Prayers in the War of Prodigality
Prayer to the Lord
Almighty God, who created all creation with wisdom, raise me up with Your hand, having fallen through many sins: grant me Your help, and grant me freedom from worldly temptations, from the devil’s snares, and from carnal lusts.
Have mercy and forgive me all who have sinned all the days of my life; anoint my soul with the oil of grace and generosity of Your only begotten Son, the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ, with Him all glory befits You and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, St. Macarius of Optina
O Mother of the Lord my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. O Mother of God! Help me, who am weak through carnal passion and who am sick, for I have one intercession with You, Your Son and God. Amen.
Infidelity in Christianity
There is a commandment in the Old Testament - do not commit adultery, it implies keeping the marriage vow. In other words, marital purity must not be violated. If you pay attention to the New Testament, you can also find information there where God says that we need to be faithful spouses, show respect and love for each other. Throughout my life.
When a husband is a believer, he can be kept from having an affair on the side by a reminder of the promise he made to the Lord God. It doesn’t matter at all whether you were engaged or just got married. After all, the Lord considers people a couple when they live together and have a child together.
Modern people show leniency towards adultery - he slept, but he slept, but he didn’t kill. In modern society, a fashion has appeared to “be desired”; if you are wanted, then you are cool.
The girls are not particularly decent; they, in turn, present themselves as pleasure seekers. Many girls believe that the more they charm men, the more attractive they become in their own eyes. There is a reason for this, because society now interprets life as living for yourself and not denying yourself anything - seduce a man, have fun, enjoy life.
Prayer to St. Vitaly of Alexandria
(Reverend Vitaly was engaged in the conversion of harlots)
Oh, sacred head, reverend father, blessed Abvo Vitaly, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in holy and auspicious prayers to God: remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, Holy Father, for your spiritual children, as you have boldness towards the Heavenly King: do not keep silent to the Lord for us, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love:
remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for the grace has been given to you to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead: even though you have passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death, do not depart from us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the demonic and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd.
Even if your relics are always visible before our eyes, but your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers, standing at the throne of the Almighty, worthily rejoices, knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we fall down to you and We pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls,
and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to Heaven without restraint, and from bitter ordeals, demons, princes of the air, and from eternal torment, may we be delivered, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ from time immemorial:
To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Originless Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion to the Saint, tone 8
In you, father, it is known that you were saved, even in the image:/ for you have accepted the cross, you have followed Christ,/ and you taught in action to despise the flesh, for it passes away,/ to be diligent about the souls, things more immortal.// In the same way, the angels rejoice, Rev. Vitaly, your spirit.
Translation: In you, Father, that which is in us in God’s image has definitely been preserved: for having taken up your cross, you followed Christ, and in practice taught to disdain the flesh as transitory, but to take care of the soul, an immortal creation. That is why, Reverend Vitaly, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.
Kontakion to the Saint, tone 2
Divinely armed with purity of soul,/ and unceasing prayers/ firmly handed over like a spear,/ you have broken through the demonic army./ Vitaly, our father,// pray unceasingly for all of us.
Having armed yourself with the purity of your soul, with God’s help, and unceasing prayers, like taking a spear firmly, you have overthrown the demonic militias, Vitaly, our father, pray unceasingly for all of us.
Greatness to the Reverend
We bless you, Reverend Father Vitaly, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of Angels.
Why fornication is a sin
Fornication in a moral sense means violating one's own virginity before marriage. This concept is associated with illicit sexual intercourse and lust in thoughts.
In the modern world, the concept of chastity and fidelity in marriage is perverted, since fornication and adultery have become the norms of relationships between a man and a woman. The Christian/Orthodox religion lists 8 deadly sins based on the passions, one of which is fornication. The source of passion is excessive self-adoration in opposition to God. Sin is committed under the influence of passion.
The concept of “sin” has a religious interpretation and a moral and ethical one. Voluntary violation of God's commandments, which determine the norms of human existence, is a sin for Orthodox believers. The Lord created man in his own image and likeness. Spiritual union with God after death should be the main goal of a believer’s earthly life.
