How to pray for another person?

When is it necessary to pray for another person?

Of course, there are no restrictions regarding when and how a prayer can be read for another person.
You can ask for help not for yourself, but for someone who needs it, from the saints or the Lord under any circumstances. To pray, you don’t need to wait for a person to have trouble. If an intuitive desire arises to ask the Almighty for mercy and help for someone, this should be done without hesitation. Traditionally, a prayer for another person is read if there are any problems in his life, discord in the family, misfortune, or illness. They also pray for those who are subject to harmful passions - alcoholism, gambling, drug addiction, or others. In addition, you need to pray for those for whom everything seems to be going well in life, but the people themselves are far from God, sinful, petty, fussy, angry, and arrogant. And of course, you need to pray for people who, due to life circumstances, for example, serious illness, cannot do this on their own.

Who to pray for the health of family and friends

The history of Christianity remembers many saints who, both during life and after death, helped people who asked them for help. More often, Orthodox believers turn to the Mother of God, who is the patroness, or to Christ. You can contact other defenders:

John the Theologian - help in case of accidents.
Luka Krymsky - healing of soul and body.
Matrona of Moscow - help in sorrows or troubles.
Gabriel Urgebadze - healing of diseases, protection from enemies.

If a loved one suffers from a severe form of the disease, you can ask for health from Nicholas the Wonderworker, Matrona, Archangel Michael, Archangel Raphael, Guardian Angel, who protect the soul not only during life, but also after death.

What could such prayers be? Examples of texts

You can pray for the needs and well-being of other people both in your own words and using ready-made texts. When choosing prayer words, it is important to pay attention to such nuances as easy pronunciation and clarity.

The disadvantage of ancient texts is that many of the words mentioned in them have long gone out of everyday use. They are not particularly understandable to modern people; in addition, they are quite difficult to remember and pronounce. Accordingly, when using such texts, a person involuntarily concentrates not on prayer at all, but on whether he pronounces the words correctly and whether he remembers their order correctly. This completely devalues prayer, essentially turning it into something akin to a magic spell.

A prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker for another person can be like this: “Nicholas the Pleasant, father! Great intercessor in all worldly aspirations and worries, delivering from weakness and illness! I ask you for help not for myself, but for the slave (name of the person). Help him, Father Nicholas the Wonderworker, in all his deeds and endeavors, resolve his worries and endow his mind with clarity and his thoughts with purity. Grant kindness to his heart and breadth to his soul. Strengthen his spirit and deliver him from the machinations of demons, from the machinations of enemies. Amen"

A prayer for their children, read by mothers to the Mother of God, may be like this: “Most Holy Mother of God! Just as you did not leave me, a servant (proper name), without sympathy and mercy, so take care of my children. Comfort them in their sorrows and share their joys. Do not allow me to experience illness and sorrow. Guide my children in life and save them from all sorts of misfortunes and troubles. Amen"

Angelica Braldi

Mother's prayer

She will get you from the bottom of the sea and save you from trouble. There is an interesting story about this. One woman had four children go to war. And she kept a strict fast throughout the war, praying for her children. Her children returned alive. The neighbors have nothing but funerals, but there is joy in this woman’s house.

No one except mother will pray for us with such force. Only a mother's heart is capable of such prayer. Sacrifice yourself for your child? It's easy. As long as our mothers are alive and praying for us, they give us great spiritual support.

Below are maternal prayers for those close to the Lord Jesus Christ. By neighbors here we mean children.

