How to pray correctly, cross yourself, church rules and basic prayers. How to pray and be baptized correctly

One elderly priest talked about how he once received important advice in his youth, which he successfully followed throughout his life. He turned to an experienced priest with a request for advice. The young man expected him to give him a short lecture on prayer and give him specific instructions on this matter. The priest answered in a few words, he said: “ Just talk to God" And the priest to whom this advice was given said that all his life, when he began to pray, he remembered this extremely simple advice, and all his life it helped him and inspired him to pray.

It’s good for us to always remember this extremely simple advice. If each of our prayers is a conversation with God, albeit not immediately full-fledged, but sincere, then, of course, we will be able to achieve great heights in the matter of prayer. We know examples of many saints who, having barely turned to God, went to deserted places and cried out to the Lord for the rest of their lives. In moments of joy they thanked and praised the Creator, in moments of despair they cried out for help. When fatigue set in, they asked for strength and diligence; when troubles happened, they begged for patience and humility; during demonic attacks they asked for protection. Thus, their entire life was spent in constant communication with the Lord, and they reached the heights of holiness.

However, the Tradition of the Church contains a lot of advice regarding prayer. Over the two thousand years of the existence of the Church, many saints have gone through a difficult and dangerous path of prayer. And we don't need to start from scratch. It would be much wiser to listen to the voice of the Church and follow the path of prayer not by touch, through trial and error, which can cost us mental health or even the death of our soul, but along the road trodden by a great many saints. This experience is probably especially important for us, people living in the world, burdened with many responsibilities and not having the opportunity to tirelessly cry out to God day and night. And why try to find a path in a deep, dangerous forest, when many of the best guides offer us their experience and knowledge to help us. We will try to give here the basic recommendations that will help us move forward successfully in the work of prayer.

In any case, the beginning is important. Just as a runner before the start takes a special pose and freezes in anticipation of the start of the race, so we must gather the strength of our souls before starting prayer. An incorrect start threatens the athlete with failure of the competition. Lack of proper attention to preparing for prayer implies a high probability that in a few minutes we will forget what we are doing, and while our eyes and lips pronounce the words of prayer, our thoughts will wander far from the essence of what is happening.

In the prayer book, before the start of morning prayers, the instruction is given: “ Rising from sleep, before doing anything else, stand reverently, placing yourself before the All-Seeing God, and, having made the sign of the cross, say: in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen. After this, slow down a little until all your feelings subside and your thoughts leave everything earthly: and then begin to pray».

So, the first thing you should do when starting a more or less lengthy prayer is to prepare for it. When starting any serious business, we prepare for it for some time: we think about a plan of action, collect everything necessary to complete it. Moreover, we must prepare ourselves for a conversation with God. We must force our mind to break away from everything that it is constantly busy with during prayer, and concentrate only on prayer. We must try to bring some order and calm into the chaos in which our thoughts and feelings often find themselves. In order to achieve silence and tranquility in our soul, without which it is impossible to meet God, we are invited to stand silently for a while and try to realize the fact that the Lord is always next to us and at the moment He is also addressed to us. Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh advises: stand quietly, close your eyes. Imagine, feel that the Lord is looking at you. Realize the greatness and solemnity of this moment. Think about your unworthiness. And finally, feel the great love with which the Lord addresses you. There's no need to rush. Let all these feelings gradually find a response in our heart, and then we can stand before God, experiencing simultaneously a feeling of reverence, awareness of our unworthiness, and the love of God. And then you can begin further prayer. You can stay in a state of silent presence before God for longer. This is already a full-fledged prayer, and therefore there is no need to be afraid of wasting time, taking it away from prayer. But if we feel that it is becoming difficult to hold attention longer, then we should move on to the main part of the prayer.

Now let's look at some rules that a person starting to pray should know. These rules were developed as a result of the experience of prayer of many, many saints. By following them, a person can avoid many of the difficulties and dangers that await him on this difficult path.

First of all, we should always remember that our prayer should be dispassionate. Or, to put it in other words: prayer should never be sensual or emotional. The Holy Fathers paid a lot of attention to the structure of human nature. They identified three components of our being: spirit, soul and body. In the Fall, these components lost their proper hierarchy, that hierarchy in which the spirit predominated and controlled our entire being; the body and soul (by which the holy fathers meant just feelings, emotions) found themselves in the power of sin and began to act uncontrollably in human nature. Now our task is to restore the correct condition and position of all the components of the human being, but until healing is achieved, we cannot trust our feelings, because instead of reflecting the movements of the spirit, they are often driven.

Therefore, we must beware of trusting our feelings and allowing them to take the lead in prayer. We have to try to pray with your mind, and the feelings will be activated of their own accord as they progress in prayer and are healed. For this purpose the Church offers ponder the words of the prayer with utmost attention, that is, pray only with your mind. Under no circumstances should you artificially warm up or cultivate any emotional states in yourself, even if these are such wonderful feelings as love for God, repentance for your sins, etc. Moreover, people with an emotionally developed mentality need to curb their emotions. Such a prayer may seem dry and too “heady,” but this will save it from the danger of being directed along the wrong path. If we focus on feelings, they will come to the fore in our prayer and obscure the spiritual aspect of prayer. The spirit, instead of dominating, will be pushed to the periphery.

At best, this will become an obstacle to correct prayer and improvement in it. Prayer will become something like auto-training: it will help a person relieve stress and restore a normal mental state. In this case, the same mechanisms of our body will be involved that help relieve nervous tension, for example, by watching a touching film or, conversely, a horror film. The accumulated stress finds a way out, and the person feels better. However, true prayer has nothing to do with this.

In the worst case, a person faces a serious danger of falling into a state of mental exaltation, or even completely losing mental health.