The source of sin is sinful thoughts inspired by the Devil. The unclean takes advantage of the fact that the physical essence of a person strives to prevail over the spiritual. Receiving bodily, spiritual, and intellectual pleasures is an analogue of a drug. Sexual freedom leads to debauchery, uncontrolled sexual desires for sexual pleasure.
A believer who does not know how to overcome sinful temptation falls into sin. The life stories of the holy righteous testify to how difficult and exhausting the struggle with one’s own flesh is. Sin is a crime against God, separating a person from the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The more successful a sinner is in his pleasures, the more he drowns out the moral feeling implanted in him by the Creator.
The concept of “mortal sin” comes from the Old Testament. It meant that in the pre-Christian period such a sin was punishable by death without the possibility of pardon. In Christianity, “mortal sin” means sin without repentance, that is, spiritual death, which leads the soul to hell. The merciful God makes it possible to receive forgiveness for all mortal sins, except one - suicide.
An Orthodox person must realize that the battlefield is his soul, for which demons wage war with God. They, knowing his thoughts, send obsessions, which the believer is unable to resist without the help of Heavenly powers. The power of prayer lies in the fact that the words of prayer help to get rid of obsession. Enlightenment of the mind and soul occurs.
Wives should pray if their husbands cheat on them.
One of the means of fighting for the Orthodox family is prayer. Thanks to constant prayer, the spouse will turn away from the other woman and return to family values.
Prayer to Saint Euthymius of Novgorod, wonderworker
(Euphymy had the blessed gift of delivering from carnal passion)
Father Saint Euthymius! From your youth you have loved Christ, and through His grace we are strengthened, you have put to death all carnal wisdom, but by your pure life and meek disposition you have pleased the Lord, and by His grace, laboring on the throne of the holiness, you have appeared to the flock of Christ of Great Novograd, a good shepherd, your soul take care of your flock.
Likewise, even after your death, the Chief Shepherd Christ glorified you with the donations of miracles flowing from you, showing us the image of a virtuous life in you. In the same way, I, sinful and sad, falling to the side of your relics, I earnestly pray to you: give me a helping hand, raise me with your prayers from the depths of sin: for I am overwhelmed by the waves of carnal passions and other countless everyday worries.
Be that I, a sinner, warm to Christ, a representative and prayer book, and even if I am delivered from the drowning of sin, I will reach the refuge of an immaculate life by the grace of Christ, and with a pure life I will glorify my Savior, who redeemed me with His blood: and having finished this life, I will receive eternal life in the Kingdom Heaven, where the Most Honorable and Magnificent Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit is glorified, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to St. John the Long-Suffering
(The demons of fornication inflamed John’s flesh to such an extent that he did not eat anything for several days, burdened himself with chains, buried himself in a hole, leaving only his head and shoulders on top. He once remained in this position for the entire Great Lent.)
Oh, sacred head, reverend father, most blessed Abbot John, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in holy and auspicious prayers to God: remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, Holy Father, for your spiritual children, for you have boldness towards the Heavenly King:
do not keep silent to the Lord for us, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for the grace has been given to you to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead: even though you have passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death, do not depart from us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the demonic and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd.
Even if your relics are always visible before our eyes, but your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers, standing at the throne of the Almighty, worthily rejoices, knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we fall down to you and we pray to you:
pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, and from bitter ordeals, demons of air princes and from eternal torment, may we be delivered from eternal torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous who have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ from time immemorial:
To Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Originless Father, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Troparion to the Saint, tone 8
In you, Father, it is known that you were saved in the image of the cross, for you followed Christ, and in your deed you taught to despise the flesh, for it comes: be diligent about the souls, the things more immortal: in the same way your spirit rejoices with the Angels, Reverend John.
In you, father, that which is in us in God’s image has definitely been preserved: for having taken up your cross, you followed Christ, and in practice taught to disdain the flesh as transitory, but to take care of the soul, an immortal creation. That is why, St. John, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.
Kontakion to the Saint, tone 2
Divinely armed with the purity of your soul,/ and unceasing prayers/ firmly handed over like a spear,/ you have broken through the demonic hosts,/ John, our Father,// pray unceasingly for all of us.
