Every day, services are held and prayers are read in the Orthodox Church. In addition, services are held at the request of parishioners. Such rituals include church commemoration, magpie, the never-ending psalter, and a candle for health. One of these requirements is a prayer service for health to Panteleimon, as well as to the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ and other saints.
What types of prayers are there?
Many people know that different holy saints help with certain problems, therefore prayers are read to the saints based on the situation of the person asking.
For example, they pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for the safety of travelers, or for protection on the upcoming long journey. This saint became famous for the miraculous salvation of many wanderers and help in hopeless situations.
But many girls pray to Matrona of Moscow for a speedy marriage or help in conceiving children. In matters of health and healing of illnesses, this illustrious saint helps no less quickly than in others.
They pray to the holy wonderworkers Peter and Fevronia of Murom to preserve the marriage or to find and increase love. These glorious holy noble princes are rightfully considered a model of family wisdom, the ideal of Orthodox love and quick helpers in family matters.
A couple of saints Cyprian and Justina, who are so interesting in their lives, through our prayers help in salvation from heresy, various kinds of witchcraft and superstitions. They are asked to intercede when someone in the family begins to get involved in the occult or becomes overly superstitious.
You can turn to the Mother of God for any help. She loves all people as her own children and always asks her Son and our God for forgiveness of all sins and help in all needs. Prayers to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Lord are the most common, they are served most often.
They pray to Saint Spyridon of Trimythous for solving financial problems, resolving housing issues, or when looking for a job.
There are also special prayer services for certain occasions. Such as "Ognevitsa". It is recommended for severe illnesses, especially in children. It got its name from the symptoms of the disease, when you experience a strong fever and don’t know what to do with yourself, as if you’re on fire.
Not only in times of need do they order prayer services, but also before any good and good deed. It is customary for Orthodox organizations, whether youth or missionary clubs or charitable associations, to begin any event with a general prayer service, asking for help from God. And upon completion, prayers of thanks to the Lord or a saint are required.
Prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord God
We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present, in us, Thy unworthy servants ( names
), who were, known and unknown, about those revealed and unmanifested, even those that were in deed and in word: who loved us as and You deigned to give Your Only Begotten Son for us, making us worthy to be worthy of Your love.
Grant with Your word wisdom and with Your fear inhale strength from Your power, and whether we have sinned, whether willingly or unwillingly, forgive and not impute, and keep our soul holy, and present it to Thy Throne, having a clear conscience, and the end is worthy of Thy love for mankind; and remember, O Lord, all who call upon Thy name in truth, remember all who desire good or evil against us: for all are men, and every man is in vain; We also pray to You, Lord, grant us Your great mercy.
In what cases is a prayer service ordered?
In fact, anyone can order prayer services in a church or temple. Many people wonder in what cases they order a prayer service. Cases can be very different from requests for healing to help in starting a business. And so let’s look at what prayer services can be ordered in the church and in front of which icons prayers are said:
In various difficult life situations and the presence of torment in the soul, a prayer service is offered to the Vladimir Icon; For incurable, protracted illnesses, one turns to the “Healer” icon; For ear diseases and hearing problems - the “Unexpected Joy” icon; With a request for healing from such ailments as drug addiction , alcoholism - to the icon “Inexhaustible Chalice”, For healing from neurological diseases, they order a prayer service to the icon “Helper of Sinners”, For cancer diseases they pray to the icon “All-Tsaritsa”, In case of despondency and melancholy they say prayers to the icon “Hodegetria”, For musculoskeletal diseases systems pray to the faithful princes Gleb and Boris, For frequent family troubles - the icon of “Righteous John of Kronstadt”, For everyday needs - Blessed Matrona, For witchcraft powers - to the Hieromartyrs Cyprian and Justina, For problems with housing and starting a family, prayers are ordered to the icon “Unfading Flower” "
This is not a complete list of all the images of the Mother of God and the Holy Saints. In fact, there are many more of them. If you are interested in who to order a prayer service for work, study and other needs, then you simply need to contact the nearest temple. There they will prompt you and tell you what service, for what image they are reading.
The difference between a prayer service and home prayer
You can pray always and everywhere - at home, at work, on the road, etc. In addition to home prayer, there is church or public prayer. The power of a prayer increases when it is said by several people. It is valuable when people bond over a common pain, request or thanksgiving and unite in prayer. Jesus Christ Himself said, “Where there are two or three assembled in My name, I am in the midst of them.”
