Why Orthodox Christians Can't Pray at Night. About prayer

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About prayer

How to pray for those who are unknown, whether they are alive?

“You will not be mistaken if you pray as for the living, because with God everyone is alive. All but heretics and apostates. It's the dead" (Elder Nectarius of Optina).21
Soulful Teachings of the Venerable Optina Elders. Edition of the Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, 2007.

Laymen are allowed to read prayers from the Trebnik, except for priests and deacons. For example, there are such distant places where there is no church; there the believers themselves perform an incomplete funeral, that is, they sing stichera, read the canon, the Apostle, but do not read the Gospel, the prayer of absolution, do not say the exclamations and litanies of the priest and deacon. They even perform services in this way; for example, they serve not mass, but lunch.

Is it possible to eat at night after twelve o'clock for those who work the night shift? Do they need to read prayers "for the coming sleep"?

If necessary, you can eat, and it’s good to pray, at least briefly. Prayer will never hurt, but it will also save you from temptations.

After Communion at home, I recited prayers of thanksgiving, suddenly a neighbor came in, a conversation began, and I told her that I had just been to church, I took communion, and now I was reading prayers of thanksgiving, and immediately after her departure it became unpleasant in my soul, as if grace had departed from me . Why could this happen?

This happened because you had to keep your good deed, your prayer, a secret, but you opened it, and thereby destroyed it. Because, as it were, grace departed and a mournful, unpleasant feeling took over. The enemy of salvation often inspires to go to someone from the temple or sends a person with empty talk in order to take grace from the soul after visiting the temple and especially when a person takes communion.

If acquaintances unexpectedly came to me during prayer, should I leave the prayers or ask them to wait until I finish praying?

It is necessary to leave prayer (for love is higher than prayer), accept acquaintances, and having let them go, end your prayer.

Is it good if the prayer rule is larger: in addition to the usual morning and evening prayers - akathists, canons?

The most important thing in the fulfillment of the prayer rule is its constant daily fulfillment. If necessary, it is reduced. You must have such a rule that it does not exceed your strength and that your conscience does not reproach you for laziness.

Is it possible to imagine the prayer of the Lord, the saints? Is it possible to arouse in oneself the desire to see angels or feel the suffering of Jesus Christ?

Many saints forbid imagining the Lord. fathers, in particular Saint Simeon the New Theologian and Saint Theophan the Recluse. Saint Simeon the New Theologian speaks of three types of prayer, and prayer with imagination is not permitted as the prayer of delusion. 22
“The distinctive properties of the first image are as follows: when someone, standing in prayer and raising his hands and his eyes, and his mind to heaven, keeps divine thoughts in his soul, imagines the blessings of heaven, the ranks of angels and the abodes of saints, and briefly, everything heard in the Divine Scriptures, collects in his mind, and then discusses it during prayer, in vain to heaven, and thereby moves his soul to the lust and love of God, and sometimes even draws tears and cries (this will be the first image of attention and prayer).
But with this image (prayer, if someone stops at it alone, it happens that) little by little - (the one who prays like this) begins to boast in his heart, without realizing it; it seems to him that what he is doing is from the grace of God to comfort him, and he prays to God to vouchsafe him to always be in such a work. And this (i.e., thinking this way about this type of prayer) is a sign of delusion: for good is no longer good when it does not happen in a good way and as it should ...
From what we have said, every reasonable person can understand what harm comes from this first way of attention and prayer (if you consider it the last limit of perfection in prayer). But if it happens that one of those who use this image does not suffer any of the evils that we have heard about, due to cohabitation with the brethren (because they are especially affected by those who live in solitude), then he will still spend his whole life without succeeding. (in the spiritual life)." (St. Simeon the New Theologian. Word 68, about the three images of attention and prayer // Words of the Monk Simeon the New Theologian, vol. 2. M .: Rule of Faith, 2002).

But sometimes, because of the invasion of blasphemous thoughts, you cannot look at the icon! How then to pray?

“So that thoughts hinder you less, you can only look at the icons from time to time,” says St. Ambrose of Optinsky, - but we must know that icons are only for external eyes, and therefore, standing in prayer, we must remember that we stand before God. In no case should one imagine an icon in the mind. 23
Lives of the Venerable Elders of the Optina Hermitage. Holy Trinity Monastery. Printshop of St. Job of Pochaev. Jordanville, New York. 1992.

Is it possible to pray while walking or lying in bed? Is it necessary to stand while reading the Gospel when you pray at home, and is it possible to read the Gospel in public transport?

When you make a non-prayer rule, then you can pray in any position, but when you make a rule, it is sinful to lean on and sit without need. If you can, then it is better to read the Holy Gospel while standing, and if you are tired or weak, then sitting, with reverence. In public transport it is better to read the Psalter.

Do spiritually wise people advise engaging in the Jesus Prayer on their own, and if so, to what extent?

It is very useful and salutary to engage in the Jesus Prayer orally, usually, but it is possible to engage in a smart-hearted prayer only with the guidance of experienced elders and with St. books about the Jesus Prayer, and most importantly, do not seek anything through it, except for mercy.

But what use can there be from the Jesus Prayer if I pronounce it only with my lips, without understanding what I am saying, my mind keeps running to the side?

“You don’t understand,” said the Optina Elder Macarius, “but the demons understand and tremble. Calm down and keep on praying.” 24
Soulful Teachings of the Venerable Optina Elders.

“Do not believe your flesh, which threatens you with failure during prayer: it is lying. If you begin to pray, you will see that the flesh will become your obedient slave. Prayer will revive her. Always remember that the flesh is false" (Saint John of Kronstadt).25
St. rights. John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. Word 1556.

How is it better to pray, one or two, three of us?

St. John of Kronstadt said: “The Lord loves and listens more to prayer when we pray not alone and not on our own and not for ourselves alone, but together, from everyone and for everyone.” 26
St. rights. John of Kronstadt. In the world of prayer Conciliarity of Prayer. Commissioned by the Holy Euphrosyne Monastery in Polotsk. SPb., 1991.

What to do on a holiday if you cannot go to the temple and cannot read spiritual books?

Pray at home, even when lying down, because God will require inner prayer even from a seriously ill person. It is also good to engage in divine thinking: about the life of the Savior on earth, about the Last Judgment, about the Resurrection of the dead, about eternal life, bliss and eternal torment, about death and ordeals. Elder Athos Fr. Arseny writes: "This is the same as prayer." 27
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky. Saint Arsenius of Cappadocia. Holy mountain. No year.

Why are the same prayers repeated so often in the church? It's like, "Lord, have mercy."

“And why do we repeat and quicken our breathing? It is necessary, it excites and sustains our lives. For the same, frequent prayers are also needed ... And really, what does it mean: “Lord, have mercy”? This is the cry of the guilty and condemned to death, asking for mercy from an irritated justice. This is the cry of a penitent, expressing a firm intention to improve and start a new life, befitting a Christian. This is the cry of a sinner who himself is ready to have mercy on others, as one who has had infinite mercy and mercy from God, the Judge of his deeds. (Saint John of Kronstadt).28
St. rights. John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. Word 1224.

Sometimes a person prays, it would seem, fervently, but his prayer does not bring him the fruits of peace and joy of the heart in the Holy Spirit. From what?

“Because, praying according to ready-made prayers, he did not sincerely repent of those sins that he committed on that day, with which he defiled his heart, this temple of Christ, and with which he angered the Lord. But remember them, and repent with all sincerity, condemning yourself impartially, and immediately settle in your heart. world, transcend all mind(Philippians 4:7). In church prayers there is an enumeration of sins, but not all, and often those very ones are not mentioned, with which we have bound ourselves. One must by all means enumerate them in prayer with a clear consciousness of their importance, with a feeling of humility and with heartfelt contrition. That is why in the evening prayers it is said when listing sins: either this or that was done by the evil, that is, it is left to our will to mention these or other sins ” (Saint John of Kronstadt).29
St. rights. John of Kronstadt. In the world of prayer Repentance in prayer.

At Baptism I will be 22 years old. I myself have been baptized for ten years, but something began to change in me quite recently, literally a year or two. But, probably, I have not yet become a Christian, because I am still ashamed to pray in church, although I pray at home. And as soon as I start to pray, I shed tears. What is this? Purification?

Tears in the temple can indeed be cleansing, but they can also be a reminder that the soul really wants repentance, confession and communion, and false shame (fear of prayer in the temple) prevents it from doing so.

What if I overslept and there is no time for the morning rule, and I am in a hurry to work or to the beginning of the service in the temple?

If it happens that you oversleep and do not have time to read the morning rule, then you can do this: start reading it at home, and finish it on the road.

It is possible, if the soul requires.

Is it possible to read the canon of repentance on holidays, Christmas time, Bright Week, if you have committed a sin?

According to the rules of the Church, in the days of Bright Week, according to the charter, penitential canons are not supposed to be read. Prayers of repentance during fasting are enough, and the committed sin is cleansed at confession. On these days, it is better to try not to sin.

Is it possible to bow to the ground at home prayer on Christmas time, holidays, Bright Weeks, if you have sinned and your conscience does not allow you to pray standing up?

We must try to live according to the charter of the Church 30
See Lenten triode. On Holy and Great Wednesday evening.

Which cancels prostrations on the ground these days, but kneeling can also be allowed in home prayer.

Is it possible to replace morning and evening prayers with the reading of akathists and canons, after "Our Father ..." to "It is worthy to eat .."?

It is possible, if there is some special need for this, but it is better not to invent your own charters, but to follow the church. Canons and akathists are read in free time; Reading the Psalter is also recommended.

