4 texts of prayers against the sin of masturbation for men and women, how to read correctly

During confession, every Christian must speak completely sincerely about his negative actions and thoughts. Possible sins include fornication (adultery), which is included in the list of the most terrible sins. Great saints of God, including St. John Chrysostom, Ignatius Brianchaninov, St. John Cassian and other spiritual fathers, spoke a lot about him and urged him to be avoided in every possible way.

Handjob - what is it?

What is handjob?
This is the process of independently achieving sexual satisfaction with the help of hands or other objects. Moreover, this happens outside of normal marital relationships. On the one hand, in the modern realities of secular society, even the very formulation of the question often causes bewilderment. Even in modern medical sources, this action is often considered beneficial for the mental and physical state of a person. The usefulness of this manipulation for various categories of persons is indicated. For teenagers going through hormonal storms. Also for people who are unable to live a married life and simply for single people. The favorite recommendation of many modern urologists is to resort to regular masturbation to prevent prostatitis.

At first glance, compared to adultery (adultery) or fornication, the degree of sinfulness in masturbation seems to be less. And experts in the Holy Scriptures will confirm that the biblical Onan was not punished for masturbation at all. Punishment befell him for violating the levirate. He refused to beget offspring for his dead brother's wife, Tamar. The same one who eventually conceived by cunning from her father-in-law and entered the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament there is a famous saying of the Apostle Paul:

However, if you wish, you can point out the many meanings of the Greek word “malakia”. In the first centuries of our era, it rather meant “pampered.”

Repentance

Is it possible to repent of the sin of fornication and reconsider your life? Yes, you can. Let us remember the life of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. She was a harlot and a whore. I left home from my youth and set out on a slippery road. Later she became a saint. How did this happen? In the subsection above it is said that you cannot approach the sacrament, but here is a twist.

The whole point is that Mary of Egypt brought repentance. And I didn’t just go to church for confession. She wandered through the desert for 47 years, asking the Lord for forgiveness for her sins. The Lord forgave the former harlot.

We must also bring repentance if we suffer from this sin. But it’s not like they came to the church, told the priest without a trace of regret, left the church and went back to their old ways. What is the meaning of such repentance? If you really repent, then change your life. Pull sin out of yourself by the roots. And don't come into contact with him anymore.

Example of a confessional text

The following is a text that will help representatives of both sexes confess masturbation, as well as other carnal sins. It can be used as a model for repentance for fornication, leaving in the list of committed acts:

“I confess, the sinful servant of God (God) (name), before the face of the Lord God Almighty of sins committed by deed or thought. He sinned by having carnal relations before marriage, conceiving offspring before a legal relationship with his spouse, having unclean thoughts towards persons of the opposite sex, gazing lustfully at beautiful faces and bodies, during family life had relationships with other partners, destroyed someone else’s family through fornication, left other people’s children without a mother (father).

He also sinned by engaging in masturbation, reading obscene books, watching shameful films, telling obscene jokes, wearing indecent clothes, mocking chastity and marital fidelity, approved of adultery of other people, allowed immoderation in carnal relations in marriage, free treatment of persons of the other sex, did not observe restrictions in married life during fasting and church holidays, entered into the fourth marriage.

I sincerely repent of all my prodigal sins, I humbly ask the Lord for forgiveness for my actions and thoughts, and I promise never to repeat them again. I ask God to give me strength to prevent new sins and I will make every effort to henceforth lead the life of a true Christian (true Christian) and keep the Divine commandments every day. Amen".

In conclusion, it should be said: it is imperative to confess prodigal sins and not try to hide them, since the Lord knows all our thoughts and actions. Every Christian must remember that fornication makes him open to demons and defenseless against temptations, before temptations sent by dark forces. That is why adultery, whether created or intended, should be avoided in every possible way.

Final Notes: Christ-Centeredness and Sin-Centeredness

It is very important what (or Whom) I focus on, where my energy and time, and ultimately my life, go. Ideas of fighting sin can turn into an almost obsessive cult, where, under the guise of piety and asceticism, the desire to become clean and good, or better yet, sterile, is fed, so that what? To get rid of the toxic feeling of guilt, check the box that I’m great? To earn God's love? But we forget one very important thing: God ALREADY loves me, loves me endlessly and unconditionally, even at the moment when I commit a sin.

