In prayer, a person communicates with God. In the Orthodox Catechism, Met. Philaret says so: the conversation of the soul with the Lord, i.e. dialogue. Sometimes prayer can turn into a monologue and from the outside, it sometimes looks like an illegible, quick reading of a prayer rule or the Psalter.
Prayerful dialogue does not mean that the Lord explicitly answers a person's prayer, but rather that the person must somehow:
- be sure that God exists;
- feel the presence of God;
- hope that God will accept his prayer.
Pride as the Main Obstacle in Prayer
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The Apostle Peter in his first Epistle (chapter 5, verse 5) wrote: “God opposes the proud.”
Therefore, in order for a person to be heard in his prayers, he needs to pray humbly and contritely. On this occasion, we recall Christ’s parable about the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee exalted himself in prayer, although he thanked God, but because of his vanity he did not gain God’s favor. The sinful publican, striking himself on the chest, said contritely: “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” and in the eyes of God he became higher than the Pharisee, righteous in performing external rituals.
Sinners
In the Gospel of John we find the following lines: “God does not listen to sinners.” And there we further read: “He listens to the one who honors God and does His will.”
It would seem that the Lord is a lover of mankind, so how can He not listen to sinful people? The fact is that sinner is different from sinner:
- A sinner who does not repent of his sins will not be heard by God.
- A sinner who sincerely repents appeases God and has greater hope that his prayers will be heard and fulfilled.
When is prayer still in vain?
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Perhaps every pilgrim has had personal experience with the fact that the Lord did not always rush to fulfill what was asked in prayer. Some even after this stopped asking God for anything and even lost faith. Why is this happening?
Important: The Apostle James wrote about this that a person may not receive what he asks for because his requests are not for the good, but for the sake of satisfying his lusts.
You cannot approach God with human logic - He is infinitely higher and wiser than it. He does not act according to human whims like a genie. He knows the past, present, future, and thoughts of every person. Thus, the guile of a person will not hide from Him if he asks for something, but at the same time harbors unrighteous plans.
How to Pray to God Correctly
At every turn in life there are dangers or insurmountable difficulties:
- fear for family and friends;
- uncertainty about the future;
- lack of money;
- terrible diseases and illnesses.
Rarely can anyone escape these waves. One has only to sincerely pray to God, ask him for help, and everyone will receive from him strength, hope, relief or relief from problems. It is important that this request is sincere and comes from your heart.
How to pray correctly at home so that God hears? What can you ask him for? You can ask the Almighty for anything. The exception is requests for harm, death, grief to others, and also anything that the tongue cannot turn to say.
The best article for you, go to: Prayer to Simeon of Verkhoturye
Daydreaming
The Holy Fathers warn against striving during prayer for revelations, high spiritual states, sweet feelings and daydreaming, which are so popular in Eastern cults and among Catholics. In Orthodoxy, such states are dangerous because they can involve a person in “spiritual delusion”, or “deception”, which means:
- Accepting demonic influence or one’s own fantasies as divine, and as a consequence the second point;
- The idea of having achieved a certain degree of purity or righteousness.
In the Orthodox understanding, prayer should be sober, without imagining images of saints or angels.
Important: If during or after prayer you are visited by an image in the form of Christ, the Virgin Mary, a saint or an angel, be extremely vigilant, since demons can deceive people by appearing in the guise of some saint.
Precautionary measures:
- Saints are unlikely to appear to a sinner. According to the holy fathers, a person who has not been cleansed of passions and has not acquired Christian humility is not able to perceive communion with the saints.
- Cross yourself and cross the image that appears to you, then ask him to read the Jesus Prayer. The saint will not be offended by this request, but on the contrary will praise him for his prudence. Demons are unable to read this prayer clearly; they will certainly begin to distort it or will not be able to pronounce it to the end.
Examples:
- The Monk Nikita saw a demon appear in the form of an angel. The saint did not recognize the deception and bowed to such an “angel.” After this, Nikita spent a long time in “delusion” and in obedience to an unclean spirit, until finally, through the prayers of the monks, he was freed from demonic influence.
