Prayer is a conversation with God. How to pray correctly, be baptized, church rules and basic prayers. What Orthodox Christians pray for.
How to prepare yourself for visiting the temple. The temple is the house of God, heaven on earth, the place where the greatest Mysteries are performed. Therefore, it is necessary to always prepare for receiving shrines, so that the Lord does not condemn us for negligence in communicating with the Great.* Eating food before visiting the temple is not recommended, it is prohibited according to the rules, this is always done on an empty stomach. Some retreats are possible due to weakness, with the obligatory reproach of oneself.
Clothes, has great importance, the Apostle Paul mentions this, commanding women to cover their heads. He notes that a woman's covered head is a positive sign for the angels, for it is a sign of modesty. It is not good to visit a temple in a short, bright skirt, in a provocatively revealing dress or in a tracksuit. Anything that forces others to pay attention to you and distracts you from service and prayer is considered bad. A woman in trousers in a temple is also an unacceptable phenomenon. In the Bible, there is also an Old Testament prohibition for women to dress in men's clothing, and for men to dress in women's clothing. Respect the feelings of believers, even if this is YOUR first visit to the temple.
In the morning, getting out of bed, thank our Lord, who has given us the opportunity to spend the night in peace and who has extended us the days of repentance. Slowly wash your face, stand in front of the icon, light a lamp (necessarily from a candle), to give a prayerful spirit, bring your thoughts into silence and order, forgive everyone and only then start reading, morning prayers from the prayer book. If you have time, read one chapter from the Gospel, one of the Acts of the Apostles, one kathisma from the Psalter, or one psalm. At the same time, it is necessary to remember that it is always better to read one prayer with a sincere feeling than to complete all prayers with an obsessive thought. Before you leave, say a prayer: “I deny you, Satan, your pride and your service, and I unite with you, Christ our God, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". Then, cross yourself and calmly walk to the temple. On the street, cross the road in front of you, with the prayer: “Lord, bless my ways and save me from all evil.” On the way to the temple, read the prayer to yourself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
*Rules for entering the temple.
Before entering the temple, cross yourself, bow three times, looking at the image of the Savior, and say before the first bow: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” to the second bow: “God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me.”
To the third: “I have sinned beyond number, Lord, forgive me.”
Then, having done the same, entering the doors of the temple, bow to both sides, say to yourself: “Forgive me, brothers and sisters.”
*In church, the correct way to kiss icons is as follows:
When kissing the holy icon of the Savior, one should kiss the feet,
Mother of God and Saints - hand,
and the miraculous image of the Savior and the head of St. John the Baptist are covered with hair.
And remember!!! If you come to the service, then the Service must be defended from beginning to end. Service is not a duty, but a sacrifice to God.
NOTE: - if you do not have the strength to stand for the entire service, then you can sit, for as St. Philaret of Moscow said: “It is better to think about God while sitting than about your feet while standing.”
However, while reading the Gospel you must stand!!!
How to be BAPTIZED CORRECTLY.
The sign of the cross is performed as follows.
We're putting our fingers together right hand: thumb, index and middle - together (in a pinch), ring and little fingers - bent together, pressed to the palm.
Three folded fingers mean our faith in God, worshiped in the Trinity, and two fingers mean faith in Jesus Christ as true God and true Man. Then, with the tips of three folded fingers, we touch our forehead to sanctify our thoughts; belly to sanctify our body; right and left shoulders, to sanctify the works of our hands. In this way we depict a cross on ourselves.
After this we bow. Bows can be from the waist to the ground. The waist bow consists of bending the upper body forward after making the sign of the cross. When bowing to the ground, the believer kneels, bending down, touches his forehead to the floor and then stands up.
There are certain extensive church rules regarding what bows should be performed and when. For example, prostrations are not performed during the period from Easter to the Holy Trinity, as well as on Sundays and great holidays.
To be baptized without bowing: 1. In the middle of the six psalms on “Alleluia” three times.
2. At the beginning “I believe.”
3. On vacation, “Christ our true God.”
4. At the beginning of reading the Holy Scriptures: the Gospel, the Apostle and proverbs.
Cross yourself with a bow from the waist:
1. When entering the temple and when leaving it - three times.
2. At each petition, the litany after singing “Lord, have mercy,” “Give, Lord,” “To you, Lord.”
3. With the exclamation of the clergyman, giving glory to the Holy Trinity.
4. When shouting “Take, eat”, “Drink from it all”, “Yours from Yours”.
5. At the words “Most honorable Cherub.”
6. With every word “let us bow down,” “worship,” “let us fall down.”
7. During the words “Alleluia”, “Holy God” and “Come, let us worship” and during the exclamation “Glory to Thee, Christ God”, before dismissal - three times.
