Prayer to the Lord God for help. How to learn prayer at home

The Holy Church compares our world with a stormy stream, great water, calling life path"the sea of ​​life." We are in it - small fragile ships abandoned in the middle of the ocean.

But the merciful God wisely arranged the work of our salvation; He left us, through His Son, the true faith and the true Church.

Every person can pray that the Lord will help him to cope with difficulties and adversity, to pass through the abyss of life with dignity and enter the quiet haven of the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the way, we are faced with a great many difficulties and dangers - lack of money, uncertainty about the future, fear for loved ones - rarely does anyone manage to avoid these raging waves. A weak and infirm person requires God’s help, and receives deliverance and relief from God, one has only to pray sincerely and ask Him to help.

You can really pray about everything (except for causing harm, and in general everything that you can’t even dare to ask the King of Heaven for). It is best to pray for the surrender of all your aspirations into the hands of the Lord - what is useful for me, then let it come.

How to pray correctly?

Considering the variety of life situations in which a person can pray to God for help, the Prayer Book contains a large number of different prayers - from protection from evil spirits, from sorrow and infirmity, from illnesses, from enemies - there is no number of prayers in the words of which you can ask the Lord to help in any matter.

You must always pray to God with reverence, understanding the seriousness of such treatment, realizing your unworthiness and His condescension.

Even if you ask for help without knowing the words of the prayer, but at the same time you really want the Lord to help you, he will help.

The most sincere and ardent, and therefore the most pleasing to God, prayer, as a rule, contains the word “please,” although the prayer book does not mention it. “Please” means you really need help, you don’t have time to look for the words of prayer in a book or in your memory.

Prayer to the Lord God

“In the hand of Your great mercy, O my God, I entrust my soul and body, my feelings and words, my advice and thoughts, my deeds and all my movements of body and soul. My entrance and departure, my faith and life, the course and end of my life, the day and hour of my breathing, my repose, the repose of my soul and
my body. But You, O Most Merciful God, invincible to the sins of the whole world, kindly, kindly Lord, accept me, more than all sinners, in the hand of Your protection and deliver from all evil, cleanse my many iniquities, grant correction to my evil and wretched life and from always delight me in the coming cruel falls of sin, and in no way will I anger Your love for mankind, with which you cover my weakness from demons, passions and evil people. Forbid the enemy, visible and invisible, guiding me along the saved path, bring me to You, my refuge and the land of my desires. Grant me a Christian death, unashamed, peaceful, keep me from the airy spirits of malice, at Your Last Judgment be merciful to Your servant and number me at the right hand of Your blessed sheep, and with them I will glorify You, my Creator, forever. Amen."

Praying to God for help is not a panacea or a magic spell, treat it as such. You can pray anytime and anywhere; for this there is no need to buy a certain number of candles, arrange them in a certain order, or perform other strange manipulations.

You cannot pray for evil, you cannot ask God to help you do something bad, to harm someone, to punish someone. God himself knows who is worth what and who is worthy of what - there is no need to tell him, much less demand “justice”.

What to expect from prayer?

A prayer to the Lord for help usually does not go unheeded. If you decide to pray, do not think that the result will be immediate. This is not magic or enchantment - God helps in his own ways, taking into account your greatest benefit. If now what you stubbornly ask for, what you decided to pray for, is not useful to you, do not tempt fate, do not anger the Creator.

You need to show humility and submission to the Holy Will of the Lord, pray for the granting of wisdom to you for a better understanding of reality, ask in prayer for the ability to distinguish useful from unhelpful, truly good from only pretending to be good.

Some people talk about such a consequence of prayer as “grace” - a specific inner sensation.

It really is possible. It is impossible to describe and explain grace - the feeling of freedom, peace, tranquility cannot be confused with anything. You yourself will understand if you feel it, in the temple or after prayer. But even here you need to be very careful, you cannot be deceived - prayer, as has been said many times, is not a talisman, but pride in one’s own chosenness and grace is a beaten path into the soul for demons.

Humbly pray to God for help and assistance, and delve less into your feelings - the Lord will not leave you and will help you in any of your good endeavors!

Prayer is not just a set of phrases in Old Church Slavonic, but our conversation with God. While doing it, we talk with Him, ask for help and participation in our everyday life. Prayer is the only thing accessible means to communicate with God. You cannot see it with your own eyes or hear it, but you can feel how life changes in better side. In this article we will try to figure out how to pray correctly so that God hears our appeal to him.

