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

10.10.2019

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.

The main prayer of an Orthodox Christian
“Our Father”

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

Prayer to the Virgin Mary - “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice”

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

Prayer “Creed”

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

The Jesus Prayer is a prayer addressed to Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner

You should also say prayers in Church Slavonic so that your perception is not overshadowed by the symbols of the language we speak every day.
Church-language prayer encourages humility and a return to origins - for centuries, unchangeable words live in our ancestral memory.

Say prayer in church and privately (in your home), and if you think about when, how and why to pray, read the daily prayer of St. Philaret.
In these words there is tenderness and consolation for the soul suffering from prayer.

Prayer of Saint Philaret

Lord, I don’t know what to ask of You.
You alone know what I need.
You love me more than I can love myself.
Father, give to Your servant what I myself cannot ask for.
I do not dare to ask for either a cross or consolation,
I just stand before You.
My heart is open to You.
You see needs that I don't know.
See and create according to Your mercy.
Smite and heal, overthrow and raise me.
I stand in awe and remain silent before Your holy will
and Your destinies incomprehensible to me.
I sacrifice myself to You.
I have no other desire
except the desire to do Your will.
Teach me to pray, pray in me yourself!
Amen.

The life of a Christian believer is inextricably linked with the practice of prayer. The question of how to pray to God correctly is asked by both new Orthodox Christians and those who have been in the Church for a long time.

What is prayer and why do we need it?

According to the holy fathers, prayer is the mother of all virtues. This is the only way we can communicate with the Almighty. Distinctive feature Christianity is that the Lord Jesus Christ is perceived as the Living God, as a Person to whom you can always turn and who will definitely hear.

Jesus Christ

God appeared to people through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and it is through Christ that we discover Him for ourselves. Such a discovery is possible only through prayer.

Important! Prayer is a tool available to us for unity with God.

In everyday understanding, prayer is often considered either some kind of mystical conspiracy, or a way to beg God for something needed in earthly life. Both understandings are fundamentally wrong. The Holy Fathers often write that when turning to the Lord, it is best not to ask for anything at all, but simply to stand before Him and repent of your sins.

The purpose of Orthodox prayer is to establish a spiritual connection with the Almighty, to feel Him in your heart. The Lord knows all our needs and wants; He can satisfy them without our asking. Of course, it is not forbidden to ask God for some necessary worldly blessings, but you cannot get hung up on such an attitude and make it your goal.

Many new Christians often wonder why we need to pray if the Lord himself knows everything we need. This is true, and many saints in their appeals to God did not ask for anything earthly. You need to turn to the Almighty not in order to get something you want. The main goal is to connect with God, to be with Him every moment of your life.

When exactly can you pray?

The Bible contains the words of the Apostle Paul, who calls us to constant prayer. John the Theologian claims that you need to turn to Christ even more often than you take a breath. Thus, the ideal is when all human life turns into constant standing before the Lord.

It is safe to say that many troubles occurred precisely because man forgot about the All-Seeing Lord. It is difficult to imagine a criminal committing a crime with the thought of Jesus crucified for his own sins.

Important! A person falls under the influence of sin precisely when he loses the memory of God.

Since modern people It is not possible to be in prayer all day; you need to find a certain time for it. So, when waking up in the morning, even the busiest person can find a couple of minutes to stand in front of the icons and ask the Lord for blessings for the new day. During the day, you can repeat short prayers to yourself to the Mother of God, the Lord, your Guardian Angel. You can do this to yourself, completely unnoticed by others.

A special time is before bed. It is then that we need to look at the day we have lived, draw conclusions about how spiritually it was spent, and what we sinned about. Prayer before bed calms you down, eliminates the bustle of the past day, and sets you up for a quiet, peaceful sleep. We must remember to thank the Lord for all the good deeds during the day and for the fact that it was lived by us.

It may seem to a beginner that doing this requires a lot of time, and now everyone has it in short supply. In fact, no matter how fast the pace of our life is, there are always pauses in which we can remember God. Waiting for transport, queues, traffic jams and much more can be turned from irritating factors into a time when we raise our minds to Heaven.

What should the words of prayer be for God to hear them?

A common reason why people do not want to turn to God is ignorance of prayers or misunderstanding of complex church texts. In fact, for the Lord to hear us, He does not need any words at all. In the practice of church services, the Church Slavonic language is used, and the order of the service itself is strictly defined. However, at home, in your personal prayer, you can use completely different texts.

