What Orthodox prayers should be read in the evening. Question to the priest. Prayer rule. Prayer work of the soul

Detailed description from several sources: "what time is the prayer" - in our non-profit weekly religious magazine.

In everything that concerns prayer and a pious life, the Lord Jesus Christ, the apostles and saints can serve as an example for us. It is written in the Gospel that Christ prayed in solitude for several hours and even during the whole night. The Apostle Paul urged to pray without ceasing, that is, all the time. Is there a limit to the length of the prayer?

Where can you pray to God?

You can turn to God in prayer almost everywhere:

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

During worship services in the temple, believers together perform a public (otherwise - church) prayer.

To pray alone in the temple, you need to come outside of worship, 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 a 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 that, you can find a place to read to yourself (in a whisper) any prayer that you know by heart, or pray in your own words.

How many times a day should the Orthodox pray?

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

in the morning,
in the evening,
before meals and after
before and after the completion of any business (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 to attend the Liturgy in the church weekly to perform church prayer and receiving Holy Communion. If necessary, in case of special needs or life circumstances, you can turn to private prayer (at home in front of the icons or in the church between services) to the saints or heavenly powers so that they intercede for the one who is 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 the Jesus Prayer. Night was considered a particularly fertile time for solitary prayer.

Modern laity in the morning at home perform the morning prayer rule, in the evening, upon returning home - evening rule. If a person is weak or has little time, then instead of the morning and evening rules, he can read during the day. short rule Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky.

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

Saturday night and the day before church holidays should visit all-night vigil in the temple, and in the morning on Sundays and holidays - the Liturgy.

During Great Lent they go to church more often to pray: in the first four days they try not to miss evening services- they serve Great Compline with the Canon of Andrew of Crete. You should also try to attend as many services as possible on Holy Week preceding the Easter holiday. On the bright week Liturgy is served daily, and believers strive to visit it in order to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ not only on Sunday, but also on a weekday.

Morning prayer time

Morning prayers are read at home, immediately upon awakening. Waking up, you need to stand in front of the icons and start reading 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 bed, already lying in bed, they say: “In Your hands, Lord my God, I betray my spirit, You save me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life.”

Prayer all day long

The Orthodox Church does not set a strict time for prayers. We must strive to pray constantly. First of all, this 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

Can be read short prayers continuously throughout the day, repeating the same prayer many times in a row and counting the number of repetitions by the rosary. This is usually how the Jesus Prayer is read. However, for such a prayer it is necessary to take the blessing of the priest, and the number of repetitions is strictly regulated.

There are many restrictions on continuous prayer, it cannot be read uncontrollably.

St. Ambrose of Optina ordered his spiritual children to read the Jesus Prayer only aloud, because reading to oneself can cause strong emotional sensations and lead to falling into delusion. Charm means self-deception, up to mental insanity.

How long should a prayer be?

Duration prayers are not governed by rules.

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

The Lord said “I want mercy, not sacrifice” (Mt. 9:13), therefore, if there is a lack of time or severe fatigue, it is permissible to shorten the prayer rule in order to read it with concentration.

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Prayer rule.

What is a prayer rule? These are prayers that a person reads regularly, daily. Everyone's prayer rule is different. For some, the morning or evening rule takes several hours, for others it takes several minutes. Everything depends on a person's spiritual disposition, on the degree of his rootedness in prayer, and on what time he has at his disposal.

I remember when I took monastic vows (I was twenty years old then), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what my prayer rule should be. He said, “You must read your morning and evening prayers, three canons and one akathist. Whatever happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. And even if you subtract them hastily and inattentively, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that the rule be subtracted.” I tried. Things didn't work out. Daily reading of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly got bored. In addition, every day I spent many hours in the temple at services that spiritually nourished me, nourished me, inspired me. And the reading of three canons and an akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary “appendage”. I started looking for other advice, more suitable for me. And I found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to be calculated not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and in the evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely given to God. And it is not so important whether we read all the prayers during these minutes or only one, or maybe we will devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we should be focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our hearts. This advice worked for me. However, I do not rule out that for others the advice of the confessor I received will be more suitable. Much here depends on the personality of the person.

It seems to me that for a person living in the world, not only fifteen, but even five minutes of morning and evening prayer, if, of course, it is pronounced with attention and with feeling, is enough to be a real Christian. It is only important that the thought always correspond to the words, the heart responds to the words of the prayer, and the whole life corresponds to the prayer.

Try, following the advice of St. Theophan the Recluse, to allocate some time for prayer during the day and for the daily fulfillment of the prayer rule. And you will see that it will bear fruit very soon.

foundation of life Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer is the conversation of the soul with God. And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful sometimes to stop and listen to the Lord's answer to our prayer.

The Church, praying daily "for everyone and everything", has established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, human capabilities. The Prayer Book offers us morning and evening prayers available to everyone. They turn to the Lord Mother of God, Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm atmosphere, then it is better to read them on the way than to omit them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the prayer "Our Father" is read.

If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be performed not before going to bed, but shortly before that. And before you go to bed, you should only read a prayer Reverend John Damaskina “Vladyka Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me. ' and those following it.

A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. Be sure to pray for peace and health His Holiness Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if not through his own fault, he is obliged to remember the “hating” and sincerely wish him well.

