Many of you probably want to change your life, as well as the lives of your loved ones, for the better. Don't know how to do this? As you know, there are things that we cannot change; we need help from above. This article is dedicated to Saint Nicholas (Myra) the Wonderworker, beloved by believers.
This saint of God became famous among not only Orthodox Christians, but also Catholics. Therefore, he is revered in many countries around the world. Christians can read a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with deep faith for 40 days or more, depending on the circumstances. Let's take a closer look at when and for how long you can offer your petitions to the saint of God, whether you need to prepare and how to behave during prayer.
Brief information about St. Nicholas
Saint Nicholas lived in the city of Myra in the 3rd century AD. He was a very pious and pious man. In adulthood, the Lord called him to serve the people and also perform miracles. It was precisely due to the fact that many healings were witnessed, troubles were prevented, innocent people were freed through the prayers of the saint to the Lord, people during his lifetime and at all times turned to him for help.
We can briefly cite three events that are mentioned in the life of the saint: the release of prisoners from prison, salvation from drowning at sea, and the marriage of three daughters of a poor man.
That is why in the Orthodox tradition it is customary to pray to St. Nicholas for a safe journey, marriage, and in case of any dangers.
Akathist to Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
Kontakion 1
Glorified by the Lord to Saint and miracle worker Spyridon! Now we celebrate your all-honorable memory, as we are able to greatly help us in Christ who glorified you, we cry out to you touchingly: deliver us from all troubles and evils, and with thanksgiving we call to you: Rejoice, Spyridon, wonderful miracle worker!
Ikos 1
From youth, adorned with all the virtues, imitating the Angel in your life, you, Saint Spyridon, truly appeared to be a friend of Christ; We, seeing you, a heavenly man and an earthly angel, with reverence and touching cry to you:
Rejoice, O mind, contemplating the mysteries of the Holy Trinity; Rejoice, being enriched by the Spirit with the most radiant illumination. Rejoice, many-bright lamp; Rejoice, your mind is enlightened by dispassion. Rejoice, having loved true simplicity and silence from childhood; Rejoice, ornament of chastity. Rejoice, inexhaustible stream of love; Rejoice, for you imitated Abraham’s love of homosexuality. Rejoice, for you lovingly opened the entrances of your house to everyone; Rejoice, representative of the poor. Rejoice, people revere him; Rejoice, for you are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Rejoice, Spiridon, wonderful miracle worker!
Kontakion 2
Seeing the island of Cyprus and all the Christian countries, your incorruptible relics, O saint, abundant healing flows from them, rejoicing; and we, honoring you as an abundant source of grace sent down to us from Above, cry out to the Supreme Giver of Heavenly and earthly blessings: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
Having the Divine Mind, even if you are a shepherd of the wordless sheep, you were chosen by the will of the Chief Shepherd Christ to be the shepherd of the verbal sheep. The faithful one, understanding you as a good shepherd, vigilantly caring for your flock, sang:
Rejoice, bishop of the Most High God, who at your consecration abundantly received Divine grace; Rejoice, many-bright lamp, burn and shine. Rejoice, faithful worker in the city of Christ; Rejoice, shepherd, who raised his flock in the pasture of faith and piety. Rejoice, enlightening the world with the radiance of your virtues; Rejoice, you who offer the Divine Sacrifice to the Throne of Christ. Rejoice, hierarch, adorned with the understanding of Orthodoxy; Rejoice, filled with the apostolic teaching, infusing the faithful with streams of saving teaching. Rejoice, for you have illuminated the wise too; Rejoice, for you have renewed even the simple hearts. Rejoice, glory to the Orthodox and to the Church, unshakable affirmation; Rejoice, adornment of the fathers, glory and praise of the reverent priests. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 3
