What prayers are read at home during Lent 2018

Everyone knows that the Easter fast - from February 19 to April 7, 2018 - is the strictest and longest, and there are many food restrictions during this seven-week period.

However, many of us forget that, in addition to giving up certain foods, during fasting a person must also cleanse himself spiritually, thereby, as it were, trying to “get closer” to God.

There are special prayers for every day during Lent, which should be read by all people who are Orthodox Christians.

What prayers are read during Lent are indicated in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, where an entire section is devoted to how one should behave throughout the entire seven-week period.

The main prayer is considered to be the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which promotes liberation from the so-called “illness” that prevents a person from communicating with God. This prayer sounds like this:

Lord and Master of my life,

spirit of idleness, despondency, greed and idle talk

The spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love,

grant to me, Thy servant.

To her, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins,

and do not condemn my brother,

for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages, amen.

God, cleanse me, a sinner!

Morning prayers during Lent remain traditional, but their reading is certainly supplemented by the above prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. It can be read not only in church, but also at home, and its purpose is to prepare a person for confession, repentance and purification.

It is important to understand that food restrictions, as well as morning, afternoon and evening prayers during Lent have one common goal– a person must learn to manage himself, control his own feelings and emotions.

The seven-week period of Easter Lent is a time of peace and repentance. Every Christian believer must consciously enter into fasting, observe it, and correctly exit this state.

As a rule, it is quite difficult for an ignorant person to do this, therefore, deciding for the first time on such serious step As an observance of Lent, it is better to enlist the support of church ministers, who will certainly help in everything and tell you how to act correctly.

Prayers for Lent

Prayers during Lent are considered to have greater power. François Mauriac once said: “You don’t need to have faith to pray; you need to pray to gain faith.”

Prayer is not simple words with a list of sins and bright feelings. This is not something that you can talk about a lot and in different ways. And not something to be neglected.

Prayers were originally created so that every person could talk to God. A special melodious rhythm, syllable and Old Church Slavonic language are the key to a certain state when the mortal is forgotten and the spiritual triumphs. This is exactly the case when you may not have much faith when taking your first steps in prayer, but you will certainly feel the touch of the Divine.

Prayers for Lent

Lent is a special time for Christians and 2016 is no exception. During this period, it is commanded to especially observe the rules of abstinence, good morals and mutual assistance. This is the time when you need to limit your body in everything in order to free your spirit from its influence. Every day a layer of experience accumulates on us: emotions, desires, anger and routine interests. All this has negligible relation to true spiritual development. And restrictions, reaching the point of asceticism, are designed to remove everything similar, superficial, from our soul. In this matter, prayer becomes an integral assistant.

During Lent, the lifestyle changes; for many, these changes are noticeable to the point of discomfort. And when the body imposes its usual line of behavior, it comes to the rescue Holy Word. It has a wonderful effect, helping to renounce the feeling of dissatisfaction that often gnaws at the hungry, and the feeling of irritation that gnaws at the one who is limited. Prayer helps to understand and feel how fleeting all this is, how small in relation to the great Divine Principle that lives in each of us.

“Prayer must remain unanswered, otherwise it ceases to be prayer and becomes correspondence.”

A person praying who turns his heart to God must remember, especially during Lent, that one cannot expect miracles and instant accomplishments. The soul of the righteous is pure and submissive to the will of the Lord; it does not demand, but patiently waits and gives thanks for everything that happens, without complaining.

Lent is a time of prayer

The morning of the first day of Lent begins with special words addressed to Jesus Christ, Holy Trinity. These prayers are called initial prayers. They mean a willingness to humbly accept the test of fasting, humility and participation in the passions of Jesus that he experienced in the desert.

Every morning begins with a prayer to Christ, a psalm of David, the third prayer of St. Macarius the Great, praise and song to the Mother of God. These are the main prayers read during Lent by a layman.

Throughout the day, thoughts should be turned to a prayer of gratitude for our daily bread, prayers before and after eating food.

Before going to bed, a righteous Christian turns his heart to the Guardian Angel through prayer and to God the Father.

These prayers can be called necessary to be read by a Christian during Lent. There are many more of them, but if you call on the listed saints with pure soul, and that will be enough.

Church service The post is also different from the usual one. Be sure to add the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian to the reading. It is considered a truly Lenten prayer, which fully reflects its content.

During the period of fasting, clergy are required to spend a lot of time in prayer. For them, prayer is a special and at the same time fundamental part of life. It should be practiced after waking up, before and after meals, before studying, at moments when temptation or bad thoughts overcome, before going to bed.

During Lent, they pray for their deceased and for the health of living loved ones and relatives. It is believed that a purified soul is closer to God, and He hears all prayers better. Therefore, you can turn to the Almighty in any prayers, and it will certainly respond, inside or outside.

“Work is the best prayer”

During Lent, purification is considered not only by verbal prayers, but also by deeds. It is said that during this period you need to refrain from unnecessary words, actions and desires.

We are accustomed to watching TV - we abstain. Unless it's for business. We are used to spending a lot of time chatting with friends on the phone – we limit ourselves to this period. This is a kind of work on yourself, the hardest work called “changing yourself for the better.”

But if a neighbor or acquaintance, and even if a stranger needs help, you need to help. Especially during Lent. Of course, help is possible and from the heart. It often happens that people contact us at the wrong time, they come at the wrong time. But this period exists precisely in order to overcome one’s dissatisfaction, to free oneself from it, so that this place in the soul is occupied by the awareness of the frailty of existence, the heights of spirit and unity. All people are equal, and everyone is given time. This time belongs to God, which means no one can take it away from us personally. But if we devote this time with an open heart to benefit someone, who will feel bad from it? On the contrary, kindness will only come. This is the purpose of Lent.

“God does not hear the words of prayer, God sees your heart”

There are people who are trying fasting for the first time. They do not know prayers, have not encountered miracles of faith. But something led them to try. It's never too late to take the path of improving your spirit. And for these people it is a bit of a problem to master large quantity text. It may happen that for them, reading a prayer will become an effort to pronounce it correctly. the right words, and not by a true turning of the soul to the Lord. In this case, you need to turn to the priest, he can help in directing you to the main prayers of a Christian. At the moment there are prayers shifted to modern language while maintaining the meaning.

It is possible and advisable to attend church services. Prayer in church takes on a truly wonderful sound and effect. Everything is pure: the words, voices, thoughts of many dozens of lay people bowing their heads in bow. In this you can find for yourself the first lesson of a miracle taught by the Lord.

