How to be baptized correctly and how to pray by performing a prayer by agreement

Divine praises - history, types, features
How to make a prayer rule in your home - tips and recommendations
Prayer by agreement - what is it?
How to be baptized correctly in church and at home?
Prayer by agreement Church Slavonic
Prayer by agreement in Russian

Church sacraments are always sublime and symbolic.
And it is not surprising - after all, they are called upon to cleanse the soul from daily vanity and momentary problems, to bring a person closer to the Lord, to remind believers of the great sacrifice of the Savior, who accepted death for the salvation of the human race. However, sacred rites have such power only when they are performed with reverence and awe, and also in accordance with all church canons. Even the simplest sacred act cannot turn into a routine and habitual procedure, performed almost mechanically - it must be meaningful and felt. Our article will teach you this - it tells you how to correctly baptize Orthodox Christians and say prayer!

How to make a prayer rule in your home - tips and recommendations

Bowing before the Creator, you should not give in to extraneous thoughts and concerns. And if it is easy to achieve such concentration in church - there the atmosphere itself contributes to it - then praying correctly at home is quite difficult. The guide presented here will help you in this difficult task!

You can talk with the Lord alone or in the presence of the whole family. However, general prayer is considered more solemn, so it is traditionally performed at the beginning of the festive meal. The rest of the time, each member of the household is obliged to read ikos and troparia in his room, in front of a personal icon.

When starting the prayer rule, you need to sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make several bows or bows to the ground. Those who for some reason are unable to do this should simply stand in silence, waiting for distracted thoughts to subside and emotions to calm down. According to the teachings of Theophan the Recluse, only faith, self-abasement and reverent fear can be present in the heart of a Christian turning to the Creator.

The instructions of this wise old man also contain advice on reading prayers. Here's their summary:

in ancient times, people cried out to God, singing His praises. Therefore, even now, kontakia and troparia should be pronounced sedately and as if in a chant, and not hastily and indistinctly. This not only sounds beautiful, but also allows you to think about each word, reproduce in your mind the corresponding thought and feeling;
In order to fight the temptation to read quickly, you need to set your prayer rule not to a certain number of ikos and hymns, but to a precise period of time - 15 minutes, half an hour or an hour, and not worry about how many prayers you have time to say. Also, avoid the temptation to constantly look at the chronometer, try to remove it from your field of vision altogether - then your thoughts will not get ahead of you;
The prayer book is worth re-reading not only in the morning or evening, but also at every idle moment. By recalling holy words in your memory, pondering their meaning and symbolism, you will be able to more subtly and deeply empathize with the events described, take them closer to your heart, and get rid of indifference and formality;
You cannot pray without interruption - be sure to leave time for a personal appeal to the Lord. It is better to do this in the middle or at the end of the rule, but it is also possible when you feel the need for such a sacred rite.

The conversation with Jesus Christ ends with thanksgiving to the Savior, contrition about one’s imperfection and inattention, and a request for protection and intercession. But even after these words, you cannot immediately switch to everyday problems - first you should stand and think about what you felt, imprint these emotions and experiences in your soul. The Monk Nicodemus teaches: “Do not think that by completing the rule, you have freed yourself from obligations to God... Before every undertaking, it is necessary to ask the Creator for strength to follow His will.”

When to be baptized

In religious rites, the order of performing sacred rites is established.

Orthodox Christians are supposed to place the Cross of the Lord on themselves:

before entering the church;
before reading the prayer;
at the end of the prayer address;
before kissing holy relics, iconographic images, and the cross.

To observe a religious ritual, you should cross yourself:

before and after the end of the meal;
at the entrance door to the living space and when exiting the street;
before starting something and at the end of doing important work.

Demonstration of piety in crowded places causes embarrassment among believers. To be ashamed of your faith in God, even in small things, means a departure from the Lord.

How to be baptized correctly in church and at home?

Another important sacred action is the sign of the cross. By performing it, a Christian likens himself to the Crucifixion on which Jesus Christ was executed, and confirms his faith in the Lord. This gesture also personifies divine intercession, cleanses the soul and reminds of repentance. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what this ritual symbolizes and what it is like.

First of all, watch the position of your fingers. The thumb, index and middle fingers should be folded together and their tips touching, and the ring and little fingers should be pressed tightly against the palm. The three-fingered sign embodies the indivisible unity of the Holy Trinity, and the remaining fingers serve as a metaphorical image of how the Creator descended from heaven to earth. In addition, they remind us of the dualistic nature of the Savior - both divine and human.

When making the sign of the cross, Christians raise their hand to their forehead, symbolically sanctifying the mind, and then to the womb (solar plexus area) to overshadow the heart, feelings and intentions. But after this, many are lost, not knowing how to be baptized correctly by the Orthodox - from right to left or from left to right. In the Eastern tradition, people first touch the shoulder of the right hand (i.e., the right) - it is believed that then the believer directly joins the Lord's grace. In addition, such a movement personifies the path from sin to salvation and victory over the devil.

