Drainage

Is it possible to shorten the morning and evening prayer rules? Morning and evening prayer rules. Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity

After the past day, many people accumulate negativity in their souls, which disturbs their peace of mind. In order to get rid of it, calm down and fully relax at night, believers read special prayers before going to bed. The prayer book offers several different prayers for the future to sleep, but each person can choose those other prayer appeals in accordance with the current situation in his life. The main thing to remember is that evening prayers have miraculous powers.

Evening rule for bedtime prayer

The Evening Rule offers a series of prayers that allow the believer to ask:

About the salvation of soul and body.
Protection from external influences.
Forgiveness of your known and unknown sins.
Granting a restful sleep.
Getting rid of enemies and enemies.
Protection from devilish temptations.
Accompanying the Guardian Angel.
Maintaining a chaste life and obedience.
Deliverance from eternal torment.
Patience and wisdom.

How to prepare for the Orthodox prayer for bedtime

No special preparation is required for evening prayers. But at the same time, it is very important to discard all extraneous thoughts in order for communication with Higher powers to be effective. This will take some time to learn. Icons and church candles will help with this. Therefore, if you are just learning to offer prayers for the future, then you should definitely organize a red corner in your own bedroom.

The following must be taken into account:

The images should be on the opposite side of the door.
Icons can be displayed on the wall, or they can simply be placed on the table.
There should not be any souvenir paintings or household appliances next to the icons.
Church candles or a lamp should be placed on a small table next to the icons. These attributes are lit during prayer.

If everyone in your family is believers, then it is necessary to provide a place for prayer in such a way that all household members can comfortably sit in front of the icons.

How to read bedtime prayers for the future

Prayers for the future should be read immediately before going to bed. After this, you can no longer do any household chores. It should be remembered that reading prayers requires silence. Nothing and no one should distract from communication with Higher powers. A believer must fully concentrate on his inner feelings. This is why you need to remove or turn off all communication devices.

It is very important to sit in silence for a while and calm down before saying prayer words. You need to remove anger from your soul and tune in to the positive. Evening prayers, read with sincere faith, allow you to get rid of internal fears and prevent trouble.

It is forbidden to read evening prayers in anticipation of euphoria or some special feelings. It is not necessary to follow exactly the texts proposed in the prayer book, but it is not recommended to show wild imagination. It is very important to pronounce prayer texts sincerely and with deep feeling. It is necessary to fully understand their meaning.

All the prayers that need to be read at night are collected in the prayer book. Due to the workload of modern people, you can choose short prayers that have great power and are in no way inferior in effectiveness to long prayer texts.

If you have problems sleeping, you should ask for restful sleep with the following prayer:

“Eternal God and Heavenly King, creator of all life on earth. You are Almighty and All-Merciful. I turn to you at the evening hour, hear my prayer and grant me peace of mind. Forgive me all my sins, committed not out of malice or out of desire to harm anyone, but out of ignorance and inexperience. I sincerely repent of my misdeeds and hope for your forgiveness. Cleanse, Lord, my humble soul and do not allow me to experience eternal torment. Give me the opportunity to go to sleep in peace and tranquility, so that the next day I can accomplish my deeds for the glory of the Lord with new strength. Only your kingdom has power and glory. Deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts and deeds. Amen".

Prayers Optina Pustyn

The elders of Optina Pustyn offer bedtime prayers to those to come. It is believed that these prayers, first of all, need to be listened to. Therefore, you need to turn on the audio recording and repeat the prayer words after the monks. If you pray in this way every evening, you can gain confidence in your own goals. This will allow you to successfully move towards your goals, overcoming all obstacles. By saying prayers you can reliably protect yourself from temptations and choose the right path in life. The prayers of the elders of Optina Pustyn are a real example of insight and wisdom for every believer.

