What time to read evening prayers at home. Video: How to read morning and evening prayers correctly? To help the beginning prayer book

Complete collection and description: morning and evening prayer for every day for the spiritual life of a believer.

Every person sometimes experiences and suffers in his soul for loved ones or for himself. In difficult life moments, prayer to the Lord is simply necessary, because everyone who asks for help always receives it. But not all prayers are clear, some seem long, and some are difficult to read. If it is difficult for you to read Church prayers, you can pray in your own words, that is, as your heart and soul tell you. You can also choose the simplest ones for yourself Orthodox prayers. Orthodox morning and evening prayers are short and will allow you to cleanse yourself spiritually and always feel light and good.

What is prayer and how to read it correctly

Every believer must not only delve into the words of prayer, but also reflect on them, and also do it correctly. The usual appeal to the Lord for help and with gratitude is prayer. God hears everyone, he sees everything we do and loves us. You need to pray only when there is no evil or resentment in your heart. If someone has greatly upset and offended you, first pray for his health and wish him well.

The correct reading of a prayer depends primarily on whether the person is a believer or not. The reading time depends on your closeness to the Lord. The clergy assure that the soul that was not close to God during earthly life will be doomed to hellish torment. Believers will receive eternal bliss. We must turn to the Lord in both joy and sorrow, not only in moments when we are in great need of something. If a person sincerely and with all his soul asks God for help, then the Almighty will definitely hear him and help him.

What types of prayers are there?

God gives every person what he needs: health, well-being, abilities, sorrows. For this we must thank him, and reading prayers is the only way to express gratitude.

If a person has some kind of misfortune and trouble, then he needs to ask for help to solve the problem as quickly as possible. To do this, you should read petitionary prayers.

Prayers of repentance are read at moments when a person wants to rest before the Lord for his sins.

When to read morning and evening prayer

The exact time for reading prayers is clearly stated in the prayer book. Morning prayer should be read immediately after waking up, before starting the day. Evening prayers are read at the end of the working day, and only after a person has done all the work. In the event that you are not going to sleep at night because you are leaving for work, then ask for a blessing on future dream no need. The only thing you can do is read other prayers or the Gospel.

Waking up in the morning, before doing anything else, cross yourself with reverence, mentally imagining the Almighty right in front of you, say: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen. Next, having brought your thoughts and feelings to complete agreement, having abandoned earthly worries, having found inner peace, read the following: God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Gospel of Luke, chapter 28, verse 15) Having spoken such a short but very weighty appeal to the tax collector, bow down as if the Lord were in front of you.

To the Lord: 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.

Prayer rule- daily morning and evening prayers performed by Christians. Their texts can be found in the prayer book.

The rule can be general - mandatory for everyone, or individual, selected for the believer by the confessor, 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 the psalms (Ps. 21:2; 30:6).

There are three basic prayer rules:

1) The complete prayer rule, which is published in the “Orthodox Prayer Book”;

2) A short prayer rule. The laity sometimes has 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 be thoughtful about your prayer rule, on the one hand, not giving indulgence to one’s passions, laziness, self-pity, etc., which can destroy the correct spiritual structure, and on the other hand, learning without temptation or embarrassment to shorten or even slightly change the rule when there is a real need for it.

in the morning : “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “Creed”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angela", "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”;

3) Brief prayer rule St. Seraphim Sarovsky: three times “Our Father”, three times “Virgin Mother of God” and once “Creed” - for those exceptional days and circumstances when a person is extremely tired or very limited in time.

It is not advisable to completely omit the prayer rule. Even if the prayer rule is read without due attention, the words of the prayers, penetrating the soul, have a cleansing effect.

The main prayers should be known by heart (with regular reading, they are gradually memorized by a person even with very bad memory), so that they penetrate deeper into the heart and so that they can be repeated in any circumstances. It is advisable to study the text of the translation of prayers from Church Slavonic language into Russian (see “Explanatory Prayer Book”) in order to understand the meaning of each word and not pronounce a single word meaninglessly or without precise understanding. It is very important that those who begin to pray should expel resentment, irritation, and bitterness from their hearts. Without efforts aimed at serving people, fighting sin, and establishing control over the body and spiritual sphere, prayer cannot become the inner core of life.

In the conditions of modern life, given the workload and accelerated pace, it is not easy for the laity to set aside a certain time for prayer. The enemy of morning prayer is haste, and the enemy of evening prayer is fatigue..

Morning prayers are best read before starting anything (and before breakfast). As a last resort, they are pronounced on the way from home. Late in the evening it is often difficult to concentrate due to fatigue, so we can recommend reading the evening prayer rule in the free minutes before dinner or even earlier.

During prayer, it is recommended to retire, light a lamp or candle and stand in front of the icon. Depending on the nature of family relationships, we can recommend reading the prayer rule together, with the whole family, or with each family member separately. General prayer is recommended before eating food, on special days, before a holiday meal, and in other similar cases. Family prayer is a type of church, public prayer (the family is a kind of “home Church”) and therefore does not replace individual prayer, but only complements it.

