Do you read all the morning prayers? Prayer Rule

Every believer must be in contact with God every second of his existence. This should be his goal and daily work expressed in prayer. Many holy elders said that every appeal to the Creator should be accompanied by three prayers. The first is read as given by the Almighty, the second as gratitude to the Mother of God, and the third - for support in faith and Christian morals.

In order to make the path to God easier for believers, some holy people created special prayer rules that indicated when and where it was appropriate to read a particular prayer. Also, thanks to this list, one could find out how many times a day it is necessary to contact the Creator. Particular attention was paid to the days of church holidays and sacraments, requiring special spiritual preparation from the laity. The most famous is the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity, which we will tell you about today. In addition to this, in the article we will touch on some additional nuances of turning to God.

Prayerful work of the soul

Christianity takes daily prayer very seriously. The clergy instruct the flock, explaining to them that it is necessary to move towards God in small steps, but without stopping for a minute. Immediately after baptism, you should not rush headlong into reading religious books and actively attend all services in the church. This way you will not gain spiritual purity, but will only become confused in your feelings and sensations.

It is worth starting your movement towards God by studying the prayer rule, which will help you correctly put into words your spiritual impulse. Moreover, every church minister will say that you need to accustom yourself to prayer. Despite the daily rhythm of life, mood and fatigue, you need to force yourself to turn to God with gratitude and a request for protection. At first it will be quite difficult to do this, but gradually prayer will begin to bring joy and spiritual enlightenment.

At this stage, the believer can already say all the prayers from the prayer rule. And this work gives him an incredible feeling of unity with the Creator, who pushes him to further self-improvement. And over time, prayer begins to evoke such happiness that a special state of peace and tranquility descends on a person. Filled with such sensations, a believer can leave everyday activities in order to immediately turn to God.

It is precisely such religious feelings that push people to go to a monastery, because within its walls prayer takes on a completely different meaning - transformed into a single impulse of several souls, it becomes a real purification. Many holy elders say that it is for prayer that people go to the monastery. It becomes their reward, because with other ideas about God, few people will be able to endure the difficult everyday life of a monastery.

More than once in the article we have used such a phrase as “prayer rule.” Let's look at this church term in more detail.

Prayer rule for the laity: a brief description

Since it is quite difficult for lay people who have just come to faith to accustom themselves to daily prayer, special collections have been compiled that help to correctly calculate their strengths and turn to the Creator with a certain spiritual message.

Prayer rules were not invented overnight. Sometimes they were created by holy elders at the request of the laity, while others appeared in connection with various church rituals. Be that as it may, every Orthodox believer must adhere to certain regulations that allow him to cleanse himself as much as possible from everything worldly and vain in order to open his heart to his Creator.

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity

It is worth noting that the holy elder considered communication with the Creator to be the first necessity for a Christian. It should be more important to him than food, water and air. No believer can imagine his life without prayer.

The elder himself spent most of his time in this activity and bequeathed such a pastime to his spiritual children. Sometimes he even demanded that his followers pray for many hours every day, and therefore he composed a rule for them to help them with their difficult spiritual work.

Morning

Seraphim of Sarov believed that new day must be greeted with the sign of the cross and the fulfillment of the morning prayer rule. The elder argued that to pray, a Christian should stand near icons or in another place where nothing would distract him from communication with God.

The morning prayer rule includes three texts. Reading must be done in the following order:

"Our Father";
"Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
Symbol of faith.

Keep in mind that the first two texts must be read three times, but for the last prayer once is enough. After following the rules, a person can begin his daily activities and responsibilities.

Day

Seraphim of Sarov advised not to forget about the prayer rule during usual activities. In Russian, you can quietly read the Jesus Prayer. This allows you not to be distracted in your thoughts from communication with the Creator and makes it possible to correlate your thoughts with Christian virtues every second.

You should not start your lunch meal without repeating the morning ritual; only after it can you start eating.

Afternoon

According to the precepts of Seraphim of Sarov, an Orthodox believer cannot be distracted from prayer even after dinner. At this time it is better to read:

“Lord Jesus Christ, through the Mother of God have mercy on me a sinner”;
"Most Holy Mother of God, save me, a sinner."

The first of these texts is suitable for solitude, when you can completely surrender to turning to the Almighty. But the second one can be read while doing business until going to bed.

Prayers for evening time

Naturally, a Christian cannot calmly fall asleep without devoting time to his God. The evening prayer rule is identical to the morning one; all words must be said when you definitely will no longer be doing business. At the conclusion of the prayer, the believer makes the sign of the cross and can calmly go to bed.

It is interesting that it is customary for Christians to fall asleep only after turning to God, because in a dream a person can finish his life path, and there is nothing worse than appearing before the Creator unprepared. Therefore, believers end every day with prayer and repent of their sins. Only this characterizes the true relationship between the soul and the Almighty.

Communion: features of preparation

Communion is a special procedure that requires great labor and abstinence from the Orthodox. He must approach the sacrament prepared according to all the rules. They include a list of six points, which includes a prayer rule before Communion.

First of all, a Christian must keep himself physically and spiritually clean, and also observe fasting. Usually, preparation for the sacrament lasts several days; on the evening before Communion, it is necessary to take part in a church service, and read several prayers at night:

penitential canon;
prayer canon to the Mother of God;
canon to the Guardian Angel;
Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Do not forget that the listed texts are read several times in a row, and the Orthodox believer must be in an even mood and not harbor any grudges against anyone. Only in this state can one come to the sacrament.

