Reverend's prayer rule. Is it possible and how to pray correctly in your own words? Doxology to the Most Holy Trinity

An Orthodox believer is different from worldly people because in everyday life keeps God's commandments and remains in prayer. The prayer rule for beginners is to read certain appeals to the Almighty and the saints in order to acquire a closer knowledge of the Creator.

Why are rules needed?

Experienced Christians know them by heart, but everyone Orthodox man there should be a “Prayer Book” filled with texts of appeals not only for morning and evening, but for all occasions.

A prayer rule is a list of prayers. For morning and evening there is general order sacred reading. In every individual case the spiritual mentor adjusts the prayer law, taking into account the degree of employment of the person, his place of residence and spiritual age.

Prayer Rule

Often, new believers rebel against reading texts written by saints in a language that is difficult to read. The prayer book was written on the basis of appeals to the Lord of people who accomplished the feat of faith, lived in purity and worship of Jesus Christ and were led by the Holy Spirit.

The first example, which became an integral part of the prayer rule for morning and evening prayers, was given to His followers by the Savior Himself. “Our Father” is the main proclamation with which Orthodox believers begin and end the day. Daily reading of the prayer book becomes a habit that fills the soul with God's wisdom.

About important church prayers:

The Church offers a prayer rule for beginners, so that the infant soul in Christianity grows in actions pleasing to the Creator.

Daily conversation with the Creator is live communication, not an empty phrase. The Boldness of Communion with Almighty God Involves Conversation in the right words, in which there is no emptiness.

Important! By turning to the Almighty, the Orthodox are then filled with God's knowledge and His protection, when they leave vanity and are completely immersed in prayer.

How to behave correctly during prayer communication

Prayerful communication of all Orthodox Christians is performed standing; only elderly and sick people can sit. While reading the prayer book, in recognition of their sinfulness and imperfection, showing humility, people bow, some to the waist, while others perform prostrations.

Prayerful communication with God

Some Orthodox believers perform prayer communion while kneeling. The holy apostles opposed such worship, explaining that only slaves kneel; children do not need to do this. (Gal. 4:7) However, having committed some sin, it is not forbidden to stand on your knees in submission, begging for forgiveness.

About prayer rules:

• Schema nun Antonia's prayer rule for murdered babies

Beginning believers sometimes do not know how to correctly make the sign of the cross. Fingers right hand should be folded as follows:

• little finger and ring finger pressed into the palm, they mean that Jesus was God and man at the same time;
• put the thumb, index and middle fingers together, three-fingered, as a symbol of the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

How to be baptized correctly

Drawing a cross in the air, touch the middle of the forehead with folded fingers, then lower the hand just below the navel, move to the right and then the left shoulder, only after this they bow.

A careless attitude to the sign of the cross, according to John Chrysostom, causes joy only among demons. The sign of the cross, performed with faith and reverence, is filled with God's grace and is a terrifying force for demonic attacks.

Before reading spiritual texts, you should try to free yourself from vain thoughts; this is sometimes difficult, so try to imagine the great sacrifice of Christ and your presence before Him in this world.

Never perform your prayers “for show”; in the spiritual world they will be an empty phrase. Delve into every word of the appeal to the Savior, filling yourself with His grace and love.

Prayer Rule - Law or Grace

Many novice Orthodox Christians are interested in the question: if prayer is a free appeal to the Creator, then why make it conform to the law.

In response to such an appeal, the Saratov abbot Pachomius clarifies that freedom and permissiveness should not be confused. The freedom of believers consists in the boldness of being before the throne of the Most High, which sinners and the unbaptized cannot afford. Permissiveness returns the believer to his former life, and it is then much more difficult to return to the grace of appeals to the Savior.

In the spiritual world there is no consensus regarding the duration and order of prayer before the Almighty. Some people remain in reverent worship for hours, while others cannot stand even half an hour.

Regular, constant spending time reading prayers will help you develop the habit of daily communication with the Creator, even if it’s 15 minutes in the evening.

Prayer Rule

First, you should purchase a “Prayer Book” and read it. Sometimes an Orthodox person understands that reading out of obligation turns into an empty habit; if this happens, then one can move on, as St. Theophan the Recluse did, to reading psalms and scriptures from the Bible.

