Prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord God, the Mother of God and all the saints

Christians often turn to the Lord for help and this is normal. After all, this is our loving Father, who gives life itself and everything that fills the material universe. Today people en masse are turning to Orthodoxy, visiting churches, learning to pray. And that's great.

About the author About the book

Only sometimes, in the midst of complaints and difficulties, we forget to thank God for everything we have. Every day a prayer of thanksgiving should be heard in homes. This fosters faith, patience and a humble spirit pleasing to the Lord.

Text of the Thanksgiving Prayer to the Lord for every day

“We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present, in us, Thy unworthy servants (names), who were, known and unknown, about those revealed and unmanifested, even those who were in deed and in word: who loved us Just as you deigned to give Your Only Begotten Son for us, make us worthy of Your love. Grant with Your word wisdom and with Your fear inhale strength from Your power, and whether we have sinned, whether willingly or unwillingly, forgive and not impute, and keep our soul holy, and present it to Thy Throne, having a clear conscience, and the end is worthy of Thy love for mankind; and remember, O Lord, all who call upon Thy name in truth, remember all who desire good or evil against us: for all are men, and every man is in vain; We also pray to You, Lord, grant us Your great mercy.”

The Importance of Gratitude

Every week, thanksgiving services are held in churches. Only there are not as many parishioners as there could be. Perhaps this is because they do not fully understand the importance of this movement of the soul. It was not by chance that the Holy Church included prayers of thanksgiving in the daily morning rule. St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) explains how Christians benefit from reading them every day:

• strengthen their faith in God;
• receive the comfort of the Holy Spirit;
• gain a better understanding of Bible teaching.

Work as a courier at Yandex.Eda (up to 3,400 rubles per shift) leave a request →

Blessing the name of God is truly a worthy activity. King David wrote about this in his psalms: “Praise the name of the Lord,” he urged everyone. This does not require a special occasion, because the greatness of creation is constantly before our eyes. And it’s not the Lord’s fault that we don’t notice him.

What to be grateful for:

• The Lord Jesus Christ gave His life for our transgressions, endured terrible torment, being holy.
• Because the Lord tolerates our sins.
• Everything in life is given by God: human talents, good aspirations, family, food and clothing, the ability to breathe and hear children's laughter.

A good spiritual exercise is to find a few things in your life for which you can thank the Creator. Think about this and say the following prayer to the Lord:

“The council of saints, Angels and Archangels, with all the heavenly powers, sings to Thee, and says: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. Save me, Who art thou King on high, save me and sanctify me, Source of sanctification; For from You all creation is strengthened, To You countless warriors sing the Trisagion hymn. Unworthy of You, who sits in the unapproachable light, of whom all things are terrified, I pray: enlighten my mind, cleanse my heart, and open my lips, so that I may worthily sing to You: Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, Lord, always, now, and ever and to endless ages of ages. Amen."

Perhaps a real feeling of joy will not immediately appear in your soul, but it will certainly appear and grow. With time. That's why it's so important to thank a higher power every day.

Akathist Thank God for everything

Akathist “Thank God for everything with emphasis”

See also: Akathists in audio format

Audio:

Kontakion 1

To the incorruptible King of the ages, who contains in His right hand all the paths of life through the human power of Your saving providence, we thank You for all Your known and hidden blessings, for earthly life and for the heavenly joys of Your future Kingdom. Continue to extend Your mercies to us as we sing: Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Ikos 1

I was born into the world as a weak, helpless child, but Your Angel spread bright wings, guarding my cradle. Since then, Your love has shone on all my paths, miraculously leading me to the light of eternity. The gloriously generous gifts of Your Providence have been revealed from the first day to this day. I thank and appeal to all who have known Thee:

Glory to You, who called me to life; Glory to You, who showed me the beauty of the universe. Glory to Thee, who opened heaven and earth before me as an eternal book of wisdom; The glory of Your eternity in the midst of a temporary world. Glory to Thee for Thy secret and obvious mercies; Glory to You for every sigh of my chest. Glory to You for every step of life, for every moment of joy; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 2

Lord, how good it is to visit You: the fragrant wind, the mountains stretching into the sky, the waters like boundless mirrors, reflecting the gold of the rays and the lightness of the clouds. All nature whispers mysteriously, everything is full of affection, and birds and animals bear the stamp of Your love. Blessed is Mother Earth with her fleeting beauty, awakening longing for the eternal homeland, where in imperishable beauty it sounds: Alleluia!

