You need to read evening prayers. “Give us this day our daily bread.” Time for reading Orthodox prayers in church and at home

The power of prayers is proven and undeniable. However, it is important to know how to read prayers correctly so that they are effective.

What is prayer for a believer?

An integral part of any religion is prayer. Any prayer is a person’s communication with God. With the help of special words that come from the depths of our souls, we praise the Almighty, thank God, and ask the Lord for help and blessings in earthly life for ourselves and our loved ones.

It has been proven that prayer words can greatly influence a person’s consciousness. The clergy claim that prayer can change the life of a believer and his destiny in general. But it is not necessary to use complex prayer appeals. You can pray and in simple words. Often in this case, it is possible to invest great energy in a prayer appeal, which makes it more powerful, which means it will definitely be heard by the Heavenly forces.

It has been noticed that after prayer, a believer’s soul calms down. He begins to perceive the problems that have arisen differently and quickly finds a way to solve them. True faith, which is invested in prayer, gives hope for help from above.

Sincere prayer can fill spiritual emptiness and quench spiritual thirst. Prayerful appeal to To the Higher Powers becomes an indispensable assistant in difficult life situations when no one can help. A believer not only receives relief, but also strives to change the situation in better side. That is, we can say that prayer awakens internal forces to cope with current circumstances.

What types of prayers are there?

Most important prayers for a believer, they are considered thanksgiving. They glorify the greatness of the almighty Lord, as well as the mercy of God and all the Saints. This type of prayer should always be read before asking the Lord for any blessings in life. Any church service begins and ends with the glorification of the Lord and the singing of his holiness. Such prayers are always mandatory during evening prayer, when gratitude is offered to God for the day.

In second place in popularity are petitionary prayers. They are a way of expressing requests for help with any mental or physical needs. The popularity of petitionary prayers is explained by human weakness. In many life situations, he is not able to cope with the problems that have arisen and he definitely needs help.

Petitionary prayers not only ensure a prosperous life, but also bring us closer to the salvation of the soul. They necessarily contain a request for forgiveness of known and unknown sins and acceptance of repentance by the Lord for unseemly actions. That is, with the help of such prayers a person cleanses the soul and fills it with sincere faith.

A sincere believer must be sure that his petitionary prayer will definitely be heard by the Lord. You need to understand that God, even without prayer, knows about the misfortunes that befell the believer and his needs. But at the same time, the Lord never takes any action, leaving the believer the right to choose. A true Christian must offer his petition by repenting of his sins. Only a prayer that includes words of repentance and a specific request for help will be heard by the Lord or other heavenly Heavenly Powers.

There are also separate prayers of repentance. Their purpose is that with their help the believer frees the soul from sins. After such prayers, spiritual relief always comes, which is due to liberation from painful experiences about committed unrighteous acts.

A prayer of repentance involves a person’s sincere repentance. It must come from the depths of the heart. In such cases, people often pray with tears in their eyes. Such a prayerful appeal to God can save the soul from the most serious sins that interfere with life. Repentance prayers, cleansing a person’s soul, allow him to move further along life path, gain peace of mind and buy new ones mental strength for new achievements for the good. Use this type The clergy recommend prayer requests as often as possible.

Prayers that are written in Old Church Slavonic are very difficult to read in the original. If this is done mechanically, then such appeals to God are unlikely to be effective. In order to convey a prayer to God, you need to fully understand the meaning of the prayer text. Therefore, it is hardly worth bothering yourself with reading prayers on church language. You can simply listen to them by attending a church service.

It is important to understand that any prayer will be heard only if it is conscious. If you decide to use the canonical prayer in the original, then you first need to familiarize yourself with its semantic translation into modern language or ask the priest to explain its meaning in accessible words.

If you constantly pray at home, then be sure to organize a red corner for this. There you need to install icons and put church candles, which will need to be lit during prayer. It is permissible to read prayers from a book, but it is much more effective to read them by heart. This will allow you to concentrate as much as possible and invest stronger energy in your prayer appeal. You shouldn't stress too much about this. If prayers become a rule, then it will not be difficult to remember them.

What actions accompany Orthodox prayer?

Very often, believers have a question about what additional actions strengthen prayer. If you are at a church service, then the most best advice What can be done is to carefully monitor the actions of the priest and other worshipers.