Tell me, please, which saint to turn to so that there is peace in the soul and finally happiness comes to our house and our desire with our son is fulfilled - to have a two-room apartment?

There is no magic in the church. When we want to receive something from the Lord or from the saints, we must not only pray to them, but also build our lives according to the commandments of the Lord. “The prayer of a righteous man can do much,” the Scripture says, and vice versa: “God does not hear sinners,” because they do not want to hear Him. Through the Gospel, the Lord turns to all of us with a request that we be kind, loving, humble, etc., but we often do not even want to hear about this, but we ourselves ask Him to help us. And it also happens like this: we need the Lord only in difficult times; He fulfills our requests, and we even forget to thank Him and turn to Him again only when sorrows overtake us again; and in the days of peace and happiness, it’s as if we don’t need Him. You can apply to many saints, to the Mother of God, to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself with a request for the fulfillment of your desires, but for this it would be desirable for you to get acquainted with the Gospel, where our dogma is stated; it is good to read the lives of the saints, after which these chosen ones of God become close to you, and you turn to them with a warm, heartfelt prayer from all your heart.

What saints should be prayed to and what kind of icon is needed for the bees to multiply?

In the Treasury there is a special prayer for the blessing of the hives (“Where the bees stand ...”) and another prayer: “Blessing the swarms of bees planted in the new hive ...” These prayers are read by the priest. So, if you have the opportunity, you need to invite him to consecrate your hives. If this is not possible, then you can read the following prayer: “God, by human labor and dumb animals, knowing goodness, and by Your inexpressible mercy seven fruits and deeds for our needs, we teach to use the fruits and deeds of our needs, we humbly pray to Your Majesty: bless this bee to gain the human race I multiply, supplying them, nourishing them, and each one trust in Your majesty and Your immeasurable bounty, labor in the care of these animals, you will be able to perceive your labors with abundant fruits, and the heavenly blessing will be fulfilled in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him honor and glory forever and ever , amen." After reading this prayer, sprinkle the hives with holy water.

When I read prayers (in the morning and in the evening), I yawn, cry, my body vibrates. Why is that?

You can only get an answer to this question from an experienced confessor after a detailed confession. In absentia such questions are not solved.

Is it true that you first need to read a prayer and only then cross yourself? Or maybe while reading?

According to the charter of the Church, the sign of the cross is supposed to be performed at the beginning and at the end of prayer.

Is it good to pray for offenders?

The Lord is pleased to pray for those who offend us, and therefore we need to pray for them.

What saints to pray for those who offend?

For those who offend, it is necessary to serve a prayer service to Archdeacon Stephen and light candles to the holy Apostle John the Theologian and St. Seraphim ordered to put candles behind the throne for health and salvation. The ascetic George the Recluse wrote: “Order to commemorate those who are at war with you in churches for health, God will glorify the work of your good heart before everyone.” 31
Elder George the Recluse // Wake up, soul… School of Orthodoxy for beginners. Selected advice and instructions of the holy fathers for all occasions. M.: Ark, 2007.

Can you please explain what prayers are included in the Treasury?

Requirements are different. There is a Small Breed, there is a Big Breed. The Treasury of Peter the Grave is one of the most complete. In Trebniki there are a wide variety of rites and prayers: the rite of the Funeral Service, Baptism, Confession, Communion at home, prayers for the consecration of icons, church utensils, bells, for the expulsion of dark forces, as well as chastises, prayers for the consecration of the house, stove, beehives, against invasion insects, etc. This is only a small list of prayers found in the Treasury.

Is there a prayer against sleep?

Is such a prayer necessary? After all, sleep restores strength, and excessive stress can lead to a breakdown, exhaustion of the nervous system, and even mental illness. Here is a recommendation for insomnia: for this you need to read the Jesus prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice ...” and others.

In the prayer books, in the Ribbon there are prayers with which we turn to the Lord. And sometimes I just sort of mentally talk to Him (in my own words). Is this allowed? Or maybe this is not pleasing to the Lord, and I should not do this?

Is it possible to pray without a prayer book and a Psalter at all?

Without reading the Psalter or the prayer book, we cannot. This heats up the heart, just as the fire that is weakening in the furnace is strengthened by throwing firewood. But when the heart flares up and some feeling takes possession of the whole soul, then you should stop reading and pray with your prayer. St. Theophan the Recluse speaks of this. 32
Rev. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain. Invisible curse. Part 1, Ch. 48-49. Saint Theophan the Recluse translated this book into Russian.

I myself do not know Russian, by nationality - a Yakut, a disabled person. I am collecting medicinal herbs. I would like to know what prayers should be read at the same time, is there any literature?

All prayers are good when they are prayed for good. You need to read short prayers: "Our Father ...", "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice ...", "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner" and others.

It happens that a Christian on the occasion of a special holiday drank a little alcohol. It's time for evening prayer. Isn't it a sin to pray to God for the coming sleep in such, albeit a mild, degree of intoxication?

Let your heart and conscience tell you what to do right.

I would like to ask you for a prayer for abortion. I have already repented of this sin to the priest.

Prayer for abortion is not handed out. This prayer is read by the priest at the request of the penitent directly.

I would like to pray with tears, but it doesn’t always work out, we are connected with the world, we are distracted. We gather with the same believers, we sing cants. Maybe write at least one?

Tears in prayer are a gift from God. The Church has always opposed artificial exaltations. The main thing in Orthodox prayer is the consciousness of sins and repentance for them. Prayer of repentance is the most correct. Kants are not used in church services. These chants are allowed to be sung at home; it's soul-saving. We read in the life of St. Demetrius of Rostov that the cantes were peta by his order in the last hours of his life. 33
Life of St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov, miracle worker // Lives of the Saints. M.: Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, 2004

This already shows their significance for spiritual edification.

On the tablets in the commandments of the Lord it is written: "Do not pronounce the name of the Lord your God in vain." The Law of God says: “When we need something, we must turn to God with prayer. You can pray to God everywhere: in the house, in the temple, and on the road. A Christian is obliged to pray daily, morning and evening, before and after meals, before and after every work. Is it possible to often repeat "Lord, bless, save"?

In vain (that is, in vain) pronouncing the name of God is when we pronounce it without realizing it, in a proverb, with every little thing. Prayer to God is not in vain.

What to do if it is impossible to cross yourself (hands are busy, etc.)?

“The Jesus Prayer will replace the sign of the cross if for some reason it is impossible to place it” (Elder Nikon Optinsky).34

Are bows to the ground in a church or at home necessary during a prayer service, or is there no need for heartfelt prayer?

In the liturgical practice of the Church there is a special charter on prostrations. It is found in the Typicon, a book that is the Rule of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. It says about prostrations to the ground there, in particular, that they are performed after the transfer of the Holy Gifts, during Lenten services, in particular, during the reading of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, etc. Prostrations are not performed according to the charter on the great twelfth holidays, and are also canceled they are on Sundays. During home prayer, you can make earthly prostrations when your soul requires it.

If I read prayers and a candle is not lit in front of the image, do my prayers reach our Lord Jesus Christ?

A candle is a symbol of prayer. It's good when it glows during prayer; however, this is not a condition for the Lord to accept or not accept our prayers. Love for God, sincere repentance - these are some of the conditions for the intelligibility of our prayers to God.

Is it possible to replace morning and evening prayers with the reading of psalms, the Jesus Prayer, or something else?

Saint Theophan the Recluse answered a similar question that there was no need to replace evening and morning prayers with anything. 35
Saint Theophanes recommended, if there is no time or energy to read the entire morning or evening prayer rule, to shorten it, but not cancel it. See St. Feofan. Spiritual Life Letters. M., 1897

When is prayer considered a sin?

“There is no greater sin,” taught St. Theophan the Recluse, “how to pray to God without fear, attention and reverence; pray with the tongue, and with the mind talk with the demons. 36
Soulful Teachings of St. Theophan the Recluse. Edition of the Svyato-Vvedenskaya Optina Hermitage, 2008.

How to deal with extraneous thoughts?

“During prayer and spiritual reasoning,” Archimandrite Feofan Novoezersky advises us, “beware of accepting any extraneous thoughts; with a prohibition, speak your thoughts: “In the name of God, I forbid you!” - and the thought will certainly listen. The Jesus Prayer and the Sign of the Cross will conveniently drive away all the power of the enemy.” 37
Teachings of the elder Feofan Novoezersky. Publishing house of the Moscow Patriarchy, 1997

What if you want to pray with bows?

“When the desire comes to pray among the rule (or in general) with a special prayer and with bows, then there is no need to interfere with such a mood” (Rev. Ambrose of Optina).38
Soulful Teachings of the Optina Elders.

What are the signs of God's visitations in prayer, and which are of the enemy?

During grace-filled appearances or visitations of God, there are good thoughts and feelings: joy, love for God and neighbor and even for enemies, humility, self-reproach, penitential feeling, contrition, compunction, peace of mind, peace to all, the desire for good and salvation for all. In the presence of enemies: pride, consciousness of one's own dignity, anger, hatred, cruelty, anxiety, embarrassment, doubt in the phenomenon.

Is it possible for a worldly person to pray with a rosary?

“About prayer with the rosary,” writes St. Theophan the Recluse, “I myself heard for the first time from a layman, and not from a monk. And many laymen and laywomen pray in this way. And we will need this. Only it is necessary to pray for them not ostentatiously, but secretly. 39
St. Theophan the Recluse. What is spiritual life and how to tune in to it, ch. 47. M.: Father's house, 2007.

Is it really so important to keep your prayer home rule inexorably?

