Prayer for godchildren
Being a godfather is a rather serious responsibility, not only before the child’s parents, but also before God. Spiritual parents should be an example for the child in everything, but first of all - in the spiritual and moral sense.
Important! The sincere prayer of godparents helps to overcome life's difficulties, fills a person with spiritual strength and does not allow one to lose heart.
There are official texts of prayers for godchildren, but it is not forbidden to pray for your spiritual children with any other prayers and also turn to the Patron Saints. In addition, you can pray for godchildren with any prayers for children, making sure to add to the text that the children are godparents.
Being a godmother means becoming a second mother who can always come to the rescue
One of the most famous prayers for godchildren is the prayer of John Krestyankin:
Sweetest Jesus! God of my heart! For the sake of Your Divine Blood, I beg You, my sweetest Savior, with Your grace touch the heart of my goddaughter (name), protect her with Your Divine fear, keep her from bad inclinations and habits, direct her to the bright path of life, truth and goodness. Decorate her life with everything good and saving, arrange her destiny as You yourself want and save her soul with their own destinies! Lord, God of our fathers! Give to your goddaughter (name) a right heart to keep Your commandments, Your revelations and Your statutes. And do it all! Amen.
To whom do Orthodox Christians pray for godchildren?
In any prayer, a Christian, first of all, turns to the Lord God. Even if praise is given to a saint, people still ask for the patron’s intercession before the face of Christ. All people on Earth are children of God. The Lord is a strict but fair parent. And everyone can ask Him for help, for health, for mercy.
You can pray for your godson to Christ, the Mother of God, the heavenly patron whose name the baby bears. One of the most important prayers that the godfather should know is the “Creed.” It is read during the ceremony and taught to the child when he grows up. The “Creed” is a sacred Christian text containing the very essence of the teaching.
As for petitions for a child after the completion of a church ceremony, there is a choice. Of course, the godfather must pray daily for his ward. For example, remembering a child during the morning or evening rule. You can briefly, in your own words. Or you can turn to the texts written by the holy elders.
Archimandrite John Krestyankin was a clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church and an elder. He went through a long journey full of difficulties in a country where believers were persecuted and tortured, but he did not give up his faith. Towards the end of his life, already at the beginning of the 21st century, he wrote many sacred texts, including a prayer for godchildren. The priest's wisdom and kindness attracted Christians to him. People found consolation in the elder’s instructions.
Ambrose of Optina is another Russian clergyman who wrote a prayer for his godchildren. The elder lived in the 19th century. His spiritual insight is widely known. Both ordinary people and high society aspired to him. The writer Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky even copied one of the heroes of the novel from Elder Ambrose. The monk was kind and generous. He received many pilgrims and tried to help everyone with blessings and kind words.
Prayers to the godmother for her godson, goddaughter
The “Creed” prayer is recognized as one of the most powerful prayers of godparents for a child. Reading the text of this prayer, the child’s parents in spirit vouch for his life before the Lord.
Symbol of faith
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, one being with the Father, by Him all things were created. For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, he came down from heaven and took flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became a man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I recognize one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.
Godparents and their responsibilities
Many years ago, people who brought someone to church to be baptized were called “receivers” or guarantors. For centuries, the godmother’s prayer for her godson has protected the child from all troubles and sorrows.
To this day, godparents “vouch” for the life of their godson, promising the Lord to be with the baptized person throughout his life, helping in his upbringing, giving wise and practical advice.
Usually, when choosing a godfather for their child, parents are guided by several motives:
- Success and prospects: in this case, their child will always be provided with financial assistance, and in the future, maybe assistance in their career.
- Friendship - the closest friends of the family can become, indeed, real godparents. This brings several families together, friendly traditions continue, and the baptized person will be provided with real, “family” help.
As for the Church’s requirements for the role of godparents, they are based on the tradition of Christian postulates. The godfather must honor Biblical laws and be a believer, for at baptism the child receives the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and they must be preserved and nurtured, and in no case lost. If a godson or goddaughter suddenly finds themselves in a difficult situation, then the godmother should be with him, like real parents, praying for him and reading the godmother’s prayer for health for the godson.