Bright Week: the first days of Easter

Many Christians who have recently come to God are interested in the prayer rule for Bright Week. Lay people are often confused in the numerous rituals and ceremonies that accompany this or that church festival.

During this period, Christians must completely change the order of their previous prayers, because the prayer rule for Bright Week includes a fairly wide list of canons and chants. So, on the eve of the holiday (on the night of Easter), Orthodox Christians should read:

Easter hours;
"Christ is Risen";
“Seeing the Resurrection of Christ”;
Easter troparia;
"Lord have mercy";
"Christ is Risen" (again).

Keep in mind that the first song is sung for at least seven minutes. The Orthodox claim that during this time incredible grace descends on them. The second and third prayers are read three times, but the fifth must be said at least forty times.

From Easter to the Ascension of the Lord

Prayer Rule on Easter means to begin and end the day with the troparion of Easter. It must be read three times, however large quantity since it will not be a violation - such is the impulse of your soul in honor of the bright holiday.

Also, the prayer rule for Easter includes the Trisagion. This prayer must be read at least three times.

From Ascension to Trinity

If you are not good at church holidays, then keep in mind that all days from the beginning of Easter to Trinity are considered holidays. Therefore, special prayers are read during this period. Of course, if you start and end your day with the usual appeal to the Almighty out of ignorance, then this will not be a serious deviation from the rules. However, it is best to observe a special prayer rule after Easter.

Each holiday that comes, the order in which the prayers are read changes. We have already covered the period from Easter to Ascension in the previous section. Now we need to talk about the prayer rule after Easter until Trinity.

During this period, which lasts ten days, the troparia to the Mother of God and the “Heavenly King, the Comforter” are not read. There is also a ban on bowing to the ground. Every day the clergy recommend starting with the Trisagion.

Optina elders

Many believers have heard about the prayer rule of the Optina elders. However, not every Christian understands who these holy people are and how effective their advice is in this or that life situation. Therefore, we decided to tell you a little about the Optina elders themselves.

So, Optina Pustyn is one of the most ancient monasteries in Russia. It is located near the Kaluga province, and the first mention of it dates back to the time of Boris Godunov.

Of course, the main value of the monastery were its monks, who quickly began to be called elders. All of them were not ordinary people, but possessed a number of characteristics that, during their lifetime, placed them on the same level as recognized Orthodox saints.

The following characteristics can be safely attributed to the peculiarities of the Optina elders:

The gift of healing or predicting the future. Almost every one of the elders had some kind of gift received from above. But most often these holy people predicted the future or healed seriously ill people. There are cases when they were even called sorcerers, but all their deeds were only with the blessing of God.
Faith. Each of the elders stood firmly in faith no matter what happened in his life. This condition was one of the main ones for acceptance into the monastery, because only a true believer can help other people.
Service. The entire life of the Optina elders was aimed at serving the Creator and the people. For them there was no concept of fatigue; everyone who needed help received it from the monks.
Repentance for the sins of others. The fact is that the Optina elders took a vow of repentance for all Orthodox Christians in this world. People often came to the monastery for confession, talking about all their sins. The elders spent long hours atone for people’s misdeeds and then let them go with a pure soul and heart.

It is worth noting that people went to Optina Pustyn regardless of their social status And financial situation. And for every misfortune, the elders found words of consolation; they advised many pilgrims on certain prayer rules that turned out to be very effective.

Prayers from the Optina elders

The monks of the Optina Hermitage spent most of their time in prayer. Therefore, they had accumulated a sufficient number of prayer rules, which they shared with pilgrims.

For example, in the morning twenty-seven texts were required to be read. Among them we can especially highlight:

Trisagion;
Symbol of faith;
prayer for the living;
prayer for the dead;
prayer to the Holy Trinity.

The Optina elders advised reading prayers once and in any order. The main attribute of turning to God is true faith and thirst for communication with the Almighty. Only in this case will prayer be effective and bring purification.

The monks of the Optina Hermitage shared prayer rules with pilgrims for any occasion. For example, in case of temptation it was necessary to read a psalm to David. And if you cannot visit for one reason or another church services, then you should read the following texts at home throughout the day:

morning - twelve psalms, prayer to the Mother of God, daily akathist;
evening prayer rule - the canon to the Guardian Angel, twelve psalms, chapters from the Gospel, the prayer “Loosen, leave”;
for the coming sleep - the prayer “Everyday Confession”.

It is interesting that the Optina elders allowed some deviations from these regulations. They believed that, for certain reasons, the laity could become completely immersed in everyday affairs. This may be due to some serious problems or illness. However, after all problems are resolved, a Christian must return to his previous religious behavior and again devote time to communication with the Creator.

Conclusion

We hope that our article will be useful to you and you will be able to choose for yourself some kind of prayer rule that will gradually bring you closer to God. Of course, the prayers we have listed are not the only ones, and if desired, every Christian can find other religious texts, the reading of which will give him a feeling of grace and spiritual joy. Remember that it is this feeling that accompanies your daily appeal to the Almighty that says that you are doing the right thing and your prayer is heard. Many Christians consider it work, but in reality it is not. more joy than to work with the name of God on your lips and in the name of His glory. Don’t forget about daily prayer in the bustle of everyday life, and perhaps then the Lord will change your life.