God! To the Creator of all creatures, adding mercy to mercy, You have made me worthy to be the mother of a family; Your goodness has given me children, and I dare to say: they are Your children! Because You gave them existence, revived them with an immortal soul, revived them through baptism for a life in accordance with Your will, adopted them and accepted them into the bosom of Your Church, Lord! Keep them in a state of grace until the end of their lives; grant them to be partakers of the sacraments of Your covenant; sanctify by Thy truth; may Thy holy name be sanctified in them and through them! Grant me your gracious help in educating them for the glory of Your name and the benefit of your neighbor! Give me methods, patience and strength for this purpose! Teach me to plant in their hearts the root of true wisdom - Thy fear! Illuminate them with the light of Your Wisdom that governs the universe! May they love You with all their souls and thoughts; may they cleave to You with all their hearts and throughout their entire life may they tremble at Your words! Grant me the understanding to convince them that true life consists in keeping your commandments; that work, strengthened by piety, brings serene contentment in this life and ineffable bliss in eternity. Open to them the understanding of Your Law! May they act until the end of their days in the feeling of Your omnipresence! Plant in their hearts horror and disgust from all lawlessness; let them be blameless in your ways; May they always remember that You, All-Good God, are a champion of Your law and righteousness! Keep them in chastity and reverence for Your name! Let them not discredit Your Church by their behavior, but let them live according to its instructions! Inspire them with a desire for useful teaching and make them capable of every good deed! May they acquire a true understanding of those objects whose information is necessary in their condition; may they be enlightened with knowledge beneficial to humanity. God! Manage me to impress with indelible marks on the minds and hearts of my children the fear of partnerships with those who do not know Thy fear, to instill in them every possible distance from any alliance with the lawless. Let them not listen to rotten conversations; Let them not listen to frivolous people; May they not be led astray from Your path by bad examples; May they not be tempted by the fact that sometimes the path of the wicked is successful in this world!
Heavenly Father! Grant me the grace to take every possible care to tempt my children with my actions, but, constantly keeping their behavior in mind, to distract them from errors, correct their mistakes, curb their stubbornness and obstinacy, refrain from striving for vanity and frivolity; Let them not be carried away by foolish thoughts, let them not follow their hearts, let them not become proud in their thoughts, let them not forget You and Your law. May iniquity not destroy their mind and health, may sins not weaken their mental and physical strength. Righteous Judge, who punishes children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generation, turn away such punishment from my children, do not punish them for my sins; but sprinkle them with the dew of Your grace, that they may prosper in virtue and holiness, that they may increase in Your favor and in the love of pious people.
Father of generosity and all mercy! According to my parental feeling, I would wish for my children every abundance of earthly blessings, I would wish them blessings from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, but may Thy holy will be with them! Arrange their fate according to Your good pleasure, do not deprive them of their daily bread in life, send down to them everything they need in time to acquire a blessed eternity, be merciful to them when they sin before You, do not impute to them the sins of their youth and ignorance, bring their hearts to contrition when they resist the guidance of Your goodness; Punish them and have mercy, directing them to the path pleasing to You, but do not reject them from Your presence! Accept their prayers with favor, grant them success in every good deed; do not turn Your face away from them in the days of their tribulation, lest temptations befall them beyond their strength. Overshadow them with Your mercy, may Your Angel walk with them and save them from all misfortune and evil paths, All-Good God! Make me a mother who rejoices over her children, so that they will be my joy in the days of my life and my support in my old age. Honor me, with trust in Your mercy, to appear with them at Your Last Judgment and with unworthy boldness to say: Here I am and my children whom You gave me, Lord! Yes, together with them glorifying Your ineffable goodness and eternal love, I extol Your Most Holy Name, Father, Son and Holy Soul, forever and ever. Amen!

And this prayer is called the mother’s blessing:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, hear me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant. Lord, in the mercy of Thy power, my child, have mercy and save him for Thy name’s sake. Lord, forgive him all sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed before You. Lord, guide him on the true path of Your commandments and enlighten him and enlighten him with Your light of Christ, for the salvation of the soul and the healing of the body. Lord, bless him in the house, around the house, at school, in the field, at work and on the road , and in every place of Your possession. Lord, protect him under Your Holy roof from a flying bullet, arrow, knife, sword, poison, fire, flood, from a deadly plague (atomic rays) and from vain death. Lord, protect him from visible and invisible enemies, from all troubles, evils and misfortunes. Lord, heal him from all diseases, cleanse him from all filth (wine, tobacco, drugs) and ease his mental suffering and sorrow. Lord, grant him the grace of Your Holy Spirit for many years life, health and chastity. Lord, increase and strengthen his mental abilities and physical strength. Lord, give him Your blessing for a pious family life and pious procreation. Lord, grant me, Your unworthy and sinful servant, a parental blessing for my child in the present time of morning, day, evening and night for the sake of Your name, for Your Kingdom is eternal, omnipotent and omnipotent. Amen!

Maternal prayer to the Mother of God:

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 gaze, 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!

Prayer to the Guardian Angel for your children:

Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection! I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds, and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen!

Prayer for another must be sincere and for a loved one

Prayer for another is not a magical ritual, not a spell. We must not forget this. If someone turns to the Higher Powers for help for another person, then the result will depend on Their will, and not on the contribution of the person praying.

Jesus Christ prayed for others during his execution: “Lord, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Saying prayers for another person cannot be done automatically. Prayer must be sincere and heartfelt. It is necessary to feel the person, send him love, and have a sincere desire to help. Of course it's not easy. And therefore, for example, not everyone is given the priest’s cross. And when a simple layman takes on the burden of praying for another person, he must understand how difficult this task is.