- During a prayer vigil at night, demons appeared to Saint Isaac in the guise of angels, to whom he bowed, forgetting about precautions. The demons then gained power over him and forced him to dance until he lost consciousness. For a long time after the incident, the saint could neither move, nor speak, nor hear, nor eat food. Through the prayers of Rev. Feodosia, after some time he came to his senses and sincerely repented.
Answers to popular questions
Previously, all Christians from early childhood learned texts from the prayer book, church rules, and went to church services. Religion was the essence of the Orthodox community, no one had any questions about what could be done and what was prohibited. After all, everyone knew God’s commandments, and if they violated them, they understood that they were deprived of God’s grace.
Read from your phone, tablet or other electronic device
You need to know the prayer by heart. It is forbidden to enter any temple with your phone turned on. You can find the text you are interested in on the Internet, but it is advisable to print it out and then learn it by heart.
According to a piece of paper
All important and daily read prayer texts are printed in the Orthodox prayer book. This book can be bought in the church shop near the temple. At home or in church you can read the text from the prayer book.
If you recite the holy words several times every day, then after 1-2 weeks you can learn them by heart.
In transport
If a person is overwhelmed by painful thoughts, prayer will come to the rescue. The sacred text can be read anywhere. In a public place, prayers are read mentally, that is, to oneself. It is advisable to know them by heart so that you can ask the Almighty for help at any time.
Woman during menstruation
According to the rules of the Old Testament, on critical days a woman has no right to enter the temple or even pray at home. Today everything is different. Women during their periods are allowed to go to church, but they are prohibited from kissing icons and receiving communion. It is advisable to stay at home on such days and pray to the image of the Savior.
Whisper or mentally
It is advisable to say the words of the prayer out loud. This practice will help you not to be distracted from the sacred text by extraneous thoughts. Prayers are said in a whisper. If a person is in a public place and knows the text well, he can pray mentally.
After meal
Believers should pray before and after meals. You can read the sacred text while sitting or standing. If people of different beliefs have gathered at the table, then it is better to pronounce the words mentally. Before dinner, Christians ask the Almighty to bless the food and thank the Heavenly Father for his bounty.
Sitting
In Orthodoxy, all prayers are read standing. If a person is sick, he can say the sacred words while sitting. Seriously ill people can read the prayer even while lying down. When addressing the Savior, you must behave politely. Believers can pray on their knees at home on any day except Sunday and the period from Easter to the end of Pentecost.
Several in a row
Usually each prayer is said three times, and several sacred texts are read at once. Those who don’t have time can choose one, the most important one, and then throughout the day read all the texts from the prayer book.
Jesus Prayer for the Laity
The Apostle Paul commanded Christians to pray constantly. True, it will not be possible to read texts every minute, because people are busy with their daily worries and works. Throughout the day, it is advisable to mentally turn to the Almighty with the words: “Lord, have mercy.” Such a request will help establish communication with the Savior and protect you from all sorts of troubles.
To an unbaptized person
If a person is not baptized in the Church, he has the right to pray at home, but God may not hear his requests. In order to become a member of the Christian community, they must undergo the sacrament of Baptism. A baptized person will be able to receive communion and pray to the Almighty for forgiveness of sins.
Without a candle
At home, before praying, you can light a candle and place it near the icon. In all churches, candles must be lit during services. At home, it is advisable to light a candle every time before prayer.
By agreement
If a person is very ill or finds himself in a difficult situation, joint prayers said by his friends and relatives will help him. Believers ask for another Christian by reading the texts of psalms and prayers at a predetermined time. By agreement, several believers say a prayer at least 4 times a day until the Lord grants their request and grants mercy.
Sample
The Lord asks us to be laconic in our prayer requests: “Do not say too much when you pray...” (Matthew chapter 6)
When the apostles asked Christ to teach them the correct prayer, He gave them the “Our Father.” Despite all its simplicity and brevity, it contains everything that needs to be asked of God. In the lines “our daily bread” one should understand food in general, in “deliver from the evil one” - a request to preserve from all evil, conflicts, quarrels, attacks and temptations.
