This question, which came to our editorial office, determined the topic of a new conversation with Metropolitan Longinus of Saratov and Volsk.

— Vladyka, we have already said: prayer is our communication with God, for a Christian it should be as necessary as breathing. But we know both from our own experience and from the experience of our readers, who have many questions on this topic, that learning to pray and love prayer is very difficult. Even the saints said: to pray means to shed blood; prayer requires work until a person’s last day... Master, why can prayer be so difficult?

— Indeed, prayer is work, many saints have spoken about this. And the Russian people have a very precise saying: the most difficult thing in the world is to pray to God and feed old parents.

Why is it difficult to pray, although many saints had the skill of constant, unceasing prayer? We need to remind ourselves what prayer is. This is standing before God, one might say, a conversation with God, communication with Him. What does it take to constantly want to communicate with a person in our everyday life?

- Love him…

- Absolutely right. For example, here is a bride and groom - they want to communicate with each other all the time, 24 hours a day. Because there is love, attraction to each other. It’s the same with God: there must be a desire for Him so that prayer does not become a tedious task. You know how they sometimes say: “read the rule”? It’s like digging a hole... Of course, it’s difficult to pray constantly while living in the world, but at least you can turn to God often and with love.

I remember my youth when I just ran to the temple. I also know other people my age, those who came to the Church back in Soviet times. For us, this was the most important thing that could be on earth, and overshadowed absolutely everything: study, work, and some kind of family connections. We literally “matured” to the temple (as it is said in the prayer: “For my spirit will morning to Thy holy temple”), that is, from the very early morning we constantly wanted to be in the temple, to see, to hear what was happening there. I remember this feeling, to this day the memory of it is in my heart.

A person must have such a living feeling for God in order for him to want to pray. But, of course, it is not always there. Man is an extremely fickle creature, and even when he reaches some peaks in his life, then he has periods of cooling and falling. But the memory of what happened - about previous peaks, be it relationships with God or people - should warm the human heart when the peak of feelings gradually passes. Then, instead of cooling, there will be an even combustion, and then it will flare up more and more brightly. There are cases when spouses, having lived with each other for many decades, at the end of their lives love each other no less, but on the contrary, even stronger, deeper than they did in their youth.

A person can have approximately the same relationship with God. This example may not seem entirely correct to some, but it is understandable. We must not forget that communication between man and God is communication between two personalities, and it requires that a person constantly warm up and nourish his feelings with the memory of those moments when the Lord Himself appeared to the human heart. In general, every person who goes to church—I am deeply convinced of this—at least once saw God, felt His closeness, and even here on earth experienced that feeling that the apostle spoke about: the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard , and it did not enter into the heart of man what God had prepared for those who loved Him (1 Cor. 2:9). The memory of this gives a person strength when cooling comes.

When one of the spiritual children complained in a letter to St. Theophan the Recluse about her coldness, about the fact that she could not pray, although only yesterday she rejoiced at everything and thanked God, he answered like this: look outside the window - yesterday the sun was shining, but today it started to rain . This does not depend on you and me. In the same way, he says, in the human heart there is one state, then another. But we must learn to endure periods of cooling, despondency, forgetting about God and return to Him again.

— Vladyka, we would like to ask you questions about prayer that many parishioners of our churches have. “I have a difficult life situation. I pray, but it is not resolved, but is getting worse. What to do, how to pray so that the Lord will hear?” - asks Sergei.

— You must pray relentlessly. But in addition, you must definitely understand the situation, try to understand why it is developing this way. After all, sometimes the Lord wants us, so that we change in something, so that we work on our own. Let's say we ask God for something, and He puts us in circumstances in which we can fulfill God's will by doing something with our own hands. The Lord very rarely acts directly in human life, with the help of some obvious miracle. Usually people are corrected by people.

Therefore, I think that Sergei and those who are concerned about similar questions must first of all carefully analyze this difficult situation, perhaps consult with one of the spiritually experienced people in order to understand: what exactly is my fault in what happened? What can I change not in the people around me, but in myself? And if we change something in ourselves, then the situation will begin to change after that.

