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Read evening prayers. Evening prayers for the coming sleep. Complete Evening Prayer Rule

In this article, the editors of the Orthodoxy and the World portal have collected Orthodox evening prayers for you. You can familiarize yourself with the texts and reading order.

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

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

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

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

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

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

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father

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

Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus, to our Lord Jesus Christ

Almighty, Word of the Father, perfect Himself, Jesus Christ, for the sake of Thy mercy, never leave me, Thy servant, but always rest in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not betray me to sedition of the serpent, and do not leave me the desire of Satan, for there is a seed of aphids in me. You are, O Lord, worshiped God, Holy King, Jesus Christ, while sleeping, save me with a flickering light, by Your Holy Spirit, Who sanctified Your disciples. Give, Lord, to me, Your unworthy servant, Your salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of the mind of Your holy Gospel, soul with the love of Your Cross, heart with the purity of Your word, my body with Your impassive passion, save my thought with Your humility, and raise up me in time like Your praise. As if you were glorified with Your Father without beginning and with the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer 3, to the Holy Spirit

Lord, the King of Heaven, the Comforter, the Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and let me go unworthy, and forgive all, the fir tree has sinned today like a man, moreover, not like a man, but more woeful than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, led and unknown: even from youth and science are evil, and even from impudence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I reproach; or I slandered whom with my anger, or grieved, or about what I became angry; or lied, or was worthless, or came to me poor, and despised him; or my brother grieved, or married, or whom I condemned; or you become proud, or you become proud, or you become angry; or standing by me in prayer, my mind moving about the wickedness of this world, or the corruption of thoughts; or overeat, or drunk, or laughing madly; or a crafty thought, or seeing a strange kindness, and by that wounded by the heart; or unlike the verbs, or the sin of my brother laughed, but my essence is countless sins; or about prayer, not radih, or otherwise that crafty deeds, I don’t remember, that’s all and more than these deeds. Have mercy on me, my Creator, Lord, dejected and unworthy of Your servant, and leave me, and let go, and forgive me, as Good and Lover of mankind, but I will lie down in peace, sleep and rest, prodigal, sinful and accursed, I will worship and sing And I will glorify Your honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and forever and forever. Amen.

Prayer 4, Saint Macarius the Great

What will I bring to Thee, or what will I repay Thee, the most gifted Immortal King, the generous and philanthropic Lord, as if lazy to me for Your pleasure, and did nothing good, did You bring to the end of this past day, the conversion and salvation of my soul building? Be merciful to me, be a sinner and naked of every good deed, raise up my fallen soul, defiled in immeasurable sins, and take away from me all the evil thought of this visible life. Forgive my sins, O only Sinless One, even though I have sinned on this day, in knowledge and ignorance, in word and deed, and thought, and all my feelings. You yourself, covering, save me from every opposing situation with your divine power, and indescribable philanthropy, and strength. Cleanse, O God, cleanse the multitude of my sins. Delight, Lord, deliver me from the net of the evil one, and save my passionate soul, and fall on me with the light of Your face, when you come in glory, and now sleep uncondemned, create sleep, and without dreaming, and undisturbed, keep the thought of Your servant, and all Satan's work reject me, and enlighten with me the reasonable eyes of the heart, so that I will not fall asleep in death. And send me an angel of peace, a guardian and mentor of my soul and body, may he deliver me from my enemies; so that, having risen from my bed, I will bring you prayers of thanksgiving. Hey, Lord, hear me, a sinful and wretched servant of Yours, with pleasure and conscience; grant me that I have risen to learn your words, and demonic despondency is far from me driven away to be created by your angels; May I bless Your holy name, and glorify and glorify the Most Pure Theotokos Mary, You have given us sinners intercession, and accept this one who prays for us; we know, as if imitating Your philanthropy, and praying does not stop. Toya intercession, and the sign of the Holy Cross, and for the sake of all Your saints, keep my poor soul, Jesus Christ our God, for Thou art Holy, and glorified forever. Amen.