St. John Chrysostom argued that the “Our Father” is a model of prayer and that God is pleased not with an abundance of words, but with the vigilance of the soul. Based on this prayer, it is not forbidden to pray in your own words. As St. said Basil the Great, the order of prayers should be as follows:
- Glorifying God;
- Thanksgiving for all God's blessings;
- Confession of your sins;
- Asking for what is good for oneself, but most of all what is necessary for the salvation of the soul.
Texts of prayers that every Orthodox Christian should know
Every Orthodox believer is required to know the “Our Father” by heart. Besides this, there are several more prayers that it is advisable to learn. Literal knowledge of texts helps to convey the requests of believers to the Almighty.
"Our Father"
In this prayer, given by Jesus Christ himself, believers glorify the Lord and ask for their daily bread. Christians repent of their sins and plead for salvation.
“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.”
"Alive in Help"
This main protective prayer is called Psalm 90. It is read to protect yourself from sinful thoughts. Prayer comes to the aid of those who have violated God's commandment.
“He who lives in the help of the Most High will dwell in the shelter of the Heavenly God.
Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.
Yako Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words.
His cloak will cover you and you will hope under His wing: His truth will surround you with weapons.
Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days.
From things that pass away in the darkness, from clots and the midday demon.
Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand; he won't come close to you.
Look at your eyes and 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 the wound will not come close to your body.
As His Angel commanded you, keep you in all your ways.
They will take you in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone.
Tread on the asp and the basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent.
For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver; 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 destroy him, and I will glorify him.
I will fill him with long days, and show him My salvation.”
"Symbol of faith"
This prayer is read every morning. Helps Christians strengthen their faith. The text was compiled by the clergy at the Ecumenical Council back in the 4th century.
“I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things 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".
For your neighbors
This prayer is read to ask the Almighty for forgiveness of sins and grace for your loved ones. It is advisable to remember loved ones in conversation with God every day.
“Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents (names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives according to the flesh, and all the neighbors of my family, and others, and grant them Your peaceful and most peaceful goodness. Keep my parents, brothers, sisters, wife, children and all the neighbors of my family in health and long life. Deliver them from all sorrow and need, grant them an abundance of earthly fruits and be their helper in all good endeavors. Return me to them safely in your time, so that, rejoicing in Your mercy, we may always bless Your all-holy name, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Lord, bless me to bring prayers and supplications to Your Compassion for my insignificance and for all my relatives and known ones, both living and deceased, for whom You died on the cross.”
For the departed
Deceased relatives need support from living ones. Their sinful souls cannot repent of their sins and change anything in order to alleviate the sorrowful fate and suffering prepared for them by the Last Judgment. By reading a daily prayer for the departed, a relative can ask the Almighty for peace for a sinful soul.
“Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of Thy eternally departed servant, our brother (name), and as Good and Lover of mankind, forgiving sins and consuming untruths, weaken, forsake and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, deliver him eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good things, prepared for those who love You: even if you sin, do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your glorified God in the Trinity, faith, and Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession.
Be merciful to him, and faith, even in You instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as You give generous rest: for there is no man who will live and not sin. But You are the One besides all sin, and Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and You are the One God of mercies and generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen".
For the enemies
Wanting to protect themselves from enemies, believers must pray for them. First of all, you need to sincerely forgive your enemies and let go of the grudge. Enmity will subside if you ask the Almighty for this mercy.
“Master, Lover of Mankind, Jesus Christ, Son of God! You, out of Your inexpressible love for us, Your sinful and unworthy servants, make Your sun shine on the evil and the good, bring rain on the righteous and the unrighteous; You, the Most Good, command us to love our enemies, to do good to those who hate and offend us, to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who attack us and drive us out. You, our Savior, hanging on the tree of the cross, You Yourself forgave Your enemies who cursed You blasphemously, and prayed for Your tormentors; You have given us an image, so that we may follow Your footsteps.