But ignorance of prayers does not mean that the desire for purity of spirit will go unnoticed. The main thing is pure thoughts and righteous actions. There is a divine censor in every person, and if you listen to him, our words will always be heard by God.

Prayers for Lent

During Lent, it is customary to read various prayers, but the most important is considered to be the repentant prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. A chapter in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is dedicated to this holiday. It describes in detail how to behave during fasting and other nuances. On these days, you can perform various rituals, read conspiracies and prayers. People believe that all appeals to God during this period will certainly be heard.

Prayers read during Lent

As already mentioned, the most important prayer during the days of Lent is considered to be an appeal from Holy Sirin. It lists the most important aspects of repentance, and also indicates what exactly needs to be done and what to work on. The main idea of ​​prayer is that a person must free himself from illness, which is an obstacle to communication with God. The prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian sounds like this:

“Lord and Master of my life,

Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.

Grant me the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Your servant.

grant me to see my sins,

and do not condemn my brother,

for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages, amen.

God, cleanse me, a sinner!”

To make the prayer more understandable, you need to focus on the most important points which are described in it. First, a request is made to get rid of important sins:

1. Spirit of Idleness. The saint asks God to protect him from wasting his time. Everyone has certain talents and skills that need to be used correctly for the benefit of all humanity. Idleness is considered the root of all sins.
2. Spirit of despondency. If a person is controlled by despondency, then he does not have the opportunity to see goodness and happiness in life. He simply plunges into darkness and becomes a real pessimist. That is why, in order to move in the right direction and be closer to God, you need to get rid of this sin.
3. Spirit of greed. In almost every person’s life there is a desire to control people, for example, power in the family, at work, etc. The love of control can become a serious problem that prevents you from developing and communicating with God.
4. Spirit of pride. Man is the only creation of God who has received the ability to speak. Often words are used for insults, curses, etc. In prayer, the saint asks God to protect him from vain and evil words.

Fasting cannot take place without prayers. You can read morning, evening prayers or the Psalter. It is important to always add the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.

Other prayers read during Lent:

Of great importance are kneeling prayers, read not during Lent, but on the Great Trinity, which is celebrated on the fiftieth day after Easter. The priest reads them, kneeling and facing the novices. The prayers contain an appeal to the mercy of God; they speak of the sending of the Holy Spirit, as well as the repose of the dead.

Copying information is permitted only with a direct and indexed link to the source

Prayer during Lent for every day and before Easter, prayer by Ephraim the Syrian - Examples of prayers before meals during Lent

Lent, which begins in 2017 on February 27, is not only a refusal of animal food and alcoholic beverages. This is a time devoted to studying the life of Jesus Christ and turning to God in prayer. During Lent, a person becomes deeper, renounces many earthly goods, rethinks his life and his purpose in this world. Lent, which lasts six weeks and Holy Week, ends with the bright Easter of Christ - the resurrection of Jesus as a miraculous proof of the existence of the Lord. Every Christian must come to Christ's resurrection purified not only physically, but also spiritually. Not all believers know how and what prayer to read during Lent. Temple servants often say that you can turn to God in any prayer. However, the prayer after Ephraim the Syrian must be read every day with the exception of Saturday and Resurrection Day. It is also read before Easter, during the cheese-free week. The purpose of reading it is to free the “belly” (life) from bodily and, what is considered the main thing, spiritual ailments. Prayers during fasting before meals are also considered important in Orthodoxy. They help a Christian avoid gluttony, set him up for modest food and a long absence of entertainment.

Prayer for Lent for every day - How and when to pray during Lent

In Orthodoxy there are prayers for every day of Lent. Believers who visit the temple know that the first day of the first week begins with chants. Priests tell parishioners about John the Baptist and Herod. On Tuesday of the first week, the main, first prayer is dedicated to the life of Andrew of Crete, a saint who dedicated his life to God as a result of a miracle that happened to him (gaining the gift of speech after becoming mute). On Wednesday, the third day of Lent, churchgoers visiting churches will learn the interpretation of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, etc. If you cannot for any reason good reason go to church for prayer, set aside at least ten to fifteen minutes a day to study the Scriptures - the Old and New Testaments.

Examples of prayers for each day of Lent

Any believer will tell you that fasting without prayer does not exist. Of course, this statement does not mean that you should completely renounce everyday worries and immerse yourself in reading prayers. In the absence of praying often and going to temple, read the Scriptures. Having found free time, devote it to reading one of the prayers of Lent. Now you can download them all on the Internet. We suggest paying attention to the most famous prayers relating to the time of abstinence before Easter.

Prayer of praise to the Lord God

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

In this prayer we praise God without asking for anything in return. It is usually pronounced at the end of a task as a sign of gratitude to God for His mercy towards us. This prayer is said in short: Glory to God. In this abbreviated form, we say a prayer when we finish some good deed, for example, teaching, work; when we receive any good news, etc.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Prayer for forgiveness of our sins. It must be said as often as we often sin. As soon as we sin, we must immediately repent of our sin before God and say this prayer.

Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ

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

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us (show mercy to us). 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 soul.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Receptacle of all goodness and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save, O Merciful One, our souls.

Orthodox prayer during Lent before Easter - What is prayer

Any Orthodox prayer is an appeal to God, a conversation with the Mother of God, the saints. You can pray silently to yourself anywhere and at any time. They turn to God out loud at home, alone or in churches, standing before images. Before the post, at the end Cheese week they say the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, pray to the Lord God Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Most Holy Ones. Each prayer can be ended with an appeal to the Almighty, praise to God, a request and giving you strength during fasting.

Examples of Orthodox prayers before Easter during Lent

Church-goers have a custom of reading all the Gospels during the time allotted for Lent. Of course, not all believers are able to overcome Scripture. When fasting before Easter, read prayers whenever possible. We suggest memorizing the texts of some of them.

The Creed reads like this:

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 Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by 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, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is 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. I hope for the resurrection of the dead,

12. And the life of the next century. Amen

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

 And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages: Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one being with the Father, by Him all things were created.

 For the sake of us people and for the sake of our salvation, he came down from Heaven, and took flesh from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became a man.

 He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried,

 And rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures.

 And he who ascended into Heaven and sat on right side Father.

 And He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end.

 And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.

 Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.

 I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.

 I look forward to the resurrection of the dead,

 And the life of the next century. Amen (truly so).