We encounter such incorrect and dangerous prayer, based on sensory tension, in various sects; this can often be encountered in Christian denominations that deny Tradition. Unfortunately, even in Orthodox churches you can find many worshipers who are on this wrong path. During prayer, such people raise their arms, sway, roll their eyes, tense their faces, nervously make the sign of the cross, and sing hysterically along with the clergy or the choir.

Holy ascetics strongly advise us to pray with our minds. At a certain stage of our spiritual growth, the mind, under the influence of grace, will unite with the feelings. Then the feelings will participate in prayer in its entirety. They will take their rightful place in human nature and will ascend to God under the supervision of the spirit. This will be a prayer with transformed feelings, and there will not be a shadow of that anguish and tension that is so characteristic of our passionate soul.

If feelings are born on their own, we, of course, should not drive them away completely. But we must carefully ensure that a state of emotional tension does not arise. To do this, you need to try, as already mentioned, to experience all feelings with your mind. This recommendation may not seem entirely clear to some. But there are also more specific instructions on how to avoid the danger of being at the mercy of sensual prayer. Here they are.

Firstly, the body should not be tense. It shouldn’t be relaxed, of course. You need to keep him calm and collected. AND prayer should not be reflected either in the body or on the face. That is, no wringing of hands or passionate pressing of hands to the chest, etc. is acceptable. The same applies to the state of the face: the muscles should not participate in prayer in any way, the face should be completely calm, and not tense.

Secondly, whether we pray out loud or silently, we must try to pronounce the words evenly and calmly, with minimal intonation. Let us recall the ancient Russian liturgical reading on one note and the slow, monotonous Znamenny singing. All this was supposed to help the person praying to enter the correct, spiritually sober structure of prayer.

And finally, it is important to ensure that no images arise in our minds during prayer. You cannot imagine God, saints, or anything at all. This can be especially difficult for people gifted in this area, for example, artists. However, the images that are born in our consciousness do not reliably reflect Divine reality, and most often distort it. In addition, they can cause an incorrect response in our feelings, which are very difficult to maintain in a state of relative dispassion.

Taking into account all of the above, we note that from the very beginning of prayer, when we imagine ourselves standing before the All-Seeing God, we should not give free rein to our feelings and let any images into our consciousness. The temptation to imagine God watching us must certainly be rejected. During such a presence, we realize that God is with us invisibly, and we will try to experience this reality more deeply. How can you focus on the fact that God is there if He doesn't show Himself in any way? It is not difficult. Spiritual intimacy is actually much more important for us than visible and physically tangible intimacy. Sometimes people live side by side for years, but remember each other’s existence only when some external events force them to do so. And, conversely, loving people always remember each other’s existence. A mother, when her child is seriously ill, constantly remembers his presence. She can prepare medicine for the child, turning away from him, talk to someone or even do things outside the room where her sick baby is, but no matter what a loving mother does, she constantly remembers the child, she is constantly aware of his presence in the house . Let us try in a similar way to remember the presence of God. Such the memory of God should be a permanent state for us. But first you need to achieve remembrance of God, at least during prayer.

Since the first stage of prayer life will be, first of all, an exercise for our mind, then a natural phenomenon will be fatigue of the mind from prayer. During attentive mental prayer, a slight pain in the head may even appear. The same thing happens when, out of habit, you have to engage in intellectual work for a long time, for example, reading a complex scientific book. But with proper persistence, the mind soon gets used to the load, and the pain and tension in the head disappear.

However, to the same extent that it is important not to feel sorry for yourself and to continue prayer exercises, it is necessary to approach this matter wisely. Holy teachers of prayer recommend starting with a short period of time. Let it be 15 - 20 minutes to begin with. If there is such an opportunity, then the most useful thing for correctly and as quickly as possible accustoming your mind to prayer will be pray little by little, but several times a day. This is an ideal prayer for a beginner. It must be said that most often we never move on to the next stage of prayer and remain beginners all our lives, but this practice of prayer is most useful for us. It forces us to return our thoughts to God throughout the day, and in this it anticipates the ideal state of unceasing prayer, when a person is in a state of constant attentive presence before God. Therefore, for those who consider this possible for themselves, it would be ideal, in addition to morning and evening prayer for 20 minutes, to allocate several more periods of time per day for 5-10 minutes. With the help of such short but frequent prayer, the mind most easily learns concentration and attention. These principles are fundamental in the work of our mind, therefore psychologists and teachers recommend that parents of children with particularly distracted attention engage with their children little by little, but often. Since such children, with all their desire, can concentrate their attention for a maximum of fifteen minutes, all the remaining time will be wasted on lessons. It’s good if our mind is trained to study something for a long time and carefully. If not, then, like an absent-minded child, the mind will only be able to follow the words of the prayer for the first ten to fifteen minutes, then it will get tired, and we will no longer be able to collect it. It turns out that the rest of the time is wasted. A mind that is not accustomed to concentration will have to gradually accustom itself to attention. So a mother forces her unlucky son to sit down for his homework again and again in order to accomplish what another could do in one sitting. And if a mother has the proper patience and perseverance in raising her son, then sooner or later she will achieve success. Her child will be able to quickly and efficiently complete his homework, and his free time, accustomed to working, will no longer want to spend his free time in idleness. Then the child, to the great joy of the mother, will enthusiastically do something intellectual in his free time, which he will now have plenty of. When we begin to pray, we most often discover that our mind behaves like a disobedient and lazy child. Therefore, let us be patient and, like a reasonable mother, we will give him small feasible tasks, returning him to prayer several times a day.