The personal ("cell") rule of many Orthodox includes the reading of the Gospel and the Psalter. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read during the day one chapter from the Gospel, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. At the same time, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one a day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended simultaneously, and a new circle of readings began.

The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. One day established rule should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.

When and how long should you pray? The apostle Paul says, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). St. Gregory the Theologian writes: “It is necessary to remember God more often than to breathe.” Ideally, the whole life of a Christian should be permeated with prayer.

Many misfortunes, sorrows and misfortunes occur precisely because people forget about God. After all, there are believers among criminals, but at the moment of committing a crime they do not think about God. It is difficult to imagine a person who would commit murder or theft with the thought of an all-seeing God, from Whom no evil can be hidden. And every sin is committed by a person precisely when he does not remember God.

Most people are unable to pray throughout the day, so you need to find some time, even a short one, to remember God.

You wake up in the morning with the thought of what you have to do that day. Before you get to work and plunge into the inevitable bustle, dedicate at least a few minutes to God. Stand before God and say: “Lord, You gave me this day, help me to spend the era without sin, without vice, save me from all evil and misfortune.” And call on the blessing of God on the day that begins.

Throughout the day, try to remember God more often. If you feel bad, turn to Him with a prayer: "Lord, I feel bad, help me." If you feel good, say to God: "Lord, glory to You, I thank You for this joy." If you're worried about someone, tell God, "Lord, I'm worried about him, I'm hurting for him, help him." And so throughout the day - whatever happens to you, turn it into a prayer.

When the day comes to an end and you are getting ready for bed, remember the past day, thank God for all the good things that happened, and repent for all those unworthy deeds and sins that you committed that day. Ask God for help and blessings for the coming night. If you learn to pray this way every day, you will soon notice how much more fulfilling your whole life will be.

Often people justify their unwillingness to pray by saying that they are too busy, overloaded with things. Yes, many of us live in a rhythm in which people of antiquity did not live. Sometimes we have to do a lot of things during the day. But there are always pauses in life. For example, we stand at the bus stop and wait for the tram - three to five minutes. We go to the subway - twenty to thirty minutes, dial a phone number and hear beeps - "busy" - a few more minutes. Let us at least use these pauses for prayer, let them not be wasted time.

How to pray when you're short on time

Many of the elder's visitors blamed him for not praying enough, not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following rule for such people:

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of Holy Trinity. Then the song to the Mother of God "Virgin Mary, rejoice" also three times. In conclusion, the Creed "I believe in one God" - once. Having made such a rule, every Orthodox is engaged in his own business, to which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner (or a sinner)”, and if others surround him, then, minding his own business, let him only say with his mind “Lord, have mercy” - and so until noon. Just before dinner, let him do it again morning rule.

After dinner, while doing his work, let every Christian read just as quietly: Holy Mother of God save me a sinner." Going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, “Our Father” three times, “Theotokos” three times, and the “Symbol of Faith” once.

St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small “rule”, one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Mother of God. The Creed, however, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.

1. The Lord's Prayer "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).

2. Basic commandments Old Testament(Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).

3. Basic gospel commandments(Matthew 5:3-12; Matt. 5:21-48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14-21; Matt. 6:24-25 ; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 23:8-12; John 13:34).

5. Morning and evening prayers for a short prayer book.

6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.

The fear of our times has not passed over even the Orthodox. How to protect yourself and loved ones? - believers often ask. Our main defense is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as it is said in the Scripture, no hair will fall from our head (Luke 21:18). This does not mean that we, in a reckless hope in God, can behave defiantly towards the underworld. The words “do not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt. 4:7) we need to remember firmly.

God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - pectoral cross which must not be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and arthos, eaten every morning.

We also keep the Christian in prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th psalm “Alive in the help of the Most High. » and prayer Holy Cross"Let God arise." It is worn on the body, under clothing.

The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before each exit to the street, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to overshadow oneself sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and combine with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Orthodox parents must certainly baptize their child if he goes out into the street alone.

Once in a dangerous situation, one should pray: “Let God rise again,” or “ Chosen Governor victorious ”(the first kontakion from the akathist to the Theotokos), or simply“ Lord, have mercy ”, repeatedly. It is necessary to resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we do not have enough strength and courage to rush to help him.

The prayer is very strong to the saints of God, who became famous for the art of war during their lifetime: Saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratilat, Dimitry Donskoy. Let's not forget about the Archangel Michael, about our guardian angel. All of them have a special power with God to give strength to the weak to overcome their enemies.

“If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps. 126:1). The house of a Christian must certainly be consecrated. Grace will keep the dwelling from all evil. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, you yourself need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water, reading “Let God rise again” or “Save, Lord, Thy people” (troparion to the Cross). From the danger of arson, a fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of the icon of Her "Burning Bush".

Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life, for a long time do not repent. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.

But there are also prayer books that were composed by saints in ancient times, they need to be read in order to learn how to pray. These prayers are contained in the "Orthodox Prayer Book". There you will find morning, evening, penitential, thanksgiving prayers, you will find various canons, akathists and much more. Having bought the "Orthodox Prayer Book", do not be afraid that there are so many prayers in it. You don't have to read all of them.

