Orthodox prayers
What is prayer?
“Prayer is the ascension of the mind and heart to God.”
St. Neil of Sinai
“When we pray, we talk to God.”
St. John Chrysostom
Why is prayer needed?
“Prayer, in its quality, is the abiding and union of a person with God.”
“The basis of prayer is the desire of the image for the Prototype, as like for like.”
right John of Kronstadt
How does Christian prayer differ from the prayers of other religions?
The action of Divine grace, the Holy Spirit.
“Of course, every virtue done for the sake of Christ gives the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives most of all, because it is, as always, in our hands as a tool for acquiring the grace of the Spirit.”
St. Seraphim of Sarov
Why pray to saints?
Evidence of numerous cases of help from saints runs throughout the history of the Church. If this did not please God, He would not have given them such service.
If the living can ask each other for prayers, then what prevents us from calling the righteous, whose holiness is attested by the Church, to be prayer companions to God? Do people automatically lose love and compassion when they lose their body?
“Our prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints are ultimately all addressed to Christ.”
St. Paisiy Svyatogorets
How should you pray?
From a pure and sincere heart, with humility and zeal, without anger or resentment, without vanity and not for show, in every place (Tim. 2:8) and at all times (Eph. 6:18).
“God does not require from the one who prays beauty of speech and skillful composition of words, but spiritual warmth and zeal.”
St. Tikhon Zadonsky
What commandment does a person fulfill through prayer?
The first commandment: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind” (Luke 10:27).
“We see the degree of our love for God with particular clarity during prayer, which serves as an expression of this love and is very correctly called in the patristic writings the mirror of spiritual prosperity. Prayer is primarily the fulfillment of the first and most important commandment.”
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
What to ask God for in prayers?
First of all, about what is necessary for the salvation of the soul in eternity, leaving everything else to the will of God.
“Pray, first, for cleansing from passions; secondly, about deliverance from ignorance and, thirdly, about salvation from all temptation and abandonment.”
St. Neil of Sinai
“Ask God for everything you need, without being embarrassed by the thought that it is unworthy of Him to send prayers for your daily needs. Like little children, stretch out your hands to God, always ask for everything without embarrassment, ask for what you need: with childlike trust, expecting help in everything that is not contrary to the will of God.”
St. Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky)
What is true prayer?
In turning to God of mind and heart.
“True prayer does not consist in words and saying them, but true prayer consists “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23). When we pray to God, we must stand before Him not only in body, but also in spirit; and say prayer not only with your lips, but also with your mind and heart; and not only bow our heads and knees, but also our hearts before Him; and raise our intelligent eyes to Him with humility. For all prayer must come from the heart; and what the tongue says, the mind and heart must say.”
St. Tikhon Zadonsky
What types of prayer are there?
Prayer books can be divided into supplications, thanksgivings, penitentials and doxologies.
What is the difference between prayer and conspiracy?
Prayer is an appeal to God, and a conspiracy is an appeal to fallen spirits.
The fruits of prayer.
Fulfillment of the Gospel commandments and acquisition of Christian virtues.
“The fruits of sincere prayer: simplicity, love, humility, patience, kindness, and the like. All this, even before eternal fruits, produces fruit here in the life of the diligent.”
St. Gregory of Nyssa
What are the causes of absent-mindedness and temptations in prayer?
The action of fallen human nature and fallen spirits. Resistance to this is called spiritual warfare.
What are icons for?
Icons are a means for raising the mind to the heavenly and cleansing it from vain images.
Is it possible to pray in your own words?
Need to! One does not exclude the other; moreover, prayers compiled by saints can be transformed into their own.
When might a prayer not be fulfilled?
When what is asked is not useful or untimely.
According to the Gospel, one of the conditions for prayer to be heard is reconciliation with neighbors. The Gospel says: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” ( Matthew 5:23-24).
Prayer and Scripture
Orthodox worship, both church and home, is based on Holy Scripture. Without his knowledge, much will be incomprehensible even when translated into a modern language.
