Christian prayers. Seven basic prayers of a Christian - main prayers - prayer book - catalog of articles - Terbun deanery

30.09.2019

Seven main christian prayers
These are the prayers that every believer should read at least once a week. But it’s better - every day, or even several times a day.

JESUS PRAYER .

Lord Jesus Christ,
Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (3 times).
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

LORD'S PRAYER .

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

Mother of God, Virgin, 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.

ABOUT, Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord, Queen of heaven and earth! Listen to my much-painful sighing of our soul, look down from Thy holy height upon us, who worship Thy Most Pure Image with faith and love! Behold, we are immersed in sins and overwhelmed by sorrows, looking at Your image, as if You were alive and living with us, we offer our humble prayers. The imams have no other help, no other intercession, no consolation, except You, O Mother of all who grieve and are burdened! Help us the weak, quench our sorrow, guide us who are erring on the right path, heal and save the hopeless, grant us the rest of our lives in peace and silence. Give Christian demise to the Last Judgment Your merciful Intercessor has appeared to us, may we always sing, magnify and glorify You, as the good Intercessor of the Christian race, with all those who have pleased God. Amen!

PRAYER 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, true from God, born, not created, Consubstantial with the Father, by Him all things were. For our sake, man, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, 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, and His kingdom will have no end. 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. Into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. Tea of the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.

ALIVE IN HELP …

Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God. Says the Lord: Thou art my Protector and my Refuge, my God, and I trust in Him. For He will deliver you from the snare of hunters, and from rebellious words, His lashes will overshadow you, and under His wing you hope: His truth will surround you with weapons. Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow that flies during the day, from the things that pass in the darkness, from the debris, and from the demon of the midday. A thousand will fall from your country, and darkness will be at your right hand, but it will not come close to you, otherwise you will look at your eyes, and you will see the reward of sinners. For You, O Lord, are my hope, You have made the Most High your refuge. Evil will not come to you, and wound will not approach your body, as His Angel commanded you, keeping you in all your ways. They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot on a stone, step on an asp and a basilisk, and cross a lion and a serpent. For I have trusted in Me, and I will deliver, and I will cover, and because I have known My name. He will call to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him, and I will glorify him, I will fill him with long days, and I will show him My salvation.

PRAYER TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL .

Holy Angel of Christ, falling to you I pray, my holy guardian, devoted to me for the preservation of my soul to my sinful body from holy baptism, but with my laziness and my evil custom I have angered your most pure lordship and driven you away from me with all the cold deeds and slander , envy, condemnation by contempt, disobedience, brotherly hatred and resentment, love of money, adultery, rage, stinginess, gluttony without satiety and drunkenness, verbosity, evil thoughts and crafty ones, proud custom and lustful indignation, driven by self-will for all carnal lust. Oh, my evil will, even dumb animals don’t do it! How can you look at me, or approach me, like a stinking dog? Whose eyes, Angel of Christ, look upon me, entangled in evil in vile deeds? But how can I ask for forgiveness with my bitter and evil and crafty deed, I fall into misery all day and night and at every hour? But I pray to you, falling down to my holy guardian, have mercy on me, your sinful and unworthy servant (name), be my helper and intercessor against the evil of my opponent, with your holy prayers, and make me a partaker of the Kingdom of God with all the saints, always, and now , and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

PRAYER TO THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL .

Lord, Great God, King without beginning, send Your Archangel Michael to help Your servants (name). Protect us, Archangel, from all enemies, visible and invisible. Oh, Lord the Great Archangel Michael! Destroyer of demons, forbid all enemies fighting me, and make them like sheep. And humble their evil hearts and crush them like dust in the face of the wind. Oh, Lord the Great Archangel Michael! Six-winged first prince and governor heavenly powers, Cherubim and Seraphim, be our helper in all troubles, sorrows and sorrows, a quiet refuge in the desert and on the seas. Oh, Lord the Great Archangel Michael! Deliver us from all the charms of the devil when You hear us, sinners, praying to You and calling on Your Holy name. Hasten our help and overcome all those who oppose us by the power of the Honest and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the prayers of the holy Apostles, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Andrew Christ for the Fool's sake, the holy prophet Elijah and all the holy great martyrs, the holy martyrs Nikita and Eustathius and all the saints our fathers, who from time immemorial pleased God and all the holy heavenly powers. Oh, Lord the Great Archangel Michael! Help us sinners (name) and deliver us from coward, flood, fire, sword and from vain death, from great evil, from the flattering enemy, from the reviled storm, from the evil one, deliver us always, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen. Holy Archangel of God Michael, with Your lightning sword, drive away from me the evil spirit that tempts and torments me. Amen.