Ikos 2

You brought me into this life as into an enchanting paradise. We saw the sky, like a deep blue bowl, in the azure of which birds were ringing, we heard the soothing sound of the forest and the sweet music of the waters, we ate fragrant and sweet fruits and fragrant honey. It’s good with You on earth, it’s joyful to visit You.

Glory to Thee for the celebration of life; Glory to Thee for the fragrance of lilies of the valley and roses. Glory to Thee for the sweet variety of berries and fruits; Glory to Thee for the diamond shine of the morning dew. Glory to You for the smile of bright awakening; Glory to Thee for earthly life, the harbinger of heavenly life. Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 3

The power of the Holy Spirit smells every flower, the quiet wafting of aroma, the tenderness of color, the beauty of the Great in the small. Praise and honor to the life-giving God, who spreads out the meadows like a flowering carpet, who crowns the fields with the gold of ears of corn and the azure of cornflowers, and the souls with the joy of contemplation. Rejoice and sing to Him: Hallelujah!

Ikos 3

How beautiful You are in the triumph of spring, when all creation is resurrected and joyfully calls out to You in a thousand ways: You are the source of life, You are the conqueror of death. In the light of the moon and the song of the nightingale, valleys and forests stand in their snow-white wedding dresses. The whole earth is Your bride, she is waiting for the Imperishable Bridegroom. If You dress the grass like this, then how will You transform us into the future age of resurrection, how our bodies will be illuminated, how our souls will shine!

Glory to Thee, who brought forth from the darkness of the earth various colors, tastes and aroma; Glory to You for the hospitality and affection of all nature. Glory to You for having surrounded us with thousands of Your creatures; Glory to You for the depth of Your mind, imprinted throughout the world. Glory to You, I reverently kiss the footprints of Your invisible feet; Glory to You, who lit the bright light of eternal life ahead. Glory to Thee for the hope of immortal ideal incorruptible beauty; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 4

How You delight those who think about You, how life-giving is Your holy Word, softer than oil and sweeter than a honeycomb is conversation with You. Prayer to You inspires and gives life; what awe the heart is filled with and how majestic and reasonable nature and all life then become! Where You are not there, there is emptiness. Where You are, there is the wealth of the soul, there the song pours out like a living stream: Alleluia!

Ikos 4

When sunset descends on the earth, when the peace of night sleep and the silence of the fading day reigns, I see Your palace under the image of shining chambers and cloudy canopies of dawn. Fire and purple, gold and azure prophetically speak of the indescribable beauty of Your villages, they solemnly call: let's go to the Father!

Glory to Thee in the quiet hour of the evening; Glory to You, who has poured out great peace into the world. Glory to Thee for the farewell ray of the setting sun; Glory to Thee for the rest of blessed sleep. Glory to Thee for Thy goodness in the darkness, when the whole world is far away; Glory to Thee for the tender prayers of a touched soul. Glory to Thee for the promised awakening to the joy of the eternal non-evening day; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 5

The storms of life are not terrible for those who have the lamp of Your fire shining in their hearts. All around there is bad weather and darkness, horror and the howling of the wind. And in his soul there is silence and light: Christ is there! And the heart sings: Hallelujah!

Ikos 5

I see Your sky shining with stars. Oh, how rich You are, how much light You have! Eternity looks at me with the rays of distant luminaries, I am so small and insignificant, but the Lord is with me, His loving right hand protects me everywhere.

