The importance of any prayer
Prayer is the only way to make a specific request to heaven. It is believed that some of those prayers that are known to Orthodox Christians were given by the Lord himself. Of course, such prayer texts have enormous power. They are the ones that should be used when a person finds himself in difficult life circumstances.
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However, this does not mean at all that other prayers, the texts of which were written by saints during their lifetime or other outstanding figures, cannot be used. On the contrary, it is also recommended to read them as often as possible. In addition, spiritual mentors insist that any prayer addressed to heaven has enormous power. After all, its strength depends entirely on how strong a person’s faith is.
Partly, it is for this reason that it is believed that people who do not have faith in the Almighty in their hearts cannot reach heaven. Of course, they sometimes come to faith and become righteous Christians. However, their prayers may remain unanswered for a long time. And you need to mentally prepare for this. Under no circumstances should you blame heaven for anything or ask for too much. It is important to understand that the Lord will test such people for quite some time.
One of the clearest examples in history of how an unbelieving sinner can become a righteous person is the story of King David. Everyone is well aware that until a certain time he was not a righteous man. But later it was he who became the author of the famous prayer “Bless my soul the Lord,” which is better known as Psalm of David 102. This is what we will talk about.
Liturgical texts for general folk singing: 13th Sunday after Pentecost, tone 4 (September 22)
In many churches in Moscow, parishioners try to sing along; in some churches, “folk singing” is even practiced. You can also participate in worship silently. But in any case, it would be good to understand the liturgical texts, it would be convenient to follow with your eyes the text of the key liturgical chants. We post the text for general folk singing for the Sunday liturgy
Righteous Joachim and Anna
MAIN TEXTS OF THE SERVICE AND CHANTS FOR PUBLIC SINGING
13th Sunday after Pentecost, tone 4
After-feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna.
LITURGY
1st antiphon: Bless the Lord , , Blessed art thou, O Lord. Bless, my soul, the Lord, and all that is within me, His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His rewards. Who cleanses all your iniquities, who heals all your illnesses. He who delivers your belly from decay, who crowns you with mercy and bounties. Who fulfills your desires for good: your youth will be renewed like an eagle. The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy. Bless the Lord, my soul, and all that is within me, His holy name. Blessed are you, Lord. 2nd Antiphon: Praise, my soul, the Lord . I will praise the Lord in my belly, I will sing to my God as long as I am. Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men, for there is no salvation in them. His spirit shall depart and return to his land: in that day all his thoughts shall perish. Blessed is he who has the God of Jacob as his helper; his trust is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth, the sea and everything that is in them; keeping the truth forever, bringing justice to the offended, giving food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the chained; The Lord makes the blind wise; The Lord raises up the downtrodden; The Lord loves the righteous; The Lord protects strangers, He will accept the orphan and the widow, and He will destroy the path of sinners. The Lord will reign forever. Thy God, O Zion, unto generation and generation. The Only Begotten Son , and the Word of God, is immortal, and desiring for our salvation to be incarnate from the Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, immutably made man, crucified Christ God, trampling death by death, the One of the Holy Trinity, glorified to the Father and the Holy Spirit, save us. Blessed: In Your Kingdom, remember us, O Lord, when You come in Your Kingdom. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who cry, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blesseds of mercy, for there will be mercy. Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called sons of God. Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they revile you, and mistreat you, and say all sorts of evil things against you, who lie to Me for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven. During the small entrance with the Gospel: Come, let us worship and fall before Christ. Save us, Son of God, risen from the dead, singing Ti: Alleluia. Troparion of the Resurrection, tone 4: The disciples of the Lord heard the sermon of the Bright Resurrection / from the Angel / and rejected the ancestral condemnation, / the apostle boasted of the verb: / death was proven, / resurrected Behold Christ God, grant great mercy to the world. Troparion of the Nativity of the Theotokos, tone 4: Thy Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, / proclaim joy to the whole universe: / from Thee has risen the Sun of Truth, Christ our God, / and, having destroyed the oath, I have given blessing, / / and, abolished and in death, give us life eternal. Troparion of the Godfather of Joachim and Anna, tone 2: We celebrate the memory of Thy righteous ones, O Lord,/ thereby we pray to Thee, // save our souls. Kontakion Sunday, tone 4: My Savior and Deliverer / from the grave, like God, raised from the bonds of the earthly, / and crushed the gates of hell, / and like the Lord // rose from the third day. Kontakion of the Righteous Godfather Joachim and Anna, tone 2: Anna rejoices now, / having resolved her infertility, / and nourishes the Most Pure One, / calling everyone to sing / of Him who was given from the womb by man / / one Mother and Unartful. Kontakion of the Nativity of the Theotokos, tone 4: Joachim and Anna reproached childlessness/ and Adam and Eve were freed from mortal aphids, O Most Pure One,/ in Thy holy Nativity./ Then Thy people also celebrate,/ having freed himself from the guilt of sins, / always call Ti // barrenness gives birth to the Mother of God and the Nourisher of our Life. Prokeimenon, tone 6: Save, O Lord, Thy people,/ and bless Thy inheritance. Verse: To You, Lord, I will cry, O my God, do not keep silent about me. Prokeimenon, tone 4: God is marvelous in His saints, the God of Israel. Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Galatians (Chapter 6:11-18) [Weeks before the Exaltation]: Brethren, see how much I have written to you with my own hand. Those who want to boast in the flesh force you to be circumcised only so that you will not be persecuted because of the cross of Christ, for even those who are circumcised do not keep the law, but want you to be circumcised so that they can boast in your flesh. But I do not want to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but a new creation. To those who act according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and on the Israel of God. However, let no one burden me, for I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. [ordinary]: Epistle of the Holy Apostle Paul to the Corinthians (Chapter 16:13 - 24) Brethren, stay awake, stand firm in the faith, be courageous, be strong. Let everything be done with love. I ask you, brothers (you know the family of Stephen, that they are the firstfruits of Achaia and that they dedicated themselves to serving the saints), be respectful to them and to everyone who cooperates and works. I am glad about the arrival of Stefan, Fortunatus and Achaic: they made up for your absence for me, for they calmed my spirit and yours. Read those. The churches of Asia greet you; Aquila and Priscilla and their home church greet you earnestly in the Lord. All the brothers greet you. Greet each other with a holy kiss. My personal greeting, Pavlovo. Whoever does not love the Lord Jesus Christ is anathema. Maranatha. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with you, and my love is with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. GOSPEL OF JOHN (Chapter 3:13-17) [Weeks before the Exaltation]: The Lord said: No one has ascended into heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven, who is in heaven. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. [private]: GOSPEL of Matthew (chapter 21:33-42) The Lord spoke this parable: There was a certain owner of a house who planted a vineyard, surrounded it with a fence, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and having given it to winegrowers, went away.
When the time for fruit approached, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to take their fruit; The winegrowers seized his servants, beat some, killed others, and stoned others. Again he sent other servants, more than before; and they did the same to them. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying: They will be ashamed of my son. But the vinedressers, seeing their son, said to each other: This is the heir; Let's go, kill him and take possession of his inheritance. And they seized him, took him out of the vineyard and killed him. So, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do with these vinedressers? They say to Him: These evildoers will be put to an evil death, and the vineyard will be given to other vinedressers, who will give him the fruit in their own time. Jesus says to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner? This is from the Lord, and is it marvelous in our eyes? print version
The Story of King David's Sin
His parents managed to raise him as a worthy man who was devoted to the ruler. He served him faithfully and also revered the Lord. When the previous ruler died, it was he who took the throne. He was considered God's anointed one. After the death of Saul, who ruled the country for quite a long time, many were glad that his former servant would become the new ruler. Since everyone knew perfectly well that David has a gentler character, he is not hot-tempered, and respects the faith.
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It is noteworthy that it was during his reign that the church received special power. If earlier representatives of the nobility felt at ease, then after the change of king the situation changed. David completely subordinated secular life to spiritual life. In addition, it was he who abolished sacrifices.
The man was sure that no blood sacrifices could please the Lord. After all, he created every creation with love. Therefore, murder should not be encouraged. At first, this reform caused a huge resonance. Some even thought that there would be a riot and the ruler would be overthrown. However, nothing of the kind happened. Gradually people got used to the idea that sacrifices were indeed wrong. Moreover, they nevertheless realized that such rituals could not have anything to do with Christianity at all. As you know, heretics did similar things.
David was a truly wise ruler. Under his leadership, the country began to prosper. However, like any other person, he had a tendency to fall. From the very beginning, the prophets were troubled by the fact that David categorically refused to dissolve his harem. Although he was warned that a valiant Christian cannot have many wives. But the monarch remained deaf to such advice. He loved women too much. And everyone. Such love of love, sooner or later, had to become the reason for committing a sin. That's exactly what happened.
Meeting with a girl
One day, while walking through the garden, the king noticed a girl bathing. She was so beautiful that the man immediately fell in love with her. He ordered his servants to immediately take her to the palace. When they carried out the order, it became obvious that the king liked the unusual woman. She was well known in the palace. Since Bathsheba was the wife of one very famous commander, who was devoted to the king.
For many years he fought for him and never contradicted him, he carried out every order. But he categorically refused to bring his wife to the palace, because he understood that she was too beautiful and could provoke other men. And the king himself supported him. He insisted that a beautiful wife should be kept away from men.