Christians who do not keep the house rule are dead Christians. The rule of the house is the stimulator of spiritual strength, the guide to unceasing prayer.

What to do when bad thoughts obsessively creep into your head during prayer?

If, during prayer, bad thoughts obsessively stick to us, then they advise, leaving the reading of the prayer, to pray to God against thoughts, so that He will drive them away from us.

Is it possible to pray for unbelieving bosses?

“Pray also for the authorities, even for those who persecute and hate you, and for the enemies of the Cross, so that the fruit of your faith will be clear to everyone and you yourself will be perfect” (Martyr Polycarp of Smyrna).40
Shmch. Polycarp of Smyrna. Epistle to the Philippians // Writings of the Apostolic Men. M.: Amphora, 2007.

Is it possible to pray in front of people?

“Pray either in body or in spirit in secret, and not in front of people, although they are sleeping” (Elder Adrian Yugsky).41
See the Guide to the Spiritual Life of Elder Adrian, Hieromonk, Ascetic of the Yugskaya Dorotheev Hermitage. M. - Riga, 1995.

What is the best way to pray in case of insensibility?

In case of insensibility, it is better to pray with short prayers.

Is it good to pray for ascetics who have not yet been glorified on earth?

Prayer is pleasing to God for those who have fallen asleep. Our prayer intercedes for them great glory and causes them to pray for us before the Lord.

How is it necessary to stand in prayer?

One should get up for prayer without relaxing the body, without stepping from one foot to the other and without leaning against a wall or a pillar. Hands should be kept decently folded, legs should be even and motionless, the head should not be turned to one side or the other, but bent slightly, the mind should not be scattered and thoughts should not be curious or distracted by lazy ones who talk to each other and whisper, but in every possible way keep the eyes from absent-mindedness and soul, listening to the words of the prayer so that not a single word in it is idly missed. For if you accustom yourself to do this in this matter, you will soon succeed and reach a perfect man. At the end of the doxology, do not immediately start conversations with one or the other. Keep silence and move away from everyone. Keep silence with this thought: “What good can I say, being completely unclean and senseless and even unworthy to speak or hear anything, or be considered among the people” .42
Rev. Simeon the New Theologian. A word about the beginning of life is very useful and saving // Twelve words in Russian. per. from Hellenic-Greek Ed. Kozelskaya Vvedenskaya Optina Desert. M., 1869.

During prayer, is it possible to dwell on spiritual thoughts or thoughts about useful deeds?

During prayer, one should oppose not only vain thoughts, but also all thoughts about spiritual and useful deeds that come untimely, but deepen and force oneself to read the prayer and think of God until they are completed.

Is it wrong to pray in passing?

“If anyone prays to God without fear, in passing, he invites the wrath of God, the exile of God. It is better for him not to pray at all than to pray somehow. There is no greater sin. Demons never attack so much as for contempt for God. (Rev. Simeon the New Theologian).43
The words of St. Simeon the New Theologian. Word 8. Vol. 1.

Is it possible for a husband to pray with his head covered when in need?

When your head is also covered, do not leave prayer, but observe only that you do it not with neglect.

Should one leave the reading of the Divine book in a prayerful mood?

If your mind and heart experience a prayerful mood while reading the Holy Scriptures, then you remain in prayer until the prayerful mood ceases.

Should one make prostrations beyond one's strength?

God does not require from us a rule higher than our strength, and therefore consider your strength!

Which saints should be prayed against nervousness?

Holy Martyrs Boris and Gleb.

What should I read at home if I couldn't go to church?

Instead of Matins - morning prayers, twelve selected psalms and the first hour, and instead of Mass - the third and sixth hours with pictorial ones.

Does prayer before God have power if it is read without sympathy of the heart?

Without sympathy of the heart, prayer is invalid.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing?

Praying always and unceasingly does not mean always reading psalms or written prayers - this is an impossible thing. For every Christian must do his work according to his calling; likewise, a burdened body requires rest by sleep, and so on. But it means that often in every undertaking you raise your mind and heart, and sigh to God and ask Him for mercy, help and intercession.

Can you shorten your prayer home rule?

You can, only if you need to. According to St. Theophan the Recluse, only spiritually strengthened people are allowed to reduce the rule of prayer, and not to anyone who wants to get rid of prayer as soon as possible. Remember that he who threatens dogs with a stick irritates them against him, and the demons are irritated by the one who forces himself to pray often. 44
“Before you asked an hour before the end of the rule. Not seeing the tricks of the enemy, I agreed to this. Now the enemy has sat down to you and suggested that you can shorten the prayer rule even more by adding needlework to it. Thus, your usual prayers were completely ruined. Not so good. Take the trouble to restore it as it was in the beginning. If it is more convenient for you to finish the rule an hour earlier, then put it down and start it earlier. Letter 528, no. III.

When I pray with others, can the inner movement of the soul be shown outwardly?

If we pray in partnership with others, then it is enough for us to show the inner movement of the soul before God only with the mind and heart, not to take on a sad, tearful face and not to make any signs with the body that would show what is in our soul, so that others would not become honor us, and others, perhaps, make fun of us - through this we are subjected to temptation, embarrassment in ourselves and anger at others. But when we are alone and others do not see us, in order to ridicule us, then we can accept the face of the one who prays, and the voice of sadness, and shed tears, lift up hands to grief, and bow to the ground.

If the mind is distracted by prayer, what should one do?

At a time when your mind is distracted, more than prayer, engage in reading the Divine.

Sometimes, a desire comes to pray for a person. What does it mean?

When the desire to pray for someone comes, it means that the Lord Himself wants to have mercy on that soul and graciously listens to your prayers.

Is it good to bow down at night?

Never forget to bow down to the ground at night, and if you get sick, bow at least three times. With these nightly bows and prayers, a person overcomes the devil, and in what he sins during the day, he gets rid of sin.

What if I don't find time to read St. books and prayers

Is it only then that prayer is considered when we pray in front of the icons?

Prayer is not the only one to be sure to stand in front of the icons in prayer. To keep the mind and heart turned and striving towards God is already prayer, no matter what position one is in, whether one is sitting, lying, or walking. The rule of home prayer in its own way: in the morning and in the evening before the icons, and this state of prayer is its own.

What should I do if during the prayer rule I am distracted by windows passing by?

When you're doing your home rule of prayer, pull down the curtain. And when you look out the window, then remember that you need to repent.

When I pray, am I afraid?

Consider the fear that occurs during prayer as a temptation from the enemy, who is trying to turn away from prayer everyone who wants to pray. When approaching prayer, shield yourself with the sign of the cross and continue to pray, and in time, by the grace of God, you will be delivered from this temptation if you become less angry with others and keep yourself from condemnation.

What is the best time to pray?

“Night is the best time for prayer,” writes St. Theophan the Recluse. “Especially at midnight.” 45
St. Theophan the Recluse. Guide to Spiritual Life.

And St. John Chrysostom says that the Lord especially bows to mercy with night prayers. 46
Saint John Chrysostom. Discussion on the Benefits of Night Prayer. // I admonish you, beloved. Selected Conversations. M., 2009.

What is a call?

The urge is (the desire) to turn to God; it happens sometimes without a definite need, but only by a thirst for God. To what extent and in whatever form this urge manifests itself, one should never leave it unsatisfied, but immediately turn to prayer and pray in the position in which the urge found itself: if for work, then pray for it, if for reading - in the midst of it and pray, if while walking - walking and praying. But, of course, it is better and more fruitful to stand in a prayer place and take a prayer position, if possible. If this urge arises during prayer, stop reading the prayer and pray according to this urge, with your own word or without a word.

What if they ask me to pray, but I can’t pray for myself?

“Do not renounce prayer for others under the pretext of fear that you cannot plead for yourself - beware that you will not plead for yourself if you do not pray for others” (St. Philaret of Moscow).47
St. Philaret of Moscow. Word on the day of the wedding to the kingdom and the chrismation of the most pious Sovereign Emperor Alexander Pavlovich, 1823 // St. Philaret (Drozdov). Selected works, letters, memoirs. M.: Orthodox St. Tikhon Theological Institute, 2003.

What to do so that the Lord hears prayer?

If you wish to offer a pure prayer to God, then test your mind first and arrange it so that when you say: “Have mercy on me,” you will also be merciful to the one who implores you; when you say: “Remember not my sins,” and you did not remember the sins of your neighbor; when you say: “Do not remember my sins, voluntary and involuntary,” and you did not remember the insults that you were upset about. If you do not do this, you will pray in vain. And God will not hear you, as the Holy Scripture testifies. So, in the Gospel, the Lord commands to pray in this way: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. If you forgive a person their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you(Matthew 6:12, 14). And in the Gospel of Luke he says: Let go and they will let you go(Luke 6:37). And in another place he teaches his disciples to pray like this: And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every debtor our(Luke 11:4).

How to get rid of the scattering of thoughts during prayer?

Praying with your mouth, pray with your mind as well, that is, direct your mind in the power of the words of prayer. If, due to weakness or the pretense of enmity, in the midst of prayer you are carried away by thinking about any subject, then, sensing your imprudence, sigh with contrition to the Lord and with great fervor deepen your attention into prayer; always do this and you will reap the benefits. Constancy of mind and alertness attract special gifts of grace to the soul. 48
Rev. Boniface of Theophany // Elder Councils of Some Domestic Ascetics of Piety in the 18th-19th Centuries. M., 1913.

There is absolutely no time for prayer. How to be?

We have time for the body: we find time to drink tea, have lunch, dinner, but it’s hard to give the Lord even ten minutes! It is the One who gives us everything.