Glory to You for your constant care for me; Glory to You for providential meetings with people. Glory to Thee for the love of relatives, for the devotion of friends; Glory to Thee for the gentleness of the animals who serve me. Glory to You for the bright moments of my life; Glory to Thee for the clear joys of the heart. Glory to You for the happiness of living, moving and contemplating; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 6

How great and close You are in the powerful movement of a thunderstorm, How Your mighty hand is visible in the bends of dazzling lightning, Your greatness is wondrous. The voice of the Lord over the fields and in the noise of the forests, the voice of the Lord in the birth of thunder and rain, the voice of the Lord over many waters. Praise be to You in the roar of the fire-breathing mountains. You shake the earth like a garment. You raise the waves of the sea to the sky. Praise be to the one who humbles human pride, who emits a cry of repentance: Alleluia!

Ikos 6

Like lightning, when it illuminates the halls of the feast, then after it the lights of the lamps seem pitiful - so You suddenly shone in my soul during the most intense joys of life. And after Your lightning light, how colorless, dark, and ghostly they seemed. My soul was chasing you.

Glory to You, the edge and limit of the highest human dream! Glory to Thee for our unquenchable thirst for communication with God. Glory to You, who has inspired in us dissatisfaction with earthly things; Glory to You, who has clothed us with Your subtlest rays. Glory to You, who crushed the power of the spirits of darkness, doomed all evil to destruction; Glory to You for Your revelations, for the happiness of feeling You and living with You. Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 7

In a wondrous combination of sounds, Your call is heard. You reveal to us the threshold of the coming paradise and the melody of singing in harmonious tones, the height of musical colors, and the brilliance of artistic creativity. Everything truly beautiful with a powerful call carries the soul to You, makes you sing enthusiastically: Alleluia!

Ikos 7

With the influx of the Holy Spirit, You illuminate the thoughts of artists, poets, and geniuses of science. By the power of the Superconscious, they prophetically comprehend Your laws, revealing to us the abyss of Your creative wisdom. Their deeds involuntarily speak about You: oh, how great You are in Your creatures, oh, how great You are in man.

Glory to Thee, who has revealed incomprehensible power in the laws of the universe; Glory to You, all nature is full of the laws of Your existence. Glory to Thee for everything revealed to us through Thy goodness; Glory to You for what You have hidden according to Your wisdom. Glory to Thee for the genius of the human mind; Glory to Thee for the life-giving power of labor. Glory to Thee for the fiery tongues of inspiration; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 8

How close You are in the days of illness, You Yourself visit the sick, You Yourself bend down at the suffering bed, and the heart talks with You. You illuminate the soul with peace during times of severe sorrow and suffering, You send unexpected help. You console, You are testing and saving love, We sing a song to You: Alleluia!

Ikos 8

When, as a child, I first consciously called upon You, You fulfilled my prayer, and a reverent peace overshadowed my soul. Then I realized that You are good and blessed are those who resort to You. I began to call on You again and again, and now I call:

Glory to You, who fulfills my good desires; Glory to You, who watches over me day and night. Glory to Thee, who heals sorrow and loss with the healing passage of time; Glory to You, with You there are no hopeless losses. You give everyone eternal life. Glory to You, You have bestowed immortality on all that is good and lofty, You have promised the desired meeting with the dead; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 9

Why does all nature smile on holidays? Why then does a wondrous lightness spread in the heart, incomparable to anything earthly, and the very air of the altar and the temple becomes luminous? This is a breath of Your grace, this is a reflection of the Tabor light; then both heaven and earth sing in praise: Alleluia!

Ikos 9

When You inspired me to serve my neighbors and illuminated my soul with humility, then one of Your countless rays fell on my heart, and it became luminous, like iron in fire. I saw Your mysterious, elusive Face.

Glory to You, who has transformed our lives with deeds of good; Glory to Thee, Who has imprinted unspeakable sweetness in every commandment of Thy. Glory to You, who clearly dwells where mercy is fragrant; Glory to You, who sends us failures and sorrows so that we can be sensitive to the suffering of others. Glory to You, who has placed the great reward in the intrinsic value of good; Glory to You, who accepts the high impulse. Glory to Thee, who exalted love above all earthly and heavenly things; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 10

What is broken into dust cannot be restored, but You restore those whose conscience has decayed, You return their former beauty to souls who have hopelessly lost it. There is nothing irreparable with You. You are all love. You are the Creator and Restorer. We praise you with a song: Hallelujah!