Having armed yourself with the purity of your soul, with God’s help, and unceasing prayers, like taking a spear firmly, you have overthrown the demonic armies, John, our Father, pray unceasingly for all of us.
Greatness to the Reverend
We bless you, Reverend Father John, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of Angels.
How to protect yourself
To overcome sinful passion, a believer must seek protection from God, using prayer and moral efforts to cleanse his heart and mind from the devil’s obsession. The stronger the temptation for fornication, the more diligently you need to pray: daily and with all your heart.
Orthodox believers should support prayer requests with a moderate lifestyle and behavior:
- keep fasts;
- be restrained in expressions of emotions;
- attend church regularly.
To overcome passions, you must be able to redirect energy to creative goals. Saint Ambrose taught that against demons one must perform intense prayer against prodigal thoughts. Prayer against lust will be ineffective if it is not supported by abstinence from food and alcoholic drinks. Rebellious flesh can be pacified by dietary restrictions and spiritual appeals to the Heavenly powers.
Saint Moses Ugrin was overwhelmed by the devilish obsessions of carnal temptation. The monk tortured his flesh and constantly prayed to the Lord, which helped him to withstand the confrontation with Satan. Those who want to avoid the sin of adultery turn to him for help.
To curb the flesh, John the Long-Suffering, in addition to fasting, wore chains that weighed a pound and buried himself up to his shoulders in the ground. Having become a winner in the fight against the Devil, John gained spiritual strength, which he began to share after his death with believers who turned to him in prayer.
Saint Euthymius of Novgorod, the holy elders Macarius and Ambrose of Optina, and Thomaida of Egypt help protect against fornication. Prayer must be preceded by repentance, without which the Lord will not hear the request of the believer.
Prayer to St. John Kushchnik
(Reverend John himself spent six years in a terrible struggle with longing for his homeland and for his parents.)
Kontakion, tone 2
You, wisely, wished to improve those on high,/ you, wisely, have offended the red ones/ and, having shared the poor with Christ,/ rejoicing, you followed, O John./ To Him, do not cease diligently praying for us all.
Desiring to achieve the highest, O wise one, you with wisdom despised the lower, earthly blessings and Christ, who became poor (2 Cor. 8:9), having become poor, rejoicing, followed, John. Don’t stop praying to Him fervently for all of us.
Kontakion, voice 3
Thou hast turned away from the worries of life, / and thou hast directed thy processions to the Divine refuge, O blessed one, / and thou hast flowed forth healing, like streams, / through faith and love, John, flowing to thee and crying out: / appear on the Day of Judgment to those praising thy luminous memory, Father, / and deliver from passions and torments.
You escaped the storms of life and directed your path to the Divine refuge, blessed one, and flowed out healings like streams, with faith and love, John, who come to you and cry: “Protect on the Day of Judgment those who glorify your luminous memory, Father, and deliver from torment and suffering."
Prayer to Saint Martinian of Caesarea
(When a harlot, disguised as a wanderer, came to Martinian, he stood on hot coals until his carnal lust was extinguished. To avoid the temptation of women, he wandered from place to place.)
Kontakion, tone 2
As a skilful ascetic of piety,/ and a sufferer of honorable will,/ and a desert dweller and inhabitant,/ in songs let us worthily praise the ever-honorable Martinian // because he has trampled upon the serpent.
As a proven ascetic of piety, and a venerable voluntary martyr, an experienced desert dweller, in prayer chants we will duly glorify Martinian, always revered, for he crushed the serpent (the devil).
Ikos
From end to end, the broadcast of your red virtues and Divine deeds passed: when you were young in age, you desired to live in the deserts, singing to Christ, singing psalms and prayers ever after: but growing day and night in illnesses and tears, you ended your pure life and, wise, you have put to shame the evil one, for you have trampled upon the serpent.
Prayers to Saint Moses Ugrin
(Moses was captured by the King of Poland, then ransomed by a noble Lyakhina, who was captivated by him and demanded mutual passion from Moses, but the righteous husband did not change his pious life. The Lyakhina, out of revenge, put him in a pit, starved him, flogged him daily, then condemned him to be eunuch and expelled him with dishonor.)