What is said in the prayer to Ephraim the Syrian for Lent - What the prayer to Ephraim the Syrian calls for

History says that the prayer to Ephraim the Syrian was loved not only by the holy fathers, but also by A.S. Pushkin, the great Russian poet, who translated the words of the prayer into a poetic way. Saint Ephraim the Syrian, living in the Middle Ages, was filled with spiritual wisdom. He also owns “divine reflections” from the Psalter Mother of God. As for the famous prayer, which aims to cleanse the hearts of believers before Easter, it is known for its simplicity and depth. This prayer helps to cleanse the soul from idle talk, lack of chastity, and proud self-affirmation. She teaches meekness, humility, and gratitude.

When the prayer to Ephraim the Syrian is read during Lent

As the church recommends, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian should be read daily, from late Sunday evening to Friday. There is no need to worry about repetitions of the prayer - each time you say its words, you perceive them in a new way. Prayer cleanses the soul and heart, setting the believer in a gracious mood during Lent.

“Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.

Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant.

To her, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen".

What prayer should you read during fasting - Prayers that help you fast

Each prayer is an appeal to God, containing our thoughts, a request to free us from “filth” - dishonest, unclean thoughts and actions. By asking the Lord God in prayer to protect us from temptation, we really become better people. In principle, any pious prayer addressed to God in time helps us to fast, abstaining from passions and temptations.

How prayers help to fast during Lent

Any prayers said during Lent are aimed at cleansing the soul from unfavorable, ungodly thoughts. By praying and reading the Gospel, we come to know God more deeply and understand the meaning of fasting.

I believe, Lord, but You confirm my faith.

but You strengthen my hope.

I loved you, Lord,

but You cleanse my love

and set it on fire.

I'm sorry, Lord, but you do it,

May I increase my repentance.

I honor You, Lord, my Creator,

I sigh for You, I call upon You.

Guide me with Your wisdom,

protect and strengthen.

I commend to You, my God, my thoughts,

let them come from You.

Let my deeds be in your name,

and let my desires be in Thy will.

Illuminate my mind, strengthen my will,

cleanse the body, sanctify the soul.

Let me see my sins,

let me not be seduced by pride,

help me overcome temptations.

May I praise You all the days of my life,

which You gave to me.

What prayer is said before meals during fasting - Orthodox prayer “Our Father”

Christian believers pray before meals, regardless of whether food is eaten on a fast day or not. The most common prayer before meals is also the most famous prayer, known by heart even by children - “Our Father.” Very often during fasting, before meals, praises are said to the Lord, who gave food and drink. At the end of the meal, believers thank God, who gave them food, with prayers.

Lord's Prayer. Our Father

The Prophet Muhammad, according to legend, had an unfavorable attitude towards asceticism, and in hadiths (stories about the life and actions of the prophet) his words are conveyed: “There is no asceticism in Islam.” Nevertheless, the Muslim fast of Ramadan was introduced by Muhammad himself. The meaning of fasting among Muslims is a test of will for the sake of triumph of the spirit over the desires of the flesh, concentrating on your inner world in order to identify and destroy sinful tendencies and repentance for sins committed, the struggle with one’s pride for the sake of humility with the will of the Creator. During the period of fasting, Muslims daily from sunrise to sunset refuse to eat, drink, have sexual intercourse, etc. It is interesting that over time, prohibitions were added on things that the prophet could not have foreseen at the time: smoking and chewing gum. Specifics of the post in Islam lies precisely in the fact that it is not the composition of food that is limited, but time of its adoption(As in early Christianity). We note, however, that according to Islamic norms, alcohol Anytime prohibited not only for consumption, but also for production and distribution. The ban also applies to the consumption of pork and blood.

There are two types of fasting in Islam: required in a month Ramadan(established according to Sharia in 624, included in the mandatory canons) and recommended. Ramadan or Ramadan (Turkish) – comes in 9th month Muslim lunar calendar. Moon calendar 11 days shorter Gregorian calendar, so every year Ramadan begins earlier than the previous year. In accordance with one of the five pillars of Islam, during the month of Ramadan, devout Muslims must fast from the beginning of the morning prayer (Fajr, which occurs at dawn) until the evening prayer (Maghrib, which occurs at sunset). The fast is also called Ramadan, like the name of the month. In Turkic languages ​​the name is more common Uraza.

Why are Muslims required to fast in the ninth month? Because the prophet Muhammad on one of the days of Ramadan (more precisely, on the night of the twenty-seventh) I received the first revelation from the Lord through the angel Jebrail. Divine revelations eventually formed the Muslim scriptures – the uncreated book of the Koran. The night when Jebrail first ordered Muhammad to read the fiery tablets on the rock began to be called "night of predestination"; On this night, Allah is especially favorable to the prayers and requests of believers.

According to the book by A. M. Tahmaz “Hanafi fiqh in a new guise”, “ moment of dawn or sunset the fasting person must determine, based on the calculation of time, the place where he is. In areas close to the North or South Pole, where dawn may appear at or after sunset a short time after it, if the fasting person does not have time to consume enough food to maintain his strength, people should determine the duration of the fast themselves.”

Recommendation posts are: every Monday and Thursday; 13th, 14th and 15th of each lunar month (full moon days); the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah; 9, 10, 11 of the month of Muharram; 6 days of the month of Shawwal.

Ramadan is considered, unlike the Great Lent among Christians, not a time of sorrow, but great holiday. Muslims around the world prepare for Ramadan long before its onset: women stock up on food and groceries, men are busy buying clothes and gifts to celebrate the holiday. Muslims believe that Allah can forgive a person's sins if he spends time saying prayers and doing godly deeds, for example, helps those in need, donates funds to charity. It is the duty of every Muslim to make a small contribution, called Zakat-ul-Fitr, before the end of Ramadan. The money collected goes to the most poor and needy so that they too could take part in the festivities on an equal basis with everyone else.

In the month of Ramadan, according to hadiths and the Koran, performing good deeds is considered especially important. According to the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, Allah increases the importance of each of them 700 times, and the shaitan is chained this month, so doing good for Muslims becomes much easier than in other months. In addition, a number of hadiths also say that a devout Muslim must be pious during fasting, for example: “If (a person) does not stop lying and acting in lies, Allah will not need him to give up his food and drinking."

During Ramadan, Muslims also devote most of their time to reading the Quran and remembering Allah, and try to perform prayers, sometimes at night – before or after the pre-dawn meal. During Ramadan, many believers undertake pilgrimage to Mecca.