This can be difficult to believe, because in principle it can be difficult for us to believe that I, as I really am, can be loved.

I don’t want to say that you need to say “yes” to the sin in yourself.

At the same time, it is important to separate yourself from sin, not to forget that I am not equal to what I do

Otherwise, all the time that I spend on neurotic self-eating, self-flagellation and other self-centered things, I focus on myself and my badness, and I simply physically cannot keep my attention on anything else - for example, on God. On God, Who quietly stands nearby and modestly waits for me to pay attention to Him, I will make a turn from myself to Him, which is called repentance

And here we can remember that we are called to communion with God. That God madly wants a personal relationship with me, so that I look at Him, and not just at myself - a great and terrible sinner. And that Christ wants to be my friend.

And you can try to imagine for a moment: if my closest friend is Jesus of Nazareth... Seriously, for real. How will I live? And what will happen to my handjob, in particular?

P.S. Years later, when we were preparing this text for publication, Maxim spoke about the influence of that session on his life. This will be the subject of the next article.

1 As a result, the first meeting was devoted to various topics, and a special place in it was occupied by clarification of the client’s feelings and experiences in relation to the psychologist, arising here and now in the consultation situation. Shame, fear, fantasies about what the psychologist will think or feel and how he will react later. Fear dictates to the client that I will think something bad about him, I will feel disgust and rejection, and the client himself will cease to arouse my interest and sympathy. That is, in essence, there should be rejection and, most likely, condemnation, because how else can you treat such a person if he tells the most terrible truth about himself. The situation is not uncommon, but everyone usually experiences it as unique (only I am so terrible, everyone else can be accepted, but not me, etc.). It is not difficult to guess that approximately the same model of relationships will manifest itself in Maxim’s relationship with God, although we have not talked about this yet (Maxim is a believer).

Indeed, such experiences are familiar to many when it comes to self-disclosure, exposure, intimacy, and in the situation of psychotherapy they are sometimes actualized quite acutely

And it is important to help the client meet reality, with a living Other - in this case with me, with my specific feelings and real attitude - in order to overcome the myth of how to “should” treat him. “Relationship therapy” - this is how fellow psychotherapists sometimes joke when they say that for some client, it is the relationship with the psychologist that is especially healing, in which, in particular, such myths of the client about what he “should have” are gradually overcome. be” relationships with other people, how others “should” treat him, etc.

p. I should feel disgust / disgust / rejection / desire to escape or at least move away / condemnation / irritation (underline as appropriate and / or continue the list). But for some reason, on the contrary, warmth, care, trust, gratitude, respect, caring and the like blossom for me, and this happens not only to me. This is a phenomenon of intimacy, sincerity, openness. But this is a topic for another discussion.

Handjob in adults and children

The Church does not differentiate between men and women who commit this sin. They must equally repent and take the path of eradicating passion.

The reasons for handjob in children may be different: ignorance, failure to comply with hygiene rules, wearing tight clothes. The task of the parents in this case is, without intimidating the child, to find out the reason for this behavior and eliminate it.

How to deal with sin:

• be determined to overcome fornication;
• realize the need for the help of the Almighty, ask him for strengthening on this path;
• offer daily prayers to the Lord;
• lead a restrained lifestyle, avoid temptations;
• confess once a week.

Confession and prayer can help in the fight against masturbation
. How to confess this sin:

1. There is no person who would repent of such a sin without shame and embarrassment. But we must remember that only by confessing a sin does a person take the path of overcoming it. Shame must not be overcome, but endured.
2. We confess our sins to God, not to man. If you are ashamed in this situation, then before the Lord, and not before the priest. In repentance, you need to ask God for help and strength to overcome the soul-destroying passion.
3. Before confession, you should speak personally with the priest. He will help you overcome the feeling of shame and tell you how to correctly talk about what you have done.
4. When talking about sins, you should not go into detail. Simply naming the sin is enough.

Important! When going to confession, you should remember the feeling of joy and relief that will fill the soul after it

What is prodigal sin

Fornication is considered a sin that is committed by a person against his own body and soul. This includes the following acts:

• intimate intimacy between a man and a woman who are not each other’s spouses;
• sexual relations before marriage;
• same-sex, unnatural sexual relations;
• manifestations of carnal desire in front of strangers, in front of children;
• lack of abstinence on fasting days and Sundays;
• intimate relationships during church holidays;
• looking at people with attractive appearance;
• handjob (masturbation);
• entering into a fourth marriage (this is equated by the Church with adultery).

