Morning prayers for beginners

Every Orthodox Christian should be able to pray correctly, for prayer for us is a conversation with God. She is the breath of our souls, a necessary need, like food and water, therefore each of us who has chosen the path to the Lord must begin his day with morning prayer. Moreover, in order to pray, you do not necessarily need to visit a temple; you can do it at home. It is only important not to forget about this and know all the rules for reading morning prayers. What are the rules? This is what I want to tell you about.

How to prepare to read morning prayer

Morning prayer is a specific ritual for which you need to carefully prepare:

after waking up, before performing the sacrament, you need to wash and put on clean and comfortable clothes;
women are advised to cover their heads during prayer;
you should clear your mind of negative thoughts;
It is recommended to perform the morning ritual completely alone, so that no one can distract or interfere. You need to turn off all sound sources; if there is anyone else at home, ask them not to interfere;
It is advisable to pray in front of icons or an iconostasis with a lit candle;
prepare texts of prayers in advance.

Why should you pray at home?

A conversation with God is a natural need of a believer.

Prayer in church during the Divine Liturgy is a conversation between God and man face to face, but when a person is at home it is like talking on the phone. The liturgy is a great treasure that should not be neglected. By visiting it, a person talks with God very closely. If a person receives communion, then he eats His Body and drinks His Blood, which is simply incomprehensible at home.

In church, dozens or even hundreds of people pray with you, which means that prayer becomes stronger and charged with special energy. Then the question arises: why pray at home if you can go to church and just read the evening rule at home? The thing is that these are simply different types of prayers: a person does not pray in church the same way as at home, and vice versa. After all, Jesus Christ not only prayed with his disciples, he sometimes went away to be alone. The fact is that when we pray at home, we are left alone with God, there is no one nearby. This is the most personal conversation possible. Even if someone from the family is at home, what will happen? Prayer will simply become different. A person will no longer be able to cry, for example. He’ll be embarrassed and won’t be able to say anything out loud. He will always limit himself to the fact that someone is looking at him. Therefore, there is great joy both in church prayer and in solitary prayer too.

When did the rule come into being?

The rules for reading morning prayers and the prayers themselves did not appear immediately: most of the prayers were written by different Orthodox saints who lived in different countries and at different times, the first collections of prayers appeared in Rus' only in the 16th-17th centuries, and the modern prayer rule was formed only two hundred years ago .

How prayers are read

It is necessary to read prayers regularly, that is, daily. The performance of the sacrament should not depend on one’s mood. Also, you cannot pray formally. When reading holy texts, you should delve into every word, try to understand what is being said. The voice should be quiet when reading. Don't rush, and try not to get distracted. Nothing should interfere with communication with God, including extraneous thoughts. If it turns out that we got distracted, it’s worth starting reading again. For beginners, at first it is enough to read 2-3 prayers, gradually increasing their number by one or two every day.

Reading prayers at home

Jesus Christ taught to communicate with Him to go into your prayer room, closing the doors from the outside world. Every Orthodox family has a corner with icons, although it is increasingly rare to see an icon lamp there.

Red corner in the house

Before starting to worship God, you should light a candle; it is advisable to purchase it in the temple. In a family, and this is a prototype of the church, there are rules for who prays in solitude, and some prefer to do it together, because the intense prayer of a righteous person can do a lot. (James 5:16)

Theophan the Recluse, who spent a lot of time worshiping God, writes that there is no need to rush when starting to pray. Having made the sign of the cross and bowed, you should be silent for a moment, entering a state of worship and reverence before God. Every word of prayer must come from the heart; it must not only be understood, but also felt.

Reading "Our Father";

give praise to the Creator who is in Heaven;
submit your life to His will;
truly forgive the debts and misdeeds of other people, for these are prerequisites for God to forgive each of the Orthodox;
ask Him for mercy in solving all material problems with the words “give us this day our daily bread”;
Declare the power of God in your life and His covering over you and your family.