If the morning prayers are read quickly, it will take about twenty minutes. But if you read them thoughtfully, attentively, responding with your heart to every word, then reading can take up to an hour. Therefore, if you do not have time, do not try to read all the morning prayers, it is better to read one or two, but so that each of their words reaches your heart.

Before the Morning Prayers section, it says: “Before you begin to pray, stand a little while until your feelings subside, and then say with attention and reverence; “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Stay a little longer and only then start praying.” This pause, the “minute of silence” before the beginning of the prayer, is very important. Prayer must grow out of the silence of our heart. People who daily “read” morning and evening prayers are constantly tempted to read the “rule” as soon as possible in order to get down to daily business. Often, with such a reading, the main thing slips away - the content of the prayer.

In the prayer book there are many petitions addressed to God, which are repeated several times. For example, you may come across a recommendation to read “Lord have mercy” twelve or forty times. Some perceive this as some kind of formality and proofread this prayer at high speed. By the way, in Greek “Lord, have mercy” sounds like “Kyrie, eleison”. In Russian there is a verb “to play tricks”, which came precisely from the fact that the psalm-readers on the kliros very quickly repeated many times: “Kyrie, eleison”, that is, they did not pray, but “played tricks”. So, there is no need to play tricks in prayer. No matter how many times you read this prayer, it must be said with attention, reverence and love, with full dedication.

No need to try to subtract all the prayers. It is better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer “Our Father”, repeating it several times, pondering each word. It is not so easy for a person who is not accustomed to praying for a long time to immediately read a large number of prayers, but it is not necessary to strive for this. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that the prayers of the Fathers of the Church breathe. This is the main benefit that can be derived from the prayers contained in the "Orthodox Prayer Book".

For each of us, the words “ Good morning”, because it is common for a person to get up well rested and vigorous, but this is not always the case. It often happens that we are afraid of the coming day and the difficulties that await us, whether it be problems at work, health, personal relationships, etc. like a snowball. Reading a prayer will help to cope with the morning negativity and set yourself up for the well-being of the coming day. Usually, at sunrise, they read “Our Father” - this is a universal prayer that helps to get rid of the disease, be filled with positive from the inside, and also easily start a new business.

The Positive Power of Prayer

We often wake up in the morning thinking about the upcoming events of the day. But before you get to work and plunge into the inevitable bustle, take a few minutes of prayer - personal communication with higher power- God. Stand up and say: "Lord, You gave me this day, help me spend it without sin, without vice, save me from all evil and misfortune." Thus, you will invoke the blessing of God on every event of the day that begins.

For morning prayers, many Christians use the Orthodox Prayer Book - a set of prayers for any occasion. The positive impact of sacred lines on human life has already been scientifically proven - the experiments of scientists have shown that prayed water changes its structure into beautiful patterns, while the structure of the liquid next to which unpleasant expressions were uttered acquired sharp and rough outlines.

It is known that the practice of prayer plunges a person into a special state, in which he is directly connected with a higher power (God). In addition, it is simply necessary for a person to experience such a state by nature, because a pacified state of mind gives hope to those who have lost their faith, gives courage to those who are exhausted, strengthens the health of the sick, etc. And all this happens at the moment of prayer - communication with God.

In fact, morning prayer is a conspiracy that will protect you from the negative influence of evil forces for the whole day. Sacred lines are not a threat energy field of a person, since this is an appeal to a single positive energy of the Universe. Regardless of whether damage is directed at you or the aura is clean, morning prayer will still have a positive effect. Even small mistakes in prayer will not bring negativity on you, the main thing is that your message comes from the heart and is sincere.

Turning to the Lord will strengthen you and give you strength to live the coming day, instill confidence that everything will be fine. Morning prayer is a strong positive energy that will restore broken coherence and unity within you and the environment.

In prayer, as in any other matter, it is right to start from the basics. Leading Christian prayers are: the Creed, the Lord's Prayer or, the Jesus Prayer, the appeal of the Virgin.

morning prayers

Today, prayers are widely used in psychology, in the treatment of diseases of various origins, as well as in the practice of psychotherapy. The state of prayer has a positive effect on the physical and psychological state of the one who prays. For example, when a person pronounces a prayer for recovery, he calls on bright, strong positive energy to his illness.

Symbol of faith.

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

Morning prayer is necessary and important to start the day of any person, so do not ignore it. If necessary, wake up 10 minutes earlier, as praying in the early hours will help you prepare for any upcoming events, important or not very life situations. While praying, think over the events of the coming day, review your schedule with higher powers and ask for advice on how to overcome certain situations, cope with responsibilities.

Morning prayer-amulet family from misfortune.
I lay the first cross from the Holy Spirit,
The second cross from the Lord God,
The third cross from Jesus Christ the son of God,
The fourth cross from the Guardian Angel of the servant of God (name),
Fifth cross from the Mother of the Blessed Virgin,
Sixth cross from west to rollout,
The seventh cross from earth to heaven.
Seven crosses will close the house with seven locks.
The first castle - from the dashing misfortune of any,
The second is from poverty, poverty,
The third - from the tears of combustible,
Fourth - from theft,
Fifth - from spending,
The sixth - from illness-weakness,
And the seventh is the strongest, closes six,
Locks for a century, guards my house.
Amen.