“A short rule” (obligatory daily reading of prayers) for any layman:

in the morning:
- "King of Heaven",
- "Trisagion",
- "Our Father",
- "Rising from sleep"
- “Have mercy on me, God”
- "Symbol of faith",
- “God, cleanse”
- “To You, Master,”
- “Holy Angele”,
- « Holy Lady»,
- invocation of saints,
- prayer for the living and the dead;
In the evening:
- "King of Heaven",
- "Trisagion",
- "Our Father",
- “Have mercy on us, Lord”
- “Eternal God”
- "The Good of the King"
- “Angel of Christ”,
- from “Chosen Voivode” to “It is worthy to eat.”

In the morning we pray to thank God for preserving us last night, to ask for His Fatherly blessing and help for the day that has begun.

In the evening, before going to bed, we thank the Lord for the day and ask him to keep us during the night.

In order for a job to be done successfully, we must first of all ask God for blessings and help for the upcoming work, and upon completion, thank God. To express our feelings towards God and His saints, the Church has given various prayers.

Initial prayer

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

It is said before all prayers. In it we ask God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, that is, the Most Holy Trinity, to invisibly bless us for the upcoming work in His name.

God bless!

We say this prayer at the beginning of every task.

Lord have mercy!

This prayer is the oldest and common among all Christians. Even a child can easily remember it. We say it when we remember our sins. For the glory of the Holy Trinity, we must say it three times. And also 12 times, asking God for a blessing for every hour of the day and night. And 40 times - for the sanctification of our entire life.

Prayer of praise to the Lord God

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

In this prayer we do not ask God for anything, but only glorify Him. It can be said in short: “Glory to God.” It is pronounced at the end of the task as a sign of our gratitude to God for His mercies to us.

Publican's Prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

This is the prayer of a publican (tax collector) who repented of his sins and received forgiveness. It is taken from a parable that the Savior once told people for their understanding.
This is the parable. Two people entered the temple to pray. One of them was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood in front of everyone and prayed to God like this: I thank you, God, that I am not such a sinner as that tax collector. I give a tenth of my property to the poor, and I fast twice a week. And the publican, recognizing himself as a sinner, stood at the entrance to the temple and did not dare to raise his eyes to heaven. He hit himself on the chest and said: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” The prayer of the humble publican was more pleasant and pleasing to God than the prayer of the proud Pharisee.

Prayer to the Lord Jesus

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

Jesus Christ is the Son of God - the second Person of the Holy Trinity. As the Son of God, He is our true God, as are God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We call Him Jesus, that is Savior, because He saved us from sins and eternal death. For this purpose, He, being the Son of God, dwelt in the immaculate Virgin Mary and, with the influx of the Holy Spirit, incarnated and made man by Her, that is, he accepted the body and soul of a man - was born from the Blessed Virgin Mary, became the same person as we are, but he was only sinless - became a God-man. And, instead of us suffering and tormenting for our sins, He, out of love for us sinners, suffered for us, died on the cross and rose again on the third day - conquered sin and death and gave us eternal life.
Realizing our sinfulness and not relying on the power of our prayers, in this prayer we ask you to pray for us sinners, before the Savior, all the saints and the Mother of God, who has the special grace to save us sinners through Her intercession before Her Son.
The Savior is called the Anointed One (Christ) because He fully had those gifts of the Holy Spirit, which in the Old Testament kings, prophets and high priests received through anointing.

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.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, present everywhere and filling everything, source of all good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all sin, and save, O Good One, our souls.

In this prayer we pray to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity.
We call it the Holy Spirit King of Heaven because He, as the true God, equal to God the Father and God the Son, invisibly reigns over us, owns us and the whole world. We call Him Comforter because He comforts us in our sorrows and misfortunes, just as He comforted the apostles on the 10th day after the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven.
We call Him Spirit of truth(as the Savior Himself called Him) because He, as the Holy Spirit, teaches everyone the same truth and serves our salvation.
He is God, and He is everywhere and fills everything with Himself: Like, go everywhere and do everything. He, as the ruler of the whole world, sees everything and, where needed, gives. He is treasure of the good, that is, the Guardian of all good deeds, the Source of all the good things that only we need to have.
We call the Holy Spirit Life Giver because everything in the world lives and moves by the Holy Spirit, that is, everything receives life from Him, and especially people receive spiritual, holy and eternal life beyond the grave, cleansing yourself from your sins through Him.
If the Holy Spirit has such wondrous properties: it is everywhere, fills everything with His grace and gives life to everyone, then we turn to Him with the following requests: Come and live in us, that is, constantly abide in us, as in your temple; cleanse us from all filth, that is, from sin, make us holy, worthy of Your presence in us, and save, Dear One, our souls from sins and those punishments that come for sins, and through this grant us the Kingdom of Heaven.

Angelic Hymn to the Most Holy Trinity or “Trisagion”

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

This prayer must be read three times in honor of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity.
Angel song it is called because the holy angels sing it, surrounding the throne of God in heaven.
Believers in Christ began to use it 400 years after the birth of Christ. There was a strong earthquake in Constantinople, from which houses and villages were destroyed. Frightened, Tsar Theodosius II and the people turned to God in prayer. During this general prayer, one pious youth (boy), in full view of everyone, was raised to heaven by an invisible force, and then lowered to earth unharmed. He said that he heard in heaven the holy angels singing: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal.” The touched people, repeating this prayer, added: “Have mercy on us,” and the earthquake stopped.
In this prayer God we call the first Person of the Holy Trinity - God the Father; Strong– God the Son, because He is as omnipotent as God the Father, although according to humanity He suffered and died; Immortal- The Holy Spirit, because He is not only eternal Himself, like the Father and the Son, but also gives life to all creatures and immortal life to people.
Since in this prayer the word “ saint" is repeated three times, then it is called " Trisagion».