The Holy Fathers of the Orthodox Church attached special meaning to night prayer, considering it one of the most powerful and useful methods of cleansing and enlightening the soul.

St. John Chrysostom concluded: “The Lord especially bows to mercy with night prayers,” and St. Isaac the Syrian said: "Every night prayer is more useful for you than all daytime deeds."

However, the clergy agree that the laity, unlike the monks, should not pray at night, since this action is associated with dangerous temptations, which it is very difficult for an unprepared person to cope with. But, and if, nevertheless, a person has an inexhaustible desire to pray at night, this can be done only with the blessing of his personal confessor.

The difference between a monk and a layman

The path of a layman and a monk are two different paths of human life, with differences in lifestyle, care and prayerful perfection. The monks, who are not connected by close family and marital ties, do not know the troubles associated with caring for loved ones, their minds are not occupied with numerous worldly problems, they do not feel the shortage of time, which is categorically lacking for a working person.

Each monk has a personal confessor who monitors his spiritual development and instructs in prayer practices.

Monks live in their own world, dependent on a certain discipline, with a clear hierarchy of subordination and a daily routine that allows you to pray at different times of the day.

That is why most of the works of the holy fathers, which tell about the rules of prayer, were addressed to monks, based on their special rhythm of being in monasteries.

St. Ignatius Bryanchaninov writes: “Monks are those Christians who leave as much as possible earthly activities for prayer - a virtue, the highest of all virtues, in order to unite with God through it ...”

The tradition of night prayers

The tradition of night prayers dates back to the time of the formation of Christianity, when the ascetics of Christ, hiding from persecution, could fearlessly offer their daily prayers only in the dark hours of the day. It was not difficult for them to do this, firstly, due to an incredible spiritual impulse, and, secondly, because of the particular way of life - in the hot southern countries, from whose territory this religion began to spread, people used to relax during the day in order to cool work at night. Subsequently, this practice was adopted by the monasteries and constant night prayers became part of the life of the monks.

The power of night prayer

The unusual power of night prayer lies in the fact that when it is performed, the human mind is uniquely focused on communion with God, and peace reigns in the soul, inspired by both a deep understanding of the words of prayer, and gratitude, humility, tenderness and love that arise in the soul.

St. Chrysostom saw its power in the following: “At night, you can lift your mind more freely to God, and nightly prayers will turn you to repentance, and God will listen to them more than daytime ones. If you leave the house at night, you will notice a general silence; and your soul becomes purer at this time, and your mind is easier to pray.

In order for a person to be able to pray at night, his will must be turned to God, his body energetic and collected, his conscience freed by repentance, his heart cleansed of passions, and his mind removed from vanity, but these circumstances are very difficult to achieve for a layman involved in the turmoil of modern life.

An inhabitant unprepared for night prayer can become an easy prey for demons, who, according to N. Pestov, for unknown reasons, “have the greatest power over the world and sometimes interfere in prayer with various “insurances” (inducing feelings of fear, fear, horror, incomprehensible sounds, knocks and, finally, various phenomena and visions).

His words are echoed by the religious writer S. Nilus, who described a sad incident that took place in Optina Desert, when a young man preparing to take monastic vows, contrary to the prohibition of his confessor, performed unauthorized prayers at night. As a result, after another disobedience, the “novice” ran naked out of the cell and ran into the church where the service was being held. Climbing to St. He raged at the throne and made inconsistencies, and the monks who saw this could not do anything, because they were obsessed with an incomprehensible fettering fear. Only the hieromonk, after a brief hesitation, threw the madman from the Throne and handed him over to the hands of doctors, who ascertained that he had a mental disorder, because of which he spent the rest of his life in the appropriate clinic.

In the book "Monastery in the World" Fr. Valentin Sventsitsky writes: “Don't pray late. Before 12 o'clock at night, the prayer should be over, and the prayer should go to sleep. We do not know all the secrets of the invisible world. Not everything is revealed to us, and not everything is known. We also don’t know why it is precisely at these late hours, after 12, that the dark forces especially feel their power and attack the soul with particular fury.

Prayer at night makes a person’s soul more receptive to both good and bad, which is why it is easier for demons to penetrate it, tempt a person with subtle temptations, amuse his ears with false revelations, kindle proud thoughts and drag him into tempting disputes.

In the same edition, it is noted that often demons, in order to deceive those who pray, take on the appearance of angels of light, about which Archbishop Vasily (Krivoshein) also wrote.

In the book Angels and Demons in the Spiritual Life, he cites the words of St. Anthony the Great, who told his disciples about the tricks of the evil spirit, who want to drive a Christian from the righteous path.

It is precisely the distinction between real angels of light and demons pretending to be them that is the main problem that accompanies night prayer. A layman who is not familiar with all the tricks of the devil can easily succumb to his tricks, since the recognition of these two spirits is not on an instinctive, but on an intuitive level. That is why Anthony insists: “We must pray ... in order to receive the gift of discernment of spirits, so that, as it is written, we would not believe in every spirit,” and in worldly life a person does not have so much free time to devote himself to constant prayers to learn to resist the influence of dark forces.

Night to sleep

There are lines in one of the letters of St. Ambrose of Optina about the fact that the laity do not need to devote the night to prayers: and when you succeed in this, then you can think about something else.

The body of a working person, tired during the day, needs to recuperate through uninterrupted sleep, and nightly prayers will certainly break it into segments of imaginary wakefulness and possible relaxation.

Blessed Theodoret of Cyrus noted: "God's gaze ... gave ... a sweet and long sleep, which can calm the body after fatigue and make it stronger for the labors of the next day."

When leading an active lifestyle, a person must have a proper sleep schedule, and constant awakenings for night prayers can unbalance his psyche and cause irreparable harm.

The rector of the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Saratov, hegumen Pakhomiy (Bruskov) answers questions on the personal prayer rule of a Christian

Prayer is the free appeal of the human soul to God. How to correlate this freedom with the obligation to read the rule even when you clearly do not want to do this?

Freedom is not permissiveness. A person is so arranged that if he allows himself an indulgence, it can be very difficult to return to the previous state. There are many examples in hagiographic literature when ascetics abandoned their prayer rule in order to show love to the brothers who came. Thus, they placed the commandment of love above their prayer rule. But it should be remembered that these people reached extraordinary heights of spiritual life, they were unceasingly in prayer. When we feel that we do not want to pray, this is a banal temptation, not a manifestation of freedom.

The rule keeps a person in a spiritually developed state; it should not depend on a momentary mood. If a person leaves the prayer rule, he very quickly comes to relaxation.

In addition, it should be remembered that when a person communicates with God, an enemy of our salvation always strives to stand between them. And not allowing him to do this is not a restriction on the freedom of the individual.

At what point in time should you read the morning and evening rule?

This is clearly and clearly written in any Orthodox prayer book: "Awakening from sleep, before any other work, stand reverently before the All-Seeing God and, making the sign of the cross, say ...". In addition, the very meaning of prayers tells us that morning prayers are read at the very beginning of the day, when a person’s mind is not yet occupied with any thoughts. And evening prayers should be read for a dream to come, after any deeds. In these prayers, sleep is compared with death, the bed with a deathbed. And it is strange, after talking about death, to go to watch TV or communicate with relatives.

Any prayer rule is based on the experience of the Church, to which we must listen. These rules do not violate human freedom, but help to get the maximum spiritual benefit. Of course, there can be exceptions to any rule based on some unforeseen circumstances.

What else, besides morning and evening prayers, can be included in the prayer rule of a layman?

The rule of a layman may include quite a variety of prayers and rites. These can be various canons, akathists, reading of the Holy Scriptures or the Psalter, bows, the Jesus Prayer. In addition, the rule should include a brief or more detailed commemoration of the health and repose of loved ones. In monastic practice, there is a custom to include in the rule the reading of patristic literature. But before you add something to your prayer rule, you need to think carefully, consult with the priest, evaluate your strengths. After all, the rule is read regardless of mood, fatigue, other heart movements. And if a person has promised something to God, it must be fulfilled. The Holy Fathers say: let the rule be small, but constant. At the same time, you need to pray with all your heart.

Can a person himself, without blessing, begin to read the canons, akathists in addition to the prayer rule?

Of course it can. But if he did not just read a prayer according to the aspiration of his heart, but thereby increases his constant prayer rule, it is better to ask a blessing from the confessor. A priest with a glance from the outside will assess his condition correctly: whether such an increase will be beneficial to him. If a Christian regularly goes to confession, follows his inner life, such a change in his rule will, one way or another, be reflected in his spiritual life.

But this is possible when a person has a confessor. If there is no confessor, and he himself decided to add something to his rule, it is still better to consult at the next confession.

On days when the service lasts all night and Christians do not sleep, is it necessary to read evening and morning prayers?

We do not tie the morning and evening rule to a specific time. However, it would be wrong to read evening prayers in the morning, and morning prayers in the evening. We should not be hypocritical about the rule and read it at all costs, ignoring the meaning of the prayers. If you are not going to sleep, why ask God's blessing to sleep? You can replace the morning or evening rule with other prayers or reading the Gospel.

Is it possible for a woman to read a prayer rule with her head uncovered at home?

- I think that it is better for a woman to make a prayer rule in a headscarf. This brings up humility in her and shows her obedience to the Church. Indeed, from the Holy Scriptures we learn that the wife covers her head not for those around her, but for the Angels (1 Cor. 11:10). This is a matter of personal piety. Of course, God does not care whether you stand up for prayer with or without a headscarf, but this is important for you.

How are the canons and the following to Holy Communion read: on the same day the day before, or can their reading be divided over several days?