Prodigal sins are also considered to be inciting passion in others, lustful fantasies, memories of adultery that occurred in the past, and savoring it.

Prodigal sins are usually divided into two types. The first includes sins that have a natural form. The second type includes unnatural sexual relations, various perversions or thoughts about them.

Why masturbation is a sin

But it is no coincidence that from ancient times in the Jewish and then in the Christian environment, this form of sexual life was condemned. Although, indeed, it was punished less severely than adultery or sexual perversion. Why is the sin of fornication considered very serious in Orthodoxy?

We advise you to study the Lenten piety of one spouse should not cause pain and suffering to the other

Firstly, this sin is very convenient to commit

It does not require another person to implement it. Just solitude is enough to indulge in passion to your heart's content. This lies on the surface and many Holy Fathers wrote about this, in particular Theophan the Recluse:

Secondly, the sin of masturbation is not mechanical in nature.

As a rule, it is accompanied by the vigorous work of a person’s imagination. To perform this action, a person can draw in his mind such pictures and situations in which real fornicators sometimes rarely find themselves. After all, the flight of imagination is not limited by absolutely anything. But here we need to remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount:

That is, Christ directly commands us to control our thoughts in relation to the opposite sex. But in the sin of masturbation, a completely opposite process occurs - a person deliberately inflames himself.

Thirdly, the easy availability of porn content

If we analyze the statistics, more than 60 percent of all materials on the Internet are related to pornography. Practice shows that the consumer of porn content often evolves from mild forms of pornography to extreme types of perversion. And doctors are already sounding the alarm, talking about a new phenomenon in modern society - porn addiction. It affects not only pimply teenagers, but often also mature men with families.

The most dangerous consequence of porn addiction is the inability of men to maintain a fulfilling married life. After all, absolutely any fantasy can come true on the screen. But in real family life everything will seem dull and uninteresting. How many women are sounding the alarm that their husbands are no longer interested in them and spend long hours in front of the gadget screen.

Pornography has never been as accessible as it is today. The degree of dependence on it is equated by specialists to a narcotic in terms of its potency.

How to Confess Prodigal Sins

A Christian who confesses must necessarily tell the clergyman about the committed adultery. In this case, it is necessary to speak in understandable language. It is necessary to directly name the sin of fornication or another offense, discarding false embarrassment.

There is no point in keeping silent about anything that has been done. It is also necessary to tell about thoughts and fantasies that are unworthy of a believer. Perhaps there were some prodigal sins in the past. If memories of them bring positive emotions, this should also be mentioned in confession.

You need to tell the priest about your sins in the same way as a patient tells a doctor about his bodily illnesses. Only in this case can you gain hope for forgiveness and spiritual healing.

Prayer against handjob

In Orthodoxy there are such acts that are called sins. These include malakia. This is another name for handjob. In order to get rid of it, a prayer from masturbation to the Mother of God will be beneficial. The Christian religion speaks of such an act as a sin of fornication.

Masturbation in Orthodoxy

Some people consider such human actions as the release of excess energy of a sexual nature. But for an Orthodox Christian this is considered a manifestation of weakness. He can guide her in a more positive direction. There is an opinion that if you learn to control your lust, you will be able to cope with other indecent acts to which it can lead. Such sinful acts can encourage others to commit others that are not supported by the Orthodox Church.

Onanism itself is caused by a desire for fornication. The Church supports only those relationships that occur with representatives of the opposite sex, the relationship with which is legalized. And their goal is to continue the family line. To avoid such thoughts and actions, priests recommend reading prayers against fornication and masturbation.

Handjob in women, children, men

There is no mention of such indecent female behavior in the Holy texts. But it is also condemned as masculine. In order to atone for their guilt, they should also repent of their deeds and be subject to the same punishment as representatives of the opposite sex. In order to beg for forgiveness, and also not to be subjected to such lust anymore, you can use a prayer against masturbation for women.

It happens that children also unknowingly use handjob. Most often this is due to:

• ignorance,
• violations of personal hygiene rules,
• discomfort in the genital area,
• too tight clothes,
• physical punishment.