In prayer it is extremely important to be as judicious and practical as to be zealous. This rule is especially relevant for a worldly person. Vanity and a multitude of everyday duties are eager to extinguish the initial zeal of a Christian, to switch his attention from eternal objects to temporary and transitory ones. The countless entertainments that the world offers tempt you to give up prayer at the first difficulties and devote all your free time to them. It’s not the same with monks, whose whole structure of life helps them to take up the work of prayer again and again if it has been abandoned for some time. For a worldly person, if he fails, it is much more difficult not to give up prayer completely, so prudence is especially important for him in the matter of prayer.

Many trials await a person preparing to begin a life of prayer. Among the first is to overdo it in the heat of inspiration. A wise mother knows that she cannot give free rein to her desire to teach her child to study right away. By forcing him to study for too long, she will achieve nothing but aversion to studying. Thus, a bow string that is over-tight will not be able to send an arrow in the desired direction, but will break. The principle of a pendulum, well known in psychology, which, having swung in one direction, rolls back the same amount in the opposite direction, was successfully applied by Father Alexander Men to our spiritual life. In spiritual life, and in particular in the matter of prayer, the same thing happens. The Holy Fathers strictly warned: you cannot immediately plunge headlong into ascetic life. Moderation and gradualism are needed here. Otherwise, after a short period of complete dedication to spiritual exploits, a person finds himself faced with an almost irresistible temptation to give up everything and return to his former, irreligious life.

In order not to find ourselves, after some time, in the position of a pendulum swinging in the opposite direction, let us not undertake unbearable feats of prayer. The most correct decision that will help avoid excesses in one direction or another would be plan your prayer life in advance. To some, this may seem like a somewhat mundane solution, unworthy of such a spiritual subject as prayer. But the experience of the two-thousand-year prayer history of the Church shows that this is the most correct decision. In the life of prayer, less than in any other activity, one should wait for the desire to appear. It is just as important to maintain routine and regularity in prayer as we observe, for example, our diet. If we forgot or didn’t have time to eat once, that’s okay, but if we constantly eat when and how we have to, then it’s unlikely that such nutrition will bring the proper benefits to our body, maintaining it in the necessary tone.

This artist can paint one picture and then sit and wait for inspiration to appear again. In prayer life it is completely unacceptable sit and wait when a state of prayer comes and the soul itself asks to pray. How could we not find ourselves in the position of a writer, artist, poet, who has produced several, or even just one, work in his entire life.

In life, we can let minor things take their course, the implementation of which is not so necessary for us. But if you need to achieve a result, you will have to constantly work, regardless of whether you are in the mood at the moment or not. So, if the owner wants her apartment to be in order, she must constantly maintain it. If she cleans only when she wants, then only sometimes the apartment will be clean, but usually it will be dirty and disorderly. And in general, there will be little benefit to the apartment from such inspired cleaning.

So, so that our prayer does not remain fruitless, but brings order to the soul, let’s plan the day in advance and set aside a certain time for prayer. In Orthodox asceticism, a pre-established prayer routine is called prayer rule. Even great ascetics had and followed the rule of prayer. Because the rule organizes, does not allow you to relax and become lazy, on the one hand, on the other, in the words of St. Theophan the Recluse, allows you to “keep jealousy in its measure.”

In order not to be distracted and not to look at the clock all the time, it is convenient to set an alarm clock for a certain time. And in these moments, try to disconnect from everything extraneous and pronounce the words of prayer very carefully.

priest Konstantin Parkhomenko

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In moments of despair and everyday adversity, a person remembers God. Many people trusted in Jesus' help when they came to prayer in need. But does the Lord always hear us? My grandmother taught me how to pray correctly. She told why not all prayers reach heaven, and why many remain unanswered. I will share this knowledge with you, which will provide invaluable help in any situation.

None of us are immune from everyday storms and adversities, diseases and natural disasters. My grandmother always told me that we walk under God. Many people do not understand this and spend their lives in complete carelessness, not keeping God’s commandments. But then trouble comes, and the person does not know where to look for help. And help is always nearby, because Christ is the savior of everyone who believes in him.

Uncertainty about the future depresses the human heart. What if I lose my job, what if something bad happens to me - these thoughts can just make you fall into endless depression. But there is a way out, and it is God himself: sincere prayer with faith in the heart. Jesus will always listen, never judge, and support you in difficult times.

Many people have gained confidence in life through faith and prayer.

My grandmother told me since childhood that prayer is not a set of incomprehensible words in ancient Russian, but a conversation with God. It is not necessary to read ancient prayers if your heart asks for communication with the creator. God understands all our words, he sees our hearts and feels our thoughts. Sincerity and truth are the key to success in any prayer. Even if you are reading a difficult text from the Prayer Book, faith and love for God must still be present in your heart.

Prayer without faith will not be heard.

There are people who seek self-interest in prayers. They think like this: I will read prayers, and you (God) help me for this. They think that earthly blessings will fall on them just because they deigned to pick up the Prayer Book. But God does not need favors and will not reward selfish motives. You need to be honest and sincere, and not try to deceive the creator of life. You cannot beg honor, wealth and glory from God.

It is also impossible to please God by visiting holy places or temples popular with believers. Without faith in the heart, visiting shrines will not yield anything. A sincerely believing person will be heard by God even without holy places.

Prayer book

How to pray correctly at home? To do this, you need to buy a Prayer Book in the church store. It should become a reference book for a believer who wants to receive God's help and grace. When a person lights a church candle in front of the images and burns incense, he should be filled with reverence for God. When opening the Prayer Book, you need to get rid of vain thoughts and direct all your attention to God. Through the prayer word you come into contact with him and begin to have a conversation.

What prayers are contained in the Prayer Book? The book contains prayers that cover a wide range of life areas:

• help against enemies;
• protect from dangers and troubles;
• heal and protect against diseases;
• protect from evil and evil spirits.