The main thing is to be filled with worship of the Creator every day, to enter His presence, to feel His protection throughout the day. Evangelist Matthew wrote that to conquer the Kingdom of God you need to use force. (Matt. 11:12)

To help the beginning prayer book

There are three prayer lists for Orthodox believers.

1. The complete prayer rule is designed for spiritually persistent believers, which include monks and clergy.
2. The prayer rule for all laity consists of a list of prayers, read in the morning and in the evening, a list of them can be found in the “Prayer Book”:

• in the morning: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “Have mercy on me, O God”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “ Holy Angel”, “Most Holy Lady”, invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
• in the evening: “To the Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”.

Seraphim of Sarov proposed another short prayer rule for those laity who, for some reason, are limited in time or are in unpredictable circumstances.

Icon of Seraphim of Sarov

It consists of reading each prayer three times:

• "Our Father";
• “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”;
• "I believe."

Particular attention should be paid to reading spiritual appeals to the Almighty Creator and Savior during the period of fasting, before receiving the Sacrament of Communion and in the hour of difficult life trials.

Advice! God's mercy accompanies those who began communicating with God in the morning, before breakfast, and ended by reading spiritual texts before dinner.

Moral preparation for worship

For a beginning Orthodox believer, it is advisable to purchase a “Prayer Book” in modern Russian, so that while reading what is written, delve into every word, filling it with strength and grace, and receiving guidance and support.

This is the advice of Nicodemus the Holy Mountain, which points out the importance of understanding every word of the text being read. Over time, many texts are stored in memory and read by heart.

Before reading the Prayer Book, you should ask the Holy Spirit to show whether there are any remnants of resentment, bitterness or irritation in your heart. Mentally forgive all offenders and ask for forgiveness from those who were treated unfairly, this is how the Orthodox pray.

According to Tikhon of Zadonsk, all negativism should be abandoned, for, as Gregory of Nyssa wrote, the Creator is Kind, Righteous, Patient, Lover of Humanity, Kind-hearted, Merciful, the goal of the prayer rule is to be transformed into the image of the Creator, to acquire all the qualities for philanthropy.

Reading prayers at home

Jesus Christ taught to communicate with Him to go into your prayer room, closing the doors from the outside world. In each Orthodox family There is a corner with icons, although it is becoming increasingly rare to see an icon lamp there.

Red corner in the house

Before starting to worship God, you should light a candle; it is advisable to purchase it in the temple. In a family, and this is a prototype of the church, there are rules about who prays in solitude, and some prefer to do it together, because the intense prayer of a righteous person can do a lot. (James 5:16)

Theophan the Recluse, who spent a lot of time worshiping God, writes that there is no need to rush when starting prayers. Having made the sign of the cross and bowed, you should be silent for a moment, entering a state of worship and reverence before God. Every word of prayer must come from the heart; it must not only be understood, but also felt.

Reading "Our Father";

• give praise to the Creator who is in Heaven;
• submit your life to His will;
• truly forgive debts, misdeeds of other people, for this is prerequisites for God's forgiveness of each of the Orthodox;
• ask Him for mercy in solving all material problems with the words “give us this day our daily bread”;
• Declare the power of God in your life and His covering over you and your family.

If, while reading the “Prayer Book,” a desire appears in your heart to ask God for some need, do not put it off until later, but immediately bring it before the prayer throne of the Almighty.

The Lord teaches His children to be constant and persistent in prayer through the example of a poor widow (Luke 18:2-6); no petition will remain unanswered by Him. It is very important to put aside all haste when communicating with the Savior; only through a meaningful appeal can you reach God.

On the advice of Bishop Anthony, in order not to be distracted by time limits, you should wind the clock so that the bell rings at the right moment. It doesn’t matter how long the prayer rule lasts and how many prayers are read, the main thing is that they are completely dedicated to God.

Saint Ignatius calls regular prayers hard work for sinners, while the righteous experience pleasure from communion with the saints and the Trinity.

If thoughts “run away”, there is no need to rush, you should return to where you began the absent-minded reading of the spiritual proclamation and start all over again. Helps you focus on readable text pronouncing all appeals out loud. It is not without reason that they say that prayers read silently are heard by God, but prayers spoken out loud are heard by demons.