Ikos 10

My God, knowing the falling away of the proud angel Dennitsa, save me by the power of grace, do not let me fall away from You, do not let me doubt You. Sharpen my hearing, so that at all moments of my life I hear Your mysterious voice and cry out to You, Omnipresent:

Glory to Thee for the providential coincidence of circumstances; Glory to Thee for the gracious premonitions. Glory to Thee for indicating the secret voice; Glory to You for revelations in dreams and in reality. Glory to Thee, who destroys our useless plans; Glory to You, who sobers us from the intoxication of passions through suffering. Glory to You, who saves the pride of the heart; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 11

Through the icy chain of centuries, I feel the warmth of Your Divine breath, I hear flowing blood. You are already close, part of the time has dissipated. I see Your Cross - it is for my sake. My spirit is in the dust before the Cross: here is the triumph of love and Salvation, here praise does not cease forever: Hallelujah!

Ikos 11

Blessed is he who tastes supper in Your Kingdom, but You have already shared this bliss with me on earth. How many times have You extended Your Body and Blood to me with your Divine right hand, and I, a great sinner, accepted this shrine and felt Your love, unspeakable, supernatural.

Glory to Thee for the incomprehensible life-giving power of grace; Glory to You, Who has erected Your Church as a quiet refuge for the tormented world. Glory to Thee, who revives us with the life-giving waters of baptism; Glory to You, You restore to the repentant the purity of immaculate lilies. Glory to Thee, inexhaustible abyss of forgiveness; Glory to Thee for the cup of life, for the bread of everlasting joy. Glory to Thee, who took us to heaven; Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 12

I have seen many times the reflection of Your glory on the faces of the dead. With what unearthly beauty and joy they shone, how airy and immaterial their features were, it was a triumph of achieved happiness and peace; in silence they called to You. At the hour of my death, enlighten my soul, calling: Alleluia!

Ikos 12

What is my praise before You! I have not heard the singing of the Cherubim, this is the lot of high souls, but I know how nature praises You. In winter I contemplated how, in the silence of the moon, the whole earth quietly prayed to You, clothed in a white robe, shining with diamonds of snow. I saw how the rising sun rejoiced in You, and how the choirs of birds thundered in glory. I heard how mysteriously the forest rustles about You, the winds sing, the waters murmur, how the choirs of luminaries preach about You with their harmonious movement in endless space. What is my praise! Nature is obedient, but I am not, while I live, I see Your love, I want to thank, pray and cry,

Glory to Thee, who showed us the light; Glory to You, who loved us with deep, immeasurable, divine love. Glory to Thee, who overshadows us with light, hosts of Angels and saints; Glory to Thee, All-Holy Father, who has commanded us of Thy Kingdom. Glory to Thee, the Redeemer Son, who has opened the path to salvation for us; Glory to you, Holy Soul, Life-giving Sun of the next century. Glory to Thee for everything, O Trinity, Divine, All-Good. Glory to Thee, O God, forever.

Kontakion 13

O All-merciful and Life-giving Trinity, accept thanks for all Your mercies and show us worthy of Your benefits, so that, having multiplied the talents entrusted to us, we enter into the eternal joy of our Lord with victorious praise: Alleluia!

This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos: “To a weak, helpless child...” and the 1st kontakion: “Incorruptible to the King...”