The words themselves do not have a defining meaning, it is not magic spells or spells. The basis of prayer that God hears is a person’s pure and open heart, directed towards Him. Therefore, personal prayer can be characterized by the following signs:

brevity;
simplicity;
sincerity;
attention;

It is very important during prayer not to scatter attention around, but to focus it on what is being said. This is not so easy to do, so at the beginning of your Christian life you can choose several short prayers that you can read with maximum attention, without being distracted by anything extraneous. Over time, acquiring skill, you can constantly expand and increase the rule.

Interesting! In the Gospel we see the image of a publican who saved his soul, whose prayer was extremely brief: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Of course, there is a basic list of prayers that everyone who considers themselves an Orthodox Christian should know by heart. This is at least “Our Father”, “I Believe”, “Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice...”, Jesus Prayer. Knowing these texts by heart, you can call on heavenly powers for help in any situation.

Why do you need a prayer rule?

If the Almighty does not need words so much, then the question arises, why then were prayer rules and ready-made texts, moreover, often long and complex, invented? The Holy Fathers say that this is payment for our unrepentance and hardness of heart.

If a person could completely say from the bottom of his heart the most a short prayer“Lord, have mercy” - he would have already been saved. But the fact is that we cannot pray so sincerely. And a person really needs consistency and a special routine of prayer.

A prayer rule is a list of texts that a person reads regularly. Most often, the rules from prayer books are taken as a basis, but you can also select an individual list for each person. It is advisable to coordinate the list with your spiritual father or at least a priest who can give useful advice.

Following the prayer rule helps a person organize himself and build his life more clearly and plannedly. The rule will not always be given easily, vanity everyday life often leads to laziness, fatigue, and reluctance to pray. In this case, you need to try to overcome yourself, force yourself.

Important! There are words in the Gospel that the Kingdom of God is taken by force - we are not talking about physical strength, but about efforts to change own life and old habits.

You need to choose a rule wisely, taking into account your spiritual capabilities. If a new Christian is given obedience to reading a rule that is too long, this will quickly lead to fatigue, boredom and inattention. A person will either begin to mechanically proofread texts, or will completely abandon such an activity.

On the other hand, it is not beneficial for a person who has been churched for a long time to impose too small and short a rule on himself, as this will lead to relaxation in spiritual life. Whatever your rule, you should never forget that the main condition for a prayer that God hears is the sincere disposition of the heart of the one praying.

What is the difference between home and church prayer

Because Orthodox Christian called to constantly pray and can do this almost anywhere, many people ask why they need to pray in church. There is a certain difference between church prayer and personal prayer.

The Church was founded by our Lord Jesus Christ himself, so for a long time Orthodox Christians gathered in communities to glorify the Lord. Church conciliar prayer has great power, and there are many testimonies of believers about grace-filled help after services in the Church.

Church fellowship presupposes mandatory participation in divine services. How to pray so that God will hear? To do this, you need to come to the temple and try to understand the essence of the service. At first it may seem difficult, but over time everything will become clear. In addition, to help the beginning Christian, special books are published that explain everything that happens in the church. You can buy them in the icon shop.

Prayer by agreement - what is it?

In addition to ordinary personal and church prayers, in the practice of the Orthodox Church there is the concept of prayer by agreement. Its essence is that at the same time different people the same appeal to God or a saint is read. At the same time, people can be completely in different points peace - it is not at all necessary to gather together.

Most often, this is done to help someone in extremely difficult or difficult life situations. For example, when a person is seriously ill, his loved ones can unite and together ask the Lord to grant healing to the sufferer. The power of such an appeal is great, since, in the words of the Lord himself, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.”

On the other hand, one cannot consider such an appeal to the Almighty as some kind of ritual or way of fulfilling desires. As has already been said, the Lord knows all our needs very well, and if we ask for something, we must do it with trust in His holy will. Sometimes it happens that prayer does not bring the expected fruit for one simple reason - a person asks for something that is extremely unprofitable for his soul. In this case, it may seem that God is not answering the request. In fact, this is not so - God will definitely send us something that will benefit us.

Watch a video on how to pray to God correctly.

What prayers do you need to know by heart? Bible Commentary

I answered this question in part in my book in chapter .