With the help of the Prayer Book, a person will be completely protected from the vicissitudes of fate, protected from the machinations of the evil one and attacking enemies.

Is it possible to pray in your own words, and how to pray at home without a Prayer Book? If you do not have a Prayer Book, you can memorize the Lord’s Prayer and read it in your prayer address. You can turn on a recording of the prayer, where it is said by the priest 40 times in a row. But the best prayer is the prayer of the heart. It is precisely this that the Lord hears.

Faith and prayer open the heavens. Faith without prayer is useless, just like prayer without faith.

It is important to understand that the Prayer Book is not a collection of magical conspiracies for all occasions. Holding a Prayer Book in your hands does not mean receiving an answer to all requests. In the church they do not practice magic, but cleanse the soul of filth. Many illnesses come from unrepentant sins and unworthy behavior. Therefore, when you take the holy book in your hands, remember your sinful nature and do not demand that God obey you.

Time for Prayer

How to correctly read prayer at home, at what time? Previously, our ancestors began every morning with prayer, asking for God's blessing for the coming day. In modern times, people don’t even think about approaching the images and simply briefly asking for God’s blessing. They are always in a hurry and late, and in the morning they just want to lie in bed longer. But if you want to be protected from troubles for the whole day, take a few minutes to pray.

Where to start your prayer morning? First of all, you should cross yourself and say: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Then follow the obligatory prayers:

• Holy Spirit;
• Trinity;
• Our Father.

Should you read the entire set of morning prayers from the Prayer Book? The church fathers teach that it is better to read two prayers with attention. than the entire vault without due respect. There is no need to recite holy texts quickly, this is a waste of time.

Before and after prayer, you need to sign yourself with the sign of the cross and bow to the waist.

Prayer before bedtime is also obligatory, as it protects us from the temptations of the evil one. In a dream, a person is completely defenseless and cannot control his thoughts. The enemy of humanity takes advantage of this and sends obscene dreams or nightmares. A protective prayer before going to bed will save you from the attack of the evil one. However, before night prayer, you should analyze the past day:

• find sins and repent before God;
• note whether there were thoughts about spiritual things during the day;
• forgive ill-wishers from the heart;
• thank God for the day you have lived.

Gratitude to God for everything is an important prayer rule. We live and breathe because of the creator of life. How many people in this world are disadvantaged or disabled, so expressing gratitude for your well-being is an indispensable condition in the prayer rule. However, thanks to God, we should not forget about his commandment of love for one’s neighbor. If we are hostile to someone in our hearts, God simply will not hear us.

Enmity between people leaves prayer unanswered.

Jesus taught that you need to start praying after forgiving your neighbors for their sins against you. Just as you forgive others for their sins, so you will be forgiven. But if you are hostile to your neighbor in your heart and are indignant, then God will not hear you and your prayer appeals.

What can you ask for in prayer?

Jesus Christ told us to seek first of all the Kingdom of heaven and its righteousness. If we think about earthly things, we fall away from spiritual things. Vanity requests for insignificant earthly goods will not be taken into account. But if a person strives for the spiritual and seeks spiritual grace, then God will fulfill all his earthly needs.

Often people do not know how to pray so that God will hear and help. They seek earthly blessings, but do not think about heavenly things. People may ask for a car, luck in the lottery, or the love of a person. But God does not heed such requests. Likewise, God does not listen to sinners who have never attended confession. If a person has nothing to confess, it means he is an inveterate sinner.

After confession, your most cherished desires can come true.

You also cannot beg God for something that will cause grief and misfortune to other people. God will never answer such appeals because he does not break his laws. And we have one law: love one another.

What icons should you pray to at home? An Orthodox believer should have a home iconostasis, but not everyone has one. Therefore, for home prayer, you can purchase icons of the Savior and the Mother of God from the church. This will be enough for a start. If you have a patron saint, you need to purchase his icon. Icons should be placed in a clean, bright place in the room.

Prayer by agreement

What kind of prayer is this, and what is it for? Is this prayer in church? Reciting prayers by agreement involves an agreement among several people to recite certain prayers at certain times. For example, believers agree to pray for the healing of someone or for success in an endeavor. They don't have to gather in the same room, and they can even live in different cities - it doesn't matter. It is important to determine the purpose of the prayer and say it at the same time.

Here is the text of the prayer of agreement of St. John of Kronstadt:

According to his testimony, this prayer performed miracles. People received healing from illnesses, strengthened their spirit in difficult conditions, and regained their lost faith.

Remember that prayer is not a ritual action, and do not expect instant fulfillment of what you want.

However, to conduct prayer according to agreement, you need to receive the blessing of the priest. Don't forget this rule.

So, when starting to pray, it is important to remember the following:

• put on a cross and a scarf (for women);
• before starting prayer, you need to forgive all the sins of your neighbors against you;
• you need to start reading the prayer in a calm mood, without fuss and haste;
• one must firmly believe that God hears the prayer of the believer;
• before reading the prayer, you should make the sign of the cross three times and bow to the waist;
• the prayer must be said in front of the images;
• do not ask for fame and wealth, God will not hear it;
• After reading the prayers, you must give thanks and praise to God and sign yourself with the cross.

If you have holy water, you need to take a few sips to sanctify your insides.

How many times do you need to say a prayer request to get an answer? Sometimes it takes a long time, and sometimes the answer comes instantly. Everything depends on the will of God and your efforts.

If your prayer calls are not answered, then you are asking for something harmful to yourself. Always rely on the Lord, because he knows best what is beneficial or harmful for you. Do not become angry or irritated over an unfulfilled request; this will lead you away from faith and into a sinful path. Perhaps in 10 years you will understand why God never answered your prayer, and thank him from the bottom of your heart for that!