— Another question, let’s say, about the effectiveness of prayer: “I would like to clarify issues that are important to me. What is the best (more effective) way to fulfill the prayer rule: mentally or out loud? If out loud, is it in a whisper or loud? What intonation should you strive for: church intonation or your own? Igor"

— In general, approaching prayer from the point of view of “efficiency” is wrong. And we need to fulfill the rule in such a way that it is most useful for us. We are all very different people: we have different skills, habits, characters. Some people find it more convenient to read silently, others out loud. The main thing is that the texts of the prayers that we read pass through our heart, our consciousness. And the pace of the prayer and the way it is said depend on how easier it is for a person to perceive it. Personally, I have one problem since my youth: I read a lot of books in my time and I read very quickly. Let’s say, I can read a prayer rule (three canons with an akathist) to myself in about fifteen minutes, and quite consciously. So when I minister, I always say my prayers out loud to make it a little slower. Another person, on the contrary, may read aloud syllable by syllable, and it is more convenient for him to read silently.

As for the intonation, which Igor calls church intonation (this is reading on one note, calm, without emotional outbursts), I think it is preferable, because this way a person gets used to reading in church better, and then it is easier for him to understand it. Such reading in church is actually more correct, because the prayer itself should be heard in the words of the prayers, and not our personal emotions. Although I will repeat regarding the home rule - all this is very individual and does not matter much, as long as the prayer is understandable to the person and passes through his heart.

“For about ten years I have been praying and addressing my needs to Saint Matronushka. She asked, of course, for earthly things: health, marriage, for her daughter to enter the budget department, etc. Because even before her death she said: “Everyone come to me and tell me, as if alive, about your sorrows.” I understand the word “sorrows” as earthly difficulties, problems, sorrows, failures. But the lectures of the theologian Professor A.I. Osipov say that we pray incorrectly, asking for earthly blessings. We must pray, ask for help in getting rid of sins. And when we get rid of sin, the Lord, seeing our needs, will Himself provide what we need. Now I have doubts: I believe both Matronushka and Professor A.I. I also believe Osipov. Explain how to pray correctly? Do I need to confess that I asked for earthly blessings? Angelina"

- No, there is no need to repent of this. Professor Osipov talks about lofty things. But we still live in this world, and therefore we are worried, among other things, by the everyday things that you write about. In such cases, I always remember an episode from the biography of St. Ambrose of Optina. One day a peasant woman from a neighboring village came to him and complained that her turkey poults were dying. And the elder listened, sympathized, explained to her what and how to do. The peasant woman left comforted. Was this attitude correct? Everyone has some needs and sorrows, and I think it’s normal when a person turns to God with them.

Another thing - and here I agree with Professor Osipov, I often talk about this myself - is that our relationship with God should in no case be limited only to this “give, give, give”... If we are Christians, we need to think and about some deeper things, they themselves tried to sacrifice something to God. “Son, give me your heart,” says the Lord. He expects our heart from us, I think that is most important.

Therefore, despite the apparent contradiction of the positions given in the letter, both sides are right. You can ask God for earthly blessings, and there is nothing criminal or bad about it. But we cannot limit ourselves to this alone, because our earthly life is a preparation for eternity. The most important thing is the salvation of our soul. This is exactly what we need to ask God for and do everything that depends on us.

— Another question that can often be heard: “They say that in order to understand the will of God, you need to pray. How to pray correctly and how to understand that the answer really comes from God?”

— There is a rule: follow the circumstances in which the Lord places you. Especially if a person prays from the heart and asks God for help. In general, you must be guided by the Gospel in all life situations, and then you will fulfill the will of God, because in the Gospel God’s will for us is absolutely clearly defined.

— The next few questions, Vladyka, are again about cooling down in prayer. This is a very common illness... “If the heart does not respond to prayer for a long time, should we come to terms with it and accept it? For example, they pray in church, but I want to, but I can’t, and then the prayers even begin to irritate: “How long can you do the same thing?..” Irina.”

- No, you don’t need to come to terms with this, but you need, as St. Theophan the Recluse, whom I just quoted, says, to somehow wait out this state. There is an interesting episode in the ancient Patericon. One novice monk asks a more experienced one: what to do if there is no desire to pray, on the contrary, relaxation and despondency have come? The elder advises: get up, overcome yourself, try to warm up your heart. The monk complains that it doesn’t work. Then, says the elder, take your mantle, wrap yourself in it and sleep.

This advice, although it seems humorous, is actually very wise. Because sometimes it happens that a person just needs to come to his senses, take a break. But under no circumstances should you agree with such a state, but, having rested, gradually return to prayer. And here, as I have already said, the memory of that period when a person prayed and was heard by God, when he felt unity with Him, His closeness, is very important.