The importance of sincere prayer is difficult to overestimate. This is how John of Kronstadt writes about her:

John of Kranstatt Russian priest

“When we pray for our neighbors, the Lord looks at our hearts, whether we sincerely desire salvation and all good for our neighbors as for ourselves; secondly, whether we sincerely abhor sin and love repentance and virtue; thirdly, whether we sincerely love the Lord and are heartily devoted to Him; fourthly, aren’t we angry at anyone, aren’t we at enmity.”

For prayer to be sincere, it is necessary to pray for those people whom we know, who are near and dear to us. In the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ says:

(John 17:9)

“I pray for them: I do not pray for the whole world, but for those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours.”

We must arm ourselves with this formula and not try to make ourselves the savior of all humanity. Such prayers do not reach the addressee. It's a waste of effort. We must clearly understand where, why and for whom we direct our prayer efforts. Then you will be able to put your heart into your request to God. After all, we don’t give it to anyone.

It is important not to fall into self-deception. If a prayer is heard and produces results, it is not because we prayed so well. Our contribution to this is a drop in the bucket. Everything is done by higher powers. St. John Climacus writes about it this way:

Venerable John Climacus

“Do not be proud when you have prayed for others and been heard: for it was their faith that worked and accomplished them.”

Prayer to the Council of the 12 Apostles, protecting from trouble and problems

Consecration of the apostles of Christ: Peter and Andrew, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew, James and Jude, Simon and Matthew! Hear our prayers and sighs, now offered by our contrite hearts, and help us, the servants of God (names), through your powerful intercession before the Lord, to get rid of all evil and enemy flattery, and to firmly preserve the Orthodox faith that you have firmly devoted to, in which your intercession will not We will not be diminished by wounds, rebuke, pestilence, or any wrath from our Creator, but we will live a peaceful life here and be honored to see good things on the land of the living, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One in the Trinity, glorified and worshiped God, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

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It is better to pray for another person in church

There is an opinion that praying for another person can harm the person praying. A user of the Pravmir website asks about this topic:

Hello, father! Christ is Risen! Help me figure it out, please... My friends told me that it is better not to pray for others, since we are not at the same spiritual level and we do not have enough fortitude. Allegedly, if you pray for others, you make things worse for your family and yourself, attracting illnesses and troubles. Therefore, it is advisable to pray only for relatives. Since dark forces can take revenge, but we are not at the spiritual level to resist them... How should we deal with this? What does it mean? I don't know what to think about this.

On the one hand, to think that I can pray for others is kind of like showing pride. It seems like “I can” and I have enough spirit. After all, the Lord strengthens us spiritually and gives us strength to help others, including prayer. On the other hand, it’s kind of humbling to think that it’s really where I’m going, who I think I am, that I can pray for others... Please explain. Catherine.

Question about the harm of praying for another person

Priest Philip Parfenov answers her:

Philip Parfenov Priest

“Hello, Ekaterina!

And on such issues, be prepared that opinions will inevitably differ. But personally, in my opinion, such fears border on superstition. And in general, this is not a Christian approach at all, but some kind of selfish, self-centered one: God forbid that I feel bad if I suddenly pray for someone and take part in the pain of some person.

Would you be pleased if you were treated in exactly the same way in your needs and sorrows? I don’t think so... Therefore, be bolder, more confident in yourself and don’t listen to who says what, but try to listen only to God and comprehend His will. And then, according to your faith, it will be for you!”

As we see, the priest considers such things to be superstition, but he stipulates that there are different opinions on this topic. This is true.

Archpriest Vladimir Golovin touches on this topic in the video below:

Here the priest says that people's problems are not a cause, but a consequence. Most often she is in sin. Accordingly, the demon will not be calm that someone will pull the victim out of sin. He will begin to attack the person praying, sending troubles and temptations. Will we be able to withstand such an onslaught?

Therefore, it is best to pray in church. There the Holy Spirit protects those who pray for others.

Archpriest Vladimir Golovin also says that you need to measure your strengths: you cannot convey to others what you have not experienced yourself. To give love through prayer, you need to learn to love.

You can pray for others in your own words, the main thing is to sincerely

As for the content of the prayer, the priest sees nothing wrong with praying in his own words, if they are sincere.

Why is prayer needed?

Some “Doubting Thomases” believe that prayer for family and neighbors is a waste of time. They say it’s better to help with advice or financially, if possible.

