A prayer request to the saints is of great importance in the life of a believer. Every day we have to fight with everyday troubles, the temptations of this world and the slander of the evil one. The holy prayer books set us an example with their God-fearing lives and help us in difficulties even after their death. One day, a friend of mine told me about a miracle that happened after turning to St. Tikhon.
A prayer to Tikhon Zadonsky about despondency helped her young son get rid of protracted depression. The guy already wanted to commit suicide, and the matter could have ended with hospitalization in a mental hospital. But the saint came to the rescue in time, freeing the young man from grave sin. I'll tell you what you can pray for and ask the saint.
What do they pray to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk for?
Saint Tikhon prayed a lot and earnestly, and had the gift of a seer. He amazed those around him with his gift of miracles. And today, many people turn in prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk for help and healing, and this help comes. They pray to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk to help him find a meek disposition and zeal in good deeds, humility and peacefulness. People turn to him in prayer for the healing of illnesses, including mental ones, from depression and demonic possession, addictions, including smoking, alcoholism and drug addiction.
Prayer text
Oh, great Pleasant of God and glorious Wonderworker, Our Hierarch Tikhon!
With tenderness, we bend our knees and fall before the race of your honest and multi-healing relics, we praise, glorify and magnify God, who glorified you, and who showed great mercy in you to us unworthy, and who diligently, with faith and love, honors your holy memory, we pray to you: bring our prayer to all to the sustaining and saving man-loving Lord, to whom you now stand as an Angel and with all the Saints, that He may establish in His holy Orthodox Church the living spirit of right faith and piety, and that all its members, purified from superstition and wisdom, worship Him in spirit and truth and diligently care about keeping His commandments, may its shepherd give holy zeal for the salvation of the people entrusted to them - to observe the right of the believer, to strengthen the weak and infirm in the faith, to instruct the ignorant, to reprove the contrary.
And again, with hope, like the child of our father who exists for us, we pray to you, Saint Tikhon, for we believe that you, living in heaven, love us with the same love with which you loved all your neighbors, so that you may always remain on earth, ask from the all-merciful Lord and give us all a gift that is beneficial to everyone and everything that is useful for the temporal and eternal life, peace, the establishment of our cities, the fruitfulness of the earth, deliverance from famine and destruction, preservation from the invasion of foreigners, consolation for the grieving, healing for the sick, restoration for the fallen, return to the path of truth for those who go astray, strengthening for those who strive in good deeds, prosperity for those who do good, blessing for the parent, upbringing and teaching for children in the passion of the Lord, knowledge and piety for the mentor, admonition for the ignorant, help and intercession for the orphans, the poor and the needy, departing from this temporary life to the eternal good preparation and parting words for those who have departed to blissful repose. For all of these, most especially, ask us, Saint Tikhon, from the Generous God, for you have great boldness towards Him: for you are the owner of the ever-present intercessor and warm prayer book for us before the Lord, to whom all glory, honor and worship is due.
To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
years of education
In 1728, Timothy was enrolled in a religious institution, which two years later became known as a seminary.
The young man was distinguished by his ability to learn and soon earned a transfer to free education. However, Timofey continued to be in need and sold half of his rations to buy candles. Some students from wealthy families mocked his poverty, but the young man did not hold a grudge and continued his humble self-education.
- Timofey stood above all his peers and successfully passed exams for 14 years. Here he became skilled in grammar, rhetoric and theological philosophy. The duration of training was due to the small number of teachers in the theological seminary. The future saint completed his studies in 1754.
- He received the position of teacher of Greek, as well as rhetoric and philosophy. Timofey was remembered by everyone as a modest, friendly teacher and a man of pious character.
- During this period, the future saint gravitated more and more towards the Lord, studied the Holy Scriptures and strove for contemplation of God. Those around him noticed: in this man a great spiritual personality was maturing, who would be destined to revive the authority of religion in an atheistic age.
- Tikhon of Zadonsk made the final decision about monastic life after the sign in heaven.
On a note! The saint was one of the few monks who supported the desire to be honest and observe moral principles. His words never conflicted with subsequent accomplishments, and his thoughts never conflicted with integrity.