“For many years I have been reading evening and morning prayers, but I have great difficulty in following the rule. Whatever you do, as long as you don’t pray... How to change your attitude towards prayer, how to fall in love with it? Tatiana"

“It happens that a person is simply, as they say, fussy, that is, ordinary daily worries and worries have taken up too much of a place in his life. But at the same time, this rudiment remains: you need to get up for prayer in the morning and in the evening. Of course, when there is no living relationship with God, after some time this rudiment begins to irritate: well, why, one might ask, waste time repeating the same words when the heart is silent? You need to stop again and understand yourself. The reason is always in the person himself.

It also happens that a person stops praying, fasting, and going to church when his lifestyle becomes far from Christian. What are we like? We sinned in one thing, in another, in a third - but it’s hard for us, and these are the times, everyone lives like this... We all know this set of self-justifications. And gradually, when some shortcomings, sins, maybe even vices accumulate, it becomes impossible to pray. Attempts to pray only cause rejection.

The reason could be anything. Therefore, Tatyana and everyone who has a similar condition needs to think, understand themselves, their lives, and try to make adjustments. Then the person will be able to pray carefully again.

— You once spoke, Vladyka, about the experience of unceasing prayer. But these things, the troubles that our reader writes about, don’t they prevent everyone from praying, according to the word of St. Seraphim of Sarov, who said that prayer is not a hindrance to business?

— Continuous prayer is still the work of monastics, and even then you don’t always see it in our time. There is no need to strive for this in the world, but you can and should often pray. You know, there is incessant prayer, and there is its opposite - incessant vanity... This incessant bustle must still be pushed aside. In addition, prayer is the memory of God. And it’s good to acquire such a skill: here I walk, talk, do something - and all the time I remember that there is God, He is above all my affairs. But usually we live as if He does not exist, and we rarely remember Him. In fact, we must always remember Him.

- “Please tell me what to do correctly if, during prayer, anything comes into your head except the prayer itself... I read two completely polar opinions: stop praying, since God still doesn’t hear such a prayer, or force yourself , pray through strength. Inna"

— Under no circumstances should you stop; you should force yourself. To restore attention to prayer, you can do the following exercise from time to time: when you are reading a rule and suddenly realize that your attention has “flown away,” you need to go back and read with attention. This is difficult, and you don’t need to do it all the time, but you need to try in order to develop the skill of attentive reading.

The same Saint Theophan also has a wonderful answer to a similar question. One of his spiritual children asked: “Sometimes I realize that I stood in prayer and nothing moved in my heart. What to do?". He replied: “Then stand in front of the icons, cross yourself, sigh, and say: “Lord, I couldn’t bring my heart to You today, at least accept my feet from me.” He says a lot in his letters that one must learn to keep oneself in order, to be collected. For example: here you are lying on the sofa, remember that this is wrong, and instead sit up straight, as you should. Such seemingly small external things help a person keep himself within the necessary boundaries, because when we abolish these boundaries, we spread out and lose our composure. And without this, many things are impossible, not only to pray to God, for example, to study. Look, much of what we say about prayer can be said to a student who does not know how to study, because it is exactly the same: there is no attention. Therefore, many things in a person’s life will change, many things will become easier to do, a person will achieve great success if he tunes himself into correct, attentive prayer.

I would like to advise the authors of these questions and all our readers to be sure to read the book of St. Theophan the Recluse “What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it.” These are answers to similar questions in the form of letters. And for those who love to read and are not afraid of thick books, I would recommend the collection of letters of St. Theophan, which contain extremely deep, very valuable, completely modern materials. The saint answers questions from his spiritual children, which are not so different from those asked today. At one time, these books helped me a lot.

Photo by Alexey Luzgan and Andrey Gutynin

What are morning and evening prayers and why are they so important in the life of every Orthodox Christian? Many holy fathers call these daily prayers spiritual hygiene, the bare minimum for a beginning believer. With the help of these prayers and especially through their regular and conscientious reading, the laity become closer to the Lord, become spiritually cleansed, and learn humility, repentance and gratitude. It is difficult to overestimate their importance, especially in the modern world.

What prayers exist and how to read them?

In Orthodoxy there is such a term - a prayer rule. This is the name given to sets of prayer texts intended for morning and evening readings. These obligatory prayers can be found in every prayer book. Among them are “Our Father”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, “Creed” and others. The prayer rule was formed several centuries ago, and since then has become a guideline for Orthodox believers.