Renowned for their versatility and enormous power prayers. Each of them is a manifestation sincere feelings turned to the Lord. This is hope, faith, patience and love.

There are a number of favorite prayers that bring special joy. You should know what prayer to read in different life situations.

Top – 10

Certain conversions are a kind of ABC of Christianity. It is important to know what prayers you need to know.

“” has a special role among the many prayer services. This moral teaching was created in the 4th century.

This is the basics you need to understand:

“I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only one, begotten of the Father before all time; as Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten and not created, having one being with the Father and by whom all things were created. For us, people, and for our salvation, He came down from heaven and accepted human nature from the Virgin Mary through the influx of the Holy Spirit on Her, and became Human. 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 ascended into Heaven and abides right side Father. And He who will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead. Whose kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, who gives life to all, proceeding from the Father, revered and glorified equally with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets. Into one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I recognize one Baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Truly."

Its text cannot be called simple, but an explanation can be read in the book “Sunday Conversations”. The author of the book is Alexander Shmeman. This experienced priest emphasized that the above text is the basis of Christianity. A person expresses his faith in spoken words. And the world is an integral shell, everything in which has a certain meaning.

It is believed that main prayer Christians are "". This is quite a warm appeal in which depth is felt. After all, the Lord acts not as a ruler, but as a Father.

Already at the beginning of the words, a person expresses a desire to be in harmony with himself and with the Higher Powers. Without his presence it is bad, scary. The second part is the unthinkability of life without the blessing of God.

The main prayers of this type focus on temptation. After all, this word translated from Old Church Slavonic means test. A person asks to be given only those tests on his life’s path that he is able to withstand. The request for reason, spiritual strength, and wisdom is also present in the prayer book.

The third is considered. After all, despite the severity of grief or trials life path This appeal can help a person.

It is not necessary to use large texts; it is enough to say a short text, sincerely asking for forgiveness.

These are the prayers that you must know by heart. After all, prayer appeal is considered the basis that every Orthodox Christian knew and should know.

Before starting any spiritual conversion you should recite the above lines. After all, I pray when I feel bad, despair envelops my soul, and I give up. At this moment, faith weakens, the strength of spirit becomes vulnerable.

In such difficult moments Orthodox man uses readable strings. Use them several times a day. You can read them not only in times of deep despair, but also in joyful moments. Don’t forget to thank God for everything good, for every day you live, for the health of yourself and your loved ones. After all, it is priceless - life.

We can highlight such main Orthodox prayers as , who happily helped both during his life and after it. He is considered one of the most revered Christians. Many people ask for help every day and, with the help of Higher Powers, cope with problems and difficult life situations.
One of the main prayer services is an appeal to which every believer should know. In moments of despair, people ask for blessings. It was she who was included in the list of other minor appeals in the Psalter of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible.
They often come to the Blessed Virgin Mary for help. . It is known that the Saint poured out her gracious mercy on those people who turned to her. Most often, people with mental and physical illnesses pray. Spiritual connection helps them overcome the disease, strengthens their strength and faith.
The prayer “Mytyr” is used. In it, a person asks to be merciful to him. This is an appeal made by the tax collector, the one who repented, after which he received forgiveness. In the Gospel of Luke you can learn about the parable that Jesus Christ told. It is this prayer that complements the morning rule.
They ask for mercy, forgiveness of sins and help in the daily affairs of Jesus Christ. It is known that he became a man for the sake of sinners, to guide them on the true path. This treatment is considered one of the most important; after it, a person experiences relief, calmness, and a sense of sublimity.
Sickness, anger, despair turn to Saint Philaret . He is widely known for his theological works and pastoral activities. Both during his life and after it, he does not abandon those who sincerely ask for help.

It is important to ask not only for help, but also to remember to thank for it. It is then that there will be peace and grace in your life. It is important that the Lord lives in your heart.