Doxology to the Most Holy Trinity

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

In this prayer we do not ask God for anything, but only glorify Him, who appeared to people in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom now and forever belongs the same honor of glorification.

Prayer to 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.

This prayer is one of petition. In it we turn first to all three Persons together, and then to each Person of the Trinity separately: to God the Father, so that He may cleanse our sins; to God the Son, so that He may forgive our iniquities; to God the Holy Spirit, so that He may visit and heal our infirmities.
And the words: for your name's sake again refer to all three Persons of the Holy Trinity together, and since God is One, He has one name, and therefore we say “Thy name” and not “Thy names.”

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven!
1. Hallowed be your name.
2. Thy kingdom come.
3. Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth.
4. Give us this day our daily bread.
5. And forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors.
6. And do not lead us into temptation.
7. But deliver us from evil.
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.

This prayer is called the Lord's Prayer because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave it to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Therefore, this prayer is the most important prayer of all.
In this prayer we turn to God the Father, the first Person of the Holy Trinity.
It is divided into: invocation, seven petitions, or 7 requests, and doxology.
Summoning:

Our Father, who art in heaven!

With these words we turn to God and, calling Him Heavenly Father, we urge him to listen to our requests or petitions.
When we say that He is in heaven, we must mean spiritual, invisible the sky, and not that visible blue vault that we call “sky.”
Request 1st:

Hallowed be Thy Name,

that is, help us to live righteously, holyly and glorify Your name with our holy deeds.
2nd:

May your kingdom come

that is, honor us here on earth with Your heavenly kingdom, which is truth, love and peace; reign in us and rule us.
3rd:

Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth

That is, let everything not be as we want, but as You please, and help us to obey this Your will and fulfill it on earth as unquestioningly, without grumbling, as it is fulfilled, with love and joy, by the holy angels in heaven. Because only You know what is useful and necessary for us, and You wish us good more than we ourselves.
4th:

Give us our daily bread today

That is, give us for this day, for today, our daily bread. By bread here we mean everything necessary for our life on earth: food, clothing, shelter, but most importantly - most pure Body and pure Blood in the sacrament of holy communion, without which there is no salvation, no eternal life.
The Lord commanded us to ask for ourselves not wealth, not luxury, but only the bare necessities, and to rely on God in everything, remembering that He, as a Father, always takes care of us.
5?e:

And forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors.

That is, forgive us our sins just as we ourselves forgive those who have offended or offended us.
In this petition, our sins are called “our debts,” because the Lord gave us strength, abilities and everything else in order to do good deeds, but we often turn all this into sin and evil and become “debtors” before God. And so, if we ourselves do not sincerely forgive our “debtors,” that is, people who have sins against us, then God will not forgive us. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself told us about this.
6th:

And do not lead us into temptation

Temptation is a state when something or someone draws us to sin, tempts us to do something lawless and bad. So we ask: do not allow us to fall into temptation, which we do not know how to endure; help us overcome temptations when they happen.
7th:

But deliver us from evil

That is, deliver us from all evil in this world and from the culprit (chief) of evil - from the devil (evil spirit), who is always ready to destroy us. Deliver us from this cunning, crafty power and its deceptions, which is nothing before You.
Doxology:

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.

For to You, our God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, belongs the kingdom and the power and the eternal glory. All this is true, truly so.

Angelic greeting to the Mother of God

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 have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

This prayer is to the Most Holy Theotokos, whom we call grace-filled, that is, filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and blessed of all women, because our Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was pleased, or desired, to be born from Her.
This prayer is also called an angelic greeting, since it contains the words of an angel (Archangel Gabriel): Hail, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, - which he said to the Virgin Mary when he appeared to Her in the city of Nazareth to announce to Her the great joy that the Savior of the world would be born from Her. Also - Blessed are You among women and blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, said to the Virgin Mary, when meeting Her, righteous Elizabeth, mother of Saint John the Baptist.
Mother of God The Virgin Mary is called because Jesus Christ, born of Her, is our true God.
Virgo it is called because She was a Virgin before the birth of Christ, and at Christmas and after Christmas she remained the same, since she made a vow (promise) to God not to marry, and remaining forever a Virgin, she gave birth to Her Son from the Holy Spirit in a miraculous way.

Song of praise to the Mother of God

It is worthy to eat as truly to bless Thee, Theotokos, ever-blessed and most immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable cherub and the most glorious seraphim without comparison, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

It is truly worthy to glorify You, Mother of God, always blessed and completely blameless and the Mother of our God. You are worthy of veneration more than the cherubim and in Your glory incomparably higher than the seraphim, You gave birth to God the Word (Son of God) without illness, and as the true Mother of God we glorify You.

In this prayer we praise the Mother of God as the Mother of our God, always blessed and completely immaculate, and we magnify Her, saying that She, with Her honor (most honorable) and glory (most glorious), surpasses the highest angels: the cherubim and seraphim, that is, the Mother of God in her own way. perfection stands above everyone - not only people, but also holy angels. Without illness, she miraculously gave birth to Jesus Christ from the Holy Spirit, who, having become man from Her, is at the same time the Son of God who came down from heaven, and therefore She is the true Mother of God.