Prayer to Saint Tikhon the Wonderworker of Zadonsk for healing
Tikhon of Zadonsk led an ascetic lifestyle and was modest, but his gift as a miracle worker could not be hidden. The fame of Saint Tikhon as a miracle worker and man of prayer spread throughout Rus' during his lifetime.
The saint helped a large number of believers to be healed and gain sight, gave the ability to walk, those who did not get out of bed, and cured other serious ailments of sick people. When praying to Tikhon of Zadonsk for healing, even now more believers are cured of serious illnesses.
Prayer text
O all-praised Saint and Servant of Christ, our Father Tikhon! Having lived like an angel on earth, you, like a good angel, appeared in your wondrous glorification. We believe with all our souls and thoughts that you, our merciful helper and prayer book, are constantly contributing to our salvation through your honest intercessions and the grace abundantly bestowed upon you from the Lord. Accept therefore, blessed Servant of Christ, even at this hour our unworthy prayer: free us through your intercession from the vanity and superstition that surrounds us, the unbelief and evil of man.
Strive, quick intercessor for us, to beg the Lord with your favorable intercession, may He add His great and rich mercy to us sinners and unworthy His servants, may He heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of our corrupted souls and bodies, may our petrified hearts dissolve with tears of tenderness and Contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna; May He grant to all His faithful people peace and quiet, health and salvation, and good haste in everything, so that having lived a quiet and silent life in all piety and purity, let us be worthy to glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father with the Angels and all the Saints and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk from witchcraft
Tikhon of Zadonsky conducted educational work among the population about the eradication of pagan traditions and the establishment of the Christian faith in Rus'. He was a fierce opponent of paganism and witchcraft, and led accusatory sermons and exhortations. His spiritual struggle with magic was carried out through conversations with parishioners and prayers. After his death, people began to turn to him for protection through prayer from witchcraft. The very fact that this prayer has survived to this day speaks of its effectiveness.
Prayer text
O saint, our father Tikhon! Hear us and try to beg the Lord with your favorable intercession, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, His sinful and unworthy servants (names), may He heal with His grace the incurable ulcers and scabs of our corrupted souls and bodies, may He dissolve our petrified hearts with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may He grant us peace and silence, health and salvation in this present world, so that we may be worthy, with the Angels and with all the saints, to glorify and sing the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit, forever and ever.
Finding the relics
In 1845, in the Zadonsk monastery they decided to build a new Vladimir Cathedral; while dismantling the old one, they discovered the incorruptible relics of St. Tikhon , even the Bishop's robe was not touched, despite the long stay in the dampness of the body of Tikhon of Zadonsk.
The relics were transferred to a new coffin and buried in the Nativity Church of the monastery. And documents were sent to the Synod and the Emperor about the discovery of the incorruptible relics, and with the documents there was a request to canonize Tikhon of Zadonsk, revered by all of Russia. For unknown reasons, the decision was delayed and on August 13, 1861, the day of memory of Tikhon, he was glorified as a saint.
Second discovery of relics
After the revolution of 1917, the monastery was abolished, all church utensils and icons were subject to description, after which the relics were again placed in a silver shrine. Then the monastery passed from hand to hand, and after 1932 the relics left Zadonsk, ending up in the anti-religious museum of Yelets, and then the local history museum of the city of Orel . During the Second World War, believers managed to save the shrine . After the war in 1947, they were openly exhibited in the Epiphany Cathedral of Orel, but the Khrushchev anti-religious company again closed the shrine in the local history museum.
Only in 1988 were the relics of Tikhon of Zadonsk transferred to the Oryol diocese; in 1991 they finally returned to the Vladimir Cathedral of the Zadonsk Nativity of the Virgin Monastery.
Prayer for the mentally ill
Prayers to Tikhon of Zadonsk have special power in healing mental illnesses. A sick person possessed by demons can find the help of St. Tikhon when the sick person or his loved ones turn to him. The main thing is that the patient himself and the people who help him fight the disease want and believe in the miraculous power of prayer and together fight the unclean spirit, observing Christian rituals and commandments. It is imperative to pray in front of the image of St. Tikhon. During his lifetime, the saint taught spiritual struggle and prayer, and insisted on daily prayer work, which only in this case made it possible to get rid of serious illnesses, including demonic possession. Prayer cleansed and enlightened the person praying and created unbearable conditions for evil spirits, and the disease left him.