By the power of the Most High, which overshadowed you, you appeared to Saint Spyridon to be God-wise, and, squeezing the clay in your hands, you clearly understood the trinity of Persons to everyone: even so, the false wisdom of the philosophers who gathered at the Council were horrified, but glorified God with the faith of the incomprehensible, who made you wise for salvation, crying out to Him: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Having you in their thoughts, all the fathers of the Council are simple, unskilled in book teaching, praying to you, Father Spyridon, not to quarrel with the ancients, who imagine themselves to be wise. But you, O saint, inflamed with zeal for God, believing that the preaching of Christ is not in the transcendental wisdom of human words, but in the manifestation of the spirit and power, you have exposed him with wisdom, enlightened him and guided him on the true path. Everyone who saw this miracle cried out:
Rejoice, light of Orthodox wisdom; Rejoice, for you have put to shame those who were said to be wise interrogators. Rejoice, source of abundant grace; Rejoice, unshakable pillar, firmly supporting those who are in the faith. Rejoice, darkening the all-pernicious heresy; Rejoice, madness has been trampled under foot. Rejoice, for the dust of the earth has left the Holy Trinity in your hands; Rejoice, for you brought forth fire and water from clay to confirm the dogma of the Holy Trinity. Rejoice, for you have enlightened people to glorify the Word, truly consubstantial with the Eternal Father; Rejoice, for you have defeated the serpentine head of the destructive Aryan heresies. Rejoice, for you have sacrificed malice; Rejoice, thou who converted the unfaithful sage and interrogator to the true faith. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 4
Living your life in squalor and poverty, you were a nourisher and helper to the poor and poor, and, for the sake of love for the poor, you turned the serpent into gold and gave it to those who needed your help. Marveling at this miracle, we cry out to God in gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
It was heard by everyone and everywhere that Saint Spyridon is truly the dwelling place of the Holy Trinity: for God the Father, God the Word and God the Holy Spirit dwell in him. For this reason, you preached in words and deeds the incarnate true God to all Christians, crying:
Rejoice, more mysterious are the words of God; Rejoice, having understood the economy of God for the salvation of the world. Rejoice, for you taught us not to test what is beyond human reason and wisdom; Rejoice, you who have revealed the incomprehensible power of God operating in you. Rejoice, for God Himself has spoken through your lips; Rejoice, for I will listen to you all for sweetness. Rejoice, you who have dispersed the darkness of idolatry; Rejoice, for you have led many to the true faith. Rejoice, for you have struck down the heads of the invisible serpents; Rejoice, for through you the Christian faith is glorified. Rejoice, for you illuminate with light all those who please you; Rejoice, champion of the Christian faith and Orthodoxy. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 5
You were filled with the Divine Spirit, Saint Spyridon, for the sake of your virtuous life; You were meek, merciful, pure in heart, patient, unforgettable, a lover of strangers: for this reason the Creator showed you in miracles. We, glorifying God, who glorified you, cry out to Him: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
We see the equal angel of Spyridon, the great wonderworker. The country once suffered greatly from lack of rain and drought: there was famine and plague, and many people died, but through the prayers of the saint rain came down from heaven to earth; The people, having been delivered from the disaster, cried out in gratitude:
Rejoice, you have become like the great prophet Elijah; Rejoice, for the rain, which takes away hunger and illness, brought down good times. Rejoice, having once again closed heaven with your prayers; Rejoice, for you punished the unmerciful merchant with deprivation of his property. Rejoice, for you have abundantly given food to those who need it; Rejoice, for you strive for the love of God towards people. Rejoice, take away the infirmities of the weak; Rejoice, God-gracious helper of man. Rejoice, give health to the sick; Rejoice, for whom the demons tremble. Rejoice, source of countless miracles. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 6