Prayer 1
Oh, wonderful and God-bearing Father Moses, a great servant of Christ and a great miracle worker, we humbly fall down to you and pray: let us be partakers of your love for God and neighbor, help us to do the will of the Lord in simplicity of heart and humility, to fulfill the commandments of the Lord without sin, look kindly to every soul of your faithful admirers who seek your mercy and help.
To her, all-merciful servant of God, hear us praying to you, and do not despise us, who demand your intercession and bring you a worthy song, we please you, Father Moses, we glorify you, purity of the lamp, glorifying the merciful God, in the Holy, Originless Trinity of the glorified Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 2
Reverend Father Moses! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, teach us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue.
Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask from our All-Merciful God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanity and schism, confirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith.
All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps.
Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers.
Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 3
Oh, sacred head, reverend father, most blessed abbot Moses, do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in your holy and auspicious prayers to God. Remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children. Pray for us, holy father, for your spiritual children, as if you have boldness towards the Heavenly King, do not be silent for us to the Lord, and do not despise us, who honor you with faith and love.
Remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not stop praying for us to Christ God, for you have been given the grace to pray for us. We do not imagine that you are dead, even though you have passed away from us in body, but even after death you remain alive.
Do not give up on us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the charms of the devil and the snares of the devil, our good shepherd.
Even though your relics are always visible before our eyes, your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the heavenly powers, standing at the Almighty Throne, rejoices with dignity.
Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and pray to you: pray for us to Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to heaven without restraint, from the bitter ordeals of the demons of the air princes and may we be delivered from eternal torment, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous,
from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all glory, honor and worship is due, with His Beginning Father and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Martyrs Galaktion and Epistimia
(When Saint Galaktion was taken to torture, his bride Epistimia voluntarily joined him in order to share the cup of suffering with him to the end.)
Troparion, tone 4
Thy martyrs, O Lord,/ in their suffering received incorruptible crowns from Thee, our God:/ having Thy strength,/ they have overthrown the tormentors,/ crushed the demons of weak insolence./ Through those prayers// save our souls.
Your martyrs, Lord, by their deeds received incorruptible crowns from You, our God; for they, having Thy power, overthrew the tormentors, and crushed the demons of weak insolence. Through their prayers, Christ God, save our souls.
Troparion to the Martyr, tone 4
Thy martyr, O Lord, Galaktion,/ in his suffering received an imperishable crown from Thee, our God:/ having Thy strength,/ overthrow the tormentors,/ crush the demons of weak insolence./ Through his prayers// save our souls.
Your martyr, Lord, Galaktion, by his feat, received an imperishable crown from You, our God; for he, having Thy power, overthrew the tormentors, and crushed the demons of weak insolence. Through his prayers, Christ God, save our souls.
Kontakion to the Martyr, tone 6
Thou hast appeared as a bright star, / the charmless one of the world, / proclaiming the Sun of Christ, / with thy dawns, the passion-bearing Galaktion, / and thou hast extinguished all the charm: / give us light, / / praying unceasingly for all of us.
You appeared to the world as a bright, non-deceptive star, the sun - Christ - proclaiming with your radiance, passion-bearer Galaktion, and you extinguished all seduction, but you give us light, praying unceasingly for all of us.
Glorification of the martyr
We magnify you, the passion-bearing saint Galaktion, and honor your honest suffering, who you endured for Christ.
Troparion to the Martyr, tone 4
Your Lamb, Jesus, Epistimio/ calls with a great voice:/ I love You, my Bridegroom,/ and, seeking You, I suffer,/ and I am crucified, and I am buried in Your baptism,/ and I suffer for Your sake,/ for I reign in You,/ and I die for You, and I also live with You, / but, as an immaculate sacrifice, accept me, sacrificed to You with love. // By your prayers, for You are merciful, save our souls.
Your Lamb, Jesus, Epistimia cries out loudly: “I love You, my Bridegroom, and, seeking You, I suffer, and I am crucified and buried with You in Your baptism, and I endure torment for You, that I may reign in You, and die for You, so that I may live with You; but, accept me as an immaculate sacrifice, offered to You with love!” Through her intercessions, as the Merciful One, save our souls.
