What is a prayer rule? These are prayers that a person reads regularly, daily. Everyone's prayer rules are different. For some, the morning or evening rule takes several hours, for others - a few minutes. Everything depends on a person’s spiritual make-up, the degree to which he is rooted in prayer and the time he has at his disposal.
It is very important that a person follows the prayer rule, even the shortest one, so that there is regularity and constancy in prayer. But the rule should not turn into a formality. The experience of many believers shows that when constantly reading the same prayers, their words become discolored, lose their freshness, and a person, getting used to them, stops focusing on them. This danger must be avoided at all costs.
I remember when I took monastic vows (I was twenty years old at the time), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what prayer rule I should have. He said: “You must read the morning and evening prayers, three canons and one akathist every day. No matter what happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. And even if you read them hastily and inattentively, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is so that the rule is read." I tried. Things didn't work out. Daily reading of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly became boring. In addition, every day I spent many hours in church at services that spiritually nourished me, nourished me, and inspired me. And reading the three canons and the akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary “appendage”. I started looking for other advice that was more suitable for me. And I found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to be calculated not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely given to God. And it is not so important whether during these minutes we read all the prayers or just one, or perhaps we devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we are focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our heart. This advice worked for me. However, I do not rule out that the advice I received from my confessor would be more suitable for others. Here a lot depends on the individual person.
It seems to me that for a person living in the world, not only fifteen, but even five minutes of morning and evening prayer, if, of course, it is said with attention and feeling, is enough to be a real Christian. It is only important that the thought always corresponds to the words, the heart responds to the words of prayer, and the whole life corresponds to the prayer.
Try, following the advice of St. Theophan the Recluse, to set aside some time for prayer during the day and for daily fulfillment of the prayer rule. And you will see that it will bear fruit very soon.
The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer “is a conversation between the soul and God.” And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful to sometimes stop and listen to the Lord’s answer to our prayer.
The Church, praying daily “for everyone and everything,” established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, and capabilities of the person. The prayer book offers us morning and evening prayers that are accessible to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm environment, then it is better to read them on the way rather than skip them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the Lord’s Prayer is read.
If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be done not before bedtime, but shortly before. And before going to bed, you should only read the prayer of St. John of Damascus, “O Lord, Lover of Mankind, will this tomb really be my bed...” and those following it.
A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. You should definitely pray for the peace and health of His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if it is not his fault, he is obliged to remember the “hater” and sincerely wish him well.
The personal (“cell”) rule of many Orthodox Christians includes reading the Gospel and Psalms. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read one chapter from the Gospel during the day, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. Moreover, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one per day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended simultaneously, and a new round of readings began.
The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, and it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. Once a rule has been established, it should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.
The main content of the prayer rule is to attune the soul of a Christian to private communication with God, to awaken repentant thoughts in him, and to cleanse his heart of sinful filth. Therefore, carefully fulfilling what is required, we learn, in the words of the Apostle, “to pray at all times in the Spirit... with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Eph. 6:18).
When to Pray
When and for how long should you pray? The Apostle Paul says: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Saint Gregory the Theologian writes: “You need to remember God more often than you breathe.” Ideally, the entire life of a Christian should be permeated with prayer.
Many troubles, sorrows and misfortunes occur precisely because people forget about God. After all, there are believers among criminals, but at the moment of committing a crime they do not think about God. It is difficult to imagine a person who would commit murder or theft with the thought of an all-seeing God, from whom no evil can be hidden. And every sin is committed by a person precisely when he does not remember God.
Most people are unable to pray throughout the day, so we need to find some time, even if it is short, to remember God.
In the morning you wake up thinking about what you have to do that day. Before you start working and plunge into the inevitable hustle and bustle, devote at least a few minutes to God. Stand before God and say: “Lord, You gave me this day, help me spend an era without sin, without vice, save me from all evil and misfortune.” And call on God’s blessing for the beginning of the day.
Throughout the day, try to remember God more often. If you feel bad, turn to Him with prayer: “Lord, I feel bad, help me.” If you feel good, tell God: “Lord, glory to You, I thank You for this joy.” If you are worried about someone, tell God: “Lord, I am worried about him, I hurt for him, help him.” And so throughout the day - no matter what happens to you, turn it into prayer.
When the day comes to an end and you are getting ready for bed, remember the past day, thank God for all the good things that happened, and repent for all the unworthy acts and sins that you committed that day. Ask God for help and blessings for the coming night. If you learn to pray like this every day, you will soon notice how much more fulfilling your whole life will be.
People often justify their reluctance to pray by saying that they are too busy and overloaded with things to do. Yes, many of us live in a rhythm that ancient people did not live in. Sometimes we have to do many things during the day. But there are always some pauses in life. For example, we stand at a stop and wait for a tram - three to five minutes. We go on the subway for twenty to thirty minutes, dial a phone number and hear busy beeps for a few more minutes. Let us at least use these pauses for prayer, let them not be wasted time.
How to pray when you don't have time
What words to pray? What should one do who either has no memory, or who, due to illiteracy, has not studied many prayers, who, finally - and there are such life situations - simply does not have time to stand in front of the images and read the morning and evening prayers in a row? This issue was resolved by the instructions of the great elder Seraphim of Sarov.
Many of the elder’s visitors accused him of not praying enough and not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following easily followed rule for such people:
“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the hymn to the Mother of God “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” also three times. In conclusion, the Creed “I believe in one God” - once. Having completed this rule, every Orthodox Christian goes about his business, to which he has been assigned or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner (or sinner),” and if others surround him, then, going about his business, let him say with his mind only “Lord, have mercy” - and so until lunch. Just before lunch, let him do the morning rule again.
After lunch, while doing his job, let every Christian read just as quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner.” When going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, the “Our Father” three times, the “Virgin Mary” three times and the “Creed” once.
St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small “rule,” one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is a model for all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Mother of God. The Symbol of Faith contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.
The elder also advised reading the Jesus Prayer during classes, while walking, even in bed, and at the same time cited words from the Epistle to the Romans: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
For those who have time, the elder advised reading from the Gospel, canons, akathists, psalms.
What a Christian Should Remember
There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is advisable for every Orthodox Christian to know by heart.
1. The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4).
2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).
3. Basic gospel commandments (Matt. 5:3–12; Matt. 5:21–48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14–21; Matt. 6:24–25; Matthew 7:1–5; Matthew 23:8–12; John 13:34).
4. Symbol of Faith.
5. Morning and evening prayers according to a short prayer book.
6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.
The sacraments must not be mixed with rituals. A ritual is any outward sign of reverence that expresses our faith. A sacrament is a sacred act during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the believers. There are seven such sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Blessing of Anointing (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination).
“Do not be afraid of nightly fear...”
Human life is worth less and less... It has become scary to live - there is danger on all sides. Any of us can be robbed, humiliated, killed. Realizing this, people try to defend themselves; someone gets a dog, someone buys a weapon, someone turns their home into a fortress.
The fear of our time has not escaped the Orthodox. How to protect yourself and your loved ones? - believers often ask. Our main defense is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as the Scripture says, not a hair will fall from our head (Luke 21:18). This does not mean that we, in our reckless trust in God, can behave defiantly towards the criminal world. We need to remember firmly the words “do not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7).
God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross, which cannot be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and artos, eaten every morning.