The prayer rule is divided into complete, that is, common to everyone, and short, individual (it is discussed with the confessor and assigned with his blessing, in cases of, for example, illness, lack of strength, heavy workload, etc.). There is also a version of a short prayer rule from St. Seraphim of Sarov. According to it, if a believer is in an extremely weak state or is very limited in time, then only the following prayers can be read: three times “Our Father”, three times “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” and once “Creed”.

Prayer "Our Father"

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 lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”

Virgin Mary, Hail 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.

Prayer "Creed"

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 only begotten Son of God, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to 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.

She was 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 coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

Tea of ​​the resurrection of the dead.

And the life of the next century. Amen.

How to read morning and evening prayers

In the morning you are supposed to pray immediately after waking up, before meals and the start of the work day, and in the evening you can choose any time, the main thing is that all work for the current day is completed.

Prayer should be performed in a secluded place, in front of an icon, with a lit lamp or candle. First you need to cross yourself and make several bows. Then tune in, concentrate and begin to read the prayers in the order indicated in the prayer book. You can read both aloud and silently. Prayers for loved ones, appeals to the Lord, spoken in your own words - all this is also an obligatory part of prayer.

It is important to thank the Lord and ask for His blessings before the upcoming trials of life.

It is very important to understand the meaning of each word that is spoken in prayers. For this purpose, there are translations of prayers from Church Slavonic into Russian in explanatory prayer books; they are worth studying so that the reading is conscious.

It is important to pray with a pure heart, in which there is no bitterness, evil, resentment, or irritation. If a believer feels these emotions, it is necessary to get rid of them. One way is to pray for the health of the one who offended. This will cleanse the soul, calm the ardor and set one in a gracious mood.

As a rule, with some practice, reading morning and evening prayers takes an average of 20 minutes. But currently the laity is faced with a problem. In our modern world, when the pace of life is so high that the lack of time is felt at every step, it can be difficult for Orthodox believers who begin to practice daily readings to find time for prayer in their busy schedule. As a rule, people rush to work in the morning and collapse from fatigue in the evening. And there is no time left for reading prayers with a thoughtful, focused approach. And it is important to read prayers sincerely, with diligence.

Pronouncing the text in a tongue twister, formally is not necessary for anyone and is even harmful in a conversation with God.

In this case, you need to rearrange your daily schedule, find another time for prayers, some prayers can even be read at work or on the road. But all this must be discussed with your confessor or the priest with whom you regularly confess. Sometimes the priest may allow you to read not the full volume of prayers. The main thing in morning and evening prayers is the right attitude, concentration, and a message to the Lord from the heart.

The importance of prayers in the morning and evening

Why is it so important to perform morning and evening prayers daily? Priests always say that this ritual trains the will, makes the believer stronger spiritually and does not allow him to forget about God and the need to keep the commandments. And it is especially important for beginning Orthodox Christians.

When solving their vital questions, everyone can ask themselves the question: what is the right way for God to hear? Especially if the problem requires a quick solution or is vitally important to you. First of all, the right attitude and the person’s desire are important here. And in order to tune in to turning to God, you need to correctly formulate your question and begin prayer with pure thoughts.

How to tune in

First of all, you need to put your thoughts and feelings in order. Often, the solution to an important issue that is currently tormenting you is hindered by some sin or action, wishing harm to another, or condemning a person in a similar situation. For example, you condemned a friend who was left without a job and lives on his parents’ money, and after a few days or years you yourself were laid off. Or a woman condemned her friend for living with a married man, and after a while she herself fell into the same network. Therefore, if you are currently in an unpleasant situation for which you judged another person, you should think about why this happened, and mentally or financially ask for forgiveness from him, give him a gift, just something nice. This is one of the rules on how to pray correctly at home if you want God to hear you.

There is another circumstance that prevents the prayer from being heard by higher powers. This is often associated with a violation of cause-and-effect relationships or conscious adherence to a destructive pattern of behavior. For example, a woman who makes money through fornication may ask for a successful marriage without changing her behavior, or want to break up the family of a married man, especially if he is in a church marriage. As a rule, all the troubles of such a life will not disappear even after sincere prayer, unless you change your lifestyle. A striking example of such an appeal is the so-called blessing for theft or a request for the material well-being of a thief or bandit. God does not accept such prayers and may send punishment for bad behavior. So, if there is a serious sin, it is better to repent of it, stop doing what you shouldn’t, and try to reconsider your own behavior.