Prayer text
Our Father Tikhon, we praise you! You are a saint of Christ, a saint of God! Your existence is like that of an angel, like an angel you appeared and gave people hope. We send you our faith and our good thoughts. Your mercy, your help saves our souls. Intercede for us before the Lord, ask for spiritual salvation for us. Hear our unworthy prayers, be merciful to us, intercede for us. Give us wisdom, protect us from human evil, protect us from evil deeds and thoughts. Pray for us before the Lord, grant us great strength and good mercy. Sinful and unworthy servants of God (names) turn to you, asking for healing of our physical and mental ulcers. Deliver us from the wounds on our bodies. Let the tears of tenderness and contrition dissolve our stony hearts. Enlighten us about repentance, deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of hell. May faithful people be granted peace and silence, health and salvation, success in business, good people along the way, piety and purity. We pray to you and glorify your image. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.
The path from birth to bishopric
In the poor family of a church employee in the Korotsko-Valdai district of the Novgorod province, Saveliy Kirilov, a son, Timofey, was born in 1724, whose surname was changed to Sokolov upon entering the theological seminary.
Having lost his father, his family went from a state of poverty to a state of complete poverty. Based on his own words, he was forced to harrow the arable land of a wealthy villager during daylight hours in exchange for feeding him bread. In early childhood, dark forces almost led Timothy astray from the Path along which he came to holiness in the ranks of the saints. Besides him, there were three more brothers and two sisters in the family; he did not remember his father. The eldest brother served as a clerk, and the second eldest was taken into the army, leaving only the boys. And against the backdrop of extreme poverty, the parish coachman, who had a fortune but had no children, took a liking to Timofey. The coachman suggested that the mother take the boy in as a son, leaving the entire inheritance to him, and give the remaining children food.
The extreme situation of the family, which consisted of hunger, forced the mother to succumb to the coachman’s persuasion and take Timofey to him. But the eldest brother, having heard about this , rushed to catch up with his mother walking along the way, with the intention of dissuading her. Having caught up, he began to ask his mother, begging her on her knees, not to give Timofey away, offering to better teach him to read and write. Then he will be able to enter the service of the church.
Education
The Empress's decree of 1735 to enlist in the army all children from clergy families who were not students or who had left school, prompted the decision to enroll Timothy in a theological school. In December 1738, his mother brought him to Novgorod. Where, at the request of his older brother, who at that time was an employee of one of the Novgorod churches, he was accepted into the Novgorod Theological Slavic School at the hut of the highest ranks of the church.
The mother used her last money to bring her son to study, being very sick, which led to death. Left an orphan and without a scholarship, Timofey had to remember the times of his childhood when there was a lack of food. Although the brother took on the responsibility, his meager salary did not allow him to pay for full maintenance. The boy had to earn his bread by cultivating the land in his free time.
After two years of study, Timofey had the opportunity to spend his free time not with part-time jobs, but to devote himself entirely to education. In 1740, the school was transformed into a Theological Seminary and he managed to transfer to study there, becoming chosen, out of all those studying, to be among the most capable of science and put on government account. That’s when they changed his last name to Sokolov.
Receiving rations, he sold half of his bread to buy candles so that he could read in the evening, secluded in a corner, for which he was subjected to ridicule from seminarians, especially from wealthy families, who were unaware of such a lifestyle. They, waving their bast shoes in his direction, shouted to him the words “We magnify you, holy saint!”, which turned out to be prophetic.
Having studied at the seminary for 14 years, two of which he studied grammar and the remaining four rules of speech structure (oratory), philosophy and theology. , seminarian Sokolov proved himself to be a diligent student with extraordinary abilities, and therefore upon graduation he was asked to teach rhetoric and theology.
Took monastic vows
Upon reaching the age of 34, on April 10, 1758, Timofey took monastic vows from Archimandrite Anthony of the Monastery in Novgorod, calling himself Tikhon. Immediately receiving the position of philosophy teacher, the title of perfect. Already in the summer of the same year he was ordained as a hieromonk. A year later, he was elevated to the rank of Archimandrite Zholtikov of the Assumption Monastery, with a transfer to Tver. Where he soon received a transfer to the same position at the Assumption Otroch Monastery and became the rector of the theological seminary.