We also protect Christians with prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th Psalm “Alive in the help of the Most High...” and the prayer to the Holy Cross “May God rise again” are written. It is worn on the body, under clothes.
The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before every time we go outside, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to make the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I renounce to you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and I unite with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Orthodox parents must certainly cross their child if he goes out alone.
Finding yourself in a dangerous situation, you need to pray: “May God rise again,” or “To the chosen victorious Voivode” (the first kontakion from the akathist to the Mother of God), or simply “Lord, have mercy,” repeatedly. We must resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we lack the strength and courage to rush to his aid.
A very strong prayer to the saints of God, who became famous for their military skills during their lifetime: Saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratelates, Demetrius Donskoy. Let us not forget about Archangel Michael, our Guardian Angel. All of them have God’s special power to give the weak strength to overcome their enemies.
“Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps. 126:1). A Christian's home must certainly be consecrated. Grace will preserve the home from all evil. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, you need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water yourself, reading “May God rise again” or “Save, O Lord, Thy people” (troparion to the Cross). To avoid the danger of arson or fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of Her “Burning Bush” icon.
Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life and do not repent for a long time. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.
Orthodox prayer book
You can pray in different ways, for example, in your own words. Such prayer should constantly accompany a person. Morning and evening, day and night, a person can turn to God with the simplest words coming from the depths of the heart.
But there are also prayer books that were compiled by saints in ancient times; they need to be read in order to learn prayer. These prayers are contained in the "Orthodox Prayer Book". There you will find morning, evening, repentance, thanksgiving prayers, you will find various canons, akathists and much more. Having bought the "Orthodox Prayer Book", do not be alarmed that there are so many prayers in it. You don't have to read them all.
If you read the morning prayers quickly, it will take about twenty minutes. But if you read them thoughtfully, carefully, responding with your heart to every word, then reading can take a whole hour. Therefore, if you do not have time, do not try to read all the morning prayers, it is better to read one or two, but so that every word of them reaches your heart.
Before the section “Morning Prayers” it says: “Before you begin to pray, wait a little until your feelings subside, and then say with attention and reverence: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Wait a little longer and only then start praying." This pause, the “minute of silence” before beginning the prayer, is very important. Prayer must grow from the silence of our heart. People who “read” their morning and evening prayers every day are constantly tempted to read the “rule” as soon as possible in order to begin their daily activities. Often, such reading eludes the main thing - the content of the prayer.
The prayer book contains many petitions addressed to God, which are repeated several times. For example, you may come across a recommendation to read “Lord, have mercy” twelve or forty times. Some perceive this as some kind of formality and read this prayer at high speed. By the way, in Greek “Lord, have mercy” sounds like “Kyrie, eleison.” In the Russian language there is a verb “playing tricks”, which came precisely from the fact that the psalm-readers on the choir very quickly repeated many times: “Kyrie, eleison”, that is, they did not pray, but “played tricks”. So, in prayer there is no need to fool around. No matter how many times you read this prayer, it must be said with attention, reverence and love, with complete dedication.
There is no need to try to read out all the prayers. It’s better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer, “Our Father,” repeating it several times, thinking about every word. It is not so easy for a person who is not accustomed to praying for a long time to read out a large number of prayers at once, but there is no need to strive for this. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that breathes the prayers of the Fathers of the Church. This is the main benefit that can be derived from the prayers contained in the Orthodox Prayer Book.
The power of prayers is proven and undeniable. However, it is important to know how to read prayers correctly so that they are effective.
What is prayer for a believer?
An integral part of any religion is prayer. Any prayer is a person’s communication with God. With the help of special words that come from the depths of our souls, we praise the Almighty, thank God, and ask the Lord for help and blessings in earthly life for ourselves and our loved ones.
It has been proven that prayer words can greatly influence a person’s consciousness. The clergy claim that prayer can change the life of a believer and his destiny in general. But it is not necessary to use complex prayer appeals. You can also pray in simple words. Often in this case, it is possible to invest great energy in a prayer appeal, which makes it more powerful, which means it will definitely be heard by the Heavenly forces.
It has been noticed that after prayer, a believer’s soul calms down. He begins to perceive the problems that have arisen differently and quickly finds a way to solve them. True faith, which is invested in prayer, gives hope for help from above.
Sincere prayer can fill spiritual emptiness and quench spiritual thirst. A prayerful appeal to the Higher Powers becomes an indispensable assistant in difficult life situations when no one can help. A believer not only receives relief, but also strives to change the situation for the better. That is, we can say that prayer awakens internal strength to confront current circumstances.
What types of prayers are there?
The most important prayers for a believer are prayers of thanksgiving. They glorify the greatness of the almighty Lord, as well as the mercy of God and all the Saints. This type of prayer should always be read before asking the Lord for any blessings in life. Any church service begins and ends with the glorification of the Lord and the singing of his holiness. Such prayers are always mandatory during evening prayer, when gratitude is offered to God for the day.
In second place in popularity are petitionary prayers. They are a way of expressing requests for help with any mental or physical needs. The popularity of petitionary prayers is explained by human weakness. In many life situations, he is not able to cope with the problems that have arisen and he definitely needs help.
Petitionary prayers not only ensure a prosperous life, but also bring us closer to the salvation of the soul. They necessarily contain a request for forgiveness of known and unknown sins and acceptance of repentance by the Lord for unseemly actions. That is, with the help of such prayers a person cleanses the soul and fills it with sincere faith.
A sincere believer must be sure that his petitionary prayer will definitely be heard by the Lord. You need to understand that God, even without prayer, knows about the misfortunes that befell the believer and his needs. But at the same time, the Lord never takes any action, leaving the believer the right to choose. A true Christian must offer his petition by repenting of his sins. Only a prayer that includes words of repentance and a specific request for help will be heard by the Lord or other heavenly Heavenly Powers.
There are also separate prayers of repentance. Their purpose is that with their help the believer frees the soul from sins. After such prayers, spiritual relief always comes, which is due to liberation from painful experiences about committed unrighteous acts.
A prayer of repentance involves a person’s sincere repentance. It must come from the depths of the heart. In such cases, people often pray with tears in their eyes. Such a prayerful appeal to God can save the soul from the most serious sins that interfere with life. Repentant prayers, cleansing a person’s soul, allow him to move further along the path of life, find peace of mind and acquire new mental strength for new achievements for good. Clergymen recommend using this type of prayer appeal as often as possible.
Prayers that are written in Old Church Slavonic are very difficult to read in the original. If this is done mechanically, then such appeals to God are unlikely to be effective. In order to convey a prayer to God, you need to fully understand the meaning of the prayer text. Therefore, it is hardly worth bothering yourself with reading prayers in church language. You can simply listen to them by attending a church service.
It is important to understand that any prayer will be heard only if it is conscious. If you decide to use the canonical prayer in the original, then you first need to familiarize yourself with its semantic translation into modern language or ask the priest to explain its meaning in accessible words.
If you constantly pray at home, then be sure to organize a red corner for this. There you need to install icons and put church candles, which will need to be lit during prayer. It is permissible to read prayers from a book, but it is much more effective to read them by heart. This will allow you to concentrate as much as possible and invest stronger energy in your prayer appeal. You shouldn't stress too much about this. If prayers become a rule, then it will not be difficult to remember them.