Before the start of the day's fast, Muslims take a pre-dawn breakfast called Suhoor. When the sun sets, believers immediately break their fast. As a rule, the dish during iftar (breaking the fast at sunset) is completely small portion of food – According to the Sunnah, this is an odd number of dates. Then it is done evening prayer Maghrib, after which it is the turn for a full meal. Stalik Khankishiev, a famous cook and author of the book “Cauldron, barbecue and other men’s pleasures,” said that during Ramadan, every day (or rather, night) is considered a holiday, and therefore the whole month with the onset of darkness begins not just to satisfy hunger, but real feast. In every home they cook and serve all the most delicious things, always pilaf, and many different sweets. During the month of Ramadan, any devout Muslim must throw a big dinner party at least once. The treats are so plentiful that the guest, as a rule, is not only unable to get up, but even to move. But you have to - before dawn you need to have a snack and drink the last sip of water, after which the time for abstinence comes again.

At breaking the fast During Ramadan the believer must repent and fast later. Swimming is not recommended at this time, as you may accidentally swallow water, which is prohibited. However, accidentally swallowing water during ablution and other unintentional actions do not break the fast. Muslims believe that if a believer fasts throughout Ramadan, then Allah will grant him mercy in heaven.

Muslims follow the clear instructions of the holy book of the Koran: “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, just as it was prescribed for your predecessors, so perhaps you will be afraid. One should fast a few days. And if any of you is sick or on a journey, then let him fast for the same number of days at other times. And those who are able to fast with difficulty should, as an atonement, feed the poor. And if someone voluntarily does a good deed, then so much the better for him. But it is better for you to fast, if only you knew!.. You are allowed to have intimacy with your wives on the night of fasting. Your wives are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them. Allah knows that you are betraying yourselves (disobeying Allah and having sex with your wives at night while fasting in Ramadan), and therefore He accepted your repentance and forgave you. From now on, enter into intimacy with them and strive for what Allah has prescribed for you. Eat and drink until you can't tell the difference white thread dawn from black and then fast until night..." (2:183-187).

There are many things considered unclean and therefore violative of the fasts, including menstruation, postpartum bleeding, vomiting and bloodletting. Taking medications, pills, injections (except those necessary for replacement therapy, such as insulin) and even blood transfusions are considered formally as food. From the post completely are released women during menstruation, the mentally ill and children (before the onset of puberty). Sick people, travelers, pregnant and lactating women may also not fast, but they replenish him after the disappearance of the reason temporarily releasing them from the obligation of fasting. Old people, as well as incurable patients who cannot withstand fasting, must feed the poor. Islam prohibits conviction those who were unable to fast for appropriate reasons.

Celebrating the end of Ramadan which occurs on the first day of the month of Shawwal is called Eid al-Fitr or Eid al Adha. Eid celebrations include congregational prayers and preaching, often followed by various celebrations where children take part in various games, are distributed to everyone who wants sweets, performs on the streets theater and songs and joyful cries are heard everywhere.

TOPIC 14
PRAYER AND FASTING

I. Prayer
Prayer is not just an appeal to God, but a person’s personal communication with Him. There is a huge difference between these two forms. Appeal implies information, request or reminder, and communication (conversation) means the exchange of thoughts, words, experiences, feelings, ideas, etc. Real prayer is an important, meaningful and confidential conversation between a person and God. For a Christian who strives for spiritual growth, prayer is an integral part of life.
Prayer includes different elements such as asking for forgiveness of sins, petition, intercession, supplication, as well as worship, praise and thanksgiving. Prayer for the forgiveness of sins involves a person's open, sincere recognition of what he has done (thoughts, motives, or their outward expression through actions) and the acceptance by faith of forgiveness from God (1 John 1:9). A petition is a confession by believers in prayer of their weakness, limitations of their capabilities and an appeal to God for help. Praying for someone is called intercession, which literally means “to come together, bow before God, and pray together for the needs of others.” During the prayer of intercession, the personal needs of the person praying are relegated to the background, and the needs of another are foregrounded (1 Tim. 2:1). Prayer is an expression of a strong desire to receive something from the Lord, both regarding personal needs and the needs of others. Praise is recognizing who God is, what He has done, and glorifying Him for it. Glorifying God, a person does not add glory to Him, which would be impossible, but consciously (if possible publicly) recognizes Him as God (Ps. 148, 150). Recognizing God's goodness to himself and to others, the person praying thanks the Creator for life itself, for the beauty of His creation, for the sacrifice of Christ and the salvation He provided, as well as for specific answers to prayers.
The intercession of Christ is of great importance in Christian prayer. “And if you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son; If you ask anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13, 14). Scripture says that there are no other mediators between God and man except Christ (1 Tim. 2:5) and therefore, when we reveal our desires in prayer, we turn in the name of Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus Christ, the protection of which we invoke in our prayers, opens a free entrance into God's presence, is a powerful guard over our lives and leads to complete victory over the devil: “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb...” (Rev. 12:11).
In the biblical understanding, true prayer is created by the Spirit of God, Who cannot be limited by sacraments or ritual formulas. Emphasizing his reverence for God, a Christian should behave decently during prayer and kneel if possible.
The Holy Scripture repeatedly calls Christians to unceasing prayer, which means the constant orientation of the new human nature and renewed mind towards God, as well as contact with Him in following and communication, despite the circumstances of life.
Christians need to pay special attention to the daily morning prayer. Exactly at morning hour While sacrificing other things, we must take time to communicate with the Lord. Such prayer inspired God's people with the presence of grace: “God! You are my God, I have been seeking You from the early dawn” (Ps. 63:2). It is also necessary to end the day by giving thanks to God and invoking His protection for the coming night.
Eating food is preceded by prayer for its blessing (1 Tim. 4:3-5).