Let's figure it out

First of all, it is worth mentioning that in order for a prayer to work and be heard by the Almighty, you need to think about what you are saying. You can turn to God in your own words, but it is better to support your speech with phrases from Holy Scripture. By saying them, we show that we accept His teachings and instructions into our lives. Prayer, in which you rely on the words of God, can bring positive changes to a person in all areas of life or in something specific if the believer asks God for it.

Performing prayers is a kind of conversation between us and the Lord. When we communicate with other people and build dialogues with them, we not only endlessly talk ourselves, but also listen to the interlocutor. Therefore, it is not enough to read the prayer by heart; you need to try to hear the answer from Him, which does not always come immediately. This may happen in a few hours or days, but it will certainly happen.

When a person understands how to pray correctly so that God will hear, and approaches this responsibly, he will definitely feel that this is not just an obligatory ritual, but something more.

Saints

An appeal to the Saints is a sincere request for help in any matter. Therefore, when asked by believers about how to correctly pray to the Saints, any clergyman will answer: “Based on the same principles that must be used when turning to God.”

To do this, you need to drop the pretense, focus on the words and try not to think about extraneous things. All attention should be directed to the Holy One to whom you are addressing. Focus on what and what you are asking for. You need to speak sincerely, listening to every word, thinking about it. Before voicing your request, be sure to ask for forgiveness for your sins, and repeat the prayer itself several times. After reading it, you need to bow before the icon where you prayed and thank the Saint for his help.

Saint Matrona

She takes special place among the Saints as one of the most revered. She herself spoke about how to properly pray to Matrona in order to be heard during her lifetime, calling on people, even after death, to visit her grave and talk about everything as if she were alive. She also insisted that people never betray their faith and live according to God's commandments and took part in the saving Church Sacraments. A special tradition has developed among believers: you must bring fresh flowers to this Saint’s grave, which Matrona loved very much during her lifetime.

How to pray correctly for God to hear at home?

There are a number of rules that tell about this. Prayers are read in the morning, before bed, and before and after meals. In any church you can purchase prayer books that contain texts intended for home reading. If there are icons in the house, then you should read in front of them.

Try to attend church at least on weekends. Prayers said in the temple are more powerful than those at home.

Conclusion

How to pray correctly so that God will hear? If you follow the above rules, then help will definitely come, and the Almighty will not leave you in life’s hardships.

How to pray correctly at home so that God hears?

Every person in some situation or at some specific moment turns to God, which is why it is important to know how to pray correctly at home so that God hears. Most people are not sure that they are praying correctly, but they really want to hear the answer to their question.

How to pray so that God hears and helps?

Prayer is most often resorted to in cases where support, protection and help are needed. We must remember that prayer is not just a set of words, but a conversation with God, and this means that it must come from the soul. Prayer is the only way to communicate with God, which is why it is important to understand how to pray so that God will hear.

In order for God to hear, it is not necessary to travel to holy places, climb high mountains, walk through caves, the main thing is that the faith is sincere. In fact, God sees everything we do, which is why it doesn’t matter where we pray.

13 rules or how to pray so that God will hear

It should be remembered that God will hear the prayer that will be said at home, so you need to understand how to properly pray to God at home. Here are 13 basic rules that will help you learn to pray everywhere:

  1. It is necessary to sincerely communicate with God, trusting every secret. In this case, it is best to kneel or sit at a table in front of the icons.
  2. When talking with God, there should be no distractions.
  3. The prayer is best said in front of the image of the saint to whom it is addressed.
  4. Before prayer, you should calm down, put on a cross and tie a scarf (the last condition is for women).
  5. First, you need to say the “Our Father” prayer three times and make the sign of the cross. After this, you can drink some holy water.
  6. Next, you need to read the prayer “Psalm 90” - this is the most revered prayer in Orthodox Church. Her power is very great, and God will hear the request the first time.
  7. The prayer must be read with faith, otherwise there will be no benefit.
  8. Responding to Orthodox prayer is a test that every person must pass.
  9. When at home, you should not read the prayer forcefully. We must remember that everything needs moderation.
  10. It should be remembered that God will never hear those who ask for a lot of money, some kind of vicious entertainment and wealth.
  11. The ideal place to talk with God is church.
  12. After talking with God, you need to put out the candles and thank God for everything.
  13. Prayers should be read every day, thanks to this you can become closer to God.