What actions accompany Orthodox prayer?
Very often, believers have a question about what additional actions strengthen prayer. If you are at a church service, the best advice that can be given is to carefully monitor the actions of the priest and other worshipers.
If everyone around is kneeling or crossing themselves, then you need to do the same. Indicative for repetition are all the actions of the priests, who always conduct services in accordance with church rules.
There are three types of church bows that are used when offering prayers:
- A simple bow of the head. It is never accompanied by the sign of the cross. Used in words in prayers: “we fall down”, “we worship”, “the grace of the Lord”, “the blessing of the Lord”, “peace to all”. In addition, you need to bow your head if the priest blesses not with the Cross, but with his hand or a candle. This action also takes place when a priest walks with a censer in a circle of believers. It is imperative to bow your head while reading the Holy Gospel.
- Bow from the waist. During this process, you need to bend at the waist. Ideally, such a bow should be so low that you can touch your fingers to the floor. It is important to remember that before such a bow you must make the sign of the cross. A waist bow is used in words in prayers: “Lord, have mercy”, “Lord grant”, “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”, “Glory to Thee, Lord, Glory You". This action is mandatory before starting the reading of the Gospel and at the end, before the beginning of the “Creed” prayer, during the reading of akathists and canons. You need to bow from the waist when the priest blesses with the Cross, Icon or Holy Gospel.” Both in church and at home, you must first cross yourself, perform a bow from the waist, and after that read the well-known and very important prayer for all Orthodox Christians, “Our Father.”
- Bow to the ground. It involves kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground. When such an action should be performed at a church service, the clergy’s attention is necessarily focused on this. Praying at home with this action can strengthen the effect of any prayer request. It is not recommended to use prostrations in prayers during the period between Easter and Trinity, between Christmas and Epiphany, on the days of the twelve great church holidays, and on Sunday.
You should know that in Orthodoxy it is not customary to pray on your knees. This is done only in exceptional cases. Very often believers do this in front of a miraculous icon or a particularly revered church shrine. After bowing to the ground during regular prayer, you must rise and continue the prayer.
You should make the sign of the cross after simply bowing your head before reading any independent prayer. After its completion, you should also cross yourself.
How to read morning and evening prayers
Morning and evening prayers are read in order to strengthen faith in the soul. To do this, there are morning and evening rules that must be followed. After waking up and before going to bed, it is recommended to pray using the prayers below.
This prayer was conveyed to the apostles by Jesus Christ himself with the goal that they would spread it throughout the world. It contains a strong petition for seven blessings that make the life of any believer complete, filling it with spiritual shrines. In this prayer appeal, we express respect and love for the Lord, as well as faith in our own happy future.
This prayer can be used to read in any life situation, but in the morning and before going to bed it is mandatory. The prayer must always be read with increased sincerity; this is precisely why it differs from other prayer requests.
The text of the prayer reads as follows:
Prayer for agreement at home
It is believed that the power of Orthodox prayers increases many times over if several believers pray together. This fact is confirmed from an energy point of view. The energy of people praying at the same time unites and strengthens the effect of the prayer appeal. The prayer by agreement can be read at home with your household. It is considered the most popular and effective in cases when one of your loved ones is sick and you need to make common efforts for his recovery.
For such a prayer you need to use any directed text. You can use it not only to the Lord, but also to various Saints. The main thing is that the ritual participants are united by a single goal and that the thoughts of all believers are pure and sincere.
Prayer detention
Particularly worth reading is the prayer to the “Detention” icon. Its text is available in the collection of prayers of Elder Pansophius of Athos, and it must be recited in the original during prayer. It is a powerful weapon against evil spirits, so priests do not recommend using this prayer at home without the blessing of a spiritual mentor. The whole point is that the wishes and phrases that it contains are close to the Old Testament, and are far from the traditional petitions of Orthodox believers. The prayer is read nine times a day for nine days. At the same time, you cannot miss a single day. In addition, there is a requirement that this prayer must be said in secret.
This prayer allows you to:
- Provide reliable protection from demonic forces and human evil;
- Protect from household damage and the evil eye;
- Protect yourself from the actions of selfish and evil people, including the meanness and cunning of your enemies.
When the prayer to Saint Cyprian is read
A bright prayer to Saint Cyprian is an effective way to ward off all sorts of troubles from a believer. It is recommended to be used in cases where damage is suspected. It is permissible to say this prayer to the water and then drink it.
The prayer text reads as follows:
“O holy saint of God, Hieromartyr Cyprian, you are the helper of all those who turn to you for help. Accept from us sinners your praise for all your earthly and heavenly deeds. Beg the Lord for strength for us in our weaknesses, healing in severe illnesses, consolation in bitter sorrows, and ask him to grant us other earthly blessings.
Offer up Saint Cyprian, revered by all believers, your powerful prayer to the Lord. May the Almighty protect me from all temptations and falls, teach me true repentance, and deliver me from the demonic influence of unkind people.
Be my true champion for all my enemies, visible and invisible, give me patience, and at the hour of my death, become my intercessor before the Lord God. And I will chant your Holy name and pray to our Almighty God. Amen".
What to address to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in prayer
Very often people turn to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a variety of requests. This Saint is often turned to when a dark streak comes in life. The prayer request of a sincere believer will certainly be heard and fulfilled, since Saint Nicholas is considered the closest Saint to the Lord.
You can express a specific request in prayers, but there is a universal prayer for the fulfillment of a desire.
It sounds like this:
“O Most Holy Wonderworker Nicholas, help me, the Servant of God (my own name) in my mortal desires. Help me fulfill my cherished desire, and do not be angry at my impudent request. Don't leave me alone with vain affairs. My desire is only for the good and not for the harm of others, fulfill it with your mercy. And if I have planned something daring according to your understanding, then avert the attack. If I want something bad, turn away the misfortunes. Make sure that all my righteous desires come true and my life is filled with happiness. Thy will be done. Amen".
Only baptized people can recite the Jesus Prayer. This prayer appeal is considered the first step in the formation of faith in a person’s soul. Its meaning is to ask for mercy from the Lord God through His Son. This prayer is a real daily amulet for a believer and can help overcome any difficulties. Also, the Jesus Prayer is an effective remedy against the evil eye and damage.
In order for prayer to be effective, the following recommendations should be followed:
- While pronouncing words, you need to concentrate on them as much as possible;
- The prayer should not be memorized mechanically; it should be memorized by fully understanding each word;
- It is necessary to pray in a calm and quiet place;
- If faith is very strong, then it is allowed to pray while actively working;
- During prayer, all thoughts should be directed toward true faith in the Lord. The soul must contain love for God and admiration for the Almighty.
Prayer for amulet - red thread
A red thread on the wrist is considered a very common amulet. The history of this talisman is rooted in Kabbalah. In order for the red thread on the wrist to acquire protective properties, a special prayer must first be read over it.
The red thread for the talisman must be bought with money. It should be wool and quite durable. A close relative or relative should tie it on the wrist and perform the accompanying ritual. It is very good if your own mother will tie the thread. But in any case, you must be sure that the person who will perform the ceremony sincerely loves you.
For each knot tied, the following prayer is said:
“Lord Almighty, blessed is the Kingdom on Earth and in Heaven. I bow before Your Power and Greatness and glorify You. You do many good deeds, heal the sick and support those in need, you show your true love and only you have universal forgiveness. I ask you to save the Servant of God (name of the person), protect him from troubles and protect him from enemies visible and invisible. Only you can do this on Earth and in Heaven. Amen".