Well, the third reason that can interfere with successful prayer is insincerity in words, wishing harm on someone, or a karmic moment that you need to experience. But how to pray correctly at home so that God hears? To do this, you need to confess your sins, wish good to evil people and your enemies, and tune in to prayer. It is not advisable to drink alcohol, smoke or have sex before it. Also, don’t talk too much, especially about unimportant things. It is best to read prayers in the evening, in front of the icon and light a candle. Then your prayer will be heard. And, of course, you should not pray while doing household chores or during a break between everyday activities.

How to pray

How to pray correctly at home so that God hears? Show sincerity, do not wish harm to anyone in your prayers, and try to be patient if the result does not come quickly. Remember that God hears any prayer, but does not answer it to everyone and not always. Therefore, you need to sincerely believe in God’s help and try to wait for it. Perhaps you will receive it tomorrow or in six months or a year. , then there will definitely be a result.

The power of prayer is great and all Orthodox Christians know this. But it is still very important for believers how to correctly read prayers at home so that the holy words are effective.

Why you should pray

The classic prayer book is the main source of complete prayers used by generations of believers. Canons vary in content and content:

• for priests;
• for ordinary believers;
• about sick people;
• about religion;
• for mothers with prayers for children;
• about the world;
• about the fight against passions;
• in Russian and Church Slavonic languages.

The prayer book contains very strong prayers to the Savior, the Mother of God, and the patron saints. All words have been passed down for centuries and therefore have a powerful effect. Many of the prayers are transmitted in Old Church Slavonic, and for correct pronunciation they are accented.

Mandatory holy appeals that should be in the prayer book include:

1. Morning and evening. Read after waking up and before going to bed.
2. Daytime. They are pronounced before eating and at the end of a meal, before business and training.
3. Canons for every day of the week and holidays.
4. "Canon of repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ."
5. Akathists. They include a huge list, but the most important ones are the Most Holy Theotokos, Jesus Christ, St. Nicholas and the holy protectors to whom you want to pray.
6. “Following to Holy Communion.”

God is often addressed in the words of sacred texts, but you can also speak in your own words, especially if you need to ask for something. They can be said at home with family or on your own. Before turning to the Savior, they read “Our Father” and then speak in their own words. Be sure to perform the sign of the cross.

You cannot ask for punishment, wish bad or evil for another person.

Video “How to pray correctly at home”

From this video you will learn how to pray correctly at home.

Contents of the prayer rule

The prayer rule includes morning prayers, as well as those read before bed. Words can always be found in prayer books. There are 3 main prayer rules:

1. Complete. Intended for priests and church ministers.
2. A short. For all Orthodox Christians.
3. Short Seraphim of Sarov.

• "Our Father";
• laudatory to glorify God;
• thanks for help, patronage and intercession;
• before starting business;
• requests for healing, protection, help;
• repentance, in which one repents of sins, words and actions;
• before eating.

Time and place for prayers

The best place for prayer at home is a prayer corner. It is located in a quiet, secluded place. The special atmosphere that reigns in the God-pleasing space inspires reverence and encourages prayer.

Morning and evening hours are the best time to talk with the Savior. In the morning it is better to get up early and not rush anywhere, spending time with God. Before going to bed, it is also important to pray and go to rest with peace of mind. They pray on weekdays and holidays, memorable and solemn dates. They pray, if their heart dictates, with concern for loved ones.

Sequence of Spiritual Worship

Before starting the prayer, they retire and light a lamp. They stand in front of the holy image. It is advisable to learn the main texts by heart. The five main ones are listed below:

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

They perform prostrations and bows to the ground and make the sign of the cross. You should not be afraid if prayer is difficult; often this is proof of true effectiveness.

Preparation rules

You should prepare for prayer, for which there are certain rules:

1. They come to God washed, combed, and dressed in fresh clothes.
2. Women should wear a headscarf and a long skirt.
3. They approach the holy image with reverence.
4. If there is no icon, it is allowed to be located near the windows on the east side.
5. Light a lamp or candle.
6. Kneel or straight, the position should be natural.
7. During prayer, they try to concentrate on a conversation with God or a saint.

Reading Features

The main thing is faith, on the basis of it any prayer is possible. Repentance for sins from the heart is one of the components. It is important to ask forgiveness from your loved ones, forgive yourself and let go of grievances. In this case, there is a high probability of being heard by God.

The words of the prayer are said slowly, preferably out loud or in a whisper. Focus on the spoken words and speak from the heart. If necessary, repent of sins. Each line is passed through the soul, they comprehend what is said. Before pronouncing words, perform 3 prostrations and 3 signs of the cross.