But if it is not possible to repeat prayers via audio, then you can independently pronounce this short prayer text in Russian:

“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Have mercy on us, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, Your Mother. Have mercy on us for the sake of all your holy and holy servants. Amen. We praise you, Almighty, Comforter and Guardian of Truth. You are everywhere and you bestow your good treasures on all those who pray to you. Save our souls from all kinds of defilement and dwell in us, filling our souls with joy. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”

The prayer book contains a brief evening prayer rule. But it is not required reading. Each person can choose which prayers are more important for him to read on a particular day, and the Church allows this approach.

Before going to bed, you should definitely thank the Lord for your day. Moreover, this must be done regardless of how successful the day was. You also need to freely ask for blessings for the coming day.

Always further communication with God must begin with the words:

“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

After this, an appeal to Jesus Christ is pronounced, which is used by the Optina monks; it is translated into Russian above. Next, the prayer to the “Holy Trinity” is read.

In short, it sounds like this:

“Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; cleanse our sins, Lord; Lord of Heaven, forgive sins; O Almighty and All-merciful, visit us and heal us from various infirmities, for the sake of Your Holy Name.”

Then a prayer is said, which has enormous power and is known to everyone - “Our Father.” It is here that you can finish your evening reading of prayers and go to rest. But if an internal need arises, then you can continue prayerful communication with the Higher powers. Thus, mothers can turn to the Most Holy Theotokos in prayer for the well-being of their children. For a small child, you can ask for a restful sleep. You can also turn to other saints with requests that are especially important to you in this period of life. A prayer to your own Guardian Angel is considered very useful.

If you are just starting to read bedtime prayers for the future or are teaching your child to them, then you need to do this gradually. You cannot overexert your consciousness. It is important to ensure that the prayer texts become a part of your soul and do not cause tension.

Listen to the audio prayer for the night:

Video online prayers for bedtime

One must resort to prayers not only at the moment of grief or misfortune, but every day, thanking the Almighty for every day lived. Find out what prayer you need to read before going to bed so that your life improves and your state of mind returns to normal.

Prayer for the coming sleep

Every person desires something and keeps secret dreams in his heart. You can ask the Lord for support and protection before going to bed. Most importantly, remember that you cannot use a sacred text only to achieve a goal; you need to pronounce his words with all your soul, and only a truly believing person will achieve what he wants in this way. After reading the prayer once, you are unlikely to change anything. Turning to God should happen regularly, and when praying, first of all, thank you for the day you have lived:

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, 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 ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Before reading these words, you can make a secret request in simple language, or tell the Lord a spiritual secret. If you are haunted by a crime you have committed, or often have bad and evil thoughts, tell God about it before you fall asleep, and you will feel better.

Also, the prayer for the coming sleep can be the text “Our Father” - the main Christian prayer, which is resorted to in all cases of life. This is the first prayer that Jesus Christ taught his disciples.

Even when life is going well, you must not forget about religion, because any of your victories are initially predetermined in Heaven. Before going to bed, regularly turn to God, and the next day will turn out as well as possible. We wish you good luck, and don't forget to press the buttons and

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For Orthodox Christians, the logical end of the day is the evening prayer rule.

In the evening, a person can calmly, without rushing, be alone with the Lord, talk it out before going to bed at night.

Brief prayer rule

Believers also live and work in the modern fast pace of life, and sometimes it is not possible to read a full set of prayers. In this case, a short prayer rule is allowed.

It is also called the Seraphim Rule - the holy elder Seraphim of Sarov commanded every Christian to pray this way morning and evening.

Lord's Prayer. Our Father (read three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity)

Our Father, who art in heaven!

Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors;

and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Hymn to the Theotokos “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” (also read three times)

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Creed (read once)

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, by whom all things were; For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human; Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And again the one who is to come will judge with glory the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, we are worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.

At the end, just before going to bed, you need to make the sign of the cross and say:

Evening prayers for beginners

For people who have just come to God, Orthodox beginners, there are evening prayers for beginners.

Evening and morning prayers are included in every Orthodox prayer book, which can be purchased in the candle shop of any temple.

