What is the best time to pray to God? Protection by prayer from damage. How to fulfill the prayer rule

To God, Theophan the Recluse gives in his message “Four Words on Prayer.” It contains a precise explanation of how to turn to the Almighty and be heard by Him. The great Russian saint convinces that the presence of attributes that promote a prayerful mood (icons, candles, bows) is not prayer itself, but only preparation for it.

It doesn’t matter where the desire to talk to God found you: at home or in the field. Communication with the Creator is equally accessible everywhere. Man communicates with Him in his heart. If it is not possible to

visit the temple as often as you would like, don’t worry. If you are interested in Christian topics, you will definitely understand how to pray correctly at home.

In his explanations, Theophan the Recluse points out the importance of love in the soul of the person praying. He calls it “the crown of Christian life,” “spiritual paradise.”

Without knowing how to pray correctly at home, you can simply engage in “shaking the air.” Empty pronunciation of words, even those written in sacred books, will not give the believer anything: neither overcoming his passions, nor God’s help.

In critical situations, a person calls on the Lord, without thinking about whether he is in church or not. And often help comes, the prayer is heard. To understand how to pray at home, you need to realize that in essence we are always communicating with God, at every moment of our lives.

Therefore, there are no strict rules on how to pray correctly at home. The main thing is to fill the soul with love, faith and sincerity.

Nowadays, detailed explanations of who a person is and how

he can
to build your communication with God, says researcher-psychologist S. N. Lazarev. In his books, he convinces that the root cause of all the troubles of humanity is the small amount of love in the souls of our contemporaries. Lazarev’s works confirm the long-known
universal truths. They talk about how important inner attitude is. In his books, as well as in the instructions of the holy fathers, you can find detailed explanations on how to pray correctly at home.

However, the priests recommend that the layman pay attention to some technical aspects of home prayer. They give advice on what to do if you cannot concentrate on the texts you are reading. They teach you to think about the meaning of words. Give special importance

Sincere repentance.

In their opinion, the main purpose of prayer is to help in overcoming one's vices. A person must, in a sincere impulse, turn to the Creator and ask that the sins of both himself and the human race be removed. But without your own internal change, automatic removal of sins is impossible. With the help of prayer, you need to realize your shortcomings and overcome them.

If the Christian tradition is close to a person, then it is better to ask in prayer not for yourself, but for your loved ones, thereby proving your love for humanity. The natural desire of any believer is to become like God. Therefore, it is so important not to be distracted by trifles, but to focus on doing good deeds.

It is important to understand that no matter what, we are still always heard by God, no matter in what place and at what time of day we pray to Him.

For God to answer prayer, it is very important to pray correctly. This does not mean Pharisaic correctness and compliance with all the small instructions: how to stand, in front of which icon, in what sequence to read prayers, how to bow correctly. One should not be too afraid of doing something wrong during prayer, much less refuse prayer because of this. God sees our heart, and an occasional mistake will not make us criminals in His eyes.

Correct prayer consists of the correct disposition of spirit and feelings.

Pray with a pure heart

So that God does not make our prayer a sin, you need to pray with a pure heart and deep faith. As they say in Orthodoxy, with boldness, but without impudence. Boldness means faith in the omnipotence of God and that He can forgive the most terrible sin. Insolence is disrespect for God, confidence in His forgiveness.

In order for prayer not to be impudent, we must be ready to accept the will of God, including when it does not coincide with our desires. This is called “cutting off your will.” As the saint wrote, “if a person is not first purified by cutting off his will, then true prayerful action will never be revealed in him.” This cannot be achieved overnight, but we must strive for it.

With what feelings do they pray to God?

According to the Holy Fathers, during prayer there is no need to seek special feelings or spiritual pleasures. Often the prayer of a sinful person, as we all are, is difficult, causing boredom and heaviness. This shouldn’t frighten or confuse you, and you shouldn’t give up prayer because of it. Much more need to be wary of emotional exaltation.

According to Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov, the only feelings that are permissible during prayer are the feeling of one’s unworthiness and reverence for God, in other words, the fear of God.

What words should you use to address the Almighty?

To make it easier to pray and ask God for the right things, saints and simply pious people compiled. They are sanctified by authority, the very words of these prayers are holy.

The Holy Fathers compared the prayer composed by the saints to a tuning fork by which the human soul is tuned during prayer. That's why statutory prayer is more spiritually beneficial than prayer in your own words. However, to her You can add your own requests.