To protect their children from such manifestations, parents should adhere to the following rules:

What prayers should men and women read?

Before the prayer service, it is advisable to ask for a blessing from the priest. But it is not always possible to communicate with a clergyman. Therefore, it is allowed to read prayer words about deliverance from masturbation and forgiveness for desecration without a special blessing.

To suppress sinful thoughts that arise throughout the day, read the Jesus Prayer. If masturbation and desecration occurred at night, during sleep, then upon waking up, you must immediately perform a prayer service.

Since most often the cause of vicious actions is lack of faith, the prayer service begins by reading a prayer to strengthen faith. Then they turn to the Lord with a prayer against masturbation.

Men are recommended to read the prayer rule compiled by Basil the Great. Over the centuries, sacred words have helped many men to cleanse themselves physically and spiritually. Women will be helped to dispel demonic obsessions by praying to the Mother of God in front of the “Unfading Color” icon. They read it every day until sinful thoughts leave the woman. The prayer service ends with the reading of “The King of Heaven” and the Fiftieth Psalm.

It is not always possible to quickly eradicate prodigal passion. Sincere faith and prayerful work will help you cleanse yourself, avoiding the defeat of your soul and body by a sinful habit.

Prayer to St. John the Long-Suffering

(The demons of fornication inflamed John’s flesh to such an extent that he did not eat anything for several days, burdened himself with chains, buried himself in a hole, leaving only his head and shoulders on top. He once remained in this position for the entire Great Lent.)

Oh, sacred head, like the most blessed Abbot John, do not forget your poor to the end, but remember us always in holy and favorable prayers to God: remember your flock, e. You yourself have saved, and do not forget to visit your children and pray for us, Holy Father, for your spiritual children, for you have boldness towards the Heavenly King: do not keep silent to the Lord for us, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne Almighty, and do not cease praying for us to Christ God, for grace has been given to you to pray for us. We do not think that you are dead: even though you have passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death, do not depart from us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the delights of demons and the wiles of the devil, Our good fellow. Even though the relics of your cancer are always visible before our eyes, but your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with disembodied faces, with heavenly powers, stands at the throne of the Almighty, worthy of rejoicing Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and We pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from bitter ordeals, demons of the princes of the air and from eternal May we be freed from torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ: to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Father who is without beginning, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Troparion to the Saint, tone 82

In you, father, it is known that you were saved even in the image of receiving the cross, for you followed Christ, and in your deed you taught to despise the flesh, it comes: be diligent about souls, things more immortal: in the same way and with A The angels rejoice, O Reverend John, your spirit.

In you, father, that which is in us in God’s image has definitely been preserved: for having taken up your cross, you followed Christ, and in practice taught to disdain the flesh as transitory, but to take care of the soul, an immortal creation. That is why, St. John, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.

Kontakion to the Saint, tone 22

Having armed yourself with divine purity of soul,/ and unceasing prayers/ as if you had handed over a copy,/ you have broken through the demonic host,/ John, our Father,// pray unceasingly for all of us.

Having armed yourself with the purity of your soul, with God’s help, and unceasing prayers, like taking a spear firmly, you have overthrown the demonic armies, John, our Father, pray unceasingly for all of us.

Greatness to the Reverend2

We bless you, like Father John, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of angels.

* * *

How to deal with handjob

Answers to questions from visitors to the missionary-apologetic project “Towards the Truth.”

397. Lately, almost all the prayers that I read do not find a response in my heart (I read them more and more often through force). I’ve sinned, I began to read prayers and some feeling of anger appeared, I wanted to throw away the prayer book and break something, before, after sinful deeds (I’ve been struggling with the passion of masturbation for 2 months now), I read the rule against desecration and the Psalter, and today I had a breakdown and it became so sad that I forced myself to read this rule. I do not know what to do. Paul.

Save us, Lord Jesus Christ!

Paul, the struggle against prodigal passion is a long struggle. In this article, I only began to open up this question - What did I really want to say?

It’s already good that you understand that masturbation is a sin: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication” (1 Thess. 4:3).

We advise you to study the Icon of the Baptism of the Lord

However, prayer is only a small part of the effort.

You must become honest

– this is the first condition. Become honest, first of all, with yourself. And to be honest, this is who you really are. It’s difficult to write about it, you need to talk about it. Confession is not always about honesty about oneself, although confession should be like that. When a person becomes honest, it is easier for him to fight passions.