Before starting prayer, you should enlighten yourself sign of the cross and make several bows, from the waist or to the ground, and try to tune in to an internal conversation with God. The difficulty of prayer is often a sign of its true effectiveness.

Prayer for other people (see memorial) is an integral part of prayer. Standing before God does not alienate a person from his neighbors, but binds him to them with even closer ties. We should not limit ourselves to just praying for people close and dear to us. Praying for those who have caused us grief brings peace to the soul, has an impact on these people and makes our prayer sacrificial.

It is good to end the prayer with thanksgiving to God for the gift of communication and contrition for one’s inattention. When getting down to business, you must first think about what you have to say, do, see during the day and ask God for blessings and strength to follow His will. In the thick of it working day we need to create a short prayer(see Jesus Prayer), which will help you find the Lord in everyday affairs.

Is it possible to shorten the prayer rule?

This question worries many modern people. However, it seems that it is impossible to give an unambiguous answer to it, “yes” or “no,” regardless of the circumstances.

On the one hand, the rule exists to be followed. The importance of the prayer rule lies in the fact that it guides the Christian in the right direction.

The rules of prayer included in the composition contribute to the formation of the proper relationship of the pilgrim with God, the saints and in general with his neighbors, protecting him from the actions of evil forces and internal passions.

Many, if they did not have this saving rule, perhaps would not even know how exactly, what exactly and with what regularity they should pray to God and His saints.

On the other hand, there are various life situations, when for a believer, either due to physical or spiritual weakness, or due to other reasons (for example, in the case of especially responsible watches and duties, guard duty, active combat operations), it is either extremely difficult or practically impossible for a believer to regularly read the prayer rule in its entirety.

In such a case, it should be remembered that although the prayer rule is a rule implying the appropriateness of its fulfillment, it does not imply the absolute, unconditional necessity of its observance.

Sometimes it is better to read fewer prayers, but sincerely and with zeal (from the heart), than all (constituting a complete rule), but “formally” (carelessly, patter, jumping over lines, etc.).

There are, by the way, shortened versions of the prayer rule.

But still, if doubts arise about this, it makes sense to seek a specific recommendation from an experienced, spiritually wise shepherd or confessor.

The morning and evening rules are just necessary spiritual hygiene. We are commanded to pray unceasingly (see the Jesus Prayer). 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.”

Saint Theophan the Recluse so briefly systematizes advice on reading the prayer rule:

“a) never read hastily, but read as if in a chant... In ancient times, everything recited prayers taken from the psalms... But nowhere do I find the word “read”, but everywhere “sing”...

b) delve into every word and not only reproduce the thought of what you read in your mind, but also arouse the corresponding feeling...

c) in order to trigger the urge to hastily read, make it a point - not to read this and that, but to stand for a reading prayer for a quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour... how long you usually stand... and then don’t worry... how many prayers you read - and how the time has come, if not If you want to stand any further, stop reading...

d) having put this down, however, do not look at the clock, but stand in such a way that you can stand endlessly: your thoughts will not run ahead...

e) in order to promote the movement of prayerful feelings in your free time, re-read and rethink all the prayers that are included in your rule - and re-feel them, so that when you begin to read them according to the rule, you know in advance what feeling should be aroused in the heart...

f) never read prayers without interruption, but always break them up with personal prayer, with bows, whether in the middle of prayers or at the end. As soon as something comes to your heart, immediately stop reading and bow. This last rule is the most necessary and most necessary for cultivating the spirit of prayer... If any other feeling is very consuming, you should be with it and bow down, but leave reading... so until the very end of the allotted time.”

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Morning prayers for every day

Every new day brings new difficulties, downs and ups. Without God's protection, we are more quickly overtaken by disappointment, despondency and troubles. It is very important to pray in the morning in order to enlist the support of the Almighty at the very beginning of the day.

This prayer is not just universal, but obligatory for any Christian believer. It is read not only before meals or during difficult moments in life, but also in the morning. After opening your eyes and waking up from sleep, take one minute to read this prayer to pay tribute to heaven, because they woke you up and gave you another day of life. The text of the prayer is familiar to everyone:

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy 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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Prayers for material well-being

Much has been said about prayers that have the power to make our lives better. But it is also important to go towards God yourself. After all, only with inner readiness and awareness true path Heaven's help comes.

If you are facing money problems, you too can turn to Heaven for help. It is only important to do it correctly, not with greed in your soul, but by asking God for what is necessary. Find out about prayers for relief from poverty on the website of the Orthodox monastery.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

First, read the text of the prayer itself:

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Then you can repeat three times: "Lord have mercy", and end the morning prayer with the words “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen».

The Holy Trinity is the three incarnations of God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each of these components is our assistant in earthly affairs. Taken together, the Trinity is God, therefore, by reading this prayer, you ask our Creator to grant his mercy and forgive you all your sins - those that were committed intentionally, and those that you have not yet been able to cope with.