This is a very big mistake. Prayer, sincere and heartfelt, can work miracles. How often do you encounter: a person is sick, but his wife, children or mother tearfully pray for him. And the sick man gets to his feet. But the doctors just shrug their shoulders: in all respects, he’s a dead man, but come on.

Prayer provides tremendous spiritual support. With its help, as the Holy Fathers say, a soul can be saved from hell. If you want to help your poor relative who does not know who God is, pray for him.

There is no need to try to manipulate God when praying for others.

Why is prayer usually needed for another person? Most often we want to help him in a given situation. And sometimes an acquaintance himself says: “Ask the Lord to give me such and such.”

Is it possible to pray for another person in this way? Archpriest Vladimir Golovin believes not.

In this video he says that the only acceptable form of prayer is: “Lord, thy will be done.”

And this is in no way a shift of responsibility from oneself to God. You need to read the prayer with love and reverence, but it is not at all correct to try to impose your scenario for the development of events on the Almighty. The Lord knows best, He sees further.

If we decide to pray for other people and ask for something for them, God may give in. He loves us too much.

But do we need this? We do not always imagine the consequences of our choices; it is not a fact that they will be to our benefit. Perhaps, having received what we want, we will begin to ask the Lord to return everything as it was.

Isn't it better to trust the Creator? You can pray for loved ones and at the same time rely on the Almighty. This is what Father Vladimir calls for.

Is it possible to pray for the unbaptized?

Is there a prayer for neighbors who are not baptized? And how to pray for such?

Let us warn you right away: only in home prayer. Under no circumstances should you submit notes or order prayer services for them. Even lighting candles is prohibited.

You can remember such neighbors in your morning prayers. They are given above. Or you can read the prayer to the holy martyr Huar:

Oh, holy martyr Ouare! We kindle with zeal for the Lord Christ, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and you suffered zealously for Him, and now the Church honors you as glorified by the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven. Accept our petition and with your prayers free us from eternal torment. Amen.

This is actually a very sad moment. When a dear person denies God and does not want to be baptized at all. Okay, he’s a baby: he doesn’t decide anything on his own yet. But an adult, intelligent comrade who does not accept the Lord is deplorable. Although he makes this choice himself. And we, no matter how offensive it would be, have to come to terms with this. But you can and should pray for such a stubborn neighbor, only at home.

There are no special prayers for non-believers

Servants of God can pray for people of other faiths. The power of the Holy Spirit is not limited to the influence of the Orthodox Church. However, there are no internal church canons for such prayers. It is recommended that you do this in your own words at home.

It is better to pray for people of other faiths at home, privately, and not in church

Prayer for people of other faiths is considered a godly deed in Orthodoxy. The Lord extends His mercy to everyone.

Archpriest Andrei Efanov says that prayer is still possible in church, but if it is allowed in a particular parish:

Andrey Efanov Archpriest

“You can submit notes about living non-Orthodox people at a prayer service, unless there is a ban on this in a particular church. Still, the prayer of a church community is a matter of its internal life, and if the parish is not ready to offer prayers for non-members of the Church, then it would be unreasonable to force them to perform such prayer.”

Archpriest of the St. Abraham's Church in the city of Bolgar, Vladimir Golovin, talks in his sermon about how to pray for people when they ask for it. In this temple, after the Soviet period, he revived the reading of prayers by agreement - a powerful means of help in various life situations. Questions that torment parishioners:

Does it make sense to pray for a person like this: “Lord, Thy will be done over him”? After all, God’s will will be accomplished even without this conversion?”
how to help a person in his business when he asks for help?

Father Vladimir says that he himself prays for those who turn to him with the same prayer. But he never utters words with specific requests. For example, giving someone a certain amount of money or helping to give birth to a child.

Sincere prayer for a person, says this priest, involuntarily involves us on a spiritual level in the process of participating in his life. After all, you can pray quite indifferently, as they say, “for show,” and shift all responsibility to God. It’s another thing to ask for it sincerely and lovingly. At the same time, bow down and humble yourself before the omnipotence of the Almighty.

O. Vladimir says that the Lord always responds to a person’s request expressed with the manifestation of this feeling.

How to pray correctly?

Prayer for neighbors is serious support for them. Of course, the ideal option is to pray in a temple. Why? Because the priest is praying. This is the first thing. And his prayer is much stronger than ours. A priest has a special grace given to him at his ordination. And even the worst priest prays better than the most pious layman.

And secondly, let us remember the words of God: where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.