The Most Holy Theotokos in front of Her icon “Seeking the Lost” and “Deliverance from the Troubles of the Suffering”
Troparion, tone 7
Rejoice, Blessed Virgin Mary, who bore the Eternal Child and God in Her arms. Ask Him to give peace to the world and salvation to our souls. The Son, O Mother of God, tells You that He will fulfill all Your requests for good. For this reason, we fall down and pray, and those who hope in Thee, that we may not perish, we call Thy name: For Thou art, O Lady, the seeker of the lost.
Prayer
Zealous Intercessor, Compassionate Mother of the Lord, I come running to You, the accursed one and the most sinful person above all; Hear the voice of my prayer and hear my cry and groaning. For my iniquities have exceeded my head, and I, like a ship in the abyss, am plunging into the sea of my sins. But You, All-Good and Merciful Lady, do not despise me, who is desperate and perishing in sins; have mercy on me, who repent of my evil deeds, and turn my lost, cursed soul to the right path. On You, my Lady Theotokos, I place all my hope. Thou, Mother of God, preserve and keep me under Thy roof, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
A little-known prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
(From the convent in Shuya, Ivanovo region)
O Most Holy Lady Virgin Theotokos, save and preserve under Your shelter my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, pray to my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Protection of Your servants.
Mother of God, introduce me to the image of Your heavenly motherhood. Heal the mental and physical wounds of my children (names) caused by my sins. I entrust my child entirely to my Lord Jesus Christ and Your, Most Pure, heavenly protection. Amen.
Symbol of faith
A churchgoer knows the text of the Creed by heart; anyone who comes to church to perform a ritual over a baby is obliged to learn it. It is advisable to try to understand every word; if difficulties arise, you need to seek help from a priest. You must try to remember the correct placement of accents. Yes, it doesn’t matter to the Lord whether we pronounced all the words correctly, but a mistake can cause confusion for the priest performing the sacrament and those present. This can have a bad effect on the general mood and throw off the priest, especially an inexperienced one. But the most important thing is to put all your heart, all the faith that a person has, into every sound you pronounce. You need to try to connect in spirit with the baby and read the Creed as if together with him.
They also turn to St. Ambrose of Optina about the salvation and health of their children.
They also turn to the Monk Ambrose of Optina about the salvation and health of their children. The prayer can be read at any time in front of the icon of the saint. There is a short prayer that can be learned by heart. You can also read it silently if you are, for example, at work.
Icon of Ambrose of Optina
Prayer for children, St. Ambrose of Optina (first short):
Lord, You are the only One who weighs everything, who is able to do everything, and who wants to save everyone and come to the mind of Truth. Enlighten my child (name) with the knowledge of Thy truth and Thy Holy will, strengthen him to walk according to Thy commandments and have mercy on me, a sinner, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary and Thy saints (all holy families are listed),
for Thou art glorified with Thy Beginning Son and with Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Passing the ritual
On the day of baptism, you must come to church early. The godmother must have her head covered and wear a skirt or dress that covers her knees, chest and arms. Clothes should not be brightly colored.
Godparents should purchase a pectoral cross consecrated in the temple, which the baby will wear after the ceremony. You need to take a few things with you: church candles, a new towel and a change of clothes for babies who are completely immersed in the baptismal font.
When the time comes for the godparents to join the service and begin to read the prayer of faith at baptism, the priest will give a special sign. The day after the sacrament is performed, the godparents will need to attend a service in the church and give the child communion.
Do not forget to read a prayer to the Lord God and the Most Holy Theotokos for your godchildren. The request of heavenly parents will help the child maintain contact with divine patrons, who will not leave the baby in trouble and will take care of his health.
Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John
Troparion, tone 2
The memory of the righteous is with praise, but the testimony of the Lord, the Forerunner, is sufficient for you: for you have shown that you are truly and more honorable than the prophets, as if you were worthy to baptize the Preached One in the streams. Moreover, having suffered for the truth, rejoicing, you preached the good news to those in hell of God revealed in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and giving us great mercy.
Kontakion, tone 5
The glorious beheading of the forerunner, a certain Divine sight, and the coming of the Savior was preached to those in hell; Let Herodia weep, having asked for lawless murder: for he did not love the law of God, nor the living age, but a feigned, temporary one.