The prayer service has a certain order, reminiscent of an abbreviated Matins
During church prayer, people unite with God and with each other. A prayer service is a special divine service, during and through which people ask the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, or a saint for mercy and help. Prayers are served for living, baptized people. Church services that commemorate the dead are called memorial services.
What is a custom prayer service?
Prayer services can be church-wide or custom-made. Following the former, the entire Church prays on major holidays or state events. The latter are carried out at the request of individual parishioners for the success of their private affairs.
Water-blessing prayer service.
Attention! Custom prayer services can be held in a church or at home. You can also ask the priest to serve the service where the business is supposed to begin: at the site of laying the foundation of a house, in a field before sowing, in the room where a store or office is opening.
Prayers performed outside the temple
A priest can be invited home to perform the following requirements:
- consecration of a house (served in a newly built house or apartment if necessary), office space, or enterprise.
- consecration of a field or garden
- consecration of vehicles
- laying the foundation, well (water-bearing well).
Special prayer services exist for the beginning of the construction of the church, the installation of the cross, and the raising of the bells.
Custom prayer service
Most often prayers of thanksgiving are ordered to the Savior and the Mother of God
To whom are prayer services often ordered? Most often, of course, prayer services are ordered for the Savior and the Mother of God. Very often prayers to the Mother of God are ordered in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon. Why this particular icon? Usually this icon is commissioned for those people who suffer from alcohol or drug addiction.
Very often prayers to the Mother of God are ordered in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon. Usually this icon is commissioned for those people who suffer from alcohol or drug addiction
They also order a prayer service in front of the All-Tsarina icon. These prayer services are ordered for healing from cancer. Very often in oncology centers you can see house churches that are consecrated in honor of the image of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Tsaritsa. But everything that has been said does not mean that you cannot turn to another icon of the Mother of God.
Very often people come to the temple and ask what kind of prayer service they should order, for example from this and that. Such words are a manifestation of superstition of varying degrees of awareness. Every Orthodox person must understand that prayer is not a spell, holy people are people who lived their lives and by their actions they pleased God, and therefore now they are at the throne of God and pray for us, together with us.
When we turn to any saint, we ask him to pray for us. But the question of which saint to pray for this or that is, rather, a manifestation of some kind of magical consciousness. It is necessary to correlate requests and vital needs with certain saints, which are associated with the content of their lives or the miracles they performed.
For example, we know that the great martyr and healer Panteleimon, as well as the holy Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, were doctors during their earthly lives, which is why at prayer services these saints ask for healing from various diseases, be they physical or spiritual.
We also know from the life of Xenia of Petersburg that she very often pointed out to girls their future married life, which is why they pray to Saint Xenia of Petersburg for a happy family life. It is known from the life of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous that he helped ordinary people in their everyday needs, and therefore they pray to him for the arrangement of household and housing affairs.
It is known from the life of Saint Spyridon of Trimythous that he helped ordinary people in their everyday needs, and therefore they pray to him for the arrangement of household and housing affairs
Therefore, before you want to order a prayer service for someone, you just need to read and find out more about the saint you want to order.
Petition for personal happiness
Many girls cannot get married without knowing which saint to turn to. Regarding marriage, you can order a service to the Mother of God - the main Intercessor before the Savior, Nicholas the Wonderworker.
The favorite icon of Orthodox women is the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary “Unfading Color”. In front of the “Unfading Color” icon, girls and women ask for personal happiness and love.
Saints Peter and Fevronia are petitioned for any family troubles . The saints will definitely help. Their life is an example of a real family, where husband and wife love and respect each other.
About love they order a service to Ksenia of Petersburg. A prayer service to Ksenia of St. Petersburg is also ordered for the establishment of a happy marriage. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa responds to petitions from both women and men.
For the reconciliation of warring parties, order a service to Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos before Her image “Softening Evil Hearts” or “Seven Shots,” as well as the passion-bearers Boris and Gleb.
About children
Every family wants to have children, but this grace does not always visit them.
You can write a petition for the gift of children
- Lord Jesus Christ,
- The Most Holy Theotokos, called “Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos”,
- the miraculous Kazan Mother of God,
- to Rev. Sergius of Radonezh,
- Matrona of Moscow,
- Archangel Michael,
- St. Fevronia and Peter Muromsky,
- Vmch. Panteleimon,
- blzh. Ksenia of Petersburg,
- St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
After the birth of the child, you need to submit a prayer of thanks and ask the Guardian Angel to protect the baby from harm, to lead him through life along the right paths. The Guardian Angel is given by God immediately at birth, so you need to offer prayer immediately at birth, thank the Lord for the gift of the child.