This does not mean that God does not hear prayer at home. Not at all. But at home we cannot remove particles from the prosphora, as the priest does at the altar.

What Orthodox prayer for neighbors and relatives can you help your dearest people? First of all, by submitting registered notes for them. Precisely the custom ones that are read at the altar. Because only in this case are the particles taken out.

Secondly, prayers for the health of relatives would be useful. And sorokoust is a great option. Sorokoust can also be ordered for repose.

Thirdly, buy the simplest candle. And place it in front of the icon of the Savior or the Mother of God. And when you place it, list the names of all your living loved ones. Candles are also placed on the canon. With the difference that the deceased are remembered there.

Prayer for other people

But is it necessary to pray for help to loved ones in order to obtain specific results? Archpriest Golovin points out that sometimes people unknowingly ask for something that will only harm them or that they are not currently ready to cope with.

Does a person always correctly assess his own strength? The priest makes the following comparison: an unintelligent chick compared to the experienced, wise Father. Of course, only the Creator knows what his creation needs. Therefore, it is better if the will of the Lord is done. He never makes mistakes. The person asking for help does not need to insist on his desire. No matter how natural and reasonable it may seem to him.

But the Lord’s love for us is so great that He is ready to meet us halfway in our requests. And he does this often. And it turns out that upon a person’s appeal, we persistently pray for help for him, for the realization of his needs and requirements. It seems like we are doing good. In fact, at this time we are moving away from the will of the Almighty. Because His plan is unknown to us.

And after some time, together with this petitioner, we suffer from the consequences of what happened. More about this from the lips of Fr. Vladimir Golovin - in the video.

Based on these considerations, Fr. Vladimir says that if you pray for other people when they ask for it, then do it without trying to influence the will of God.

We all have close relatives, friends and colleagues whose fate we are not indifferent to. Sometimes it hurts to see their suffering and you want to do everything possible to help. In this case, it is best to read a prayer for another person.

Prayer for the sick

Sometimes our loved ones especially need prayer help. When they are sick physically and spiritually. And what prayer should you read for the health of your neighbor? Who to ask for help? Especially in the most difficult, crisis moments?

Read the psalter. This is the most powerful thing and helps a lot. When you start reading, nothing is clear. Over time, understanding begins to come.

How is the psalter read? One kathisma at a time. Kathisma is divided into three glory: for living relatives, for the deceased and for living neighbors (friends, colleagues and other people who are not related by blood). Take the trouble to read one kathisma only for the sick person.

Turn to the saints of God for help. This may be a saint whose name the patient bears. Or that saint you revere. Most often they turn to Matrona of Moscow, Xenia of St. Petersburg, Sergius of Radonezh, Nicholas the Wonderworker, and Seraphim of Sarov for help. Prayers to some of these saints are given in the article.

Prayer to Seraphim of Sarov:

O wonderful Father Seraphim, great Sarov wonderworker, quick and obedient helper to all who come running to you! During the days of your earthly life, no one left you weary and inconsolable, but everyone was blessed with the vision of your face and the benevolent voice of your words. Moreover, the gift of healing, the gift of insight, the gift of healing for weak souls has appeared abundantly in you. When God called you from earthly labors to heavenly rest, your love ceased from us, and it is impossible to count your miracles, which multiplied like the stars of heaven: for throughout the ends of our earth you appeared to the people of God and granted them healing. In the same way, we cry out to you: O most quiet and meek servant of God, daring man of prayer to Him, denying no one who calls you, offer up your powerful prayer for us to the Lord of hosts, may He strengthen our power, may He grant us all that is useful in this life and all that is spiritual useful to salvation, may he protect us from the falls of sin and teach us true repentance, so that we can enter without stumbling into the eternal Heavenly Kingdom, where you now shine in unfathomable glory, and there sing with all the saints the Life-Giving Trinity until the end of the age. Amen!

Prayer to Nicholas the Pleasant:

O all-good Father Nicholas, shepherd and teacher of all who flow with faith to your intercession and call upon you with warm prayer, quickly strive and deliver the flock of Christ from the wolves that are destroying it, and protect every Christian country and save with your holy prayers from worldly rebellion, cowardice, invasion foreigners and internecine warfare, from famine, flood, fire, sword and vain death. And just as you had mercy on three men imprisoned, and you delivered them from the king’s wrath and the beating of the sword, so have mercy on me, in mind, word and deed, in the darkness of sins, and deliver me from the wrath of God and eternal punishment, as through your intercession and With the help of His mercy and grace, Christ God will give me a quiet and sinless life to live in this world and will deliver me from this place, and will make me worthy to be with all the saints. Amen!