Kontakion to the Martyr, tone 2
Your all-honorable Temple, / as if you have found spiritual healing, all the faithful / we cry out loudly to you: / Virgin Martyr Epistimia, O great renown, / Pray to Christ God unceasingly for all of us.
Having found your all-holy temple as a healing for souls, all of us, the faithful, loudly cry out to you: “Virgin Martyr Epistimia, whose name is glorious, pray to Christ God unceasingly for all of us!”
Prayer of St. Mary of Egypt
(Mary left her parents and left Egypt for Alexandria. There she lost her chastity and indulged in unbridled and insatiable fornication, but then she repented and after much prayer set off across the Jordan, into the desert, where she spent 47 years, and the Lord forgave her her sins.)
Oh, great saint of Christ, Venerable Mary! Standing before the Throne of God in Heaven, and abiding with us in the spirit of love on earth, having boldness towards the Lord, pray to save His servants, who flow to you with love.
Ask us from the Most Merciful Master and Lord of faith for immaculate observance of our cities and villages, for deliverance from famine and destruction, for those who mourn - consolation, for the sick - healing, for the fallen - uprising, for those who go astray - strengthening, prosperity and blessing in good deeds, for orphans and widows - intercession and eternal rest for those who have departed from this life,
But on the day of the Last Judgment, at the right hand of the country, we will all be together and hear the blessed voice of the Judge of the world: come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, and receive there to abide forever. Amen.
Prayer to the Lord God to save marriage
During such problems it is very difficult to maintain chastity. Even if such an offense occurred, do not rush to get a divorce. True Christians will try their best to save their marriage. A woman needs to turn to higher powers for help. You can address the Lord God with the following words:
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, help me in a good cause, in the salvation of my family. Hear me, sinful and unworthy, praying to You at this hour. With tears in my eyes, I pray to You: bring some understanding to the servant of God (name), my husband. Gather the lost and guide them to the right path. Teach him to be a good and worthy husband to his wife. Arouse in the heart of God’s servant (name) love for me, his wife, and show all the corruption of his deeds. Melt his coldness, resurrect his love. Don't let the family be destroyed, give us family good. Lord, protect my husband from the devil’s temptation and sinful life. Especially autumn and protect the servant of God (name) from all misfortunes and crafty demons who want to sacrifice him and bring him to hell alive. Instruct my husband to live according to Your covenants: to love his wife, take care of her and be responsible for her. Enlighten Your servant (name) to start all over again, to forget and forgive all offenses against me. Lord, I pray to You with all my heart, do not let our family fall apart. Hold me and my husband together. Grant us love for each other, patience and strength to live together according to Your commandments. I trust in Your help, Lord. Amen.
Before the main reading, read the prayer and you can replace the words with ones more suitable to your situation. The main task is to believe that prayer will help you, and turn to the Lord with a sincere desire to cope with the situation and save the marriage. In prayer it is forbidden to talk about grievances, troubles and other negative things. You must stand up for your betrothed.
After all, after the repose of your souls, you want to be in heaven together, but this will not be possible if the Lord punishes the unfaithful, because of your momentary weakness while asking for revenge. God will not change his decision. For a sinful offense, the perpetrator will face torment in hell. He won't be able to get out of there. Therefore, ask the Almighty for forgiveness of your spouse’s sins. It is possible that only your request can save his soul from going to hell.
Prayer to Saint Sarah of Egypt
Blessed Sarah labored in the Egyptian desert around the 5th century. They say about her that for 13 years she endured the demonic temptation of lustful thoughts. At the same time, Sarah never prayed for this battle to end, but, on the contrary, she devoted herself even more to the feat and fear of God, repeating: “Lord, give me strength!”
One day, when the temptation intensified, the saint went out onto the porch of her cell. Then the spirit of fornication appeared to her in bodily form and said: “You, Sarah, have overcome me.” She answered: “It was not I who defeated you, but my Teacher Christ.”