- It is impossible to approach the fulfillment of the prayer rule formally. A person must build his relationship with God himself, based on prayer preparation, health, free time, and the practice of communicating with a confessor.

Today, a tradition has developed in preparation for Communion to read three canons: to the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, an akathist to the Savior or the Mother of God, the following to Holy Communion. I think it's best to read the whole rule on the same day before Communion. But if it's hard, you can spread it over three days.

Often friends and acquaintances ask how to prepare for Communion, how to read the Psalter? What should they say to us laymen?

- You need to answer what you know for sure. You can not take responsibility for something strictly obligatory to prescribe to another or say something that you are not sure of. When answering, one must be guided by the common tradition of church life today. If there is no personal experience, one must resort to the experience of the Church, the holy fathers. And if you were asked a question, the answer to which you do not know, you should be advised to turn to a priest or patristic creations.

I read the translation of some prayers into Russian. It turns out that I used to put a completely different meaning into them. Is it necessary to strive for a common understanding, to read translations, or can one understand prayers as the heart tells?

Prayers should be understood as they are written. An analogy can be drawn with conventional literature. We read the work, we understand it in our own way. But it is always interesting to know what meaning the author himself put into this work. Also the text of the prayer. The author put a special meaning into each of them. After all, we do not read a conspiracy, but turn to God with a certain petition or doxology. One can recall the words of the Apostle Paul that it is better to say five words in an understandable dialect than a thousand in an incomprehensible one (1 Cor. 14:19). In addition, the authors of most Orthodox prayers are holy ascetics glorified by the Church.

How to relate to modern prayers? Is it possible to read everything that is written in the prayer books, or do you prefer the more ancient ones?

- Personally, I am more touched by the words of more ancient canons, stichera. They seem deeper and more penetrating to me. But many people also like modern akathists for their simplicity.

If the Church has accepted prayers, you need to treat them with reverence, reverence and try to find some benefit for yourself. But understand that some modern prayers are not of such high quality in their content as prayers composed by ancient ascetics.

When a person writes a prayer for public use, he must understand what responsibility he takes on. He must have experience in prayer, but also be well educated. All texts that are offered by modern prayer creators must be edited and undergo a strict selection.

What is more important - to finish reading the rule at home or to come to work on time?

- Go to work. If a person has gathered in a temple, then in the first place should be public prayer. Although the fathers compared public and domestic prayer with the two wings of a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly with one wing, so can a man. If he does not pray at home, but only goes to the temple, then, most likely, prayer will not go with him in the temple either. After all, he has no experience of personal communion with God. If a person prays only at home, but does not go to church, it means that he does not have an understanding of what the Church is. And without the Church there is no salvation.

How can a layman replace service at home if necessary?

Today, a large number of liturgical literature and various prayer books are published. If a layman cannot be present at the service, he can read the morning and evening services, as well as the mass service, according to the canon.

Is it possible to read the rule while sitting?

The Apostle Paul writes: "Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial" (1 Cor. 6:12). Tired or sick - you can sit down in the Church, while reading the house rule. But you should understand what you are guided by: pain that prevents you from praying, or laziness. If the alternative to reading a prayer while sitting is its complete absence, of course, it is better to read sitting. If a person is seriously ill, you can even lie down. But if he is just tired or laziness fights him, you need to overcome yourself and get up. During worship, the Charter regulates when you can stand or sit. For example, we listen to the reading of the Gospel, akathists while standing, and while reading kathismas, sedals, and teachings, we sit down.

According to the Orthodox tradition, one should thank God for every day lived, in the morning and in the evening, before going to bed. Prayers help to feel the love of the Lord and protect from nightmares and misfortune.

It is known that one should turn to God not only in moments of spiritual unhappiness and grief, but also in free time. Morning prayers help to tune in to a happy and successful day. And the evening ones cry out to the Creator: through words we thank the Almighty for every day we live and save our soul from evil.

Orthodox prayers for the coming dream

Most people have lost the habit of such a wonderful tradition as praying at night. In the bustle of days, we forget to express love for God, and this is necessary. Prayer helps not only to glorify the Creator and ask for help: it has a beneficial effect on our mood, soul and sleep. A person who performs such actions every day has greater happiness and luck in life than one who turns to the Almighty only with a request to resolve his problems. However, for the prayer to work, you need to read it at home correctly.

Turning to God greatly affects our life and consciousness. With the help of holy words, we can drive away trouble, change the future and attract happiness. Not every person knows the Church Slavonic language, so it may be difficult to read powerful words. Especially for you, we have translated some prayers into Russian: they have not lost their power, but have become accessible and understandable.

Prayer to God before going to bed:

“Father of all living things, help me at this hour, forgive my sins, which I (name) created by negligence today. If I offended a person with a swear word or an unacceptable act, I pray for forgiveness. Cleanse my soul from bad thoughts, and the flesh— from the desires of sinners. Deliver, O God, from the vanity of the earth and reveal Your grace in a dream. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen"

Prayer to the Lord and Jesus Christ for the coming dream:

“Our Father and Jesus Christ, grant me (name) your mercy, do not leave me on the path of life. I kneel and pray for help in tomorrow, save my dream and sanctify my life. May your salvation and your love descend upon me on my bed. Release my sins for the day and guide me along the path of repentance and light. Let all adversity pass, as the day passed. My God and Your Son Jesus, I humbly believe in Your strength and power over evil. Save your servant (name). May your kingdom on earth be eternal. Amen".

Evening Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

“Lord, comforter of my soul. Show Your mercy and save Your servant (name) from misfortune. Through Your help, O God, I want to cleanse my soul from the sins of the day. My thoughts and my words are involuntary, and therefore sinful. Save me from longing, sadness, despondency, grief and all evil intentions. Replace my depraved deeds with the grace of God and let me repent of my deeds done. Have mercy on me before going to bed and forgive my sins. Grant Thy intercession before the evil power. I praise you forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer to the Guardian Angel for the night:

“My Guardian, my soul and body are under Your protection. Forgive me (name) if I have sinned and neglected Your trust. For the deeds of my day, I ask for forgiveness and pray for deliverance from sin. Not from evil, but involuntarily, I will anger the Lord God and you, my Protector. Show me your grace and mercy. To the glory of our Lord. Amen".

In order for God and his saints to hear your prayers, you should say them with pure thoughts and love in your heart. You can choose one prayer, memorize it and read it every day before going to bed, because the point is not in quantity, but in your righteousness. With the help of prayers, you can fulfill your desires, the most important thing is to know the sacred text and have faith in God. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

03.05.2017 06:15

The icon of the Lord Almighty is one of the most important symbols of Orthodox believers. The famous image of Jesus Christ...

What causes mental fatigue? Can a soul be empty?

Why can't it? If there is no prayer, it will be both empty and tired. The Holy Fathers do the following. The man is tired, he has no strength to pray, he says to himself: “Maybe your fatigue is from demons”, gets up and prays. And the man has strength. So the Lord did. In order for the soul not to be empty and to have strength, one must accustom oneself to the Jesus Prayer - "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (or a sinner)".

How to spend a day like God?

In the morning, when we are still resting, they are already standing near our bed - an angel on the right side, and a demon on the left. They are waiting for whom we will begin to serve on this day. And this is how you start the day. Waking up, immediately protect yourself with the sign of the cross and jump out of bed so that laziness remains under the covers, and we find ourselves in a holy corner. Then make three prostrations and turn to the Lord with these words: "Lord, thank You for the past night, bless me for the coming day, bless me and bless this day, and help me spend it in prayer, in good deeds, and save me from all enemies, visible and invisible." And then we begin to read the Jesus Prayer. Having washed and dressed, we will stand in a holy corner, collect our thoughts, concentrate so that nothing distracts us and begin morning prayers. Having finished them, let's read a chapter from the Gospel. And then let's figure out what a good deed we can do today to our neighbor ... It's time to go to work. Here, too, you need to pray: before you go out the door, say the following words of St. John Chrysostom: "I deny you, Satan, your pride and service to you and combine with You, Christ, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen." Fall yourself with the sign of the cross, and when you leave the house, quietly cross the road. On the way to work, and for any business, you need to read the Jesus Prayer and "Virgin Mary, rejoice ..." If we do housework, before cooking, sprinkle all the food with holy water, and light the stove with a candle, which light from the lamp. Then the food will not harm us, but will benefit us, in strengthening not only bodily, but also spiritual strength, especially if we cook, constantly reciting the Jesus Prayer.

After morning or evening prayers, there is not always a feeling of grace. Sometimes drowsiness interferes with prayer. How to avoid it?

Demons do not like prayer, as soon as a person begins prayer, drowsiness and absent-mindedness also attack. You must try to delve into the words of the prayer, and then you will feel it. But the Lord does not always comfort the soul. The most valuable prayer is when a person does not want to pray, but he forces himself... A small child cannot yet stand and walk. But his parents take him, put him on his feet, support him, and he feels help, stands firmly. And when his parents let him go, he immediately falls down and cries. So we, when the Lord - our Heavenly Father - supports us with His grace, we can do everything, we are ready to move mountains and we pray well and easily. But as soon as grace departs from us, we immediately fall down - we don't really know how to walk spiritually. And here we must humble ourselves and say: "Lord, I am nothing without You." And when a person understands this, the mercy of God will help him. And we often rely only on ourselves: I am strong, I can stand, I can walk ... So, the Lord takes away grace, therefore we fall, suffer and suffer - from our pride, we rely on ourselves a lot.

How to become attentive in prayer?

