What is prayer?
Prayer (spoken or silent) is about establishing a connection with God, with a higher power, with the Universe or with the Divine Source. Simply put, when you pray, you are in contact with Him. It is a way for us human beings to connect with Source and improve our relationship with Him. This connection can not only heal us, but also serve to benefit our entire lives.
Most religions agree that there is one true Source who cares for you no matter who you are or what your personal circumstances are. This Source strives to respond to your requests and needs, but He wants you to interact with Him - it must be a two-way communication, because He really wants to help you. Even if you have no belief in a supreme deity or are a follower of a particular religion, you may find yourself saying a short prayer of gratitude, whether you are aware of whom you are thanking or not.
Prayer allows you to connect with something that you may not see, but that really exists.
How are prayers read in the morning and evening?
Morning and evening prayer rules exist so that people can strengthen their faith, clear their minds from vanity and fill their souls with peace. As a rule, such texts are read immediately before going to bed and after waking up from it.
You can read any texts, but as a rule, they resort to the words of the “Our Father” prayer. It is one of the most famous and universal, that is, it is read by people for any reason, regardless of what their specific needs are.
Does the Lord's Prayer help? Without a doubt, yes, otherwise generations of believers would not have uttered it. But you need to understand that words themselves have no power, they do not have magical power. The Lord works miracles by listening to the prayer of the needy. That is, reading a prayer must be accompanied by deep faith in God, otherwise this activity is meaningless.
Which prayer to choose?
When I pray, I ask to connect with the Divine Source and feel His presence in my heart.
You can choose any prayer you like, any prayer you know, or pray in your own words. You can pray by repeating positive statements. The repeating rhythm gives them strength and power and makes them look like a kind of chant. In many cultures and civilizations, chanting is a way of achieving good health, promoting a sense of well-being, enlightenment and connection with the divine. Repeating affirmations allows you to use your breath to unite your mind, body, and soul. You can create your own chants using names, words, sounds, syllables, or even snippets of text. It's not that you hum, but the desire to do it, which raises your vibration to a higher spiritual level. The effect of this is extraordinary, because during the chant, waves of energy permeate the body, and the heart is filled with pure joy.
As a form of prayer, chanting and drumming are used by the American Indians in their ceremonies. In some traditions, prayers can be sung to music, in others they are repeated with the fingering of beads - for example, among Buddhists. And someone establishes a connection with God through meditation.
No matter what method of prayer you choose, the main thing is to start. Don't worry about how you do it at first. Don't get stuck trying to find the right words or the right intention—God will not be upset even if you have nothing to say. Just pray, thank God and connect with the Divine Source.
Are there reading rules?
Often, thinking about whether prayer helps or not, people begin to look for rules for reading it. Meanwhile, the Orthodox Church does not regulate in any way the conversion of believers to the Lord. However, there are a number of traditions and foundations that you should be aware of.
During church services there are moments at which you should make the sign of the cross and bow your head. It can be quite difficult for a person who does not attend divine services very often to navigate the order of signs and bows. Therefore, you need to carefully observe other people praying and do the same as they do.
When praying at home, you need to act on inspiration, without indulging in thought. If there is a desire to cross or bow, this should be done.
As for the texts of prayers, the only rule for reading them is to have deep and unconditional faith in the power of the Lord and trust in him.
Why do you need to pray?
Prayer is an opportunity to speak out, to communicate your problems, what you feel and experience. Through prayer, the Source connects with your consciousness, mind and soul . He wants your love. Ultimately, love is the highest form of honor.
If you pray before going to bed, you direct all your attention to the Divine, thus clearing your mind of unnecessary thoughts.
If you do this regularly, you will soon notice how much your sleep and general condition have improved. This is because your mind has become less restless. You can use prayer to sanctify your food. Unfortunately, this ancient tradition of our ancestors is almost lost; it is rare in any house to hear prayer before meals.
But spiritual people should not forget about this tradition. Blessed food will always do you good. You can pray not only for yourself and your loved ones, but also for all humanity. There is a practice of worldwide prayer at 21.00 local time. Just put aside all your business for 5-10 minutes and join the worldwide movement of prayer for all humanity. Close your eyes and wish this world and all people without exception love and goodness.
By practicing prayer, you will begin to perceive your life differently . You will find yourself attracting new, energetic people into your life and will experience a renewed sense of inner confidence knowing that your prayers will be answered and not left unanswered. Don't just sit and wait for prayers to be answered... remember that some of them have already been answered in the past. We don't always get what we want, but we usually get what we need.
Start paying attention to how your prayer requests are being met. Maybe they gave you a new book that showed you the answer you needed? Or did a complete stranger come into your life and provide you with wonderful guidance? Or did synchronicity take your hand and lead you to a solution? Now you can understand a little better the meaning of the saying “The ways of the Lord are mysterious.” Just pray and don't expect the answer to come the way you think it will. And thank God when it happens.