(Thanksgiving for every good deed of God) From time immemorial, believers have read this prayer not only when their affairs, through prayers to the Lord, ended successfully, but also glorifying the Almighty, and thanking Him for the very gift of life and constant care for the needs of everyone of us.

Troparion, tone 4:

“Be grateful to Thy unworthy servants, O Lord, for Thy great blessings upon us; we glorify Thee, bless, thank Thee, sing and magnify Thy compassion, and slavishly cry out to Thee in love: O our Benefactor, glory to Thee.”

Kontakion, tone 3:

“Thy blessings and gifts, as a servant of indecency, having been vouchsafed, O Master, we earnestly flow to You, giving thanks according to our strength, and we glorify You, as the Benefactor and Creator, crying out: glory to You, All-Bountiful God. Glory even now: Theotokos, the Christian Helper, Your servants, having acquired Your intercession, cry out to You with gratitude: Rejoice, Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, and always deliver us from all our troubles with Your prayers, One who will soon intercede.”

In Christianity, both major and minor prayers are important. In them a person finds peace and confirms his love for God.

Using these lines is one of the main steps on the path to a religious, righteous life. Learn gradually different texts, the main thing is that they are uttered sincerely, with pure intentions.

Video on the topic: One of the most important Orthodox prayers.Prayer Creed

Conclusions

Every Orthodox Christian should be aware of the existence of several basic spiritual conversions. They are the ones who help you get in the right direction and take the righteous path. It is not necessary to know the texts by heart. You can copy the lines onto a sheet of paper and store them near the icon of the Saint to whom you are addressing.

Don't be afraid to seek help from the Higher Powers. The main thing is to remember about sincerity and to back up your words with strong faith. You should not rely solely on Heavenly grace; you must also make efforts yourself. This concerns constant work on yourself, your actions and lifestyle. It is important to give alms to poor people and do good deeds without reward.

Also follow certain rules before reading the prayer. All this will have a positive effect on the outcome of your requests.

What types of prayer are there?

Prayer books can be divided into supplications, thanksgivings, penitentials and doxologies.

What is the difference between prayer and conspiracy?

The fruits of prayer.

“The fruits of sincere prayer: simplicity, love, humility, patience, kindness, and the like. All this, even before eternal fruits, produces fruit here in the life of the diligent.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa

“The fruits of true prayer: bright peace of the soul, combined with quiet, silent joy, alien to daydreaming, conceit and heated impulses and movements; love for neighbors, not separating the good from the evil for the sake of love... but interceding for everyone before God as for oneself.” Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

What are the causes of absent-mindedness and temptations in prayer?

“So, he who is diligent in prayer must ask for it and know that in such an important matter, with much diligence and effort, he must endure a difficult struggle, since the spirit of malice attacks them with special force, seeking to overthrow our efforts. Hence the weakening of body and soul, effeminacy, carelessness, negligence and everything else that destroys the soul, tormented in parts and given over to its enemy. So, it is necessary for the soul to be controlled by reason, like a wise helmsman, showing the direct path to the heavenly pier and betraying the soul intact to the God who entrusted it.”
Saint Gregory of Nyssa

What are icons for?

When might a prayer not be fulfilled?

When what is asked is not useful to the soul of the person praying or he needs to acquire humility and patience.

“The mouth can ask for everything, but God fulfills only what is useful. The Lord is the all-wise Distributor. He cares about the benefit of the person asking and, if he sees that what is asked is harmful or, at least, useless to him, he does not fulfill the request and refuses the imaginary benefit. He listens to every prayer, and the one whose prayer is not fulfilled receives from the Lord the same saving gift as the one whose prayer is fulfilled. Therefore, be sure that any request that is not fulfilled is undoubtedly harmful, but a request that is heard is beneficial. The Giver is righteous and good and will not leave your requests unfulfilled, because in His goodness there is no malice and in His righteousness there is no envy. If He delays in fulfilling it, it is not because He repents of the promise, on the contrary. He wants to see your patience."
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

“First of all, we need to know that we are not allowed to ask for everything we want, and that not in every case we know how to ask for useful things. One must make requests with great caution, conforming them with the will of God. And those who are unheard need to know that either patience or increased prayer is necessary.” Saint Basil the Great