The veil of the Old Testament tabernacle covered the Holy of Holies with the ark, manna and tablets. And your temple, to Saint Spyridon, has your reliquary, like an ark, your holy relics, like manna, your heart, like the tablets of Divine grace, on which we see the song inscribed: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
The people of Cyprus were once punished by the Lord with the barrenness of the land for the increase of lawlessness, when a well-known farmer came to Saint Spyridon, asking for help, and gave him holy gold; Having passed the disaster, that farmer returned the gold again, And - about a miracle - the serpent became gold. Glorifying God, who is wonderful in His saints, we cry:
Rejoice, for you imitated Moses, who miraculously transferred the rod into the serpent; Rejoice, O loving shepherd, delivering the verbal sheep of your flock from troubles. Rejoice, richly enriching everyone with all blessings; Rejoice, as Elijah, who nourished the poor. Rejoice, turn the unmerciful to mercy; Rejoice, venerable example of love for people living in the world. Rejoice, consolation for the faithful and the unfaithful in troubles; Rejoice, hay-leaved tree, overshadowing the city and the country. Rejoice, glory and praise to the Corcyraeans; Rejoice, you have dominion over moisture and dryness, heat and cold, by the grace of God. Rejoice, changing the rules of the earth through prayer; Rejoice, you who are to come, as if you are the present, you who have foreseen. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 7
You appeared as an intercessor before the Lord for everyone, Saint Spyridon. For this reason, we also come running under your roof, seeking salvation, for we are all imams who help you in all your needs, during times of famine, deadly plagues and in all times of troubles and temptations. For this reason, we cry out to God with gratitude: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
We see a new miracle and it is magnificent; When you, father, were marching to deliver an innocent man condemned to death, a stormy stream blocked your path; You, in the name of Almighty God, commanded him to stand and you and your companions walked across the river, as if on dry land. The glory of this miracle spread everywhere, and everyone glorified God, crying out to you:
Rejoice, for sometimes Joshua walked across the Jordan river on dry ground; Rejoice, river aspiration taming with your voice. Rejoice, for you have undertaken a difficult path, driven by mercy; Rejoice, for you have destroyed slander and delivered the innocent from the bonds of prison and vain death. Rejoice, hastening life according to God; Rejoice, protector of the innocently oppressed. Rejoice, changer of the statutes of the watery nature; Rejoice, for you taught the judge and saved him from murder. Rejoice, true correction of souls; Rejoice, wondrous power, holding back the streams. Rejoice, you who delight the hearts of people who come to you; Rejoice, imitator of Abraham's love for mankind. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 8
You were a wanderer and a stranger on earth, like other people. Moreover, from the womb of the mother, the Omniscient One showed you the great saint and wonderworker, Saint Spyridon: you cast out demons, you healed every disease and ulcer, you saw the thoughts of people, and thus you appeared marvelous among the saints. We, sending up prayer to God, the Benefactor of all, cry out to him: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
The whole world will tremble with horror when it hears how death, at your voice, returns its dead from their graves, and cry out:
Rejoice, your deceased daughter, may she reveal the treasure entrusted to her, calling to life; Rejoice, sorrowful widow, who gave gold to save her, comforting. Rejoice, you who raised the dead from the dead; Rejoice, like his mother, who suddenly died of joy, has come to life. Rejoice, for you have become like Elijah, who restored life to the son of Sarepta’s wife through prayers; Rejoice, for you also imitated Elisha, who aroused the youth from death. Rejoice, shepherd, who sincerely loves people; Rejoice, harlot wife, who washed your nose with tears, and forgave your sins in the name of God. Rejoice, you who have acquired the holy zeal of the Supreme Apostle; Rejoice, as an unrepentant sinner, according to your verb, you will die in serious illness. Rejoice, having obtained fruitfulness from the earth through your prayers; Rejoice, immutable assurance of the resurrection of men. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 9