One elderly priest talked about how he once received important advice in his youth, which he successfully followed throughout his life. He turned to an experienced priest with a request for advice. The young man expected him to give him a short lecture on prayer and give him specific instructions on this matter. The priest answered in a few words, he said: “ Just talk to God" And the priest to whom this advice was given said that all his life, when he began to pray, he remembered this extremely simple advice, and all his life it helped him and inspired him to pray.
It’s good for us to always remember this extremely simple advice. If each of our prayers is a conversation with God, albeit not immediately full-fledged, but sincere, then, of course, we will be able to achieve great heights in the matter of prayer. We know examples of many saints who, having barely turned to God, went to deserted places and cried out to the Lord for the rest of their lives. In moments of joy they thanked and praised the Creator, in moments of despair they cried out for help. When fatigue set in, they asked for strength and diligence; when troubles happened, they begged for patience and humility; during demonic attacks they asked for protection. Thus, their entire life was spent in constant communication with the Lord, and they reached the heights of holiness.
However, the Tradition of the Church contains a lot of advice regarding prayer. Over the two thousand years of the existence of the Church, many saints have gone through a difficult and dangerous path of prayer. And we don't need to start from scratch. It would be much wiser to listen to the voice of the Church and follow the path of prayer not by touch, through trial and error, which can cost us mental health or even the death of our soul, but along the road trodden by a great many saints. This experience is probably especially important for us, people living in the world, burdened with many responsibilities and not having the opportunity to tirelessly cry out to God day and night. And why try to find a path in a deep, dangerous forest, when many of the best guides offer us their experience and knowledge to help us. We will try to give here the basic recommendations that will help us move forward successfully in the work of prayer.
In any case, the beginning is important. Just as a runner before the start takes a special pose and freezes in anticipation of the start of the race, so we must gather the strength of our souls before starting prayer. An incorrect start threatens the athlete with failure of the competition. Lack of proper attention to preparing for prayer implies a high probability that in a few minutes we will forget what we are doing, and while our eyes and lips pronounce the words of prayer, our thoughts will wander far from the essence of what is happening.
In the prayer book, before the start of morning prayers, the instruction is given: “ Rising from sleep, before doing anything else, stand reverently, placing yourself before the All-Seeing God, and, having made the sign of the cross, say: in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. After this, slow down a little until all your feelings subside and your thoughts leave everything earthly: and then begin to pray».
So, the first thing you should do when starting a more or less lengthy prayer is to prepare for it. When starting any serious business, we prepare for it for some time: we think about a plan of action, collect everything necessary to complete it. Moreover, we must prepare ourselves for a conversation with God. We must force our mind to break away from everything that it is constantly busy with during prayer, and concentrate only on prayer. We must try to bring some order and calm into the chaos in which our thoughts and feelings often find themselves. In order to achieve silence and tranquility in our soul, without which it is impossible to meet God, we are invited to stand silently for a while and try to realize the fact that the Lord is always next to us and at the moment He is also addressed to us. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh advises: stand quietly, close your eyes. Imagine, feel that the Lord is looking at you. Realize the greatness and solemnity of this moment. Think about your unworthiness. And finally, feel the great love with which the Lord addresses you. There's no need to rush. Let all these feelings gradually find a response in our heart, and then we can stand before God, experiencing at the same time a feeling of reverence, awareness of our unworthiness, and the love of God. And then you can begin further prayer. You can stay in a state of silent presence before God for longer. This is already a full-fledged prayer, and therefore there is no need to be afraid of wasting time, taking it away from prayer. But if we feel that it is becoming difficult to hold attention longer, then we should move on to the main part of the prayer.
Now let's look at some rules that a person starting to pray should know. These rules were developed as a result of the experience of prayer of many, many saints. By following them, a person can avoid many of the difficulties and dangers that await him on this difficult path.
First of all, we should always remember that our prayer should be dispassionate. Or, to put it in other words: prayer should never be sensual or emotional. The Holy Fathers paid a lot of attention to the structure of human nature. They identified three components of our being: spirit, soul and body. In the Fall, these components lost their proper hierarchy, that hierarchy in which the spirit predominated and controlled our entire being; the body and soul (by which the holy fathers meant just feelings, emotions) found themselves in the power of sin and began to act uncontrollably in human nature. Now our task is to restore the correct condition and position of all the components of the human being, but until healing is achieved, we cannot trust our feelings, because instead of reflecting the movements of the spirit, they are often driven.
Therefore, we must beware of trusting our feelings and allowing them to take the lead in prayer. We have to try to pray with your mind, and the feelings will be activated of their own accord as they progress in prayer and are healed. For this purpose the Church offers ponder the words of the prayer with utmost attention, that is, pray only with your mind. Under no circumstances should you artificially warm up or cultivate any emotional states in yourself, even if these are such wonderful feelings as love for God, repentance for your sins, etc. Moreover, people with an emotionally developed mental makeup need to curb their emotions. Such a prayer may seem dry and too “heady,” but this will save it from the danger of being directed along the wrong path. If we focus on feelings, they will come to the fore in our prayer and obscure the spiritual aspect of prayer. The spirit, instead of dominating, will be pushed to the periphery.
At best, this will become an obstacle to correct prayer and improvement in it. Prayer will become something like auto-training: it will help a person relieve stress and restore a normal mental state. In this case, the same mechanisms of our body will be involved that help relieve nervous tension, for example, by watching a touching film or, conversely, a horror film. The accumulated stress finds a way out, and the person feels better. However, true prayer has nothing to do with this.
In the worst case, a person faces a serious danger of falling into a state of mental exaltation, or even completely losing mental health.
We encounter such incorrect and dangerous prayer, based on sensory tension, in various sects; this can often be encountered in Christian denominations that deny Tradition. Unfortunately, even in Orthodox churches you can find many worshipers who are on this wrong path. During prayer, such people raise their arms, sway, roll their eyes, tense their faces, nervously make the sign of the cross, and sing hysterically along with the clergy or the choir.
Holy ascetics strongly advise us to pray with our minds. At a certain stage of our spiritual growth, the mind, under the influence of grace, will unite with the feelings. Then the feelings will participate in prayer in its entirety. They will take their rightful place in human nature and will ascend to God under the supervision of the spirit. This will be a prayer with transformed feelings, and there will not be a shadow of that anguish and tension that is so characteristic of our passionate soul.
If feelings are born on their own, we, of course, should not drive them away completely. But we must carefully ensure that a state of emotional tension does not arise. To do this, you need to try, as already mentioned, to experience all feelings with your mind. This recommendation may not seem entirely clear to some. But there are also more specific instructions on how to avoid the danger of being at the mercy of sensual prayer. Here they are.
Firstly, the body should not be tense. It shouldn’t be relaxed, of course. You need to keep him calm and collected. AND prayer should not be reflected either in the body or on the face. That is, no wringing of hands or passionate pressing of hands to the chest, etc. is acceptable. The same applies to the state of the face: the muscles should not participate in prayer in any way, the face should be completely calm, and not tense.