Thanks to the above tips, it is easy to understand how to pray so that God will hear us. The prayer will be heard in the following cases:

It is very important not just to pray, but to be a truly religious person with pure thoughts and heart. It is advisable to pray every day, then God will help you much faster. But before you begin to lead a righteous life, you must be cleansed of all sins; for this you need to confess and receive communion. Before starting prayers, you should conduct a spiritual and physical fast for 9 days, that is, give up meat dishes.

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Does prayer reach God?

Do our prayers always reach God?

Question: When you are running after a tram, and it is about to close the doors, you are running and with all your gut you want it to wait for you, at that moment you do not pray the “Our Father”, but simply strain everything within yourself in order to influence what physically you no longer have the power to influence. You run at full speed, and it’s up to you whether you make it or not. Or rather, from that little God who is inside you, from the small part of God that can help you when you turn to it. In psychology, it is called a mindset for success: if you believe that everything will work out, then it will work out! - the law of psychology. “If you think you can, you can. If you think you won’t succeed, you’re right.” I believe this is the God Jesus spoke of, which is why He could walk on water. And when a whole church of people kneels and prays, at that moment these little pieces of God contained in everyone begin to work together. Strength is when we are together. Why believe? To strengthen the “success mindset.”

“...the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16)

Why didn’t Jacob say that the prayer of any person can achieve much, but emphasized: “. the prayer of the righteous"?

If we look into the book of Job, we will see that the Lord sent Job’s friends to him so that Job himself would pray for his friends, because God would hear him, but they would not. God did not accept their prayers because they reasoned about God and judged Job, their neighbor, incorrectly: “... and My servant Job will pray for you, for only his face will I accept, so as not to reject you for what you spoke about I am not as faithful as My servant Job” (Job 42:8). This is what the Lord says, showing us that not all prayers are heard. Elsewhere in Scripture, already in the New Testament, it is said that the obstacle to being heard by God in prayer is the poor state of the human soul. If we offend our neighbor, then his offense is an obstacle to prayer, to being heard: “Likewise, husbands, deal wisely with us.”

Enlightened by God, the holy Forefathers, even in ancient times, learned how necessary prayer is for a person who believes in God, and just as they themselves learned in prayer, so they taught it to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Prayer is as necessary for a person as food: bread strengthens the body, and prayer strengthens the soul. Prayer, according to St. John Climacus, is the food of the soul.

Just as the body is exhausted without food, so the soul is without prayer. The soul cannot receive any grace from God for its strengthening and revitalization if it does not ask for it in prayer. “Ask,” it is said, “and it will be given to you; if you ask, he will receive” (Matthew 7; 7, 8). Prayer is the key to the treasury of God, with which anyone who wishes opens the door of God’s mercy for himself, and enters and leaves, and finds pasture. Didn’t Elijah the Prophet open the closed heaven through prayer? “Pray, and the heavens will give rain, and the earth will grow its fruit” (James 5:18). Prayer for a person is the same as a warrior holding a weapon during a battle: after all, our life is war, we are warriors, and ours.

The Nikeya publishing house published a book by Abbot Nektary (Morozov) “What prevents us from being with God.” It arose from parish conversations, which the priest, being the rector of the Saratov church in honor of the icon Mother of God“Quench My Sorrows,” he wrote for several years. We present to your attention a chapter from the book.

We all ask God for something in one way or another. We ask in different ways and in different cases. We ask when we find ourselves in some difficult life situations and circumstances, when we especially need God’s help; sometimes we ask God for something when we find ourselves in a situation where, apart from Him, no one can help us; sometimes we ask Him for something when we should do something ourselves, but we don’t want to do it.

Hegumen Nektary (Morozov)

And of course, every day, if we read the morning and evening prayers If we go to church, we ask for the most important thing - we ask that the Lord have mercy on us, save us, we ask that he give us everything we need for our earthly life.

You say that for a believer there are no coincidences in life. Are they there for the non-believer? And what is there in life if there is no chance?