Silouan of Athos noted that God does not hear words spoken in empty thoughts and worldly affairs.

Silouan of Athos

The spirit of prayer is strengthened by regularity, just as the body of an athlete is strengthened by training. Having finished your prayer, do not immediately “pounce” on worldly vain affairs, give yourself a few more minutes of being in God’s grace.

Is it necessary to read a prayer book during the day?

Having once dedicated my life to the Lord, Orthodox people are under His protection all their lives.

Throughout your busy day, you should not forget to invoke the Father’s mercy with the words “Bless, God!” After going through a test, receiving a reward or blessing, having done a successful job, do not forget to give all the glory to the Creator with the words “Glory to you, my God!” When you get into trouble, illness or danger, cry out: “Save me, God!” and He will hear. We must not forget about thanking the Lord for everything that has been sent down from above.

Before eating, one should not forget to thank the Creator for the given food and ask for His blessing to accept it.

By constantly being in prayer, having acquired the habit of crying out at any second, thanking, asking, repenting before God with all your heart, and not with empty words, an Orthodox person becomes God-thinking. God-thinking helps to understand the goodness of the Creator, the existence of the Heavenly Kingdom and brings Orthodox Christians closer to God.

Video about fulfilling the prayer rule

In everything related to prayer and pious life, the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints can serve as an example for us. The Gospel says that Christ prayed in solitude for several hours and even throughout the whole night. The Apostle Paul called for prayer without ceasing, that is, all the time. Are there any restrictions on the duration of prayer?

You can pray to God almost everywhere:

• in the temple
• where they eat
• At work
• and even on the way

At home they read home prayers (morning, evening, before or after eating food). With the blessing of the priest, morning prayers You can read it on your way to work. In the office, you can pray before and after the work day.

During services in the temple, believers together perform public (otherwise known as church) prayer.

To pray in church alone, you need to come outside the service, purchase and light candles. It is not necessary to light them: the ministers will light them before the start of the service. Then you need to venerate the icon of the day or holiday - it lies on the lectern (a special inclined table) in the middle of the temple - as well as to the shrines that may be in the temple: revered icons, relics of saints. After this, you can find a place to read silently (whisper) any prayer that you know by heart, or pray in your own words.

How many times a day should Orthodox Christians pray?

Prayer is time dedicated to God. There should be such a time every day.

• in the morning,
• In the evening,
• before and after meals,
• before starting and after completing something (for example, work or study)
• in order to first ask God for blessings, and in the end to thank Him.

In addition, it is important in the temple for performing church prayer and receiving. If necessary, in case of special needs or life circumstances, you can pray privately (at home in front of icons or in church between services) to the saints or heavenly powers, so that they will intercede for the person praying before the Lord.

Time for reading Orthodox prayers in church and at home

In ancient monasteries, nine long services were performed per day, and between them the monks alone read psalms or said. Night was considered a particularly fertile time for solitary prayer.

Modern laity do this in the morning at home, and in the evening upon returning home. If a person is weak or has little time, then instead of the morning and evening rules he can read during the day St. Seraphim Sarovsky.

It is advisable to discuss the duration of morning and evening prayers with the priest to whom the parishioner regularly confesses.

Saturday evening and the day before church holidays one should attend the all-night vigil in the church, and the Liturgy in the morning on Sundays and holidays.

During They go to church to pray more often: in the first four days they try not to miss evening services- Great Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is celebrated on them. You should also try to attend as many services as possible during Holy Week, which precedes Easter. During Bright Week, the Liturgy is celebrated daily., and believers strive to visit it in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ not only on Sunday, but also on weekdays.

Morning prayer time

Morning prayers are read at home, immediately upon waking. Having woken up, you need to stand in front of the icons and begin to read prayers by heart or according to the prayer book.

Evening prayer time

Evening prayers are read at home at the end of the day or before bed. The evening rule is not recommended to be postponed until late time, because the later, the stronger the fatigue and the more difficult it is to concentrate.

Just before going to sleep, already lying in bed, they say: “In Your hands, Lord my God, I commend my spirit, You save me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life.”