Evening prayers for new Christians, before bed

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

Beginning prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee!

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, Who exists everywhere and fills the whole world, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

(Bow)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

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

Lord's Prayer

Our Father who art in Heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done both in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us! Finding no justification for ourselves, we, sinners, offer this prayer to You as to the Lord: “Have mercy on us!”

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God! Have mercy on us, we trust in You. Do not be very angry with us and do not remember our iniquities: but turn Your gaze on us even now, since You are merciful. And deliver us from our enemies: after all, You are our God and we are Your people, we are all the creations of Your hands and we call on Your name.

And now and always and forever and ever. Amen. Open to us, blessed Mother of God, the doors to mercy God's So that we, who trust in You, do not perish, but through You we get rid of troubles: after all, You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great to God the Father

Eternal God and King of all creation, who has made me worthy to live until this hour, forgive me the sins that I committed on this day in deed, word and thought; and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all carnal and spiritual impurity. And grant me, Lord, to spend this night in peace, so that, rising from sleep, all the days of my life I will do what is pleasing to Your most holy name and defeat the enemies who attack me - carnal and incorporeal. And deliver me, Lord, from the vain thoughts and vicious desires that defile me. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Almighty, Word of the Father, Jesus Christ! Being yourself perfect, according to Your great mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always remain in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not betray me action serpent and do not leave me to the will of Satan, for there is in me the seed of destruction.

You, Lord God, whom everyone worships, the Holy King, Jesus Christ, protect me during sleep with unfading Light, Your Holy Spirit, with which You sanctified Your disciples. Grant, O Lord, to me, Thy unworthy servant, Thy salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of understanding of Thy Holy Gospel, my soul with love for Thy Cross, my heart with the purity of Thy word, my body with Thy suffering, alien to passion, my thought Maintain your humility.

And raise me up at the proper time to glorify You. For You are supremely glorified together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer 3, Rev. Ephraim the Syrian to the Holy Spirit

Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and release me, unworthy, and forgive everything. sins by which I have sinned before You today as a man and, moreover, not as a man, but even worse than cattle. sorry my voluntary and involuntary sins, known and unknown: done due to immaturity and evil skill, hot temper and carelessness.

If I have sworn by Your name, or blasphemed Him in my thoughts; or whom he reproached; or slandered someone in my anger, or saddened someone, or about what I was angry; either he lied, or slept untimely, or a beggar came to me, and I rejected him; or saddened my brother, or stirred up quarrels, or condemned someone; or became arrogant, or became proud, or became angry; or When stood in prayer, with his mind strove for evil worldly thoughts, or had insidious thoughts; either he overate himself, or got drunk, or laughed madly; or thought evil; or, seeing imaginary beauty, bowed your heart to what is outside of You; or said something obscene; or laughed above the sin of my brother, while my sins are without number; or did not care about prayer, or did something else evil that I did not remember: I did all this and even more than that.

Have mercy on me, my Creator and Master, Thy careless and unworthy servant, and leave me and let me go my sins, and forgive me, for You Good and Humane. So that I may lie down in peace, sleep and calm down, prodigal, sinful and unhappy, and so that I may bow and sing and glorify Your venerable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 4

Lord our God, everything in which I have sinned this day in word, deed and thought, You, as the Merciful and Humane One, forgive me. Give me a peaceful and restful sleep. Send me Your Guardian Angel, who would cover and protect me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send up glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 5, St. John Chrysostom (24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)

Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings. 2. Lord, deliver me from eternal torment. 3. Lord, whether I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. 4. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice, and petrified insensibility. 5. Lord, deliver me from every temptation. 6. Lord, enlighten my heart, which is darkened by evil desires. 7. Lord, as a man I have sinned, but You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. 8. Lord, send Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy name. 9. Lord Jesus Christ, write me, Your servant, in the Book of Life and grant me a good end. 10. Lord, my God, although I have not done anything good before You, grant me, by Your grace, to begin good deeds. 11. Lord, sprinkle the dew of Your grace on my heart. 12. Lord of Heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, foul and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
Lord, accept me in repentance. 2. Lord, don't leave me. 3. Lord, protect me from every misfortune. 4. Lord, give me a good thought. 5. Lord, give me tears, and the memory of death, and heartfelt contrition about sins. 6. Lord, give me the thought to confess my sins. 7. Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience. 8. Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness. 9. Lord, plant in me the root of goodness - the fear of You in my heart. 10. Lord, deign me to love You with all my soul and thoughts and to fulfill Your will in everything. 11. Lord, protect me from evil people, and demons, and passions, and from every inappropriate deed. 12. Lord, You know what you do and what You desire - Your will be done even on me, a sinner, for You are blessed forever. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Merciful King, merciful Mother, most pure and blessed Mother of God Mary! Pour the mercy of Your Son and our God onto my passionate soul, and guide me with Your prayers to good deeds, so that I can live the rest of my life without sin and with Your help, the Virgin Mary, the only pure and blessed one, enter heaven.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Kontakion to the Mother of God

Having freed ourselves from troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a victorious and grateful song to You, the Supreme Military Leader. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry to You: Rejoice, Bride, not involved in marriage!

Glorious Eternal Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son and our God, may He save by prayers Our souls are yours.

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

Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, so that I do not fall asleep in the sleep of death, so that my enemy does not say: I have defeated him.

Be the Protector of my soul, O God, for I walk among many snares. Deliver me from them and save me, O God, for You are a Lover of Mankind.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

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

End of prayers

It is truly worthy to glorify You as the Mother of God, always Blessed and Immaculate, and the Mother of our God. We magnify You as the true Mother of God, who painlessly gave birth to God the Word, worthy of greater honor than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim.

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

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

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.

Prayers said in private, separate from the evening rule

Prayer 1

Relax, let go, forgive, God, our voluntary and involuntary sins, committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, day and night, in mind and in thought - forgive us everything, as the Merciful and Humane One. Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind! To those who do good, do good. To our brothers and relatives, graciously fulfill their requests in what leads to salvation, and grant eternal life.

Visit the weak and give them healing. Help those at sea. Companion to travelers. Help Orthodox Christians in their struggle. Grant remission of sins to those who serve us and those who take pity on us. Have mercy on those who have entrusted us, the unworthy, to pray for them, according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before and rest them where the light of Your Face shines. Remember, Lord, our brothers who are in captivity, and deliver them from all misfortune.

Remember, Lord, those who bear the fruits of their labors and adorn Your holy churches. Give them according to their requests That which leads to salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, your humble, sinful and unworthy servants, and enlighten our minds, so that We know You, and guide us on the path following Your commandments, the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Ever-Virgin Mary, and all Your saints, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Everyday confession of sins, pronounced in private

I confess to You, my Lord God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins that I have committed in all the days of my life, and at every hour, and at the present time, by deed, in word, thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and all my feelings, mental and physical, with which I have angered You, my God and Creator, and offended my neighbor.

Sinned: ( further listing of individual sins ). Regretting them, I stand before You guilty and want to repent. Only, Lord my God, help me, I humbly pray to You with tears. By Your mercy, forgive the sins I have committed and free me from them, for You are Good and Lover of Mankind.

When you go to bed, mark yourself with a cross and say the prayer to the Honest Cross:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may all who hate Him flee from His Face. As the smoke disappears, so let them disappear. Just as wax melts from the fire, so let the demons perish at the sight of those who love God, and make the sign of the cross and joyfully say: “Rejoice, much-honored and life-giving Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you, who descended into hell and who destroyed the power of the devil and gave us you, His venerable Cross, to drive away every enemy.” O venerable and life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your venerable and life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

When you go to bed and fall asleep, say:

Into Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit. Bless me, have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Prayer before going to bed to the Guardian Angel

The Guardian Angel, introduced to a Christian after Holy Baptism, hourly protects his ward. Whenever there is a need, Orthodox Christians turn to their Guardian Angel, asking him for help and protection.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body! Forgive me everything that I have sinned today, and deliver me from every insidious plan of the enemy coming against me, so that I do not anger my God with any sin. But pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, to present me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Bedtime prayer for a child

Very often, faith comes to people after the birth of a child. Any mother is ready to do anything to protect her child. Before going to bed, for a good sleep, as at any time of the day, you can turn to the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and the saint whose name the child bears.

