometimes have many akathists collected - both 200 and 500. They usually read a certain akathist every holiday celebrated by the Church. For example, tomorrow is the feast of the Vladimir Icon Mother of God. People who have an akathist to this holiday will read it.
Akathists are good to read with fresh memory, i.e. in the morning, when the mind is not burdened with worldly affairs. In general, it is very good to pray from morning to dinner, until the body is burdened with food. Then there is an opportunity to feel every word from akathists, canons.
All prayers and akathists are best read aloud. Why? Because words enter the soul through hearing and are better remembered. I constantly hear: "We cannot learn prayers ..." But they don't need to be taught - they just need to be read constantly, every day - in the morning and in the evening, and they are remembered by themselves. If "Our Father" is not remembered, then it is necessary to attach a piece of paper with this prayer where our dining table is.
Many refer to a bad memory due to old age, and when you start asking them, asking various everyday questions, everyone remembers. They remember who was born when, in what year, everyone remembers birthdays. They know how much what is now in the store and on the market - and yet the prices are constantly changing! They know how much bread, salt, butter cost. Everyone remembers well. Ask: "What street do you live on?" - everyone will say. Very good memory. But they can't remember prayers. And this is because we have flesh in the first place. And we care so much about the flesh, we all remember what it needs. But we don’t care about the soul, that’s why our memory is bad for everything good. On the bad, we are masters ...
The holy fathers say that those who daily read the canons to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the saints, are especially protected by the Lord from all demonic misfortunes and evil people.
If you come to any boss for a reception, you will see a sign on his door "Reception hours from ... to ..." You can turn to God at any time. Night prayer is especially valuable. When a person prays at night, then, as the holy fathers say, this prayer is, as it were, paid for with gold. But in order to pray at night, one must take a blessing from the priest, because there is a danger: a person may become proud that he prays at night and fall into delusion, or demons will especially attack him. Through the blessing, the Lord will protect this person.
Sitting or standing? If the legs do not hold, then you can kneel down and read. If your knees are tired, you can read while sitting. It is better to sit and think about God than to think about your feet while standing. And one more thing: prayer without prostrations is a premature fetus. Fans are a must.
Now many are talking about the benefits of the revival of paganism in Russia. Maybe, indeed, paganism is not so bad?
In ancient Rome, circuses arranged Gladiator fights. One hundred thousand people gathered for this spectacle, filling the pews through the many entrances in ten minutes. And everyone was out for blood! Craving a spectacle! Two gladiators fought. In the struggle, one of them could fall, and then the second put his foot on his chest, raised his sword over the prostrate and watched what sign the patricians would give him. If the fingers are raised up, then you can leave the opponent to live, if down, it was necessary to take his life. Most often they demanded death. And the people triumphed, seeing the shed blood. Such was pagan fun.
In our Russia, about forty years ago, one acrobat walked along a cable high under the dome of the circus. Stumbling, she fell. Below was a mesh. She did not crash, but something else is important. All the spectators as one stood up and buzzed: "Is she alive? Faster than a doctor!" What does it say? The fact that they did not want death, but worried about the gymnast. The spirit of love was alive in the minds of people.
Otherwise, they are now educating the younger generation. On the TV screen there are action movies with murders, blood, pornography, horrors, space wars, aliens - demonic forces... People from an early age get used to scenes of violence. What is left for the child? Having seen enough of these pictures, he gets weapons and shoots his classmates, who, in turn, mocked him. How many such cases there are in America! God forbid this will happen to us.
It used to happen that contract killings were committed in Moscow before. And now the scale of crime, mortality at the hands of killers has gone up sharply. Three or four people are killed a day. And the Lord said: "Thou shalt not kill!" (Ex. 20:13); "...those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:21), - all of them will go into the fire of hell.
I often have to go to prisons, confess prisoners. Confess and suicide bombers. They repent of the murders: some in contract, and someone killed in Afghanistan, Chechnya. Two hundred seventy, three hundred people were killed. They counted themselves. These are terrible sins! War is one thing, and another is to deprive a person of a life that you did not give him by order.
When you confess about ten murderers and get out of prison, then just wait: the demons will definitely arrange intrigues, there will be some kind of trouble.
Every priest knows how to take revenge evil spirits for the fact that he helps people to be freed from sins. One mother came to the Monk Seraphim of Sarov:
Father, pray: my son died without repentance. Out of modesty, at first he refused, humbled himself, and then yielded to the request, began to pray. And the woman saw that, praying, he rose above the floor. The old man said:
Mother, your son is saved. Go, pray yourself, thank God.