Many women, especially before their first birth, experience great fear. Order a service about the birth of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth”, “Iverskaya”, “Vladimirskaya”. Prayer service to the Lord “Glory to God for everything.” You can submit several notes at once and pray at home.
prayers to St. Luke, the healer Panteleimon, Nicholas the Wonderworker, Matrona of Moscow, in front of the icons “Healer”, “Kazan”, “Pokrov” will help for its successful outcome
Pray in the temple and during the ongoing operation, the Lord will not leave you without His help.
Prayers can be ordered both in churches and online. Orders can be made online using one name; 200 churches accept orders for services.
When they read the demand for health
The demand for health is ordered when they want to receive recovery from an illness, success in an important matter, or help in their studies. Any Orthodox Christian can submit a note for the reading of the service, indicating the names of the people and to which Saint. The sacred ministers give such notes to the priest who conducts the service, and all names will be listed.
It is believed that it is better to order the demand from the saint who will be good enough to hinder the circumstances. For example, Ksenia Petersburgskaya helps with problems at work and improving your personal life. Saint Zechariah and Elizabeth are asked when there is no child in the family for a long time. Nikolai Ugodnik is prayed for support on a long journey.
Saint Panteleimon helps to recover from serious and long-term illnesses. You can also order a health request:
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Saint Matrona, Mother of God, Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Saint Nikita is the benefactor of infants; they order a prayer service when a child gets sick. A special service is Sorokoust, which is read for forty days for the health of a very sick person and for the repose of the soul of a deceased person.
Answers on questions
Where do I need to order? In any church, any monastery and online.
How much should I order? You can order it in several churches, but the one who ordered the request must himself be present at the service.
How much does it cost? Many churches do not have a set amount. Each Christian himself makes a donation to the needs of the church.
How often can I order a prayer service? As much as your heart desires. There are no restrictions.
Alexey Ilyich Osipov, a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, talks about how to light candles, order prayers and services in an Orthodox church.
Definition of the concept
When a person who occasionally enters a church is asked to order a prayer service in a candle shop, he often unknowingly gets confused and embarrassed, which is why the meaning of the ordered service is somewhat blurred. In order to prevent this from happening, you need to know at least a little about the structure of the services performed in the Orthodox Church.
A prayer service, or prayer singing, is a service in which the Lord, the Mother of God, or the saints are asked to grant mercy. It can be performed in a temple, at home or in another place where it is necessary. In its structure, the prayer service is a slightly shortened Matins. His rite includes the fiftieth psalm, troparia and canon, Apostolic and Gospel readings, prayerful following to the saint to whom he addressed. The procedure for conducting such a service is written down in a special breviary.
There are two types of prayers:
supplicants - in which they ask for something; thanksgiving - for the mercy or grace sent.
It should be emphasized that thanksgiving is performed exclusively to the Lord. But you can ask for help both from the Mother of God, saints, martyrs and righteous people, and from the Lord God. To understand this point more clearly, it is important to know that when ordering a prayer service for some blessings of the Mother of God or saints, we ask them to pray for us at the very throne of God. And such prayers are heard faster from those who are closest to the Lord.
By fulfilling what we ask, God expects our gratitude more than the holy intercessors, for whom praying to the Lord for us is already a great mercy. But he is not expecting the usual in our understanding of gratitude, or a banal thank you. The Lord expects us to enter the kingdom of God, to accept Christ himself and his commandments. That is why we are obliged to be present at the service when the ordered prayer service is being performed. And, together with the clergy and saints, prayerfully ask God for His mercy.
They can be performed during the consecration of premises, fields, equipment, or on another occasion, be it a holiday or a misfortune.
Recently, such a practice as prayers at the beginning of a new school year has taken root. Parents, together with their children: schoolchildren, students, or even future first-graders, come to churches and pray together for successful education in the coming year.
Another tradition that is gaining momentum is citywide services. They are performed at major holidays or rallies, for example, dedicated to the city day, together with all the townspeople gathered in one place. During the celebration of Victory Day, a prayer service is held for all those who died during the Great Patriotic War, ending with a procession of the cross.