Troparion of the Venerable One, tone 8
In you, mother, it is known that you were saved, hedgehog in the image: / having accepted the cross, you followed Christ / and, in action, you taught to despise the flesh, for it passes away, / to be diligent about the souls, things more immortal./ / In the same way, the angels rejoice , Reverend Sarah, your spirit.
In you, mother, that which is in us in God’s image has definitely been preserved: for, having taken up your cross, you followed Christ, and in practice you taught to disdain the flesh as transitory, but to take care of the soul, an immortal creation. That is why your spirit rejoices with the Angels, Saint Sarah.
Kontakion, tone 2
For the love of the Lord, venerable one, / you hated the desire for peace, / you enlightened your spirit with fasting: / you powerfully conquered the beasts; / but with your prayers / / destroy the vacillation of those who oppose you.
For the sake of love for the Lord, reverend one, you hated the desire for peace, having enlightened your spirit with fasting, for you courageously defeated the beasts; but with your prayers, thwart the uprising of our opponents.
Rules for reading prayers
Prayer requests can be read before the image or without the image, out loud or mentally. When the prayer is read in front of the image, a candle or lamp is lit. Before you begin the prayer service, you must consciously repent before the Lord of sinful thoughts and actions. Cross yourself, read the “Our Father,” and then say a prayer to a saint or Jesus Christ.
Lustful thoughts and desires must be “extinguished” as soon as they appear. In this case, they mentally turn in prayer to the Optina elders, Macarius and Ambrose, and the Lord.
Prayer to the martyr Thomaida of Egypt
Oh, all praise to the martyr Thomaido! For the purity of marriage, even having labored to the point of blood, and having laid down your soul for the sake of chastity, you have found yourself worthy before the Lord, even more honorable than you in the person of the holy virgins.
Hear us praying to you: and just as Borimia of old had you as a healer from the flesh, according to the grace given to you from God, grant to those who now resort to your intercession joy and freedom from carnal warfare, and a chaste life and abiding in marriage and virginity with your God-pleasing prayers. Make every effort to intercede, for our bodies will be a temple of the Holy Spirit living in us.
Oh, most chosen among wives and faithful servant of Christ! Help us, so that we do not perish with our passions and lusts, but let us be guided by our minds and strengthened in our hearts in all piety and purity, glorifying your help and intercession, the grace and mercy of the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St. Taisia of Egypt
Taisiya was very beautiful and became famous everywhere for the beauty of her face. Seducing her admirers, she brought them to ruin, poverty, and quarrels because of her. After a conversation with the Monk Paphnutius, Taisia remained in seclusion in a convent for three years, atonement for her sin of fornication, until a vision to Paul the Simple explained that the sin of the former harlot Taisia had been forgiven.
Troparion of the Venerable One, tone 8
In you, mother, it is known that you were saved, hedgehog in the image, / having accepted the cross, you followed Christ / and, in action, you taught to despise the flesh, for it passes away, / but to be diligent about the souls, things more immortal.// In the same way, the angels will rejoice , Reverend Taisie, your spirit.
In you, mother, that which is in us in God’s image has definitely been preserved: for having taken up your cross, you followed Christ, and in practice you taught to disdain the flesh as transitory, but to take care of the soul, an immortal creation. That is why your spirit rejoices with the Angels, Venerable Taisia.
Kontakion, tone 2
For the love of the Lord, venerable one, / you hated the desire for peace, / you enlightened your spirit with fasting: / you powerfully conquered the beasts; / but with your prayers / / destroy the vacillation of those who oppose you.
For the sake of love for the Lord, reverend one, you hated the desire for peace, having enlightened your spirit with fasting, for you courageously defeated the beasts; but with your prayers, thwart the uprising of our opponents.
Patron saints of marriage
Who else can you turn to for help to save your family union? It is possible that the affair that appeared was the only one and temporary, after which the man realized his sin and immediately broke it off. Most of all, at this moment, he wants to hear forgiveness from his wife. Please note that this does not show that a man can do whatever he wants, and a woman can forgive him everything. Here I am leading to Christian forgiveness, which does not come so easily.
People need something sacred that can unite them, despite their mistakes. In the current situation - faith in each other, in a common desire to raise children and protect them from your mistakes.