If, while reading the “Prayer Book,” a desire appears in your heart to ask God for some need, do not put it off until later, but immediately bring it before the prayer throne of the Almighty.

The Lord teaches His children to be constant and persistent in prayer through the example of a poor widow (Luke 18:2-6); no petition will remain unanswered by Him. It is very important when communicating with the Savior to put aside all haste; only through a meaningful appeal can one reach God.

According to the advice of Bishop Anthony, in order not to be distracted by time limits, you should wind the clock so that the bell rings at the right moment. It doesn’t matter how long the prayer rule lasts or how many prayers are read, the main thing is that they are completely dedicated to God.

Saint Ignatius calls regular prayers hard work for sinners, while the righteous experience pleasure from communion with the saints and the Trinity.

If thoughts “run away”, there is no need to rush, you should return to where you began the absent-minded reading of the spiritual proclamation and start all over again. It will help to concentrate on the text being read by saying all the appeals out loud. It is not without reason that they say that prayers read silently are heard by God, and prayers spoken out loud are heard by demons.

Silouan of Athos noted that God does not hear words spoken in empty thoughts and worldly affairs.

Silouan of Athos

The spirit of prayer is strengthened by regularity, just as the body of an athlete is strengthened by training. Having finished your prayer, do not immediately “pounce” on worldly vain affairs, give yourself a few more minutes of being in God’s grace.

What prayers are read in the morning

There are a great variety of morning prayers. For beginners, it is not necessary to read them all, but it is important that the following texts be present:

Our Father;
God, Cleanse;
To You, Master;
Have mercy on me, O God;
Heavenly King;
Holy Mother of God;
prayer to the Guardian Angel;
Trisagion;
Having risen from sleep;
Calling the Saints;
Holy Spirit;
prayers for the living and the dead;
end of prayers.

If there is such an opportunity, then it is better to memorize the texts of the prayers. Before you start reading, you first need to say words of gratitude for a peaceful night and for the coming day.

Why are rules needed?

Experienced Christians know them by heart, but every Orthodox person should have a “Prayer Book” filled with texts of proclamations not only for morning and evening, but for all occasions.

A prayer rule is a list of prayers. There is a general order of sacred reading for morning and evening. In each individual case, the spiritual mentor adjusts the prayer law, taking into account the degree of employment of the person, his place of residence and spiritual age.

Prayer Rule

Often, new believers rebel against reading texts written by saints in a language that is difficult to read. The prayer book was written on the basis of appeals to the Lord of people who accomplished the feat of faith, lived in purity and worship of Jesus Christ and were led by the Holy Spirit.

The first example, which became an integral part of the prayer rule for morning and evening prayers, was given to His followers by the Savior Himself. “Our Father” is the main proclamation with which Orthodox believers begin and end the day. Daily reading of the prayer book becomes a habit that fills the soul with God's wisdom.

About important church prayers:

Prayer “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice”
Prayer to the Holy Spirit “Heavenly King”
Prayer “Creed” at the baptism of a child

The Church offers a prayer rule for beginners, so that the infant soul in Christianity grows in actions pleasing to the Creator.

A daily conversation with the Creator is a living communication, not an empty phrase. The boldness of communication with the almighty God involves speaking in the right words, in which there is no emptiness.

Important! By turning to the Almighty, the Orthodox are then filled with God's knowledge and His protection, when they leave vanity and are completely immersed in prayer.

The oldest morning prayer

The oldest and most powerful is the holy text “Lord, have mercy!” Every Orthodox Christian needs to know these words. They say this prayer three times, thereby glorifying the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. To receive the hourly blessing of the Lord, you need to read the text of the prayer 12 times, and to sanctify your entire life - 40.

How to behave correctly during prayer communication

Prayerful communication of all Orthodox Christians is performed standing; only elderly and sick people can sit. While reading the prayer book, in recognition of their sinfulness and imperfection, showing humility, people bow, some to the waist, while others bow to the ground.