In what language should you pray in church and at home?

Most Orthodox prayers are read in Church Slavonic, with the exception of some prayers compiled in the 19th century and written in Russian. There are Orthodox prayer books in which prayers are given with Russian translation. If it is difficult to pray in Church Slavonic, you can read the translation.

Unlike home prayer, church services are always performed in Church Slavonic. To better understand worship, you can keep before your eyes the text with parallel translation into Russian.

How to pray to saints correctly

Every day during morning prayer, the believer turns to his patron saint - in whose honor the person praying was.

In other Orthodox traditions, not Russian ones, at baptism the name of a saint is not given, but the patron saint is either chosen by the person himself or is the patron saint of the entire family. On the day of celebrating the memory of “your” saint, you can read the main prayers to him - the troparion and kontakion.

Some saints are prayed to for special needs. Then the troparion and kontakion can be read to this saint at any time. If you constantly pray to a saint, it is advisable to have his icon in your house. If you want to pray to some saint in particular, you can go to pray in a temple where there is his icon or a piece of his relics.

How to start and stop praying

• Before you start praying, you need to be quiet and mentally concentrate.
• Having finished praying, you need a little be in a prayerful position and comprehend the perfect prayer.
• At the beginning and end of the prayer you need make the sign of the cross.

Home prayer, like church prayer, has a statutory beginning and ending. They are given in the prayer book.

Prayer rule in Orthodoxy

It is difficult for most people to determine for themselves: some are lazy and pray little, and some take on excessive work and strain their strength.

In order to give the believer guidance, there are prayer rules.

The main and mandatory rules are the morning and evening prayer rules.

What is a prayer rule

The prayer rule (otherwise known as the cell rule) is a clearly established sequence of prayers, intended for daily reading. Prayer rules are read to believers at home outside of worship, in the mornings and evenings. These rules include the basic Orthodox prayers, as well as special morning and evening prayers in which we ask God to forgive our sins and keep us safe throughout the day and night.

The complete prayer rule, morning and evening, is contained in the prayer books. Those who cannot read the full prayer rule can, with the blessing of the priest, read an abbreviated one, which does not include all the prayers.

Brief prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov

If desired, in addition to morning and evening prayers, you can read akathists to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the saints.

On Bright Week (the first week after Easter), morning and evening prayers are replaced by reading the text of the Hours of Holy Pascha.

How to fulfill the prayer rule

Prayer Rule is being done. It read standing or kneeling, in case of illness, you can read while sitting.

Many people, over many years in church, learn morning and evening prayers by heart, but most often they have to pray according to a prayer book.

Before reading the rules, you need to make the sign of the cross. The words of prayers must be said slowly, delving into their meaning. The prayers that make up the rule can be alternated with personal prayers, especially if such a need arose while reading the rule.

Having finished the rule, we should thank God for communication and stay in a prayerful mood for some time, comprehending your prayer.

Orthodox prayer book

The Orthodox prayer book usually contains

• main prayers used in and outside of worship
• morning and evening prayer rules
• canons (penitential, Mother of God, Guardian Angel) and following to Holy Communion, prayers for various occasions

The Psalter may also be attached to the prayer book.

How to Avoid Distractions During Prayer

Many churchgoers and even long-time churchgoers complain that during prayer their minds wander, extraneous thoughts come to mind, old grievances come to mind, blasphemy and obscene words come to mind. Or, conversely, instead of prayer, a desire arises to indulge in theological reflection.

These are all temptations that are inevitable for a person who has not yet achieved holiness. God allows this to happen in order to test a person’s faith and strengthen his resolve to resist temptation.

The only remedy against them is resist, do not give in to them and continue to pray, even if it’s hard to pray and you want to interrupt it.

Words have a very strong influence on a person's consciousness. Especially when it comes to turning to God. They often say that prayer can change Fate and life, and this is true. A believer strives to pray, which means that sooner or later he begins to think about how to do it. The main questions are:

• What to prefer: the canonical text of the prayer or to state the request in your own words?
• Should I pray alone or with my family?
• Is it better to read the prayer out loud or silently?

In fact, these are not such difficult questions. Much depends on the situation and the meaning of your prayer. It is necessary to understand that for certain cases there are canonical prayers that must be read as they were written in the original. These include, for example, morning prayers and evening rules, as well as prayers before meals. They must be read by everyone together and out loud. Of course, one person can recite the text of the prayer, but all family members will be present, saying the text to themselves and saying the word “Amen” together at the end.