* * *

See: Akathist, section ABOUT GOD

About the akathist “Glory to God for everything” and its author

The akathist of gratitude “Glory to God for everything” was written in the post-revolutionary years by Metropolitan Tryphon (in the world Boris Petrovich Turkestanov). He was born on November 29, 1861 in Moscow. His father, Prince Turkestan (1830-1891), was a direct descendant of an ancient princely family from Georgia. Great-grandfather, Prince Boris Pankratievich Turkestanoshvili, in whose memory he received the name, went to Russia under Peter I. The mother of the future saint was Varvara Alexandrovna, nee Princess Naryshkina. During the serious illness of her son, still an infant, when the doctors lost hope for his recovery, the mother went to the church of the holy martyr Tryphon and prayed for the healing of her son, promising after recovery to dedicate him to God and, if the son was worthy of the monastic rank, to give him the name Tryphon. When the baby recovered. Varvara Alexandrovna made a trip with him to Optina Pustyn to see Elder Ambrose, famous throughout Russia. Meeting them, the elder unexpectedly said to the people standing in front of him: “Make way, the bishop is coming.” The people who parted were surprised to see a woman with a child instead of the bishop. In 1887, Boris, having received the blessing of his parents, entered Optina Pustyn as a novice under Elder Ambrose, who blessed him to become a monk. In 1891, Boris took monastic vows with the name Tryphon in honor of the holy martyr Tryphon - this is how the vow made by his mother was fulfilled. Soon Fr. Tryphon was ordained a hierodeacon and then a hieromonk. Elder Ambrose blessed him to study at the Moscow Theological Academy. During his studies, Hieromonk Tryphon chose to serve in a transit prison. In 1895 Fr. Tryphon graduated from the Academy with a candidate of theology degree, having defended his dissertation on the topic “Ancient Christian and Optina Elders.” He knew five languages: Greek, Latin, French, German and English. From 1895 to 1901 Fr. Tryphon was the caretaker of the Moscow Theological School, the rector of the Bethany and then the Moscow Theological Seminaries. On July 18, 1901, he became Bishop of Dmitrov, vicar of the Moscow diocese, and held this post for almost 15 years. Bishop Tryphon often performed divine services, which were very popular with Muscovites, preached a lot, carried out enormous church and public work, without abandoning his scientific works. For his amazing gift of speech, the believing people nicknamed him “Moscow Chrysostom.” The Bishop was spiritually connected with many ascetics of the Russian Church - the Optina elders Anatoly and Barsanuphius (whom he elevated to the rank of archimandrite), the elder of the Gethsemane monastery Barnabas, and the elder Zechariah. After the outbreak of World War I, the bishop served in the active army. On the Polish front he received a shell shock and was forced to return to Moscow in poor health. In 1916, Bishop Tryphon retired to the New Jerusalem Resurrection Monastery. After a trip to the front, he returned again in 1917 to New Jerusalem. Since 1918, Bishop Tryphon lived in Moscow, without taking part in the administrative affairs of the Church. A constant stream of visitors came to him for advice on both spiritual and everyday issues. The believing people already revered him as a great bishop, a wonderful preacher and a spirit-bearing elder and ascetic. His advice and opinions were often decisive not only for the fate of his many spiritual children, but also in many events related to the fate of the Russian Orthodox Church after the revolution. Holy Patriarch Tikhon loved Vladyka, often served with him, and in 1923 he elevated him to the rank of archbishop. They were two great spiritual pillars that supported the holy Russian Church in a cruel and sorrowful time for Russia. After the death of Patriarch Tikhon in 1925, the role of Archbishop Tryphon increased even more. While formally retired, he was truly one of the main spiritual leaders of Russian Orthodoxy; in 1931, on the anniversary of the 30th anniversary of his episcopal service, Archbishop Tryphon was elevated to the rank of metropolitan. In the 20-30s, the word of Bishop Tryphon was the law for those who preserved the true faith and spiritual mind in the horrors of Russian life; the people believed that the Lord himself spoke through their lips. The artist Pavel Korin, who painted a portrait of Metropolitan Tryphon from life, recalled that he was able to paint most of the portraits of clergy for “Departing Rus'” only thanks to the bishop. Those whom the artist invited to the studio agreed to pose only after they learned of the blessing of the revered metropolitan. Shortly before his death, Metropolitan Tryphon wrote this amazing akathist, which became his spiritual testament. “Glory to God for everything”—these words contain the main spiritual experience of the Russian Orthodox Church during the most severe persecution ever suffered by the Church of Christ in history. Let us remember that Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazansky) of Petrograd, innocently convicted and sentenced to death during the trial for the confiscation of church valuables, ended his speech at the trial in 1924 with these same words. Christ Himself said: Take courage: I have overcome the world (John 16:33), and therefore, no matter how difficult and sad the events of earthly history may be, the power of God always prevails. There is a mortal battle going on, and we know that Christ has already defeated the enemy of the human race, but every person must also win. The resurrection became possible only after Golgotha, and the apparent defeat of millions dying for faith and truth becomes a victory - the path to eternal, endless, joyful life. The great son of Russia sings about this with inspiration, thanking God for “all Your known and hidden blessings, for earthly life and for the heavenly joys of Your future Kingdom,” so that, “having multiplied the talents entrusted to us, we entered into the eternal joy of our Lord with victorious praise : Hallelujah! Metropolitan Tryfon died on June 14, 1934 and was buried at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow. His grave is still an object of veneration for millions of Orthodox Russians.