Prayer in the morning is a great way to bring confidence, peace and tranquility back into your life. Daily morning prayer will help get rid of unfavorable external influences, as well as everything dark that has settled in the depths of our soul.

Watch a video with strong morning prayers and your day will be peaceful and clean

The rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Saratov, Abbot Pakhomiy, answers questions on the personal prayer rule of a Christian (Bruskov)

Prayer is the free appeal of the human soul to God. How to correlate this freedom with the obligation to read the rule even when you clearly do not want to do this?

Freedom is not permissiveness. A person is so arranged that if he allows himself an indulgence, it can be very difficult to return to the previous state. There are many examples in hagiographic literature when ascetics abandoned their prayer rule in order to show love to the brothers who came. Thus, they placed the commandment of love above their prayer rule. But it should be remembered that these people reached extraordinary heights of spiritual life, they were unceasingly in prayer. When we feel that we do not want to pray, this is a banal temptation, not a manifestation of freedom.

The rule keeps a person in a spiritually developed state; it should not depend on a momentary mood. If a person leaves the prayer rule, he very quickly comes to relaxation.

In addition, it should be remembered that when a person communicates with God, an enemy of our salvation always strives to stand between them. And not allowing him to do this is not a restriction on the freedom of the individual.

This is clearly and clearly written in any Orthodox prayer book: “Awakening from sleep, before any other work, stand reverently before the All-Seeing God and, making the sign of the cross, say ...”. In addition, the very meaning of prayers tells us that morning prayers are read at the very beginning of the day, when a person’s mind is not yet occupied with any thoughts. And evening prayers should be read for a dream to come, after any deeds. In these prayers, sleep is compared with death, the bed with a deathbed. And it is strange, after talking about death, to go to watch TV or communicate with relatives.

Any prayer rule is based on the experience of the Church, to which we must listen. These rules do not violate human freedom, but help to get the maximum spiritual benefit. Of course, there can be exceptions to any rule based on some unforeseen circumstances.

What else, besides morning and evening prayers, can be included in the prayer rule of a layman?

The rule of a layman may include quite a variety of prayers and rites. It can be various canons, akathists, reading Holy Scripture or the Psalms, prostrations, the Jesus Prayer. In addition, the rule should include a brief or more detailed commemoration of the health and repose of loved ones. In monastic practice, there is a custom to include in the rule the reading of patristic literature. But before you add something to your prayer rule, you need to think carefully, consult with the priest, evaluate your strengths. After all, the rule is read regardless of mood, fatigue, other heart movements. And if a person has promised something to God, it must be fulfilled. The Holy Fathers say: let the rule be small, but constant. At the same time, you need to pray with all your heart.

Can a person himself, without blessing, begin to read the canons, akathists in addition to the prayer rule?

Of course it can. But if he did not just read a prayer according to the aspiration of his heart, but thereby increases his constant prayer rule, it is better to ask a blessing from the confessor. A priest with a glance from the outside will assess his condition correctly: whether such an increase will be beneficial to him. If a Christian regularly goes to confession, watches over his inner life, such a change in his rule will, in one way or another, be reflected in his spiritual life.

But this is possible when a person has a confessor. If there is no confessor, and he himself decided to add something to his rule, it is still better to consult at the next confession.

On days when the service lasts all night and Christians do not sleep, is it necessary to read evening and morning prayers?

We do not tie the morning and evening rule to a specific time. However, it would be wrong to read evening prayers in the morning, and morning prayers in the evening. We should not be hypocritical about the rule and read it at all costs, ignoring the meaning of the prayers. If you are not going to sleep, why ask God's blessing to sleep? You can replace the morning or evening rule with other prayers or reading the Gospel.

I think that it is better for a woman to make a prayer rule in a headscarf. This brings up humility in her and shows her obedience to the Church. Indeed, from the Holy Scriptures we learn that the wife covers her head not for those around her, but for the Angels (1 Cor. 11:10). This is a matter of personal piety. Of course, God does not care whether you stand up for prayer with or without a headscarf, but this is important for you.

How are the canons and the following to Holy Communion read: on the same day the day before, or can their reading be divided over several days?

It is impossible to approach the fulfillment of the prayer rule formally. A person must build his relationship with God himself, based on prayer preparation, health, free time, and the practice of communicating with a confessor.

Today, a tradition has developed in preparation for Communion to read three canons: to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Savior or the Mother of God, the following to Holy Communion. I think it's best to read the whole rule on the same day before Communion. But if it's hard, you can spread it over three days.

Often friends and acquaintances ask how to prepare for Communion, how to read the Psalter? What should they say to us laymen?

You need to answer what you know for sure. You can not take responsibility for something strictly obligatory to prescribe to another or say something that you are not sure of. When answering, you need to be guided by the common tradition of church life. today. If not personal experience, you need to resort to the experience of the Church, the holy fathers. And if you were asked a question, the answer to which you do not know, you should be advised to turn to a priest or patristic creations.

I read the translation of some prayers into Russian. It turns out that I used to put a completely different meaning into them. Is it necessary to strive for a common understanding, to read translations, or can one understand prayers as the heart tells?