Today, it is not uncommon to see prayer books in the hands of Christian believers - books that contain prayers for different cases life. In the morning and evening, such believers also often pray with memorized words. Many Christians directly state that they do not pray to God because they do not know prayers.

A number of theologians teach their parishioners that praying in “other people’s” words from the prayer book will help the believer and is acceptable before God. After all, these prayers were invented by wise spiritual people, which means they are better than the words that we, inexperienced believers, pronounce ourselves. 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 morning and evening: Glory to Thee, naked God, glory to Thee; Heavenly King; Trisagion; Our Father; Lord have mercy - 12 times; Come, let us worship; Psalm 50; Symbol of Faith; Virgin Mary, rejoice - three times. After this, 20 prayers: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me; bow to the ground at every prayer. Then another 20 of the same prayers and bowing from the waist with each one.”

The Bible makes no such or similar demands.. One of the disciples asked Jesus: "God! teach us to pray"(Luke 11:1). Christ replied: "When you pray, say..." and gave the text of a prayer known to every Christian "Our Father..."(Matt. 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4). This is the only prayer that a believer should know by heart. After all, in its laconicism it is very universal: it reveals the essence of God, points out the need for repentance, recognition of dependence on the Lord, and contains instructions for 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 - the Bible, does not give examples of prayers anywhere, but says:

“Whatever you ask in prayer in faith, you will receive”(Matt. 21:22, see also 1 John 3:22, James 1:5-7).

“Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving.”(Col. 4:2, see also Rom. 12:12, 1 Thess. 5:17).

"Pray for each other"(James 5:16, see also Col. 4:3, 2 Thess. 3:1).

“Pray with every prayer and supplication”(Eph. 6:18).

That is, you don’t need to read other people’s prayers from prayer books, learn them by heart, especially in an unfamiliar language, but you need to turn to God with love and faith in your own words: thank Him, ask for something, share your joys and aspirations, that is, be in constant prayerful communication with his heavenly Father.

Think about how, for example, you can read a memorized poem several times in a row, several times a day, every day for decades, constantly from the heart, from the bottom of your heart. This is simply not possible: over time this work you will get tired of reciting with expression and go “automatic”. The same is true with prayer. After some time, whether you like it or not, the memorized prayer will acquire 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 of the patriarch to the Creator - each in its own period of his life. There are many other examples in the Holy Scriptures prayer requests biblical heroes to God: Moses (see Ex. 8:30; 32:31,32), Daniel (see Dan. 6:10; 9:3-21), Hezekiah (see 2 Kings 20:1- 3) and others.

Some of their representatives admit shortcomings in the prayer foundations of a number of churches. So Archpriest Alexander Borisov (1939), candidate of theology, president of the Russian Bible Society, in his book “White Fields” (chapter 3) 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 occupied with something completely different. This is completely impossible when praying freely in your own words. However, the latter is so unusual for our consciousness that even people who 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,” in 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) urged not to limit yourself to prayer books, but to pray in your own words in his work “Four Words on Prayer” (Word II):

“We must... get to the point where the soul itself, so to speak, through speech, enters into a prayerful conversation with God, itself ascends to Him, and opens itself to Him and confesses what is in it and what it desires. 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 (see Matt. 7:11, Mark 11:25, Luke 6:36), and Jesus calls Himself a friend (see John 15:14,15, Luke . 12:4). Now answer, what will be more pleasant for the father: if his child comes running to him and complains confusingly, sometimes incoherently, but from the heart, that he hit himself or something isn’t working out for him? Or will this child try to express his thoughts to dad with memorized quotes from others? 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, we can draw only one conclusion: we need to pray our personal prayer directly to the Creator. And at the same time, there is no need to go to church to pray, thinking that God will hear you only there. We must remember that the Creator hears and sees everything - “He is not far from each of us”(Acts 17:27), Creator "gets into everything" ours (Ps. 32:15) and even knows our thoughts - "God Knows the Heart"(Acts 1:24).

Before the Lord's Prayer, Christ gave the following instruction:

“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.”(Matt. 6:6).

This biblical text very accurately shows that prayer 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: “Peter, about six o’clock, went up to the top of the house to pray.”(Acts 10:9).