Publican's Prayer

"God, be merciful to me, a sinner", - this is the simplest of all protective prayers. It is good to read not only in the morning, but also before any undertaking, before leaving the house and before a difficult task.

Do not underestimate these words and think that prayer is better the more difficult and longer it is. This is absolutely not true, because the most important thing is your spiritual attitude and your faith, and not your memorization abilities.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

“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 Blessed One, our souls.”

This is a simple prayer - quite rare, difficult to understand, but very effective and ancient. It can be read before meals and in the morning.

Another simple prayer known to almost every Christian:

“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."

First part before ". have mercy on us" It is better to read it three times - as it is read in church according to the rules. This is a very light prayer text, and it is what most believers read in the morning and before bed.

Remember that attitude is important. Do not read prayers when you are in a bad mood or if your thoughts are busy with something else. You need full concentration, because you are communicating with God. Even simple prayer words for help will be heard if they are spoken from pure heart. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

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Prayer is our conversation with God. In it we can talk with Him about our affairs, share joy and experiences, we can thank Him, ask and apologize.

Prayer can be personal - when we pray on our own, or communal - when we gather with others in a temple or in a family circle.

During the day we do many things, there are many different troubles. Sometimes we forget to do something. However, we must never forget about prayer.

Prayer is our most important activity. It is very important to pray morning prayers and evening prayers.

Daily Prayers

Daily prayers are those prayers that the Church teaches to pray every day, i.e. morning, evening or throughout the day.

In the morning, waking up from sleep, we thank God for good night and ask for blessings for the whole day. We say daily and morning prayers.

In the evening, when we go to bed, we give thanks for the day and pray for a good night's rest. We say daily and evening prayers.

Sign of the cross

We always begin and end each prayer with the sign of the cross. Making the sign of the cross

We discover our faith, therefore we must be baptized very carefully. To make the sign of the cross, we put together three fingers (thumb, index and middle) of the right hand (this symbolizes the Holy Trinity), and bend it towards the palm ring finger and little finger (this means that Jesus Christ is both God and man). Therefore, raising right hand to the forehead, we say: “In the name of the Father,” then, placing this hand on the chest, “and the Son,” then on the right shoulder, “and the Holy Spirit,” and, placing it on the left shoulder, we finish: “Amen.”

We begin the prayer like this:

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen (3).

Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Text of the prayer to the Holy Spirit.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who is everywhere and fills 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 (3).

Doxology

Prayer of the Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy (3).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord, have mercy (12).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Come, let us worship our King - God.

Come, let us worship Christ, our King - God.

Come, let us bow and fall before the Lord Jesus Christ himself - our king and God.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies.

Text of prayer Psalm 50

cleanse my iniquity.

Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my iniquities, and I will take away my sin before me.

If you alone have sinned and done evil to you, then you are right in your words and you will win when you judge.

This is because I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sin.

This is why you loved the truth, unknown, and you showed me the secret wisdom of yours.

Bring boiling water to me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; the broken bones will rejoice.

Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb.

Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Spirit, Master.

I will show the wicked your ways; your wicked will turn to you.

Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will glorify Your righteousness.

Lord, open my lips, and my lips will proclaim Your praise.

Therefore, if You wanted sacrifices, I would give them, and burnt offerings are not dear to You.

A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise the contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion with Your favor, O Lord, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built.

Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offerings, then they will place bullocks on Your altar.

Symbol of faith

I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of everything visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, being with the Father, through whom all things came into being.

For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and came into being as a man.

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures. And he ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father. And suddenly he will come with glory to judge the living and the dead, but his Kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord who creates life, who comes from the Father [and the Son], who is equally worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, spoke through the prophets.

Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

Repentance prayer

Ease, forgive, forgive, Lord, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word and in deed, conscious and unconscious, in mind and in design, day and night - forgive us all, for you are Good and Lover of Mankind.

Prayers to the Mother of God

It is truly worthy to call You blessed, the Mother of God, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate, and the Mother of our God. The most honorable Cherubim and the most glorious Seraphim, the corruption of God the Word gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify You.

We resort to Your mercy, Virgin Mother of God, do not despise our prayers in sorrows, but deliver us from troubles, the only pure and blessed one.

Honest Ever-Virgin Mother of God, accept our prayers and convey them to Your Son and our God, so that He may save our souls for Your sake.

Angels Prayer

All heavenly powers, holy angels and archangels, pray to God for us sinners.

All Saints' Prayer

Glorious and all-praised saints, apostles, prophets, martyrs and all saints, pray to God for us sinners.

The Majesty of the Holy Trinity

Our hope is the Father, our refuge is the Son, and our patron is the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, our God, glory to Thee.

Mitareva prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner (sinner).

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.

I have sinned without number, Lord, forgive me.

Morning prayer

Dear child. When you wake up from sleep in the morning, first of all make the sign of St. Cross and smile at Jesus in your soul, thank Him for the night you lived and ask for a blessing for the whole day.