In Christianity there are very powerful prayers that are addressed to the patron saints, the Virgin Mary and God. They have been passed down for centuries and are important because they contain the most accurate words. The Lord's Prayer is very special. Its text is a must-know for every believer. This prayer is used in many life situations because it turns out to be the most powerful of all prayers. By reading it, you always put yourself under the protection of the Lord.

How to read the canonical prayer correctly

The prayers are written in church language, which means that sometimes difficulties may arise with understanding the text. If you don't understand exactly what you're reading, don't bother reading it: is there any point in it? Prayer is a conscious appeal to God. Therefore, before reading the canonical prayer, look at either its translation into a modern language or ask the priest to explain the text of the prayer.

Since people pray in front of icons, have a red corner in your house. Standing in front of them you will seem to recreate a feeling close to visiting a church. You can pray in front of icons both during personal conversion and when you pray with the whole family. Prayers can be said from a book, but you will soon realize that it is much more convenient to read by heart. They do not have to be memorized on purpose: with constant reading of the prayers, the text itself will be remembered.

Solitary prayer: what to ask for?

In addition to prayers that can and should be read by the whole family, often a believer wants to communicate with the Lord alone, to ask for something hidden. And that's completely normal. After all, such an appeal can be the most sincere, especially if we are talking about repentance for something. Therefore, it is even necessary to pray alone.

Requests for earthly goods are often questioned. After all, for a believer, his inner peace should be much more important than material well-being. In general, everything is correct, and spiritual development is placed above earthly and passing conveniences. But on the other hand, a person has needs that need to be satisfied: healthy food, sound healthy sleep, a warm and cozy home.

It’s normal to pray for wealth and well-being. But still, requests for the salvation of the soul should be a priority. Moreover, it is quite possible to achieve earthly blessings on your own, and ask the Lord to help you in difficult endeavors. Also, do not forget to pray for your loved ones, asking for their health and happiness.

Reading prayers is a very personal matter. Sometimes it is very difficult to accustom children to it. If the child resists this, then show him an example. Don't force him to pray, but let him see how you do it. As a result, he himself will begin to repeat after you.

You need to read prayers not in a hurry, not out of habit, but with an appeal to God, as if each time feeling relief and some cleansing in the soul. Therefore, if there is an atheist in your family, do not force it. Respect each other and remember that even a child has a choice to believe in God or not. Judgment is not acceptable here.

You will always understand and recognize that your prayers help you, because your guardian angel always helps you. With our free test, you can even find out how he does it. Attend church more often and don't forget to press the buttons and

20.10.2016 06:52

On Orthodox Epiphany Eve, Christians traditionally fast and do not eat until the first star, offering...

A person cannot see God with his own eyes, but a believer has the opportunity to communicate with him spiritually through prayer. Prayer passed through the soul is a powerful force that connects the Almighty and man. In prayer, we thank and glorify God, ask for blessings on good deeds and turn to him with requests for help, life guidelines, salvation and support in grief. We pray to him for our health and well-being, and ask him for all the best for our family and friends. A spiritual conversation with God can take place in any form. The Church does not forbid turning to the Almighty in simple words coming from the soul. But still, the prayers that are written by the saints carry a special energy that has been prayed over for centuries.

The Orthodox Church teaches us that prayers can be addressed to the Most Holy Theotokos, and to the holy apostles, and to the saint whose name we bear, and to other saints, asking them for prayerful intercession before God. Among the many well-known prayers, there are those that have stood the test of time, and to which believers turn for help when they need simple human happiness. Prayers asking for everything good, for good luck and for happiness for every day are collected in the Prayer Book for Well-Being.

Prayer to the Lord for all good things

This prayer is read when they need general well-being, happiness, health, success in daily affairs and endeavors. She teaches to appreciate what is given by the Almighty, to rely on the will of God and to believe in his power. They turn to the Lord God before going to bed. They read a prayer in front of holy images and lit church candles.

“Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ. Take away everything sinful from me, and add a little of everything good. Give a piece of bread along the path, and help save your soul. I don’t need much satisfaction, I wish I could live to see better times. Faith will be my holy reward, and I know that I will not be executed. Let everything not be fine, I really need your help. And may my soul soon receive what I truly lack. And let your will be done. Amen!"

Orthodox prayer for well-being

Prayer is intended to help in difficult periods of life, when failures gather in a black streak and trouble after trouble comes. They read it in the morning, in the evening, and in difficult moments for the soul.