You were illuminated by the Divine Spirit, Saint Spyridon, you had the spirit of wisdom, as you filled the fools with wise words and among the fathers you established the faith, the spirit of reason, as you illuminated the darkened minds; the spirit of the fear of God, because by making you pleasing to God you have purified your soul. Moreover, having presented yourself to the Throne of the Most High, you sing to Him with a host of Angels: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
Receiving the rod of the shepherd of verbal sheep from the Chief Shepherd of the Lord Jesus, Saint Spyridon did not change his life: non-covetous, meek, enduring everything for the sake of love, not being ashamed to care for the flock of wordless sheep. All this excites us to glorify God and cry out to you:
Rejoice, you who despise the glory of this world as if it were vain; Rejoice, thou who hast gained much in Heaven. Rejoice, red one of this world, imputed to the minds; Rejoice, vessel of heavenly blessings. Rejoice, most holy pasture of the Cypriots; Rejoice, for for your sake God is the predator of your sheep with invisible bonds. Rejoice, having taught fatherly admonition; Rejoice, by your mercy you gave them the night of the ram spent without sleep. Rejoice, by the disobedience of a goat, as if the mind of a possessor, a merchant who hid his price, denounced; Rejoice, having brought the one who hid your silver coins to repentance. Rejoice, for with your admonition you healed the passions of greed. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 10
Saving the souls of the flock, entrusted to you by God, you, Saint Spyridon, by the will of God, were called to show your glory, especially the glory of the true God, and to other countries, so that everywhere they glorify the name of God, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
A quick helper and intercessor in all needs and sorrows, Saint Spyridon, at the command of the Tsar, like other shepherds, came to the city of Antioch, where Tsar Constantine was overcome by illness; Saint I will touch his head and make him healthy. Marveling at this miracle, we cry out to you:
Rejoice, whose angel in a dream vision appeared to the king like a healer; Rejoice, Divine Ones who, for the sake of love, have accepted the difficult path in old age. Rejoice, the king's servant, who struck you on the cheek, according to the commandment of the Savior, substituted another; Rejoice, pillar of humility. Rejoice, having granted health to the Tsar through your prayers; Rejoice, for through your humiliation you taught the servant and changed his unmerciful disposition. Rejoice, for you taught the king piety and mercy; Rejoice, for you hated earthly treasures, you rejected the king’s gold. Rejoice, for you turned your disciple Trifillia away from addiction to earthly goods and made him a vessel of God’s grace; Rejoice, for I have come to you in Alexandria with the idols of the fallen. Rejoice, even demons obey him; Rejoice, for you have turned many away from idolatry. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 11
There was an angelic singing when you offered Thy evening prayers to St. Spyridon in the temple, and those who served with you were not mad. The inhabitants of the city, having heard the wondrous singing, entered the temple and, seeing no one, sang with the powers of the Mountains: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
The luminous sun of the world, you were the interlocutor of the Angels on earth, Saint Spyridon; Having betrayed your spirit into the hand of God, you moved into a mountain village, praying for peace before the Throne of the Lord. But we who live on earth cry out to you:
Rejoice, for I am still alive, co-servant of the Angel; Rejoice, hearing the psalmody of the Archangels. Rejoice, visible image of our transfiguration; Rejoice, for if I lacked oil in the temple, God for your sake fill the lamp with abundance. Rejoice, lamp of Divine radiance; Rejoice, vessel of God's grace, richly like the oil that fills your soul. Rejoice, inexhaustible source, ever flowing currents of grace to everyone; Rejoice, the Angels are amazed at him. Rejoice, you punished the deacon's audition in the temple; Rejoice, you who were vainglorious with your voice and lost your voice and tongue. Rejoice, for during the heat, dew suddenly descended from above, your sacred head of coolness; Rejoice, in this sign you foresaw the nearness of your repose. Rejoice, Spyridone, wonderful miracle worker.