I thank You, God, for a good night and surrender myself to Your care for the whole day. I sacrifice to You my education, my games, all the joys and failures that I may now encounter. I always want to act in such a way that, my God, you will be pleased with me.

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen (3).

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, both in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, blessed Mary, the Lord is with you. Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You gave birth to Christ the Savior, the Redeemer of our souls.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Text of morning prayer.

My Guardian Angel,

You all stay with me,

Early in the evening, day and night,

Help me.

Prayer "My Angel"

My holy angel

My heavenly friend,

Lead me to God

Always look at me

Save everything from evil,

I want to live a holiday

Text of the prayer to the Angel.

My Guardian Angel, my good thoughts, grant that I may always be focused on the mysteries of Jesus and not for a moment move away from Him. Amen.

Prayer of your Guardian

Prayer to Saint Nicholas

My beloved guardians,

On the day of baptism I was given

I ask you with my whole heart,

Take me under your little wing.

Teach me to live the way I should.

And lead me to heaven.

Evening prayers

Text of evening prayer

End each day, dear child, with a prayer. In the evening prayer, thank the Heavenly Father for the caresses you received, place yourself under His care, do a short examination of conscience, apologize for the sins you committed during the day and resolve to get better. Before you go to sleep, get on your knees and think that God is with you, so tell Him:

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen (3).

Our Father... Virgin Mary... I Believe...

O God, I sincerely apologize to you for all the unkind thoughts, words and deeds with which I have offended you so much and caused trouble to my relatives, teachers and neighbors.

Lay down on the bed, sprinkle yourself with holy water and say:

Lord, protect me with the power of the Honest Life-Giving Cross tonight from all evil. Amen.

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Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) in his “Teaching on the Prayer Rule” wrote: “Rule! What an accurate name, borrowed from the very effect produced on a person by prayers called the rule! The prayer rule guides the soul correctly and holy, teaches it to worship God in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23), while the soul, left to itself, could not follow the correct path of prayer. Due to her damage and darkening by sin, she would constantly be seduced to the sides, often into the abyss, now into absent-mindedness, now into daydreaming, now into various empty and deceptive ghosts of high prayerful states, created by her vanity and voluptuousness.

Prayer rules keep the person praying in a saving disposition, humility and repentance, teaching him constant self-condemnation, feeding him with tenderness, strengthening him with hope in the All-Good and All-Merciful God, delighting him with the peace of Christ, love for God and for his neighbors.”

From these words of the saint it is clear that it is very saving to read the morning and evening prayer rules. It spiritually takes a person out of the confusion of night dreams or daytime worries and puts him before God. And the human soul enters into communication with its Creator. The grace of the Holy Spirit descends on a person, brings him into the necessary repentant mood, gives him inner world and harmony, drives away demons from him (“This race is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21), sends down God’s blessing and strength to live. Moreover, the prayers were written by holy people: Saints Basil the Great and St. John Chrysostom, Ven. Macarius the Great and others. That is, the very structure of the rule is very useful for the human soul.

Therefore, of course, reading the morning and evening prayer rule every day, so to speak, - minimum required For Orthodox Christian. Moreover, it does not take much time. For someone who has gotten into the habit of reading, it takes about twenty minutes in the morning and the same in the evening.

If you don’t have time to read the morning rule all at once, then break it into several parts. “Little Cap” from the beginning to “Lord have mercy” (12 times), inclusive, can, for example, be read at home; The following prayers are during pauses in work or during your daily activities. This, of course, needs to be confessed, but it’s better than not reading it at all. We are all human, and it is clear that we are very sinful and busy. You also regulate the end of your morning prayers yourself. This concerns the commemoration. You can read the extended commemoration or the shortened one. At your discretion, depending on the time available.

A fairly common mistake of new Orthodox Christians is reading the evening prayer rule immediately before going to bed. You sway, stagger, mutter words of prayer, and you yourself think about how to lie down in bed under a warm blanket and fall asleep. So it turns out – not prayer, but torment. Mandatory hard labor before bed.

In fact, the evening prayer rule is read somewhat differently. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) wrote that after evening prayers you can leave time to talk and drink tea.

That is, in fact, you can read the evening prayer rule from the beginning to the prayer of St. John of Damascus “O Lord, Lover of Mankind...” If you, dear brothers and sisters, have noticed, then before this prayer there is a prayer of dismissal: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son God... have mercy on us. Amen". It really is a vacation. You can read the evening prayers up to and including it long before bedtime: at six, seven, eight o’clock in the evening. Then go about your daily evening activities. You can still eat and drink tea, as Father Nikon said, and communicate with loved ones.

And starting with the prayer “Lord, Lover of Mankind...” and until the end, the rule is read immediately before going to bed. During the prayer “May God rise again,” you need to cross yourself and you can cross your bed and house to the four cardinal directions (starting from Orthodox tradition from the east), protecting yourself, your loved ones and your home with the sign of the cross from all evil.