If everyone around is kneeling or crossing themselves, then you need to do the same. Indicative for repetition are all the actions of the priests, who always conduct services in accordance with church rules.

There are three types of church bows that are used when offering prayers:

• A simple bow of the head. It is never accompanied sign of the cross. Used in words in prayers: “we fall down”, “we worship”, “the grace of the Lord”, “the blessing of the Lord”, “peace to all”. In addition, you need to bow your head if the priest blesses not with the Cross, but with his hand or a candle. This action also takes place when a priest walks with a censer in a circle of believers. It is imperative to bow your head while reading the Holy Gospel.
• Bow from the waist. During this process, you need to bend at the waist. Ideally, such a bow should be so low that you can touch your fingers to the floor. It is important to remember that before such a bow you must make the sign of the cross. Used bow from the waist in words in prayers: “Lord, have mercy,” “Lord, grant,” “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” “Glory to Thee, Lord, Glory to Thee.” This action is mandatory before starting the reading of the Gospel and at the end, before the beginning of the “Creed” prayer, during the reading of akathists and canons. You need to make a bow from the waist when the priest blesses with the Cross, Icon or Holy Gospel.” Both in church and at home, you must first cross yourself, perform a bow from the waist, and after that read the well-known and very important prayer for all Orthodox Christians, “Our Father.”
• Bow to the ground. It involves kneeling and touching the forehead to the ground. When such an action should be performed at a church service, the clergy’s attention is necessarily focused on this. Praying at home with this action can strengthen the effect of any prayer request. Not recommended for use in prayers prostrations, in the period between Easter and Trinity, Between Christmas and Epiphany, in the days of the twelve great church holidays, on Sunday.

You should know that in Orthodoxy it is not customary to pray on your knees. This is done only in exceptional cases. Very often believers do this before miraculous icon or a particularly revered church shrine. After bowing to the ground during regular prayer, you must rise and continue the prayer.

You should make the sign of the cross after simply bowing your head before reading any independent prayer. After its completion, you should also cross yourself.

How to read morning and evening prayers

Morning and evening prayers read in order to strengthen faith in the soul. To do this, there are morning and evening rules that must be followed. After waking up and before going to bed, it is recommended to pray using the prayers below.

This prayer was conveyed to the apostles by Jesus Christ himself with the goal that they would spread it throughout the world. It contains a strong petition for seven blessings that make the life of any believer complete, filling it with spiritual shrines. In this prayer appeal we express respect and love for the Lord, as well as faith in our own happy future.

This prayer can be used to read in any life situation, but in the morning and before going to bed it is mandatory. You should always read the prayer with increased sincerity; this is precisely why it differs from other prayer requests.

The text of the prayer reads as follows:

Prayer for agreement at home

It is believed that strength Orthodox prayers increases many times over if several believers pray together. This fact is confirmed from an energy point of view. The energy of people praying at the same time unites and strengthens the effect of the prayer appeal. The prayer by agreement can be read at home with your household. It is considered the most popular and effective in cases when someone close to you is sick and you need to make a joint effort for his recovery.

For such a prayer you need to use any directed text. You can use it not only to the Lord, but also to various Saints. The main thing is that the ritual participants are united by a single goal and that the thoughts of all believers are pure and sincere.

Prayer detention

Particularly worth reading is the prayer to the “Detention” icon. Its text is available in the collection of prayers of Elder Pansophius of Athos, and it must be recited in the original during prayer. She is a powerful weapon against evil spirits, therefore, priests do not recommend using this prayer at home, without blessing spiritual mentor. The whole point is that the wishes and phrases that it contains are close to Old Testament, and are far from the traditional petitions of Orthodox believers. The prayer is read nine times a day for nine days. At the same time, you cannot miss a single day. In addition, there is a requirement that this prayer must be said in secret.

This prayer allows you to:

• Put reliable protection from demonic forces and human evil;
• Protect from household damage and the evil eye;
• Protect yourself from the actions of selfish and evil people, including the meanness and cunning of your enemies.

When the prayer to Saint Cyprian is read

Bright prayer to Saint Cyprian - effective method to ward off all sorts of troubles from a believer. It is recommended to be used in cases where damage is suspected. It is permissible to say this prayer to the water and then drink it.