The shortest prayer to the Mother of God

Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

In this prayer, we ask the Mother of God to save us sinners with Her holy prayers before Her Son and our God.

Prayer to the Life-Giving Cross

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance; victory Orthodox Christian bestowing on the resistance, and preserving Your residence through Your Cross.

Save, Lord, Your people and bless everything that belongs to You. Grant victory to Orthodox Christians against their enemies and preserve through the power of Your Cross those among whom You dwell.

In this prayer we ask God to save us, His people, and bless the Orthodox country - our fatherland - with great mercies; gave victories to Orthodox Christians over their enemies and, in general, preserved us by the power of His Cross.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

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

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

At baptism, God gives every Christian a Guardian Angel, who invisibly protects a person from all evil. Therefore, we must ask the angel every day to preserve and have mercy on us.

Prayer to the Saint

Pray to God for me, holy [holy] (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book [quick helper and prayer book] for my soul.

In addition to praying to the Guardian Angel, we must also pray to that saint by whose name we are called, because he also always prays to God for us.
Every Christian, as soon as he is born into the light of God, at holy baptism, is given a saint as a helper and patron by the Holy Church. He takes care of the newborn like the most loving mother, and protects him from all the troubles and misfortunes that a person encounters on earth.
You need to know the day of remembrance in the year of your saint (your name day), know the life (description of life) of this saint. On his name day we must glorify him with prayer in church and receive St. communion, and if for some reason we cannot be in church on this day, then we must pray fervently at home.

Prayer for the living

We must think not only about ourselves, but also about other people, love them and pray to God for them, because we are all children of one Heavenly Father. Such prayers are useful not only for those for whom we pray, but also for ourselves, since we thereby show love for them. And the Lord told us that without love no one can be children of God.
“Do not renounce prayer for others under the pretext of fear that you cannot pray for yourself; fear that you will not beg for yourself if you do not pray for others” (St. Philaret the Merciful).
Home prayer for family and friends is distinguished by special energy, since we see before our inner gaze that person dear to us, for the salvation of the soul and for whose physical health we pray. Father Men said in one of his sermons: “ Daily Prayer for each other should not be a simple listing of names. This is us (clergy. –

) in church we list your names, we don’t know who you are praying for here. And when you yourself pray for your loved ones, friends, relatives, for those who are in need - pray truly, with persistence... Pray for them, so that their path will be blessed, so that the Lord will support and meet them - and then we all , as if holding hands with this prayer and love, we will rise higher and higher to the Lord. This is the main thing, this is the most essential thing in our life.”
We must pray for our Fatherland - Russia, for the country in which we live, for our spiritual father, parents, relatives, benefactors, Orthodox Christians and all people, both for the living and for the dead, because with God everyone is alive (Lk. 20, 38).

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

Prayer for the dead

Rest, O Lord, the souls of your departed servants (names) and all my departed relatives and benefactors, and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the kingdom of heaven.

This is what we call the dead because people are not destroyed after death, but their souls are separated from the body and move from this life to another, heavenly one. There they remain until the time of the general resurrection, which will occur at the second coming of the Son of God, when, according to His word, the souls of the dead will again unite with the body - people will come to life and be resurrected. And then everyone will receive what they deserve: the righteous will receive the Kingdom of Heaven, blessed, eternal life, and sinners will receive eternal punishment.

Prayer before teaching

Most gracious Lord, bestow upon us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, bestowing meaning and strengthening our spiritual strength, so that, by heeding the teaching taught to us, we may grow to You, our Creator, for glory, as our parent for consolation, for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland.

This prayer is to God the Father, Whom we call the Creator, that is, the Creator. In it we ask Him to send the Holy Spirit so that He, by His grace, strengthens our spiritual strength (mind, heart and will), and so that, listening with attention to the teaching taught, we grow up as devoted sons of the Church and faithful servants of our fatherland and as a consolation to our parents.
Instead of this prayer, before teaching, you can read the prayer to the Holy Spirit “Heavenly King.”

Prayer after teaching

We thank You, Creator, for You have made us worthy of Your grace in paying attention to the teaching. Bless our leaders, parents and teachers, who lead us to the knowledge of good, and give us strength and strength to continue this teaching.

This prayer is to God the Father. In it, we first thank God that He sent help to understand the teaching being taught. Then we ask Him to send mercy to our parents and teachers, who give us the opportunity to learn everything good and useful; and in conclusion, we ask you to give us health and the desire to continue our studies with success.
Instead of this prayer, after the teaching, you can read the prayer of the Mother of God “It is worthy to eat.”

Prayer before eating food

The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season: You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal good will.

(Psalm 144, 15 and 16 v.).

The eyes of everyone, Lord, look at You with hope, since You give food to everyone in due time, opening Your generous hand to bestow mercies on all living.

In this prayer we express confidence that God will send us food in due time, since He provides not only people, but also all living creatures with everything they need for life.
Instead of this prayer, you can read “Our Father.”

Prayer after eating food

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom.

In this prayer, we thank God for feeding us with food, and we ask Him not to deprive us of eternal bliss after our death, which we should always remember when receiving earthly blessings.