Secondly, whether we pray out loud or silently, we must try to pronounce the words evenly and calmly, with minimal intonation. Let us recall the ancient Russian liturgical reading on one note and the slow, monotonous Znamenny singing. All this was supposed to help the person praying to enter the correct, spiritually sober structure of prayer.
And finally, it is important to ensure that no images arise in our minds during prayer. You cannot imagine God, saints, or anything at all. This can be especially difficult for people gifted in this area, for example, artists. However, the images that are born in our consciousness do not reliably reflect Divine reality, and most often distort it. In addition, they can cause an incorrect response in our feelings, which are very difficult to maintain in a state of relative dispassion.
Taking into account all of the above, we note that from the very beginning of prayer, when we imagine ourselves standing before the All-Seeing God, we should not give free rein to our feelings and let any images into our consciousness. The temptation to imagine God watching us must certainly be rejected. During such a presence, we realize that God is with us invisibly, and we will try to experience this reality more deeply. How can you focus on the fact that God is there if He doesn't show Himself in any way? It is not difficult. Spiritual intimacy is actually much more important for us than visible and physically tangible intimacy. Sometimes people live side by side for years, but remember each other’s existence only when some external events force them to do so. And, conversely, loving people always remember each other’s existence. A mother, when her child is seriously ill, constantly remembers his presence. She can prepare medicine for the child, turning away from him, talk to someone or even do things outside the room where her sick baby is, but no matter what a loving mother does, she constantly remembers the child, she is constantly aware of his presence in the house . Let us try in a similar way to remember the presence of God. Such the memory of God should be a permanent state for us. But first you need to achieve remembrance of God, at least during prayer.
Since the first stage of prayer life will be, first of all, an exercise for our mind, then fatigue of the mind from prayer will be a natural phenomenon. During attentive mental prayer, a slight pain in the head may even appear. The same thing happens when, out of habit, you have to engage in intellectual work for a long time, for example, reading a complex scientific book. But with proper persistence, the mind soon gets used to the load, and the pain and tension in the head disappear.
However, to the same extent that it is important not to feel sorry for yourself and to continue prayer exercises, it is necessary to approach this matter wisely. Holy teachers of prayer recommend starting with a short period of time. Let it be 15 - 20 minutes to begin with. If there is such an opportunity, then the most useful thing for correctly and as quickly as possible accustoming your mind to prayer will be pray little by little, but several times a day. This is an ideal prayer for a beginner. It must be said that most often we never move on to the next stage of prayer and remain beginners all our lives, but this practice of prayer is most useful for us. It forces us to return our thoughts to God throughout the day, and in this it anticipates the ideal state of unceasing prayer, when a person is in a state of constant attentive presence before God. Therefore, for those who consider this possible for themselves, it would be ideal, in addition to morning and evening prayer for 20 minutes, to allocate several more periods of time per day for 5-10 minutes. With the help of such short but frequent prayer, the mind most easily learns concentration and attention. These principles are fundamental in the work of our mind, therefore psychologists and teachers recommend that parents of children with particularly distracted attention engage with their children little by little, but often. Since such children, with all their desire, can concentrate their attention for a maximum of fifteen minutes, all the remaining time will be wasted on lessons. It’s good if our mind is trained to study something for a long time and carefully. If not, then, like an absent-minded child, the mind will only be able to follow the words of the prayer for the first ten to fifteen minutes, then it will get tired, and we will no longer be able to collect it. It turns out that the rest of the time is wasted. A mind that is not accustomed to concentration will have to gradually accustom itself to attention. So a mother forces her unlucky son to sit down for his homework again and again in order to accomplish what another could do in one sitting. And if a mother has the proper patience and perseverance in raising her son, then sooner or later she will achieve success. Her child will be able to quickly and efficiently complete his homework, and his mind, accustomed to working, will no longer want to spend his free time in idleness. Then the child, to the great joy of the mother, will enthusiastically do something intellectual in his free time, which he will now have plenty of. When we begin to pray, we most often discover that our mind behaves like a disobedient and lazy child. Therefore, let us be patient and, like a reasonable mother, we will give him small feasible tasks, returning him to prayer several times a day.
In prayer it is extremely important to be as judicious and practical as to be zealous. This rule is especially relevant for a worldly person. Vanity and a multitude of everyday duties are eager to extinguish the initial zeal of a Christian, to switch his attention from eternal objects to temporary and transitory ones. The countless entertainments that the world offers tempt you to give up prayer at the first difficulties and devote all your free time to them. It’s not the same with monks, whose whole structure of life helps them to take up the work of prayer again and again if it has been abandoned for some time. For a worldly person, if he fails, it is much more difficult not to give up prayer completely, so prudence is especially important for him in the matter of prayer.
Many trials await a person preparing to begin a life of prayer. Among the first is to overdo it in the heat of inspiration. A wise mother knows that she cannot give free rein to her desire to teach her child to study right away. By forcing him to study for too long, she will achieve nothing but aversion to studying. Thus, a bow string that is over-tight will not be able to send an arrow in the desired direction, but will break. The principle of a pendulum, well known in psychology, which, having swung in one direction, rolls back the same amount in the opposite direction, was successfully applied by Father Alexander Men to our spiritual life. In spiritual life, and in particular in the matter of prayer, the same thing happens. The Holy Fathers strictly warned: you cannot immediately plunge headlong into ascetic life. Moderation and gradualism are needed here. Otherwise, after a short period of complete dedication to spiritual exploits, a person finds himself faced with an almost irresistible temptation to give up everything and return to his former, irreligious life.
In order not to find ourselves, after some time, in the position of a pendulum swinging in the opposite direction, let us not undertake unbearable feats of prayer. The most correct decision that will help avoid excesses in one direction or another would be plan your prayer life in advance. To some, this may seem like a somewhat mundane solution, unworthy of such a spiritual subject as prayer. But the experience of the two-thousand-year prayer history of the Church shows that this is the most correct decision. In the life of prayer, less than in any other activity, one should wait for the desire to appear. It is just as important to maintain routine and regularity in prayer as we observe, for example, our diet. If we forgot or didn’t have time to eat once, that’s okay, but if we constantly eat when and how we have to, then it’s unlikely that such nutrition will bring the proper benefits to our body, maintaining it in the necessary tone.
This artist can paint one picture and then sit and wait for inspiration to appear again. In prayer life it is completely unacceptable sit and wait when a state of prayer comes and the soul itself asks to pray. How could we not find ourselves in the position of a writer, artist, poet, who has produced several, or even just one, work in his entire life.
In life, we can let minor things take their course, the implementation of which is not so necessary for us. But if you need to achieve a result, you will have to constantly work, regardless of whether you are in the mood at the moment or not. So, if the owner wants her apartment to be in order, she must constantly maintain it. If she cleans only when she wants, then only sometimes the apartment will be clean, but usually it will be dirty and disorderly. And in general, there will be little benefit to the apartment from such inspired cleaning.
So, so that our prayer does not remain fruitless, but brings order to the soul, let’s plan the day in advance and set aside a certain time for prayer. In Orthodox asceticism, a pre-established prayer routine is called prayer rule. Even great ascetics had and followed the rule of prayer. Because the rule organizes, does not allow you to relax and become lazy, on the one hand, on the other, in the words of St. Theophan the Recluse, allows you to “keep jealousy in its measure.”