Prayer all day long

The Orthodox Church does not set strict times for prayers. We must strive to pray constantly. This, first of all, means constantly remembering God and from time to time, if possible, turning to Him during the day with short prayers (for example, the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” or a short thanksgiving prayer“Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!”).

Continuous Prayer

Can be read short prayers continuously throughout the day, repeating the same prayer many times in a row and counting the number of repetitions using the rosary. This is how the Jesus Prayer is usually read. However, for such a prayer you must take the priest's blessing, And the number of repetitions is strictly regulated.

There are many restrictions on continuous prayer; it cannot be read uncontrolled.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina ordered his spiritual children to read the Jesus Prayer only out loud, because reading to oneself can cause strong emotional sensations and lead to falling into delusion. Prelest means self-deception, even to the point of mental insanity.

How long should prayer be?

Durationprayers are not regulated by rules.

• What is most important is the focus on prayer, not the duration or number of prayers.
• You need to pray slowly, thinking about every word.
• The number of prayers should correspond to the time we can devote to them.

The Lord said, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13), therefore, if you lack time or are very tired, it is permissible to shorten the prayer rule in order to read it with concentration.

Prayer rule– 1) daily morning and evening rituals performed by Christians (recommended texts can be found in); 2) regulated reading of these prayers.

The rule can be general - mandatory for everyone, or individual, selected for a believer taking into account his spiritual state, strength and employment.

Consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This vital rhythm is necessary, because otherwise the soul easily falls out of the prayer life, as if waking up only from time to time. In prayer, as in any big and difficult matter, “inspiration”, “mood” and improvisation are not enough.

Reading prayers connects a person with their creators: the psalmists and ascetics. This helps to gain a spiritual mood akin to their heartfelt burning. Our example in praying in other people’s words is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. His prayerful exclamations during the suffering of the cross are lines from ().

There are three basic prayer rules:
1) Complete prayer rule, which is printed in “”;

2) A short prayer rule. The laity sometimes encounters situations when there is little time and energy left for prayer, and in this case it is better to read the short rule with attention and reverence than to hastily and superficially, without a prayerful attitude, read the entire prescribed rule. The Holy Fathers teach to treat your prayer rule with reason, on the one hand, not giving indulgence to your passions, laziness, self-pity, etc., which can destroy the correct spiritual structure, and on the other hand, learn to shorten or even slightly change the rule without temptation or embarrassment when there is a real need for it.

in the morning : “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angel”, “ Most Holy Lady,” invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead;
In the evening : “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Have mercy on us, Lord”, “Eternal God”, “Good King”, “Angel of Christ”, from “The Chosen Governor” to “It is worthy to eat”;

The morning and evening rules are just necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray unceasingly (see). The Holy Fathers said: if you churn milk, you will get butter, and so in prayer, quantity turns into quality.

“For a rule to become not an obstacle, but a real driver of a person towards God, it is necessary that it be proportionate to his spiritual strength, correspond to his spiritual age and state of soul. Many people, not wanting to burden themselves, deliberately choose too easy prayer rules, which because of this become formal and do not bear fruit. But sometimes a big rule, chosen out of unreasonable jealousy, also becomes a shackle, driving you into despondency and preventing you from growing spiritually.
A rule is not a frozen form; throughout life it must necessarily change both qualitatively and externally.”

The rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Saratov, Hegumen Pachomius, answers questions about the personal prayer rule of a Christian. (Bruskov)

Prayer is the free appeal of a person’s soul to God. How can this freedom be correlated with the obligation to read the rule even when you clearly don’t want to do so?

Freedom is not permissiveness. A person is designed in such a way that if he allows himself to relax, it can be very difficult to return to his previous state. In hagiographic literature there are many examples of ascetics abandoning their prayer rule for the sake of showing love to visiting brothers. Thus, they placed the commandment of love above their prayer rule. But it should be remembered that these people reached extraordinary heights of spiritual life and were constantly in prayer. When we feel that we do not want to pray, this is a banal temptation, and not a manifestation of freedom.

The rule supports a person in a spiritually developed state; it should not depend on the momentary mood. If a person abandons the prayer rule, he very quickly becomes relaxed.