In order for prayer to pass through our attention, we do not need to clatter, do proofreading; rammed - and calmed down, Prayer Book postponed. At first they delve into every word; slowly, calmly, evenly, you need to set yourself up for prayer. We begin to gradually enter into it, there you can read quickly, anyway, every word will enter into the soul. It is necessary for a prayer so that it does not pass by. And then we fill the air with sound, but the heart remains empty.

I don't have the Jesus Prayer. What do you recommend?

If prayer does not go, then sins interfere. As we repent, we must try to read this prayer as often as possible: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner! (or a sinner)" And while reading, make a blow on the last word. In order to constantly read this prayer, you need to lead a special spiritual life, and most importantly, find humility. We must consider ourselves worse than everyone, worse than any creature, endure reproach, insults, do not grumble and do not blame anyone. Then the prayer will go. You have to start praying in the morning. How is the mill? That he fell asleep in the morning, he will pray all day. As soon as we woke up, immediately: "In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit! Lord, thank You for the past night, bless me today. Mother of God, thank You for the past night, bless me today. Lord, strengthen me in me faith, send me the grace of the Holy Spirit! Give me a Christian death, shameless and good answer on the day of the Last Judgment. My Guardian Angel, thank you for the past night, bless me today, save me from all enemies visible and invisible. Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!" So just read and read. We dress with prayer, we wash ourselves. We read the morning prayers, again 500 times the Jesus Prayer. This is a charge for the whole day. It gives a person energy, strength, expels darkness and emptiness from the soul. A person will no longer walk and be indignant at something, make noise, get annoyed. When a person constantly reads the Jesus Prayer, the Lord will reward him for his labors, this prayer begins to be created in the mind. A person concentrates all his attention in the words of prayer. But one can only pray with a repentant feeling. As soon as the thought comes: "I am a saint," know that this is a pernicious path, this thought is from the devil.

The confessor said "to begin with, read at least 500 Jesus prayers." It's like in a mill - that they fell asleep in the morning, then it grinds all day. But if the confessor said "only 500 prayers," then you don't need to read more than 500. Why? Because everything is given according to one's strength, according to the spiritual level of each person. Otherwise, you can easily fall into delusion, and then you will not approach such a "saint". In the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, one elder had a novice. This elder lived in the monastery for 50 years, and the novice had just come from the world. And he decided to move on. Without the elder's blessing, he would stand the early liturgy, and set the later one, a big rule for himself and read everything, constantly remained in prayer. After 2 years he reached the great "perfection". "Angels" began to appear to him (only they covered their horns and tails). He was seduced by this, came to the elder and said: “You lived here for 50 years and did not learn to pray, but in two years I reached heights - Angels already appear to me. I am all in grace .. There is no place on earth like you I'll choke you." Well, the elder managed to knock on the neighboring cell; another monk came, this "saint" was tied up. And in the morning they were sent to the cowshed, and they were only allowed to go to the liturgy once a month: and they forbade praying (until he reconciled) ... In Rus', we are very fond of prayer books, ascetics, but true ascetics will never expose themselves. Holiness is measured not by prayers, not by deeds, but by humility, obedience. Only he has achieved something who considers himself the most sinful of all, worse than any cattle.

How to learn to pray purely, unabashedly?

We must start in the morning. The Holy Fathers advise that it is good to pray before we eat. But as soon as the food is tasted, it immediately becomes difficult to pray. If a person prays absent-mindedly, it means that he prays little and infrequently. The one who constantly abides in prayer has a living, unscattered prayer.

Prayer loves a pure life, without sins burdening the soul. For example, we have a telephone in our apartment. The kids were naughty and cut the wire with scissors. No matter how many numbers we dial, we will never get through. We need to reconnect the wires, restore the interrupted connection. In the same way, if we want to turn to God and be heard, we must establish our connection with Him - repent of sins, cleanse our conscience. Unrepentant sins are like a blank wall, through which prayer does not reach God.

I shared with a woman close to me, saying that you gave me the Mother of God rule. But I don't do it. I don't always follow the secret rule either. What should I do?

When you are given a separate rule, don't tell anyone about it. Demons will hear and will surely steal your exploits. I know hundreds of people who had a prayer, from morning to evening they read the Jesus Prayer, akathists, canons - their whole soul was blissful. As soon as they shared with someone - they boasted of a prayer, everything disappeared. And they have neither prayers nor bows.

I am often distracted during prayer or business. What to do - continue to pray or pay attention to the one who has come?

Well, since we have in the first place the commandment of God to love our neighbor, then we must put everything aside and pay attention to the guest. One holy elder was praying in his cell and saw through the window that his brother was coming towards him. So the elder, in order not to show that he was a prayer book, lay down in bed and lies. He read a prayer near the door: "Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us." And the old man from the bed and says: "Amen." His brother came to him, he received him with love, treated him to tea - that is, he showed love for him. And this is the most important thing!

Often this happens in our life: we read evening prayers, and suddenly a call (on the phone or at the door). How can we be? Of course, we must immediately answer the call, leaving the prayer. We found out everything with the person and again we continue the prayer from the place where we finished. True, we also have such visitors who come not to talk about God, not about the salvation of the soul, but to idle talk, but to condemn someone. And we should already know such friends; when they come to us, invite them to read together an akathist prepared in advance for such an occasion, or the Gospel, or a holy book. Tell them: "My joy, let's pray, read the akathist." If they come to you with a sincere feeling of friendship, they will read. And if not, they will find a thousand reasons, immediately remember urgent matters and run away. If you agree to chat with them, then both the "unfed husband at home" and the "uncleaned apartment" are not a hindrance to your girlfriend ... Once in Siberia I saw an interesting scene. One comes from the pumping station, there are two buckets on the yoke, the second one comes from the store, in the hands of full bags. We met and had a conversation between ourselves ... And I'm watching them. Their conversation is something like this: "Well, how is your daughter-in-law? And your son?" And the gossip begins. Those poor women! One shifts the yoke from shoulder to shoulder, the other hand pulls the bag. And all it took was a couple of words to exchange... Moreover, dirt - you can’t put bags ... And they stand not two, but ten, and twenty, and thirty minutes. And they don’t think about gravity, the most important thing is that they learned the news, they satiated the soul, they amused the evil spirit. And if they call to the church, they say: "It's hard for us to stand, our legs hurt, our back hurts." And with buckets and bags, nothing hurts to stand! The main thing is that the tongue does not hurt! I don’t feel like praying, but I have the strength to chat, and my tongue is well suspended: “We’ll sort through everyone, we’ll find out about everything.”

The best thing is to wake up, wash your face and start the day with morning prayers. After that, you need to read the Jesus Prayer with attention. This is a huge charge for our soul. And with such a "recharge" we will have this prayer in our thoughts throughout the day. Many say that when they stand up for prayer, they are distracted. You can believe it, because if you read a little in the morning, and a little in the evening, nothing will be in your heart. We will always pray - and repentance will live in our hearts. After the morning - "Jesus" prayer as a continuation, and after the day - evening prayers as a continuation of the day. And so we will be constantly in prayer and will not be scattered. Don't think it's very hard, very hard, to pray. It is necessary to make an effort, to overcome oneself, to ask the Lord, the Mother of God, and grace will act in us. We will be given the desire to pray at all times.

And when prayer enters the soul, the heart, then these people try to move away from everyone, hide in secluded places. They can even climb into the cellar, if only to stay with the Lord, in prayer. The soul melts in Divine Love.

In order to achieve such a state of mind, you need to work a lot on yourself, on your "I".

When do you need to pray in your own words, and when according to the Prayer Book?

When you feel like praying, pray to the Lord at that time; "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34).

Prayer is especially useful for the soul of a person when there is a need for it. Let's say a mother's daughter or son is lost. Or they took their son to jail. Here you will not pray according to the Prayer Book. A believing mother will immediately kneel down and from the abundance of her heart speak to the Lord. Prayer comes from the heart. So you can pray to God anywhere; Wherever we are, God hears our prayers. He knows the secrets of our heart. We don't even know what's in our hearts. And God is the Creator, He knows everything. So you can pray in transport, at any place, in any society. So Christ says: “But when you pray, go into your closet (that is, inside yourself) and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly” (Matt. 6.6). When we do good, when we give alms, then we must do it in such a way that no one knows about it. Christ says: "When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret" (Matt. 6:3-4). That is, not literally, as grandmothers understand - they serve only with the right hand. And if a person does not have a right hand? What if both hands are missing? Good can be done without hands. The main thing is that no one sees it. Good must be done in a secret way. All the boastful, proud, self-loving ones do a good deed in order to receive praise, earthly glory from it. They will say to her: "How good, how kind! Helps everyone, gives to everyone."

I often wake up at night, always at the same time. Does it mean anything?

If we woke up at night, then there is an opportunity to pray. Prayed - go back to sleep. But, if this happens often, you need to take a blessing from the confessor.

I was talking to one person once. He says:

Father Ambrose, tell me, have you ever seen demons with your own eyes?

Demons are spirits, they cannot be seen with simple eyes. But they can materialize, taking the form of an old man, a young man, a girl, an animal, they can take on any image. A non-church person cannot understand this. Even believers fall for his tricks. Do you want to see? Here, I have a woman I know in Sergiev Posad, her confessor gave her a rule - to read the Psalter in a day. It is necessary to constantly burn candles, slowly read - it will take 8 hours. In addition, in the rule it is necessary to read the canons, akathists, the Jesus Prayer, and eat only fast food once a day. When she began to pray (and this had to be done for 40 days) with the blessing of her confessor, he warned her: "If you pray, if there are any temptations, then do not pay attention, continue to pray." She accepted it. On the 20th day of strict fasting and almost unceasing prayer (she had to sleep sitting for 3-4 hours), she heard the locked door open and steps were heard, heavy - the floor was cracking. This is the 3rd floor. Someone approached her from behind and began to breathe near her ear; breathe so deeply! At this time, from head to toe, she was covered with cold and trembling. I wanted to turn around, but I remembered the warning and thought: "If I turn around, I won't stay alive." So I prayed to the end.