The prayer text reads as follows:

“O holy saint of God, Hieromartyr Cyprian, you are the helper of all those who turn to you for help. Accept from us sinners your praise for all your earthly and heavenly deeds. Beg the Lord for strength for us in our weaknesses, healing in severe illnesses, consolation in bitter sorrows, and ask him to grant us other earthly blessings.

Offer up Saint Cyprian, revered by all believers, your powerful prayer to the Lord. May the Almighty protect me from all temptations and falls, teach me true repentance, and deliver me from the demonic influence of unkind people.

Be my true champion for all my enemies, visible and invisible, give me patience, and at the hour of my death, become my intercessor before the Lord God. And I will chant your Holy name and pray to our Almighty God. Amen".

What to address to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in prayer

Very often people turn to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a variety of requests. This Saint is often turned to when a dark streak comes in life. The prayer request of a sincere believer will certainly be heard and fulfilled, since Saint Nicholas is considered the closest Saint to the Lord.

You can express a specific request in prayers, but there is a universal prayer for the fulfillment of a desire.

It sounds like this:

“O Most Holy Wonderworker Nicholas, help me, the Servant of God (s) ( given name) in my mortal desires. Help me fulfill my cherished desire, and do not be angry at my impudent request. Don't leave me alone with vain affairs. My desire is only for the good and not for the harm of others, fulfill it with your mercy. And if I have planned something daring according to your understanding, then avert the attack. If I want something bad, turn away the misfortunes. Make sure that all my righteous desires come true and my life is filled with happiness. Thy will be done. Amen".

Only baptized people can recite the Jesus Prayer. This prayer appeal is considered the first step in the formation of faith in a person’s soul. Its meaning is to ask for mercy from the Lord God through His Son. This prayer is a real daily amulet for a believer and can help overcome any difficulties. Also the Jesus Prayer is effective means against the evil eye and damage.

In order for prayer to be effective, the following recommendations should be followed:

• While pronouncing words, you need to concentrate on them as much as possible;
• The prayer should not be memorized mechanically; it should be memorized by fully understanding each word;
• It is necessary to pray in a calm and quiet place;
• If faith is very strong, then it is allowed to pray while actively working;
• During prayer, all thoughts should be directed toward true faith in the Lord. The soul must contain love for God and admiration for the Almighty.

Prayer for amulet - red thread

A red thread on the wrist is considered a very common amulet. The history of this talisman is rooted in Kabbalah. In order for the red thread on the wrist to acquire protective properties, a special prayer must first be read over it.

A red thread for a talisman must be bought with money. It should be wool and quite durable. You should tie it on your wrist and perform the accompanying ritual close relative or a relative. It is very good if your own mother will tie the thread. But in any case, you must be sure that the person who will perform the ceremony sincerely loves you.

For each knot tied, the following prayer is said:

“Lord Almighty, blessed is the Kingdom on Earth and in Heaven. I bow before Your Power and Greatness and glorify You. You do many good deeds, heal the sick and support those in need, you show your true love and only you have universal forgiveness. I ask you to save the Servant of God (name of the person), protect him from troubles and protect him from enemies visible and invisible. Only you can do this on Earth and in Heaven. Amen".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Monk Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain wrote in his book “Invisible Warfare”: “...There are many clergy who deprive themselves of the saving fruit of the world from their spiritual works by procrastinating on them, believing that they will suffer damage if they do not complete them, in false confidence , of course, that this is what spiritual perfection consists of. Following their will in this way, they work hard and torment themselves, but do not receive true peace and inner peace, in which God truly finds and rests.”

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

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

In everything related to prayer and pious life, the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints can serve as an example for us. The Gospel says that Christ prayed in solitude for several hours and even throughout the whole night. The Apostle Paul called for prayer without ceasing, that is, all the time. Are there any restrictions on the duration of prayer?

You can pray to God almost everywhere:

• in the temple
• where they eat
• At work
• and even on the way

At home they read home prayers (morning, evening, before or after eating food). With the blessing of the priest, morning prayers You can read it on your way to work. In the office, you can pray before and after the work day.

During services in the temple, believers together perform public (otherwise known as church) prayer.