In addition, it should be remembered that when a person communicates with God, the enemy of our salvation always seeks to come between them. And not allowing him to do this is not a restriction of personal freedom.

This is clearly and clearly written in any Orthodox prayer book: “Rising from sleep, before doing any other thing, stand reverently before the All-Seeing God and, making the sign of the cross, say...”. In addition, the very meaning of the prayers tells us that morning prayers are read at the very beginning of the day, when a person’s mind is not yet occupied with any thoughts. And evening prayers should be read before bedtime, after any business. In these prayers, sleep is compared with death, bed with a deathbed. And it’s strange, after talking about death, to go watch TV or communicate with relatives.

Any prayer rule is based on the experience of the Church, to which we must listen. These rules do not violate human freedom, but help to obtain maximum spiritual benefit. Of course, there may be exceptions to any rule based on some unforeseen circumstances.

What else, besides morning and evening prayers, can be included in a layman’s prayer rule?

A layman’s rule can include quite a variety of prayers and rites. These can be various canons, akathists, readings Holy Scripture or Psalms, bows, Jesus Prayer. In addition, the rule should include a brief or more detailed commemoration of the health and repose of loved ones. In monastic practice, there is a custom to include the reading of patristic literature in the rule. But before you add anything to your prayer rule, you need to think carefully, consult with a priest, and evaluate your strengths. After all, the rule can be read regardless of mood, fatigue, or other cardiac movements. And if a person promised something to God, it must be fulfilled. The Holy Fathers say: let the rule be small, but constant. At the same time, you need to pray with all your heart.

Can a person himself, without a blessing, begin to read canons and akathists in addition to the prayer rule?

Of course it can. But if he not only read the prayer according to the desire of his heart, but thereby increases his constant prayer rule, it is better to ask the confessor for a blessing. The priest, looking from the outside, will assess his condition correctly: whether such an increase will benefit him. If a Christian regularly confesses, watches his inner life, such a change in his rule will, one way or another, affect his spiritual life.

But this is possible when a person has a confessor. If there is no confessor, and he himself decided to add something to his rule, it is still better to consult at the next confession.

On days when the service lasts all night and Christians do not sleep, is it necessary to read evening and morning prayers?

We do not tie the morning and evening rule to a specific time. However, it would be wrong to read evening prayers in the morning, and morning prayers in the evening. We should not have a pharisaical attitude towards the rule and read it at all costs, ignoring the meaning of the prayers. If you are not going to sleep, why ask for God's blessing to sleep? You can replace the morning or evening rule with other prayers or reading the Gospel.

I think that it is better for a woman to perform the prayer rule in a headscarf. This cultivates humility in her and shows her obedience to the Church. After all, from the Holy Scriptures we learn that a woman covers her head not for those around her, but for the Angels (1 Cor. 11:10). This is a matter of personal piety. Of course, God doesn’t care whether you stand up for prayer with or without a scarf, but it is important for you.

How are the canons and the procedure for Holy Communion read: on one day the day before, or can their reading be divided over several days?

You cannot approach the fulfillment of the prayer rule formally. A person must build his relationship with God himself, based on prayer preparation, health, free time, and practice of communication with his confessor.

Today, a tradition has developed when preparing for Communion to read three canons: to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Savior or the Mother of God, and the following to Holy Communion. I think it is better to read the entire rule on one day before Communion. But if it’s hard, you can spread it over three days.

Often friends and acquaintances ask how to prepare for Communion, how to read the Psalter? What should they answer to us, the laity?

You need to answer what you know for sure. You can’t take responsibility for something, strictly prescribe something to someone else, or say something you’re not sure about. When answering, one must be guided by the generally accepted tradition of church life today. If not personal experience, we need to resort to the experience of the Church and the Holy Fathers. And if you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer, you should be advised to turn to a priest or patristic works.

I read the translation of some prayers into Russian. It turns out that before I put a completely different meaning into them. Should we strive for a common understanding, read translations, or can we understand prayers as our heart tells us?

Prayers should be understood as they are written. An analogy can be drawn with ordinary literature. We read the work and understand it in our own way. But it is always interesting to find out what meaning the author himself put into this work. Also the text of the prayer. In each of them the author invested special meaning. After all, we are not reading a conspiracy, but turning to God with a specific request or praise. You can recall the words of the Apostle Paul that it is better to say five words in an understandable language than a thousand in an incomprehensible one (1 Cor. 14:19). In addition, the authors of the majority Orthodox prayers The conditions are the holy ascetics glorified by the Church.