She left. And before his death, the Monk Seraphim showed his cell-attendant the body, from where the demons pulled out a piece:
This is how demons avenge every soul!
It is not so easy to pray for the salvation of people.
Orthodox Russia has received the Spirit of Christ, but the pagan West wants to kill her for this, thirsts for blood.
The Orthodox faith is the most impartial for a person. She commits to strict life on the ground. And Catholics promise the soul a purgatory after death, where one can repent and be saved...
There is no such concept of "purgatory" in the Orthodox Church. According to the teaching of the Orthodox Church, if a person lived righteously and passed into other world, then he is rewarded with eternal joy, such a person for his good deeds can receive a reward while living on earth, in the form of peace, joy, peace of mind.
If a person lived uncleanly, did not repent and moved to the other world, then he falls into the clutches of demons. Before death, such people are usually sad, desperate, graceless, joyless. Their souls after death, languishing in torment, await the prayers of their relatives, the prayers of the Church. When an intensified prayer goes for the departed, the Lord frees their souls from hellish torments.
Church prayer also helps the righteous, those who have not yet received the fullness of grace during earthly life. The fullness of grace and joy is possible only after this soul is determined to Paradise at the Last Judgment. It is impossible to feel their fullness on earth. Only the chosen saints merged here with the Lord in such a way that they were raptured by the Spirit into the Kingdom of God.
Orthodoxy is often called the "religion of fear": "there will be a second coming, everyone will be punished, eternal torment..." But the Protestants are talking about something else. So will there be punishment for unrepentant sinners, or will the love of the Lord cover everything?
Atheists have long deceived us by talking about the origin of religion. It was said that people could not explain this or that phenomenon of nature and began to deify it, to enter into religious contact with it. Sometimes, thunder rumbles, people hide underground, in the basement, they sit there, they are afraid. They think that their pagan god is angry and will now punish or a tornado will fly in, or solar eclipse will begin...
This is pagan fear. christian god- this is Love. And we should be afraid of God not because He will punish us, we should be afraid to offend Him with our sins. And if we have apostatized from God and brought trouble on ourselves, we do not hide underground from the wrath of God, we do not wait for the wrath of God to pass by. On the contrary, we go to confession, turn to God with a prayer of repentance, ask God for mercy, and pray. Christians do not hide from God, on the contrary, they themselves strive for Him for permission from sins. And God gives the penitent a helping hand, covers with His grace.
And warns the Church that there will be a Second Coming, Last Judgment not to intimidate. If you are walking along the road, there is a pit ahead and they say to you: "Be careful, do not fall, do not stumble," are you being intimidated? They warn you, help you avoid danger. So the Church says: "Do not sin, do not harm your neighbor, all this will turn against you yourself."
It is not necessary to present God as a villain because He does not accept sinners into Paradise. Unrepentant souls will not be able to live in Paradise, they will not be able to endure the light and purity that is there, just as sick eyes cannot endure bright light.
Everything depends on ourselves, on our behavior, prayers.
The Lord can change everything through prayer. One woman came to us from Krasnodar. Her son was imprisoned. There was an investigation. She came to one judge, he said to her: "Your son is eight years old." He had a big temptation. She came to me, crying, sobbing: "Father, pray, what should I do? The judge asks for five thousand dollars, but I don't have that kind of money." I say: "You know, mother, you will pray, the Lord will not leave you! What is his name?" She said his name, we prayed. And in the morning she comes:
Father, I'm going there now. The question is being decided whether they will imprison or let them go.
The Lord put it on her heart to say to her:
If you pray, God will arrange everything.
I prayed all night. She came back after dinner and said:
The son was released. They acquitted him. Understood and released. Everything is fine.
This mother had so much joy, so much faith that the Lord heard her. And the son was not to blame, he was simply set up in business.
The son is completely out of hand, does not speak, does not obey. He is seventeen. How can I pray for him?
It is necessary to read the prayer "Theotokos, Virgin, rejoice" 150 times. Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky said that one who walks in Diveevo along the groove of the Mother of God and reads “Hail, Virgin Mother of God” a hundred and fifty times is under the special protection of the Mother of God. The Holy Fathers constantly spoke about the veneration of the Mother of God, about prayer appeal to her for help. The prayer of the Mother of God has great power. Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the grace of God will descend on both the mother and the child. Righteous John of Kronstadt says: “If all the angels, saints, all people living on earth gather together and pray, the prayer of the Mother of God surpasses all their prayers in power.