To pray in church alone, you need to come outside the service, purchase and light candles. It is not necessary to light them: the ministers will light them before the start of the service. Then you need to venerate the icon of the day or holiday - it lies on the lectern (a special inclined table) in the middle of the temple - as well as to the shrines that may be in the temple: revered icons, relics of saints. After this, you can find a place to read silently (whisper) any prayer that you know by heart, or pray in your own words.

How many times a day should Orthodox Christians pray?

Prayer is time dedicated to God. There should be such a time every day.

• in the morning,
• In the evening,
• before and after meals,
• before starting and after completing something (for example, work or study)
• in order to first ask God for blessings, and in the end to thank Him.

In addition, it is important in the temple to perform church prayer and acceptance. If necessary, in case of special needs or life circumstances, you can pray privately (at home in front of icons or in church between services) to the saints or heavenly powers, so that they will intercede for the person praying before the Lord.

Time for reading Orthodox prayers in church and at home

In ancient monasteries, nine long services were performed per day, and between them the monks alone read psalms or said. Night was considered a particularly fertile time for solitary prayer.

Modern laity do this in the morning at home, and in the evening upon returning home. If a person is weak or has little time, then instead of the morning and evening rules he can read St. Seraphim of Sarov throughout the day.

It is advisable to discuss the duration of morning and evening prayers with the priest to whom the parishioner regularly confesses.

On Saturday evenings and on the eve of church holidays, one should attend the all-night vigil in the church, and on Sunday mornings and holidays - the Liturgy.

During They go to church to pray more often: in the first four days they try not to miss evening services- Great Compline with the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is celebrated on them. You should also try to attend as many services as possible during Holy Week, which precedes the Easter holiday. During Bright Week, the Liturgy is celebrated daily., and believers strive to visit it in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ not only on Sunday, but also on weekdays.

Morning prayer time

Morning prayers are read at home, immediately upon waking. Having woken up, you need to stand in front of the icons and begin to read prayers by heart or according to the prayer book.

Evening prayer time

Evening prayers are read at home at the end of the day or before bed. The evening rule is not recommended to be postponed until later, because the later, the stronger the fatigue and the more difficult it is to concentrate.

Just before going to sleep, already lying in bed, they say: “In Your hands, Lord my God, I commend my spirit, You save me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life.”

Prayer all day long

Not established by the Orthodox Church strict time to perform prayers. We must strive to pray constantly. This, first of all, means constantly remembering God and from time to time, if possible, turning to Him during the day with short prayers (for example, the Jesus Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner” or a short thanksgiving prayer“Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!”).

Continuous Prayer

You can read short prayers continuously throughout the day, repeating the same prayer many times in a row and counting the number of repetitions using the rosary. This is how the Jesus Prayer is usually read. However, for such a prayer you must take the priest's blessing, And the number of repetitions is strictly regulated.

There are many restrictions on continuous prayer; it cannot be read uncontrolled.

The Monk Ambrose of Optina ordered his spiritual children to read the Jesus Prayer only out loud, because reading to oneself can cause strong emotional sensations and lead to falling into delusion. Prelest means self-deception, even to the point of mental insanity.

How long should prayer be?

Durationprayers are not regulated by rules.

• What is most important is the focus on prayer, not the duration or number of prayers.
• You need to pray slowly, thinking about every word.
• The number of prayers should correspond to the time we can devote to them.

The Lord said, “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Matthew 9:13), therefore, if you lack time or are very tired, it is permissible to shorten the prayer rule in order to read it with concentration.

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

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

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

(bow always to the ground).

(bow) (bow).

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

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

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

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

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

And begin your morning prayers with reverence.

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

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

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

Circled prayers are not read in the evening.

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

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times with bows). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Saints, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy Name's sake. Lord have mercy (three times). Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, be hallowed your name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread this day. And forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen. Lord have mercy (12 times).

If it’s morning, it reads:

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

If evening:

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

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

PSALM 50 (repentance)/>

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When finishing your prayers, say:

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

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

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

And release:/>

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

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

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

Having risen, read this prayer with bows:

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

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

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

After that, kiss the cross.

And read the prayer to the Cross, crossing yourself:

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

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

M hi to you, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!