Then I looked - everything is in place: the door is locked, everything is fine. Further, on the 30th day, a new temptation. I was reading the Psalter and heard how, from the back of the windows, the cats began to meow, scratch, climb out the window. They scratch - and that's it! And she survived it. Someone from the street threw a stone - the glass was shattered, stone and fragments were lying on the floor. Can't turn around! The cold went through the window, but I read everything to the end. And when she finished reading, she looks - the window is whole, there is no stone. This is the demonic forces attacking a person.

The Monk Silouan of Athos, when he prayed, slept for two hours sitting. His spiritual eyes were opened and he began to see evil spirits. I saw them firsthand. They have horns, ugly faces, hooves on their feet, with tails ...

The person with whom I spoke is very obese - more than 100 kg, loves to eat deliciously - and eats meat, and everything in a row. I say: "Here, you will begin to fast and pray, then you will see everything, you will hear everything, you will feel everything."

How to thank the Lord correctly - in your own words or is there any special prayer?

We must thank the Lord with all our lives. There is a prayer of thanksgiving in the prayer book, but it is very valuable to pray in your own words. The Monk Benjamin lived in one monastery. The Lord allowed him a disease - dropsy. He became huge, the little finger could only be clasped with two hands. They made a huge chair for him. When the brethren came to him, he showed his joy in every possible way, saying: "Dear brethren, rejoice with me. The Lord has mercy on me, the Lord has forgiven me." The Lord gave him such an illness, but he did not grumble, did not despair, rejoiced at the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of his soul, and thanked the Lord. No matter how many years we live, the main thing is to remain faithful to God in everything. For five years I carried in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, a difficult obedience - I confessed day and night. There was no strength left, he could not stand even for 10 minutes - his legs could not hold. And then the Lord granted polyarthritis - 6 months lay, acute pain in the joints. As soon as the inflammation passed, he began to walk around the room with a stick. Then he began to go out into the street: 100 meters, 200, 500 ... Each time more and more .... And then, in the evenings, when there were few people, he began to walk 5 kilometers; left the wand. In the spring, the Lord gave - and stopped limping. To this day, the Lord keeps. He knows who needs what. Therefore, thank the Lord for everything.

You need to pray everywhere and always: at home, at work, and in transport. If the legs are strong, it is better to pray standing up, and if the legs are sick, then, as the elders say, it is better to think about God during prayer than about sick legs.

Is it okay to cry while praying?

Can. Tears of repentance are not tears of evil and resentment, they wash our souls from sins. The more we cry, the better. It is very valuable to cry during prayer. When we pray - we read prayers - and at that time our mind lingered on some words (they penetrated into our soul), we should not skip them, speed up the prayer; return to these words, and read until the soul dissolves in feeling and begins to cry. The soul prays at this time. When the soul is in prayer, and even with tears, the Guardian Angel is next to her; he prays next to us. Any sincerely believing person from practice knows that the Lord hears his prayer. We turn the words of prayer to God, and He returns them by grace to our hearts, and the heart of the believer feels that the Lord accepts his prayer.

When I read prayers, I often get distracted. Shouldn't you stop praying?

No. Read the prayer anyway. It is very useful, when you go out into the street, to walk and read the Jesus Prayer. It can be read in any position: standing, sitting, lying... Prayer is a conversation with God. Here, we can tell our neighbor everything - both sorrows and joys. But the Lord is closer than any neighbor. He knows all our thoughts, the secrets of the heart. He hears all our prayers, but sometimes he hesitates to fulfill them, which means that what we ask is not for the benefit of our soul (or not for the benefit of our neighbor). Any prayer must end with the words: "Lord, Thy will be done. Not as I want, but as You."

What is the daily prayer rule for an Orthodox layperson?

There is a rule and it is obligatory for everyone. These are morning and evening prayers, one chapter from the Gospel, two chapters from the epistles, one kathisma, three canons, an akathist, 500 Jesus prayers, 50 prostrations (and more with blessing).

I once asked one person:

Should I have lunch and dinner every day?

It is necessary, - he answers, - but besides this, I can intercept something, drink some tea.

What about praying? If our body requires food, is it not more than that - the soul? We feed the body so that the soul can be kept in the body and cleansed, sanctified, freed from sin, so that the Holy Spirit abides in us. She needs to be united with God already here. And the body is the clothes of the soul, which grows old, dies and crumbles into the dust of the earth. And we pay special attention to this temporary, perishable. We take care of him so much! And we feed, and give water, and paint, and dress in fashionable rags, and give peace - we pay a lot of attention. And for the soul, sometimes our care is not left. Have you read the morning prayers?

So you can’t even have breakfast (i.e., lunch, Christians never have breakfast). And if you're not going to read evening books, then you can't even have dinner. And you can't drink tea.

I will die of hunger!

So your soul is dying of hunger! Now, when a person makes this rule the norm of his life, then he has peace, peace and quiet in his soul. The Lord sends grace, and the Mother of God and the Angel of the Lord pray. In addition, Christians still pray to the saints, read other akathists, the soul is fed like that, contented and glad, peaceful, a person is saved. But it is not necessary to read like some, to do proofreading. They read it, rattled it - through the air, but it didn’t hit the soul. Slightly touch this - it flared up! But he considers himself a great prayer book - he "prays" very well. The Apostle Paul says: "It is better to speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than the darkness of words in an unfamiliar tongue" (1 Cor.

You can read akathists at least every day. I knew one woman (her name was Pelagia), she read 15 akathists every day. The Lord gave her special grace. Some Orthodox sometimes have many akathists collected - both 200 and 500. They usually read a certain akathist every holiday celebrated by the Church. For example, tomorrow is the feast of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. People who have an akathist to this holiday will read it.

Akathists are good to read with fresh memory, i.e. in the morning, when the mind is not burdened with worldly affairs. In general, it is very good to pray from morning to dinner, until the body is burdened with food. Then there is an opportunity to feel every word from akathists, canons.

All prayers and akathists are best read aloud. Why? Because words enter the soul through hearing and are better remembered. I constantly hear: "We cannot learn prayers ..." But they do not need to be taught - they just need to be read constantly, every day - in the morning and in the evening, and they are remembered by themselves. If "Our Father" is not remembered, then it is necessary to attach a piece of paper with this prayer where our dining table is.

Many refer to a bad memory due to old age, and when you start asking them, asking various everyday questions, everyone remembers. They remember who was born when, in what year, everyone remembers birthdays. They know how much what is now in the store and on the market - and yet the prices are constantly changing! They know how much bread, salt, butter cost. Everyone remembers well. Ask: "What street do you live on?" - everyone will say. Very good memory. But they can't remember prayers. And this is because we have flesh in the first place. And we care so much about the flesh, we all remember what it needs. But we don’t care about the soul, that’s why our memory is bad for everything good. On the bad, we are masters ...

The holy fathers say that those who daily read the canons to the Savior, the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel, the saints, are especially protected by the Lord from all demonic misfortunes and evil people.

If you come to any boss for a reception, you will see a sign on his door "Reception hours from ... to ..." You can turn to God at any time. Night prayer is especially valuable. When a person prays at night, then, as the holy fathers say, this prayer is, as it were, paid for with gold. But in order to pray at night, one must take a blessing from the priest, because there is a danger: a person may become proud that he prays at night and fall into delusion, or demons will especially attack him. Through the blessing, the Lord will protect this person.

Sitting or standing? If the legs do not hold, then you can kneel down and read. If your knees are tired, you can read while sitting. It is better to sit and think about God than to think about your feet while standing. And one more thing: prayer without prostrations is a premature fetus. Fans are a must.

Now many are talking about the benefits of the revival of paganism in Russia. Maybe, indeed, paganism is not so bad?

In ancient Rome, gladiatorial fights were held in circuses. One hundred thousand people gathered for this spectacle, filling the pews through the many entrances in ten minutes. And everyone was out for blood! Craving a spectacle! Two gladiators fought. In the struggle, one of them could fall, and then the second put his foot on his chest, raised his sword over the prostrate and watched what sign the patricians would give him. If the fingers are raised up, then you can leave the opponent to live, if down, it was necessary to take his life. Most often they demanded death. And the people triumphed, seeing the shed blood. Such was pagan fun.

In our Russia, about forty years ago, one acrobat walked along a cable high under the dome of the circus. Stumbling, she fell. Below was a mesh. She did not crash, but something else is important. All the spectators as one stood up and buzzed: "Is she alive? Faster than a doctor!" What does it say? The fact that they did not want death, but worried about the gymnast. The spirit of love was alive in the minds of people.

Otherwise, they are now educating the younger generation. On the TV screen there are action movies with murders, blood, pornography, horrors, space wars, aliens - demonic forces... People from an early age get used to scenes of violence. What is left for the child? Having seen enough of these pictures, he gets weapons and shoots his classmates, who, in turn, mocked him. How many such cases there are in America! God forbid this will happen to us.

It used to happen that contract killings were committed in Moscow before. And now the scale of crime, mortality at the hands of killers has gone up sharply. Three or four people are killed a day. And the Lord said: "Thou shalt not kill!" (Ex. 20:13); "...those who do so will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:21), - all of them will go into the fire of hell.