Morning prayer

To You, Master who loves 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 us into Your eternal kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Provider and Giver of every good thing, in You are all my hope, and I send up glory to You, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

To You, Lord Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running and, by Your mercy, I hasten to Your deeds. I pray to You: help me at all times in every matter, and deliver me from every worldly evil deed and devilish temptation, and save me, and bring me into Your eternal kingdom. For You are my Creator and Provider, and the Giver of all good. All my hope is in You. And I give glory to You, now and always, and to the ages of eternity. Amen.

Evening prayer

Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as he is good and a lover of mankind, forgive me; grant me peaceful sleep and serenity; Send Thy guardian angel to cover and keep me from all evil; for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and to You we send glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord our God! Everything in which I have sinned this day in word, deed and thought, You, as the Merciful and Humane One, forgive me. Give me peace and restful sleep. Send me Your Guardian Angel, who would cover and protect me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we give glory to You, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

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 short rule rather than mindlessly and without reverence jabbering away 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 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 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 on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may 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 Yours 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 in no sin I will anger my God; 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 having been delivered from the evil ones, 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 Ti; 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 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 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 three hypostases Holy Trinity. Great Song the heavenly angels sing 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 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, 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 everything life circumstances are developing successfully, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies originally decided 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.

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.
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.
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, praying 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 a person’s spiritual make-up, the degree to which he is rooted in prayer and the time he has at his disposal.

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. 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 for half an hour in the morning and evening, 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 the life of an 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 useful to sometimes 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 you can't read it morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm environment, it is better to read them on the way than to omit them completely. 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 a prayer St. John Damascus “Vladyka, O Lover of Mankind, will this coffin 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 began new circle readings.

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. Once a rule has been established, it 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 phone 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 the morning rule again.

After lunch, while doing his job, let every Christian read just as quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, 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. The main 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; Matthew 23:8–12; John 13:34).

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 gave us greatest shrines for protection from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - pectoral cross, which must not 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 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 make the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I renounce to 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 their military skills 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 bought the “Orthodox Prayer Book”, do not 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.

For our readers: a brief morning and evening prayer rule detailed description from various sources.

Prayer book

A short prayer book

PrefaceMorning prayersPrayers for the future to go to sleepThe layperson’s prayer rule consists of morning and evening prayers which happen daily. This 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.

There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced laity, which is printed in the Orthodox Prayer Book.

However, for those who are just beginning to get used to prayer, it is difficult to immediately begin to read the entire rule. Typically, confessors advise starting with several prayers, and then adding one prayer to the rule every 7-10 days, so that the skill of reading the rule is developed gradually and naturally.

In addition, the laity sometimes encounters situations when there is little time 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, mechanically read complete rule.

Thus, by cultivating a reasonable attitude towards prayer rule, Saint Theophan the Recluse writes to one family person:

“Bless, Lord, and continue prayer according to your rule. But never commit yourself to a rule and think that there is anything valuable in having such a rule or always following it. The whole price is in heartfelt surrender before God. The saints write that if someone does not leave prayer as a condemned man, worthy of all punishment from the Lord, then he leaves it as a Pharisee. Another said: “When you are praying, stand as if on Last Judgment, when God’s decisive decree about you is ready to come: go away or come.”

Formality and mechanism in prayer must be avoided in every possible way. Let this always be a matter of a deliberate, free decision, and make it with consciousness and feeling, and not somehow. In case you need to be able to shorten the rule. You never know family life accidents?.. You can, for example, in the morning and evening, when there is no time, read only the morning prayers and those for bedtime as a memory. You can not even read them all, but several at a time. You can not read anything at all, but make a few bows, but with true heartfelt prayer. The rule must be handled with complete freedom. Be the mistress of the rule, not the slave. She is only a servant of God, obligated to devote all the minutes of her life to pleasing Him.”

For such cases, there is an established short prayer rule designed for all believers.

In the morning it includes:

“To the 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 “,” “Holy Lady,” invocation of saints, prayer for the living and the dead.

In the evening it includes:

“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”.

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.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.
(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and bow from the waist.)

Lord's Prayer

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given 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)

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; unknown and secret wisdom You showed me 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. Repel your face Cleanse me from my sins and 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.

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, 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 nothing good before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and Thy will be done in me, so that I may open my unworthy lips without condemnation and praise the name Your sacred, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages Amen.

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 us 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 up 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 accursed soul and body, forgive me everything, I have offended you so greatly all the days of my life, and if I sinned this past night, cover me on this day, and save me from every opposite temptation May I not anger God in any sin, and pray for me to the Lord, that He may strengthen me in His passion, and show me worthy as a 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 accursed 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 cruel memories and enterprises, and free me from all evil actions. For Thou art blessed from all generations, and glorified is Thy 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), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.

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

Rest, O Lord, 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.

It is worthy to eat as truly to 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.

Prayers for the future

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

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.

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

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father, Eternal God and King of every creation, who has made me worthy even at this hour to be sung, forgive me the sins I have committed on this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, 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 Yours 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.

Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos of the Blessed King, Good Mother, 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, Virgin Mother of God , one Pure and Blessed.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron 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.

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.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

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

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.

* From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:

“Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs.” (Three times) From Ascension to Trinity, we begin prayers with “Holy God...”, omitting all the preceding ones. This remark also applies to future bedtime prayers.

Throughout Bright Week, instead of this rule, the hours of Holy Easter are read.

** From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the chorus and irmos of the 9th song of the Easter canon are read:

“The angel cried out with grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And again the river: Rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the grave and raised up the dead; people, have fun! Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and be glad, O Zion. You, Pure One, show off, O Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

These remarks also apply to future bedtime prayers.