In order not to be distracted and not to look at the clock all the time, it is convenient to set an alarm clock for a certain time. And in these moments, try to disconnect from everything extraneous and pronounce the words of prayer very carefully.
priest Konstantin Parkhomenko
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In moments of despair and everyday adversity, a person remembers God. Many people trusted in Jesus' help when they came to prayer in need. But does the Lord always hear us? My grandmother taught me how to pray correctly. She told why not all prayers reach heaven, and why many remain unanswered. I will share this knowledge with you, which will provide invaluable help in any situation.
None of us are immune from everyday storms and adversities, diseases and natural disasters. My grandmother always told me that we walk under God. Many people do not understand this and spend their lives in complete carelessness, not keeping God’s commandments. But then trouble comes, and the person does not know where to look for help. And help is always nearby, because Christ is the savior of everyone who believes in him.
Uncertainty about the future depresses the human heart. What if I lose my job, what if something bad happens to me - these thoughts can just make you fall into endless depression. But there is a way out, and it is God himself: sincere prayer with faith in the heart. Jesus will always listen, never judge, and support you in difficult times.
Many people have gained confidence in life through faith and prayer.
My grandmother told me since childhood that prayer is not a set of incomprehensible words in ancient Russian, but a conversation with God. It is not necessary to read ancient prayers if your heart asks for communication with the creator. God understands all our words, he sees our hearts and feels our thoughts. Sincerity and truth are the key to success in any prayer. Even if you are reading a difficult text from the Prayer Book, faith and love for God must still be present in your heart.
Prayer without faith will not be heard.
There are people who seek self-interest in prayers. They think like this: I will read prayers, and you (God) help me for this. They think that earthly blessings will fall on them just because they deigned to pick up the Prayer Book. But God does not need favors and will not reward selfish motives. You need to be honest and sincere, and not try to deceive the creator of life. You cannot beg honor, wealth and glory from God.
It is also impossible to please God by visiting holy places or temples popular with believers. Without faith in the heart, visiting shrines will yield nothing. A sincerely believing person will be heard by God even without holy places.
Prayer book
How to pray correctly at home? To do this, you need to buy a Prayer Book in the church store. It should become a reference book for a believer who wants to receive God's help and grace. When a person lights a church candle in front of the images and burns incense, he should be filled with reverence for God. When opening the Prayer Book, you need to get rid of vain thoughts and direct all your attention to God. Through the prayer word you come into contact with him and begin to have a conversation.
What prayers are contained in the Prayer Book? The book contains prayers that cover a wide range of life areas:
- help against enemies;
- protect from dangers and troubles;
- heal and protect against diseases;
- protect from evil and evil spirits.
With the help of the Prayer Book, a person will be completely protected from the vicissitudes of fate, protected from the machinations of the evil one and attacking enemies.
Is it possible to pray in your own words, and how to pray at home without a Prayer Book? If you do not have a Prayer Book, you can memorize the Lord’s Prayer and read it in your prayer address. You can turn on a recording of the prayer, where it is said by the priest 40 times in a row. But the best prayer is the prayer of the heart. It is precisely this that the Lord hears.
Faith and prayer open the heavens. Faith without prayer is useless, just like prayer without faith.
It is important to understand that the Prayer Book is not a collection of magical conspiracies for all occasions. Holding a Prayer Book in your hands does not mean receiving an answer to all requests. In the church they do not practice magic, but cleanse the soul of filth. Many illnesses come from unrepentant sins and unworthy behavior. Therefore, when you take the holy book in your hands, remember your sinful nature and do not demand that God obey you.
Time for Prayer
How to correctly read prayer at home, at what time? Previously, our ancestors began every morning with prayer, asking for God's blessing for the coming day. In modern times, people don’t even think about approaching the images and simply briefly asking for God’s blessing. They are always in a hurry and late, and in the morning they just want to lie in bed longer. But if you want to be protected from troubles for the whole day, take a few minutes to pray.
Where to start your prayer morning? First of all, you should cross yourself and say: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Then follow the obligatory prayers:
- Holy Spirit;
- Trinity;
- Our Father.
Should you read the entire set of morning prayers from the Prayer Book? The church fathers teach that it is better to read two prayers with attention. than the entire vault without due respect. There is no need to recite holy texts quickly, this is a waste of time.
Before and after prayer, you need to sign yourself with the sign of the cross and bow to the waist.
Prayer before bedtime is also obligatory, as it protects us from the temptations of the evil one. In a dream, a person is completely defenseless and cannot control his thoughts. The enemy of humanity takes advantage of this and sends obscene dreams or nightmares. A protective prayer before going to bed will save you from the attack of the evil one. However, before night prayer, you should analyze the past day:
- find sins and repent before God;
- note whether there were thoughts about spiritual things during the day;
- forgive ill-wishers from the heart;
- thank God for the day you have lived.
Gratitude to God for everything is an important prayer rule. We live and breathe because of the creator of life. How many people in this world are disadvantaged or disabled, so expressing gratitude for your well-being is an indispensable condition in the prayer rule. However, thanks to God, we should not forget about his commandment of love for one’s neighbor. If we are hostile to someone in our hearts, God simply will not hear us.
Enmity between people leaves prayer unanswered.
Jesus taught that you need to start praying after forgiving your neighbors for their sins against you. Just as you forgive others for their sins, so you will be forgiven. But if you are hostile to your neighbor in your heart and are indignant, then God will not hear you and your prayer appeals.
What can you ask for in prayer?
Jesus Christ told us to seek first of all the Kingdom of heaven and its righteousness. If we think about earthly things, we fall away from spiritual things. Vanity requests for insignificant earthly goods will not be taken into account. But if a person strives for the spiritual and seeks spiritual grace, then God will fulfill all his earthly needs.
Often people do not know how to pray so that God will hear and help. They seek earthly blessings, but do not think about heavenly things. People may ask for a car, luck in the lottery, or the love of a person. But God does not heed such requests. Likewise, God does not listen to sinners who have never attended confession. If a person has nothing to confess, it means he is an inveterate sinner.
After confession, your most cherished desires can come true.
You also cannot beg God for something that will cause grief and misfortune to other people. God will never answer such appeals because he does not break his laws. And we have one law: love one another.
What icons should you pray to at home? An Orthodox believer should have a home iconostasis, but not everyone has one. Therefore, for home prayer, you can purchase icons of the Savior and the Mother of God from the church. This will be enough for a start. If you have a patron saint, you need to purchase his icon. Icons should be placed in a clean, bright place in the room.
Prayer by agreement
What kind of prayer is this, and what is it for? Is this prayer in church? Reciting prayers by agreement involves an agreement among several people to recite certain prayers at certain times. For example, believers agree to pray for the healing of someone or for success in an endeavor. They don't have to gather in the same room, and they can even live in different cities - it doesn't matter. It is important to determine the purpose of the prayer and say it at the same time.
Here is the text of the prayer of agreement of St. John of Kronstadt:
According to his testimony, this prayer performed miracles. People received healing from illnesses, strengthened their spirit in difficult conditions, and regained their lost faith.
Remember that prayer is not a ritual action, and do not expect instant fulfillment of what you want.
However, to conduct prayer according to agreement, you need to receive the blessing of the priest. Don't forget this rule.