I often have to go to prisons, confess prisoners. Confess and suicide bombers. They repent of the murders: some in contract, and someone killed in Afghanistan, Chechnya. Two hundred seventy, three hundred people were killed. They counted themselves. These are terrible sins! War is one thing, and another is to deprive a person of a life that you did not give him by order.

When you confess about ten murderers and get out of prison, then just wait: the demons will definitely arrange intrigues, there will be some kind of trouble.

Every priest knows how evil spirits take revenge for helping people to be freed from sins. One mother came to the Monk Seraphim of Sarov:

Father, pray: my son died without repentance. Out of modesty, at first he refused, humbled himself, and then yielded to the request, began to pray. And the woman saw that, praying, he rose above the floor. The old man said:

Mother, your son is saved. Go, pray yourself, thank God.

She left. And before his death, the Monk Seraphim showed his cell-attendant the body, from where the demons pulled out a piece:

This is how demons avenge every soul!

It is not so easy to pray for the salvation of people.

Orthodox Russia has received the Spirit of Christ, but the pagan West wants to kill her for this, thirsts for blood.

The Orthodox faith is the most impartial for a person. It obliges to a strict life on earth. And Catholics promise the soul a purgatory after death, where one can repent and be saved...

There is no such concept of "purgatory" in the Orthodox Church. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, if a person lived righteously and passed into the other world, then he is rewarded with eternal joy, such a person can receive retribution for his good deeds, living on earth, in the form of peace, joy, peace of mind.

If a person lived uncleanly, did not repent and moved to the other world, then he falls into the clutches of demons. Before death, such people are usually sad, desperate, graceless, joyless. Their souls after death, languishing in torment, await the prayers of their relatives, the prayers of the Church. When an intensified prayer goes for the departed, the Lord frees their souls from hellish torments.

Church prayer also helps the righteous, those who have not yet received the fullness of grace during earthly life. The fullness of grace and joy is possible only after this soul is determined to Paradise at the Last Judgment. It is impossible to feel their fullness on earth. Only the chosen saints merged here with the Lord in such a way that they were raptured by the Spirit into the Kingdom of God.

Orthodoxy is often called a "religion of fear": "there will be a second coming, everyone will be punished, eternal torment ..." But Protestants talk about something else. So will there be punishment for unrepentant sinners, or will the love of the Lord cover everything?

Atheists have long deceived us by talking about the origin of religion. It was said that people could not explain this or that phenomenon of nature and began to deify it, to enter into religious contact with it. Sometimes, thunder rumbles, people hide underground, in the basement, they sit there, they are afraid. They think that their pagan god is angry and will now punish or a tornado will fly in, or a solar eclipse will begin ...

This is pagan fear. The Christian God is Love. And we should be afraid of God not because He will punish us, we should be afraid to offend Him with our sins. And if we have apostatized from God and brought trouble on ourselves, we do not hide underground from the wrath of God, we do not wait for the wrath of God to pass by. On the contrary, we go to confession, turn to God with a prayer of repentance, ask God for mercy, and pray. Christians do not hide from God, on the contrary, they themselves strive for Him for permission from sins. And God gives the penitent a helping hand, covers with His grace.

And the Church warns that there will be a Second Coming, the Last Judgment, not to intimidate. If you are walking along the road, there is a pit ahead and they say to you: "Be careful, do not fall, do not stumble," are you being intimidated? They warn you, help you avoid danger. So the Church says: "Do not sin, do not harm your neighbor, all this will turn against you yourself."

It is not necessary to present God as a villain because He does not accept sinners into Paradise. Unrepentant souls will not be able to live in Paradise, they will not be able to endure the light and purity that is there, just as sick eyes cannot endure bright light.

Everything depends on ourselves, on our behavior, prayers.

The Lord can change everything through prayer. One woman came to us from Krasnodar. Her son was imprisoned. There was an investigation. She came to one judge, he said to her: "Your son is eight years old." He had a big temptation. She came to me, crying, sobbing: "Father, pray, what should I do? The judge asks for five thousand dollars, but I don't have that kind of money." I say: "You know, mother, you will pray, the Lord will not leave you! What is his name?" She said his name, we prayed. And in the morning she comes:

Father, I'm going there now. The question is being decided whether they will imprison or let them go.

The Lord put it on her heart to say to her:

If you pray, God will arrange everything.

I prayed all night. She came back after dinner and said:

The son was released. They acquitted him. Understood and released. Everything is fine.

This mother had so much joy, so much faith that the Lord heard her. And the son was not to blame, he was simply set up in business.

The son is completely out of hand, does not speak, does not obey. He is seventeen. How can I pray for him?

It is necessary to read the prayer "Theotokos, Virgin, rejoice" 150 times. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov said that one who walks in Diveevo along the groove of the Mother of God and reads “O Virgin Mary, Rejoice” a hundred and fifty times, is under the special protection of the Mother of God. The Holy Fathers constantly talked about the veneration of the Mother of God, about praying to Her for help. The prayer of the Mother of God has great power. Through the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the grace of God will descend on both the mother and the child. Righteous John of Kronstadt says: “If all the angels, saints, all people living on earth gather together and pray, the prayer of the Mother of God surpasses all their prayers in power.

I remember one family. This was while we were serving in the parish. One mother, Natalia, had two girls - Lisa and Katya. Lisa was thirteen or fourteen years old, she was capricious, self-willed. And although she went to church with her mother, she remained very restless. I marveled at my mother's patience. Every morning he gets up and says to his daughter:

Lisa, let's pray!

Everyone, Mom, I read prayers!

Read fast, read slow!

Mom did not pull her up, patiently fulfilled all her requests. At this time, it was useless to beat and beat the daughter. Mother endured. Time passed, my daughter grew up, became calmer. Prayer together did her good.

There is no need to be afraid of temptations. The Lord will keep this family. Prayer has never harmed anyone. It only benefits our soul. Bragging harms us: "I read the Psalter for the deceased." We boast, and this is a sin.

It is customary to read the Psalter at the head of the deceased. Reading the Psalter is very useful for the soul of that person who constantly went to church and with repentance passed into that world. The Holy Fathers say: when we read the Psalter over the deceased, for example, for forty days, then the sins fly off the deceased soul, like autumn leaves from a tree.

How to pray for the living or the dead, is it possible to imagine a person while doing this?

The mind must be pure. When we pray, we should not represent God, the Mother of God, the holy saint: neither their faces nor their position. The mind must be free from images. Moreover, when we pray for a person, we just need to remember that such a person exists. And if you imagine images, you can damage your mind. The Holy Fathers forbid it.

I am twenty four years old. As a child, I laughed at my grandfather who talked to himself. Now that he is dead, I myself began to talk to myself. An inner voice tells me that if I pray for him, then this vice will slowly leave me. Do I need to pray for him?

Everyone needs to know: if we condemn a person for some vice, we will definitely fall into it ourselves. Therefore, the Lord said: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. By what judgment you judge, you will be condemned."

You need to pray for your grandfather. Serve at mass, memorial notes for a memorial service, commemorate in the morning and evening in home prayers. It will be a great benefit to his soul and to us.

Is it necessary to cover your head with a scarf during home prayer?

"Every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered puts her head to shame, for it is the same as if she were shaved," says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 11:5). Orthodox Christian women, not only in the church, but also at home, cover their heads with a scarf: "A wife must have on her head the sign of power over her of angels" (1 Cor. 11:10).

Civil authorities organize additional bus routes to cemeteries on Easter. Is it correct? It seems to me that on this day the main thing is to be in the temple and commemorate the dead there.

For the dead there is a special day of remembrance - "Radonitsa". It happens on Tuesday in the second week after Easter. On this day, all Orthodox Christians go to congratulate their dead on the universal holiday of Easter, the Resurrection of Christ. And on the very day of Easter, believers should pray in the temple.

Routes organized by the city authorities for those people who do not go to church. Let them at least go there, at least in this way they will remember death and the finiteness of earthly existence.

Is it possible to watch live broadcasts from services from temples and pray? Often there is not enough health and strength to be present in the temple, but you want to touch the Divine with your soul...

The Lord vouchsafed me to visit a holy place, at the Holy Sepulcher. We had a video camera with us, and we filmed the holy place. Then they showed the footage to a priest. He saw footage of the Holy Sepulcher and says: "Stop this shot." He bowed to the ground and said: "I have never been to the Holy Sepulcher." And directly kissed the image of the Holy Sepulcher.

Of course, the image on the TV cannot be worshiped, we have icons. The case I described is an exception to the rule. The priest did this in simplicity of heart, out of a sense of reverence for the depicted shrine.

On holidays, all Orthodox should strive to be in the temple. And if you don’t have health, strength to move, watch the broadcast, stay with the Lord with your soul. Let our soul, together with the Lord, participate in His feast.

Can I wear a "Live Aid" belt?

One person came to me. I ask him:

What prayers do you know?

Of course, I even carry "Living Aids" with me.

He took out the documents, and there he had the 90th psalm "Alive in the help of Vyshnyago" rewritten. The man says: "My mother wrote to me, gave it to me, now I always carry it with me. May I?" - “Of course, it’s good that you wear this prayer, but if you don’t read it, what’s the point? It’s equivalent to when you are hungry, you carry bread and food with you, but you don’t eat. You are weakening, you can die. help" were written not to carry them in your pocket or on your belt, but so that you could pull out, read, pray to the Lord every day. If you do not pray, you can die ... That's when you, hungry, got some bread , ate, strengthened your strength and you can calmly work in the sweat of your brow.So having prayed, you will give food for the soul and receive protection for the body.