Complete Orthodox prayer book for the laity. According to the charter of the Church. Civil font
In this edition, the texts of all canons, studies and prayer rules are brought into accordance with the Charter of the Orthodox Church and are intended for home prayer of the laity. Some differences compared to other prayer books are explained by the fact that there the prayer books are placed in the form as they are given in liturgical books for church services with a priest. We tried to supplement the texts with all the necessary explanations for making home rules, as required by the Church Charter. For example, the beginning and end of each canon are given; the Easter canon is set out specifically for reading in the form of a cell rule, and not for a church service. Our publication will help the worshiper learn the traditions, rules and procedures of cell prayer. Previously, such knowledge was transmitted orally - they learned to pray along with learning the alphabet. Now these traditions have been lost, and therefore we hope that our prayer book will be very useful to the Orthodox reader.
Content:
Morning prayers – 3 Prayers for those coming to bed – 23 Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ – 40 Canon of tenderness to our Lord Jesus Christ – 49 Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos – 59 Canon to the Guardian Angel – 69 Canon to St. John the Baptist – 78 Akathist to the Sweetest Jesus – 88 Akathist to the Most Holy Theotokos – 100 Akathist to St. Nicholas – 113 Following to Holy Communion – 127 Prayers of thanksgiving for Holy Communion – 153
_______
Prayer books from the Lenten Triodion: unchangeable prayer books for fasting services – 160 Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian - 160 At the All-Night Vigil - 161 At Lenten Vespers - 162 At Lenten Matins - 163 At Lenten Hours - 168 At Great Compline - 169 At the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts - 171 Preparatory weeks before Great Lent - 172 The Week of the Publican and the Pharisee - 172 Not dividing about the prodigal son - 173 Week about the Last Judgment - 173 Cheese Week - 174
_______
Great Lent – 174 1st Week of Great Lent – 174 2nd Week of Great Lent – 175 3rd Week of Great Lent – 176 4th Week of Great Lent – 177 5th Week of Great Lent – 179 Lazarus Saturday – 179 Week of Vai . Palm Sunday – 180 Holy Week – 181 Prayers from the Colored Triodion: Easter Canon – 189 Hours of Holy Pascha and the entire Holy Week – 200
_______
Bright Resurrection of Christ. Easter – 203 2nd Sunday after Easter – 206 3rd Week after Easter – 206 4th Week after Easter – 207 Mid-Pentecost – 208 5th Week after Easter – 208 6th Week after Easter – 209 Ascension of the Lord – 209 7th Sunday after Easter – 210 Pentecost. Day of the Holy Trinity - 211 1st Sunday after Pentecost - 212 2nd Week after Pentecost - 212 Hours and figurative - 214 First hour - 214 Third hour - 222 Sixth hour - 228 Ninth hour - 235 Figurative (lunch service) - 242 Troparion, kontakia and magnifications for the feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God, great saints – 251 Troparia and kontakia for icons of the Mother of God – 289 Troparia, kontakia and Sunday kontakia – 326 Troparia and daily kontakia for the entire week – 330 Troparia, kontakia and magnification common to saints – 333
_______
Prayers during the day Calling on God's help before starting any good deed - 343 At the end of the deed - 344 Thanksgiving for every good deed of God - 344 Prayer for going to church - 345 Prayer before eating - 345 Prayer after eating food - 345 Prayer before leaving the house - 346 Before the beginning of the teaching - 346 Prayer before confession - 346 Prayer for entering a new home - 347 About increasing love and eradicating hatred and all malice - 347 About the sick - 348 About traveling - 349 About prisoners - 351 About those who hate and offend us - 351 In time of disasters and attacks of enemies - 352 Prayers for every need for the welfare of the Church and the Fatherland - 355 For the preservation of the Church from heresies and schisms - 355 Holy book. To Vladimir – 355 On the preservation of Russia – 358 To the Mother of God “Sovereign” – 358 To Archangel Michael – 359 On the preservation of the city – 361 Holy Blgv. book Daniel of Moscow - 361 About the Orthodox army - 362 Holy Martyr. St. George the Victorious - 362 St. Blgv. book Alexander