Prayer 5th
Lord our God, if I have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, forgive me as Good and Lover of mankind. Peaceful sleep and serene grant me. Send your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, as if you are the guardian of our souls and our bodies, and we send glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Evening prayers listen online

Prayer 6th

Lord our God, in Worthless faith, and His name more than any name we call, give us, departing to sleep, weaken the soul and body, and keep us from every dream, except for dark sweetness; set the striving of passions, quench the kindling of the uprising of the body. Give us a chaste life of deeds and words; Yes, a virtuous residence is receptive, the promised ones will not fall away from Your good ones, for blessed are You forever. Amen.

Prayer 7, Saint John Chrysostom
(24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)

Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings.
Lord, deliver me eternal torment.
Lord, whether in mind or thought, in word or deed, I have sinned, forgive me.
Lord, deliver me from all ignorance and oblivion, and cowardice, and petrified insensitivity.
Lord, deliver me from every temptation.
Lord, enlighten my heart, darken the evil lust.
Lord, if a man has sinned, You, like God, are generous, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul.
Lord, send Thy grace to help me, may I glorify Thy holy name.
Lord Jesus Christ, write me Thy servant in the book of animals and grant me a good end.
Lord, my God, if I have done nothing good before You, but grant me, by Your grace, to lay a good beginning.
Lord, sprinkle in my heart the dew of Thy grace.
Lord of heaven and earth, remember me Thy sinful servant, cold and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
Lord, receive me in repentance.
Lord, don't leave me.
Lord, do not lead me into misfortune.
Lord, give me a good thought.
Lord, give me tears and the memory of death, and tenderness.
Lord, give me the thought of confessing my sins.
Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience.
Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness.
Lord, instill in me the root of the good, your fear in my heart.
Lord, grant me to love Thee with all my soul and thoughts, and to do Thy will in everything.
Lord, cover me from certain people, and demons, and passions, and from all other unsimilar things.
Lord, weigh, as you do, as you will, may your will be done in me a sinner, as if you are blessed forever. Amen.

Prayer 8, to our Lord Jesus Christ

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honest Mother, and Your bodiless Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Your Baptist, Your God-speaking apostles, bright and victorious martyrs, reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints with prayers, deliver me from the present demonic condition. Hey, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if to turn and live to be him, give me the conversion of the accursed and unworthy; deliver me from the mouth of the destructive serpent that gapes, devour me and bring me down to hell alive. Hey, my Lord, my consolation, Even for the sake of the accursed in corruptible flesh, throw me out of wretchedness, and give consolation to my wretched soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and leave evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: in Thee, O Lord, trust, save me.

Prayer 9, to the Most Holy Theotokos, Peter the Studio

To Thee, the Most Pure Mother of God, as a cursed one, I pray: weigh, Queen, as if I sin without ceasing and anger Your Son and my God, and many times I repent, I find lies before God, and I repent trembling: will the Lord really strike me, and by the hour I will create ; lead this, my mistress, the Lady Theotokos, I pray, have mercy, yes strengthen, and do good work and grant me. Vesi bo, my Lady Mother of God, as if by no means an imam in hatred of my evil deeds, and with all my thought I love the law of my God; but we do not know, the Most Pure Lady, from where I hate it, I love it, but I transgress the good. Do not allow, Most Pure One, my will to be done, it is not pleasing, but may the will of Your Son and my God be done: may it save me, and enlighten me, and give me the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that from now on I would stop foul deeds, and the rest would live in command Your Son, to Him befits all glory, honor and power, with His Beginningless Father, and His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos e

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

Prayer 11, to the holy guardian angel

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning today, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy, so that I will not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Theotokos

The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, gratefully we will write down Ti Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, from all troubles of freedom, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.
Glorious Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may our souls be saved by You.
I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.
Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of St. Joannicius

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Lord have mercy. (Three times)
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayer of Saint John of Damascus