Compiled using materials from the book:

How to learn home prayer. Moscow, “Ark”, 2004. Trifonov Pechenga Monastery

An Orthodox believer differs from worldly people in that 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 to acquire a closer knowledge of the Creator.

Why are rules needed?

Experienced Christians know them by heart, but every Orthodox person should have a “Prayer Book” filled with texts of proclamations 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 each 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 appeal 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.

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

A daily conversation with the Creator is a living 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 bow to the ground.

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.

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 to 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 Chrysostom, causes joy only among demons. The sign of the cross, performed with faith and reverence, is filled by 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.

The complete prayer rule is designed for spiritually persistent believers, which include monks and clergy.
The prayer rule for all laity consists of a list of prayers read in the morning and 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: “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 receive instruction 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. Every Orthodox family has a corner with icons, although it is 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 for 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 to pray. 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 the debts and misdeeds of other people, for these are prerequisites for God to forgive each of the Orthodox;
ask Him for mercy in solving all material problems with the words “give us this day our daily bread”;
establish protection over yourself from demons and satanic temptations;
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 by example poor widow(Luke 18:2-6), no petition will remain unanswered by Him. It is very important when communicating with the Savior to put aside all haste; only through a meaningful appeal can one 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 or how many prayers are read, the main thing is that they are completely dedicated to God.

Saint Ignatius names regular prayers for sinners hard work, 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. It will help to concentrate on the text being read by saying all the 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?

Once having dedicated their lives 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!” Having passed 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, when you are sick or in danger, cry out: “Save me, God!” and He will hear.

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

Date of publication or update 05/01/2017

A brief prayer rule for the laity

“Every Christian should have a rule.” (St. John Chrysostom)

“If you create a rule without laziness, then great reward You will receive remission of sins from God.” (St. Innocent of Irkutsk)

I. Initial bows

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

Stay a little, silently and then pray slowly with the fear of God, if possible, then with tears, firmly believing that “the Holy Spirit strengthens us in our weaknesses: for we do not know what to pray for, and how we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (Rom. 8:26).

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

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me (bow).

Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me (bow).

Without the number of sinners. Lord, forgive me (bow).

My Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner (bow).

Angel, my holy guardian, save me from all evil (bow).

Saint (name of your Saint), pray to God for me (bow).

II. Initial prayers

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything. Treasure of good things and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed One, our souls. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal; have mercy on us (thrice).

Note. During the period from Holy Easter to Pentecost, the prayer to the Holy Spirit - “Heavenly King” is not read. On the week of St. On Easter the entire trisagion is not read, but is replaced by the troparion “Christ is Risen...” three times. Also, before the celebration of Easter, instead of “It is worthy to eat, as in truth” the following is read or sung: “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem: for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you; rejoice now and be glad in Zion, but you, the Pure One, show off to the Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

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 throughout the age 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 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.

Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).

Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. 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. God, create in me a pure heart, 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 Master’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, O Lord, You have opened my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had wanted sacrifices, you would have given burnt offerings, but you would not have been pleased. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering: then they will lay the bullock on Your altar. (Psalm 50.)

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

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

5. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;

7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, we are worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

11. Tea of the resurrection of the dead;

12. And the life of the next century. Amen.

Morning prayer (read only in the morning)

To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running and 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 up glory to You, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Evening prayer (read only in the evening)

Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep; Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil; for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You. To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the age of ages. Amen.

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 have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Weaken, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and in nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is Good and Lover of Humanity.

Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life: visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Contribute to the Emperor. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to the greatness of Your mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers, and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all Thy Saints, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen (bow).

Memorial for the living

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), and with his holy prayers forgive my sins (bow). Save, Lord, and have mercy on my parents (their names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives according to the flesh and all my neighbors and friends, and grant them Your peace and the most peaceful goodness (bow).

Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me and create misfortunes against me, and do not leave them to perish for me for the sake of a sinner (bow).

Hasten, Lord, to enlighten the ignorant of You (the pagans) with the light of Your Gospel, and blinded by destructive heresies and schism, and unite them to Your Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church (bow).

About the departed

Remember, Lord, the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep, my parents (their names) and all relatives in the flesh; and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the Kingdom and the communion of Thy eternal good things and Thy endless and blissful life of pleasure (bow).

Grant, Lord, remission of sins to all who have previously departed in the faith and hope of the resurrection to our fathers, brothers and sisters, and create for them eternal memory (three times).

End of prayers

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

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

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

Lord have mercy (three times). Bless.

Vacation

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and the saint (remember the Saint of this day) and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen. (three bows).

Note 1st. In the morning, without praying, do not start eating, drinking, or doing anything. Before starting any task, pray like this: “Lord, bless! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". At the end of the task, say: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and throughout the age of ages. Amen".

Before eating food, read: “Our Father”... to the end, then bless the food and drink with the cross. (In the family, the eldest in the house blesses.) At the end of the meal (food), read “It is worthy to eat, as truly...” to the end, for Holy Virgin Mary, through the birth of the Son of God, gave the whole world “true food and true drink” (John 6:55), i.e. Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the day, keep in your heart the shortest, but most saving prayer: “Lord, have mercy!”...