8. On the canon on the 1st and 9th cantos at the first invocation to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saints.
9. After each stichera (moreover, the choir that finishes singing is baptized).
10. At the litia, after each of the first three petitions of the litany - 3 bows, after the other two - one each.
Be baptized with a bow to the ground:
1. During fasting, when entering the temple and when leaving it - 3 times.
2. During Lent, after each chorus to the song of the Mother of God “We magnify Thee.”
3. At the beginning of singing “It is worthy and righteous to eat.”
4. After “We’ll sing for you.”
5. After “It is worthy to eat” or Zadostoynik.
6. When shouting: “And grant us, Master.”
7. When carrying out the Holy Gifts, with the words “Approach with the fear of God and faith,” and the second time - with the words “Always, now and ever.”
8. B Lent, at Great Compline, while singing “Holy Lady” - on every verse; while singing “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” and so on. At Lenten Vespers three bows are made.
9. During fasting, during the prayer “Lord and Master of my life.”
10. During the fast, during the final singing: “Remember me, Lord, when you come in Your Kingdom.” Just 3 prostrations.
Half-length bow without the sign of the cross
1. At the words of the priest “Peace to all”
2. “The blessing of the Lord be upon you,”
3. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”,
4. “And may the mercies of the Great God be” and
5. With the words of the deacon “And forever and ever” (after the priest’s exclamation “How holy art thou, our God” before the singing of the Trisagion).
You are not supposed to be baptized.
1. During the psalms.
2. In general, while singing.
3. During the litanies, to the choir who sings the litany choruses
4. You need to be baptized and bow down at the end of the singing, and not at the last words.
Prostrations to the ground are not allowed.
On Sundays, on the days from the Nativity of Christ to Epiphany, from Easter to Pentecost, on the Feast of the Transfiguration and Exaltation (on this day there are three prostrations to the Cross). Bowing stops from the evening entrance before the holiday until “Grant, Lord” at Vespers on the very day of the holiday.
ICONS IN THE HOUSE
Savior Not Made by Hands
Icon is a Greek word and is translated as “image.” Holy Scripture says that Jesus Christ himself was the first to give people His visible image.
King Abgar, who ruled during the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Syrian city of Edessa, was seriously ill with leprosy. Having learned that in Palestine there was the great “prophet and wonderworker” Jesus, who taught about the Kingdom of God and healed people of any disease, Abgar believed in Him and sent his court painter Ananias to give Jesus a letter from Abgar, asking for healing and his repentance. In addition, he ordered the painter to draw a portrait of Jesus. But the artist was unable to make a portrait, “due to the radiant shine of His face.” The Lord himself came to his aid. He took a piece of cloth and applied it to His Divine face, which is why His divine image was imprinted on the cloth, by the power of grace. Having received this Holy Image - the first icon created by the Lord Himself, Abgar venerated it with faith and received healing for his faith.
This miraculous image was given a name - *Savior Not Made by Hands*.
Purpose of the icon
The main purpose of the icon is to help people rise above the vanity of the world and provide assistance in prayer. “An icon is an embodied prayer. It is created in prayer and for the sake of prayer, driving force which is love for God, striving for Him as for perfect Beauty.”
The icon is called upon to awaken in what lies before it the spiritual need to pray, to fall before God in repentance, to seek consolation in sorrows and prayers.
What icons should be in the home of an Orthodox Christian?
You must have icons of the Savior and the Mother of God at home. Among the images of the Savior, a half-length image of the Lord Almighty is usually chosen for home prayer. A characteristic feature of this iconographic type is the image of the Lord with a blessing hand and an open or closed book. Also, an icon of the Savior Not Made by Hands is often purchased for the home.
The icon of the Mother of God is most often chosen from the following iconographic types:
“Tenderness” (“Eleusa”) - Vladimirskaya, Donskaya, Pochaevskaya, Feodorovskaya, Tolgskaya, “Recovery of the Dead”, etc.;
“Guide” (“Hodegetria”) - Kazanskaya, Tikhvinskaya, “Quick to Hear”, Iverskaya, Gruzinskaya, “Three-Handed”, etc.
Usually in Rus' it is customary to place an icon of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in Lycia (Nicholas the Pleasant) in every home iconostasis. Of the Russian saints, images of the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh and Seraphim of Sarov are most often found; Among the icons of martyrs, the icons of St. George the Victorious and the healer Panteleimon are very often placed. If space permits, it is advisable to have images of the Holy Evangelists, St. John the Baptist, and the Archangels Gabriel and Michael.
If desired, you can add icons of patrons. For example: Patrons of the family - the holy faithful Prince Peter (monastically David) and Princess Fevronia
Saints Peter and Fevronia are an example of Christian marriage. With their prayers they bring down Heavenly blessings on those entering into marriage.