After reading the second half of the evening prayers, nothing is eaten or drunk. In the prayer “In Thy hands, O Lord...” you ask God for blessings on good dream and surrender your soul to Him. After this you should go to bed.

I would also like to draw your attention, dear brothers and sisters, to the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov. Many understand it as reading three times a day (morning, lunch, evening) certain prayers “Our Father” (three times), “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice...” (three times) and the Creed (once). But it is not so. In addition to reading the rule three times, the Monk Seraphim said that in the first half of the day a person should read the Jesus Prayer almost all the time, or, if people are around, in his mind “Lord, have mercy,” and after lunch, instead of the Jesus Prayer, “Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner."

That is, Saint Seraphim offers a person spiritual exercise in continuous prayer, and not just a relief from the evening and morning prayer rules. You can, of course, read the prayer according to the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov, but only then you need to follow all the instructions of the great elder.

Therefore, I repeat once again, the morning and evening prayer rule is the necessary minimum for an Orthodox Christian.

I would also like to draw your attention, dear brothers and sisters, to a fairly common mistake that we often make.

Saint Ignatius warns us about it in the above-mentioned work: “When performing the rule and bows, one must not rush; It is necessary to perform both the rules and bows with as much leisure and attention as possible. It is better to say fewer prayers and bow down less, but with attention, than a lot and without attention.

Choose for yourself a rule that corresponds to your strengths. What the Lord said about the Sabbath, that it is for man, and not man for it (Mark 2:27), can and should be applied to all pious deeds, as well as to the prayer rule. A prayer rule is for a person, and not a person for a rule: it should contribute to a person’s achievement of spiritual success, and not serve as an inconvenient burden (onerous duty), crushing bodily strength and confusing the soul. Moreover, it should not serve as a reason for proud and harmful conceit, for harmful condemnation of loved ones and humiliation of others.”

Venerable Nikodim Svyatogorets in the book “ Invisible abuse" wrote: "... There are many clergy who deprive themselves of the saving fruit of the world from their spiritual works by prolonging them, believing that they will suffer damage if they do not complete them, in a false confidence, of course, that this is what spiritual perfection. Following their will in this way, they work hard and torment themselves, but do not receive true peace and inner peace, in which God truly finds and rests.”

That is, we need to count our strength in prayer. You should sit down and think about the time that everyone has. If you, for example, are a freight forwarder in a trading company and are on the road from morning to night, or you are married, work and still need to devote time to your husband, children, and organize family life, then perhaps the morning and evening prayer rule is enough for you and reading two chapters of "The Apostle", a chapter of the Gospel per day. Because if you also take upon yourself to read various akathists, several kathismas, then you will have no time left to live. And if you are a pensioner or work somewhere as a security guard or at another job, with free time, then why not read akathists and kathismas.

Explore yourself, your time, your capabilities, your strengths. Balance your prayer rule with your life so that it is not a burden, but a joy. Because it is better to read fewer prayers, but with heartfelt attention, than to read a lot, but thoughtlessly, mechanically. Prayer has power when you listen and read it with your whole being. Then a life-giving spring of communication with God will flow into our hearts.