Kontakion 12
The cover and refuge of all the faithful who came to you even in your life, you, O saint, did not leave us orphans even after your dormition; God, conqueror of the order of nature, keep your holy relics incorruptible to strengthen the Orthodox faith and piety, as a sign of immortality, glorifying Him, we cry: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
We sing praises to you, O saint of God, for you have surprised the world with miracles flowing from your holy relics. All who come with faith and kiss them receive all the good things they ask for. And we, who gave you strength, who crowned you with the crown of incorruption and who through you glorifies God, cry out to you:
Rejoice, you who appeared as a shipbuilder during a famine and ordered food to be delivered; Rejoice, you who have given sight to the blind, who have flown with faith to your holy relics. Rejoice, you who healed the youth from the incurable illness; Rejoice, you who cast out the demon from your wife and created health. Rejoice, chosen governor of Kerkyra; Rejoice, for you drove out the hordes of the evil Hagarians and sank their ships into the abyss. Rejoice, for you saw him surrounded by a host of Angels, holding a sword in his right hand and causing his enemies to tremble; Rejoice, build yourself a temple in which to celebrate the Liturgy on unleavened bread, forbidden by the governor. Rejoice, having struck down the Latin governor with cruel death; Rejoice, you who burned his image in a house in Venice with lightning. Rejoice, you who have put to shame the apostasy and false wisdom of the West; Rejoice, having established the one Orthodox faith to be true and saving for people. Rejoice, Spiridon, wonderful miracle worker!
How to pray
It is customary to pray in secret outside the church or in the temple, but not during divine services (with the exception of the prayer service and akathist to St. Nicholas). You need to have before you a canonical text that clearly reflects what should be asked of God and His saints. You should read the words very carefully, delve into their meaning, and make them your prayer.
Only after reading it can you formulate personal requests as your heart dictates. But at the same time, it is important to understand that everything is the will of the Lord. And the saint, through his intercession before God, will certainly arrange everything in a way that will be better not only for the one praying. A prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker, read for 40 days, can be perceived each time more tangible by the human heart, it can teach you to live exactly as you need to.
How to ask St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for help in finding a job
Sometimes it happens that a person is unlucky in business. He was fired from one job, but he can’t find another. And it seems like the interviews are going well, the bosses are watching with full understanding, but there is no result. In this case, Saint Nicholas will provide assistance. Through prayer, he will receive quick help to a person who is really trying to find a job. These verses will be useless to lazy people.
Prayer to the Wonderworker for help in finding a job
How to understand prayers
Read the first line invoking the name of the saint. It says that he is a “first aider.” It is advisable to pronounce these words with deep faith that he will soon help you too. Next, we realize our sinfulness, and also repent in despondency. We must know that the Lord punishes us for our ungodly deeds and bad thoughts. For life to change for the better, we must change. The prayer ends with us asking for mercy from God so that after death a heavenly life will be given.
Thus, you can read the text of the prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for 40 days or even more. Just before you commit to your plan, you should take seriously some of the rules listed below.
Prayer service at the relics
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Many shrines of the ancient Christian world are located in Italy, one of the most important is the Church of St. Nicholas (Basilica di San Nicola), which houses the miraculous relics of the saint. According to legend, the saint appeared in a dream to the ruler of Bari and told him that his tomb should be moved to this city.
Transfer of relics from the homeland of St. Nicholas, the Peace of Lycia occurred in 1087, a group of armed Barians arrived in the city, in a hurry they did not take them completely, so about a fifth of the relics went to the Venetians, who also wanted to get a piece of the shrine. The journey itself was solemn, it was accompanied by many miracles, which was interpreted as the favor of the saint; a holiday was established in honor of the event and the famous basilica was built.
Thousands of pilgrims from Russia gather in Italian Bari every year; they have the special privilege of performing services, and they always have the opportunity to venerate the relics of the saint. The schedule of services for Orthodox admirers of St. Nicholas can be found on the website of the Patriarchal Metochion of the Church of St. Nicholas in Bari.
At the entrance to the basilica, behind glass there is a life-size statue of St. Nicholas. Every year, on May 8, it is taken out to sea by ship (at a distance of approximately 150 m from the shore), where the sculpture is met by numerous pilgrims on boats, and then carried with honors through the streets of Bari.
In the evening, May 9, the servants of the basilica, mostly Dominican monks, solemnly open the shrine containing the relics of St. Nicholas and collect the miraculous Holy Myrrh or a special solid aromatic substance that has accumulated over the year - Holy Manna, now it accumulates about two or three glasses, usually the shrine is mixed with blessed water, after which small glass bottles can be bought in the church shop at the basilica.