Parable on the topic:
One man was hardly at all alarmed when he heard that a storm was approaching the village and that it would rain for many days. He believed in God and so he said to himself: Don't worry. God will take care of everything. Then a storm began, with torrential rain falling day after day. The village was already flooded, the water was approaching the window, but the man continued to say: Don’t worry. God will take care of everything.
That day, a group of people walked around the village looking for those who needed help. They offered to move this man and his belongings to a safe place. But he brushed them off and said: “I'm not worried. God will take care of everything.”
The rain continued, and the next day several people came to him in a small boat. “Let's hurry up! - they said. — The rain does not stop, the water continues to rise. The village is being evacuated - take the necessary things, you will be safe in the boat.” But the man again refused, saying, “No need to worry. God will take care of everything.”
A few days later the water rose to the very roof of his house. He climbed onto the roof, and at that moment a helicopter appeared above him. The pilot announced over the PA, “I’m lowering the lift. Get in and I'll take you to safety." But the man, of course, waved the pilot away and shouted back: “No, thank you, sir. God will take care of everything.”
When the house was completely under water, the man climbed onto the pipe. He raised his hands to heaven and turned to God: “I kept praying to You, so why did You leave me?” And at the same moment a booming voice answered him: “Left it? Who sent you the villagers, the man in the boat and the helicopter?”
Is it possible to bring back a departed person through prayers?
Will prayer help bring your loved one back? At first glance, such a question seems strange, because prayers and love relationships are not at all related concepts. However, if we consider the loss of love as the reason for the breakdown of a family, then turning to the Lord for help is quite appropriate.
Women whose husbands left them and their children for another woman, or simply because they did not feel the desire to stay close, from time immemorial prayed to the Mother of God for help. Young girls who were experiencing difficulties in relationships with their chosen ones also turned to her.
Will prayers help return a person to his family? Without a doubt, yes, but you need to understand that only prayers for help are not enough for this. But you cannot neglect them in a difficult life situation. A praying woman begins to look at her family situation differently. When the heart is filled with humility, and the soul with peace and hope, it becomes clear that resentment, anger, misunderstanding and anger prevented us from considering.
In Orthodoxy there are prayers for eternal life, help, recovery
A number of prayers are directed to specific saints. It is generally accepted that through such prayer we ask the saint to join us and turn to God with some kind of request.
But at the same time, we must keep in mind the main thought: “Thy will be done.” If God allows, it will be our way. As they say, they don’t take money for demand.
But here it is appropriate to talk not about whether prayer helped, but about whether what we are asking for is useful.
You can read the prayers themselves to anyone, anytime. In Orthodoxy, there is an established tradition of doing this in front of images of saints, but circumstances vary, so there are no strict formalities.
Now we will present several especially popular prayers among Orthodox Christians.
The prayer “Free and involuntary” asks God to help us take the righteous path to eternal life.
Prayer Free and involuntary:
Relax, let go, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, day and night, in mind and in thought - forgive us all, as the Merciful and Lover of Humanity. Forgive those who hate and offend us, O Lord, Lover of Mankind! To those who do good, do good. To our brothers and relatives, graciously fulfill their requests in what leads to salvation, and grant eternal life. Visit the weak and give them healing.
Help those at sea. Companion to travelers. Help Orthodox Christians in their struggle. Grant remission of sins to those who serve us and those who take pity on us. Have mercy on those who have entrusted us, the unworthy, to pray for them, according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before and rest them where the light of Your Face shines.
Remember, Lord, our brothers who are in captivity, and deliver them from all misfortune. Remember, Lord, those who bear the fruits of their labors and adorn Your holy churches. Give them, at their request, that which leads to salvation and eternal life.
Remember, Lord, us, Your humble, sinful and unworthy servants, and enlighten our minds so that we know You, and lead us on the path of following Your commandments, through the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Eternal Virgin Mary, and all Your saints, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.
A fragment of a painting depicting the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. They pray to him before doing a good deed. Photo: i.pinimg.com
It is better to successfully accomplish a good deed by enlisting the help of the Holy Spirit through the following prayer:
Troparion, tone 2:
O God, Creator and Creator of all things, the works of our hands begin for Thy glory,
With your blessing, quickly fix it,
and deliver us from all evil,
For there is only one who is omnipotent and a lover of mankind.
Kontakion, tone 6:
Quick to intercede and mighty to help, present yourself to the grace of Your power today
and having blessed, strengthened,
and to complete the good deeds of Your servants, You will do:
whatever you want,
For like the Mighty God, you are able to create.
For illnesses they pray to the holy great martyr Panteleimon.
Troparion, tone 3:
Passion-bearing saint and healer Panteleimon, pray to the Merciful God to grant forgiveness of sins to our souls.