During times of misfortune, war or crop failure, prayer services are also served. In recent years, in Orthodox churches, metropolitans, bishops and the patriarch have been celebrating peace in Ukraine. Together with all believers, their Eminence bishops and priests ask the Lord to stop the internecine war in the neighboring Orthodox state.
Prayers for people are also divided into two types:
for health; for your peace.
In the next article we will reveal all the secrets of identifying the patron saint and icon by date of birth.
How to ask for prayer
When people come to churches, they sometimes do not understand the meaning of certain actions, such as buying candles, notes with names, or ordering prayers.
In the case of candles, you need to know that this is a voluntary sacrifice to God and his temple, as well as a readiness to accept God’s light and humility. Notes with the names of people are also sent to commemorate their health, or prayer services are ordered.
The names from the notes are read by the priest when he removes particles from the body of Christ (special prosphora), with a special prayer. This happens during the Eucharist, in preparation for Holy Communion.
Actually, the very meaning of the Eucharist, where both living people, healthy and sick, and the dead are remembered, therefore prayers are usually not served after the liturgy. It is believed that this is more of a personal request to God, while at the Divine Liturgy there is a general and main commemoration of all Orthodox Christians.
The prayer services themselves are served not only to the Lord or saints, but also to miraculous icons. For example, the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God.
It’s not difficult to order them; you need to indicate in the note to whom the request will be made and list the full church names of those for whom you want to pray. If there is a prayer for the sick, then this must be answered. In the church shop, clarify how many times such a rite will be served, mark the payment and transfer it to the altar.
Priests strongly recommend attending those services at which the prayer service you ordered is being performed, and not just mechanically passing notes, remaining indifferent to the fate of the person whose name is indicated on the paper. The most correct thing would be to defend the service together with all the parishioners and pray for those for whom a prayer service was ordered. This is not difficult, because it cannot last longer than the usual service. The Lord sees your sincere concern for the souls of your loved ones and will reward you doubly for your efforts.
Mass about health
The mass for health differs from the usual prayerful commemoration in that instead of simply removing particles from the prosphora, the deacon in a special litany publicly lists all the people being remembered, and then the priest in the altar again pronounces all the names. All this happens during the liturgy, which is mass. By the way, in some places a note even with one name is also called a mass.
About the repose of a person
It is important to know that prayers for people are served only for health. A memorial service is performed for the repose, but many parishioners and believers believe that this is one and the same thing.
A memorial service is a special service where the souls of all Orthodox Christians who have already died are remembered. During this service, prayers are read for forgiveness and peace in the Kingdom of Heaven. It takes place near the kanun - a special table in front of the crucifix with candlesticks. It is customary to place candles on it for the repose, and the shape of the eve is square, unlike other candlesticks. Parishioners also bring offerings here in memory of the deceased, and it is often located in the left vestibule of the temple.
Submitting a note of repose to the altar is as simple as submitting a prayer for health. In most cases, candle shops have forms already prepared in advance; you just need to say what you want to order, for what time and list the names. The shop worker will write everything down himself, correctly and competently. As in the case of prayers for health, a memorial service can be ordered not only for a one-time event, but also for a long period and even for eternal remembrance. This will, of course, cost more.
Consequently, the soul of the deceased servant of God will be remembered in this church as long as it lasts, or until the second coming of Jesus Christ, that is, until the end of time, as described in the gospel.
What is water blessing
Blessing of water is considered a special type of service. From the name it is clear that this is a prayer service during which water is blessed. And this action is divided into two types:
Great Blessing of Water. Small Blessing of Water.
The first takes place on the feast of the Epiphany, or, as it is also called, Epiphany. It happens twice: on the eve of the holiday and on the day of Epiphany itself after the liturgy. The water blessed these days is called “Agiasma”, which translated from Greek means “shrine”.
It is generally accepted that on the day of Epiphany, all aquatic life on the planet is miraculously sanctified, and this shows the special mercy of God the Father, as on the day when the Savior was baptized in the Jordan.
There is a lot of controversy on this topic, and many churchgoers do not fully agree with this fact, so it would be more correct to collect water or plunge into an ice hole after a religious procession and a prayer service served by the priest.
This happens with appropriate prayers and three times immersion in the water of the cross.
The small blessing of water can be performed in any place and at any time, at the request of the clergy and believers. Believers understand that this is also a certain sacrament that turns ordinary water into a shrine, and it must be treated appropriately.
After the water is blessed, parishioners collect it in any container and take it home to use during prayer, fasting, or when sick. It is drunk on an empty stomach and after reading the prayer “For eating holy water.”