When to say a prayer for another person?

Pray for your loved ones, ask the Lord to guide them on the true path, open their eyes to mistakes and forgive their sins. Ask to grant them health, prosperity in life, happiness and peace of mind. Pray even if it seems to you that God does not hear your prayers. If a person's faith is strong, he asks sincerely. God will definitely hear him and respond to his request. Remember that by reading prayers for another person, you are performing a Christian feat.

Prayer for a person is for the Lord an act of the highest love for him. Such a request will never go unheard. It releases spiritual power, binds evil spirits, saving the soul of the person for whom you are asking.

By starting to read the texts of Orthodox prayers for another person, you immediately give him spiritual strength that allows him to fight troubles.

However, please note that when saying a prayer for another person, you may encounter a number of difficulties.

For example, words will begin to be forgotten, or you will lose your thoughts. Your physical condition may deteriorate, or sudden trembling may occur throughout your entire body. Do not be afraid - the fact is that during such prayer, Divine powers pour out a stream of the Holy Spirit on you. It's easy to feel. The Lord pours out His strength through you, thereby helping your loved ones. Your prayer for another person, like a life-giving stream, will pour on him, save and protect.

Know that as soon as you start praying for your loved ones, evil spirits will interfere with you in every possible way. You will never have enough time to pray. Urgent matters will appear. These are all the machinations of the devil; evil spirits will do everything possible to prevent you from praying for other people. In such a situation, be sure to pray to the Holy Spirit, because he is our main protector and helper.

Compassionate the sorrows of your neighbors. Be merciful and attentive to them. Always remember that you will need their help in the future.

If your neighbor is lost

Once upon a time there lived a man. I went to church and began the sacraments of confession and communion. He did good deeds. And then, at some point, I lost faith. In the church the priests do business, there is no God, these are all fairy tales. And in general, He doesn’t hear us. In general, the friend went somewhere to the side.

And it’s half the problem if he just stopped going to church. What if I also got carried away by some Western movement, such as the occult? Here you can either stand or fall. And is it possible to pray for a neighbor who has gone downhill?

Such people in the church are called lost. And you definitely need to pray for them. Submit notes often. Read at home the akathist to the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, “Seeking the Lost.” Give up your fans for such a comrade.

Just don't try to convince him. It's useless. The relative (or friend) will become even more angry and will not hear you. It is better to pray silently, without putting pressure on such a person.

Where can I get an akathist? Buy it at the church store. This is a small, thin book. It costs 30-50 rubles. There you can also purchase the “Recovery of the Dead” icon.

About prayer for other people. Is it possible to pray for everyone?