When and who wrote this work
St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
The akathist (or “unseated” reading, as opposed to “kathisma”), is essentially a form of kontakion (spiritual verse), the odd ikos of which begin with khairetisms - paired lines, each pair of which begins with the words Khaire (Rejoice).
The genre of akathist was created in Byzantium and became known thanks to the Patriarch of Constantinople Isidore, who was the first to compose seven cycles of ikos, among which was the akathist to St. Nicholas of Myra, whose complete Byzantine hymnography contains about 55 creations.
The authorship of other akathists has not been precisely established; there is information that some of them were written during the transfer of the relics of the saint from Myra in Lycia to Italian Bari.
Interesting fact
Currently, there are about six versions of the glorification of the saint.
Akathist to St. Nicholas came from Byzantium, the first Slavic manuscripts containing an akathist text are known from the twelfth century, the printed edition from the fifteenth.
The akathist used by the Church at the present time was known in Rus'. Its first known source is the “Small Travel Book” (a collection of Christian literature and the main Christian canons and akathists in 14 volumes) by the Lithuanian theologian, scientist, printer Francis Skaryna, from the 1525 edition. The Akathist to Nikolai was repeatedly corrected, supplemented and is now published in the modern Russian Akathist.
In addition to the akathists, there are 12 more canons to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
Explanations of contents
Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, with selected saints
Rejoice at Nicholas, great miracle worker!
The structure of his standard for hymnography of this kind, the akathist consists of twelve ikos and thirteen kondaks (ikos is a small verse or chant glorifying an event, holiday or saint, as a rule, it precedes a kontakion - a more detailed chant, they are read together, first ikos, and then kontakion, as if to clarify and deepen the meaning of the text).
The first verses of the akathist glorify the chosenness of the saint, as well as the first events from the life cycle of the saint. Nicholas the Wonderworker, for example, describes at length the legend of a baby standing on his feet during the Sacrament of Baptism.
The second verse tells about one of the central episodes from life - the confrontation with St. Nicholas to the high-ranking influential heretic Arius, as well as about the educational activities of the saint at the Nicaea Ecumenical Council in 325, which defeated the heresy of Arianism.
The fifth verse is about the miraculous, gracious help of the saint. In essence, this is a short song paraphrase of the miracle about the three girls saved by St. Nicholas from a “bad marriage.” According to the hagiographical text, the girls’ father became poor, fell into despair, and, unable to marry the girls, decided to send them to commit adultery. The saint's help was quick and providential: he secretly left money in his father's house, thanks to which he was able to arrange a happy fate for his daughters. The care of St. is especially glorified in the fifth ikos and kontakion. Nicholas the Wonderworker about the poor, his love for poor people.
In the sixth hymn the saint appears as a defender of those unjustly accused - the famous miracle of St. Nicholas of Myra “On the Three Stratilates”, these brave men were slandered, imprisoned and saved after an ardent prayer appeal to the saint.
The seventh ikos glorifies St. Nicholas, the savior of sailors traveling the waters, is remembered as the “good helmsman” who conquers heretical teachings and the devil’s machinations.
The eighth kontakion and ikos glorify the miracles of healing, many of which were revealed by the saint; the text repeatedly contains the motif of a petition fulfilled through sincere human prayer. Here Saint Nicholas appears as a gracious “source of healing”, flowing through him according to the will of the Lord, for all who trust in faith in gracious help.
The subsequent hymns of the akathist again and again glorify the wisdom of the saint “illuminated by the light of the Trinity,” the victory over heresies, all those grace-filled qualities of the saint. Nicholas, who won him popular love. Just as human hope for the Lord’s help was limitless, so the answer to their prayers was revealed in the person of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - a kind helmsman who always found words of consolation in himself, who was a source of miracles and help from God Himself.