But you can drink Epiphany water after eating. They take it with them to sprinkle houses, property, and even add it to livestock food. This water has special properties and is recommended to wash and drink sick people, which has a beneficial effect on their health.
Prayer service with akathist
Akathist literally translated is a non-sedal song. A special type of chants of praise that should only be read while standing. Thanksgiving prayers are served only to the Lord, and in order to thank the saints who helped in resolving any problems, they are served with an akathist.
The akathists consist of twenty-five hymns, including thirteen kontakia, which end with the exclamation “Hallelujah,” and twelve ikos, ending with the words “Rejoice.” If this is a public (fraternal) prayer service, then it is read in the temple, in front of the icon of the saint being praised. A private one with an akathist and a simple akathist to a saint can be read by the laity at home.
The akathists also praise the Savior and the Mother of God, and not just the intercessor saints.
Once we collected money for Christmas gifts for children from a correctional school, but our capabilities were clearly less than the expected costs. Therefore, the club volunteers and I agreed to read at home, but at the same time an akathist to Spyridon of Trimythous, a saint who helps in resolving financial problems. And through the prayers of the saint to God, we managed to collect the necessary amount on time and bring joy to the children for Christmas! Now we are planning to gather for a general prayer service with an akathist to the wonderworker Spyridon.
Truly marvelous is the Lord in His saints!
Mikhail, head of the Orthodox youth club.
Differences between prayer service, mass, magpie and akathist
Mass takes place only in the church. The Divine Liturgy, popularly called mass, is the main Christian service held in the morning, before lunch.
The main difference between a mass and a prayer service is that during the Great Liturgy all the requirements are included: thanksgiving to the Lord, requests of the needy, prayers for living people and the deceased, while prayer services are read only for the living. Commemoration of the dead at the Liturgy is the highest of all possible commemorations.
However, if the mass is served only in the church, then the prayer service can be held in any necessary place: at home, in the chapel, at the Great Shrines. In addition, according to Church rules, it is forbidden to read prayer services after the Liturgy; this is considered disrespect for the Divine service.
Sorokoust is a special prayer service. It is ordered both for health and repose. The magpie ordered in the church is read for exactly forty days and each time particles are removed from the prosphora, meaning the body of Christ. The name of the requirement is significant:
For a period of forty days Christ was on earth, appearing among his disciples. And after his Ascension, for forty days he told the Apostles about the Kingdom of God.
- The apostles introduced into the laws of the Church the custom of grieving and mourning the dead for forty days.
- Prophet Moses fasted for exactly forty days.
- For forty years the people of Judah wandered through the desert.
Sorokousts about health have enormous protection for Christians from illness and spiritual disorders, from weakness in work and replenishing material wealth, caring for children and the elderly. Sorokousts about the departed, read for forty days, help the torn soul and direct it to the Kingdom of Heaven.
When serving a prayer service or akathist, notes are given with the names of those for whom you want to pray, but still these are different requirements. If the prayer service is a short, abbreviated service and is aimed at reading prayers for health, then the akathist is considered a chant praising the Lord, saints and Church holidays.
What prayer services are ordered in the church and the correctness of their presentation
As mentioned above, absolutely anyone, at any age and of any gender, can order prayer services in the church. The main thing is that he is baptized. But before you contact a church or temple to find out which prayers can be ordered and for which image, you need to know how to serve them correctly.
The prayer service is submitted to the church in the form of a note on the fourth part of sheet A 4 or half of a notebook sheet. The note can be written both at home and in the church itself. It is also worth noting that a prayer service can be given for health or repose. The appeal can be not only to a saint, the Mother of God, but also to the Lord Jesus Christ. It can be simple or with the blessing of water. All this must be indicated when drawing up a note. It must be submitted before the Liturgy in the evening or early in the morning. It is better to do this on the eve of the Liturgy, so that the holy father can familiarize himself with the names in advance. The note must indicate the names of only baptized people, writing them in block letters in the parent case. One note can contain up to ten people. If you want to write more, you will need to divide the number of names into several notes.
Must read: Who is Mary Magdalene in Orthodoxy
You also need to know the correct spelling of names. Namely, men's names are written first, then women's names, girls, girls, boys, and at the very end the names of children under 7 years old are written.