I remember one family. This was while we were serving in the parish. One mother, Natalia, had two girls - Lisa and Katya. Lisa was thirteen or fourteen years old, she was capricious, self-willed. And although she went to church with her mother, she remained very restless. I marveled at my mother's patience. Every morning he gets up and says to his daughter:
Lisa, let's pray!
Everyone, Mom, I read prayers!
Read fast, read slow!
Mom did not pull her up, patiently fulfilled all her requests. At this time, it was useless to beat and beat the daughter. Mother endured. Time passed, my daughter grew up, became calmer. Prayer together did her good.
There is no need to be afraid of temptations. The Lord will keep this family. Prayer has never harmed anyone. It only benefits our soul. Bragging harms us: "I read the Psalter for the deceased." We boast, and this is a sin.
It is customary to read the Psalter at the head of the deceased. Reading the Psalter is very useful for the soul of that person who constantly went to church and with repentance passed into that world. The Holy Fathers say: when we read the Psalter over the deceased, for example, for forty days, then sins fly away from departed soul, as autumn leaves from a tree.
How to pray for the living or the dead, is it possible to imagine a person while doing this?
The mind must be pure. When we pray, we should not represent God, the Mother of God, the holy saint: neither Their faces, nor their position. The mind must be free from images. Moreover, when we pray for a person, we just need to remember that such a person exists. And if you imagine images, you can damage your mind. The Holy Fathers forbid it.
I'm twenty-four years old. As a child, I laughed at my grandfather who talked to himself. Now that he is dead, I myself began to talk to myself. An inner voice tells me that if I pray for him, then this vice will slowly leave me. Do I need to pray for him?
Everyone needs to know: if we condemn a person for some vice, we will definitely fall into it ourselves. Therefore, the Lord said: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. By what judgment you judge, you will be condemned."
You need to pray for your grandfather. Serve at mass, memorial notes for a memorial service, commemorate in the morning and evening in home prayers. This will great benefit for his soul and for us.
During home prayer Is it necessary to cover your head with a scarf?
"Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered puts her head to shame, for it is the same as if she were shaved," says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 11:5). Orthodox Christian women, not only in the church, but also at home, cover their heads with a scarf: "A wife must have on her head the sign of power over her of angels" (1 Cor. 11:10).
Civil authorities organize additional bus routes to cemeteries on Easter. Is it correct? It seems to me that on this day the main thing is to be in the temple and commemorate the dead there.
For the dead there is a special day of remembrance - "Radonitsa". It happens on Tuesday in the second week after Easter. On this day, all Orthodox Christians go to congratulate their dead on the universal holiday of Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. And on the very day of Easter, believers should pray in the temple.
Routes organized by the city authorities for those people who do not go to church. Let them at least go there, at least in this way they will remember death and the finiteness of earthly existence.
Is it possible to watch live broadcasts from services from temples and pray? Often there is not enough health and strength to be present in the temple, but you want to touch the Divine with your soul...
The Lord vouchsafed me to visit a holy place, at the Holy Sepulcher. We had a video camera with us, and we filmed Holy place. Then they showed the footage to a priest. He saw footage of the Holy Sepulcher and says: "Stop this shot." He bowed to the ground and said: "I have never been to the Holy Sepulcher." And directly kissed the image of the Holy Sepulcher.
Of course, the image on the TV cannot be worshiped, we have icons. The case I described is an exception to the rule. The priest did this in simplicity of heart, out of a sense of reverence for the depicted shrine.
On holidays, all Orthodox should strive to be in the temple. And if you don’t have health, strength to move, watch the broadcast, stay with the Lord with your soul. Let our soul, together with the Lord, participate in His feast.
Can I wear a "Live Aid" belt?
One person came to me. I ask him:
What prayers do you know?
Of course, I even carry "Living Aids" with me.
He took out the documents, and there he had the 90th psalm "Alive in the help of Vyshnyago" rewritten. The man says: "My mother wrote to me, gave it to me, now I always carry it with me. May I?" - “Of course, it’s good that you wear this prayer, but if you don’t read it, what’s the point? help" were written not to carry them in your pocket or on your belt, but so that you could pull out, read, pray to the Lord every day. If you do not pray, you can die ... That's when you, hungry, got some bread , ate, strengthened your strength and you can calmly work in the sweat of your brow.So having prayed, you will give food for the soul and receive protection for the body.