Lover of mankind, will this coffin be for me, or will you enlighten my wretched soul in the daytime? Seven coffin is before me, seven death is coming. I am afraid of Your judgment, Lord, and endless torment, but I do not stop doing evil: I will always anger the Lord my God, and Your Most Pure Mother, and all the heavenly powers, and my holy guardian angel. We know, O Lord, that I am not worthy of Thy love for mankind, but I am worthy of all condemnation and torment. But, Lord, either I want it or I don't want it, save me. If you save the righteous, you are nothing great; and if you have mercy on the pure, it is nothing marvelous: for the essence of Thy mercy is worthy. But on me, a sinner, surprise Thy mercy: in this, show Thy philanthropy, so that my malice will not overcome Thy inexpressible goodness and mercy: and if you wish, arrange a thing for me.
Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, lest I fall asleep into death, lest my enemy say: Be strong against him.
Glory: Be the intercessor of my soul, O God, as I walk in the midst of many nets; Deliver me from them and save me, Blessed One, like a Lover of mankind.
And now: glorious Mother of God, and the holy Angel of the Most Holy, silently sing with heart and mouth, confessing this Mother of God, as if she truly gave birth to God incarnate to us, and praying unceasingly for our souls.

Mark yourself with the cross and say a prayer to the Holy Cross:
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; like wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face loving God and celebrating sign of the cross, and in the joy of those who say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell and corrected the strength of the devil, and gave us His Honorable Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

Prayer

Weaken, leave, forgive, God, our sins, free and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and not in knowledge, even in days and nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us all, as Good and Humanitarian.

Prayer

Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord, Lover of mankind. Bless those who do good. Grant to our brethren and relatives even for the salvation of petitions and eternal life. In the infirmities of the being, visit and grant healing. Izhe govern the sea. Travel travel. Grant forgiveness to those who serve and pardon us of sins. Those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them, have mercy according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, before our departed father and brothers, and give them rest, where the light of Thy face dwells. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and grant them even salvation, petitions and eternal life. Remember, Lord, also us, the humble and sinful and unworthy servants of Thy, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, with the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: blessed be Thou forever and ever . Amen.

Confession of sins everyday

I confess to you the Lord my God and Creator, in Holy Trinity To the one, glorified and worshiped, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, all my sins, even if I have done all the days of my stomach, and for every hour, and now, and in the past days and nights, deed, word, thought, overeating, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, slander, disobedience, slander, condemnation, negligence, self-love, acquisitiveness, theft, ill-spokenness, foul profit, mischief, jealousy, envy, anger, memory-malice, hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and my other sins, spiritual and bodily together, in the image of you my God and the Creator of anger, and my neighbor untrue: regretting these, I am guilty of myself to you, my God, and I have the will to repent: just, Lord God my, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me, who has passed my sins by Thy mercy, and resolve from all these, even I have spoken before Thee, as Good and Humanitarian.

When you go to sleep, say:
In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commit my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

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

Why you need to read prayers before bed

There is a certain prayer rhythm reserved for monastics and spiritually advanced laymen, for example, they can use a rosary.

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

Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

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

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

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

Evening prayers

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

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; bewildering any answer, we offer this prayer as the Lord of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, we put our trust in Thee; do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities below, but look now as if you are merciful, and deliver us from our enemies; Thou art our God, and we are Thy people, all works by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of Mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, hoping in Thee, let us not perish, but let us be delivered from troubles by Thee: Thou art the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and the King of every creature, having made me sing even at this hour, forgive me the sins that I have done in this day by deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And give me, Lord, in this night's sleep to pass away in peace, but having risen from my humble bed, I will please your most holy name, all the days of my stomach, and I will stop the enemies of the flesh and fleshless who fight me. And deliver me, O Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos
Good Tsar, good Mother, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that the rest of my life will pass without a blemish and I will find paradise with You, Virgin Mary, one Pure and Blessed.
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all, the fir-tree of sinning today, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy, so that I will not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me a sinful and unworthy slave, as if I were worthy, show the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Kontakion to the Theotokos
The chosen Voivode is victorious, as if having got rid of the evil ones, gratefully we will write down Ti Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as if having an invincible power, from all troubles of freedom, let us call Ty; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.
Glorious Ever-Virgin Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may our souls be saved by You.
I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your shelter.
Virgin Mother of God, do not despise me, a sinner, requiring Your help and Your intercession, my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of St. Joannicius
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

King of Heaven.