Only basically we have descriptions of how monks should pray in their cells, and how exactly the desert fathers practiced and succeeded in the Jesus Prayer. This is very instructive, no doubt about it, but we are not monks.

Deacon Pavel Serzhantov

Most of us come to God in urban family life, not in the desert. And we are familiar with the experience of ordinary temple prayer and even home morning prayer, and not the solitary schematic prayer rule.

Meanwhile, it seems, monastic experience mental prayer will be somewhat helpful in our attempts to explain what temple prayer is. Now I will try to think about this, I ask the reader in advance to be lenient with me, because the topic is not so easy.

Different Types of Prayer

Only occasionally does the entire temple literally pray with one mouth. When does this happen? When they sing,” the troparion and magnification of their favorite holiday. Mostly, we hear one priest saying a prayer, while everyone else stands silently, only occasionally crossing themselves.

Or another well-known picture: several choristers sing the irmos of the Matins canon, while people lined up in a dense wall for the anointing, so dense that it is almost impossible to cross themselves. Why is this line not praying at all, just listening to the singers praying?

In order to come to a precise answer, we need to talk about what types of prayer there are in general. This is where books on cell work come in handy for us: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

There are different kinds Jesus Prayer, they even form a kind of . Let us list the steps of this ladder:

1. Verbal prayer(The Jesus Prayer is said in the cell out loud, with the lips, loudly or quietly).

2. Mental prayer(it is pronounced silently, with one mind).

3. Mind-heart prayer(a particularly deep prayer, during which the mind connects with the heart, or, better to say, the mind reunites with heart).

Verbal and mental prayer

At the all-night vigil, of course, you will not hear the spoken Jesus Prayer, but there the reader says, for example, the Lord’s Prayer. Can this reader's prayer be called an oral prayer? Yes, in a broad sense.

And one of the parishioners, at the same time as the reader, mentally pronounces the same words of the Lord’s Prayer. Can this prayer of a parishioner be called mental prayer? In general, yes too.

Why do I make such reservations: “in general, yes too”?.. Because the Our Father is clearly different from the mental Jesus Prayer. What is the difference? The words are different and there are more words.

The Jesus Prayer is traditionally called the short prayer. Prayer Our Father not so terse.

What is special about the short Jesus Prayer? It is so short that it is easiest for a weak, absent-minded person to maintain attention.

But prayer without attention, like a body without a soul, is a lifeless element, a sad phenomenon. Therefore, it is easier to practice in short prayer, and it is easier to track how the prayer changes during the exercises.

So, the concept of “oral and mental prayer” is traditionally attributed to the short, repeatedly repeated Jesus Prayer, but in essence it could also be applied to the not so short, once repeated Lord’s Prayer.

So what happens in the temple?

The reader at the all-night vigil performs the oral prayer Our Father, and the parishioners perform mental prayer. If it occurs to one of the parishioners to add his own voice to the voice of the reader, then a cacophony will inevitably arise, and he will be gently asked to pray silently.

What happens? There are 200 parishioners at the all-night vigil in the church. Only one reader says the Lord’s Prayer as an oral prayer, and 199 are called upon at this time to pronounce the same words, only as a mental prayer.

Let's compare this situation with another: at the Liturgy, the deacon and the same parishioners, 195 people, sing the Lord's Prayer - this is not quite a classic oral prayer, in ascetic terminology it is called singing prayerful. Simultaneously with this singing, in the altar the primate performs Our Father as a spoken prayer, and other clergy and altar servers perform Our Father as a mental prayer.

Let's get to the conclusions

It turns out that in the parish during the service we are all called to bring mental prayers to God, and some of us at some points in the service bring verbal prayers. What's easier?

As you know, praying verbally to the entire temple requires some special skills. The reader needs to prepare for a long time in advance in order to do this decorously, without hesitation, loudly, calmly and clearly. It seems easier at this time stand quietly among the people, not making a single sound.

However, many people find it easier to pray when they speak the words with their lips. And it’s harder to pray if the words don’t sound out loud. This difficulty arises when a person makes the transition from verbal prayer to mental prayer. Such a transition requires some skill in prayer.

A similar situation occurs not only in spiritual life, but also in ordinary study. Thus, at first the child has difficulty mastering oral reading, that is, reading aloud. And only after having acquired sufficient skill in oral reading does the child move on to reading to myself, so to speak, to “smart reading”.

Let us now return to the topic of prayer. In church, people sometimes pray verbally; this actually means that all of us, coming under the church vaults, are called to “parish mental prayer.”

This means that it would be good for all of us to have the skill of “at-home oral prayer” - not as short, of course, as the Jesus Prayer.

It’s not enough to just stand quietly among the people, listen to the singers and the prayers of the priest. You need to gradually participate in the service, pray together with the priest and choristers. Moreover, pray mostly silently, not out loud. Not an easy task? However, the task of achieving “parish mental prayer” is within everyone’s reach. To each!

To feel it better, let’s compare smart prayer with smart-hearted prayer. The difference is huge. And it is a generally accepted fact that mental-heart prayer is by no means the destiny of each of us. It represents a special gift from God and the good fruit of diligent, long-term spiritual endeavor under the guidance of an experienced mentor. “Parish mental prayer” is still a different matter; it is more accessible to everyone.

1. If you want, you can put the words “smart prayer” in quotation marks

2. However, one should not exaggerate the difference between the Lord’s Prayer and the Jesus Prayer; on the portal we have already expressed the observation that the Jesus Prayer is “composed according to the principle” of the Lord’s Prayer (see: “”).