O. Georgy Kochetkov. Yes, this is so: for a believer there are no accidents - after all, he is under the care of God's providence, God's plan, God's guidance. In the life of an unbeliever, accidents happen, because he is not under this cover of grace. There are so many forces that shape a person's destiny; and for an unbeliever it may be subject to the influence of sometimes a happy, sometimes an unfortunate event. The evil of this world is aggressive, and it can affect any person with its senselessness.

Sometimes believers also talk about their lives as fate, but with something else in mind - the uniqueness, the uniqueness of the actually developed path, and this is not the same as the concept of fate in describing the life of an unbeliever.

When Christ came to the Jews, they rejected Him and did not recognize Him. A.

42. Lies will not get close to him either in front or behind. It was sent down from the Wise, the Praiseworthy.

43. You will only be told what was said to the messengers before you. Verily, your Lord possesses forgiveness and possesses a painful punishment.

44. If We had made it the Quran in a language other than Arabic, they would certainly have said: “Why are its verses not explained? Non-Arabic speech and Arab? “Say: “He is guidance and healing for those who believe. But the ears of the disbelievers are struck with deafness, and they are blind to him. These are those who are called from afar.”

45. We gave Musa (Moses) the Book, but there was disagreement about it. And if there had not been a Word from your Lord first, their dispute would have been decided. Indeed, they have vague doubts about it (the Quran).

46. ​​He who acts righteously acts righteously.

I wanted to ask you: when you talk to God, does He hear you? When you ask for something, does He give it to you? I don’t always, God doesn’t always hear me. Sometimes I think that He does not respond to my call, to my voice, to my prayer. And you sometimes tell me the same thing, and now you say to yourself: “God does not always hear us. We pray to Him, we stand in church, but something doesn’t feel like we are receiving what we ask for in prayer.”

Let's see what is the reason for this and why God does not hear when we say something to Him. Why, when we send our request, our prayer to Him, does Christ not give us what we want? What to do, how to stand before Him, how to approach Him, what is the prerequisite that will make our prayer, our petition, our strong desire fulfilled?

Today we will talk about prayers for other people - when a mother prays for her child, her spouse, or a father for his children, his wife, or for others. How to make sure that our prayer for our neighbors is.

PARABLE. HOW SHOULD YOU PRAY?

“When one Byzantine saint of the 10th century was asked how to pray, he said: “The prayer is simple: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. The question is how to say it. Imagine that a person has been accused of a crime. It doesn’t matter whether he deserved it or not, but he is being led to death. No appeals helped, the verdict is final. He is being taken from prison to central square cities, on the chopping block. And his path lies past the royal palace. And his last chance is that the king can help.

And he must - Shout out: “Sir, have mercy!”, so loudly that the king will definitely HEAR and help. This is how you need to - SCREAM in your heart - “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” I don't mean loud.

And so that the heart and conscience - Tremble.

With the same huge Hope, with the same Despair”...

Now, knowing about this amazing Jesus prayer, let us TRY to read this one.

So why did God answer my friend's prayers? The main reason was that she had an intimate relationship with Him. She wanted to follow God. She really listened to what He told her. In her mind, God had the right to guide her and control her life, and not only did she not mind, but she did.

Does every prayer reach God?

Enlightened by God, the holy Forefathers, even in ancient times, learned how necessary prayer is for a person who believes in God, and just as they themselves learned in prayer, so they taught it to their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Prayer is as necessary for a person as food: bread strengthens the body, and prayer strengthens the soul. Prayer, according to St. John Climacus, is the food of the soul. Just as the body becomes exhausted without food, so.

What kind of prayer reaches God?

Question: They say whether a prayer reaches God or not is determined by your state of mind. If your soul is calm, then you got it, if not, it’s fear, and therefore lack of faith, it means you didn’t get it and God won’t give it through the prayers of those who doubt it, is that so? If so, then how can I calm down and not doubt, in order to trust only in the will of God and remove this mental anxiety that is constantly with me?

Answer: I would not draw such clear parallels between the state of our fallen soul, far from God, and God’s reaction to our prayer. The Lord does not always and does not give everyone some sign of the “effectiveness” of prayer. Doubts, indeed, stem from a lack of faith, and as John of Kronstadt wrote, doubt kills prayer, but hope for God’s mercy and His condescension to our weaknesses is always alive in us. Therefore, hope in God, trust Him, and your concern will be much greater.