Committing a terrible sin
But even when it became clear that the girl was married, this did not stop the king. He made her his concubine. After a few months, it became clear that the girl could not return to her husband because she became pregnant by David. Then a plan matured in the king’s head.
He ordered his faithful servants to get rid of Bathsheba's husband, who was on the battlefield at that time. Betrayed by his own comrades, Uriah was killed by the enemy army. And David took Bathsheba as his wife. Thus, he decided to hide his sin of adultery and murder of another person. Of course, he was not the one who took Uriah’s life. However, this was done precisely on his orders. Thus, it can be argued that the king committed two sins:
- adultery - knowing that the woman was someone’s wife, he still wanted to take her by force and leave her in the harem;
- betrayal – Uriah was a devoted man who served the king faithfully. He didn't even suspect what exactly he had done behind his back.
But the Lord knew about what a great sin the ruler had committed. That is why he sent a curse on his family. The king himself turned into a weak old man, whose body was covered with ulcers, and a riot began in the castle. His own sons began to fight each other for the throne. When such misfortunes began, David realized what a great sin he had committed. And at the same time he promised to redeem him during his lifetime.
From then on, he began to lead a righteous lifestyle. Moreover, he even wrote a huge number of psalms and prayers. As mentioned above, the most famous is Psalm 102.
Origin of the Psalm
Psalms numbered 102 and 103 are paired. It is for this reason that their meaning overlaps. Of course, their author is also the same person. Moreover, these two psalms are always read together because they complement each other. It is reliably known that the author of this text is King David, since there is clear evidence of this in the Bible.
However, despite the efforts of historians, it was not possible to find out in what period of the monarch’s reign these psalms were written. After all, there are no hints regarding this in the text itself. That is why the process of determining the time of writing is significantly difficult.
Although the clergy are confident that these texts were written during a calm reign. But there weren’t many such quiet years. The country was literally torn apart by wars and uprisings.
It is believed that all the psalms were written at the end of David's reign. Because it was in those years that peace was established on the territory of the state. And this truth is widely known to everyone.
Interpretation of the Psalm
When writing the psalm, the king was in a calm state of mind. That is why he could calmly reflect on the greatness of the Creator. The main meaning of the psalm can be explained in different ways:
- admiration for the Creator - after the Lord demonstrated His power to David, he believed in his power and justice;
- presentation of the law that must be followed - although at first David was a sinner who led an immoral lifestyle and did not listen at all to the opinion of the clergy, he later realized the mistake. And therefore he made an attempt to convey to his people the law according to which it is necessary to live;
- chanting the mercy of the Creator - as you know, the Lord is never angry for long. He punishes his creations when they commit sins. However, punishment never lasts long;
- a person is dust - in this context there is no need to see an insult to human dignity. Quite the contrary. The author of the psalm simply points out that the greatness of man cannot even be compared with the greatness of the Creator. This is why narcissism and self-praise are sins.
Generally speaking, David wrote this psalm with only one purpose - to glorify the Lord. His admiration for the Creator is quite appropriate and understandable. After all, for the sins he committed in the past, God could have severely punished him by taking his life and sending his soul to hell. And in hell, as you know, the soul suffers very much. And she is doomed to experience these torments for all eternity.
But the Lord showed mercy. Some priests associate this with the fact that David was the father of Solomon. And he, as you know, in the future became the greatest of kings. Perhaps this is why the Lord did not want to take the life of his slave, because he knew that in the future he would become the father of a great man. It is not for nothing that they say that the ways of the Lord are mysterious.
Text of Psalm 102 in Russian
Bless, my soul, the Lord, and all that is within me, His holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His rewards, who cleanses all your iniquities, heals all your ailments, delivers your belly from corruption, crowns you with mercy and bounty, fulfills your desire for good: your youth will be renewed like an eagle. The Lord grant alms and destiny to all those who are offended. Moses told His way to the sons of Israel His desires: The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abundantly merciful. He is not completely angry, he is at enmity forever, he did not create food for us because of our iniquities, but he rewarded us with food because of our sins. As the height of heaven from the earth, the Lord established His mercy on those who feared Him. The east is far removed from the west, and our iniquities have been removed from us. As a father gives generously to his sons, the Lord will provide for those who fear Him. As we know our creation, I will remember, as the dust of Esma. Man, like the grass of his days, like the flower of the field, will bloom like the spirit that has passed through him, and he will not be, and no one will know his place. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness is on the sons of sons, who keep His covenant and remember His commandments to do. The Lord has prepared His Throne in Heaven, and His Kingdom possesses everyone. Bless the Lord, all His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, to hear the voice of His words. Bless the Lord, all His might, His servants who do His will. Bless the Lord, all His works, in every place of His dominion, bless them, my soul. Gentlemen.
- Text of Psalm 22 in Russian;
- Interpretation of Psalm 37.
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