You, O dearest Redeemer, who taught us to forgive our enemies, commanded us to pray together for them; I pray to You, Jesus the Most Generous, Son and Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world, forgive your servant (your servant) (name) who has gone to You and accept him (s) not as my enemy, who has done evil to me, but as the one who has sinned before You, I pray to You, infinite in mercy, O Lord our God, accept in peace, who has come to You from this world without reconciliation with me; save and have mercy on him, O God, with Your great and rich mercy. Lord, Lord! Let not Thy wrath, nor Thy wrath, punish Thy servant (Thy servant), who has caused me to attack, insult, reproach and slander; I pray to You, do not remember these sins of him (her), but let go and forgive him (her) all this according to Your love for mankind, and have mercy according to Your great mercy. I pray to Thee, O Most Good and Most Generous Jesus, as the Solver of the bonds of hell, the Victor of death, the Savior of sinners, allow Thy servant (Thy servant) these sins, in the image of the deceased who are bound as captives of hell.
You, Lord, declared: “If you do not forgive men their sins, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you your sins”; oh, let this not happen! With tenderness and contrition of heart, I beg You, O Most Merciful Savior, to release him (her) from these bonds of evil obsessions and the wiles of the devil, do not destroy the deceased with Your wrath, but open to him (her), Giver of Life, the doors of Your mercy, so that he may enter into Thy holy city, praising Thy all-holy and magnificent Name and singing the ineffable love of Thy Holy Spirit for perishing sinners. And just as You, Eternal Goodness, remembered on the cross the prudent thief who was crucified with You, making it possible for him to enter paradise, I pray to You, O All-Bountiful One, remember in Your Kingdom also Your servant (Thy servant) who has gone to You ( name) do not close, but open also to him (her) the doors of Thy mercy, for Thine is to have mercy and save us, our God, and to Thee we send glory with Thy Beginning Father, Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen".
Family
Any believer has the right to turn to the Lord and ask him for happiness in family life, marital fidelity, and material wealth. The Almighty will always respond to the requests of those who truly believe in him and live according to God’s commandments.
“Prayer to John the Theologian: O great and all-praised apostle and evangelist John the Theologian, confidante of Christ, our warm intercessor and quick helper in sorrow! Pray to the Lord God to grant us forgiveness of all our sins, especially those we have sinned from our youth, throughout our entire life, in deed, word, thought and all our feelings. At the end of our souls, help us, sinners, to get rid of airy ordeals and eternal torment, and through your merciful intercession we glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".
Prayer to Daniil of Moscow:
“High praise to the Church of Christ, the invincible wall of the city of Moscow, the powers of Russia, Divine affirmation, Reverend Prince Daniel, flowing to the race of your relics, we earnestly pray to you: look upon us, who sing your memory, pour out your warm intercession to the Savior of all, so that he may establish in peace May our country, its cities and towns and this monastery be preserved for good, planting piety and love in your people, while eradicating anger, civil strife and corruption of morals; Grant to all of us all that is good for temporary life and eternal salvation through your prayers, so that we glorify the wondrous Christ our God in His saints forever and ever. Amen".
What is needed for correct prayer?
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Some people believe that you should only pray in church. In fact, personal prayer can be performed in any place and at any hour, as the Apostle Paul wrote about this.
You can pray both in front of the icon and without it.
It is important to have:
- Attention and concentration;
- Humility;
- Repentant feeling;
- Fear of God;
- Perseverance in petitions;
- Thanks to God.
Prayers for the coming day are prayers before and after meals, prayers for every task
Prayers for the coming day include prayers before and after meals, prayers before reading spiritual literature, prayers for every task, prayers before leaving the house and others. You can read daily prayers from one o'clock in the afternoon until the evening. It is believed that holy prayers are necessary for a person like air and water. Without prayer it is impossible to grow spiritually.
Many Orthodox people believe that it is simply necessary to read prayers before starting any business. Be it cleaning or work. During the day, prayers are as important as morning and evening prayers.
A page from the prayer book, where we see that daily prayers refer to prayers for every need of the soul. Photo: static-eu.insales.ru
Orthodox prayer book
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Also known as the “prayer rule.” It contains ancient prayers of the holy fathers (mostly from the 4th century), which were later transmitted to believers. It helps to acquire the correct prayer attitude.