How to prepare
Preparation is very important when praying for a long time. You should approach the priest in the church (preferably after confession), explain to him the whole situation and ask for a blessing on prayers to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Whether to read for 40 days or not, you also need to find out from the priest. But usually experienced and pious church ministers do not give clear recommendations on the number of days. As long as you need, you will pray for as long as you need.
After the blessing, you need to purchase a book of prayers behind a candle box or in an Orthodox bookstore if you don’t have the canonical text at home. You should read standing or on your knees, turning your face to the icon. If there is no image of the saint, then you can pray without it, the main thing is to understand to whom we are addressing.
What to replace
Before starting to read the Akathist, it is recommended to take a blessing from the parish priest. We have much more ancient and powerful prayers for the dead. For example:
- Psalter. You can only read kathisma 17, divided into three parts (Glory). After each, the names of deceased relatives are remembered (a short prayer from the morning rule). By the way, it includes one, but long, psalm 118.
- Canon for one who died (i.e., for one (soul) deceased). It includes many different prayers, in which the name of the deceased is constantly mentioned, petitions are offered in order to alleviate the fate of a loved one. These texts are aimed at a specific person, for the one for whom you are praying.
We recommend that you compare and make a more informed choice. In the end, you know the deceased better, which option you like best, so read it. The main thing is that everyone benefits from this: both the deceased and the reader. By the way, the composition of the Akathist for the One Who Died is Orthodox.
Everything is fine with the texts. Only the content does not match the title a little.
Note: In home prayer you can remember not only the baptized, but all the dead, both believers and non-believers. If in church they do not pray for suicides, then at home it is welcomed. Who else, besides loving relatives, will do this?
Is it true that you need to read strictly for 40 days?
You can often hear from unchurched people that you need to read a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker strictly for 40 days, no more, no less. But this myth should be dispelled because God does not count time. Exception: reading the Psalter over the deceased for 40 days. But you can and even need to pray all your life, but to whom, how much and how - a person must decide for himself or, what is better, with a confessor (a priest who is chosen by a believer as a spiritual mentor, a guide in pious life and in preparation for eternal life).
Read the prayer as much as the priest advises you, or according to life circumstances. Sometimes people, having received what they asked, give up prayer without thanking either God or the saint. You can't do that. So don't forget about gratitude. But it should not be material, but spiritual - a reluctance to return to a sinful life, a careful attitude towards what the Lord has sent.
The miraculous help of St. Nicholas to his contemporaries
You can cite a story that happened in Perm in 2009. Probably, many residents of the city remember the “crazy bus”, whose brakes did not work, but the transport was able to finish its fateful journey right in front of the monument to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Then the event ended without casualties. Even atheists agreed that a miracle had happened.
Not every person who receives what is requested will confirm that the prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is read for 40 days. Reviews make it clear that everyone has their own time frame for fulfilling a request: some prayed for just one second, while others prayed for about five years. What is important here is not the number of days and months, but the presence of deep faith and hope that the Lord and His saints hear and will definitely help.
How the fate of the one praying will change
If a person tries to correct his life, not to sin, as God requires, then everything will change dramatically. Of course, troubles can continue due to God’s permission, but it is very important that the person himself becomes spiritually purer, kinder, and more sincere. A prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker that changes fate (40 days) is just a myth that may not correspond to reality. After all, Orthodox prayer is not a spell or a mantra; here you need to change yourself, and not try to rebuild events.
It is the sincere intention to change for the sake of the Lord, the desire to pray to St. Nicholas as if to a close friend, that will contribute to the number of prayers. Often, changes in people occur unnoticed; only after months and years does a person realize that all wishes have been fulfilled, all prayers have been answered.
When will your request be fulfilled?
As mentioned earlier, a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is read for 40 days or more/less, depending on the situation. It is not recommended to predict the exact timing of the execution of the request (except for events that must occur exactly on time, for example, defending a thesis with “excellent marks”).
Often, those who do not strive to quickly get what they want very quickly come to consolation, since their prayers have already been answered. And those who want to gain something right away have to pray for a very long time.