Prayers should be understood as they are written. An analogy can be drawn with conventional literature. We read the work, we understand it in our own way. But it is always interesting to know what meaning the author himself put into this work. Also the text of the prayer. The author put a special meaning into each of them. After all, we do not read a conspiracy, but turn to God with a certain petition or doxology. One can recall the words of the Apostle Paul that it is better to say five words in an understandable dialect than a thousand in an incomprehensible one (1 Cor. 14:19). In addition, the authors of most Orthodox prayers are holy ascetics glorified by the Church.

How to relate to modern prayers? Is it possible to read everything that is written in the prayer books, or do you prefer the more ancient ones?

Personally, I am more touched by the words of more ancient canons, the stichera. They seem deeper and more penetrating to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, reverence and try to find some benefit for yourself. But to understand that some modern prayers are not so High Quality like prayers composed by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but also be well educated. All texts that are offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo a strict selection.

Go to service. If a person has gathered in a temple, then in the first place should be public prayer. Although the fathers compared public and domestic prayer with the two wings of a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, so can a man. If he does not pray at home, but only goes to the temple, then, most likely, prayer will not go with him in the temple either. After all, he has no experience of personal communion with God. If a person prays only at home, but does not go to church, it means that he does not have an understanding of what the Church is. And without the Church there is no salvation.

How can a layman replace service at home if necessary?

Today, a large number of liturgical literature and various prayer books are published. If a layman cannot be present at the service, he can read both the morning and evening service, and lunch.

The Apostle Paul writes: “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial” (1 Cor. 6:12). Tired or sick - you can sit down in the Church, while reading house rule. But you should understand what you are guided by: pain that prevents you from praying, or laziness. If the alternative to reading a prayer while sitting is its complete absence, of course, it is better to read sitting. If a person is seriously ill, you can even lie down. But if he is just tired or laziness fights him, you need to overcome yourself and get up. During worship, the Charter regulates when you can stand or sit. For example, we listen to the reading of the Gospel, akathists while standing, and while reading kathismas, sedals, and teachings, we sit down.

It is very important that a person fulfill the prayer rule, even the shortest one, so that there is regularity and constancy in prayer. But the rule should not turn into a formality. The experience of many believers shows that with constant reading of the same prayers, their words become discolored, lose their freshness, and a person, getting used to them, stops focusing on them. This danger must be avoided by all means.
I remember when I took monastic vows (I was twenty years old then), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what my prayer rule should be. He said: “You must daily read the morning and evening prayers, three canons and one akathist. Whatever happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. for the rule to be read." I tried. Things didn't work out. Daily reading of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly got bored. In addition, every day I spent many hours in the temple at services that spiritually nourished me, nourished me, inspired me. And the reading of three canons and an akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary "appendage". I started looking for other advice, more suitable for me. And I found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to be calculated not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and in the evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely given to God. And it is not so important whether we read all the prayers during these minutes or only one, or maybe we will devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we should be focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our hearts. This advice worked for me. However, I do not rule out that for others the advice of the confessor I received will be more suitable. Much here depends on the personality of the person.
It seems to me that for a person living in the world, not only fifteen, but even five minutes of morning and evening prayer, if, of course, it is pronounced with attention and with feeling, is enough to be a real Christian. It is only important that the thought always correspond to the words, the heart responds to the words of the prayer, and the whole life corresponds to the prayer.
Try, following the advice of St. Theophan the Recluse, to allocate some time for prayer during the day and for the daily fulfillment of the prayer rule. And you will see that it will bear fruit very soon.

The basis of the life of an Orthodox Christian is fasting and prayer. Prayer is the conversation of the soul with God. And just as in a conversation it is impossible to listen to one side all the time, so in prayer it is useful sometimes to stop and listen to the Lord's answer to our prayer.
The Church, praying daily "for everyone and everything", has established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, human capabilities. The Prayer Book offers us morning and evening prayers available to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm atmosphere, then it is better to read them on the way than to omit them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the prayer "Our Father" is read.
If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be performed not before going to bed, but shortly before that. And before going to bed, one should only read the prayer of St. John of Damascus, “Vladyka Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me…” and those following it.
A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. It is imperative to pray for the peace and health of His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if not through his own fault, he is obliged to remember the “hating” and sincerely wish him well.
The personal ("cell") rule of many Orthodox includes the reading of the Gospel and the Psalter. Thus, the Optina monks blessed many to read during the day one chapter from the Gospel, in order, and two chapters from the Apostolic Epistles. At the same time, the last seven chapters of the Apocalypse were read one a day. Then the reading of the Gospel and the Apostle ended simultaneously, and a new circle of readings began.
The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. Once established, the rule should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.
The main content of the prayer rule is to set the soul of a Christian to private communion with God, to awaken repentant thoughts in him, to cleanse his heart from sinful filth. Therefore, we, carefully fulfilling the prescribed, learn, according to the words of the apostle, "to pray at all times in the Spirit ... with all constancy and supplication for all the saints" (Eph. 6, 18).