Advice: Do not read the prayer rule mechanically and hastily for the sake of formality.
Important: According to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, the prayer rule replenishes the believer’s soul with the missing number of correct prayerful and godly thoughts/feelings.
Gospel
Not all Christians are able to fulfill God’s commandments. The consciousness of most people is not saturated with eternal truths. Therefore, the Church recommends daily reading of the Gospel and the Apostles in order to renew their content in a person’s memory. Thanks to this, divine books and the truths that are written in them are strengthened in the soul of the believer and become a guide to action.
The Gospel can be read sequentially, one chapter a day, book by book. Some Christians follow the church in this matter and read the “Gospel of the Day,” the passage that is intended to be read during worship on any given day. The Church divided all four Gospels into three hundred and sixty-six passages according to the number of days on the calendar. And on each specific day a passage is read. In this way, the entire Gospel is read throughout the year.
Magism
Unfortunately, in our time there are many people who are far from the Church and have a magical attitude towards prayer, i.e. when the practice of reading “correct” (actually non-Orthodox) prayers is practiced, and even in a certain quantity. When such people receive the text of some rare and mysterious prayer, they become convinced that thanks to it, everything will go well and illnesses will go away, and the husband will stop drinking alcohol, and the children will study more diligently.
There were many examples of holy fathers who prayed at night to prevent some disaster or to save someone. The prayer could be very simple, for example, “Lord, have mercy!” Did the saint utter only words or did he turn himself entirely to God? Real prayer work is hard, it’s like shedding bloody sweat, it’s not just about frequently repeated words.
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There are prayers for the days of the week to the Lord God and Angels
Are there any prayers for the days of the week? There are prayers for the days of the week to the Lord God and Angels. You can read these prayers both in the morning and in the afternoon.
Prayers for the days of the week can be read in front of the icons of the Savior and the Mother of God. Photo: i.pinimg.com
Monday:
Great Saint Michael, saint of God. You, who created the world and defeated demons, pray to our Almighty Lord for His servant (name).
May luck be with me in my worldly and righteous deeds, may the wrath of my envious people not fall upon me. Amen.
Tuesday:
Holy Archangel Gabriel! You, overshadowed by God’s hand, who do not allow fear and ungodly thoughts into the soul, protect me from human slander and send prosperity to my family.
By righteous labors, not by cunning and selfishness, we acquire for ourselves the benefits for a worthy life.
The servant of God (name) asks you, Gabriel, to convey my request to the Lord, and do not leave me alone in a world full of evil to fight against the machinations of the devil. Amen.
Wednesday:
God's great archguard Raphael! I appeal to You for help, healer and healer of human souls and bodily ailments.
May the will of the Lord be done on my sinful head, may His mercy be upon me, His faithful servant (name).
Deliver me from ambition and illness for success in my earthly affairs for the good of mankind. Amen.
Thursday:
Great Uriel! God's guardian, enlightener of the way in the darkness, deliverer from sinful thoughts, light the path of the sinful servant (name) wandering in the darkness.
Guide him on the true path and bestow good luck and goodness on the hard worker with God's mercy.
With daily prayers I glorify our Savior forever and ever. Amen.
Friday:
I pray to You, great Archangel Selaphiel, bring my humble prayers to the Lord. May He deliver me from sorrows and adversities that do not allow me to conduct business for a good life without need and wandering.
May the wrath of God be poured down on the heads of the infidels who are trying to lead me astray from the righteous path. Amen.
Saturday:
Great Archpriest Jehudiel of God! The servant of God (name) prays to You, defender of the word of the Lord, glorifier of the Trinity of God, awaken in me sincere faith, unclouded by evil and envy.
Don’t let me drag out a miserable existence, granting God’s will to grant me success in my earthly affairs. Amen.
Sunday:
Archangel Varahail, bringing God's blessing to every home and soul. Do not leave me (name) without attention, give grace to my family for prosperity. Take away sorrows and sorrows from me, and hide them from the ignorant who dream of glorifying the devil.
With God's help, may I overcome temptations within myself. Amen.
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