Father Tikhon approached his ministry in his characteristic manner, so that his listeners would take his lectures and sermons to heart. He gave lectures on moral theology so captivatingly that complete strangers came to listen to them, and he read them in Russian instead of the Latin language that was accepted in those days. Ahead of him awaited even more significant increases in the church and the level of the spirit.
Unexpected promotion up the hierarchy ladder
His dreams of a desert life in a monastery near Tver were not destined to come true. At the Synod, a candidate was chosen for the post of Novgorod bishop by casting lots, which fell three times on St. Tikhon. On May 13, 1761, he was elevated to Bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga in the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. Appointing him to lead the Khutyn Spaso Barlaami Monastery and the diocesan bishop of the Novgorod parish. The saint himself admitted that he never thought that he would become a bishop.
Saint Tikhon of Transdanubia remained in this appointment for a short time, less than a year. In 1962, he was temporarily appointed chairman of the Synod of St. Petersburg. After the departure of Bishop Ioannikiy (Pavlutsky), the head of the Voronezh and Yelets dioceses, he was appointed to the Voronezh see.
The life of the saint was accompanied by special events leading him to holiness:
- The first took him away from the life of a wealthy coachman towards a spiritual path with a heart, which led to greatness of spirit, instead of the everyday life of a layman.
- The Empress's decree of 1735 to take into the army all non-student children from clergy families prompted Timothy to be enrolled in a theological school.
- During the draw for the bishopric, the lot fell on Tikhon three times.
- On the day of the draw, Tikhon served the Easter liturgy with Bishop Athanasius, who headed the Mogilev and Polotsk dioceses. The bishop was extracting particles about health, when the turn came, Tikhon approached with the usual petition: “Remember me, holy master.” “May the Lord God remember your bishopric in His Kingdom,” he answered, and immediately noticing the reservation, he continued: “God grant you to be a bishop.”
Prayer for Marriage
Although Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk himself led an ascetic lifestyle, he was merciful to parishioners and advocated a healthy lifestyle and the establishment of strong family relationships. It is still believed that Saint Tikhon patronizes families, and women turn in prayer to Tikhon of Zadonsk for marriage, and he helps them find good, respectable husbands.
Prayer text
O great servant of God and glorious miracle-working saint, our Father Tikhon! Falling tenderly before your icon, we pray to you: bring our prayer to the Lord who loves mankind, may He grant longevity of mental and physical health to the servants of God (names) and parishioners of this holy temple, may He add His great and rich mercy to us, sinners and unworthy of His servants, may our petrified hearts dissolve with tears of tenderness and contrition for our many sins and may He deliver us from eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, may we sing and glorify the ineffable generosity of the Lover of God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and your fatherly intercession, in forever and ever. Amen.
( 3 ratings, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Retired in the Zadonsk Monastery
Meanwhile, the intense labors upset the health of Saint Tikhon. He asked for dismissal from office and spent the last 16 years (1767–1783) of his life in retirement in the Zadonsk Monastery . All his time, with the exception of 4–5 hours of rest, was devoted to prayer, reading the word of God, doing charity work and composing soul-helping essays. Every day he came to the temple. At home, Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk often fell to his knees and, shedding tears, like the most serious sinner, cried out: “Lord, have mercy. Lord have mercy!" Without fail, every day he read several chapters from the Holy Scriptures (especially the prophet Isaiah), and he never went on the road without a small Psalter. His entire 400-ruble pension went to charity, and everything he received as a gift from his acquaintances was also sent here. Often in simple monastic clothes, he went to the nearest city (Elets) and visited prisoners in the local prison. He consoled them, encouraged them to repent and then gave them alms. He himself was extremely non-covetous, living among the simplest and poorest surroundings. Sitting down at a meager table, he often thought about the poor who did not have food like him and began to reproach himself for the fact that, in his opinion, he had worked little for the Church.
Zadonsk, Zadonsky Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery, monument to St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk had the gift of insight and performing miracles, reading the thoughts of his interlocutors. In 1778, when Emperor Alexander I was born, the saint predicted many events of his reign, in particular that Russia would be saved and the invader (Napoleon) would die.
The saint especially loved to talk with the common people, consoled them in their difficult times, and helped the ruined. Children from the monastery settlement often visited him, he taught them prayer, and after the conversation he gave them money.