How to end prayers

At the end, they offer praise and gratitude to God. Be sure to cross yourself three times with the sign of the cross. After prayer, you can study, go to work, and do household chores. It is better not to quarrel with anyone and not to offend others.

What to do when scattered

Often, when reading holy texts, all sorts of thoughts and ideas slip into your head. One of the reasons is fatigue. You need to try to tune in to prayer and not be interrupted.

It is useful to pray through strength, directing thoughts in the right direction. Since the brain does not always perceive the power of the word, everything passes through the soul and leaves divine grace in it.

In order not to be distracted during the time of conversion through prayer, it is advisable to retire, otherwise it will be difficult for God or the saints to hear you. This way you can concentrate and open up better.

Theophan the Recluse advises following a simple rule when preparing for prayer: walk around and think before addressing the greatness of the one to whom you are going to address, comprehend who God is and who you are. Such an internal attitude will allow reverent fear and reverence to be revived in the soul.

People who have recently come to faith have many questions. One of them: how to read prayers? Now we will tell you how to read prayers correctly, which ones and when.

During prayer we have a conversation with God. Prayers are the nerves of our soul. A large number of people who come to church, say verses of prayer and leave, not understanding what they prayed for, what they said; the mouth moved, but the hearing did not hear. The devil is evil: he knows that while we read prayer we make great progress, so at this time he attacks us, and while we pray, our thoughts are far from God, they are in everyday trifles, income, goals, etc. d. If the tongue pronounces words, and the soul thinks and worries about household chores, dreaming about something, then there will be no benefit, and moreover, God will condemn it.

We must constantly resort to the Lord in prayer and ask for His help, because often what we ourselves cannot accomplish, we can easily achieve through diligent prayers. You must always pray: in joy, in sorrow, in prosperity, and in poverty.

We need to pray with attention, and especially during holy fasting, because then our soul is much lighter, not burdened and not suppressed by sinful pleasures for us. Prayer is a great weapon and a strong defense.

How should you pray?

Have you ever thought about how to read prayers correctly so that they are heard? The success of reading the prayer depends on the following conditions:

• if we are worthy to receive what we ask;
• if we pray according to God's laws;
• with unceasing prayer;
• We don’t ask for anything household;
• if we do not ask for something harmful to our soul;
• if we don’t sit idly by, but do something on our part.

We are also not heard for the reason that when we pray we do not forsake our sins. Also, if we ask for something against our enemies, not only are we not heard, but we also offend the Lord.

Any place and any time is convenient for saying prayer. If your thoughts are pure and your heart is free from sinful passions, then wherever you are: whether at home, on the road, in court, on vacation or at work - everywhere you can pray to the Lord and receive what you ask for.

Most people, preoccupied with everyday problems, find it impossible to pray for several hours a day and come to church. But it's quite easy. If you can’t come to church, you can pray mentally, because the mood is the main thing. God hears even those who are silent.

Externally, the feeling of prayer manifests itself in the sign of the cross. It is performed with the right hand. We connect the first three fingers together, and put the remaining two - the ring and little fingers - to the palm. With three joined fingers we touch the forehead (our mind and thoughts are sanctified), the stomach (our inner feelings are sanctified), the right and then the left shoulder (bodily forces are sanctified and a blessing is given to the works of our hands). Thus, we draw a cross on ourselves and, lowering our hand, bow.

The sign of the cross symbolizes the invocation of the name of the Lord, and therefore it is usually performed with the words “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit” at the beginning of the prayer. At the end of the prayer it is pronounced slightly differently: “Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” You cannot apply a cross quickly, much less carelessly.

Types of prayers

There are many prayers that can be found in Orthodox prayer books, but the main thing is that the prayer comes from the soul and heart.

There is a prayer by agreement, how to read it? If there is grief in your family and you want to call everyone who cares to prayer, read a special prayer that you can find in the Orthodox prayer book. It cannot be read to everyone at the same time; for our Lord it is important that everyone resort to it with a soul and a pure heart.

Every new day should begin with prayer. For people who do not know how to do this, we will tell you how to read morning prayers. We have already described the “rules” for reading prayers, now specifically about what needs to be read. Orthodox prayer books have specially designated morning and evening prayers, throughout the day, before school, after, etc. If there is absolutely no time, you can read the most important prayers - the Trisagion, Our Father, Creed, “God have mercy on me,” it is imperative to turn to the Guardian Angel, the Savior and the Mother of God, to ask for a blessing on the affairs of this day.