Priest Andrey Chizhenko

In this article we will talk to you about the great importance of morning and evening prayers, which are for us the same as for a warrior going to battle with the enemy, armor covering the heart and other vulnerable parts of the body. Just as it is not easy to ignite the spirit of prayer for someone who has just risen from sleep and is in a certain darkness from sleepy relaxation, so it is not at all easy for a person who has completed his day, having spent it in earthly labors, to come to life for God in spirit, for this spirit is often darkened by a string of daytime impressions.
Why did the Church select for us certain gold bars for the small treasury of the morning and evening rule. And the one who reads this rule with attention, often by heart, and sometimes only by looking in the prayer book, really becomes attached to it with all his soul, with all his thoughts. For the Lord every time invigorates the soul, dispels languor, restores vigor, returns sharp-sightedness, as if introducing us into the world of prayer through this small rule. Of course, it’s not bad to listen to it in church or at home during a conciliar reading, but it’s best to read this rule yourself, delving into every word of the prayer, without rushing anywhere, but feeding and being saturated with the grace hidden in those repentant sighs, denunciations, glorifications and praises of God, with which these truly holy prayers, composed by the men of antiquity, are saturated.
That’s why you should never rush with this rule; if you don’t have enough time, it’s better not to try to fit the rule into seven minutes, but to read only a few prayers so that they resonate in the soul and serve to sanctify the heart. Regarding the evening rule, it is advised to read it even when the soul is not constrained by fatigue. But essentially, after three o’clock in the afternoon, when according to the ancient calculation of time the 9th hour comes into force, you can read this rule, leaving those prayers that are printed in the prayer book after the prayer “It is worthy to eat...” as sanctifying the immediate going to sleep .
Daily morning and evening prayers are necessary for the rhythm of life, since 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.
There are three basic prayer rules:
1) a complete prayer rule, designed for spiritually experienced laity, which is published in the “Orthodox Prayer Book”;
2) a short prayer rule; in the morning: “Heavenly King”, Trisagion, “Our Father”, “Virgin Mother of God”, “Rising from sleep”, “God have mercy on me”, “I Believe”, “God, cleanse”, “To You, Master”, “Holy Angela", "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”;
3) a short prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Our Father” three times, “Virgin Mother of God” three times and “I Believe” once - for those days and circumstances when a person is extremely tired or very limited in time. It is not advisable to completely omit the prayer rule. Even if the prayer rule is read without due attention, the words of the prayers, penetrating the soul, have a cleansing effect.
The main prayers should be known by heart (with regular reading, they are gradually memorized by a person even with a very poor memory), so that they penetrate deeper into the heart and so that they can be repeated in any circumstances. It is advisable to study the text of the translation of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian (see “Explanatory Prayer Book”) in order to understand the meaning of each word and not pronounce a single word meaninglessly or without precise understanding. It is very important that those who begin to pray should expel resentment, irritation, and bitterness from their hearts. Without efforts aimed at serving people, fighting sin, and establishing control over the body and spiritual sphere, prayer cannot become the inner core of life.
In the conditions of modern life, given the workload and accelerated pace, it is not easy for the laity to set aside a certain time for prayer. The enemy of morning prayer is haste, and the enemy of evening prayer is fatigue.
It is best to read morning prayers before starting any task (and before breakfast). As a last resort, they are pronounced on the way from home. Late in the evening it is often difficult to concentrate due to fatigue, so we can recommend reading the evening prayer rule in the free minutes before dinner or even earlier.
During prayer, it is recommended to retire, light a lamp or candle and stand in front of the icon. Depending on the nature of family relationships, we can recommend reading the prayer rule together, with the whole family, or with each family member separately. General prayer is recommended before eating food, on special days, before a holiday meal, and in other similar cases. Family prayer is a type of church, public prayer (the family is a kind of “home Church”) and therefore does not replace individual prayer, but only complements it.
Before starting prayer, you should sign yourself with the sign of the cross and make several bows, from the waist or to the ground, and try to tune in to an internal conversation with God. The difficulty of prayer is often a sign of its true effectiveness.
Prayer for other people is an integral part of prayer. Standing before God does not alienate a person from his neighbors, but binds him to them with even closer ties. We should not limit ourselves to just praying for people close and dear to us. Praying for those who have caused us grief brings peace to the soul, has an impact on these people and makes our prayer sacrificial.
It is good to end the prayer with thanksgiving to God for the gift of communication and contrition for one’s inattention. When getting down to business, you must first think about what you have to say, do, see during the day and ask God for blessings and strength to follow His will. In the midst of a busy day, you need to say a short prayer, which will help you find the Lord in everyday affairs.
Thus, diligent reading of morning and evening prayers gives a Christian that strength, that moral core, that stability that overcomes the changeability and inconstancy of our heart. And no matter how susceptible we are to sin, no matter how the evil one laughs at us, forcing us to do what we don’t want and not to do what we should do, through careful reading of the rule we gain power over him, the evil one, and are introduced Already, God has placed us on a different path - inner, attentive, contrite prayer.

A short morning prayer rule

Morning prayers

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

Initial prayer

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

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

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.

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist.) Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. Lord have mercy (Three times ) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy 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 also leave our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

Rejoice, Virgin Mary, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, For you gave birth to the Savior of our souls.

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, Holy Trinity, for for the sake of Thy goodness and long-suffering, Thou hast not been angry with me, lazy and sinful, nor hast Thou destroyed me with my iniquities; but you usually loved mankind and in the despair of the one who lay down, you raised me up to practice and glorify Your power. And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my lips to learn Thy words, and to understand Thy commandments, and to do Thy will, and to sing to Thee in heartfelt confession, and to sing Thy all-holy name, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages. centuries. Amen.Come, let us worship our King God.(Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God.(Bow)
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.(Bow)

Psalm 50

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You, so that You may be justified in Your words and triumph over the judgment of You. Behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. My hearing brings joy and joy; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had desired sacrifices, you would have given them: you do not favor burnt offerings. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering; Then they will place the bullock on Your altar.

Symbol of faith

I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, Who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

First prayer of Saint Macarius the Great

God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no more good things before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and may Your will be done in me, Yes, I will open my unworthy lips without condemnation and I will praise Your holy name, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and ever, Amen.