The Holy Fathers answer the question about the duration of prayer something like this: “Long prayer tests you, so you yourself will understand whether you really need what you are asking for or not.”
What if the request is not fulfilled within 40 days?
Unfortunately, it also happens that a believer knows that what he wants does not necessarily have to happen within forty days. But deep down he hopes for a miracle. Reviews about praying to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for 40 days say that such deadlines cannot always be met. To be more precise, many people lose count and don’t know how long they prayed, since the act of communicating with God and the saints is important to them.
Sometimes they ask how many times a day to read. It should be remembered that prayer is not a pill prescribed by a doctor. You can read as much as your heart desires during the day. But attention to prayer and sincerity are important.
How does the saint help?
Iconography: Nicholas the Wonderworker (shoulder-clad) Dates: 17th century.
End of the 19th century – beginning of the 20th century. Material: Wood, gesso, tempera. Dimensions of the icon: height 35.3 cm, width 30.7 cm Shoulder-shaped image of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Admission: in 1990 from the All-Russian Academy of Chemical Culture named after. E.V. Vuchetich MK USSR (owner Belova L.K.) Inv. No. RZH 1985; Mordovian Republican Museum of Fine Arts named after S.D. Erzi Literature: Russian art of the 18th - 20th centuries: painting, icon, religious wooden sculpture, graphics, sculpture: catalogue. T.1 / MRMII im. S.D. Erzi; [editor: L.N. Narbekova and others; auto — comp.: T.V. Eliseeva, E.A. Vishnyakov]. Saransk, 2009. No. 166. P. 118. Prayer to St.
Nicholas the Wonderworker helped many people. The akathist is often read in difficult to resolve life situations: - if there are difficulties in finding a soul mate, girls usually ask for a successful marriage;
— pray for a quick solution to the housing problem;
- about consolation after the loss of a loved one;
- about healing mental and physical illnesses;
- with severe mental anguish, torment, depression, various circumstances of demonic and mental pain;
- asking for help finding a new job;
- in case of poverty and lack of money;
According to the reviews of people who followed this forty-day rule, some received admonition, others felt that they were not alone in life, they were constantly accompanied by divine power. Many received what they asked for.
The custom of reading the akathist exactly 40 days dates back to ancient times; for the Church, this number denotes a unique degree of completeness. In the Holy Scriptures it is mentioned in connection with fasting and prayer, for example, the Lord Jesus Christ withdrew into the desert and fasted there for exactly forty days, the prophet Moses spent forty days of nights on Mount Zion, after which the Lord gave him the tablets of the Covenant (ten commandments).
What to do if you missed one or more days
It is worth dispelling another myth associated with prayers to St. Nicholas: if you miss one day, then you need to start counting again. In fact, none of this is true. After all, a person may have different circumstances in life under which he will not be able to devote time to prayer. The Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos and all the heavenly powers do not need our reports on the work done in the form of dates and numbers; what is important for them is that we change, grow stronger in faith, and strive for salvation. After all, this is exactly what is said in the prayer to the beloved saint by many.
You learned that reading a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker for 40 days is not always necessary. But if you have any doubts, we recommend that you contact an experienced priest or bishop. In addition, reading a prayer for more than one month will be impossible for some people for one reason or another. And a spiritually prepared Christian will most likely want to continue further, even after receiving what he asked for. It is only important to remember what the Lord says in the Gospel: “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Gospel of Matthew 7:7).
Akathist according to the agreement to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
An akathist by agreement is when people get up to pray at the same time. Moreover, the place of prayer can be very far away. The akathist is read at the request of Orthodox Christians who find themselves in a difficult situation and do not have the opportunity to pray for themselves and their loved ones. The practice was first applied by Metropolitan Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh and Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). Reading should preferably take place at one time of day. But if this does not work out or you have forgotten, you can pray at another time, the main thing is not to miss a day. However, the priests warn that the akathist to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, as well as other saints, gains power and strength when all those who have agreed are pronounced at the same time
.
Prayer in addition to reading the akathist by agreement