Who compiled the morning and evening prayer rules, how to find time for focused and thoughtful prayer? Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich), Administrator of the Affairs of the UOC, answers these and other questions.

"Air for the soul"

– Vladyka, many people, including believers, sometimes have a question: why are morning and evening rules needed?

– If we believe in God, then our whole life should be filled with His presence. To believe in the Lord means to trust, to constantly remember Him, to always open your heart to Him. And, of course, the most important manifestation of our life in God is prayer. Those who are little familiar with church life usually think: prayer is a certain duty imposed on a person. It is often perceived as a burden or a duty that must be fulfilled. In fact, prayer is a need of the believing heart. If we constantly feel the closeness of God, then it is completely natural to strive for communication with Him. Prayer is air for the soul. Without.

A believer, like one who has not yet found God, is sometimes worried about doubts and worries. Usually a person is looking for support. These can be close friends, relatives, and sometimes we turn to our own strength.

By studying the Bible, we can learn how holy people get into difficult situations. life situations- found support. From the many examples of Holy Scripture, we will discuss today how David trusted in God in his experiences. About how God answered his requests...

Let us remember how mercilessly King Saul persecuted David, and in one of these difficult moments, when his life was in danger, David took refuge in a cave. Experiences that reached us today:

1 Teachings of David. His prayer when he was in the cave. With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice I prayed to the Lord;

2 I poured out my prayer before Him; I revealed my sorrow to Him.

3 When my spirit fainted within me, You knew my path. On the path that I walked, they secretly placed nets for.

Only if we pray according to His will.

But we must know that God's answer comes to us in different ways.

There are four ways of God's response: direct response, delayed response, other response, negative response. To these four, you can also add punishment responses to requests that it would be better not to express.

A person receives a clear and precise answer from God - his request was heard and God sent what he asked for. An example of such a response is the release of Peter from prison through the prayer of the church (Acts 12:5-11). Or Elijah’s prayer to God, according to which the heavens first closed and a drought began, and then opened and it rained (James 5:17-18). The psalmist David rejoiced that God answered prayers directly (Ps. 114:1-2).

God can answer through the Bible, people, life circumstances.

2. DELAYED REPLY

A person understands that God has heard his prayer, but it takes time and patience to receive what he asks for.

He will call to Me, and I will hear him.

Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

These people draw near to Me with their lips, and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

And this is the boldness we have towards Him, that when we ask according to His will, He listens to us.

You ask and do not receive, because you ask not for good, but in order to use it for your lusts.

God is not like his brother, but rather helps.

The Good Giver looks at both the request and the time. Just as fruit taken before its time is harmful, so a gift given at the wrong time causes harm, but later it is useful. If the request is untimely, then the Giver hesitates.

I saw that I was praying for the restoration of a believer who had then left the church. But, as far as I know, this man never returned to the church or to God. I prayed for the spiritual growth of a woman whose family I was visiting, telling them about Christ. But they never wanted to completely entrust their lives to God. I prayed for my relatives, but I never saw any results. I prayed about certain circumstances and now I see that those prayers went unanswered. And I thought that these were just the prayers that I wrote down. And there are so many of them, unwritten, and so on.

Priest Dmitry Shishkin

How do you know that a prayer is not in vain, that it is heard by God? If there is no true, deep repentance with tears?

In front of me is a confused and frightened man:

- Father, I pray, and at the same time they too - voices, demons, I understand. I think, how can this be, can demons pray? And they laugh and continue to repeat prayers in their heads... for me, you understand, father? I almost went crazy with horror. How is this possible?!

But it turns out that it is possible because letters and words themselves do not have power. But only grace, the Holy Spirit, has real, living power, and prayer, fasting, good deeds are only the means to acquire this Spirit. The Holy Fathers unanimously speak about this. Moreover, if a person is focused only on the external performance of certain rites and rituals, demons can leave him alone, because their main task has been achieved - the person is not looking for the Holy Spirit, his soul is deprived of spiritual life.

I have observed more than once that some people asked for recovery, but there was no health.

Others talked about material well-being, but continued to live in poverty.

Many asked for the recovery of mortal diseases, but the miracle did not happen. And both adults and children died sooner or later.

I searched for answers to my questions for a long time, and then when I had already lost hope of finding them, I FOUND them!