. An honest and intelligent person is less susceptible to passions.

You also need to become courageous.

And only then, with God’s help, will you be able to overcome lust.

There are also physical techniques to overcome lust.

Reduce the amount of food you consume by half and give up meat. Increase physical activity - work, training (play sports).

A physically exhausted body is not inclined to lust.

It is important to restrain yourself when ignited, even if the prostate hurts greatly. It’s literally a few days, then everything seems to go away at once

Excessive sexual tension will be released through wet dreams - I would not consider them a sin at 22 years old.

It is very important to hold on to thoughts as soon as they enter your head - such a thought is knocked out with prayer, also 50 push-ups, and 3 km of running. If you can refrain from masturbation for a week, go to confession and take communion - ask before and after communion for help in overcoming lust

Communion is a medicine to be resorted to in spiritual illnesses

If you can refrain from masturbation for a week, go to confession and receive communion - ask before and after communion for help in overcoming lust. Communion is a medicine that one must resort to in spiritual illnesses.

This is short. Write.

There may be many falls, but you should not be angry with yourself, but get up and try to fight again.

Yes, and don’t forget to become a man - this will allow you to find a wife, then you will have a legal “fire extinguisher” at hand: “But, in order to avoid fornication, each one have his own wife, and each one have his own husband” (1 Cor. 7:2).

With hope for our salvation,

Maxim Stepanenko,

employee

Tomsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church

"I'm a very bad person, but that's it,

what I say about God is true.”

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh

How to deal with masturbation and masturbation

Malakia is a venial sin that can be forgiven. First, you need to find the strength to admit to yourself that you have committed desecration, to realize that without the help of the Lord it will be difficult to cope with the shameful act.

The fight against an addiction must begin with repentance, going to a clergyman for confession. Most people are ashamed of malakia. There is no need to try to overcome shame. All you have to do is endure the unpleasant moments. After all, they confess not to people, but to the Lord. A conversation with the priest before the sacrament of confession will help you overcome embarrassment and awkwardness. The priest will explain in what words you should repent of your deed.

Priests recommend confessing at least once a week.

In addition, a number of restrictions must be observed:

• adhere to moderation in diet;
• stop drinking alcoholic beverages that dull the mind;
• Avoid watching erotic films and programs that excite the flesh.

To strengthen the will and overcome the devilish temptation, it is necessary to pray to the Lord daily. As soon as sinful images or impulses seize the soul, you must immediately turn to the Almighty and Heavenly patrons for help.

Prayer to Martinian of Caesarea

He was a firm and unshakable monk in his faith. One woman heard about him. Rich and beautiful. And she decided to seduce the Monk Martian. She changed into rags and took with her a bag of rich clothes and jewelry. In this form she went to the monk’s cell and began to desperately ask him to let her in. I would not let him freeze from the cold or be eaten by wild animals.

The Martian let the woman in, fed her and allowed her to warm herself by the fire. He left him in the outer half of the cell and went into the inner half. At night, the monk was overcome by a lustful passion. And in the morning, leaving his quarters, he found a visitor dressed in rich clothes. She approached Martinian with persuasion. And he almost succumbed to temptation. But instead of agreeing to what was proposed, the monk walked barefoot into the fire. He reproached himself for almost slipping.

Seeing this, the woman was horrified. She fell on her knees before the saint, asking him for forgiveness. The harlot herself, seeing the suffering of the Monk Martinian, completely decided to change her life. She retired to Jerusalem, where she labored for 12 years, asking for forgiveness for her sins.

Prayer against fornication to St. Martinian of Caesarea:

Give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

As I listened, the idea came to me to suggest that the client thank God. But for what exactly? – it was spinning in my head, – for what exactly? In the process of internal search for the subject of thanksgiving, approximately the following words of prayer began to be born, which I wanted to offer to my interlocutor: “Lord, I thank You for this situation, when I again encounter my powerlessness. You see that I am again experiencing these sensations and I can’t do anything about them, although I tried everything, I didn’t fight. Maybe You are giving me this situation so that I can finally see my weakness, my smallness, when I myself cannot do anything. And then I can sincerely cry out to You for help, because when I think that I can

cope, then my prayer for help turns out to be hypocritical. By relying on myself, I prevent You from acting. I thank You for this meeting with my weakness, for helping me realize my powerlessness, and I ask You - You Yourself, come to this situation and do something, because I can’t.”