Important conditions in prayer
1. Sanctification. If we commit a sin, we must repent of it and ask God for forgiveness: “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean...” (see Isa. 1:15-18).
2. Compliance of what is asked with the will of God. John tells us: “And this is the boldness we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us; and when we know that He listens to us in everything we ask, we also know that we receive what we ask from Him” (1 John 5:14, 15). Jesus teaches us to pray: “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10). If what we pray for has any explanation in Scripture, then God is clearly revealing His will to us.
3. Faith. Jesus says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask when you pray, believe that you receive it, and it will be done for you” (Mark 11:24). Faith gives us the firm conviction that if we pray for something (or perhaps have prayed for a certain amount of time), God has already decided to answer our request. Biblical faith is not a vague wish or a vague hope that is not based on anything. On the contrary, it is faith in God Himself, based on the fact that we trust His word and believe what He tells us. Such faith in God, or hope in Him, if there is an element of confidence in it, is genuine biblical faith.
4. Forgiveness. Jesus says: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; and if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14, 15). God will withdraw from us if we do not forgive the people who have offended us.
5. Humility. James tells us that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Therefore, “humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10). Thus, when turning to God in prayer, we should show humility. God is rightly jealous of His honor. Therefore, He is not pleased to answer the prayers of the proud, who give honor to themselves rather than to God.
6. Persistence. Paul encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). He tells the Colossians: “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). This constant devotion to prayer, even while performing daily duties, characterizes the life of a believer. The apostles are a shining example of a prayer life. They relieved themselves of other responsibilities in order to devote more time to prayer: “But let us continue continually in prayer and in the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).
7. Jealousy. The prayers of Jesus himself, who serves as our example in everything, were deeply felt. “In the days of His flesh, with a strong cry and with tears, He offered prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence” (Heb. 5:7). In some prayers of Scripture we literally hear the cry of the saints addressed to God. Daniel exclaims: “Lord, hear! Lord, forgive me! Lord, hearken and do, do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your name is called on Your city and on Your people” (Dan. 9:19).
8. Unity. In joint prayer, believers gain strength. Jesus teaches us: “Again, truly, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19, 20).

Along with general prayers, it is also important to perform personal (solitary) prayers. Jesus teaches us: “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6). The essence of secret prayer is that we open our hearts to God, and do not show ourselves to people, adapting to those around us. The presence of other people may disturb us or have Negative influence to our prayers.

God does not answer all prayers the way a person asks. Paul asked the Lord three times to remove the “thorn in the flesh” from him, but the Lord did not do this. He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:8, 9).
The reason why God answers one prayer and not another has nothing to do with the form, volume or length of the prayer itself, because... prayer presupposes a personal relationship with God, in which the most important thing is to be sincere and selfless. The answer depends on God's will, which is “good, acceptable and perfect” for us (Rom. 12:2). If we do not receive an answer to our prayer, we must continue to trust God, who causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28), and cast all our cares on Him, knowing that He constantly remembers us.

II. Fast
Mention of fasting occurs as we read the Bible from Old Testament to the New, and we can see the amazing power and possibilities of fasting.
Fasting is abstinence for a period of time for the purpose of seeking the face of God in prayer for a specific need or for the purpose of spending time with God for strengthening inner man, arming yourself in spiritual warfare. Abstinence should be:
- from food;
- from intimate (sexual) intimacy (1 Cor. 7:5);
- from reading books other than the Bible and spiritual literature;
- from watching TV;
- from any kind of entertainment or activity that could become an obstacle to communication with God.

Different types of fasting
Fasting can be done in different ways. The Bible presents three types of fasting.
1. Absolute. During this fast, a person abstains from food and water, i.e. does not eat or drink anything (Esther 4:16; Acts 9:9). It has been verified that the human body can function normally without food for up to 2 months, but without water - only a few days, so absolute fasting cannot be taken for more than three days. However, there are exceptions when God speaks specifically, for example: Moses twice undertook an absolute fast of 40 days (Deut. 9:9, 18; Exod. 34:28).
2. Multi-day. This is abstaining from all food and drink except water for several days or weeks. A person drinks only water and nothing else. It appears that Jesus was undertaking such a fast because the Bible says that at the end of forty days He was hungry, but did not thirst; when David fasted for seven days, the Bible says he did not eat bread (2 Sam. 12:15-20).
3. One-day. Abstinence from food and drink from the evening of the previous day until the evening of the current day. You can then have a light dinner.
4. Partial.
1) Abstaining from eating and drinking during certain times of the day;
2) Abstinence from a certain type of food (Dan. 10:2, 3; Dan. 1:11, 12).
3) Reducing the frequency of eating.
Partial fasting is recommended for those who have health problems or other objective reasons, preventing you from taking another type of fast.

The post can be personal, i.e. it involves only one person, and a group that involves the whole family, the whole church or group of people, even the whole city or country: “go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for my sake, and do not eat or drink for three day, neither day nor night, and I and my maidservants will also fast” (Esther 4:16).

Combination of fasting and prayer
Prayer in Scripture is often combined with fasting. Sometimes these cases involve persistent prayer. For example, Nehemiah, upon hearing about the defeat of Jerusalem, “fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4). When the Jews heard about Artaxerxes’ order to destroy them, “there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and crying” (Esther 4:3).
The New Testament says that Anna served God in the temple “with fasting and prayer... day and night” (Luke 2:37), and when the believers of the Antiochian church “served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: separate Barnabas and Saul for me for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). Before sending Barnabas and Saul on their first missionary journey, the church again resorted to fasting: “Then they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, and sent them away” (Acts 13:3).
So, fasting often accompanied prayer. This happened when someone persistently interceded with God on behalf of someone else during a time of repentance, worship, or seeking guidance.
Fasting brings many positive results regarding our relationship with God:
1. Strengthens our sense of humility and hope in God (since hunger and physical weakness constantly remind us that on our own we are not strong at all and constantly need the Lord).
2. Allows us to devote more time to prayer (since we do not waste time on food).
3. All the time reminds us that just as we sacrifice our comfort for the Lord during fasting, we should constantly sacrifice our whole being for His sake.
4. This is an excellent test of self-discipline, because by restraining ourselves from eating the food we want, we strengthen our ability to resist the sin to which we often tend. If we train ourselves in the small “sufferings” of voluntary fasting, then we will be able to accept greater sufferings for the sake of righteousness.
5. Increases the liveliness of mind and spirit, enhances the feeling of the presence of God, as we focus our attention not on the material.
6. Expresses the urgency and importance of our prayer: if we did not stop fasting, we would soon die. Thus, fasting symbolically tells God that we are willing to die to change a certain situation. Fasting is especially appropriate if the church is spiritually weak at this moment.
7. It is a weapon of spiritual warfare: “this generation is driven out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21).

Although the New Testament does not require believers to fast, nor does it set any specific periods for fasting, Jesus clearly meant that we would fast, for He told His disciples, “Likewise, when you fast...”. Moreover, Jesus says, “The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15). The Bridegroom is Jesus, and we are His disciples, He is “taken away” from us until He returns.
Fasting for more than three days must be done with the blessing of the pastor and under his spiritual care.