Prayer
To the Baptist of Christ, preacher of repentance, do not despise me who repents, but copulating with the heavenly ones, pray to the Lady for me, unworthy, sad, weak and sad, fallen into many troubles, burdened by the stormy thoughts of my mind: for I am a den of evil deeds, by no means have an end to sinful customs; For my mind is nailed down by earthly things. What will I do, I do not know, and to whom will I resort, so that my soul will be saved? Only to you, Saint John, give the same name of grace, as you are before the Lord, according to the Mother of God, greater than all who are born, for you were deemed worthy to touch the top of the King Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, the Lamb of God: pray for Him for my sinful soul, so from now on , at the first ten hour, I will bear a good burden and receive compensation with the last. To her, the Baptist of Christ, the honest Forerunner, the ultimate prophet, the first martyr in grace, the teacher of fasters and hermits, the teacher of purity and the close friend of Christ, I pray to you, I resort to you, do not reject me from your intercession, but raise me up, having fallen into many sins; renew my soul with repentance, as with the second baptism, of which you are the ruler: with baptism you wash away sin, and preach repentance for the cleansing of every bad deed; Cleanse me with the sins of the defiled and force me to enter, even if nothing bad enters, into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
Why God doesn't grant prayers
You cannot expect miracles from your prayers. For some, wealth is beneficial, and for others, poverty, for others, health, and for others, it is beneficial to get sick, etc. Not everyone will be able to manage wealth wisely, and the same Ambrose of Optina, being healthy, suffered because he was drawn to into a noisy society, where he just dissipated. When God sent him illness, his character became much calmer, which helped him pay more attention to people. The illness did not allow him to attend church services, but he spent all his time on the spiritual support of pilgrims, who flocked to him in thousands for advice and help. Most likely, he was more useful here than at the altar.
Without prayer - nowhere
Sincere prayer to God is the foundation of spiritual life. First of all, prayer helps the souls of the godparents themselves to grow. She gives them the grace to guide their godchildren on the path of church life.
And only the Lord can increase faith and piety. Therefore, prayer for the godson and goddaughter should not leave the lips of the recipients. It is required to entrust the spiritual development of your godchildren to God, asking Him for blessings and help.
“Trees cannot produce fruit if they do not drink water through the roots, nor will we be able to abound in the valuable fruits of piety if we are not refreshed by prayers” (St. John Chrysostom).
Prayer for godchildren, instilling in them human virtues by our own example, teaching them the basics of the Orthodox faith are the holy duties of godparents. And for their fulfillment they will give an answer at the Last Judgment.
Holy Great Martyr Barbara
Holy glorious and all-praised Great Martyr of Christ Varvaro! Gathered today in your Divine temple, people and the race of your relics venerate and kiss with love, your suffering as a martyr and in their passion-maker Christ Himself, who gave you, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, with pleasing praises, we pray to you , the well-known desire of our intercessor: pray with us and for us, God who beseeches Him from His compassion, may He mercifully hear us asking for His goodness, and not leave us with all the needful petitions for salvation and life, and grant a Christian death to our belly, painless, shameless, I will give peace, I will partake of the Divine Mysteries, and He will give His great mercy to everyone in every place, in every sorrow and situation that requires His love for mankind and help, so that by the grace of God and your warm intercession, with soul and body always abiding in health, we glorify God, wondrous in His saints Israel, who does not remove His help from us always, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
To the list of prayers
Prayer for children to the Most Holy Theotokos
Oh, Most Holy Lady Virgin Mary, save and preserve under Your roof my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, beseech my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Cover of Your servants.
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We follow the rules of the sacrament
It is necessary to prepare for the sacrament of baptism in advance.
- For a girl who is planning to be baptized in the near future, you should purchase a new outfit (dress and headscarf). His godmother presents it to his goddaughter as a gift.
- An obligatory element of baptism for both boys and girls is the kryzhma - a blanket in which the child is wrapped after immersion in the font. A sacred thing remains with the child for life. It is not used daily when bathing. Mothers use kryzhma to alleviate the child’s condition during illness and to read prayers. More often it is sold in a ready-made set, designed specifically for christenings and decorated with church embroidery.
- For a boy's baptism, a baptismal shirt is purchased. The baby is dressed in snow-white clothes, symbolizing spiritual purity.
- Pay special attention to choosing a cross for your child. After the priest puts it on the baby, parents should not take it off. It is important that the cross does not interfere with the child. It can be worn on a chain, cord or satin ribbon. It is important to choose the right cross. It is better to purchase it at a church store. Often people who are far from faith, when choosing jewelry in a jewelry store, confuse the Orthodox and Catholic cross.
Baptism set for a boy
Baptism set for girls
You can find out what things will be needed during baptism in the temple.