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

Icon of the Holy Trinity

Trisagion.

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

Lord's Prayer.

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

About other Orthodox prayers:

Prayer to the Guardian Angel.

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

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

The nuances of the evening rule

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

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

Apostle Paul

Important! It must be understood that it is impossible to replace prayers for a dream to come by listening to Orthodox songs.

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

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

AT contemporary practice the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

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

How Orthodox Christians Pray:

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

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

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

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

Important! Offering a supplication before going to sleep is an acquisition Orthodox Christian protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Video about prayers for the coming sleep.

Every believing person should be in contact with God every second of his existence. This should be his goal and daily work expressed in prayer. Many holy elders said that each appeal to the Creator should be accompanied by three prayers. The first is read as given by the Almighty, the second as gratitude to the Mother of God, and the third - for support in faith and Christian morality.

In order to make it easier for believers to reach God, some holy people created special prayer rules that indicated when and where it was appropriate to read this or that prayer. Also, thanks to this list, it was possible to find out how many times a day it is necessary to turn to the Creator. The days of church holidays and sacraments, requiring special spiritual preparation from the laity, were especially distinguished. Most famous prayer rule Seraphim of Sarov for the laity, which we will tell you about today. In addition to it, we will touch on some additional nuances of turning to God in the article.

Prayer work of the soul

Christianity takes daily prayer very seriously. The clergy instruct the flock, explaining to them that it is necessary to move towards God in small steps, but not stopping for a minute. It is not necessary immediately after baptism to rush headlong into reading religious books and actively attend all services in the church. So you will not gain spiritual purity, but only get confused in your feelings and sensations.

It is worth starting your movement towards God with the study of the prayer rule, which will help you correctly clothe the spiritual impulse in words. Moreover, every minister of the church will say that you need to accustom yourself to prayer. Despite the daily rhythm of life, mood and fatigue, you need to force yourself to turn to God with gratitude and a request for protection. At first, it will be quite difficult to do this, but gradually prayer will begin to bring joy and spiritual enlightenment.

At this stage, the believer can already say all the prayers from the prayer rule. And this work causes him an incredible feeling of unity with the Creator, which pushes him to further self-improvement. And over time, prayer begins to cause such happiness that a special state of peace and tranquility descends on a person. Filled with such feelings, the believer can leave everyday affairs in order to immediately turn to God.

It is precisely such religious feelings that push people to leave for a monastery, because within its walls prayer takes on a completely different meaning - turned into a single impulse of several souls, it becomes a real purification. Many holy elders say that it is for prayer that people go to the monastery. It becomes their reward, because with other ideas about God, few people will be able to cope with difficult monastic everyday life.

We have used such a phrase as "prayer rule" more than once in the article. Let's analyze this church term in more detail.

Prayer rule for the laity: a brief description

Since it is quite difficult for laymen who have just come to faith to accustom themselves to daily prayer, special collections have been compiled that help to correctly calculate their strength and turn to the Creator with a certain spiritual message.

Prayer rules were not invented overnight. Sometimes they were created by the holy elders at the request of the laity, while others appeared in connection with various church rituals. Be that as it may, but every Orthodox believer must adhere to a certain regulation that allows him to cleanse himself as much as possible from everything worldly and vain, in order to open his heart to his Creator.

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity

It is worth noting that the holy elder considered communion with the Creator the first necessity for a Christian. It should be more important to him than food, water and air. No believer can imagine his life without prayer.