So, when starting to pray, it is important to remember the following:
- put on a cross and a scarf (for women);
- before starting prayer, you need to forgive all the sins of your neighbors against you;
- you need to start reading the prayer in a calm mood, without fuss and haste;
- one must firmly believe that God hears the prayer of the believer;
- before reading the prayer, you should make the sign of the cross three times and bow to the waist;
- the prayer must be said in front of the images;
- do not ask for fame and wealth, God will not hear it;
- After reading the prayers, you must give thanks and praise to God and sign yourself with the cross.
If you have holy water, you need to take a few sips to sanctify your insides.
How many times do you need to say a prayer request to get an answer? Sometimes it takes a long time, and sometimes the answer comes instantly. Everything depends on the will of God and your efforts.
If your prayer calls are not answered, then you are asking for something harmful to yourself. Always rely on the Lord, because he knows best what is beneficial or harmful for you. Do not become angry or irritated over an unfulfilled request; this will lead you away from faith and into a sinful path. Perhaps in 10 years you will understand why God never answered your prayer, and thank him from the bottom of your heart for that!
How to prepare yourself for visiting the temple. The temple is the house of God, heaven on earth, the place where the greatest Mysteries are performed. Therefore, it is necessary to always prepare for receiving shrines, so that the Lord does not condemn us for negligence in communicating with the Great.* Eating food before visiting the temple is not recommended, it is prohibited according to the rules, this is always done on an empty stomach. Some retreats are possible due to weakness, with the obligatory reproach of oneself.
Clothing is of great importance, the Apostle Paul mentions this, commanding women to cover their heads. He notes that a woman's covered head is a positive sign for the angels, for it is a sign of modesty. It is not good to visit a temple in a short, bright skirt, in a provocatively revealing dress or in a tracksuit. Anything that forces others to pay attention to you and distracts you from service and prayer is considered bad. A woman in trousers in a temple is also an unacceptable phenomenon. In the Bible, there is also an Old Testament prohibition for women to dress in men's clothing, and for men to dress in women's clothing. Respect the feelings of believers, even if this is YOUR first visit to the temple.
In the morning, getting out of bed, thank our Lord, who has given us the opportunity to spend the night in peace and who has extended us the days of repentance. Slowly wash your face, stand in front of the icon, light a lamp (necessarily from a candle) to impart a prayerful spirit, bring your thoughts into silence and order, forgive everyone and only then begin to read the morning prayers from the prayer book. If you have time, read one chapter from the Gospel, one of the Acts of the Apostles, one kathisma from the Psalter, or one psalm. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that it is always better to read one prayer with a sincere feeling than to complete all prayers with an obsessive thought. Before you leave, say a prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I unite with you, Christ our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, cross yourself and calmly walk to the temple. On the street, cross the road in front of you, with the prayer: “Lord, bless my ways and save me from all evil.” On the way to the temple, read the prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
*Rules for entering the temple.
Before entering the temple, cross yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and say before the first bow: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” to the second bow: “God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.”
To the third: “I have sinned beyond number, Lord, forgive me.”
Then, having done the same, entering the doors of the temple, bow to both sides, say to yourself: “Forgive me, brothers and sisters.”
*In church, the correct way to kiss icons is as follows:
When kissing the holy icon of the Savior, one should kiss the feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
and the miraculous image of the Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist - in hair.
And remember!!! If you come to the service, then the Service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God.
NOTE: - if you do not have the strength to stand for the entire service, then you can sit, for as St. Philaret of Moscow said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing.”
However, while reading the Gospel you must stand!!!
How to be BAPTIZED CORRECTLY.
The sign of the cross is performed as follows.
We put the fingers of the right hand: thumb, index and middle - together (in a pinch), ring and little fingers - bent together, pressed to the palm.
Three folded fingers mean our faith in God, worshiped in the Trinity, and two fingers mean faith in Jesus Christ as true God and true Man. Then, with the tips of three folded fingers, we touch our forehead to sanctify our thoughts; belly to sanctify our body; right and left shoulders, to sanctify the works of our hands. In this way we depict a cross on ourselves.
After this we bow. Bows can be from the waist to the ground. The waist bow consists of bending the upper body forward after making the sign of the cross. When bowing to the ground, the believer kneels, bending down, touches his forehead to the floor and then stands up.
There are certain extensive church rules regarding what bows should be performed and when. For example, prostrations are not performed during the period from Easter to the Holy Trinity, as well as on Sundays and great holidays.
To be baptized without bowing: 1. In the middle of the six psalms on “Alleluia” three times.
2. At the beginning “I believe.”
3. On vacation “Christ our true God.”
4. At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.
Cross yourself with a bow:
1. When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
2. At each petition, the litany after singing “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words “Most honorable Cherub.”
6. With each word “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”
7. During the words “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and during the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.
8. On the canon on the 1st and 9th cantos at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saints.
9. After each stichera (moreover, the choir that finishes singing is baptized).
10. At the litia, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one each.
Be baptized with a bow to the ground:
1. During fasting, when entering the temple and when leaving it - 3 times.
2. During Lent, after each chorus to the song of the Mother of God “We magnify Thee.”
3. At the beginning of singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat.”
4. After “We’ll sing for you.”
5. After “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik.
6. When shouting: “And grant us, Master.”
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever.”
8. In Great Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “The Most Holy Lady” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
9. During fasting, during the prayer “Lord and Master of my life.”
10. During Lent, during the final singing: “Remember me, Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom.” Just 3 prostrations.
Half bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest “Peace to all”
2. “The blessing of the Lord be upon you,”
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”,
4. “And may the mercies of the Great God be” and
5. With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).
You are not supposed to be baptized.
1. During the psalms.
2. In general, while singing.
3. During the litanies, to the choir who sings the litany choruses
4. You need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at the last words.
Prostrations to the ground are not allowed.
On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance before the holiday until “Grant, O Lord,” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.
ICONS IN THE HOUSE
Savior Not Made by Hands
Icon is a Greek word and is translated as “image.” Holy Scripture says that Jesus Christ himself was the first to give people His visible image.
King Abgar, who ruled during the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Syrian city of Edessa, was seriously ill with leprosy. Having learned that in Palestine there was the great “prophet and wonderworker” Jesus, who taught about the Kingdom of God and healed people of any disease, Abgar believed in Him and sent his court painter Ananias to give Jesus a letter from Abgar, asking for healing and his repentance. In addition, he ordered the painter to draw a portrait of Jesus. But the artist was unable to make a portrait, “due to the radiant shine of His face.” The Lord himself came to his aid. He took a piece of cloth and applied it to His Divine face, which is why His divine image was imprinted on the cloth, by the power of grace. Having received this Holy Image - the first icon created by the Lord Himself, Abgar venerated it with faith and received healing for his faith.
This miraculous image was given a name - *Savior Not Made by Hands*.
Purpose of the icon
The main purpose of the icon is to help people rise above the vanity of the world and provide assistance in prayer. “An icon is an embodied prayer. It is created in prayer and for the sake of prayer, the driving force of which is love for God, the desire for Him as for perfect Beauty.”
The icon is called upon to awaken in what lies before it the spiritual need to pray, to fall before God in repentance, to seek consolation in sorrows and prayers. 
What icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian?
You must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home. Among the images of the Savior, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen for home prayer. A characteristic feature of this iconographic type is the image of the Lord with a blessing hand and an open or closed book. Also, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often purchased for the home.