As noted above, the Bible teaches prayer constantly. This means that several times a day the believer must retire to prayer, 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 only 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, closing your eyes for a couple of minutes... Therefore, the postures for prayer can be different, just like the biblical heroes who prayed standing, sitting, lying and on their knees.

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 wants to communicate with you. Having clearly understood this, you need to pour out your requests, experiences and gratitude to the Heavenly parent. At the same time, it must be borne in mind 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

Complete collection and description: what is the main prayer in Orthodoxy for the spiritual life of a believer.

– Morning and evening prayers. Follow-up to Holy Communion

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.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our debts,

just as we also leave our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

2 The Publican's Prayer

God, be merciful to me, a sinner.

This prayer is very easy to remember.

3 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.

4 Prayer to the Virgin Mary - “O Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice”

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, Blessed Mary,

The Lord is with You, blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb,

For you gave birth to the Savior of our souls.

5 Prayer “Creed”

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

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages;

Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

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

6 Jesus Prayer - prayer-appeal to Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner

Should say prayers in Church Slavonic also so that your perception is not eclipsed by the symbols of the language we speak every day.

Church-language prayer encourages humility and a return to origins - words that have remained unchanged for centuries live in our ancestral memory.

Say prayer in church and privately (in your home), and if you think about when, how and why to pray, read the daily prayer of St. Philaret.

In these words there is tenderness and consolation for the soul suffering from prayer.

7 Prayer of Saint Philaret

Lord, I don’t know what to ask of You.

You alone know what I need.

You love me more than I can love myself.

Father, give to Your servant what I myself cannot ask for.

I do not dare to ask for either a cross or consolation, I only stand before You.

My heart is open to You.

You see needs that I don't know.

See and create according to Your mercy.

Smite and heal, overthrow and raise me.

I am in awe and silent before Your holy will and Your destinies, incomprehensible to me.

I sacrifice myself to You.

I have no other desire than the desire to fulfill Your will.

Teach me to pray, pray in me yourself!

Material created: 02/16/2015

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Answers to questions

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

Praise. This highest form a prayer in which a Christian does not ask God for anything, but only glorifies Him. A type of prayer of praise is doxology - the glorification of all three persons of the Holy Trinity. The most famous is the so-called small doxology (“Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”), which always ends church prayers and chants. There is also a great doxology (“Glory to God in the highest”), which is sung at the end of Matins.
Thank you note, or thanksgiving prayer. In meaning, it is close to laudatory: a person thanks the Lord for everything he has.
Repentant. In such a prayer, the believer repents, that is, he admits his sins before God and asks for His forgiveness.
Petition, or petitionary prayer . Such prayers are said when needed God's help or consolation in trouble, need or illness. Before asking, you should always read a prayer of repentance.

Eucharistic canon

The Euchrist canon is a part of the Liturgy during which the transubstantiation of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ takes place. He read quietly by the priest at the altar, while the choir performs chants.

The Eucharistic canon refers to the so-called secret prayers and cannot be said by parishioners; it is read only by the priest.

The most important and important prayers of Christians

There are some prayers that every Christian should know by heart:

They are used both in home prayer and in worship services.

Orthodox prayer “I believe in one God, the Father Almighty”

The prayer that begins with these words is called the Creed and is one of the most important prayers. Unlike other prayers, the Creed does not contain an appeal to God, the Mother of God, saints or angels, but is set out in short form the whole essence of Orthodox Christian teaching. A person who does not agree with the statements listed in the Creed, or simply does not understand them, cannot be called an Orthodox Christian.

This is one of two prayers that are sung aloud at the Liturgy by all those praying in the church, and not just by the singers. Before baptizing a child, future godparents must learn the Creed by heart: the godfather or godmother pronounces it during the sacrament.

Orthodox prayer “Our Father” - interpretation and essence

The Lord's Prayer is also called the Lord's Prayer - this is the prayer that the Lord Jesus Christ taught to His disciples. It sets out all the requests that a Christian should offer to God.

According to this prayer, a true believer

believes that God lives forever in heaven
praises the name of God
awaits the coming of the Kingdom of God
submits to the will of God
asks God to grant him what he needs to live
he himself forgives those who are guilty before him and prays to God to forgive his sins
asks God to deliver him from the temptations and power of the devil.

"Our Father", like the Creed, sung by all worshipers in the church during the Liturgy. This prayer also need to know by heart.