Many who visited the church saw the following announcement in them: “The Lord sends sorrow to those who speak in the temple.” Others have seen this strange appeal online. But few people understand what this means. And it’s true, we don’t know at all how to behave and, most importantly, how to pray correctly in church. But prayer is a great work, and learning it is not easy.

Types of prayers

There are not only certain rules of behavior in the church, but also basic concepts about prayers and how they are performed. First, it is worth highlighting some of their types:

• Brief.
• Prayer rules.
• Homemade.
• Fraternal or common.
• By agreement.
• Saints.
• In front of the icons.
• For the people.

The latter type can also be divided into several categories, each of which is very important:

• For your neighbors.
• For your peace.
• About health.
• About enemies.

What is prayer

First, you need to understand what prayer is and how Orthodox Christians pray. This is direct communication, a conversation with God, but not the kind of God that other religions imagine, but the Living God, whose presence we feel. God, who became a man for us, who atoned for our sins. Yes, don’t be surprised, ours, the people who lived before us and those who will live long after us.

It was by His death on the cross that Christ again opened the way to heaven for man, to which no one had access before the crucifixion of Christ. Both by death and by his life He showed us the way to salvation, resurrection and eternal life. So we, Christians, including Orthodox Christians, pray about this throughout our earthly lives.

And our God, the Living, hears us, helps and by His will in every possible way arranges our path to salvation, the instrument of which is prayer. But it should not become the background in human life, but must be the content and an auxiliary means to unity with the Lord.

When is the best time to pray?

Realizing that prayer is a dialogue with God, the question arises when to conduct it. The Apostle Paul told us to pray unceasingly, as soon as you have a free minute in your thoughts, immediately turn to God. The Jesus Prayer is more suitable for this, and do not believe anyone who tells you that reading it is dangerous or harmful, or that it is only needed by monks. It is not true.

It sounds like this: “ Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner)". And in abbreviated form it looks and is pronounced like this: “ Lord have mercy" In fact, many resort to these words constantly, but nothing terrible has happened, it follows that the laity can pray with these words, despite the far-fetched prohibitions. And only monks are allowed to read it while fingering their beads.

The most correct decision would be to take the priest’s blessing to say the Jesus Prayer. But it’s okay if you pray without it, the main thing is to use permitted prayers from reliable sources, for example, Orthodox prayer books bought in church.

Ideally, a Christian should spend his entire life in prayer. and be literally permeated by it. Try to think about God more often throughout the day. It is not necessary to memorize a complete prayer book, the main thing is to remember that the Lord is always with us, to think about it constantly. When you get out of bed, thank God for a new day. Thank Him during meals, for the fact that you have food and the opportunity to purchase it.

At work and on the way to it, while walking and when communicating with friends, also pray or turn your thoughts to God! If you don’t know what words to use to appeal to Him, say the Jesus Prayer, it’s not that difficult to remember.

In the evening before going to bed, also do not forget to thank God for the past day. And if you have a free minute after work, visit the temple, perhaps you will have time to catch the evening service. There you can not only praise the Lord, but also pray for your loved ones or ask for the necessary benefits for yourself.

Brief

God doesn't need words, therefore, you should not be afraid of making mistakes in reading prayers, or finding an excuse for yourself in ignorance of prayer texts and Church Slavonic language. You can pronounce them in the language in which you think, the main thing is to do it with a pure heart and good thoughts, since the Lord will see our hearts, and not our words.

You can pray briefly, like Lord have mercy or Thank God l for expressing thoughts in your own words, putting them into a form that you understand. You can read such prayers at home, in church and in other places where your thoughts will be free for the Lord.

But with frequent visits to churches, you will begin to understand the texts spoken there and learn to read them yourself, even in Church Slavonic. It's all about practice and also about prayer. Many believers think that they know how to pray and often visit churches, but in reality their words only shake the air, but do not reach God, and therefore their petitions are rarely heard.

You can learn this all your life, but you won’t understand the meaning until your death. Some saints underwent severe torment or retired into solitude so that their thoughts would be occupied exclusively with God. And not many succeeded. From the Holy Scriptures we know examples when a short but sincere prayer reached the ears of the Lord.

For example, the words of a tax collector, who tearfully prayed to God for forgiveness, sincerely and sincerely, realizing his sinfulness: “ Lord, be merciful to me, a sinner."! And such a prayer was more pleasing to God than that of the Pharisee, even in his prayer he exalted himself above everyone else. Or the words of the thief who asked for the crucified Christ " remember him in Your Kingdom" And as we know, this robber was the first to enter paradise.

Prayer Rules

To the questions of believers about how to pray, in church or at home, the holy fathers recommend the following:

Imagine, the day of judgment has come, and the Savior has taken with Him everyone who is worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, and you remain on earth and know that fiery Gehenna is prepared for you, and you begin to pray that He will take you with Him too! These are the feelings you need to pray with every time you turn to God!

Other priests give this example:

You know that the first people, Adam and Eve, were privileged to be in paradise and to have constant communication with God in much the same way as you communicate every day with your family. Every believer dreams of such living communication, but, alas, for us it is so unattainable that we can only hope for entry into the Kingdom of Heaven after death.

And then at one moment the Creator deprives the first people of this blessed communication with him and expels them to earth, making them mortal. And Adam, realizing what happened, begins to pray so hard like I've never done this before. So we should imagine at least a little the emotions he experienced and try to put them into our prayers.

Experienced prayer books recommend that while reading or pronouncing the texts of prayers, direct your mental gaze to the area of ​​​​the heart. Then the concentration of thoughts will increase and you will tune them in the right way. But this is very difficult for an inexperienced person and may even seem completely incomprehensible. Therefore, you will have to concentrate very hard and train for a long time.