Kontakion, tone 5:
O imitator of the Merciful, and receiving healing grace from Him, passion-bearer and martyr of Christ God, with your prayers heal our spiritual ailments, driving away the ever-fighting temptations from those who cry out truly: save us, Lord.
Prayer:
Holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, merciful imitator of God! Look with mercy and hear us, sinners, praying earnestly before your holy icon. Ask us from the Lord God, Who stands with the Angels in heaven, for the forgiveness of our sins and transgressions: heal the mental and physical illnesses of the servants of God, now remembered, those present here and all Orthodox Christians who flow to your intercession: for here we are, through our sins We are fiercely possessed by many ailments and are not imams of help and consolation: we resort to you, for you have given the grace to pray for us and heal every ailment and every illness;
Grant therefore to all of us, through your holy prayers, health and well-being of souls and bodies, advancement of faith and piety, and everything necessary for temporary life and salvation, for, having been granted great and rich mercies by you, let us glorify you and the Giver of all good things, wondrous in the saints, God ours, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Psalm 90 is a prayer “Alive in Help”
Psalm 90, known as the “Alive in Help” prayer, helps against troubles and evil people:
Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words, His splash will overshadow you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with weapons. Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the thing that passes in darkness, from the cloak, and from the demon of the midday.
Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge.
Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you to keep you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, step on an asp and a basilisk, and cross a lion and a serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and because I have known My name.
He will call to Me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will overcome him, and I will glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.
Nicholas the Wonderworker is closely associated with the image of the sea, he is the protector of sailors. The thing is that one day, according to legend, he answered their sincere prayer, appeared in the middle of the sea and saved the ship from a storm
There are also a lot of prayers to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on a variety of topics. This one is about help on the spiritual path:
Oh, all-holy Nicholas, exceedingly saintly servant of the Lord, our warm intercessor, and everywhere in sorrow a quick helper! Help me, a sinner and sad person in this present life, beg the Lord God to grant me forgiveness of all my sins, which I have sinned greatly from my youth, in all my life, in deed, word, thought and all my feelings; and at the end of my soul, help me the accursed,
beg the Lord God, the Creator of all creation, to deliver me from airy ordeals and eternal torment: may I always glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your merciful intercession, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
December 19: St. Nicholas Day
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How to pray in temple
The church is the house of God, and every house has its own rules of behavior. You need to abide by them and respect them to be part of this community. You can’t pray in church like you would at home, because you are not alone and you need to take others into account.
Beginning parishioners are often lost inside the church. They often do not know what prayer is, how to pray correctly, how to light candles, what icons are needed for what, etc.
Newcomers have a lot of questions, and they are sometimes embarrassed or afraid to ask regulars for advice. But this is unnecessary - timidity is inappropriate here. You can learn everything from other parishioners or from employees, for example, in a church shop. They will not refuse help.
And the basics can be found in our article.
In a church or temple
Men enter the temple with their heads uncovered, and women, on the contrary, cover their heads with a scarf. It is not advisable for women to enter the church wearing pants or a short skirt. It is unlikely that you will be kicked out, now they are more tolerant of this, but dissatisfied looks will be guaranteed.
If religion is truly important to you, dress appropriately for church.
Cross yourself three times before entering the temple. Go inside and go to the central icon. Cross yourself twice in front of her, kiss the image, if possible, and cross yourself again. If it is not possible to kiss the icon or you don’t want to, you can simply bow.
Candles are placed for health or peace on a special table where the crucifixion of Christ stands. In some churches you can take candles from the table, in others you can buy them in the church shop.
You can pray in front of any icon. The prayer is read in a whisper or mentally. You can pray either standing or on your knees. Place your hands in front of you. After finishing the prayer, cross yourself and bow at the waist.
Near the holy relics
Relics are the remains of holy people. Sometimes holy relics are brought to the temple so that parishioners can touch the shrine.
The queue is very long, because everyone wants to join such a significant event. In such a situation, it is inappropriate to spend too much time near the shrine; you need to act quickly.
Pray in line while looking at the shrine. When approaching the holy relics, you need to cross yourself, kiss them, and immediately move away. That will be enough.
At the Liturgy
The word "liturgy" is translated from Greek as "common work." Believers gather in church to glorify God together and receive communion.
Worship may be held every day or only on Sundays. Find out the start time in advance and arrive a few minutes early.
Before entering, you need to cross yourself. After entering, go to the central icon, cross yourself, kiss the image and pray. Immediately before the service begins, take a seat in the hall. Then you will not be able to walk around the temple, so immediately choose a position that is comfortable for you.
The priest will read texts and prayers, and believers stand in one place. During the liturgy you need to cross yourself and bow at certain moments. Watch how experienced Orthodox Christians pray and copy their movements and actions.