Prayer for children, to the Lord Jesus Christ

Sweetest Jesus, God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours according to your soul; You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless blood. For the sake of Your Divine blood, I beg You, my sweetest Savior: with Your grace touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, and from bad inclinations and habits, guide them on the bright path of truth and goodness, decorate them their life to all good and saving, arrange their fate as you yourself want, and save their souls, even according to destinies.

Prayer for children to the Most Holy Theotokos

O Most Holy Lady Virgin Theotokos, save and preserve under Your roof my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, beseech my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Cover of Your servants.

Prayer for children to the Guardian Angel

Holy Guardian Angel of my child (name), cover him with your cover from the arrows of the demon, from the eyes of the seducer, and keep his heart in angelic purity. Amen.

Interpretation of evening prayers

For the laity, there are various evening prayers and interpretations of texts, the meaning of which can be explained by a priest or independent study of the topic. Beginners on the path of prayer can listen to the chants of the elders of Optina Pustyn before going to bed.

The Optina elders healed the suffering, served people, predicted the future and prayed for all sinners. It is useful for everyone to plunge into the life of the Optina monks to study their holy deeds and night vigils.

Conclusion

For true Christians, the question of whether to pray or not is not worth it. For people who just want to come to God and a righteous life, the roads to the temple are open, and it doesn’t matter when a person made this decision, it’s never too late.

Having come to church, a person must grow in faith and knowledge, study the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, regularly attend divine services, then prayer will become an integral part of the life of a Christian.

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

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

From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the troparion is read:

Christ is risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs . (Thrice)

From Ascension to Trinity, we begin prayers with “Holy God...”, omitting all the preceding ones.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

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

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.

And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus, to our Lord Jesus Christ

To the Almighty, the Word of the Father, who is perfect himself, Jesus Christ, for the sake of Thy mercy, never leave me, Thy servant, but always rest in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not betray me to the sedition of the serpent, and do not leave me to the desires of Satan, for the seed of aphids is in me. Thou, O Lord God worshiped, the Holy King, Jesus Christ, preserve me as I sleep with an unflickering light, by Thy Holy Spirit, with whom Thou hast sanctified Thy disciples. Grant, O Lord, to me, Thy unworthy servant, Thy salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of reason of Thy Holy Gospel, my soul with the love of Thy Cross, my heart with the purity of Thy word, my body with Thy passionless passion, preserve my thought with Thy humility, and uplift I am in time like Your praise. For Thou art glorified with Thy Beginningless Father and with the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer 3, to the Holy Spirit

Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and forgive me the unworthy, and forgive me all that I have sinned today like a man, and moreover, not like a man, but also worse than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, driven and unknown: those who are evil from youth and science, and those who are evil from impudence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I will reproach; or slandered someone with my anger, or saddened someone, or became angry about something; either he lied, or he slept in vain, or he came to me as a beggar and despised him; or made my brother sad, or married, or whom I condemned; or became proud, or became proud, or became angry; or standing in prayer, my mind is moved by the wickedness of this world, or I think about corruption; either overeated, or drunk, or laughing madly; either I thought evil, or saw someone else’s kindness, and my heart was wounded by it; or dissimilar verbs, or laughed at my brother’s sin, but mine are countless sins; Either I didn’t pray for the sake of it, or I didn’t remember what other evil things I did, because I did more and more of these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator Master, Thy sad and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind, so that I may lie down in peace, sleep and rest, the prodigal, sinful and damned one, and I will bow and sing , and I will glorify Your most honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and ever and forever. Amen.