Prayer of the same saint

To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running, and I strive for Your works with Your mercy, and I pray to You: help me at all times, in every thing, and deliver me from all worldly evil things and the devil’s haste, and save me and bring me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Provider and Giver of every good thing, and all my hope is in You, and I send glory to You, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Holy Angel, standing before my accursed soul and my passionate life, do not leave me, a sinner, nor depart from me for my intemperance. Do not give room to the evil demon to possess me through the violence of this mortal body; strengthen my poor and thin hand and guide me on the path of salvation. To her, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my damned soul and body, Forgive me all, I have offended you so much all the days of my life, and if we have sinned this night, cover me this day, and keep me from every nasty temptation, Yes, in no sin will I anger God, and pray for me to the Lord, may He strengthen me in His passion, and she is worthy to show me the servant of His goodness. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, With Your saints and all-powerful prayers, take away from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all the nasty, evil and blasphemous thoughts from my damned heart and from my darkened mind; and extinguish the flame of my passions, for I am poor and damned. And deliver me from many and fierce memories and enterprises, and free me from all evil actions. For you are blessed from all generations, and glorified is Your most honorable name forever and ever. Amen.

Prayerful invocation of the saint whose name you bear

Pray to God for me, holy servant of God(Name) , because I diligently run to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.

Prayer for the living

Save, Lord, and have mercy my spiritual father(Name), my parents (names) , relatives (names), bosses, mentors, benefactors(their names) and all Orthodox Christians.

Prayer for the departed

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names) , and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

End of prayers

It is worthy to eat as to truly bless Thee, Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

In the morning, getting up from sleep, still in bed, cross yourself with prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Getting out of bed and washing your face, and in the evening, going to bed, stand with reverence before the holy icons and, looking at them, directing your thoughts to the invisible God and his saints, earnestly, slowly, protecting yourself with the sign of the cross and bowing, say with tenderness the prayer of the publican:

(bow) (bow). Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (bow).

(bow always to the ground).

(bow) (bow).

Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless (bow).

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross, and my holy Guardian Angel, and all for the sake of the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen. (bow to the ground, without the sign of the cross).

These prayers are called “beginning” or “coming and starting bows” because they are performed at the beginning and after any prayer rule.

After this, repeat the publican’s prayer with bows:

God, be merciful to me, a sinner (bow). Create me, O Lord, and have mercy on me (bow). Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (bow).

And begin your morning prayers with reverence.

For the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen (bow always from the waist). Cross yourself and say three times:

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee for everyone's sake.

Further: God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no good before You. (bow), but deliver me from the evil one, and Thy will be done in me (bow) May I open my unworthy lips without condemnation and praise Your holy name: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen (bow).

Circled prayers are not read in the evening.

Heavenly King, Comforter, True Soul, 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 Blessed One, our soul.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times with bows). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Saints, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake. Lord have mercy (three times). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread this day. 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. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. Lord have mercy (12 times).

If it is morning, it reads:

Having risen from sleep, I thank Thee, All-Holy Trinity, for for the sake of many, for the sake of kindness and long-suffering, Thou hast not been angry with me, Thy sinful and lazy servant, and Thou hast not destroyed me with my iniquities, but love of mankind. And lying in despair, raise me up to practice and glorify Your invincible power. And now, Master, Most Holy God, enlighten the eyes of my heart and open my lips to learn Your words, and understand Your commandments, and do Your will, and sing to You in confession of the heart. Sing and glorify Your most honorable and magnificent name: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

If evening:

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And now, and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Come, let us worship our King God (bow). Come, let us worship Christ, the King and our God (bow). Come, let us worship and fall before the Lord Jesus Christ himself, the King and our God (bow).

PSALM 50 (repentance)/>

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy. And according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity and bear away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone and have done evil before You. For you may be justified in Your words and overcome without ever being judged. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed. Wash me and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing: humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not turn me away from Your Face, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s spirit. I will teach the wicked your way, and they will turn to you in wickedness. Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, God of my salvation; My tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if he had wanted a sacrifice, he would have given it; You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit: God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor; and let the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then favor the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering. Then they will place the calf on Your altar.

Protecting ourselves reverently with the sign of the cross, we pronounce the SYMBOL OF FAITH - the words of the holy fathers of the First and Second Ecumenical Councils (sign of the cross without bowing):

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born of the Father before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, born, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by Him all things were. For our sake, man, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, suffering and buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, but His kingdom has no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the true and life-giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. And into one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, joyful Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you gave birth to Christ the Savior, the Redeemer of our souls (with bows three times).

ABOUT! All-sung Mother, who gave birth to all the saints, the most holy Word, having accepted the present offering, deliver everyone from every misfortune, and the coming torment, crying out to Ty: Alleluia (three times, with bows to the ground).

Invincible and divine power of the honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, do not forsake me, a sinner who trusts in You. (bow). My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, have mercy on me, and save me, and help me now, in this life, and at the end of my soul, and in the future (bow). All heavenly powers, holy angels and archangels, cherubs and seraphim, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, to the Lord God, and help me now, in this life, and at the end of my soul, and in the future (bow). Angel of Christ, my holy guardian, have mercy on me and pray for me, a sinner, to the Lord God, and help me now, in this life, and at the end of my soul, and in the future (bow). Great Saints John, Prophet and Forerunner of the Lord, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, to the Lord God, and help me now, in this life, and at the end of my soul, and in the future (bow). Glorious holy apostles, prophets and martyrs, saints, reverends and righteous ones and all saints, have mercy on me, and pray for me, a sinner, to the Lord God, and help me now, in this life, and at the end of my soul, and in the future (bow).