How to relate to modern prayers? Is it possible to read everything that is written in prayer books, or prefer the more ancient ones?

Personally, I am more moved by the words of the more ancient canons, the stichera. They seem deeper and more insightful to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, respect and try to find benefit for yourself. But understand that some modern prayers are not so high quality, like prayers composed by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but at the same time be well educated. All texts offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo strict selection.

Go to the service. If a person is going to church, then public prayer should come first. Although the fathers compared public and home prayer to the two wings of a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, neither can a person. If he does not pray at home, but only goes to church, then, most likely, prayer will not work for him in church either. After all, he has no experience of personal communication with God. If a person only prays at home, but does not go to church, it means that he has no understanding of what the Church is. And without the Church there is no salvation.

How can a layman, if necessary, replace the service at home?

Published today large number liturgical literature, various prayer books. If a layman cannot attend the service, he can read the morning and evening services and mass according to the canon.

The Apostle Paul writes: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is profitable” (1 Cor. 6:12). If you are tired or sick, you can sit in Church while reading house rules. But you should understand what you are guided by: pain, which prevents you from praying, or laziness. If the alternative to reading prayer while sitting is not doing it at all, it is, of course, better to read while sitting. If a person is seriously ill, you can even lie down. But if he is just tired or is overcome by laziness, he needs to overcome himself and get up. During services, the Charter regulates when you can stand or sit. For example, we listen to the reading of the Gospel and akathists while standing, but while reading kathismas, sedals, and teachings we sit down.

This article contains: evening prayer, when to read - information taken from all over the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and in the evening it is necessary to read prayers for the coming sleep.

Why do you need to read prayers before going to bed?

There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and spiritually experienced lay people.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

In this case, it is better to read the short rule than to mindlessly and without reverence jabber the full text.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer request will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serving God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, the laity reads a short rule - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be it Your name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy for us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, may we not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord, have mercy. (12 times)

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that I may not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as if we had been delivered from the evil, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Thee; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

• Heavenly King.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, like God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and still provides comfort to those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The heavenly angels sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as the Father; we stand before Him as children before their mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His power, we beg to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death they will be awarded the honor of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will protect the soul and body.

The prayer especially highlights the danger of attacks from bodily enemies (people pushing to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions).

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants on audio recordings?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work is done for the glory of God.

Prayer should begin before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has given throughout the day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of every word spoken.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic language, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil’s army; he is visited by sinful thoughts and bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered a time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious; they can send nightmares in a dream.

This is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances are going well, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed, and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This men's monastic monastery is famous for its miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching it is recommended to put aside worldly activities.
3. Church officials advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders as part of the evening rule. Their texts have evolved over centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom that can clarify the basics Orthodox faith and know their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! Offering prayer before going to bed means that an Orthodox Christian gains protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Prayer rule.

What is a prayer rule? These are prayers that a person reads regularly, daily. Everyone's prayer rules are different. For some, the morning or evening rule takes several hours, for others - a few minutes. Everything depends on the spiritual structure of a person, on the degree of his roots in prayer and on what time he has.

It is very important that a person follows the prayer rule, even the shortest one, so that there is regularity and constancy in prayer. But the rule should not turn into a formality. The experience of many believers shows that when constantly reading the same prayers, their words become discolored, lose their freshness, and a person, getting used to them, stops focusing on them. This danger must be avoided at all costs.

I remember when I took monastic vows (I was twenty years old at the time), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what prayer rule I should have. He said: “You must read morning and evening prayers, three canons and one akathist every day. No matter what happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. And even if you read them hastily and inattentively, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that the rule is read.” I tried it. Things didn't work out. Daily reading of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly became boring. In addition, every day I spent many hours in church at services that spiritually nourished me, nourished me, and inspired me. And reading the three canons and the akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary “appendage”. I started looking for other advice that was more suitable for me. And I found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to be calculated not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely given to God. And it is not so important whether during these minutes we read all the prayers or just one, or perhaps we devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we are focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our heart. This advice worked for me. However, I do not rule out that the advice I received from my confessor would be more suitable for others. Here a lot depends on the individual person.