At the end of the consultation, among other things, I begin to voice my proposal for prayer and thanksgiving. My motive is to offer gratitude for the situation of meeting with powerlessness, to admit one’s weakness, which would be the opposite of war, hysteria, stress, of which Maxim has a lot

Before starting to talk about such rather intimate things as sincere prayer, it was important for me to pray silently, ask God to be present in this conversation and lead it

The Holy Spirit is the One Who Instructs Us

And so, completely unexpectedly for me, when I opened my mouth and started talking about thanksgiving, the words came out that maybe I should try to thank God for these sexual sensations themselves, for my nature as such. At first I was a little embarrassed and very surprised by what was said, because I had never had such a thought at all. But in response I saw strong animation and joy on Maxim’s face

It was as if he greedily grabbed onto these words as if they were something especially important to him now. Next, I nevertheless expressed the idea of ​​​​thanksgiving for weakness and so on.

- according to the “preparation” (in vain, I was carrying it). As a result, the theme of thanksgiving was divided into two lines, one of which turned out to be fundamentally significant for the client - thanksgiving for his body, given by the Creator, and for its various parts and manifestations. We remembered the words of the apostle. Paul on the importance of different parts of the body (1 Cor., chapter 12). Thanks for sexuality as a gift, thanks for the structure of your nature.

According to the feelings (mine and the client’s), this moment was the most important in three meetings. I “blurted out”, unexpectedly for myself, but this turned out to be fundamentally significant, gave a new turn to therapy, launched in the client important processes of rethinking his situation, ideas about himself and his relationship with God.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

Oh, great and wonderful servant of Christ, Holy Hierarch Father Ignatius! Mercifully accept our prayers, offered to you with love and gratitude! Hear us, orphan and helpless (names), who come to you with faith and love and your warm representation for us before the Throne of the Lord of Glory of those who ask. We know how much the prayer of the righteous can do, propitiating the Lord. From the years of infancy you have passionately loved the Lord and having desired to serve Him alone, you have imputed all the beauty of this world for nothing. You have denied yourself and taken up your cross; you have followed Christ. You chose the narrow and sorrowful path of monastic life by your own will, and on this path you acquired great virtues. With your writings, you filled the hearts of people with the deepest reverence and humility before the Almighty Creator; you filled the sinners who fell with your wise words in the consciousness of their insignificance and their sinfulness, in repentance You taught them to resort to God in wisdom and humility, encouraging them with trust in His mercy. You rejected none of those who came to you, but you were a loving father to all and a good shepherd. And now do not leave us, who fervently pray to you and ask for your help and intercession. Ask our humane-loving Lord for mental and physical health, confirm our faith, strengthen our strength, which is exhausted in the temptations and sorrows of this age, warm us with the fire of prayer and cool us. O thou of our hearts, help us, who have been purified by repentance, to receive the Christian end of this life and to the palace of Savior, adorned come together with all the elect and there together with you worship the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

We recommend studying Psalm 46

Symphony based on the works of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt.

See Gluttony

Why is masturbation a sin?

As in the case of other types of fornication, masturbation is sinful not because it brings pleasure, but because it is a way of “selfish, impersonal, loveless and perverted satisfaction” (Fundamentals of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church. X.6). For those who engage in masturbation, it is common to combine this action with viewing pornography, which in combination, among other things, contributes to a distortion of the healthy perception of other people (they turn into objects to satisfy passion) and sexuality as such.