Dear brothers and sisters! We invite you to visit the unique resource https://www.slovo-pomoshi.ru/. With its help, you can convey your aspirations to St. Petersburg churches, chapels, monasteries, and also contact the righteous at the place of their burial. We will write a note ourselves, take it to the temple and send you a photo report by email. Turning to God with the help of prayers has helped many people overcome grief, regain health and the joy of worldly life.
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Annual prayer services
The New Year is a special observance celebrated in the church on the civil New Year, on the New Year according to the old style. A thanksgiving prayer service for the Nativity of Christ is served in memory of the victory in the Patriotic War of 1812. The Great Blessing of Water is the feast of the Epiphany. The main one of the water-blessing prayers. Thanksgiving on the first Sunday of Great Lent (Triumph of Orthodoxy) - in honor of the restoration of the veneration of icons in the 9th century. Christians owe this event many miraculous icons and the opportunity to pray in front of the images of the house. Consecration of honey (Honey Savior) is a prayer service held on August 14, in memory of the “destruction of the Trees of the Holy Cross.” During epidemics raging in the summer in the 7th and 8th centuries in Byzantium, it was customary to go around cities with a shrine - particles of the Cross of the Lord, asking the Lord for deliverance from the disease. This event has nothing to do with honey, but since honey harvesting began in Rus' by mid-August, the first fruits of the harvest were brought for blessing and donation to the church. At the water blessing service held on this day, a prayer is read for the consecration of honey. Consecration of fruits (Apple Savior), August 19 - refers to the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. On this day, a water-blessing prayer service is served with the reading of prayers for the consecration of fruits. A prayer is read separately for the consecration of grapes; this fruit is especially revered in the Church; wine for Communion is made from it. Nut Savior is a holiday in memory of the miracle performed by the Lord at the request of King Abgar. Wanting to have a portrait of Christ, the king sent a painter to paint Him. Taking the canvas from the artist, the Lord applied it to his face and the Most Pure Face was displayed on it. On this day, on the occasion of the ripening of the nuts, the consecration of the first harvest is performed. The beginning of the teaching of the youths is a special prayer service held on the occasion of the beginning of the school year. Notes with the names of schoolchildren and students are submitted. Such prayer services are also performed in educational institutions.
You can submit health notes at any of the listed prayer services.
What types of prayer services are there?
Prayer services can be simple, thanksgiving, water blessing and akathist. Any of them can be ordered individually, but more often they are performed conciliarly, i.e. with a large crowd of people.
- Water-blessing prayers are served in churches daily or on Sundays. It is obligatory for the customer to pray during the service, then take the blessed water and take it home with reverence. All family members drink it on an empty stomach in the morning and sprinkle it around the home. At the water blessing prayer you can submit icons and crosses for consecration.
- Simple prayer services are performed on the occasion of saints' feast days. On it, short hymns are sung in honor of the Mother of God and the saint and a litany is pronounced - a series of petitions with the refrain “Lord, have mercy.” The litany remembers the names of those who ordered the prayer service and their relatives. Then a prayer is read to the saint. A simple prayer service is good to order on a name day or for a sick person.
- A prayer service with an akathist is often served in front of miraculous or revered icons, on days of celebration of great saints. Usually the service is held weekly, at a certain time, which can be found out in the temple or monastery. When going to prayer, it is better to take the text of the akathist to follow the reading.
- A prayer service of thanksgiving is served collectively on New Year's Day, Victory Day, the Nativity of Christ and other significant days. Having received what you asked from the Lord, you need to order a prayer of thanksgiving in the temple. On the note with the names “about health” the name of the prayer service is added. There is no need to write the reason why it is ordered. If it is not possible to serve the prayer individually, then petitions of thanks are included in the general prayer service performed according to the church schedule.
Other church commemorations - masses, magpies, proskomedia - do not belong to prayer services, but are performed during the Liturgy.
How to write notes
To remember at a prayer service, you must submit a note with names about health to the candle box (kiosk) . On a special form or neat sheet of paper, write the heading “Prayer of supplication (or thanksgiving) for health,” then indicate to whom the service is being ordered: the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, the saint (name). Below in a column, in legible handwriting, the names of living, baptized Christians are listed. A note with a donation is passed to the kiosk or directly to the table where the demand is sent.
Notes for prayer
Additional petitions at prayer services
Traditionally, churches serve one prayer service for everyone, including individual petitions indicated in notes. For different cases, you can order the following petitions:
- about the health of the sick
- about those going on a trip (trip, business trip)
- thanksgiving to God
- about the beginning of every good deed