It seems to me that for a person living in the world, not only fifteen, but even five minutes of morning and evening prayer, if, of course, it is said with attention and feeling, is enough to be a real Christian. It is only important that the thought always corresponds to the words, the heart responds to the words of prayer, and the whole life corresponds to the prayer.

Try, following the advice of St. Theophan the Recluse, to set aside some time for prayer during the day and for daily fulfillment of the prayer rule. And you will see that it will bear fruit very soon.

The basis of life Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer “is a conversation between the soul and God.” And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is sometimes useful to stop and listen to the Lord’s answer to our prayer.

The Church, praying daily “for everyone and everything,” established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, and capabilities of the person. The prayer book offers us morning and evening prayers that are accessible to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm environment, then it is better to read them on the way rather than skip them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the Lord’s Prayer is read.

If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be done not before bedtime, but shortly before. And before going to bed, you should only read the prayer of St. John of Damascus: “Master, Lover of Mankind, will this grave really be my bed?” " and those following her.

A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. Be sure to pray for peace and health His Holiness Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all the people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if it is not his fault, he is obliged to remember the “hater” and sincerely wish him well.

The personal (“cell”) rule of many Orthodox Christians includes reading the Gospel and Psalms. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read one chapter from the Gospel during the day, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. Moreover, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one per day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended simultaneously, and a new round of readings began.

The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, and it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. One day established rule should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.

When and for how long should you pray? The Apostle Paul says: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Saint Gregory the Theologian writes: “You need to remember God more often than you breathe.” Ideally, the entire life of a Christian should be permeated with prayer.

Many troubles, sorrows and misfortunes occur precisely because people forget about God. After all, there are believers among criminals, but at the moment of committing a crime they do not think about God. It is difficult to imagine a person who would commit murder or theft with the thought of an all-seeing God, from whom no evil can be hidden. And every sin is committed by a person precisely when he does not remember God.

Most people are unable to pray throughout the day, so we need to find some time, even if it is short, to remember God.

In the morning you wake up thinking about what you have to do that day. Before you start working and plunge into the inevitable hustle and bustle, devote at least a few minutes to God. Stand before God and say: “Lord, You gave me this day, help me spend an era without sin, without vice, save me from all evil and misfortune.” And call on God’s blessing for the beginning of the day.

Throughout the day, try to remember God more often. If you feel bad, turn to Him with a prayer: “Lord, I feel bad, help me.” If you feel good, tell God: “Lord, glory to You, I thank You for this joy.” If you are worried about someone, tell God: “Lord, I am worried about him, I hurt for him, help him.” And so throughout the day - no matter what happens to you, turn it into prayer.

When the day comes to an end and you are getting ready for bed, remember the past day, thank God for all the good things that happened, and repent for all the unworthy acts and sins that you committed that day. Ask God for help and blessings for the coming night. If you learn to pray like this every day, you will soon notice how much more fulfilling your whole life will be.

People often justify their reluctance to pray by saying that they are too busy and overloaded with things to do. Yes, many of us live in a rhythm that ancient people did not live in. Sometimes we have to do many things during the day. But there are always some pauses in life. For example, we stand at a stop and wait for a tram - three to five minutes. We go on the subway - twenty to thirty minutes, dial telephone number and we hear busy beeps for a few more minutes. Let us at least use these pauses for prayer, let them not be wasted time.

How to pray when you don't have time

Many of the elder’s visitors accused him of not praying enough and not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following easily followed rule for such people:

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the hymn to the Mother of God “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” also three times. In conclusion, the Creed “I believe in one God” - once. Having completed this rule, every Orthodox Christian goes about his business, to which he has been assigned or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner (or sinner),” and if others surround him, then, going about his business, let him say with his mind only “Lord, have mercy” - and so until lunch. Just before lunch, let him do it again morning rule.

After dinner, while doing his work, let every Christian read just as quietly: “ Holy Mother of God"Save me, a sinner." When going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, the “Our Father” three times, the “Virgin Mary” three times and the “Creed” once.