Venerable Silouan of Athos

Oh, wonderful servant of God, Father Silouan! By the grace given to you by God, to pray tearfully for the whole universe - the dead, the living and the coming - do not keep silent for us to the Lord, who diligently come to you and tenderly ask for your intercession (names ́). Move, O all-blessed One, to prayer the Zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most Blessed Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who miraculously called you to be a faithful worker in Her earthly work where God’s chosen one beseeches God for our sins to be merciful and long-suffering, lest we remember our untruths and iniquities , but by the ineffable goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ to spare and save us according to His great mercy. She, saint of God, with the Most Blessed Lady of the world - the Most Holy Abbess of Athos and the holy ascetics of Her earthly lot, ask the saints for the most holy Word of the holy Mount Athos and God by the loving desert dweller she will be preserved in the world from all the troubles and slander of the enemy. Yes, the Angels deliver the saints from evils and are strengthened by the Holy Spirit in faith and brotherly love, until the end of the age about the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, saying prayers and bringing salvation to all They indicate that the Earthly and Heavenly Church will continually glorify the Creator and Father of Lights, enlightening and illuminating peace in the eternal truth and goodness of God. Ask the people of the whole earth for a prosperous and peaceful life, the spirit of humility and brotherly love, good morals and salvation, the spirit of the fear of God. Let it not be malice and lawlessness that harden the hearts of men, which can destroy the love of God in men and cast them into godless enmity and fratricide, but in the power of Divine love and truth, as in heaven and on earth, hallowed be the name of God, may His holy will be done among men , and may peace and the Kingdom of God reign on earth. So also for your earthly Fatherland - the Russian lands, ask, saint of God, the longed-for peace and heavenly blessing, in order to cover him with the omnipotent omophorion of the Mother of God, that he may be delivered from famine, destruction, cowardice, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and civil strife and from all visible enemies and invisible, and thus remain the most holy house of the Most Blessed Mother of God until the end of the age, the Cross giving life by power, and be established in the unfailing love of God. For all of us, who are immersed in the darkness of sins and warmth of repentance, who have no lower fear of God and the Lord who loves us immeasurably, who constantly insults us, ask, O all-blessed one, from the Almighty God for here, may His all-powerful divine grace visit and revive our souls and all malice and may he abolish worldly pride, despondency and negligence in our hearts. We also pray for us, strengthened by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit and warmed by the love of God, in love for mankind and brotherly love, in humble crucification for each other and for everyone, to be established in the righteousness of God and in the gracious love of God it is good to be strengthened, and the son-loving One will draw closer. Yes, so, doing His all-holy will, in all piety and purity of temporary life, let us walk the path shamelessly and with all the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom and His Lamb marriage. To Him from all on earth and in heaven be glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father, His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Righteous John of Kronstadt. Living ear.

See VANITY, THOUGHT

Can fornicators begin the sacraments of the Church?

There is a very famous priest Dmitry Smirnov. He runs his own blog and answers people's questions. Do you want to know what Father Dmitry says about whether fornicators can receive communion?

He asks: “Why? Why does a person who does not want to change anything in his life need a connection with God? To be in mortal sin and unite with the Savior is impossible.”

Fornication is internal suicide. Let's imagine that a killer came to confess to a priest. An ordinary killer who kills people for money. And asks permission to take communion. Will the priest allow him to the Sacrament? Knowing that he will leave the church and go on another mission? What's wrong with that? An ordinary job that pays good money.

The reader will now twirl his finger at his temple and say: “We compared... The murder of a person and cohabitation.” Cohabitation is the same as murder, only of oneself. This is a violation of God's law. Just like murder is a violation of the commandment.

According to church canons, fornicators must be excommunicated from communion for 15 years. Just for one such sin. For example, a woman stayed with a man for a romantic night. When do nights like this happen regularly? Can fornicators approach the Chalice and accept the Body and Blood of Christ in this case?

Is there an Orthodox prayer against fornication? We'll talk about this very soon.

Why is it necessary to repent of fornication?

Adultery is one of the 7 deadly sins. Saints who lived at different times always warned: fornication causes great harm to both men and women, because:

• provokes negative psychological and spiritual changes;
• becomes the cause of cynicism and cruelty;
• inflames vanity, selfishness;
• deprives the ability to show mercy and empathy for others;
• leads to departure from God and the Church;
• makes it impossible to inherit the Kingdom of God.

Adultery inevitably causes personality degradation. If you do not resist carnal temptations, passion endlessly takes over the body and pollutes the soul. Fornication makes a person dependent and weak-willed, desecrates his physical and spiritual essence.

A soul struck by fornication loses vitality and is deprived of God's grace. It is possible to be cleansed of the sin that has been committed only through sincere repentance before the face of the Lord, but even after this the soul will need sobering up for a long time.

Both Holy Scripture and representatives of science unanimously affirm: any type of fornication negatively affects human genetics and causes gradual degeneration of the race. The descendants of people who committed such acts often develop mental and physical illnesses.