When baptizing yourself, you must say the basic Christian prayer silently or out loud: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!". It glorifies the Creator, marks His worship and veneration, and reminds us that in the lives of believers there are no other idols and gods.

Bowing is allowed only after you have said the last word of the prayer. This will allow you not to commit involuntary blasphemy - trampling on the cross you have imposed on yourself. All gestures must be calm and unhurried; waving your arms, swaying from side to side, jerking or sudden bending is not allowed. This is how John Chrysostom spoke of those who act in this way: “Only demons amuse themselves with that frantic waving.”

The sign of the cross accompanies believers everywhere and always. In particular, Orthodox Christians are baptized:

before, after and during prayer;
entering and leaving the temple, as well as during worship;
bowing before images, the Crucifix, relics and other relics;
before and after meals;
going to bed and waking up;
starting something or finishing it;
going out into the street and entering the house;
as a sign of gratitude for deliverance from danger, threat, conflict;
The sign of the cross is also used to sign everything that is to be touched - clothing, food, medicine;
virtuous parents are sure to baptize their children until they are unable to do so themselves. In addition, the sign of the cross is a necessary part of a maternal or paternal blessing.

In general, the more often a person performs such a ritual, the better. However, it should not turn into a habit - the sign of the cross must be a natural need of a Christian.

May your soul always remain under the Lord’s intercession and protection, and may earnest prayers and the signs of the cross serve as a sign of this!

Why do Orthodox Christians need to be baptized in front of an icon?

In Orthodoxy, an icon is a reflection of the Heavenly Kingdom. The religious painter strives to convey supermundane holiness on the icon board. Thanks to such an image, a person will be able to spiritually see the Heavenly World and rise from the image to the Prototype. Icon painting is a means of supernatural knowledge through prayerful appeals to heavenly patrons.

Before beginning to pray in front of the icon, an Orthodox believer must cross himself in order to gain access to God's mercy. The application of the Holy Cross is the mystical “key” to the gates to the Heavenly Kingdom.

Over the centuries, there have been disagreements among Christians about how to apply the sign of the cross. Initially, the cross was applied to the forehead with one finger, which symbolized monotheism. The Monophysite Christian movement denied the human nature of Jesus. In contrast to the heretics, a decision was made on double-fingered baptism.

After 3 centuries, they began to baptize not only the head, but also the upper part of the body. The index and middle fingers signify the dual nature of Christ - the God-man. The palm is the earth, and the 3 fingers pressed to it are the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, the Holy Spirit).

In the 12th century, a split occurred in the Christian world into the Roman Catholic Church and the Byzantine Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church uses three fingers in the baptismal rite: the thumb, index and middle fingers are gathered into a pinch, which signifies the Holy Trinity. Two fingers pressed to the palm testify to the Divine nature of the Son of the Virgin Mary.

The tradition of making the sign of the cross was changed under Patriarch Nikon in the 14th century. It coincided with the revision of religious rituals and was not accepted by some Orthodox clergy and believers. The Old Believers/Old Believers refused to obey the new rules and have retained the two-fingered sign of the cross to this day.

Prayer by agreement Church Slavonic

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Thou hast declared with Thy most pure lips: “Amen, I say to you, that if two of you take counsel on earth about every thing, and if you ask for it, you will have it from My Father who is in Heaven: where are the two? or three gathered in My name, I am I in the midst of them.” Thy words are immutable, O Lord, Thy mercy is unconditional and Thy love for mankind has no end. For this reason, we pray to Thee: grant to us, Thy servants (names), who have agreed to ask Thee (request), the fulfillment of our request. But not as we want, but as You want. Thy will be done forever. Amen.

What is the essence of the sign of the cross

Many people often ask why to be baptized. This is not just a mandatory ritual that must be performed under certain circumstances. It should be carried out with a deep awareness of what is happening. This action will help you become closer to the Lord.

It is worth applying the sign of the cross in the following cases:

before starting the prayer,
and also at the end of the prayer,
before entering the temple,
when applied to relics, crosses, icons,
It is worth being baptized in important life situations: in joy, in danger, in grief, before and after meals, before starting and after finishing any business, before leaving the house and at the entrance.

Prayer by agreement in Russian

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, You said with Your most pure lips: “Truly I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven, for where there are two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Your words are immutable, O Lord, your mercy is unconditional and your love for mankind has no end. For this reason, we pray to You: grant to us, Your servants (the names of those asking), who have agreed to ask You for (the petition) the fulfillment of our petition. But let it be not as we want, but as You, Lord, may Your will be done forever. Amen

What does it mean to be baptized

The sign of the cross is the performance of a small sacred rite during which the believer depicts on himself the sign of the Cross of the Lord with the mention of the Name of God, and also attracts to himself the Divine Grace of the Holy Spirit. This action is assigned a specific role.

By His death on the Cross, the Lord overcame Satan and his pride, saving man from sin and slavery. With these actions he sanctified the cross and made it a conquering weapon. Then he gave it to us so that we could resist our enemy - the devil. In order for this ritual to carry the power of grace, it must be performed correctly and reverently.