Help has been provided - but what about “thank you”?

When young children receive something from adults, they are taught to express gratitude. What kind of Christians are they who accept great gifts from their Creator as a matter of course? In his eyes they look ungrateful, disrespectful, simply ill-mannered. Yes, the adult will feed the child in any case. Just like the Good Creator will always help those who ask. But this is not a reason to take blessings for granted.

Any troubles end sooner or later. And this is always a manifestation of the heavenly Father’s care for his reckless children. It is imperative to say a prayer of gratitude to the Lord God for your help. Perhaps there really is no time to visit the temple, but everyone can find a few minutes to mentally say: “Glory to Thee, Lord!”

Godly Christians have a habit of extolling heavenly powers even when things are not going well. They believe that tests are sent for their own benefit. Having endured them with honor, people hope to become more spiritual and closer to perfection.

Become a courier of the Yandex.Food service right now (up to 3,400 rubles per shift) leave a request →

Short prayer “Glory to God for everything!” will tell the Creator that you trust Him, believe in His unconditional love and goodness.

How to thank the saints

Orthodox believers practice frequent appeals to famous Christian martyrs, miracle workers, and Angels. For them, they are faithful intercessors, helpers, petitioners before the throne of God the Father. With their support, a person no longer feels like a miserable drop in the stormy ocean of life.

Worries about relatives, worry about what will happen tomorrow are very common even for Christians. Fate is unknown to them, only one thing is certain - death. This brings melancholy and even despair to many. But it is quite possible to get rid of the feeling of hopelessness thanks to the good righteous. Through their prayers, the Holy Spirit descends from heaven. He suggests the right way out of the situation, calms and consoles the weak.

Universal Prayer of Thanksgiving for All Saints

There is a special prayer of grace for saints. It is universal: suitable as an address to both the Guardian Angel and your favorite heavenly inhabitant.

Holy God and rest in the saints, praised by the thrice-holy voice in heaven from angels, praised on earth by man in His saints; Who by Your Holy Spirit gave grace to everyone according to the bestowal of Christ, and by that appointed to Your Church the holy apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, whose word of preaching, to You Himself who acted all in all, accomplished many saints in every generation and kind, having pleased You with various virtues, and to You, leaving us with an image of their good deeds, in the joy that has passed, prepare, in which the temptations themselves were, and help us those who are attacked. Remembering all these saints and praising their godly lives, I praise You Himself, who acted in them, and believing in Your goodness, the gift of being, I diligently pray to You, Holy of Holies, grant to me a sinner to follow their teaching, life, love, faith, patience, and through their prayerful help, and moreover through Your all-effective grace, the heavenly ones with them will be honored with glory, praising Your Most Holy Name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

As a special thank you to the saint, you can read an akathist, a church troparion, specially compiled for him. But you can use the words that come to your heart.

About the author About the book

• Prayers to the Guardian Angel for every day;
• Prayer for help in a difficult situation;
• Morning prayers.