“Sometimes our request is immediately heard, but sometimes, according to the Savior, God is long-suffering for us, that is, He does not quickly fulfill what we ask: He sees that this fulfillment needs to be stopped for a while for our humility. When your request is not fulfilled by God, reverently submit to the will of the All-Holy God, Who, for unknown reasons, left your request unfulfilled.” Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

According to the Gospel, one of the conditions for prayer to be heard is reconciliation with neighbors. The Gospel says: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift” ( Matthew 5:23-24). Therefore, we must understand that reconciliation is a condition for prayer to be heard.
Archpriest Andrey Tkachev

Prayers you need to know

Every person baptized in the Orthodox faith must know three prayers. Of course, there are prayer books that indicate “prayer for every need” - morning prayer, for starting any new business, prayer before a meal, and many others. Not everyone knows them by heart, and it is quite acceptable to turn to a prayer book and say prayers as needed in print. However, an Orthodox Christian must know these three prayers by heart so that he can read them at any time in his life and teach them to others.

Related articles:
- Morning and evening prayers. Follow-up to Holy Communion
— Symbol of faith. With explanations.
— A short prayer book for the beginning Orthodox Christian

1 The main prayer of a Christian is “Our Father”

Our Father, who art in heaven!
Hallowed be Thy name,
may your kingdom come,
Thy will be done
as in heaven and on earth.
Our daily bread...

People who have recently come to faith are often interested in the answer to the question: what prayers do you need to know? On this issue, it is better to consult with your confessor, if you have not yet acquired one, then with any priest of the church where you started going.

However, there are basic necessary prayers that everyone needs to know Orthodox Christian. You can find them in any prayer book. This is Our Father, Virgin Mary, Hail, Trisagion, a prayer to the Guardian Angel, a prayer to the saint after whom you are named (heavenly patron).

The texts of these Orthodox prayers are simple, and even a child can learn them. You can find them in Orthodox prayer books for the laity, sold in icon shops and online stores specializing in the sale of church literature.

The necessary prayers must be learned by heart

In addition to the most necessary prayers listed, you can also choose those prayers from the prayer book that you especially like...

Psalm 90 “Living Help”

Our Father

Mother of God

The shortest prayer to the Mother of God

Creed

Prayer to all saints and ethereal heavenly powers

Troparion to the Martyr, tone 4

Kontakion to the Martyr, tone 6

Nikolai Ugodnik

May God rise again

Psalm 90 “Living Help”

Psalm 90 “Living Help”
Or the Praise of David's songs,
Not inscribed with Jew, 90

Living in the help of the Most High, he will settle in the shelter of the Heavenly God.
Says the Lord: Thou art my intercessor and my refuge, my God, and I trust in Him.
For Toy will deliver you from the snare of the trap, and from rebellious words,
His blanket will cover you, and under His wing you will hope: His truth will surround you with weapons.
Do not be afraid from the fear of the night, from the arrow flying in the days,
from things moving in the darkness, from the cloak, and the midday demon.
Thousands will fall from your country, and darkness will fall at your right hand, but it will not come near you:
both by your eyes...

Instructions

"In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen." After asking the Lord for help, be sure to receive a Blessing with these words. Don’t forget about such a short prayer as “Lord, bless!” It is this prayer that must be said before starting any business.

“Lord, have mercy!” says everyone who has accidentally or intentionally committed any sin. You need to say this prayer 3 times if you glorify the Lord, 12 times if you ask for a blessing, and 40 times if you ask to sanctify your whole life.

Such short prayers also include prayers of praise, in which there is not a single request, but only the offering of praise to God. It sounds like this: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!”

A Christian believer should also know the appeal to 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". By saying the words of this prayer, a person asks for intercession for...

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What prayers do you need to know by heart?

Hello, dear visitors Orthodox website "Family and Faith"!

Every Orthodox Christian should know by heart the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father...”, since it is the one that is read before eating food.

Also, it is necessary to know the Creed by heart in order to firmly know the main dogmas of the Orthodox faith.

Of course, knowing two prayers by heart is not enough. Hence the question: what prayers, in addition to the above, should an Orthodox Christian know by heart?