- the holy martyrs and confessors Gury, Samon and Aviv - are known among Orthodox Christians as the patrons of marriage, marriage, and a happy family; They are prayed to “if the husband innocently hates his wife” - they are the intercessors of a woman in a difficult marriage. PATRON OF CHILDREN. - Holy Child-Martyr Gabriel of Bialystok.
How to pray CORRECTLY. Prayers are read according to certain RULES. A rule is the order of reading prayers established by the Church, their composition and sequence. There are: morning, afternoon and evening rules, rules for Holy Communion.
Each of the rules has almost the same beginning - opening prayers:
“In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Heavenly King...
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (three times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us...
Lord, have mercy... (three times).
Glory to the Father and the Son...
Our Father …"
these initial prayers are followed by the rest.
If you are limited in time, then take advantage of Prayer Rule, Seraphim of Sarov:
After sleep, having washed, first of all, you need to stand in front of the icons and, reverently crossing yourself, read the Lord’s Prayer *Our Father* three times. Then three times *Virgin Mother of God, rejoice* and, finally, the Creed.
Is it possible to pray in your own words? It is possible, but within certain restrictions.
The Church does not prohibit praying in one’s own words. Moreover, she points to this and prescribes, say, in the morning rule: “Briefly offer a prayer for the salvation of your spiritual father, your parents, relatives, bosses, benefactors, those you know who are sick or in sorrow.” Thus, we can tell the Lord in our own words about what concerns our friends or us personally, about what was not said in the prayers included in the prayer book.
However, without achieving spiritual perfection, praying with the words that come to mind, even if they come from the depths of the soul, we can only remain at our level of spirituality. By joining the prayers of the saints, trying to delve into their words, each time we become a little higher and better spiritually.
The Lord Himself gave us an example of how to pray. The prayer He left for His disciples is called the Lord's Prayer. It exists in all prayer books and is included in church services. This prayer is *Our Father*.
The Lord's Prayer (given to us by Jesus Christ) -
Our Father who art in heaven! Hallowed be your name, may your kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us our daily bread for this day;
and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors;
and do not let us fall into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
**********
SYMBOL OF FAITH:
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, everything visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, begotten of the Father before the beginning of time; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father, through whom all things were created.
For us, for the sake of people and for our salvation, he came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, as the Scriptures predicted. And ascended into heaven and reigns with the Father. And He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead; His kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, equally worshiped and glorified with the Father and the Son, who spoke through the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.
Symbol of faith - summary the foundations of the Orthodox faith, compiled at the I and II Ecumenical Councils in the 4th century; read in the morning as a daily prayer.
PSALM 50.
Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquities. Wash me from all my iniquities, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquities, and my sin is always before me. I have sinned only before You, and I have done evil before You, so You are right in Your verdict and just in Your judgment. From my very birth I have been guilty before You; I am a sinner from my conception in my mother's womb. But You love the sincere in heart and reveal to them the secrets of wisdom. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will become whiter than snow. Return joy and gladness to my soul, and my bones, broken by You, will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and strengthen me with Your Sovereign Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your ways, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from premature death, O God, God is my salvation, and my tongue will praise Your righteousness. God! Open my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice - I would give it - and You do not favor burnt offerings. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; God will not despise a contrite and humble heart. Renew, O God, by Thy mercy Zion, erect the walls of Jerusalem. Then righteous sacrifices will be acceptable to You; then they will lay sacrifices to You on Your altar.
*Song of the Most Holy Theotokos:
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
*Prayers to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
O Most Holy Lady Lady Theotokos! Raise us, servant of God (names), from the depths of sin and deliver us from sudden death and from all evil. Grant us, O Lady, peace and health and enlighten our minds and the eyes of our hearts to salvation, and grant us, Thy sinful servants, the Kingdom of Thy Son, Christ our God: for His power is blessed with the Father and His Most Holy Spirit.
*A simpler prayer -
Most Holy Mother of God, pray to Your Son and God for the revelation of my mind and for the blessing of my undertakings, and for sending from above help in my affairs, and for the forgiveness of my sins, and for receiving eternal blessings. Amen.
PRAYERS BEFORE EATING AND AFTER EATING FOOD
Blessing of food or Thanksgiving prayer is said before the start of the meal.
The prayer can be read while sitting or standing. But, if there are people present who profess a different faith, then it is better not to say the prayer out loud!
The content of the prayer can be short or lengthy. The three options for prayers before meals below are the most common, as they are the shortest:
1. Lord, bless us and these Thy gifts that we partake of.
Yours. In the name of Christ our Lord, amen.