When to Pray

When and how long should you pray? The apostle Paul says, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). St. Gregory the Theologian writes: "It is necessary to remember God more often than to breathe." Ideally, the whole life of a Christian should be permeated with prayer.
Many misfortunes, sorrows and misfortunes occur precisely because people forget about God. After all, there are believers among criminals, but at the moment of committing a crime they do not think about God. It is difficult to imagine a person who would commit murder or theft with the thought of an all-seeing God, from Whom no evil can be hidden. And every sin is committed by a person precisely when he does not remember God.
Most people are unable to pray throughout the day, so you need to find some time, even a short one, to remember God.
You wake up in the morning with the thought of what you have to do that day. Before you get to work and plunge into the inevitable bustle, dedicate at least a few minutes to God. Stand before God and say: "Lord, You gave me this day, help me to spend the era without sin, without vice, save me from all evil and misfortune." And call on the blessing of God on the day that begins.
Throughout the day, try to remember God more often. If you feel bad, turn to Him with a prayer: "Lord, I feel bad, help me." If you feel good, say to God: "Lord, glory to You, I thank You for this joy." If you're worried about someone, tell God, "Lord, I'm worried about him, I'm hurting for him, help him." And so throughout the day - whatever happens to you, turn it into a prayer.
When the day comes to an end and you are getting ready for bed, remember the past day, thank God for all the good things that happened, and repent for all those unworthy deeds and sins that you committed that day. Ask God for help and blessings for the coming night. If you learn to pray this way every day, you will soon notice how much more fulfilling your whole life will be.
Often people justify their unwillingness to pray by saying that they are too busy, overloaded with things. Yes, many of us live in a rhythm in which people of antiquity did not live. Sometimes we have to do a lot of things during the day. But there are always pauses in life. For example, we stand at the bus stop and wait for the tram - three to five minutes. We go to the subway - twenty to thirty minutes, dial a phone number and hear beeps - "busy" - a few more minutes. Let us at least use these pauses for prayer, let them not be wasted time.

How to pray when you're short on time

What words to pray? What about someone who either has no memory, or who, due to illiteracy, has not studied many prayers, who, finally - and there is such a life situation - does not have time to stand in front of the images and read the morning and evening prayers in a row? This issue is resolved by the instructions of the great elder Seraphim of Sarov.
Many of the elder's visitors blamed him for not praying enough, not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following rule for such people:
“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the song to the Mother of God "Virgin Mary, rejoice" also three times. In conclusion, the Creed "I believe in one God" - once. Having made such a rule, every Orthodox is engaged in his own business, to which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner (or a sinner)”, and if others surround him, then, minding his own business, let him only say with his mind “Lord, have mercy” - and so until noon. Just before dinner, let him repeat the morning rule.
After dinner, while doing his work, let every Christian read just as quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner.” Going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, “Our Father” three times, “Theotokos” three times, and the “Symbol of Faith” once.
St. Seraphim explained that by adhering to that small “rule”, one can achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for these three prayers are the foundation of Christianity. The first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers. The second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Mother of God. The Creed, however, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.
The elder also advised reading the Jesus Prayer during classes, while walking, even in bed, and at the same time he quoted the words from the Epistle to the Romans: “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Whoever has time, the elder advised to read from the Gospel, canons, akathists, psalms.

What Should a Christian Remember?

There are words of Holy Scripture and prayers that it is desirable for every Orthodox Christian to know by heart.
1. The Lord's Prayer "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).
2. Basic commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).
3. Basic gospel commandments (Matthew 5:3-12; Matt. 5:21-48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14-21; Matt. 6:24-25; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 23:8-12; John 13:34).
4. Creed.
5. Morning and evening prayers for a short prayer book.
6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.

Sacraments must not be confused with rituals. Rite is any external sign of reverence that expresses our faith. The sacrament is such a sacred ceremony during which the Church calls on the Holy Spirit, and His grace descends on the faithful. There are seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Marriage (Wedding), Consecration (Unction), Priesthood (Ordination).

"Do not be afraid of the fear of the night..."

Human life is worth less and less ... It has become scary to live - danger from all sides. Any of us can be robbed, humiliated, killed. Understanding this, people try to defend themselves; someone gets a dog, someone buys a weapon, someone turns a home into a fortress.
The fear of our times has not passed over even the Orthodox. How to protect yourself and loved ones? - believers often ask. Our main defense is the Lord Himself, without His Holy Will, as it is said in the Scripture, no hair will fall from our head (Luke 21:18). This does not mean that we, in a reckless hope in God, can behave defiantly towards the underworld. The words “do not tempt the Lord your God” (Matt. 4:7) we need to remember firmly.
God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross that cannot be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and arthos, eaten every morning.
We also keep the Christian in prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th psalm "Alive in the help of the Most High ..." and the prayer to the Holy Cross "May God rise again" are written. It is worn on the body, under clothing.
The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before each exit to the street, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to make the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and combine with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Orthodox parents must certainly baptize their child if he goes out into the street alone.
Once in a dangerous situation, one must pray: “May God rise again,” or “Victorious Chosen Voivode” (the first kontakion from the akathist to the Mother of God), or simply “Lord, have mercy,” repeatedly. It is necessary to resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we do not have enough strength and courage to rush to help him.
The prayer is very strong to the saints of God, who became famous for the art of war during their lifetime: Saints George the Victorious, Theodore Stratilat, Dimitry Donskoy. Let's not forget about the Archangel Michael, about our guardian angel. All of them have a special power with God to give strength to the weak to overcome their enemies.
“If the Lord does not guard the city, the watchman watches in vain” (Ps. 126:1). The house of a Christian must certainly be consecrated. Grace will keep the dwelling from all evil. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, you yourself need to sprinkle all the walls, windows and doors with holy water, reading “Let God rise again” or “Save, Lord, Thy people” (troparion to the Cross). From the danger of arson, a fire, it is customary to pray to the Mother of God in front of the icon of Her "Burning Bush".
Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life and do not repent for a long time. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.