When Christ was on earth, He spoke these words to the people:

If you do not ask anything in My name, I will do it.

And on that day you will not ask Me for anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.

Jesus spoke these words: If you ask nothing in My name, I will do it.

I observed that people ask and ask, but alas, many prayers remain unanswered, so why? Why so?

View full version: Sometimes it seems to us that our prayers do not reach the Lord, that He does not hear us.

Sometimes it seems to us that our prayers do not reach the Lord, that He does not answer us, and we do not receive what we ask.

Are we praying right or wrong? Can you answer my question, how to pray correctly? What are the criteria for correct prayer? Let us first talk not about how we pray, but about how many days or how many years we pray for the Lord to hear our prayers? And where does this again strange question come from, that the Lord does not hear our prayers. Let's first think about how long it took us to learn to read, write, count, and when did we come to higher mathematics? 11 years of school have passed, then higher education educational institution. How much do we ask God for help? And how do we want to get it all at once? Well, let's all think together, how long did the Lord wait for us until we came to him? This is where the topic of when and how, and what made it happen is appropriate.

When I was an atheist, I had a friend who prayed often. Every week she told me about the needs she prayed for, and each time I saw God answer her prayer in the most amazing way. Do you know how difficult it is for an unbeliever to observe such things? After some time, my only argument in defense of my position was “mere coincidence,” but it no longer stood up to criticism.

So why did God answer my friend's prayers? The main reason was that she had a close relationship with Him. She wanted to follow God. She really listened to what He told her. In her mind, God had the right to guide her and direct her life, and she not only had nothing against it, but was grateful to Him for it! For her, prayer was a natural part of her relationship with God. She needed to come to God with her worries, fears and hopes, and simply tell Him about everything that was happening in her.

Why does it happen that God is silent? Why doesn't He always answer prayers? This is exactly what I want to talk about: the reasons for prayers without God’s answer.

I was recently revisiting my journal of quiet time alone with God. I started it back in 1996. And there was a special section for prayers for friends, relatives, believers and non-believers and, of course, for personal needs.

I saw that I was praying for the restoration of a believer who had then left the church. But, as far as I know, this man never returned to the church or to God. I prayed for the spiritual growth of a woman whose family I was visiting, telling them about Christ. But they never wanted to completely entrust their lives to God. I prayed for my relatives, but I never saw any results. I prayed about certain circumstances and now I see that those prayers went unanswered. And I thought that these were just the prayers that I wrote down. And how many of them, unwritten, remained unanswered?

We all have to face challenges in life. Experiencing them, we pray and, standing at the icon, ask the Lord for help. And it seems to us that God should hear our requests. After all, the Bible says: “Ask and it will be given to you.” If this is so, then why does God not answer everyone and not always? Maybe we are addressing the Almighty incorrectly, praying in the wrong way, and our prayers remain unanswered? This time we decided to talk with an Orthodox psychologist and teacher of Christian ethics, who has been engaged in the spiritual education of teenagers for 25 years and was awarded by His Beatitude Metropolitan Vladimir with a diploma and an order for the 1020th anniversary of the Baptism of Rus' - Tatyana Korsenko.

Tatyana Viktorovna, how do you explain to young people how to pray?

Prayer - communication with God - must not only be sincere and sincere, but also specific. In correct prayer, we do not impose our will on God, but on the contrary, we long to hear His will. This is the only way a person receives the gracious help of the Holy Spirit, who...

How does God answer our prayers?

How to pray? Prayers that are answered.

Have you ever met a person who truly trusted God? When I was an atheist, I had a friend who prayed often. Every week she told me about the needs she prayed for, and each time I saw God answer her prayer in the most amazing way. Do you know how difficult it is for an unbeliever to observe such things? After some time, my only argument in defense of my position was “mere coincidence,” but it no longer stood up to criticism.

So why did God answer my friend's prayers? The main reason was that she had a close relationship with Him. She wanted to follow God. She really listened to what He told her. In her mind, God had the right to guide her and direct her life, and she not only had nothing against it, but was grateful to Him for it! For her, prayer came naturally.

Happy are those who have acquired the habit of unceasing prayer. Blessed are those for whom it has turned into nature and merged with their breath.

Venerable John of Kronstadt

Jesus Christ (Savior)

Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into temptation: the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26:41).