St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small “rule,” one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is a model for all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Mother of God. The Symbol of Faith contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.

1. The Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9–13; Luke 11:2–4).

2. The main commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).

3. Basic gospel commandments (Matt. 5:3–12; Matt. 5:21–48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14–21; Matt. 6, 24–25; Matthew 7, 1–5;

5. Morning and evening prayers according to a short prayer book.

6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.

The fear of our time has not escaped the Orthodox. How to protect yourself and your loved ones? - believers often ask. Our main defense is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as the Scripture says, not a hair will fall from our head (Luke 21:18). This does not mean that we, in our reckless trust in God, can behave defiantly towards the criminal world. We need to remember firmly the words “do not tempt the Lord your God” (Matthew 4:7).

God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross, which cannot be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and artos, eaten every morning.

We also protect Christians with prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of Psalm 90 is written: “He lives in the help of the Most High. "and the prayer to the Honest Cross "May God rise again." It is worn on the body, under clothes.

The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before every time we go outside, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to give the blessing to yourself sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and I unite with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Orthodox parents must certainly cross their child if he goes out alone.

Once in dangerous situation, one must pray: “May God rise again,” or “To the chosen victorious Voivode” (the first kontakion from the akathist to the Mother of God), or simply “Lord, have mercy,” repeatedly. We must resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we lack the strength and courage to rush to his aid.

A very strong prayer to the saints of God, who became famous for the art of war during their lifetime: Saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratelates, Demetrius Donskoy. Let us not forget about Archangel Michael, our Guardian Angel. All of them have God’s special power to give the weak strength to overcome their enemies.

“Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps. 126:1). A Christian's home must certainly be consecrated. Grace will preserve the home from all evil. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, you need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water yourself, reading “May God rise again” or “Save, O Lord, Thy people” (troparion to the Cross). To avoid the danger of arson or fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of Her “Burning Bush” icon.

Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life, for a long time do not repent. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.

You can pray in different ways, for example, in your own words. Such prayer should constantly accompany a person. Morning and evening, day and night, a person can turn to God with the simplest words coming from the depths of his heart.

But there are also prayer books that were compiled by saints in ancient times; they need to be read in order to learn prayer. These prayers are contained in the “Orthodox Prayer Book”. There you will find morning, evening, repentance, thanksgiving prayers, you will find various canons, akathists and much more. Having purchased “ Orthodox prayer book”, don’t be alarmed that there are so many prayers in it. You don't have to read them all.

If you read the morning prayers quickly, it will take about twenty minutes. But if you read them thoughtfully, carefully, responding with your heart to every word, then reading can take a whole hour. Therefore, if you do not have time, do not try to read all the morning prayers, it is better to read one or two, but so that every word of them reaches your heart.

Before the section “Morning Prayers” it says: “Before you begin to pray, stand a little until your feelings subside, and then say with attention and reverence; “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Wait a little longer and only then start praying.” This pause, the “minute of silence” before beginning the prayer, is very important. Prayer must grow from the silence of our heart. People who “read” morning and evening prayers every day are constantly tempted to read the “rule” as soon as possible in order to begin their daily activities. Often, such reading eludes the main thing - the content of the prayer.

The prayer book contains many petitions addressed to God, which are repeated several times. For example, you may come across a recommendation to read “Lord, have mercy” twelve or forty times. Some perceive this as some kind of formality and read this prayer at high speed. By the way, in Greek “Lord, have mercy” sounds like “Kyrie, eleison.” In the Russian language there is a verb “playing tricks”, which came precisely from the fact that the psalm-readers on the choir very quickly repeated many times: “Kyrie, eleison”, that is, they did not pray, but “played tricks”. So, in prayer there is no need to fool around. No matter how many times you read this prayer, it must be said with attention, reverence and love, with complete dedication.

There is no need to try to read out all the prayers. It’s better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer, “Our Father,” repeating it several times, thinking about every word. It is not so easy for a person who is not accustomed to praying for a long time to read out a large number of prayers at once, but there is no need to strive for this. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that breathes the prayers of the Fathers of the Church. This is the main benefit that can be derived from the prayers contained in the Orthodox Prayer Book.