Archpriest Vadim Novikov answers:

First, you need to know:

Ten Commandments of God's Law:

1) I am the Lord your God, let there be no gods for you other than Me.
2) Thou shalt not make for thyself an idol or any likeness, such as the tree in heaven (i.e. above), and the tree on earth below, and the tree in the waters under the earth: thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them.
3) You did not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
4)…

Perhaps every person is familiar with such a state when the soul is disturbed by something unclear and vague concern for the fate of loved ones, everyday problems and adversities lie like a stone on the heart.

How to get rid of this heaviness and find ground under your feet?

Prayers are important and beautiful, without exception. After all, each of them was born in the depths of the soul of those who turned to the Lord, each of them contains the best human feelings - love, faith, patience, hope... And each of us probably has (or will have) our own favorite prayers, those that somehow especially consonant with our soul, our faith.

But there are three main prayers, which you must know by heart and understand the meaning of...

But there are three main prayers, which any Christian must know by heart and understand the meaning of; they are the basis of the foundations, a kind of ABC of Christianity.

The first of them is the Creed

Creed - summary foundations of Orthodox dogma, compiled in the 4th century. It is necessary for a believer to know and understand it, so let’s read it translated into modern Russian:

I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and of everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before all time; as Light from Light, true God from God...

Prayers that you should know by heart!

Publican's Prayer

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

And in the morning, and in the evening, and at the beginning of each prayer service:

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. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

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

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist). Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages, amen.

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, in Your name...

Types of prayers by content

Eucharistic canon

The most important and important prayers Christian

Orthodox prayer “I believe in one God...”, or the Symbol of Faith

Orthodox prayer “Our Father” - interpretation and essence

Prayer to the Holy Spirit “Heavenly King”

Jesus Prayer

Prayers to the Mother of God and Saints

How to order a prayer service and what is a thanksgiving prayer service

There are a great many prayers in Orthodoxy. They vary in importance and frequency. Some of them are read constantly, others only on special occasions.

A series of prayers are used in worship. They are not called prayers, but liturgical texts and have their own special names: kontakion, troparion, stichera. There are also prayers and canons that are read only by the priest, and parishioners are prohibited from reading them.

Types of prayers by content

As you know, every person baptized in the Orthodox faith should know at least three prayers - and if, for example, you are offered to become a godparent, at the rite of baptism the priest will certainly ask you if you know them.

Of course, there are prayer books that indicate “prayer for every need” - morning prayer, for starting any new business, prayer before a meal, and many others. Not everyone knows them by heart, and it is quite acceptable to turn to a prayer book and say prayers as needed in print.

However, an Orthodox Christian must know these three prayers by heart so that he can read them at any time in his life and teach them to others - this is what is first and foremost required of godparents in relation to their child’s godfather.

The first of them is the main prayer of a Christian - “Our Father”

Our Father, who art in heaven x!
Hallowed be Thy name,
may your kingdom come,
Thy will be done
I am in heaven and on earth.
Our bread for us...

— The Publican's Prayer

— Our Father

- Virgin Mary, rejoice!

- Worthy to eat

- To the King of Heaven

- Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (3 times)

- Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us!

- May God rise again!

- Lord, give me peace of mind...

— Jesus Prayer

Publican's Prayer

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

Our Father, who art in heaven!

Hallowed be Thy name,

may your kingdom come,

Thy will be done

as in heaven and on earth.

and forgive us our debts,

just as we also leave our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Virgin Mary, rejoice!

Rejoice, Virgin Mary,
Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you,
…

For example, many prayers must be read out loud and always very loudly, expressively, so that your voice sounds confident and firm. You must first create the appropriate mood for facing Higher Power- By God. Some prayers (mostly impromptu ones) should never be said in front of someone...

Prayers, contrary to widespread belief, for the most part play the role not so much of a comforter for the human race and not so much the role of begging before God, but rather the role of spiritual and hygienic means of our everyday life. Good prayer, and even correctly pronounced can be many hundreds of times superior in usefulness and effect to a steam bath, shower, massage. This is explained simply. Prayer influences the word - the root cause Power of all Existence and it is aimed directly at the essence of a person. Its effect is immediate, but its consequences are stable and long-term. But reading prayers requires skill, knowledge of some basic rules and requirements.

For example, many prayers must be read out loud and always very loudly, expressively, so that your voice sounds confident and firm. You must first create for yourself the appropriate mood of standing before the Higher Power - God. Some prayers (mostly impromptu ones) should never be said in front of someone else. They…

Today, you can often see prayer books in the hands of Christian believers - books that contain prayers to God for different cases life. In the morning and evening, such believers also often pray with memorized words. And many Christians directly declare that they do not pray to God because they do not know prayers. What prayers do you need to know, and how to pray to God correctly?