Prayer "King of Heaven"

The Prayer to the Holy Spirit is better known by its first two words - “To the King of Heaven.” This is an appeal to the Holy Spirit, who comes from God the Father and sanctifies the entire Church with His grace. Without the grace of the Holy Spirit it is impossible to be saved, so Christians must call on the Holy Spirit to help them.

All those present in the church at Great Vespers on the Day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit sing “Heavenly King” aloud along with the church choir.

Jesus Prayer

A special place among Orthodox prayers occupied by the Jesus Prayer. It is very short and sounds like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

What is the power of the Jesus Prayer?

The Jesus Prayer is known in monasteries Orthodox Church since ancient times. Its constant repetition out loud, in a whisper or in the mind, is one of the main Orthodox monastic practices. According to Orthodox teaching, it is saving for a person to pronounce the very name of our Lord Jesus Christ: the name of God is a kind of icon (image of God), and, pronouncing it with reverence, prayerfully, a person is sanctified by God's grace. And disrespectful, careless treatment of the name of God (blasphemy and especially blasphemy) is blasphemy that offends God.

Jesus Prayer - how to pray correctly?

The continuous repetition of the Jesus Prayer can only be practiced under the guidance of a priest.

To do this, you need to take a blessing, and also be able to constantly tell this priest about your spiritual state.

Independent, uncontrolled practice of the continuous Jesus Prayer is dangerous both for the spiritual state and for mental health.

Another practice must be distinguished from the continuous Jesus Prayer. Sometimes priests can give a general recommendation: for example, all parishioners of the temple should read the Jesus Prayer 10 times a day during Lent. Or in the rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity it is recommended from time to time to say “Lord, have mercy” or “Most Holy Theotokos, save us.” This is not continuous prayer and does not require special spiritual direction.

Prayers to the Mother of God and Saints

In addition to appeals to the Lord God, to important prayers Also include prayers praising the Most Holy Theotokos, Virgin Mary, Mother of God. The Christian Church considers the Mother of God superior to saints and even angels.

The prayers “Mother of God, Virgin, Rejoice” and “It is worthy to eat” are part of the daily prayer rule and are constantly used in worship.

A short prayer Mother of God- “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!” – it is recommended to say it as often as possible during the day.

Why do we pray to saints?

Besides the Lord Jesus Christ and Holy Mother of God Christians also pray to saints. Saints are people upon whom God's grace descended during their lifetime. After death, they ascended to God in heaven and there they eternally glorify His greatness. However, out of their mercy, the saints do not forget those who remained on earth. They hear our prayers and forever intercede for us before God.

Veneration of the saints

Christians venerate saints as their intercessors before God, and also as an example for themselves. Looking at the actions of the saints, a Christian learns to please God and do the right thing - as Christ commanded him. The Church has honored saints from the very beginning of its existence. The first saints were the apostles - the disciples of Christ.

Feats of Martyrs

In the first three centuries of the existence of the Christian Church, believers were persecuted by the authorities, first Jewish, then Roman. The Jews considered Christ a false messiah, and His followers - dangerous heretics and blasphemers. The Romans demanded that all their subjects honor the emperor as a deity.

Christians did not give divine honors to anyone other than God. Many were forced to make sacrifices to the emperor or pagan deities, but believers preferred to die rather than betray God. These people were called martyrs. Their remains (relics) were taken and kept by their fellow members of the community. This is how the tradition of venerating saints and their relics arose.

Our heavenly patrons and intercessors

Every person has two heavenly patrons:

guardian angel whom God sends to a person at baptism, and
a saint with whom a person shares the same name.

Both of these wonderful intercessors always help a person, wish him salvation and all the best. Therefore, you should always turn to them in prayer. Prayers to the guardian angel and saint are included in the daily prayer rule.

What is a prayer service?

A prayer service is a special, short service addressed to the Lord God, the Mother of God or some saint. The rite of prayer is, in fact, an abbreviated and simplified Matins.

In church, prayer services are usually served after the Liturgy, sometimes after Matins and Vespers. A prayer service can be served not only in church, but also at home and in nature. Public prayer services are held in holidays and on special occasions (such as during disasters). Private prayer services are held according to the needs of parishioners.

Thanksgiving prayer

In case of need or at someone’s request, they perform petitionary prayers. The reasons for a petitionary prayer can be illness, epidemic, enemy invasion, travel, new business, natural disasters, infertility.