The elder himself spent this occupation most of his time and bequeathed such a pastime to his spiritual children. Sometimes he even demanded many hours of daily prayer from his followers, and therefore he made up a rule for them that helps in difficult spiritual work.

Morning

Seraphim of Sarov believed that the new day should be met with the sign of the cross and the fulfillment of the morning prayer rule. The elder argued that in order to pray, a Christian should stand near the icons or in another place where nothing would distract him from communion with God.

The morning prayer rule includes three texts. Reading must be done in the following order:

"Our Father";
"Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
Symbol of faith.

Keep in mind that the first two texts should be read three times, but for the last prayer, one time is enough. After fulfilling the rules, a person can proceed to his daily affairs and duties.

Day

Seraphim of Sarov advised not to forget about the prayer rule during the usual affairs. In Russian, you can quietly read the Jesus Prayer. This allows you not to be distracted in your thoughts from communication with the Creator and makes it possible to correlate your thoughts with Christian virtues every second.

You should not start a lunch meal without repeating the morning ritual, only after it you can start eating.

Afternoon

According to the precepts of Seraphim of Sarov, an Orthodox believer cannot be distracted from prayer even after dinner. At this time, it is better to subtract:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner";
"Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner."

The first of these texts is suitable for solitude, when you can completely surrender to turning to the Almighty. But the second is possible to read, doing business until going to bed.

Prayers meant for the evening

Naturally, a Christian cannot calmly fall into sleep without taking time for his God. The evening prayer rule is identical to the morning one, all words must be pronounced when you definitely no longer do business. At the conclusion of the prayer, the believer overshadows himself with the sign of the cross and can calmly lie down in bed.

Interestingly, it is customary for Christians to fall asleep only after turning to God, because in a dream a person can finish his life path, and there is nothing worse than to appear unprepared before the Creator. Therefore, every day believers end with a prayer and repent of their sins. This alone characterizes true relationship between the soul and the Supreme.

Communion: preparation features

Communion is a special procedure that requires great labor and abstinence from the Orthodox. He must approach the sacrament prepared according to all the rules. They include a list of six items that include a prayer rule before Communion.

First of all, a Christian must keep himself in bodily and spiritual purity, and also observe fasting. Usually, preparation for the sacrament lasts several days; on the evening before Communion, it is imperative to take part in church service and read a few prayers at night:

penitential canon;
prayer canon to the Mother of God;
canon to the Guardian Angel;
Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Do not forget that the texts listed are read several times in a row, and the Orthodox believer must be in an even frame of mind and not harbor evil on anyone. Only in such a state can one come to the sacrament.

Bright Week: the first days of Easter

Many Christians who have recently come to God are interested in the prayer rule for Bright Week. Lay people often get confused in the numerous rituals and rituals that accompany this or that church festival.

During this period, Christians must completely change the order of their previous prayers, because the prayer rule for Bright Week includes a fairly wide list of canons and hymns. So, on the eve of the holiday (on the night of Easter), the Orthodox should read:

Easter hours;
"Christ is Risen";
"Seeing the Resurrection of Christ";
Easter troparia;
"Lord have mercy";
"Christ is Risen" (again).

Keep in mind that the first song is sung for at least seven minutes. The Orthodox claim that during this time an incredible grace descends on them. The second and third prayers are read three times, but the fifth must be said at least forty times.

From Easter to the Ascension of the Lord

The prayer rule for Easter involves starting and ending the day with the Easter troparion. It is necessary to read it three times, but more times will not be a violation - such is the impulse of your soul in honor of the bright holiday.

Also, the prayer rule for Easter includes the Trisagion. This prayer must be read at least three times.

From Ascension to Trinity

If you are not good at church holidays, then keep in mind that all days from the beginning of Easter to the Trinity are considered holidays. Therefore, special prayers are read during this period. Of course, if you start and end your day by simply turning to the Almighty out of ignorance, then this will not be a serious deviation from the rules. However, it is best to observe a special prayer rule after Easter.