Prayer 4, Saint Macarius the Great

What will I bring to You, or what will I reward to You, O most gifted Immortal King, generous and philanthropic Lord, since you were lazy in pleasing me, and did nothing good, you brought the conversion and salvation of my soul to the end of this day? Be merciful to me, a sinner and naked of every good deed, raise up my fallen soul, defiled in immeasurable sins, and take away from me all the evil thoughts of this visible life. Forgive my sins, O One Sinless One, even those who have sinned this day, in knowledge and ignorance, in word, and deed, and thought, and with all my feelings. You Yourself, covering me, save me from every opposing situation with Your Divine power, and ineffable love for mankind, and strength. Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Deign, Lord, to deliver me from the snare of the evil one, and save my passionate soul, and overshadow me with the light of Your face, when You come in glory, and now make me sleep without condemnation, and keep the thoughts of Your servant without dreaming, and untroubled, and all the work of Satan take me away from me, and enlighten the intelligent eyes of my heart, so that I may not sleep into death. And send me an Angel of peace, guardian and mentor of my soul and body, that he may deliver me from my enemies; Yes, rising from my bed, I will bring you prayers of gratitude. Yes, Lord, hear me, your sinful and wretched servant, with your will and conscience; grant that I have risen to learn from Thy words, and the despondency of demons is driven away from me, to be made by Thy Angels; may I bless Your holy name, and glorify, and glorify the Most Pure Mother of God Mary, Who hast given us sinners intercession, and accept this one praying for us; We see that He imitates Your love for mankind, and never ceases to pray. By that intercession, and the sign of the Honest Cross, and for the sake of all Thy saints, keep my poor soul, Jesus Christ our God, for Thou art holy and glorified forever. Amen.

Prayer 5

Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep. Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 6

Lord our God, in the worthlessness of faith, and we call upon His name above every name, grant us, who are going to sleep, a weakening of soul and body, and keep us from all dreams and dark pleasures except; restrain the desire of passions, extinguish the kindling of bodily rebellion. Grant us to live chastely in deeds and words; Yes, a virtuous life is receptive, Your promised good things will not fall away, for Blessed are You forever. Amen.

Prayer 7, St. John Chrysostom

(24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)

Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings.

Lord, save me from eternal torment.

Lord, whether I have sinned in mind or in thought, in word or in deed, forgive me.

Lord, deliver me from all ignorance and oblivion, and cowardice, and petrified insensibility.

Lord, deliver me from every temptation.

Lord, enlighten my heart, darken my evil lust.

Lord, as a man who has sinned, You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul.

Lord, send Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy name.

Lord Jesus Christ, write me Your servant in the book of animals and grant me a good end.

Lord, my God, even if I have done nothing good before You, grant me, by Your grace, to make a good beginning.

Lord, sprinkle the dew of Your grace in my heart.

Lord of heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, cold and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.

Lord, accept me in repentance.

Lord, don't leave me.

Lord, do not lead me into misfortune.

Lord, give me a good thought.

Lord, give me tears and mortal memory, and tenderness.

Lord, give me the thought of confessing my sins.

Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience.

Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness.

Lord, plant in me the root of good things, Thy fear in my heart.

Lord, grant me to love You with all my soul and thoughts and to do Your will in everything.

Lord, protect me from certain people, and demons, and passions, and from all other inappropriate things.

Lord, weigh as You do, as You will, Thy will be done in me, a sinner, for Blessed are You forever. Amen.

Prayer 8, to our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honorable Mother, and Your disembodied Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, the God-speaking Apostles, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints through the prayers, deliver me from my present demonic situation. To her, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if he were converted and live, grant me conversion, the accursed and unworthy; take me away from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, is my consolation, Who for the sake of the accursed one has clothed himself in corruptible flesh, pluck me from accursedness, and grant consolation to my more accursed soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and forsake evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: for in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, save me.