St. John Chrysostom

This generation does not come forth except through prayer and fasting. (v. 21), He adds. Here He means demons in general, and not just lunatics. Do you see how he already speaks to the apostles about fasting? Don’t tell me about the rare cases that some cast out demons even without fasting. Although they say about some that they cast out demons without fasting, it cannot be that a person living among pleasures will get rid of such an illness: no, someone suffering from such an illness has a special need for fasting. You will say: if faith is needed, why else is fasting needed? For the fact that in addition to faith, fasting also gives a lot of strength; he teaches great wisdom, makes a person an angel, and strengthens him against incorporeal forces. However, not on its own; - prayer is also needed, and it must precede. And look what benefits come from these two virtues. He who prays as he should, and also fasts, requires little; but whoever demands little will not be a lover of money; and whoever is not a lover of money loves to give alms. He who fasts becomes light and inspired, and prays with a cheerful spirit, quenches evil lusts, appeases God and humbles his arrogant spirit. That is why the apostles almost always fasted. He who prays with fasting has two wings, lighter than the wind itself. Such a one does not doze, does not talk much, does not yawn or relax in prayer, as happens to many, but he is faster than fire and higher than the earth; that is why such a one is especially an enemy and warrior against demons, since there is no stronger than man, sincerely praying. If a wife could bow down a cruel boss who neither feared God nor was ashamed of people, then how much more can he bow down to God who constantly stands before Him, tames his belly and rejects pleasures.

Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew.

Right John of Kronstadt

This generation does not come forth except through prayer and fasting.

How great is the power of fasting and prayer! No wonder: during fasting the soul becomes dominant over the lusts of the body, generally subjugates it to itself, and the devil very often acts through the flesh; The faster, therefore, conquers both the flesh and the devil - which means that then he is close to God in his moral state and can do the powers of God most easily. If prayer is added to this, which brings down to us the blessing and help of heaven, then man can truly command not only material nature, but also fallen spirits. How did the Lord Himself defeat the devil? By fasting and prayer.

Diary. Volume I. 1856.

Blzh. Hieronymus of Stridonsky

This race can only be driven out by prayer and fasting.

When He teaches how the worst demon can be cast out, He instructs everyone to life.

Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.

Blzh. Theophylact of Bulgaria

Evfimy Zigaben

this generation does not come forth except through prayer and fasting

The race of all demons is driven out only by prayer and fasting, not only of the healer, but also of the sufferer, and even more so of the sufferer. Prayer is very scary for the demon; and fasting makes her stronger and more powerful, not allowing satiety to weaken her bodily strength, nor the vapors arising from it to damage the brain and darken the mind. And when the body has strength and the mind acts without being entertained, then prayer rises stronger than fire and most terrible of all. Therefore, fasting and prayer should always be combined.

Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.

Lopukhin A.P.

this race is driven out only by prayer and fasting

(Mark 9:29) Some exegetes, citing the fact that verse 21 is not in some manuscripts and translations, recognize this verse as a later insertion or borrowing from Mark. 9:29. “This kind” - refers, of course, to demons.

« Can only be driven out by prayer and fasting", i.e. only a true believer becomes capable, through prayer, of casting out demons.

Explanatory Bible.

The Savior's commandment is to always pray. Prayer is the breath of spiritual life. And just as physical life stops when breathing stops, so spiritual life stops when prayer stops.

Prayer is a conversation with God, with the Most Holy Theotokos, and saints. God is our Heavenly Father, to whom we can always turn with our joys or sorrows. Therefore, at any time, not only at divine services and prayer services, but in any other place, we can turn to the Most Holy Theotokos and the saints and ask them to help us, to intercede for us before the Lord.

We must learn to turn to God as the Source of Life. The first words you should say in the morning are: "Glory to Thee, Lord, Glory to Thee!" . Gradually short prayers are collected into rules- prayers that must be read.

There are different rules - morning, afternoon, evening, etc. These prayers were compiled by holy people and imbued with the spirit of their ascetic life dedicated to Christ. The most perfect prayer is “Our Father...”, left to His disciples by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Everyone's prayer rules are different. For some, 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 fulfill prayer rule, even the shortest, 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.

It is necessary to get used to bowing - waist And earthly. Bowing makes up for our absent-mindedness in prayer. You should also pay attention to your external demeanor when praying. You must stand straight, look straight at the icons, and remember that when you pray you appear before the Face of the Heavenly Father.

Life and prayer are completely inseparable. A life without prayer is a life that lacks its most important dimension; this is life “on a plane”, without depth, life in two dimensions of space and time; this is a life that is content with the visible, content with our neighbor, but the neighbor as a phenomenon on the physical plane, a neighbor in which we do not discover all the immensity and eternity of his fate. The meaning of prayer is to reveal and affirm through life itself the fact that everything has a measure of eternity and everything has a measure of immensity. The world in which we live is not a godless world: we ourselves profane it, but in its essence it came from the hands of God, it is loved by God. His price in the eyes of God is the life and death of His Only Begotten Son, and prayer testifies that we know this - we know that every person and every thing around us is sacred in the eyes of God: loved by Him, they become dear to us. Not to pray means to leave God outside of everything that exists, and not only Him, but also everything that He means for the world He created, the world in which we live.

About the post

The Church of Christ commands its children to lead a moderate lifestyle, especially highlighting the days and periods of compulsory abstinence - posts. Fasting is days when we should think more about God, about our sins before God, pray more, repent, not get irritated, not offend anyone, but on the contrary, help everyone. To make it easier to accomplish this, you must, first of all, eat only “lenten” food, that is, plant foods: bread, vegetables, fruits, since nourishing food makes us want not to pray, but to sleep, or, conversely, to frolic . The Old Testament righteous fasted, and Christ Himself fasted.

Weekly fast days(except for "solid" weeks) are Wednesday and Friday. On Wednesday, fasting was established in memory of the betrayal of Christ by Judas, and on Friday - for the sake of the suffering on the cross and the death of the Savior. On these days it is forbidden to eat fast meat and dairy foods, eggs, fish (according to the Charter, from the Resurrection of St. Thomas until the Feast of the Holy Trinity, fish and vegetable oil can be eaten), and during the period from the Week of All Saints (the first Sunday after the Feast of the Trinity) until the Nativity of Christ, on Wednesdays and Fridays one should abstain from fish and vegetable oil.

There are four multi-day fasts a year. The longest and most severe - Lent, which lasts seven weeks before Easter. The strictest of them are the First and the Last, Passionate. This fast was established in memory of the Savior's forty-day fast in the desert.

Close in severity to the Great Dormition post, but it is shorter - from August 14 to 27. With this fast, the Holy Church honors the Most Holy Theotokos, Who, standing before God, invariably prays for us. During these strict fasts, fish can be eaten only three times - on the feasts of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (April 7), the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem (a week before Easter) and the Transfiguration of the Lord (August 19).