Nevsky - 363 About help in mental weaknesses from lack of faith - 365 St. apostle. Thomas – 365 On the granting of repentance – 366 St. Andrei Kritsky - 366 On acquiring patience - 367 Holy rights. Job the Long-Suffering – 367 From despondency – 368 St. Tikhon of Zadonsk - 368 From the passion of anger - 370 Rev. Ephraim the Syrian - 370 From the passion of pride - 371 Holy rights. Alexy, man of God - 371 From the love of money - 372 Holy immortality. Cosmas and Damian - 372 From idle talk - 374 St. Theodore of Pechersk, the Silent - 374 From drunkenness - 375 Mother of God "Inexhaustible Chalice" - 375 Holy Martyr. Boniface – 376 From carnal fornication – 378 St. Mary of Egypt – 378 From demonic possession – 379 St. martyr. Tryfon – 379
_______
In everyday needs About help in various everyday needs - 380 St. Blessed. Matrona – 380 About travelers – 381 Mother of God “Smolensk” – 381 St. Nicholas the Wonderworker – 382 About the arrangement of children – 383 St. Mitrofan of Voronezh - 383 On enlightening the mind for learning - 384 Rev. Sergius of Radonezh - 384 St. rights. John of Kronstadt - 386 About protection from thieves and about finding stolen property - 388 Holy Martyr. John the Warrior - 388 About love and peace in the family - 389 St. mchch. Guria, Sam and Aviv - 389 St. mchch. Adrian and Natalia – 391 In marital infertility – 392 St. right Joachim and Anna - 392 St. prophet. Zechariah and St. right Elizabeth – 393 About the happiness of marriage – 394 St. blgv. knn. Peter and Fevronia - 394 About assistance in childbirth - 396 Mother of God "Feodorovskaya" - 396 About the successful marriage of her daughter - 398 St. Blessed. Xenia of St. Petersburg - 398 St. VMC. Catherine - 399 About help in labor about help in construction - 400 Prp. to the architect of Pechersk - 400 About assistance in trade - 401 St. martyr. John the New – 401 About help in agricultural work – 402 Mother of God “Different of the Loaves” – 402 St. MC. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa – 403 About success in fishing – 405 St. ap. Peter, James and John - 405 About help in beekeeping - 406 Rev. Zosima and Savvaty Solovetsky - 406 In sorrows, circumstances and disasters 407 From sudden death without repentance and Communion - 407 St. vmts. Barbara – 407 In mortal danger in war – 408 St. Equal to the Apostles. Thekle - 408 From the attack of robbers - 409 To St. Joseph the betrothed - 409 From violence against virginity and chastity - 411 Rev. Moses Ugrin, Pechersky - 411 From hunger - 412 St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky - 412 Sschmch. Charalampia – 413 From drought, thunderstorm, hail – 415 Holy prophet. Elijah - 415 From the fire - 417 Mother of God "Burning Bush" - 417 In captivity and imprisonment - 419 St. VMC. Anastasia Uzoreshetelnitsa – 419 In poverty and orphanhood – 420 Holy rights. Philaret the Merciful – 420 From witchcraft – 421 Sschmch. Cyprian - 421 On the healing of bodily ailments for all bodily infirmities - 422 St. Martyr. and the healer Panteleimon - 422 About the health of the baby - 423 Holy rights. To Simeon the God-Receiver - 423 For headaches - 425 To St. Prophet John the Baptist - 425 For blindness or other eye disease - 426 To the Mother of God of Kazan - 426 For toothache - 428 Schmch. Antipas – 428 For diseases of the womb – 429 St. Theodore Studitus - 429 For throat disease - 431 Svschmch. Blasius - 431 For diseases of the hands - 432 Mother of God "Three-handed" - 432 For diseases of the legs and pain in the lower back - 433 Rev. Seraphim of Sarov - 433 For relaxation and paralysis - 435 Rev. Alexander Svirsky – 435 For cancer – 436 Mother of God “All-Tsarina” – 436 For insomnia – 437 St. to the seven youths of Ephesus - 437 When deprived of their minds - 438 St. Blessed. Andrew, for the sake of the holy fool - 438 Canon for the sick - 440 Requiem service (for reading by the laity) - 450 Canon for the deceased (deceased) - 468 Lithium - 478 Additions To help those preparing for confession - 482
_______
The Ten Commandments of God – 489 The Gospel Beatitudes – 490 Those preparing for Holy Communion – 490 How to approach the Holy Chalice – 492 Rules of pious behavior in church – 493 Rules about bowing and the sign of the cross – 497 How to behave in a cemetery – 502 About prayer – 505 About church note – 507 About the church candle – 509 About prosphora – 511 About holy water – 512