Prayerful communication with God

Some Orthodox believers perform prayer communion while kneeling. The holy apostles opposed such worship, explaining that only slaves kneel; children do not need to do this. (Gal. 4:7) However, having committed some sin, it is not forbidden to kneel in submission, begging for forgiveness.

About prayer rules:

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity
Evening and morning prayers
Schema nun Antonia's prayer rule about murdered babies

Beginning believers sometimes do not know how to correctly make the sign of the cross. The fingers of the right hand should be folded as follows:

press the little finger and ring finger to the palm, they mean that Jesus was God and man at the same time;
put the thumb, index and middle fingers together, three-fingered, as a symbol of the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How to be baptized correctly

Drawing a cross in the air, touch the middle of the forehead with folded fingers, then lower the hand just below the navel, move to the right and then the left shoulder, only after this they bow.

A careless attitude to the sign of the cross, according to John Chrysostom, causes joy only among demons . The sign of the cross, performed with faith and reverence, is filled with God's grace and is a terrifying force for demonic attacks.

Before reading spiritual texts, you should try to free yourself from vain thoughts; this is sometimes difficult, so try to imagine the great sacrifice of Christ and your presence before Him in this world.

Never perform your prayers “for show”; in the spiritual world they will be an empty phrase. Delve into every word of the appeal to the Savior, filling yourself with His grace and love.

Visit to the temple

Although you can pray at home in front of home images, it is still advisable to visit a temple. The rules for being in church in the morning are quite simple:

after awakening, you need to tune in to a visit to the Shrine and try to expel all sinful thoughts;
You also need to wash your face thoroughly, comb your hair, and dress appropriately. Women should wear a dress below the knees and tie a scarf around their heads. Men should not appear in a holy place in jeans and with their heads covered;
before leaving the house we read a short prayer, and before entering the church we cross ourselves three times and bow. We do the same thing when we enter the temple;
Before the service begins, you can purchase candles and light them in front of different faces.

You should not pay attention to those who like to teach, especially beginners. You need to remain calm and have a positive attitude.

Prayer Rule

So, prayer for an Orthodox Christian is a conversation, communication with God. Turning to the Lord in prayer is a need for the soul of a believer; it is not for nothing that the Holy Fathers called prayer the breath of the soul .

When following your daily prayer rule, you need to remember two things.

First . a rule because it is obligatory. Every Orthodox Christian prays in the morning and before going to bed ; he prays before eating , and after eating he thanks God. Christians pray before starting any task (work, study, etc.) and at the end of it . Before starting work, read the prayer “To the Heavenly King...” or special prayers for the beginning of any task. At the end of the task, the prayer to the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat” is usually read. All these prayers are contained in the Orthodox Prayer Book.

So, there must be regularity and discipline . You cannot skip the daily prayer rule and pray only when you feel like it and when you are in the mood. A Christian is a warrior of Christ; in baptism he takes an oath of allegiance to the Lord. The life of every warrior, soldier is called service. It is built according to a special schedule and charter. And an Orthodox person also performs his service by performing the prayer rule. This service to God takes place according to the statutes of the Church.

The second thing to remember when following the rule: you cannot turn daily prayer into a formal reading of the prescribed prayers. It happens that during confession a priest hears: “I began to read the morning prayers and only halfway through I realized that I was reading the evening rule.” This means that the reading was purely formal, mechanical. It does not produce spiritual fruit. To prevent the implementation of the rule from turning into a formal proofreading, you need to read it slowly, preferably out loud or in a low voice, pondering the meaning of the prayer, standing reverently - after all, we are standing before God Himself and talking with Him. When going to pray, you need to collect yourself, calm down, and drive away all worldly thoughts and worries. If, while reading prayers, inattention and extraneous thoughts came and we stopped paying attention to what we were reading, we need to stop and start reading the prayer again, this time with due attention.