Christmas post lasts 40 days, from November 28 to January 6. During this fast, you are allowed to eat fish, except on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. After the feast of St. Nicholas (December 19), fish can only be eaten on Saturdays and Sundays, and the period from January 2 to 6 must be strictly observed.

Fourth post - Holy Apostles(Peter and Paul). It begins with the Sunday of All Saints and ends on the day of remembrance of the holy supreme apostles Peter and Paul - July 12. The regulations on nutrition during this Lent are the same as during the first period of Christmas.

for days strict fasting are Epiphany Eve (January 18), the holidays of the Beheading of John the Baptist (September 11) and the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord (September 27).

Some relaxation in the severity of fasting is allowed for the sick, as well as those engaged in hard work, pregnant and lactating women. This is done so that fasting does not lead to a sharp loss of strength, and the Christian has the strength for the prayer rule and the necessary work.

But fasting should be not only physical, but also spiritual. “He who believes that fasting is only abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting,” teaches St. John Chrysostom, “is removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury.”

The body of the fasting person, without being burdened with food, becomes light and strengthens to receive gifts of grace. Fasting tames the desires of the flesh, softens the temper, suppresses anger, restrains the impulses of the heart, invigorates the mind, brings peace to the soul, and eliminates intemperance.

By fasting, as St. Basil the Great says, by fasting favorably, by moving away from every sin committed by all the senses, we fulfill the pious duty of an Orthodox Christian.

Initial prayers

Rising from sleep, before any other activity, reverently presenting yourself before the Most High God and relying on yourself sign of the cross, say:

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

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

Therefore, slow down a little so that all your feelings come into silence and your thoughts leave everything earthly, and then say your prayers without haste, with heartfelt attention.

In this prayer we ask the Lord for blessings on the upcoming task.

Prayer of praise to the Lord God
(small doxology)

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

In this prayer we praise God without asking for anything in return. It is usually pronounced at the end of a task as a sign of gratitude to God for His mercy towards us. This prayer is said in short: God bless. In this abbreviated form, we say a prayer when we finish some good deed, for example, teaching, work; when we receive any good news, etc.

Publican's Prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner.

Prayer for forgiveness of our sins. It must be said as often as we often sin. As soon as we sin, we must immediately repent of our sin before God and say this prayer.

Prayer to the Lord Jesus Christ

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

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us (show mercy to us). Amen.

We ask that God, through the prayers of the saints, have mercy on us, i.e. was merciful to us and forgave our sins. This prayer, like the prayer of the publican, should be in the mind and heart of a Christian as often as possible, because, constantly sinning before God, they must constantly turn to Him asking for mercy.

This prayer can be said shorter: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us , or even shorter: Lord have mercy! In the latest abbreviated version, it is pronounced in church, during worship, often up to 40 times continuously.

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 soul.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Receptacle of all goodness and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all impurity, and save, O Merciful One, our souls.

We ask that the Holy Spirit will deliver us from eternal punishment for sins and honor us with the Kingdom of Heaven.

Trisagion
(angel song)

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

Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Immortal, be merciful to us.

By the words: Holy God, God the Father is meant; under the words: Holy Mighty - God the Son; under the words: Holy Immortal - God the Holy Spirit. The prayer is read three times in honor of the three Persons of the Holy Trinity. This prayer is called an angelic song because it is sung by holy angels before the throne of God.

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.

Praise be to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and to endless ages. Amen.

In this prayer we do not ask God for anything, but only glorify Him, who appeared to people in three Persons.

Prayer to the Most 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.

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord (Father), forgive us our sins. Master (Son of God), forgive our iniquities. Holy (Spirit), visit us and heal our diseases, to glorify Your name

First, from the Holy Trinity together, and then from each Person of the Holy Trinity separately, we ask for one thing, although in different expressions: deliverance from sins.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, 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.

Our heavenly Father! Let Your name be glorified. Let Your Kingdom come. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, just as we forgive those who sin against us. And do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from the evil spirit. Because to You belongs the Kingdom, the Power and the Glory - to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now, always and unto ages of ages. Amen.

This is the most important prayer; That is why it is often read in church during services. It contains an invocation, seven petitions and a doxology.

Morning prayers

Prayer to Jesus Christ

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

Come, let us worship the King, our God.
Come, let us bow down and cast ourselves to the ground before Christ the King, our God.
Come, let us bow down and cast ourselves to the ground before Christ Himself, our King and God.

In prayer, we invite all our physical and mental strength, and we invite other believers to worship Jesus Christ, our King and God.

Psalm 50 - David's penitential psalm

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. To You alone have I sinned and done evil before You; for you may be justified in all Your words, and you will always be victorious in judging Ty. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. Behold, you have loved the truth; You have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 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 proclaim 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.

Have mercy on me. God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, blot out my iniquities. Wash me often from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin, for I am aware of my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. You, You alone, have I sinned and done evil in Your sight, so that You are righteous in Your judgment and pure in Your judgment. Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sin. Behold, You have loved the truth in your heart and have shown me (Your) wisdom within me. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me and I will whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, and the bones will rejoice. Broken by you. Repel Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with the Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed. O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. Lord, open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise: for You do not desire sacrifice, I would give it; You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; You will not despise a contrite and humble heart, O God. Bless Zion, O Lord, according to Your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem: then the sacrifices of righteousness, the heap and the burnt offering will be acceptable to You; Then they will place bullocks on Your altar.

This psalm (psalm-song) was composed by the prophet King David when he repented of the great sin that he killed the pious husband Uriah the Hittite and took possession of his wife Bathsheba. The prayer expresses deep contrition for the sin committed, which is why this psalm is often read in church during worship, and we, who are guilty of certain sins, should recite it as often as possible.

Prayer 3rd of St. Macarius the Great

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 devilish 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 unto ages of ages. Amen.

To You, Lord Lover of Mankind, having awakened from sleep, I turn and, by Your mercy, I hasten to Your deeds, and I beg You: help me at all times, in every matter and deliver me from every worldly evil deed and devilish temptation; save me and bring me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator, the Source and Giver of all good, all my hope is in You, and I glorify You now and always, and to endless ages. Amen.

In this prayer, we express our readiness and desire before God, upon awakening from sleep, to engage in the affairs assigned to each of us by God, and we ask Him for help in these matters; We also ask that He save us from sins and bring us into the Kingdom of Heaven. The prayer ends with praise to God.

Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos

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.

Mother of God Virgin Mary, filled with the grace of God, rejoice! The Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women, and blessed is the Fruit born of You, because You gave birth to the Savior of our souls.