Peculiarity thanksgiving prayer is that it is served only to the Lord Jesus Christ and only after the Liturgy. In a prayer of thanksgiving, believers express their gratitude to God for His help. It must be served if the Lord has heard the prayers, and difficult situation resolved. After all, even if we turn to saints for help, help always comes only from God.

How to order a prayer service

When a Christian wants to ask for help or express gratitude to God for all the good that God sends him in life, he orders a prayer service in the church. To order a prayer service, you need to go to the candle box and write a note. It should list:

type of prayer service (if it is a petition, indicate the need),
who to serve the prayer service (to the Lord God, the Most Holy Theotokos or saints - indicate the names of the saints),
for whom the prayer service will be served (names in the church version, in full form).

A child under 7 years of age is considered an infant, and accordingly, the note is written as “baby” and the name in the genitive case.

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Prayers that will definitely help.

Prayers that every Orthodox Christian should know: Our Father, Heavenly King, Prayer of thanksgiving, Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit for every good deed, The Most Holy Theotokos, May God rise again, the Life-giving Cross, The Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon, The Most Holy Theotokos, For the pacification of those at war, For the sick, Living in help, Rev. Moses Murin, Creed, other daily prayers.

If you have anxiety in your soul and it seems to you that everything in life is not working out the way you want, or you don’t have enough strength and confidence to continue what you started, read these prayers. They will fill you with the energy of faith and prosperity, surround you with heavenly power and protect you from all adversity. They will give you strength and confidence.

Prayers that every Orthodox Christian should know.

“Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done both on earth and in heaven; 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 forever. Amen".

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

Prayer of thanksgiving(Thanksgiving for every good deed of God)

From time immemorial, believers have read this prayer not only when their deeds, 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 each of us.

Give thanks 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.

As a servant of indecency, having been honored with Your blessings and gifts, Master, we earnestly flow to You, giving thanks according to our strength, and glorifying You as the Benefactor and Creator, we cry out: Glory to You, All-Bountiful God.

Glory even now: Theotokos

Theotokos, Christian Helper, Your servants, having acquired Your intercession, cry out to You in gratitude: Rejoice, Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, and always deliver us from all our troubles with Your prayers, One who will soon intercede.

Invoking the help of the Holy Spirit for every good work

O God, Creator and Creator of all things, the works of our hands, begun for Thy glory, hasten to correct with Thy blessing, and deliver us from all evil, for one is all-powerful and Lover of mankind.

Quick to intercede and strong to help, present yourself to the grace of Thy power now, and bless and strengthen, and bring about the good work of Thy servants to accomplish the good intentions of Thy servants: for all that Thou desirest, for strong God you can create.

“O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, heavenly queen, save and have mercy on us, Your sinful servants; from vain slander and all misfortune, misfortune and sudden death, have mercy in the daytime hours, morning and evening, and at all times save us - standing, sitting, walking on every path, sleeping in the night hours, provide, protect and cover, protect. Lady Theotokos, from all enemies visible and invisible, from every evil situation, in every place and at every time, be to us, the Most Blessed Mother, an insurmountable wall and strong intercession, always now and ever and forever and ever. Amen".

“Let God rise again, and let His enemies be scattered, and let them flee from before Him. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; As wax melts in the presence of fire, so let demons perish in the presence of lovers of God and signifying the sign of the cross, and joyfully saying: Rejoice, Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of You, our crucified Lord Jesus Christ, 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 Lady Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen".

“Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, save me from all evil. Relax, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, both in word and in deed, both in knowledge and not in ignorance, as in days and in nights, as in mind and in thought, forgive us everything, for it is Good and Lover of Humanity. Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives forgiveness and eternal life. Visit and grant healing to those who are infirm. Rule the sea. For travelers, travel. Grant remission of sins to those who serve and pardon us. To those who have commanded us, unworthy, to pray for them, have mercy according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us and give them rest, where the light of Your face abides. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers, deliver them from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, give them the path to salvation, prayer and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful, and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and make us follow the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints, for blessed art Thou unto the ages centuries. Amen".

Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon

“O Great Saint of Christ and glorious healer, Great Martyr Panteleimon. With your soul in heaven, stand before the Throne of God and enjoy the tripartite glory of His glory, rest in your body and holy face on earth in divine temples and exude various miracles by the grace given to you from above. Look with your merciful eye on the people ahead and pray more honestly to your icon and ask for healing help and intercession from you, extend your warm prayers to the Lord our God and ask our souls for forgiveness of sins. Behold, raise your prayerful voice lower to Him, in the Divine unapproachable glory with a contrite heart and a humble spirit, we call upon you to graciously intercede with the Lady and pray for us sinners. For you have received grace from Him to drive away illnesses and heal passions. We ask you, do not despise us, unworthy, who pray to you and demand your help; be a comforter to us in sorrows, a doctor to those suffering in severe ailments, a giver of insight, a ready intercessor and healer for those who exist and babies in sorrows, intercede for everyone, everything useful for salvation, as if through your prayers to the Lord God, having received grace and mercy, we will glorify all good sources and Gift-Giver of One God in the Holy Trinity Glorious Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

“My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, with Your saints and all-powerful prayers, take away from me, Your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence and all nasty, evil and blasphemous thoughts.”

To pacify the warring

“O Lord, Lover of Mankind, King of the ages and Giver of good things, who destroyed the hostilities of the mediastinum and gave peace to the human race, grant now peace to Thy servants, quickly instill Thy fear in them, establish love for each other, quench all strife, take away all disagreements and temptations. Because You are our peace, We send glory to You. To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

Master, Almighty, Holy King, punish and do not kill, strengthen those who fall and raise up those who are cast down, correct the bodily afflictions of people, we pray to You, our God, Your servant. visit the weakling with Your mercy, forgive him every sin, voluntary and involuntary. To him, Lord, send down Thy healing power from heaven, touch the body, extinguish the fire, steal away passion and all lurking infirmities, be the doctor of Thy servant, raise him up from the sick bed and from the bed of bitterness, whole and all-perfect, grant him to Thy Church, pleasing and doing will. Yours, yours is, to have mercy and save us, our God, and to you we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen".

“He who is alive will live in the help of the Most High, in the shelter of the Heavenly God. He says to the Lord: My God is my intercessor and my refuge, and I trust in Him. For he will deliver you from the snare of hunters and from rebellious words; He will cover you with His blanket; you will trust under His wings; His truth will surround you with weapons. Not slaughter from the fear of the night, from an arrow flying during the day, from things that come in the darkness, from the cloak and 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 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 come close to your body, as He commanded His angels about you, to keep you in all your ways. They will take you in their arms, but not when you hit a stone your leg, tread on the asp and basilisk, and cross the lion and the serpent. For he has trusted in Me, and I will deliver and cover, and because he has known My name, he will call to Me and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow, I will destroy him and glorify him, I will fill him with long days, I will show him My salvation.”

Venerable Moses Murin

ABOUT, great power repentance! O immeasurable depth of God's mercy! You, Reverend Moses, were formerly a robber. You were horrified by your sins, grieved over them, and in repentance came to the monastery and there, in great lamentation over your iniquities and in difficult deeds, you spent your days until your death and received Christ’s grace of forgiveness and the gift of miracles. Oh, venerable one, from grave sins you have achieved wonderful virtues, help the slaves (name) who pray to you, who are drawn to destruction because they indulge in the immeasurable consumption of wine, harmful to the soul and body. Bow your merciful gaze on them, do not reject them or despise them, but listen to them as they come running to you. Pray, Saint Moses, the Lord Christ, that He, the Merciful, will not reject them, and may the devil not rejoice at their death, but may the Lord have mercy on these powerless and unfortunate (name), who were possessed by the destructive passion of drunkenness, for we are all God’s creations and redeemed by the Most Pure One By the blood of His Son. Hear, Reverend Moses, their prayer, drive away the devil from them, grant them the strength to overcome their passion, help them, stretch out your hand, lead them from the slavery of passions and deliver them from wine drinking, so that they, renewed, in sobriety and a bright mind, will love abstinence and piety and eternally glorified the All-Good God, who always saves his creatures. Amen".

“I believe in One God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible, in One Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, Who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, God is truth and from God is truth, born, not created, consubstantial with the Father, by Him all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. 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, sitting at the right hand of the Father. And the future will bring about the living and the dead, and His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father. Let us worship and glorify those who spoke with the Father and the Son. Into the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the Resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen".