Akathist of gratitude Thank God for everything

Source: //www.belmagi.ru/amolitv/akslava.htm

Prayer of thanksgiving to the Mother of God

Believers know how powerful sincere prayers to the Mother of God are. She saves from illness, sends relief to the soul in sorrow, and through her prayers family conflicts are resolved. You can also read words of gratitude to the Mother of God every day, just like you can to God.

It occupies a special position in the Orthodox faith. The Mother of God is considered so holy that she surpasses all other people and even angels in the purity of her soul. That is why a special prayer appeal has been compiled for her:

We praise you, Mother of God; We confess You, Mary, the Virgin Mother of God; The whole earth magnifies You, the Eternal Father's Daughter. All Angels and Archangels and all Principalities humbly serve You; All Powers, Thrones, Dominions and all the highest Powers of heaven obey you. The Cherubim and Seraphim stand before You rejoicing and cry out with an unceasing voice: Holy Mother of God, the heavens and earth are full of the majesty of the glory of the fruit of Your womb. The Mother praises the glorious apostolic face of her Creator to you; The Mother of God magnifies many martyrs for you; The glorious host of confessors of God the Word gives you a temple; To you the ruling Poles preach the image of virginity; All the heavenly hosts praise you, the Queen of Heaven. Throughout the entire universe the Holy Church glorifies you, honoring the Mother of God; He extols thee true King of heaven, the Maiden. You are the Angel Lady, You are the door of heaven, You are the ladder of the Kingdom of Heaven, You are the palace of the King of glory, You are the ark of piety and grace, You are the abyss of bounties, You are the refuge of sinners. You are the Mother of the Savior, you received freedom for the sake of a captive man, you received God in your womb. The enemy has been trampled upon by you; You have opened the doors of the Kingdom of Heaven to the faithful. You stand at the right hand of God; You pray to God for us, Virgin Mary, who will judge the living and the dead. We therefore ask You, Intercessor before Your Son and God, Who redeemed us with Your blood, so that we may receive the reward in eternal glory. Save Thy people, O Mother of God, and bless Thy inheritance, for let us be partakers of Thy inheritance; preserve and keep us even unto the ages. Every day, O Most Holy One, we wish to praise and please You with our hearts and lips. Grant, Most Merciful Mother, now and always to preserve us from sin; have mercy on us, Intercessor, have mercy on us. May Thy mercy be upon us, as we trust in Thee forever. Amen.

There is an icon of the Mother of God in every home; you can turn to the Lady before any image. You can also express your gratitude by purchasing a church candle. A very good deed is donation to the poor, some good deed for orphans. After all, this is what Christians should do - help those who need support. If all goes well, never forget about the weak, needy, hurt and lost souls.

"Thank God for everything"

How often our spiritual life is a constant list of requests from God, even of the highest order, but in some sense with a consumerist attitude! It is as if we are trying to make God our debtor and do not notice how many mercies the Lord has already shown us and that it is we who are in unpaid debt to Him.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), who wrote a lot about the feat of prayer, singles out thanksgiving among the various types of mental work: “Thanksgiving to God is part of mental ... doing and consists in giving thanks and glorifying God for everything that happens - both pleasant and sorrowful”[1]. Even sorrow sent down from God, since it has in mind some kind of spiritual benefit for a person, deserves thanksgiving.

This work is commanded by the Lord Himself through the Apostle: “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess. 5:18); “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2).

“What does thanksgiving mean? This is the praise of God for His countless blessings poured out on all humanity and on every person. With such thanksgiving a wonderful calmness is introduced into the soul; joy is introduced, despite the fact that sorrow surrounds us from everywhere, a living faith is introduced, because of which a person rejects all concerns about himself, tramples on human and demonic fear, and casts himself entirely on the will of God.”[2].