Orthodox prayer book

You can pray in different ways, for example, in your own words. Such a prayer should constantly accompany a person. In the morning and evening, day and night, a person can turn to God with the simplest words coming from the depths of the heart.
But there are also prayer books that were composed by saints in ancient times, they need to be read in order to learn how to pray. These prayers are contained in the Orthodox Prayer Book. There you will find morning, evening, penitential, thanksgiving prayers, you will find various canons, akathists and much more. Having bought the "Orthodox Prayer Book", do not be afraid that there are so many prayers in it. You don't have to read all of them.
If the morning prayers are read quickly, it will take about twenty minutes. But if you read them thoughtfully, attentively, responding with your heart to every word, then reading can take up to an hour. Therefore, if you do not have time, do not try to read all the morning prayers, it is better to read one or two, but so that each of their words reaches your heart.
Before the Morning Prayers section, it says: “Before you begin to pray, stand a little while until your feelings subside, and then say with attention and reverence: “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Stay a little longer and only then begin to pray." This pause, the "minute of silence" before the beginning of the prayer, is very important. Prayer must grow out of the silence of our heart. People who "read" the morning and evening prayers daily are constantly tempted to read the "rule" as soon as possible in order to get down to daily business. Often, with such a reading, the main thing slips away - the content of the prayer.
In the prayer book there are many petitions addressed to God, which are repeated several times. For example, you may come across a recommendation to read "Lord have mercy" twelve or forty times. Some perceive this as some kind of formality and proofread this prayer at high speed. By the way, in Greek "Lord, have mercy" sounds like "Kyrie, eleison." In Russian there is a verb "to play tricks", which came precisely from the fact that the psalm-readers on the kliros very quickly repeated many times: "Kyrie, eleison", that is, they did not pray, but "played tricks". So, there is no need to play tricks in prayer. No matter how many times you read this prayer, it must be said with attention, reverence and love, with full dedication.
No need to try to subtract all the prayers. It is better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer "Our Father", repeating it several times, pondering over each word. It is not so easy for a person who is not accustomed to praying for a long time to read a large number of prayers at once, but one should not strive for this. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that the prayers of the Fathers of the Church breathe. This is the main benefit that can be derived from the prayers contained in the "Orthodox Prayer Book".

This article contains: prayer in the evening when to read - information is taken from all over the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule that is performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and prayers for the coming dream must be read in the evening.

Why you need to read prayers before bed

There is a certain rhythm of prayer reserved for monastics and spiritually advanced laymen.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is rather difficult to read it in its entirety. Yes, and it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity, when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

In this case, it is better to read a short rule than to thoughtlessly and without reverence chatter the full text.

Often confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the habit of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer appeal will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activity to serve God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, a short rule is read by the laity - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

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

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.

Holy God Holy Strong, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Yes, shine your name, may your kingdom come, may your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Eternal God and the King of every creature, having vouchsafed me to sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, Lord, in this night's sleep to pass away in peace, but having risen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the enemies of the flesh and fleshless who fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Good Tsar, good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without a blemish and I will find paradise with You, Virgin Mother of God, one Pure and Blessed.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning in this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy, but in no sin will I anger my God; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, gratefully we will write down Ti Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, from all troubles of freedom, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

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

I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.

Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

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

It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

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

Interpretation of individual prayers

King of Heaven.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, as God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and to this day comforts those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The angels of heaven sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is Holy God, God the Son is Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. During the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as to the Father, we stand before Him as children before our mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His might, we implore you to manage human spiritual forces and guide them on the true path, so that after death you will be honored to be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, ordained by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, will help to live holy and will patronize the soul and body.

In prayer, the danger of attacks by bodily enemies (people pushing them to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions) is emphasized.

The nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants in an audio recording?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it doesn’t matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his deeds be done for the glory of God.

Prayer should be started before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has been given for the whole day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of each spoken word.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

close and dear people
the living and the dead;
about enemies;
virtues and about the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil's army, he is visited by sinful thoughts, bad desires. Night in Christian understanding is considered the time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious, they can send nightmares in a dream vision.

That is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when everything life circumstances develop successfully, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are predetermined in Heaven from the very beginning. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This male monastic monastery is famous for miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is transmitted through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
The Church has a positive attitude towards watching Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching, it is recommended to postpone secular activities.
The clergy advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders in the evening rule. Their texts have evolved over the centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom that can explain the basics Orthodox faith and know their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are also difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life otherwise He will not be able to help us.

Important! The ascension of a prayer before going to bed is the acquisition of protection and support by an Orthodox Christian. Except for your own protection mothers beg God to save their children and send them mercy.

Prayer rule.