Prayer of spouses without children

“Hear us, Merciful and Almighty God, may Thy grace be sent down through our prayer. Be merciful, Lord, to our prayer, remember Your law about the multiplication of the human race and be a merciful Patron, so that with Your help what You have established will be preserved. By Your sovereign power You created everything out of nothing and laid the foundation for everything that exists in the world - You created man in Your image and, with a sublime secret, sanctified the union of marriage as a foreshadowing of the mystery of the unity of Christ with the Church. Look, O Merciful One, upon us, Thy servants, united in a marital union and begging for Thy help, may Thy mercy be upon us, may we be fruitful and may we see the sons of our sons even to the third and fourth generation and live to the desired old age and enter into The Kingdom of Heaven is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom all glory, honor and worship is due with the Holy Spirit forever. Amen."

When you wake up in the morning, mentally say the following words:

“In the hearts is the Lord God, in front is the Holy Spirit; help me start, live and end the day with you.”

When going on a long journey or just for some business, it’s good to mentally say:

“My angel, come with me: you are in front, I am behind you.” And the Guardian Angel will help you in any endeavor.

To improve your life, it’s good to read every day next prayer:

“Merciful Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit, save, preserve and have mercy on me, the servant of God (name). Take away the damage, the evil eye and bodily pain from me forever. Merciful Lord, cast out the demon from me, the servant of God. Merciful Lord, heal me, servant of God (name). Amen".

If you are worried about your loved ones, say the following prayer until calm comes:

“Lord, save, preserve, have mercy (names of loved ones). Everything will be fine for them!”

Other popular prayers:

Church holidays. Orthodox holidays and posts

Ten Commandments of the Old Testament

Basic Gospel commandments

Ten Commandments of God's Law

About prayer: About the Jesus Prayer, About the gift of prayer

Beatitudes

Prayer book of the Orthodox Warrior

Prayers for prisoners

Prayers for infertility

Prayers for a lack of mother's milk

Prayers in sorrow for children, where they are and whether they are alive

Prayer to the saints, others.

Akathist, Prayers compiled in conclusion

Prayers that help, protect and give us strength

Orthodox informers for websites and blogs All prayers.

Prayers, contrary to widespread belief, for the most part play not so much the role of comforters of 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. The effect of it is immediate, but the 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 the appropriate mood for facing Higher Power- By God. Some prayers (mostly impromptu ones) should never be said in front of someone else. They are pronounced quietly and sincerely. So, dear ones, if you read prayers on water, then the water will become healing.

Everyone should know these prayers

Creed

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, God's truth from God's truth,
Begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father,
It's all up to them.
For our sake man and for our sake of salvation came down from heaven
And became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human.
Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate,
Both suffering and buried.
And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And again the future will be judged with glory by the living and the dead,
His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One,
Who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son
Let us worship and glorify the words of the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century.
Amen.
Read three times
Read three times over the water, buy a baby that will be baptized.

Alive to help

You are my protector and my refuge.
My God, and I trust in Him.
Yako Toy will deliver me from the snare of the trap, and from the word of rebellion,
His blanket will cover you, and you will hope under His wing:
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 the thing in the darkness that passes away, from the cloak and the midday demon.
Thousands will fall from Your country,
and darkness is at your right hand, but it will not come near you,
Otherwise, look with your eyes, and 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 the wound will not come near your body:
as His Angel gave commandment about you,
keep you in all your ways.
They will lift you up in their arms, but not when you dash your foot against a stone,
tread on the asp and basilisk,
and cross the lion and the serpent.
For you have trusted in Me, and I will deliver you:
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 Blessed Virgin Mary

Offering to my queen, my hope to the Mother of God,
friend of the orphaned and strange representatives,
those who mourn, joy, those who are offended, patroness!
See my misfortune, see my sorrow,
help me as I am weak, feed me as I am strange.
Weigh my offense, resolve it like a will:
for the Imam has no other help except for You,
no other intercessor, no good comforter,
only to You, O Mother of God, for you preserve me
and cover it forever and ever.
Amen.

Read three times

“Our Father” is usually read in the morning, at dawn, when they want to quickly get rid of an illness or if there is some important matter ahead. I recommend reading prayers and amulets every day, as was the case for centuries before in all families. Read regardless of religious beliefs, they ultimately restore the harmony broken in nature and man. Improves the condition energy level, i.e. what is in scientific literature called the biofield.