A number of theologians teach their parishioners that prayer from the prayer book will help the believer and is pleasing to God. For example, in the book “How to Pray Correctly According to the Teachings of the Holy Fathers” (Moscow, 2002) the process of morning and evening prayer is described: “The prayer rule that should be performed in the morning and evening: “Glory to Thee, naked God, glory to Thee”; “King of Heaven”; "Trisagion"; “Our Father”; “Lord, have mercy” - 12 times; “Come, let us worship”; Psalm 50; "Creed"; “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” - 3 times. After this, 20 prayers “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” - with each prayer, bow to the ground. Then another 20 similar prayers and...

Memo for an Orthodox Christian Memo for an Orthodox Christian

About some foundations and rules of church life

I. What an Orthodox Christian should know
II. How to behave in a temple
III. About Confession
IV. About communion
V. Commemoration and prosphora. Memorial service and prayer service
VI. Rules concerning the relationship of a lay person to his confessor
VII. The most important holidays of the year
VIII. Posts
IX. Home prayer and spiritual reading

Introduction

Christianity is not just a theory, a worldview, and not only a moral teaching, but new life, which covers all spheres of human existence: mental, moral and spiritual. One cannot be a Christian if there is no inner conviction in the truth of Christ’s teaching. You also cannot be one if you do not set yourself the task of fulfilling the moral commandments of the Gospel. But conviction and morality are, rather, only a means for the main goal of Christian life - spiritual communication with God, the acquisition of the Spirit of God...

Here we must immediately say that the most powerful prayer is the “Our Father,” for Jesus Christ himself taught us to pray this way.

“Our Father, who art in heaven!

Hallowed be Thy name,

may your kingdom come,

Thy will be done

as in heaven and on earth.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our debts,

just as we leave to our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

However, besides the Lord’s Prayer, there are other powerful prayers that help us in certain situations. We are not always able to build our own happiness. A person can sometimes be weak, any of us may lose willpower, but despite this, everyone wants to be happy. To achieve this very happiness, there are strong prayers that help us find what we want. But existence strong prayers does not say that you can sit, nothing...

Today, you can often see prayer books in the hands of Christian believers - books that contain prayers to God for different occasions. In the morning and evening, such believers also often pray with memorized words. And many Christians directly declare that they do not pray to God because they do not know prayers. What prayers do you need to know, and how to pray to God correctly?

A number of theologians teach their parishioners that prayer from the prayer book will help the believer and is pleasing to God. For example, in the book “How to Pray Correctly According to the Teachings of the Holy Fathers” (Moscow, 2002) the process of morning and evening prayer is described: “The prayer rule that should be performed in the morning and evening: “Glory to Thee, naked God, glory to Thee”; “King of Heaven”; “Trisagion”; “Our Father”; “Lord, have mercy” - 12 times; “Come, let us worship”; Psalm 50; “Creed”; “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” - 3 times. After this, 20 prayers “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” - with each prayer, bow to the ground. Then another 20 of the same prayers and with each one a bow from the waist.”

The Bible makes no such or similar demands. One of the disciples asked Jesus Christ: "God! teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Jesus Christ answered: “When you pray, say...” and gave the text of the prayer known to every Christian, “Our Father...” (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). This is the only prayer to God that it is advisable to know by heart. After all, in its laconicism it is very universal: it reveals the essence of God, indicates the need for repentance, leads to the awareness of our dependence on the Lord and contains important instructions to people. But even this prayer, when presented in the two Gospels, has differences that prevent all believers from quoting it equally verbatim.

Apart from the Lord’s Prayer, the Lord, through His Word, does not give examples of prayers anywhere, but says: “And whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matthew 21:22); “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2); “Pray for one another” (James 5:16); “Pray with every prayer and request...” (Ephesians 6:18).

Based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, we can confidently say that there is no need to read other people’s prayers to God from prayer books or learn them by heart, but it is necessary to turn to God with faith in your own words: thank Him, ask for something, share your joys and aspirations, that is be in constant prayerful communication with your heavenly Father.