About prayer for other people. Is it possible to pray for everyone? This selection was made as an answer to a question from listeners of catechetical conversations. At its core it consists of councils of saints and priests. Perhaps it will be useful to blog readers as well. I would be grateful for additions and clarifications. Who is my neighbor? We can conditionally divide people for whom there is confusion about praying into: - strangers for whom we are asked to pray, - people about whom we know that they are atheists or have fallen away from the Church, - those who have died unrepentant (baptized, but fallen away from the Church of God ), - deceased atheists, non-believers and suicides. God's will about prayer for other people But I say to you: love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who abuse you and persecute you. (Matthew 5:44) Pray for those who offend you. (Luke 6:28) And as you want people to do to you, do so to them. (Luke 6:30-31) First of all, I ask you to make prayers, petitions, supplications, thanksgivings for all people. (1 Tim. 2:1) Out of compassion, we should pray for people even when no one asks us to do so. Let's say we saw in a church (in a monastery, on the street): someone said or did something bad, inappropriate - we must pray to Christ for this person. I’m not saying that you need to immediately start reading the Psalter for him. But at least say one phrase, at least one heartfelt sigh: “Lord, help him! Deliver him from the snares of the enemy, arrange his salvation through fate, and with his holy prayers have mercy on me, the accursed!” And this will already be a prayer. After all, we must understand that we are co-corporeal members of Christ: just as the Apostle says that we are all the body of Christ (cf. Rom. 12:5). Therefore, we cannot remain indifferent to the suffering of our neighbors, but we need to help them somehow - at least through prayer (if we cannot help with anything else). This is our Christian duty. Need and misfortune convince you to pray for yourself, but love convinces you to pray for your neighbor. Saint Tikhon (Zadonsky) If the Church mainly prays only for its members, then is it not unnecessary to boldly and privately pray for those who are outside the Church? If liturgical prayer does not include suicides, the unbaptized, heterodox, or apostates, then personal prayer is not limited by anything. It is obvious that the Eucharist, as a union with God, will be violence against those who reject Him with their lives. Saint Philaret of Moscow: Or, they will ask, is not prayer for those who have died in sin in vain? I answer: in vain - for those who died in mortal sin, spiritual death, and in this state suffered by bodily death - for those who inwardly fell from the spiritual body of the Church of Christ and from life by faith, through their unbelief, unrepentance, decisive and final resistance to the grace of God . However, the Monk Silouan of Athos advises: When the Lord wants to have mercy on someone, he instills in others the desire to pray for him, and helps in this prayer. Therefore, you should know that when the desire to pray for someone comes, it means that the Lord Himself wants to have mercy on that soul and mercifully listens to your prayers. Temptations in prayer Temptations in prayer can have their source: - jealousy beyond reason, taking a feat beyond measure and without blessing; - temptations by fallen spirits who want to turn a Christian away from prayer. If a person is captivated by fallen spirits, then by praying for him, we provoke their opposition, because they already consider him their prey; it is like tearing a bone out of a dog's mouth. Undoubtedly, God significantly limits the power of the fallen Angels, but they can frighten us. If we take upon ourselves the feat of prayer for an unrepentant deceased, then it requires effort. “To pray is to shed blood,” the ancients said. To strengthen yourself from the attacks of all kinds of temptations and obsessions, try to consult with your confessor. Any prayer is a spiritual war with dark forces, and one must go to war with the support of the Church and the blessing of a priest. Often such temptations are not at all connected with prayer for someone. Often we tempt ourselves: we ourselves fall into some passions, but we think that this happened because we prayed for someone. One woman prayed for her deceased father, who died as an atheist. In a dream, he appeared to her in terrible anger and demanded that she stop praying. The story is interesting, but the question arises: who appeared to the woman? Her father or a fallen spirit in the form of her father? Any sincere prayer is displeasing to demons, but there are times when prayer is displeasing to God. For example, prayer without reasoning, when a person considers himself capable of begging someone, or when someone undertakes the feat of prayer without living a Christian life, or a feat beyond his strength. But there are other cases. The great Athonite prayer book Elder Ephraim Katunaksky, a disciple of Elder Joseph the Hesychast, who labored on the Holy Mountain in the 20th century, admitted that he could not pray for his occultist brother while he was alive, because he felt every time that the Lord did not accept his prayers, “ punishes him for her. He only resumed his prayers for his brother when he passed into another world and could no longer commit those iniquities with which his life had been filled before. Reasoning Required The measure of our prayer is important. It’s one thing to remember it at morning prayer, and another thing to undertake the extreme feat of “begging” others, and even without a blessing. The person praying must realize that by his prayer he is challenging Satan. Without the deep grace of God, God's protection, the outcome of this struggle will be disastrous. A person acquires this grace through Christian, church life. Answering a question from one of his disciples, the Monk Barsanuphius the Great says that it will be enough if he, having promised to pray for someone, says one day: “Lord, have mercy on such and such!” and will sigh for him from the heart. And he convinces this monk that he cannot do more. This same advice can probably be taken personally by almost every one of us – and there is only so much we can do. If we talk about a little more, then it is appropriate to remember a person with varying degrees of regularity in our usual morning or evening prayer - just as briefly, along with other people for whom we constantly pray. To pray for a specific person with a specific passion (for example, with the passion of unbelief or drunkenness), for this you need to take a blessing from a confessor who knows us and can give advice on what we should do in this case and how we should pray. Then the grace of blessing will cover this matter. We usually think that we are begging someone. But it is not we who beg this person, but the Lord who saves him, just like us. Having been crucified for everyone, the Lord took upon Himself the sins of the whole world. And therefore we do not beg, we do not pull out, we do not help this person, but Christ helps, pulls him out of the pit of passions and saves him. We are only like Christ’s accomplices in the work of extracting this soul. And if we experience some kind of demonic obsession, it is for the reason that the Lord gives us a little sense of this complicity. And this is a manifestation of our love for Christ and for man. But sometimes this really happens. Especially when monotonous life goes on as usual, and suddenly you see and feel that some kind of special kind of abuse has appeared. Then you go, confess and ask: “What should I do? Should I continue to pray for this person or should I leave it for a while?” But this does not mean that you should leave it completely. The Lord simply shows in this case: due to your weakness, for your humility, you need to know that you yourself are still servile to this person. Although you pray for him to deliver him from some passion, nevertheless, you yourself are weak and must understand that only Christ saves him and you and carries him on His shoulders. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov said: “gain peace of mind, and thousands around you will be saved.” In other words, we can only help our neighbors to the extent that we have already helped ourselves. Will praying for others take away the strength to pray for yourself? The opinion that while praying for others you will not have enough strength for yourself is unfounded. Prayer is the attraction of God’s grace to both the one for whom one prays and the one who prays. Saint Philaret of Moscow: “Do not renounce prayer for others under the pretext of fear that you cannot pray for yourself; be afraid that you will not beg for yourself if you do not pray for others... Prayer for yourself, taken separately from prayer for others, as the fruit of spiritual self-interest, cannot constitute pure Christian virtue.” Moreover, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt said: “... prayer for others is very useful for the one who prays for others; it cleanses the heart, affirms faith and hope in God, and kindles love for God and neighbor.” When praying for our neighbors, we cannot literally say that we take on their sins; we only share with them through our prayerful participation, helping them to bear the illnesses that follow the commission of any sinful act (it is no coincidence that in Orthodoxy sin is not perceived as a crime , but like a disease). How to pray for strangers? Advice from Rev. Paisius of the Svyatogorets. – Geronda, when some pilgrims leave us notes for remembrance, and we do not know their needs, then how can we pray for them? - Say: “Lord, have mercy on Your servants, whose needs You Yourself know.” - And when, Geronda, do we pray for people and don’t know whether they are alive or dead? - Say: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Your servants.” - Sometimes, Geronda, I don’t remember the names of people who ask for prayers. – If you don’t remember the names they give you, then pray in general: for the sick, for the young, those who have gone astray, etc. First say: “Help, my God, first those who need help most,” and then continue: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on Your servants.” The monk also advised: “After you have prayed a little for yourself, then remember about the distressed world as a whole, about those who have moved away from God, about the deceased who did not take advantage of the time that God gave them to draw closer to Him, and now they repent, but to no avail; and say the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” So you pray for yourself, and for those who asked you to pray, and for the whole world.” Prayer for suicides The Church, as a divine-human organism, not only refuses to pray for suicides, it does not dare to do so. “We do not dare to pray” means that people do not dare to enter any forbidden area. This is confirmed by practice. One priest told such a case. An unfamiliar girl was brought to his funeral service. During the ceremony, despite the fact that this was not the first funeral service during his service, he felt ill, his strength left him, and he even had to go out into the fresh air. After some time, he met with a priest from another church, and unexpectedly it turned out that a similar thing happened to him during the young man’s funeral service. As a result of a small investigation, it turned out that the couple voluntarily killed themselves, but relatives hid this from the Church. Zhanna2525, Oleg123, NataliaSPb and 3 others like this.