“Lord, have mercy on me, Son of God: my soul is angry with evil. Lord, help me. Give to me, that I may be satisfied, like a dog, from the grains that fall from the table of Your servants. Amen.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of God, Son of David according to the flesh, as You had mercy on the Canaanites: my soul is angry with anger, rage, evil lust and other destructive passions. God! Help me, I cry to You, who does not walk on earth, but who dwells at the right hand of the Father in heaven. Hey, Lord! Grant me my heart, with faith and love, to follow Your humility, kindness, meekness and long-suffering, so that in Your eternal Kingdom I will be worthy to partake of the table of Your servants, whom You have chosen. Amen!"

Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker for well-being on the journey

Travelers setting off on a long journey ask St. Nicholas for a safe journey. In order not to get lost and not get lost on a trip, to meet good people along the way and to get help in case of problems, before the road they read a prayer:

“Oh Saint Nicholas of Christ! Hear us, sinful servants of God (names), praying to you, and pray for us, unworthy, our Creator and Master, make our God merciful to us in this life and in the future, so that he does not reward us according to our deeds, but according to his own He will reward us with goodness. Deliver us, saints of Christ, from the evils that come upon us, and tame the waves, passions and troubles that rise against us, so that for the sake of your holy prayers the attack will not overwhelm us and we will not wallow in the abyss of sin and in the mud of our passions. Pray to Saint Nicholas, Christ our God, that he may grant us a peaceful life and remission of sins, and salvation and great mercy for our souls, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen!"

If there is a dangerous road ahead, a risk to health and life, read the troparion to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker:

“The rule of faith and the image of meekness, self-control, the teacher, show you to your flock, even the truth of things; For this reason, you have gained high humility, rich in poverty, Father Hierarch Nicholas, pray to Christ God that our souls will be saved.”

A short prayer to Archangel Michael for every day

Prayers to Archangel Michael are considered protective. Prayer “amulets” are used to make everyday life easier, prevent misfortune and illness, and protect against robberies and attacks. You can turn to the saint before performing any important task.

“Holy Archangel of God Michael, drive away from me with your lightning sword the evil spirit that tempts me. O great Archangel of God Michael, conqueror of demons! Defeat and crush all my enemies, visible and invisible, and pray to the Lord Almighty, may the Lord save and preserve me from sorrows and from all illnesses, from deadly plagues and vain deaths, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen!"

A strong prayer of repentance to the saints for help in all matters

Prayer requires simple preparation and spiritual cleansing. The words of the prayer must be learned by heart, and before the prayer itself, you must exclude dairy and meat products from your diet for three days. They read a prayer on the fourth day before going to church. It is forbidden to talk to anyone on the way to the temple. Before entering the church, they cross themselves and read the prayer a second time. In the church, seven candles are placed next to the icons of saints and a prayer is read. The last time the holy words of prayer are said at home:

“Saints of God, my heavenly patrons! I pray to you for protection and help. For me, a sinner, servant of God (name), pray to our God Jesus Christ. Beg for forgiveness of sins for me and beg for a blessed life and a happy share. And through your prayers, may my aspirations come true. May he teach me humility, may he bestow love and deliver me from sorrows, illnesses and earthly temptations. May I walk the earthly path with dignity, successfully dealing with earthly affairs and becoming worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen!"

The fast is also maintained on the fourth day, otherwise the prayer will not have sufficient power.

Every person at certain points in his life turns to God for help or advice. Therefore, it is necessary for everyone to know how to pray correctly at home so that God hears your words. Today, perhaps, the overwhelming majority of people are unsure that they are praying correctly, but sometimes you really want to hear the answer to the question posed.

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How to pray correctly at home so that God hears?

Behind every turn of fate Insurmountable difficulties or dangers may await us:

• terrible diseases;
• a lack of money;
• uncertainty about the future;
• fear for loved ones and relatives.

Few people manage to avoid such turns. All that remains for us is to pray to God, tell him about our troubles and ask for help. If you want to hear an answer and feel a helping hand, then it is necessary that the request be sincere and come from the depths of your heart.

Unfortunately, in modern times, prayer is resorted to only in the most extreme circumstances, in desperate need of support, protection or help. But it is worth remembering that prayer is not just a collection of interconnected words, and a conversation with God, so the monologue must come from the soul. Prayer is the only way to communicate with the Creator, which is why every person should know how to pray correctly.