The icon of the Mother of God is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
“Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, “Recovery of the Dead”, etc.;
“Guide” (“Hodegetria”) - Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, “Quick to Hear”, Iverskaya, Gruzinskaya, “Three-Handed”, etc.
Usually in Rus' it is customary to place an icon of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia (Nicholas the Pleasant) in every home iconostasis. Of the Russian saints, images of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov are most often found; Among the icons of martyrs, the icons of St. George the Victorious and the healer Panteleimon are very often placed. If space permits, it is advisable to have images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael.
If desired, you can add icons of patrons. For example: Patrons of the family - the holy faithful Prince Peter (monastically David) and Princess Fevronia
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. With their prayers they bring down Heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage.
- the holy martyrs and confessors Gury, Samon and Aviv - are known among Orthodox Christians as the patrons of marriage, marriage, and a happy family; They are prayed to “if the husband innocently hates his wife” - they are the intercessors of a woman in a difficult marriage. PATRON OF CHILDREN. - Holy Child-Martyr Gabriel of Bialystok.
How to pray CORRECTLY. Prayers are read according to certain RULES. A rule is the order of reading prayers established by the Church, their composition and sequence. There are: morning, afternoon and evening rules, rules for Holy Communion.
Each of the rules has almost the same beginning - opening prayers:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King...
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us...
Lord, have mercy... (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son...
Our Father …"
these initial prayers are followed by the rest.
If you are limited in time, then use the prayer Rule of Seraphim of Sarov:
After sleep, having washed, first of all, you need to stand in front of the icons and, reverently crossing yourself, read the Lord’s Prayer *Our Father* three times. Then three times *Virgin Mother of God, rejoice* and, finally, the Creed.
Is it possible to pray in your own words? It is possible, but within certain restrictions.
The Church does not prohibit praying in one’s own words. Moreover, she points to this and prescribes, say, in the morning rule: “Briefly offer a prayer for the salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, bosses, benefactors, those you know who are sick or in sorrow.” Thus, we can tell the Lord in our own words about what concerns our friends or us personally, about what was not said in the prayers included in the prayer book.
However, without achieving spiritual perfection, praying with the words that come to mind, even if they come from the depths of the soul, we can only remain at our level of spirituality. By joining the prayers of the saints, trying to delve into their words, each time we become a little higher and better spiritually.
The Lord Himself gave us an example of how to pray. The prayer He left for His disciples is called the Lord's Prayer. It exists in all prayer books and is included in church services. This prayer is *Our Father*.
The Lord's Prayer (given to us by Jesus Christ) -
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for this day;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
**********
SYMBOL OF FAITH:
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before the beginning of time; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were created.
For us, for the sake of people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures predicted. And ascended into heaven and reigns with the Father. And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, equally worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
The Symbol of Faith is a brief statement of the foundations of the Orthodox faith, compiled at the I and II Ecumenical Councils in the 4th century; read in the morning as a daily prayer.
PSALM 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquities. Wash me from all my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. I have sinned only before You, and I have done evil before You, so You are right in Your verdict and just in Your judgment. From my very birth I have been guilty before You; I am a sinner from my conception in my mother's womb. But You love the sincere in heart and reveal to them the secrets of wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. Return joy and gladness to my soul, and my bones, broken by You, will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with Your Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from premature death, O God, God is my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice - I would give it - and You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Renew, O God, by Thy mercy Zion, erect the walls of Jerusalem. Then righteous sacrifices will be acceptable to You; then they will lay sacrifices to You on Your altar.
*Song of the Most Holy Theotokos:
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
*Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos! Raise us, servant of God (names), from the depths of sin and deliver us from sudden death and from all evil. Grant us, O Lady, peace and health and enlighten our minds and the eyes of our hearts to salvation, and grant us, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God: for His power is blessed with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit.
*A simpler prayer -
Most Holy Mother of God, pray to Your Son and God for the revelation of my mind and for the blessing of my undertakings, and for sending from above help in my affairs, and for the forgiveness of my sins, and for receiving eternal blessings. Amen. 
PRAYERS BEFORE EATING AND AFTER EATING FOOD
Blessing of food or Thanksgiving prayer is said before the start of the meal.
The prayer can be read while sitting or standing. But, if there are people present who profess a different faith, then it is better not to say the prayer out loud!
The content of the prayer can be short or lengthy. The three options for prayers before meals given below are the most common, as they are the shortest:
1. Lord, bless us and these Thy gifts that we partake of.
Yours. In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
2. Bless, Lord, this food, so that it will benefit us and give us
strength to serve You and help those who need it. Amen.
3. Let us thank the Lord for the meal given to us. Amen.
We present to you other options for prayers before meals:
1. Our Father... Or: The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, and You give food to everyone at the right time,
You open Your generous hand and satisfy all living things.
2. We thank You, Christ our God, for You have filled us with Your earthly blessings. Don't deprive us of
Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as you once came to Your disciples, giving them peace, come to us and save us.
Often, believers, before and after eating, simply read three prayers: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen". “Lord, have mercy” (three times). “Through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen".
And, if you want to snack on an apple or a sandwich, for example, then the clergy recommend that you simply cross yourself or cross what you are eating!
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be 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.
*Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and forgive me the unworthy, and forgive me all that You have sinned today as a man, and moreover, not as a man, but also worse than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, known and unknown: those who are evil from youth and science, and those who are evil from insolence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I will reproach; or slandered someone with my anger, or saddened someone, or became angry about something; either he lied, or he slept in vain, or he came to me as a beggar and despised him; or made my brother sad, or married, or whom I condemned; or became proud, or became proud, or became angry; or standing in prayer, my mind is moved by the wickedness of this world, or I think about corruption; either overeated, or drunk, or laughing madly; either I thought evil, or saw someone else’s kindness, and my heart was wounded by it; or dissimilar verbs, or laughed at my brother’s sin, but mine are countless sins; Either I didn’t pray for the sake of it, or I didn’t remember what other evil things I did, because I did more and more of these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator Master, Thy sad and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind, so that I may lie down in peace, sleep and rest, the prodigal, sinful and damned one, and I will bow and sing , and I will glorify Your most honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and ever and forever. Amen.
*Prayer
Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep. Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honorable Mother, and Your disembodied Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, the God-speaking Apostles, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints through the prayers, deliver me from my present demonic situation. To her, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if he were converted and live, grant me conversion, the accursed and unworthy; take me away from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, is my consolation, Who for the sake of the accursed one has clothed himself in corruptible flesh, pluck me from accursedness, and grant consolation to my more accursed soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and forsake evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: for in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, save me.
*Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.
*Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross:
May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts in the presence of fire, so let demons perish from the face of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and who say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons by force on you of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
*Prayer
Weaken, forsake, 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.
*Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life. Visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. . Amen.
*CONFESSION OF SINS DAILY:
I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, both now and in days gone by. and nights, by deed, by word, by thought, by gluttony, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, neglect, pride, avarice, theft, unspeaking, foulness, money-grubbing, jealousy, envy, anger, memory malice , hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator I have angered You, and my neighbor for being untruthful: regretting these, I blame myself for You, my God I imagine, and I have the will to repent: then, Lord my God, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that are spoken before Thee, for Thou art Good and Lover of mankind.
When you go to bed, be sure to say:
*In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.*
The LORD save and preserve you!!!