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It can be difficult for a new Christian to immediately read the complete prayer rule. Then, with the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest, he can choose at least a few morning and evening prayers from the Prayer Book. For example, three or four, and pray according to this abbreviated rule, gradually adding one prayer at a time from the Prayer Book - as if ascending “from strength to strength.”

Of course, it is not easy for a person taking his first steps in spiritual life to follow the complete rule. There is still a lot he doesn't understand. The Church Slavonic text is still difficult for him to understand. You should purchase a small dictionary of Church Slavonic words in order to better understand the meaning of the texts you read. Understanding and skill in prayer will definitely come with time if a person sincerely wants to understand what he read and does not stand still in his prayer life.

In their morning prayers, Christians ask God for a blessing for the coming day and thank Him for the night that has passed. Evening prayers prepare us for bed, and are also a confession of the sins of the past day. In addition to the morning and evening rules, an Orthodox person must preserve the memory of God and mentally turn to Him throughout the day. Without Me you can do nothing,” says the Lord (John 15:5). Every task, even the simplest one, must begin with at least a short prayer for God’s help in our labors.

Many mothers of infants complain that they have no time left for their daily routine. Indeed, when a child grows and needs to be taken care of day and night, it is very difficult to fulfill the complete prayer rule. Here we can advise you to constantly perform internal prayer throughout the day and ask God for help in all matters and concerns. This applies not only to the mother of small children, but also to any Orthodox Christian. So our life will pass with constant memory of God and we will not forget Him in the vanity of the world.

Prayers are conventionally divided into supplication, repentance, thanksgiving and doxology . Of course, we must not only turn to the Lord with requests, but we must constantly thank Him for His countless benefits. And, most importantly, they must be able to see the gifts of God in their lives and appreciate them. You need to make it a rule: at the end of the day, remember all the good things that were sent from God on the previous day, and read prayers of gratitude. They are in any complete Prayer Book.

In addition to the mandatory prayer rule, every Orthodox person can take upon himself a strict rule. For example, read canons and akathists throughout the day. The peculiarity of the construction of the akathist is the word “rejoice” repeated many times. Therefore, he has a special joyful mood. In ancient times, the daily reading of psalms occupied a special place in the spiritual life of a Christian.

Reading canons, akathists, psalms helps in mournful or difficult periods of life. For example, the canon of prayer for the Mother of God (it is in the Prayer Book) is read in every spiritual sorrow and situation, as stated in its very name. If a Christian wants to take upon himself a special prayer rule (read the canons or, for example, say the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” according to the rosary), he must take the blessing of his spiritual father or parish priest for this.

In addition to the constant prayer rule, a Christian must regularly read the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament.

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You can hear the following opinion: why turn to God so often with your requests and prayers? The Lord already knows what we need. They say that you need to turn to God only in special cases when it is really necessary.

This opinion is just an excuse for one’s own laziness. God is our Heavenly Father, and like any Father, He wants His children to communicate with Him and turn to Him. Both God's grace and mercy towards us can never become scarce, no matter how much we turn to God.

This parable comes to mind:

In the houses of rich people they stopped praying before meals. One day a priest came to visit them. The table was exquisite and the best dishes were served. We sat at the table. Everyone looked at the priest and thought that now he would pray before eating. But the priest said: “The owner must pray at the table, he is the first prayer book in the family.”

There was an awkward silence: no one in this family prayed. The father cleared his throat and said: “You know, dear father, we don’t pray, because in prayer before meals the same thing is always repeated. Why do the same thing every day, every year? No, we don’t pray.” The priest looked at everyone in surprise, but then the seven-year-old girl said: “Dad, don’t I really need to come to you every morning and say “good morning” anymore?”

How to relate to modern prayers?

The priest’s answer to this question: “Personally, I am more moved by the words of the more ancient canons, the stichera. They seem deeper and more insightful to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.”

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, respect and try to find benefit for yourself. But understand that some modern prayers are not as high quality in content as the prayers compiled by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but at the same time be well educated. All texts offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo strict selection.