I remember when I took monastic vows (I was twenty years old then), I turned to an experienced confessor for advice and asked him what my prayer rule should be. He said: “You must read the morning and evening prayers daily, three canons and one akathist. Whatever happens, even if you are very tired, you must read them. And even if you subtract them hastily and inattentively, it doesn’t matter, the main thing is that the rule be subtracted.” I tried. Things didn't work out. Daily reading of the same prayers led to the fact that these texts quickly got bored. In addition, every day I spent many hours in the temple at services that spiritually nourished me, nourished me, inspired me. And the reading of three canons and an akathist turned into some kind of unnecessary “appendage”. I started looking for other advice, more suitable for me. And I found it in the works of St. Theophan the Recluse, a remarkable ascetic of the 19th century. He advised the prayer rule to be calculated not by the number of prayers, but by the time that we are ready to devote to God. For example, we can make it a rule to pray in the morning and in the evening for half an hour, but this half hour must be completely given to God. And it is not so important whether we read all the prayers during these minutes or only one, or maybe we will devote one evening entirely to reading the Psalter, the Gospel or prayer in our own words. The main thing is that we should be focused on God, so that our attention does not slip away and that every word reaches our hearts. This advice worked for me. However, I do not rule out that for others the advice of the confessor I received will be more suitable. Much here depends on the personality of the person.

The Church, praying daily "for everyone and everything", has established a personal, individual prayer rule for everyone. The composition of this rule depends on the spiritual age, living conditions, human capabilities. The Prayer Book offers us morning and evening prayers available to everyone. They are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel. With the blessing of the confessor, prayers to selected saints can be included in the cell rule. If it is not possible to read the morning prayers in front of the icons in a calm atmosphere, then it is better to read them on the way than to omit them altogether. In any case, you should not have breakfast before the prayer "Our Father" is read.

If a person is sick or very tired, then the evening rule can be performed not before going to bed, but shortly before that. And before going to bed, one should only read the prayer of St. John of Damascus: “Vladyka Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me. ' and those following it.

A very important component of morning prayers is the recitation of remembrance. It is imperative to pray for the peace and health of His Holiness the Patriarch, the ruling bishop, spiritual father, parents, relatives, godparents and godchildren, and all people who are connected with us in one way or another. If someone cannot make peace with others, even if not through his own fault, he is obliged to remember the “hating” and sincerely wish him well.

The prayer rule for a person is established by his spiritual father, it is up to him to change it - to reduce or increase it. Once established, the rule should become the law of life, and each violation should be considered as an exceptional case, tell the confessor about it and accept admonition from him.

Most people are unable to pray throughout the day, so you need to find some time, even a short one, to remember God.

How to pray when you're short on time

Many of the elder's visitors blamed him for not praying enough, not even reading the prescribed morning and evening prayers. St. Seraphim established the following rule for such people:

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read the prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity. Then the song to the Mother of God "Virgin Mary, rejoice" also three times. In conclusion, the Creed "I believe in one God" - once. Having made such a rule, every Orthodox is engaged in his own business, to which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, he quietly reads “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner (or a sinner)”, and if others surround him, then, minding his own business, let him only say with his mind “Lord, have mercy” - and so until noon. Just before dinner, let him repeat the morning rule.

After dinner, while doing his work, let every Christian read just as quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner.” Going to bed, let every Christian read the morning rule again, that is, “Our Father” three times, “Theotokos” three times, and the “Symbol of Faith” once.

1. The Lord's Prayer "Our Father" (Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).

2. Basic commandments of the Old Testament (Deut. 6:5; Lev. 19:18).

3. Basic gospel commandments (Matthew 5:3-12; Matt. 5:21-48; Matt. 6:1; Matt. 6:3; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 6:14-21; Matt. 6:24-25; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 23:8-12; John 13:34).

5. Morning and evening prayers for a short prayer book.

6. The number and meaning of the sacraments.

God has given us the greatest shrines to protect us from visible enemies. This is, first of all, a Christian shield - a pectoral cross that cannot be removed under any circumstances. Secondly, holy water and arthos, eaten every morning.

We also keep the Christian in prayer. Many churches sell belts on which the text of the 90th psalm “Alive in the help of the Most High. ” and a prayer to the Holy Cross “Let God rise again.” It is worn on the body, under clothing.

The ninetieth psalm has great power. Spiritually experienced people recommend reading it before each exit to the street, no matter how many times we leave the house. Saint Ignatius Bryanchaninov gives advice when leaving the house to make the sign of the cross and read the prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you, and combine with you, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Orthodox parents must certainly baptize their child if he goes out into the street alone.

Once in a dangerous situation, one must pray: “May God rise again,” or “Victorious Chosen Voivode” (the first kontakion from the akathist to the Mother of God), or simply “Lord, have mercy,” repeatedly. It is necessary to resort to prayer even when another person is being threatened before our eyes, but we do not have enough strength and courage to rush to help him.

Of course, no means will help if we lead a sinful life and do not repent for a long time. Often the Lord allows extraordinary circumstances to admonish unrepentant sinners.

No need to try to subtract all the prayers. It is better to devote twenty minutes to one prayer “Our Father”, repeating it several times, pondering each word. It is not so easy for a person who is not accustomed to praying for a long time to read a large number of prayers at once, but one should not strive for this. It is important to be imbued with the spirit that the prayers of the Fathers of the Church breathe. This is the main benefit that can be derived from the prayers contained in the "Orthodox Prayer Book".