Each coming holiday changes the order of reading prayers. We have already covered the period from Easter to Ascension in the previous section. Now we need to talk about the prayer rule after Easter until the Trinity.

During this period, which lasts ten days, the troparia to the Theotokos and the "King of Heaven, the Comforter" are not read. There is also a ban on bowing to the ground. Every day, the clergy recommend starting with the Trisagion.

Optina Elders

Many believers have heard about the prayer rule of the Optina elders. However, not every Christian understands who these holy people are and to what extent their advice is effective in one way or another. life situation. Therefore, we decided to tell you a little about the Optina elders themselves.

So, Optina Pustyn is one of the oldest monasteries in Russia. It is located near the Kaluga province, and the first mention of it dates back to the time of Boris Godunov.

Certainly, main value monastery were its monks, who quickly began to be called elders. All of them were not ordinary people, but possessed a number of characteristics that put them even during their lifetime on the same level as recognized Orthodox saints.

The following characteristics can be safely attributed to the features of the Optina elders:

The gift of healing or predicting the future. Almost every one of the elders had some kind of gift received from above. But most often these holy people predicted the future or healed the seriously ill. There are cases when they were even called sorcerers, but all their deeds were only with the blessing of God.
Faith. Each of the elders stood firm in the faith, no matter what happened in his life. This condition was one of the main ones for admission to the monastery, because only a true believer can help other people.
Service. The whole life of the Optina elders was aimed at serving the Creator and the people. For them, there was no concept of fatigue, everyone who needed help received it from the monks.
Repentance for the sins of others. The fact is that the Optina elders took a vow of repentance for all the Orthodox in this world. Often people came to the monastery for confession, telling about all their sins. The elders prayed for human misdeeds for long hours and then let them go with a pure soul and heart.

It is worth noting that people went to Optina Pustyn regardless of their social status and financial position. And for every misfortune, the elders found words of consolation, for many pilgrims they advised certain prayer rules, which turned out to be very effective.

Prayers from the Optina Elders

The monks of the Optina Hermitage spent most of their time in prayer. Therefore, they had accumulated a sufficient number of prayer rules, which they shared with pilgrims.

For example, in the morning it was supposed to be mandatory reading of twenty-seven texts. Among them, one can especially highlight:

Trisagion;
Symbol of faith;
prayer for the living;
prayer for the dead;
prayer to the Holy Trinity.

Optina elders advised to read prayers one time and in random order. The main attribute of turning to God is true faith and longing for communion with God. Only in this case the prayer will be effective and will bring purification.

The monks of the Optina Hermitage shared with pilgrims prayer rules for any occasion. For example, in case of temptation it was necessary to read a psalm to David. And if for one reason or another you are unable to attend church services, then you should read the following texts at home during the day:

morning - twelve psalms, a prayer to the Mother of God, a daytime akathist;
evening prayer rule - the canon to the Guardian Angel, twelve psalms, chapters from the Gospel, the prayer "Weaken, leave";
for the coming sleep - the prayer "Everyday Confession".

Interestingly, the Optina elders allowed some deviations from these regulations. They believed that due to certain reasons lay people can fully immerse themselves in everyday affairs. This may be due to some serious problems or illness. However, after the resolution of all problems, the Christian must return to his former religious behavior and devote time again to communion with the Creator.

Conclusion

We hope that our article will be useful to you and you will be able to choose for yourself some kind of prayer rule that will gradually bring you closer to God. Of course, the prayers we have listed are not the only ones, and if desired, every Christian will be able to find other religious texts, the reading of which will cause him a feeling of grace and spiritual joy. Remember that it is this feeling that accompanies your daily appeal to the Almighty that indicates that you are doing the right thing and your prayer has been heard. Many Christians think it's hard work, but it really isn't. more joy than to work with the name of God on our lips and in the name of His glory. Do not forget about daily prayer in the bustle of everyday life, and perhaps then the Lord will change your life.

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

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

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

Lord have mercy. (Three times)

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

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