Note 2. If you have an urgent task and you are very busy with work, or you are in weakness, then never read the rules hastily without due attention, do not anger God, and do not multiply your sins: it is better to read one prayer slowly, reverently, than several prayers hastily , hastily. Therefore, strongly busy person You should, with the blessing of the Venerable Martyr Macarius of Kanevsky, read one prayer - “Our Father...” But if you have a little more time, then, with the blessing of Rev. Seraphim of Sarov miracle. - read “Our Father” three times, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” three times and “I Believe” once.

Note 3. If, on the contrary, you have quite a bit of free time, then do not spend it idle, because idleness is the mother of vices, but even if you were no longer capable of work due to illness or old age, fill the time with prayerful deeds, so that you will find great mercy from the Lord God.

(The text is based on the book: Bishop Pavel of Nikolsk-Ussuriysk; “From the Holy Font to the Tomb”, 1915)

This section presents a short morning prayer rule for Old Slavonic language, in a modern font suitable for lay beginners.

All prayers of the morning rule in a row:

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.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

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.)

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

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 forgive our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You;

Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given 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 you were not angry with me, lazy and sinful, and you destroyed me with my iniquities. mi;

but you loved mankind as a rule, and in the despair of a man who lay, you raised me up to exercise and glorify your power.

And now enlighten my mental eyes, open my mouth, to learn Your words, and to understand Your commandments, and to do Your will,

and sing to Thee in heartfelt confession, and glorify Thy all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Come, let us worship the King our 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 compassions, 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 Your judgment.

Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins.

Behold, you have loved the truth;

You have shown me Your unknown and secret wisdom.

Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

There is joy and gladness in my ears;

the bones of the humble will rejoice.

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

Create a pure heart in me, 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.

Give me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Lord’s Spirit.

I will teach the wicked your way, and wickedness 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 contrite and humble heart.

Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built.

Then take pleasure in the sacrifice of righteousness, the offering and the burnt offering;

then they will place your calf on the 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 Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages;

Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to whom all things were.

For our sake, man and our salvation, who came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human.

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 the one who is to come will judge with glory 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 is with the Father and the Son, we are 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.

Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great

God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no more good before You;

but deliver me from the evil one, and let Your will be done in me, that I may open my unworthy mouth without condemnation and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and to the ages centuries.

Prayer 3, 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 all good, in You is all my hope, and I send glory to You, now and ever and unto the ages of ages.

Prayer 9, to the Guardian Angel

Holy Angel, standing before my damned soul and my passionate life, do not forsake me, a sinner, and depart from me for my intemperance.

Do not give room to the crafty 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 accursed soul and body, forgive me everything, I have offended you so much all the days of my life,

and if I have sinned this past night, cover me this day, and keep me from every opposite temptation, so that in no sin I anger God, and pray for me to the Lord, so that He will establish me in the world. everything is His, and the slave will show me worthy Your goodness.

Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos

My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, through Your saints and all-powerful prayers, take away from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all that is filthy, bow ugly 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 cruel memories and enterprises, and free me from all evil actions.

For Thou art blessed from all generations, and glorified is Thy most honorable name forever and ever.

About the living

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives (names), leaders, mentors, benefactors (names) and all Orthodox Christians.

About the deceased

Rest in peace, Lord, the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

Preface

The prayer rule of a layman consists of morning and evening prayers, which are performed daily. This 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.

There is a complete prayer rule, designed for monks and spiritually experienced lay people, which is printed in Orthodox prayer book.

In addition, the laity sometimes has situations when there is little time 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, mechanically read out the full rule.

Thus, by cultivating a reasonable attitude towards the prayer rule, Saint Theophan the Recluse writes to one family person:

“Bless, Lord, and continue prayer according to your rule. But never commit yourself to a rule and think that there is anything valuable in having such a rule or always following it. The whole price is in heartfelt surrender before God. The saints write that if someone does not leave prayer as a condemned man, worthy of all punishment from the Lord, then he leaves it as a Pharisee. Another said: “while standing in prayer, stand as if at the Last Judgment, when God’s decisive decision about you is ready to come: go away or come.”

Formality and mechanism in prayer must be avoided in every possible way. Let this always be a matter of a deliberate, free decision, and make it with consciousness and feeling, and not somehow. In case you need to be able to shorten the rule. Are there many accidents in family life?.. You can, for example, in the morning and evening, when there is no time, read only the morning prayers and those for bedtime as a memory. You can not even read them all, but several at a time. You can not read anything at all, but make a few bows, but with true heartfelt prayer. The rule must be handled with complete freedom. Be the mistress of the rule, not the slave. She is only a servant of God, obligated to devote all the minutes of her life to pleasing Him.”

For such cases there is an established short prayer rule, designed for all believers.

In the morning it includes:

In the evening it includes:

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.

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.)

Lord's Prayer

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

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

First prayer of Saint Macarius the Great

God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done nothing good before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and may Thy will be done in me, may I open my unworthy lips without condemnation and praise Thy holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages Amen.

Prayer of the same saint

Prayer to the Guardian Angel

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayerful invocation of the saint whose name you bear

Pray to God for me, holy servant of God (name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.

Prayer for the living

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

Prayer for the departed

End of prayers

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.

Prayers for the future

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

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

Tropari

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.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Kontakion to the Mother of God

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.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

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

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.

* From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:

Throughout Bright Week, instead of this rule, the hours of Holy Easter are read.

** From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the chorus and irmos of the 9th song of the Easter canon are read:

These remarks also apply to future bedtime prayers.

Compiled using materials from the book:
How to learn home prayer. Moscow, “Ark”, 2004. Trifonov Pechenga Monastery

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