The Apostle's exhortation on unceasing prayer

Always be happy. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Don't quench the spirit. Do not disparage prophecies. Try everything, hold on to the good. Abstain from all kinds of evil (1 Thess. 5:16-22).

Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving. Pray also for us, that God will open the door for us to speak, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, that I may reveal it as I ought to proclaim it (Col. 4:2-4).

The Bible Says So

#13 GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

This happened during World War II. The pilot ejected from a downed plane while he was over Pacific Ocean. Fortunately, the small rubber boat that military aircraft are equipped with in case of an accident was intact. Several hours passed, and the pilot still floated in his tiny boat to God knows where, and help still did not come. Desperate, he turned to the Lord with the following prayer: “Dear Lord! I haven't asked You for anything for twenty years. If You hear my prayer and send me someone who will save me, then I will not bother You for the next twenty years.”

There are many people who treat God like a lawyer or a doctor. They turn to Him for help only when they get sick or in trouble. Many people think that prayer is a means that can save you if you find yourself in difficult circumstances and when there is no other help.

In fact, prayer is a way.

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

Why you should pray

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

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

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

The obligatory holy appeals that should be in the prayer book include:

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

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

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

Video “How to pray correctly at home”

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

Contents of the prayer rule

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

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

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

Time and place for prayers

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

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

Sequence of Spiritual Worship

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

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

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

Preparation rules

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

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

Reading Features

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

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

How to end prayers

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

What to do when scattered

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

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

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

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

The power of prayer is priceless and can work miracles. By sincerely praying, it is possible to change fate, beg for healing, health.

There come moments in every person’s life when he turns to God. It is not necessary to go to church or travel to holy places. After all, God is omnipresent: he sees and hears everything, no matter where you are. This is why it is important to know how to pray at home so that God hears.

Nowadays, Prayer Books contain a huge number of a wide variety of prayers for any life situation. These include:

  • Those who protect against evil spirits;
  • Those that protect against various diseases;
  • Those that help in healing ailments;
  • Those that protect from dangers, enemies, etc.

But if you don’t know the words of the prayer, there’s nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to turn to the Almighty with with a pure heart and deep faith.

Here are a few simple tips, which are worth following when turning to God at home.

  1. First of all, you need to pray sincerely, with all your heart. It is very important before prayer, 9 days in advance, to lead a righteous lifestyle and cleanse yourself of sinful thoughts.
  2. Before prayer, you need to be a little quiet, put your thoughts in order, concentrate, and spiritually tune in to your conversion.
  3. You must say prayer words while kneeling or sitting at a table in front of the icons. You should also wear a cross, and women should cover their heads with a scarf. Therefore, do not forget to prepare the appropriate conditions.
  4. Before starting the prayer, you should cross yourself and say “Our Father” three times.
  5. It is better to read the prayer out loud, so God will hear it faster. Also, for diligence, it is better to learn prayer words by heart. But if you don’t remember the words, you can read it. After all, the most important thing is to pronounce prayer words with faith in divine power.
  6. After completing the prayer, you need to make the sign of the cross. And also, don’t immediately start doing other things. We need to sit a little more in a prayerful position, comprehend the spoken words and remember to thank God for everything.
  7. In addition, you need to know when to stop everything. You shouldn’t pray too much or forcefully, but you should pray every day. This way you will become closer to God.

You must pray with a pure heart and faith

Important point! It should be remembered that prayer is not magic ritual, not a panacea for all ills. Don't expect instant returns. Prayer is a test that a person goes through. It must be said repeatedly and daily, only in this way will God hear your requests. In addition, remember that God knows what every person is worthy of. Therefore, you should not ask to harm someone, to punish someone.

We have also prepared some useful information for you at the bottom of the page. mobile applications. With the help of such Orthodox applications, you can get acquainted with the Bible, find a lot of liturgical materials, namely prayer books, prayers, canons, prayers, etc. You can read, listen, create your own list of works and turn to hundreds of Orthodox books at any time.

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Complete Orthodox prayer book with the ability to listen to audio. Completely free. We have collected basic prayers, canons, akathists, texts of divine services, books of Holy Scripture so that they are always at hand. In addition to reading prayers, you can listen to some of them, and also enable synchronization of reading with text. During prayer, you can open a memorial with the names of your loved ones, living and deceased.