After this, pray the following prayers three times with bows.

Most Holy Trinity our God, glory to Thee. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Glory, Lord, to Your Honest Cross. Most Holy Lady Theotokos, save me, Thy sinful servant. Angel of Christ, my holy guardian, save me, Thy sinful servant. Holy archangels and angels, pray to God for me, a sinner. Great Saints John, Prophet and Forerunner, Baptist of the Lord, pray to God for me, a sinner. Saints and glorious prophet Elijah, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy forefathers, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy prophets, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy apostles, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy Glorious Apostles and Evangelists: Matthew, Marco, Luke and John the Theologian, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy Glorious Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy three great saints: Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian and John Chrysostom, pray to God for me, a sinner. Saint Nicholas of Christ, pray to God for me, a sinner. Reverend Father Sergius, pray to God for me, a sinner. Holy Hieromartyr and Confessor Habakkuk, pray to God for me, a sinner. Saint of Christ and confessor Ambrose, pray to God for me, a sinner. Our reverend and God-bearing fathers, shepherds and teachers of the universe, pray to God for me, a sinner. All saints, pray to God for me, a sinner.

After this, pray to the saint whose name you bear, and to the saint celebrated on this date, as well as to other saints whom you wish. Don’t forget to pray and do penance, whatever bows you receive from your spiritual father.

Then pray for the health of the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives and loved ones, saying three times with bows about health and salvation:

Merciful Lord, save and have mercy on Your servants (bow) (name the names for whom you pray). Deliver them from all sorrow, anger and need. (bow). From all illnesses of mind and body (bow). And forgive them every sin, voluntary and involuntary. (bow). And do something useful for our souls (bow).

Then pray for the repose of your spiritual fathers, parents and loved ones, and for whom you have zeal, saying three times with bows:

Rest, O Lord, the soul of your departed servants (bow) (name the names for whom you pray). And as much as men have sinned in this life, You, as the Lover of Mankind, forgive them and have mercy (bow). Deliver us from eternal torment (bow). Make partakers of the kingdom of heaven (bow). And do something useful for our souls (bow).

When finishing your prayers, say:

Lord, whether in word, or in deed, or in thought, I have sinned throughout my life, have mercy on me and forgive me, for Thy mercy’s sake. (bow to the ground). I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me in Your blood (bow to the ground). My hope is God, and my refuge is Christ, and my patron is the Holy Spirit. (bow to the ground).

It is worthy to eat, for truly you are blessed, the Mother of God, ever blessed and immaculate, and the Mother of our God. The most honorable cherub and the most glorious truly seraphim, who without corruption gave birth to God the Word, the real Mother of God, we magnify You (bow always to the ground).

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (bow). And now and ever and unto ages of ages, amen (bow). Lord have mercy, Lord have mercy, Lord bless (bow).

And release:/>

Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother and our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind. Amen.

And, bending down to the ground, without making the sign of the cross, read forgiveness:

Weaken, forsake, let go, O God, of my sins, voluntary and involuntary, both in word and in deed, both in knowledge and in ignorance, in mind and in thought, in days and in nights, forgive me all, as Good and Lover of Humanity. Amen.

Having risen, read this prayer with bows:

Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good, to the brethren and to all our relatives, even those who are alone, grant them everything, even petitions for salvation and eternal life (bow). In the present illnesses, visit and heal, in the prisons of the present freedom, on the floating waters, awaken the Ruler and those who are on their way, correct and hasten (bow). Remember, Lord, our captive brethren, fellow believers of the Orthodox faith, and deliver them from every evil situation (bow). Have mercy, Lord, on those who gave us alms and commanded us, unworthy, to pray for them, forgive them and have mercy (bow). Have mercy, O Lord, on those who labor and serve us, who have mercy and nourishment on us, and grant them all petitions and eternal life that lead to salvation. (bow). Remember, O Lord, our fathers and brethren who departed before, and bring them home, where the light of Thy face shines (bow). Remember, Lord, our thinness and wretchedness, and enlighten our minds with the light of reason of Thy Holy Gospel, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, amen (bow).

These prayers end with the usual seven bows (see “incoming and outgoing bows” at the beginning).

At the end of your prayers, both in the morning and in the evening, protecting yourself with your pectoral cross, say: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless and sanctify and preserve me by the power of Your Life-Giving Cross.

After that, kiss the cross.

And read the prayer to the Cross, crossing yourself:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His face, like smoke disappearing, may they disappear. As wax melts in the face of fire, so may demons perish in the face lovers of God, and those who are marked by the sign of the cross, and let us rejoice in the words: Rejoice, O Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of You, our Lord Jesus Christ, who was cast down into hell, and who trampled upon the power of the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary.

ABOUT! Most honorable and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me, with the Most Holy Lady Theotokos, and with all the holy heavenly powers, always and now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.