As St. Ignatius explains, the Lord “commanded us to carefully practice giving thanks to Him, to cultivate in ourselves a feeling of gratitude to God”[3]. This must be precisely a feeling, a special inner disposition of the soul, created by doing thanksgiving. It is this feeling - uncomplaining gratitude to God for everything - that is an excellent preparation for prayer, because it teaches us to relate to God in the appropriate way. The feeling of thanksgiving enlivens prayer itself. The saint recalls the words of Scripture: “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say: rejoice... The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but always by prayer and petition with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

Ingratitude is tantamount to unbelief. An ungrateful person does not see the paths of salvation to which the Lord leads man. It seems to him that everything that happens to him is meaningless and random. On the contrary, from thanksgiving and glorification of God, especially in sorrows and suffering, living faith is born, and from living faith - quiet but powerful patience in Christ. Where Christ is felt, there is His consolation[4].

The saint explains that true thanksgiving is not born from complacency, but from a vision of one’s own weaknesses and a vision of God’s mercies to a fallen creation. Thanking God out of contentment with one’s own life, as we learn from the parable of the publican and the Pharisee, can mean deep spiritual vanity, blinded by temporary comfort. Actually, the very illnesses that God allows us can only be correctly suffered by thanking God for them. And thanksgiving to the Lord is the only weapon capable of defeating any sorrow, any bitterness. “Wonderfully, the thought of thanksgiving to God comes to the righteous in the midst of their misfortunes. She plucks their hearts from sadness and darkness, lifts them to God, into the realm of light and consolation. God always saves those who resort to Him with simplicity and faith.”[5]

“If your heart does not have thanksgiving, then force yourself to give thanks; along with it, peace will enter the soul.”

But what if there are no such grateful feelings in the soul, if the soul is shackled by cold and insensibility? “If your heart does not have thanksgiving, then force yourself to give thanks; along with it, peace will enter the soul.”[6]. This is how the saint describes such work in “Ascetic Experiences”: “The repeated words “Glory to God for everything” or “God’s will be done” work satisfactorily against very complex grief. Strange affair! sometimes from the strong effect of grief all the strength of the soul will be lost; the soul, as it were, will go deaf, lose the ability to feel anything: at this time I will begin to say out loud, forcefully and mechanically, in one language: “Glory to God,” and the soul, having heard the praise of God, begins to little by little come to life in response to this praise, then will be encouraged, calmed down and consoled.”[7].

In one of his letters, Saint Ignatius offers the following advice to a person experiencing severe illness and sorrow: “I am writing to you because you are in a painful state. I know from experience the difficulty of this situation. The body's strength and abilities are taken away; together the strength and abilities of the soul are taken away; disorder of the nerves is communicated to the spirit, because the soul is connected with the body by an incomprehensible and intimate union, due to which the soul and body cannot help but influence each other. I am sending you a spiritual recipe, which I advise you to use the proposed medicine several times a day, especially in moments of intense suffering, both mental and physical. When used, the revelation of strength and healing will not slow down... When you are alone, say slowly, out loud to yourself, enclosing your mind in words (as Saint John of the Climacus advises) the following: “Glory to Thee, our God, for the sorrow sent; I accept what is worthy according to my deeds: remember me in Your Kingdom”... You will begin to feel that peace is entering your soul and destroying the confusion and bewilderment that tormented it. The reason for this is clear: the grace and power of God lies in praising God, and not in eloquence and verbosity. Doxology and thanksgiving are acts taught to us by God Himself—they are by no means a human invention. The Apostle commands this work on behalf of God (1 Thess. 5:16)”[8].

By giving thanks to the Lord, a Christian gains a priceless treasure - a gracious joy that fills his heart and in the light of which the events of life are perceived completely differently. Instead of despondency, the soul is filled with joy, and instead of sadness and grief, spiritual joy and consolation.

“Evil thoughts defile and destroy a person, but holy thoughts sanctify and give life to him.”

“Let us cultivate the invisible work of thanksgiving to God. This feat will remind us of the God we have forgotten; This feat will reveal to us the greatness of God that has been hidden from us, will reveal His ineffable and innumerable benefits to people in general and to each person in particular; This feat will instill in us a living faith in God; This feat will give us God, Whom we do not have, Whom our coldness towards Him, our inattention, took from us. Evil thoughts defile and destroy a person, but holy thoughts sanctify and give life to him.”[9]