Praise to the Blessed Virgin Mary

It is worthy to eat, as truly, to 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, the real Mother of God.

It is truly worthy to glorify You, Mother of God, eternally happy and most holy and Mother of our God. And we glorify You, the true Mother of God, more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim, who gave birth to the Son of God without breaking virginity.

With this prayer we glorify the Most Holy Theotokos. There is a short prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos, which we should say as often as possible. This prayer: Holy Mother of God, save us!

To the Angel of God, my holy Guardian, given to me by God from heaven, I diligently pray to Thee: Enlighten me today and 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 God from heaven for safekeeping! I earnestly ask you: You enlighten me today and teach me from all evil. good deed and guide me on the path of salvation. Amen.

In this prayer, we ask our Guardian Angel to deliver us from all evil temptations and pray to God for us.

Troparion to the Cross and prayer for the Fatherland

Save, O Lord, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance, granting victories against resistance, and preserving Thy residence through Thy Cross.

Save, Lord, Your people and bless those who belong to You, helping Orthodox Christians defeat their enemies and preserving Your holy Church by the power of Your Cross.

In this prayer, we ask that the Lord deliver us, Orthodox Christians, from troubles and misfortunes, grant us prosperity in life, give us the strength to defeat all violators of the peace and security of the state, and protect us with His Cross.

Prayer for health and salvation of the living

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

The spiritual father is the priest to whom we confess; relatives - relatives; mentors - teachers; benefactors - those who do good, help us.

In this prayer, we ask God for our parents, relatives and all our neighbors and friends for earthly and heavenly blessings, namely: health, strength and eternal salvation.

Prayer for the departed

Rest, O Lord, to the souls of your departed servants (names), forgive them their sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

Rest, Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all their sins, done of their own free will and against their will, and give them the Kingdom of Heaven.

We pray that He will place our deceased relatives, neighbors and all Orthodox Christians together with the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven, where there is no suffering, but only bliss, having forgiven them all their sins according to His unspeakable mercy.

Prayers throughout the day

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 Your glory, our Creator. It’s a consolation for our parents, a benefit for the Church and the Fatherland.

Most merciful Lord! Send us the grace of Your Holy Spirit, which would give us understanding and strengthen our spiritual strength, so that we, listening to the teaching taught to us, would grow to You, our Creator, for glory, for our parents for consolation, for the benefit of the Church and the Fatherland.

We pray that God will give us understanding and a desire to learn, so that this teaching will serve for the glory of God, for the comfort of our parents and for the benefit of our neighbors.

Before teaching, instead of this prayer, you can say the prayer: To the Heavenly King.

Prayer at the end of the lesson

We thank You, Creator, for You have made us worthy of Your grace to listen 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.

We thank You, Creator, for the fact that You have honored us with Your mercy to listen to the teaching. Bless (i.e. reward) our leaders, parents and teachers who lead us to the knowledge of good, and give us strength and health to continue this teaching.

In this prayer, we first thank God for helping us learn; then we ask that He reward with His mercy the leaders, parents and teachers who are trying to teach us good, and give us strength and health to continue our teaching.

At the end of the teaching, instead of this prayer, you can say the prayer: 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’s good will.

The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, with hope, and You give food to everyone in due season; You open Your generous hand and satisfy all living things according to desire (Psalm 144:15-16).

In this prayer we ask that God bless us with food and drink for health.

Instead of this prayer, before lunch and dinner, you can read the Lord's Prayer: 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, but as You came among Your disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.

We thank You, Christ our God, that You have nourished us with Your earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom.

In this prayer, we thank God for filling us with food and drink and ask that He not deprive us of His Heavenly Kingdom.

Prayers for the future

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

To the 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 all the 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.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body! Forgive me everything that I sinned in the past day (or last night), and deliver me from all the cunning of my evil enemy, so that I do not anger my God with any sin; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, so that I may be worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Each of us has a special angel with us throughout our entire lives from the time of our baptism; he protects our soul from sins, and our body from earthly misfortunes, and helps us live holy, which is why in prayer he is called the patron saint of soul and body. We ask the Guardian Angel to forgive our sins, deliver us from the tricks of the devil and pray to the Lord for us.

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

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has made me worthy even at this hour, 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, having risen from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will defeat the enemies of the flesh and the incorporeal that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Eternal God and King of all creatures, who has deigned me to live until this hour! Forgive me the sins that I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my poor soul from all impurity of body and soul. And help me, Lord, to spend the coming night calmly, so that, getting up from my wretched bed, I can do what is pleasing to Your most holy name all the days of my life and defeat the bodily and incorporeal enemies who attack me. And deliver me, Lord, from empty thoughts that defile me and evil passions. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever. Amen.

In this prayer we thank God for a well-spent day, asking Him for forgiveness of sins, preservation of us from all evil and good night. This prayer ends with the glorification of the Holy Trinity.

Prayer 5, St. John Chrysostom

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

Lord our God! As a good and philanthropic person, forgive me everything I sinned on this day: in word, deed or thought; give me a peaceful and calm sleep; send me your guardian angel so that he will cover and protect me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever. Amen.

We ask for forgiveness of sins, peaceful sleep and a guardian angel who would protect us from everything bad. This prayer ends with the glorification of the Holy Trinity.

Prayer to the Honest Cross

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish in the face of those who love God and sign the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable One and Life-giving Cross e Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ who has fallen upon you, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may all who hate Him flee from Him. As smoke disappears, so let them disappear; and as wax melts from the fire, so let the demons perish before those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross and exclaim in joy: Rejoice, Most Honored and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ on you, Who descended into hell and destroyed the power of the devil and gave us You, Your Honest Cross, to drive away every enemy. Oh, Most Revered and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, help me with the Holy Lady the Virgin Mary and with all the saints in all ages. Amen.

In prayer we express our faith that the sign of the cross is the most powerful means of driving away demons, and we ask the Lord for spiritual help through the power of the Holy Cross.

A short prayer to the Holy Cross

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest (Honorable) and Life-Giving (Life-Giving) Cross, and save me from all evil.

You should say a prayer just before going to bed, kissing the cross worn on your chest, and protecting yourself and your bed with the sign of the cross.

The following works were used in preparing the material:
"Conversations on Prayer", Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh,
"Explanatory Prayer Book", published by the parish in the name of St. Seraphim of Sarov.
"On Prayer", Abbot Hilarion (Alfeev).
"Orthodoxy for children", O.S. Barilo.

"Orthodoxy for children", O.S. Barilo