Prayer rules include a set of specific prayers and are intended for use in any cases, for example, the morning rule is collected for prayer at the beginning of the day, and for the coming sleep - at the end. There are also canons of repentance, following, for example, communion and thanksgiving, these can also be classified as prayer rules.

They contain prayers from great ascetics, saints and theologians who compiled the texts of prayers for everyday appeal to God. Such rules greatly facilitate our communication with the Lord, because we do not have to look for different prayers in all sources of spiritual literature.

Such rules are different for each person. Some people spend more time reading them, others less. Some pray for only five minutes in the morning, while for others even half an hour is not enough. But the time of reading the prayer rule does not matter; it is much more important that your thoughts and heart correspond to the spoken words.

Home prayer

At home, as in church or in any other place, you are allowed to pray either in your own words or with existing prayers, which are easy to find in Orthodox prayer books. You are allowed to read both the short Jesus Prayer and the long rules.

Collective

This type of prayer, where more than one person participates, is divided into two types:

1. Fraternal or common.
2. By agreement.

They are performed exclusively in churches and chapels, that is, in those places where many fellow believers gather and in common prayer turn their mental gaze to the Lord. During divine services, one is allowed to pray for oneself without participating in general prayer; this is how they differ from prayer by agreement.

When people agree to pray for someone or something on a certain day or hour, this is called prayer by agreement. The Savior himself said this: “... If two of you on earth agree to ask for anything, then whatever they ask will be done for them by My Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them" They have very great power and effect, so it is customary to read prayers by agreement in case of any disasters or severe illnesses of one specific person.

Saints and before icons

When praying in front of icons, the main thing is not to get confused and begin to believe that it is she who is helping us, and not the one whose face is depicted on it. It is also important not to start imagining these images, because what is depicted on the icons is probably not what we want to see. For example, the Holy Spirit, depicted as a dove, in essence is not such. Icons depict only images accessible to human consciousness.

When addressing the saints, it is important to understand that the saint himself will help with his prayers at the Throne of God, and not the icon with his image. Thus, it is important that the icon does not replace the object of prayer, thereby changing the entire meaning of the prayer request. For example, when praying to the “Icon of All Saints,” which depicts a cathedral of saints of God revered by the Orthodox Church, you will not be able to imagine each of them. But even when praying to Saint Stepan, you should not imagine what he looked like. That's not important.

When you come to the temple, you will see how to pray correctly in the church in front of the icon and how Orthodox Christians pray. After observing from the outside, you will understand the individual rules and actions at the service. There are no special rules on how to properly pray at home in front of an icon. You can follow the same principles as in church.

For health and peace

Prayers for people, or, as believers say, for their neighbors, are a great necessity. Such prayers are divided into two types: for the repose, when we pray for already deceased relatives and for the Lord to accept them into his kingdom, they are said near a special table with candlesticks, square in shape, and with a crucifix above it. For health - such prayers are important for those for whom they pray and for those praying themselves. This can be done when placing a candle on round candlesticks, or simply in mental or verbal prayer.

They also pray for the peace and health of their neighbors during certain prayer rules, for example, the morning prayer. It is important that the Christian faith calls for prayer not only for close relatives and friends, but also for unfamiliar people and even enemies! After all, we must love our enemy, and good prayer for such people is the highest manifestation of Christian love.

All of the above types of prayers will help you figure out how best to pray at home or in church. In churches, for example, during Lent, you can see people kneeling or prostrating during services. They themselves are an integral part of prayer, like the sign of the cross. And of course, you need to pray standing, if your health allows, both at home and in church.

The main thing is not to disrupt the course of the church service, not to make noise, try to show reverence and not distract other worshipers. If you can’t get into the right mood or don’t know the words of the prayer, you can simply listen to what the priest says and the choir sings. You must treat icons and other church utensils with reverence and respect, so as not to disturb the prayerful atmosphere that surrounds you in the church.

In personal matters, as already mentioned, sincerity, purity of thoughts, an open heart and a good attitude are important. Regular confession and communion, as well as constant prayer practice, will help achieve this. Perhaps this is all you need to learn how to pray correctly in church.

Attention, TODAY only!

Any self-respecting believer should know how to pray correctly at home or in church in front of an icon. Prayer is the most important component of the spiritual life of an Orthodox Christian. Like a mental tuning fork, it tunes the believer’s consciousness to the correct, pure sound, corresponding to Christ’s commandments.

Prayer plays several important roles in a person’s life:

• helps the believer to conduct a dialogue with the Higher Powers, glorify God, and ask him for help;
• allows you to overcome the worldly barriers that stand between the Redeemer and man;
• gives a feeling of the presence of God, but also receives answers from Above.
• brings consolation in moments of grief, peace in times of mental turmoil, a feeling of sincere gratitude in joyful days, and reminds of the greatness of the Savior.

The best place for prayer is church. An ideal atmosphere has been created here for communicating with the Almighty: silence, a large number of images, the opportunity to buy candles. The believer is surrounded by like-minded people who will not show either annoying interest or disrespect. Priests or church officials will be happy to tell you how to properly pray in church in front of an icon and help you find the image of the desired saint. Temples are perfect for both collective prayers during services and for individual conversations with God.

However, the church imposes certain requirements on believers. Men must remove their headdress when entering the temple; women enter the temple with their heads covered, showing their humility and modesty. Women should not come into church wearing short skirts and very bright clothes; they are inappropriate in God's house and distract the believers.

You can pray in a church anywhere, but usually Christians communicate with the Saints and God by standing near icons and placing candles next to them.

However, the false stereotype that you need to pray only in church alienates a Christian from the Savior. The hectic and busy life rhythm of a modern person sometimes does not allow him to attend church often. Soul-saving prayer leaves his life. He remembers Christ and his covenants less often and becomes more vulnerable to sin and temptation.