Prayer to all saints and ethereal Heavenly Powers8

Holy God and resting in the saints, praised by the thrice-holy voice in Heaven from the Angels, praised on earth by men in His saints: having given grace to everyone by Your Holy Spirit Because of the gift of Christ, and through this He established Thy Holy Church, the Apostles, the Prophets, and the Evangelists , these are shepherds and teachers, and they preach the word. You yourself, who act in all things, have accomplished many things, saints in every generation and generation, who have pleased You with various benefactors, and to You we have left the image of our good deeds, in greater joy Dshii, prepare, the temptations themselves were in it, and help us those who are adversed. Remembering all these saints and praising their godly lives, I praise You Samago, who acted in them, and for Your goodness, the gift of being, believing, I diligently pray to You, Holy of Holies, yes Wait for me, a sinner, to follow their teaching, and rather, by Your all-effective grace, the Heavenly Ones are with them be worthy of glory by praising Your Most Holy Name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Holy God and resting in the saints, sung by the angels with the thrice-holy hymn in heaven, glorified on earth by people in Your holy churches, who gave grace by Your Holy Spirit to everyone according to the gift of Christ, and with it He appointed to Your Holy Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers . You Yourself, who acts all in all, has many saints in every generation, who have pleased You with various virtues, and who have left us an example of good deeds for Your sake, who have passed into eternal bliss and are ready to help us in the fight against the misfortunes by which we ourselves were tempted. Remembering all these saints, and glorifying their godly lives, I praise You, who acted through them, and believing that their virtues are Your gifts, I diligently pray to You, Holy of Holies, let me, a sinner, follow their teaching, and be most worthy of Your omnipotent grace with them heavenly glory and glorify Your most holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

See also: FORMINATION

What prayers help

Special prayer texts help to avoid masturbation.

Lord God

Unable to resist the temptation, they read a prayer of repentance to the Lord.

The sacred words are as follows:

“Lord my God, Our Heavenly Father! Hear my prayer, servant of God (name), for my soul is possessed by a terrible illness of body and soul. Terrible unclean demons tempt my soul, filling my mind with sinful temptations. Touch me, Lord, with Your hand and drive out from my soul the servant of God (name), nasty and unclean, all demonic thoughts! May all the powers of the evil devil fade away in my soul, may the Heavenly Power dwell in me and may my soul be cleansed! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Amen. Amen".

Basil the Great

Saint Basil the Great, back in the 5th century, composed a rule that must be read if you are tormented by lustful thoughts and carnal temptations.

Text of the prayer:

“Much merciful, incorruptible, undefiled, sinless Lord, cleanse me, Thy unworthy servant, from all filthiness of the flesh and soul, and from my inattention and despondency the uncleanness that has come to me, along with all my iniquities, and show me undefiled, Master, for the goodness of Christ Yours, and sanctify me with the invasion of Your Most Holy Spirit; for, having awakened from the darkness of the unclean ghosts of the devil and all kinds of filth, I may be deemed worthy with a clear conscience to open my unclean and unclean lips and sing Thy all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen".

Holy Virgin

To subdue the passions, women turn to the Most Pure Virgin Mary with the following sacred words:

“Oh, Most Holy and Immaculate Mother of the Virgin, hope of Christians and refuge for sinners! Protect all those who come running to You in misfortune, hear our groans, incline Your ear to our prayer. Mistress and Mother of our God, do not despise those who require Your help and do not reject us sinners, enlighten us and teach us: do not depart from us, your servants, for our murmuring. Be our Mother and Protectress, we entrust ourselves to Your merciful protection. Lead us sinners to a quiet and serene life; let us pay for our sins. Oh, Mother Mary, our most offering and speedy Intercessor, cover us with Your intercession. Protect from enemies visible and invisible, soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against us. O Mother of our Lord Creator! You are the root of virginity and the unfading flower of purity and chastity, send help to us who are weak and overwhelmed by carnal passions and wandering hearts. Enlighten our spiritual eyes, so that we may see the ways of God’s truth. By the grace of Your Son, strengthen our weak will in fulfilling the commandments, so that we will be delivered from all troubles and misfortunes and may be justified by Your wonderful intercession at the terrible judgment of Your Son. To him we give glory, honor and worship, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Mother of God

There is another prayer addressed to the Mother of God with a request to deliver from obscene thoughts.

Words of the prayer text:

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