In order to be heard, it is not at all necessary to conquer mountain peaks, travel to holy places or walk through caves; it is enough to believe strongly and sincerely. If God sees everything, then why do we need to go somewhere to turn to him?

But how to read prayers correctly in order to be heard? What can you ask from the Creator? You can make requests to the Almighty for anything. Exceptions are requests that entail grief, sadness and tears of other people.

Divine Prayer Book Today it contains an incredible variety of prayers that cover various life situations of a believer. These are the prayers:

As we said earlier, these prayers simply have no number. There are no number of words with which one can turn to our Savior, praying for help. Just remember that the Lord is lenient towards you, understand the seriousness of your appeal, assessing your unworthiness.

Even if you do not know the words of the prayer, but you approach the prayer with all sincerity and seriousness, then The Lord will not leave you and will definitely guide you on the right path.

I would also like to add that turning to the Almighty is not a panacea for all diseases and is not one of the magical rituals. Therefore, treat the request accordingly. Remember that God himself knows who is worthy of what in this life. You shouldn’t ask him to harm or punish someone, it’s sinful! Never ask him to commit injustice.

When exactly can you say prayers?

Modern man does not have the opportunity to read prayers all day, so you should set aside a certain time for this. Waking up in the morning, even the busiest person in life can stand in front of the icons for a few minutes and ask God for blessings for the coming day. Throughout the day, a person can silently repeat prayers to his Guardian Angel, Lord or Mother of God. You can address them silently so that people around you don’t notice.

It is worth noting that a special time is before bed. It is at this hour that you can reflect on how spiritual this day was, how you sinned. Turning to the Lord before bedtime calms you down, allows you to forget the bustle of the past day, tuning into a calm and quiet sleep. Don’t forget to thank the Lord for everything that happened to you during the day and that he lived it with you.

There are different ways to ask the Lord for help, no matter where you are - at home or in the temple. The icon will always have a positive effect.

How to ask for help in front of an icon? Which image is better to give preference to? If you have no idea how to read the prayer correctly and in front of which icon, then it is best to pray in front of the images of the Most Holy Theotokos and Jesus Christ. These prayers can be called “universal” because they help in any task or request.

The main components of home prayer books are the beginning and the end. It is necessary to contact the Saints and ask for help correctly by following these simple tips:

Prayer will be heard by the Lord if you follow the following rules:

What is the difference between church and home prayer?

An Orthodox Christian is called to pray constantly, doing it anywhere. Today, many people have a very reasonable question: why go to church to pray? There are certain differences between home and church prayer. Let's look at them.

The Church was founded by our Jesus Christ, therefore, thousands of years ago, Orthodox Christians gathered in communities to glorify the Lord. Church prayer has incredible power and there are many confirmations from believers about grace-filled help after a church service.

Church fellowship involves and mandatory participation in religious services. How to pray so that the Lord will hear? First of all, you need to visit the church and understand the essence of the service. At the very beginning, everything will seem incredibly difficult, almost incomprehensible, but after a while everything will become clearer in your heads. It is also worth noting that to help every beginning Christian, special literature is published that clarifies everything that happens in the church. You can buy them at any icon shop.

Prayer by agreement - what is it?

In addition to home and church prayers, in the practice of the Orthodox Church There is. Their essence lies in the fact that at the same time people read the same appeal to the Lord or Saint. However, it is worth noting that these people do not necessarily have to be nearby, they can be in different parts of the world, it does not matter.

In most cases, such acts are committed with the goal of helping loved ones in extremely difficult life situations. For example, when a person has a serious illness, his relatives gather and pray to the Lord to heal the sufferer. The power of this appeal is very great, because, in the words of God himself, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.”

But you should not consider this appeal as some kind of ritual that will fulfill all your desires. We have already said earlier that The Lord knows all our needs Therefore, when turning to Him for help, we must do so, trusting in His holy will. Sometimes it happens that prayers do not bring the desired fruit, but this does not mean that you are not heard, the reason is very simple - you are asking for something that will become extremely unhelpful for the state of your soul.

Summarizing all of the above, I would like to note that the main thing is not just to pray, but to be a truly sincere and believing person with pure thoughts and heart. We strongly recommend that you pray every day so that you are more likely to be heard by God. If you decide to start a righteous life, then you first need to cleanse yourself of all sins by taking communion and confessing. Before starting prayers, it is recommended to spend exactly nine days not only spiritually, but also physically, giving up meat.