You need to pray daily. But how to find time in a busy schedule of tasks and responsibilities? You can try to turn to the Almighty in transport, at a bus stop or in a queue, but in such conditions it is very difficult to concentrate, to immerse yourself in a process that requires constant awareness and sincerity from the believer.

Therefore, home prayer seems to be the best option for a busy person. People associate their home, like a temple, with a feeling of peace and security. At home it is easier to find the necessary time and create the necessary conditions.

General principles

You don’t need any special skills on how to pray at home. There are no strict rules either. The main thing is to have Faith, the desire to pray and time. For the rest, it is enough to follow the advice of wise priests: “just talk to the Almighty.” The prayer can be long or very short. As the Holy Fathers say: the Savior needs a person’s heart, not his words. Words are secondary, what is primary is the open, strong connection that arises between the believer and God.

Preparation of spirit and body

For prayer to become a heartfelt dialogue with the Savior, the believer needs to prepare his spirit for it. You need to be able to renounce the vanity of the world and immerse yourself in prayer. Therefore, it is extremely unwise to start praying when the mind is dominated by irritation, resentment or anger.

This is a sacrament and a holiday for a Christian, because during it comes a feeling of the presence of God, an understanding of his love and greatness. Therefore, reverence and peace should reign in the soul. It is from the silence and peace of the heart that the necessary words addressed to the Higher Powers grow.

Equally important is the preparation and participation of the body. Before prayer, it is advisable to wash and put on clean clothes. Of course, this is not an unconditional rule, but this way the believer will be able to more deeply feel the solemnity and importance of the moment, because it concerns the salvation of his soul.

It is best to pray standing or kneeling, although prayer while sitting or even lying down is allowed, this is especially true for sick and elderly people. As with words, God wants the believer's heart, not his feet.

Prayer should be accompanied by special gestures: signs of the cross, kneeling, bowing. They create the necessary emotional mood and help you focus on the spoken words.

Correct Concentration

Requires high concentration. We must not allow extraneous, vain thoughts that distract from sacred communion with God. However, the consciousness of a modern person is constantly in an intense information flow; many people hardly know how to concentrate, control the train of thoughts in their own minds. Their brains seem to operate in autonomous mode, tirelessly and almost uncontrollably generating thoughts unrelated to prayer.

It is very difficult to fight such autonomy, but it is necessary. To do this, it is better to start with short prayers that allow you to tune in and not lose focus. When the ability to cut off extraneous thoughts develops, you can move on to more complex and lengthy prayers.

Another danger lies in becoming accustomed to spoken words. For example, reading the same prayers every day, a believer tends to lose concentration and awareness, understanding the meaning of words, he begins to automatically repeat them, sometimes trying to do it as quickly as possible. The true meaning of prayer, its goal: the unity of a person’s soul with the Savior, is lost. The Holy Fathers have repeatedly called upon us to constantly guard our minds and thoughts, that is, to be able to include our own mind in every word of prayer.

Icons and candles

If there are no icons in your home, then you can choose any convenient place for prayer, for example, a quiet room or a window facing east. Communication with the Almighty and the Saints can take place without images. Moreover, clergy warn believers about the dangers of idolatry.

No matter how ancient and prayerful an icon may be, it is only a means to help the believer during prayer. It is correct to pray to the Saints, as the clergy teach, and not to the icons on which the Saints are depicted. Images should not replace or obscure the object of prayer from the believer.

But with a reasonable attitude, the icon provides invaluable assistance to the person praying: it awakens the desire to pray, tunes the spirit in a suitable mood, helps to discard unnecessary thoughts and find hidden words. The image is essentially an embodied prayer, a window into another, higher world.

Lamps and candles also help with prayers. A candle is a symbol of a Christian’s spiritual aspiration to the Savior. Melting wax symbolizes the desire to repent of one’s own sins and readiness to obey God’s Providence. The flame signifies the prayerful feeling of the believer. The presence of a candle is not a prerequisite, but it is better to light it, this will make communication with God deeper and more pious.

Choosing a Prayer

As already mentioned, for God, the true faith and hearts of those praying come first, rather than the words addressed to Him or the language in which these words are spoken. In Orthodoxy it is believed that a believer must know by heart at least five basic prayers:

• "Our Father";
• "King of Heaven";
• "Symbol of faith";
• “It is worthy to eat”;
• “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.”

An appeal to God can be very short and consist of simple words coming from the depths of the soul, it can be limited to a few readings of “Our Father” and “Lord, have mercy,” or it can be many hours of reading prayers. Every Christian is free to pray as his heart tells him.

A prayer book is very helpful, which contains all the main prayers: thanksgiving, holiday, evening, morning, as well as akathists, canons and other useful prayer information.

Objects of prayer

Before starting prayer, it is advisable for the believer to imagine for whom he will ask God for mercy. This will help avoid confusion in thoughts and bring order to the prayer rule. Usually, In Orthodoxy it is customary to pray:

Daily Habit

Sometimes, citing business or lack of proper mood, a believer refuses the usual prayer. The Holy Fathers and priests warn against such behavior, which can become a habit. You cannot give in to laziness and worldly vanity; you must remember that prayer is necessary for the soul. In moments of weakness, you need to force yourself to pray by willpower, because the matter concerns the salvation of the eternal soul.

The best option for a believer is to strictly follow the prayer rule, that is, regularly read certain prayers day after day. The rule is selected according to the circumstances and capabilities of the person. It can consist only of short prayers, which will take no more than five minutes, or it can last an hour and include long texts from the prayer book. But in any case, it is important to follow the rule constantly, over time turning it into a mandatory and desirable habit.