Prayer “Our Father”

Everyone should know this powerful Orthodox prayer from birth. It is considered universal, since it can be read in any case:

anxiety, excitement;
desire to maintain peace of mind;
illness;
the need to cleanse yourself of negativity, unkind thoughts, etc.

Its origins go back to the distant past. When Jesus' disciples saw him deep in prayer, they asked him to teach them. This is how the Lord’s Prayer was conveyed to the disciples.

These seemingly simple words of prayer encrypt the best path to understanding the essence of the Christian religion.

Advice to neophytes

I would like to give some advice to those who have just begun to come to God.

Prayers to the Lord for our neighbors must be offered. Just don't overdo it. We foresee indignation, they say, how can you overdo this matter?! Still as possible.

Others, starting to become churchgoers, are eager to fight. And, without being blessed by the priest, they begin to perform “feats of prayer”: they spend most of the night praying, trying to atone for the sins of others. And then they start to hurt. Why is this happening?

Because we ourselves are still weak, but we are already undertaking to save our neighbors. So the evil spirits beat us. They don't sleep. They are not at all interested in souls becoming God's. On the contrary, demons are eager to profit from human souls. And then one soul fled away, and even decided to take the rest with it? That's why the bastards and bastards get angry. Therefore, do not tear the veins. You yourself will perish, and you will not save your neighbors.

And another question: is it possible to read the Jesus Prayer for your neighbor? Usually this prayer is read by everyone for himself. It sounds like this:

Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

But if necessary, the ending of the prayer changes:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.

Again: do not undertake to say the Jesus Prayer without the blessing of a priest. Only that father. who you regularly confess to can tell you how many prayers per day you need to read. And is it possible to read it for family and friends?