Prayer 9, to the Most Holy Theotokos, Peter of Studium

To Thee, Most Pure Mother of God, I fall down and pray: Consider, O Queen, how I continually sin and anger Thy Son and my God, and many times when I repent, I find myself lying before God, and I repent in trembling: will the Lord strike me down, and hour by hour I do the same again? ; I pray to this leader, my Lady, Lady Theotokos, to have mercy, strengthen me, and grant me good works. Believe me, my Lady Theotokos, for the Imam is by no means in hatred of my evil deeds, and with all my thoughts I love the law of my God; But we do not know, Most Pure Lady, from where I hate, I love, but I transgress what is good. Do not allow, O Most Pure One, my will to be fulfilled, for it is not pleasing, but may the will of Thy Son and my God be done: may He save me, and enlighten me, and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that I may cease from here from filthiness, and so on may I live as commanded Your Son, to Him belongs all glory, honor and power, with His Originless Father, and His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Prayer 11, to the Holy Guardian Angel

To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that I may not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

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

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

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 you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

From Easter to Ascension, instead of this prayer, the chorus and irmos of the 9th song of the Easter canon are read:

The angel cried out with grace: Pure Virgin, rejoice! And again the river: rejoice! Your Son is risen three days from the grave and raised up the dead; people, have fun! Shine, shine, new Jerusalem, for the glory of the Lord is upon you. Rejoice now and be glad, O Zion. You, Pure One, show off, O Theotokos, about the rise of Your Nativity .

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

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

Prayer of Saint John of Damascus

Master, Lover of Mankind, will this coffin really be my bed, or will you still enlighten my damned soul during the day? For seven the grave lies ahead, for seven the death awaits. I fear Your judgment, O Lord, and endless torment, but I do not stop doing evil: I always anger You, the Lord my God, and Your Most Pure Mother, and all the Heavenly powers, and my holy Guardian Angel. We know, Lord, that I am unworthy of Your love for mankind, but I am worthy of all condemnation and torment. But, Lord, whether I want it or not, save me. Even if you save a righteous man, nothing great; and even if you have mercy on a pure person, nothing is marvelous: you are worthy of the essence of Your mercy. But surprise me, a sinner, with Thy mercy: for this show Thy love for mankind, so that my malice may not overcome Thy unspeakable goodness and mercy: and as you wish, arrange a thing for me.

Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, so that not when I fall asleep into death, and not when my enemy says: “Let us be strong against him.”

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Be the protector of my soul, O God, as I walk in the midst of many snares; deliver me from them and save me, O Blessed One, as a Lover of Mankind.

And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Let us ceaselessly sing with our hearts and lips the Glorious Mother of God and the Most Holy Angel, confessing this Mother of God as truly having given birth to God incarnate for us, and praying unceasingly for our souls.

Sign yourself with the sign of the cross.

Prayer to the Honest Cross

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish from the presence of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and who say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord, drive away the demons by force on you of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

Prayer

Weaken, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is good and Lover of Humanity.

Prayer

Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life. Visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Contribute to the Orthodox Christians. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. . Amen.

Everyday confession of sins

I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, both now and in days gone by. and nights, by deed, by word, by thought, by gluttony, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, neglect, pride, avarice, theft, unspeaking, foulness, money-grubbing, jealousy, envy, anger, memory malice , hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator I have angered You, and my neighbor for being untruthful: regretting these, I blame myself for You, my God I imagine, and I have the will to repent: then, Lord my God, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that are spoken before Thee, for Thou art Good and Lover of mankind.

When you go to bed, say:

In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Notes:

- Printed in italics (explanations and names of prayers) are not readable during prayer.

- When it is written “Glory”, “And now”, it must be read in full: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen"

- In the Church Slavonic language there is no sound ё, and therefore it is necessary to read “we are calling”, not “we are calling”, “yours”, not “yours”, “mine”, not “mine”, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Priest Andrey Chizhenko