TO What should be the daily prayer rule of an Orthodox Christian? Is it possible to read akathists according to personal spiritual desire, or are akathists read only with blessing and in certain days? How to read akathists correctly - out loud or silently, in a chant, and in what order? How to read the canons correctly at home? Sitting or standing?

Archimandrite Ambrose (Fontrier) answers these questions:

"P There is a rule and it is mandatory for everyone. These are morning and evening prayers, one chapter from the Gospel, (...) if possible, you can read the kathisma from the Psalter, and also read the canon.

I once asked one person:

– Do I need to have lunch and dinner every day?

“It is necessary,” he replies, “but besides this, I can grab something else and drink some tea.”

- What about praying? If our body requires food, isn’t it even more important for our soul? We feed the body so that the soul is kept in the body and is cleansed, sanctified, freed from sin, so that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. It is necessary for her to unite with God here already. And the body is the clothing of the soul, which ages, dies and crumbles into the dust of the earth. And we are for this temporary, perishable Special attention we give. We really care about him! And we feed, and water, and paint, and dress in fashionable rags, and give peace - we pay a lot of attention. And sometimes there is no care left for our soul. Have you read your morning prayers?

- So you can’t have breakfast. And if you’re not going to read in the evening, then you can’t have dinner. And you can't drink tea.

- I'll die of hunger!

- So your soul is dying of hunger!

Now, when a person makes this rule the norm of his life, then he has peace, quiet and quiet in his soul. The Lord sends grace, and the Mother of God and the Angel of the Lord pray. In addition to this, Christians also pray to the saints, read other akathists, the soul is nourished, contented and glad, peaceful, the person is saved.

But you don’t have to read like some people do, proofreading. They read it, rattled it off, through the air, but it didn’t hit the soul. Touch this one a little and it bursts into flames! But he considers himself a great man of prayer—he “prays” very well. The Apostle Paul says: “It is better to speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.”(1 Cor.14:19) It is better that five words penetrate the soul than ten thousand words that miss the soul.

— You can read akathists at least every day. I knew one woman (her name was Pelagia), she read 15 akathists every day. The Lord gave her special grace. Some Orthodox Christians have collected many akathists - 200 or 500. They usually read a certain akathist every holiday celebrated by the Church. For example, tomorrow is the feast of the Vladimir Icon Mother of God. People who have an akathist for this holiday will read it.

— Akathists are good to read from a fresh memory, i.e. in the morning, when the mind is not burdened with everyday affairs. In general, it is very good to pray from morning until lunch, while the body is not burdened with food. Then there is an opportunity to feel every word from the akathists and canons.

All prayers and akathists are best read aloud. Why? Because words enter the soul through the ear and are better remembered. I constantly hear: “We can’t learn prayers...” But you don’t need to learn them - you just need to read them constantly, every day - morning and evening, and they are remembered by themselves. If “Our Father” is not remembered, then it is necessary where our dinner table, attach a piece of paper with this prayer.

Many people refer to bad memory in old age, and when you start asking them, asking various everyday questions, everyone remembers. They remember who was born when, in what year, everyone remembers their birthdays. They know how much everything is now in the store and on the market - but prices are constantly changing! They know how much bread, salt and butter cost. Everyone remembers it perfectly. You ask: “What street do you live on?” - everyone will say. Very good memory. But they just can’t remember the prayers. And this is because the flesh comes first for us. And we care so much about the flesh, we all remember what it needs. But we don’t care about the soul, that’s why we have a bad memory for everything good. We are masters of bad things...

— The Holy Fathers say that those who read the canons daily to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, and the saints are especially protected by the Lord from all demonic misfortunes and evil people.

If you come to any boss for a reception, you will see a sign on his door “Reception hours from... to...” You can turn to God at any time. Night prayer is especially valuable. When a person prays at night, then, as the holy fathers say, this prayer is, as it were, paid for in gold. But in order to pray at night, you need to take a blessing from the priest, because there is a danger: a person may become proud that he prays at night and fall into delusion, or he will be especially attacked by demons. Through blessing the Lord will protect this person.

Sitting or standing? If your legs can’t hold you up, you can kneel down and read. If your knees are tired, you can read while sitting. It is better to think about God while sitting than to think about your feet while standing. And one more thing: prayer without bowing is a premature fetus. Fans are a must.”