Think about how you can, for example, read a memorized poem several times in a row, every day for decades with all your heart. This is impossible, because over time you will get tired of reciting any work with expression and go “automatic”. The same is true with prayer. After some time, whether you like it or not, a memorized prayer to God will acquire a formality in your mouth. This means that prayer ceases to be prayer. After all, real prayer is not a mantra or a spell, but a person’s personal appeal to the Creator, communication with Him. Proof of this is the psalms of David, each of which is an absolutely independent prayer - an appeal to the Creator.

There are many other examples in the Holy Scriptures prayer requests to God the heroes of the Bible: Moses (see Exodus 8:30; 32:31, 32), Daniel (see Daniel 6:10; 9:3-21), Hezekiah (see 2 Kings 20:1-3) and other.

Some of their representatives also admit shortcomings in the prayer foundations of a number of churches. Thus, Archpriest Alexander Borisov (1939), candidate of theology, in his book “White Fields” writes: “In fact, when reading ready-made, written prayers, attention is easily scattered - a person says one thing with his lips, but his head can be completely occupied to others. This is completely impossible when praying freely in your own words. However, the latter is so unusual for our consciousness that even people who have entered the Church for the first time most often say: “I can’t even pray - I don’t know any prayers.” Indeed, upon entering the temple, they understand that people are praying there, but they are praying “from books,” with ready-made words, which, moreover, can be difficult to understand due to the obscure Church Slavonic language and unclear pronunciation. And if so, then a person immediately gets the idea that it is simply impossible to pray otherwise. Prayer in this case is perceived as a kind of spell, which, unless pronounced in certain words in a certain order, will not be effective.”

The famous theologian, Bishop Theophan the Recluse (1815 - 1894) called for praying to God in his own words in his work “Four Words on Prayer”: “We must... get to the point where the soul itself, so to speak, with speech, enters into a prayerful conversation with God , she herself ascended to Him, and revealed herself to Him and confessed what was in her and what she desired. For as from a vessel - overflowing - water pours out by itself; So from the heart, filled with holy feelings through prayer, its own prayer to God will begin to flow out of itself.”

Remember also that God in the Bible calls Himself our Father, and Jesus calls Himself our Friend. Now answer what will be more pleasant for the father: if his child comes running to him and complains confusedly, sometimes incoherently, but from the heart, that he hit himself or something is not working out for him, or if the child tries to express his thoughts to dad in memorized ways. other people's quotes? Or, imagine what it will be like for a friend if you share with him your experiences, joys or problems, reading out a speech someone else has given on a similar topic?

If we reflect on the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, then only one conclusion can be drawn: you need to pray to God directly with your personal prayer. And at the same time, it is not necessary to go to church to pray, thinking that God will only hear you there. We must remember that the Creator hears and sees everything: “He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27). The Creator “considers all our affairs” (Psalm 33:15) and knows even our thoughts, since He is the Knower of the heart (Acts 1:24).

Jesus Christ gave the following instruction regarding prayer: “But when you pray, go into your room and, having 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). This biblical text very accurately shows that prayer to God is a personal, secret, intimate appeal of a person to the Creator in a solitary place. This is exactly what the Apostle Peter did - he retired to pray: “About the sixth hour Peter went up to the top of the house to pray” (Acts 10:9).

As noted above, the Bible teaches to pray to God constantly. This means that several times a day the believer must retire to pray to God, setting aside time for this. And for the rest of the day, a person should always remember God’s presence and maintain prayerful communication with Him. So, you can thank God for a new day when you wake up before getting out of bed; consult with Him while in a car or bus; communicate with the Creator in the workplace by closing your eyes for a couple of minutes, etc. Therefore, the postures for prayer can be different, just like the biblical heroes who prayed standing, sitting, lying, and kneeling.

Of course, if a person has never prayed to God in his own words, then it is difficult to start. To make it easier to cross this invisible barrier, you need to remember that the Lord is your Father, He loves you and desires communication with you. Having understood this, it is easier to pour out your requests, experiences and gratitude to the Heavenly Parent. At the same time, we must remember that earthly fathers can make mistakes and have shortcomings, since they are human. Heavenly Father is perfect, and His love for us is great and constant.

Valery Tatarkin
Excerpts from the book used
"Returning to the origins of Christian doctrine"
www.apologetica.ru