2. Bless, Lord, this food, so that it will benefit us and give us
strength to serve You and help those who need it. Amen.
3. Let us thank the Lord for the meal given to us. Amen.
We present to you other options for prayers before meals:
1. Our Father... Or: The eyes of all are turned to You, Lord, and You give food to everyone at the right time,
You open Your generous hand and satisfy all living things.
2. We thank You, Christ our God, for You have filled us with Your earthly blessings. Don't deprive us of
Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as you once came to Your disciples, giving them peace, come to us and save us.
Often, believers, before and after eating, simply read three prayers: “Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen". “Lord, have mercy” (three times). “Through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother and all Thy saints, Lord Jesus Christ, our God, have mercy on us. Amen".
And, if you want to snack on an apple or a sandwich, for example, then the clergy recommend that you simply cross yourself or cross what you are eating!
PRAYERS FOR THE COMING SLEEP:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
*Prayer of Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Thy sinful servant, and forgive me the unworthy, and forgive me all that You have sinned today as a man, and moreover, not as a man, but also worse than cattle, my free sins and involuntary, known and unknown: those who are evil from youth and science, and those who are evil from insolence and despondency. If I swear by Your name, or blaspheme in my thoughts; or whom I will reproach; or slandered someone with my anger, or saddened someone, or became angry about something; either he lied, or he slept in vain, or he came to me as a beggar and despised him; or made my brother sad, or married, or whom I condemned; or became proud, or became proud, or became angry; or standing in prayer, my mind is moved by the wickedness of this world, or I think about corruption; either overeated, or drunk, or laughing madly; either I thought evil, or saw someone else’s kindness, and my heart was wounded by it; or dissimilar verbs, or laughed at my brother’s sin, but mine are countless sins; Either I didn’t pray for the sake of it, or I didn’t remember what other evil things I did, because I did more and more of these things. Have mercy on me, my Creator Master, Thy sad and unworthy servant, and leave me, and let me go, and forgive me, for I am Good and Lover of Mankind, so that I may lie down in peace, sleep and rest, the prodigal, sinful and damned one, and I will bow and sing , and I will glorify Your most honorable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now and ever and forever. Amen.
*Prayer
Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep. Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil, for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
*Prayer to our Lord Jesus Christ
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of Your most honorable Mother, and Your disembodied Angels, Your Prophet and Forerunner and Baptist, the God-speaking Apostles, the bright and victorious martyrs, the reverend and God-bearing fathers, and all the saints through the prayers, deliver me from my present demonic situation. To her, my Lord and Creator, do not want the death of a sinner, but as if he were converted and live, grant me conversion, the accursed and unworthy; take me away from the mouth of the destructive serpent, who yawns to devour me and bring me to hell alive. To her, my Lord, is my consolation, Who for the sake of the accursed one has clothed himself in corruptible flesh, pluck me from accursedness, and grant consolation to my more accursed soul. Plant in my heart to do Thy commandments, and forsake evil deeds, and receive Thy blessedness: for in Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, save me.
*Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.
*Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that I may not anger my God in any sin; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Prayer to the Honest Life-Giving Cross:
May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish in the face lovers of God and signifying the sign of the cross, and saying in joy: Rejoice, Most Honest and Life-giving Cross Lord, drive away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.
Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.
*Prayer
Weaken, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is good and Lover of Humanity.
*Prayer
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life. Visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments, through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary and all Thy saints: for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. . Amen.
*CONFESSION OF SINS DAILY:
I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in Holy Trinity To the One, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins, which I have committed all the days of my life, and for every hour, and at the present time, and in days and nights that have passed, by deed, word, thought, food, drunkenness, secret eating, idle talk, despondency, laziness, bickering, disobedience, slander, condemnation, negligence, pride, avarice, theft, lack of speech, foulness, money-grubbing, jealousy, envy, anger, memory malice, hatred, covetousness and all my feelings: sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and my other sins, both mental and physical, in the image of my God and Creator, who have angered You, and my untruthful neighbor: regretting these, I present my guilt to You to my God, and I have the will to repent: exactly, Lord God my, help me, with tears I humbly pray to Thee: forgive me my sins by Thy mercy, and forgive me from all these things that I have said before You, as You are Good and Lover of Mankind.
When you go to bed, be sure to say:
*In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.*
The LORD save and preserve you!!!
In any business you need to understand the principle. Remember how it was in school: it is very difficult to memorize a poem without understanding the meaning; you need understanding and insight. It's the same in prayer.
First, it is important to understand the Heavenly hierarchy
At the head of the entire hierarchy is God, he is one (but three in persons, the Holy Trinity: God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - this is how God appeared to people), the first representative before God is the Mother of God, and she is one, despite the fact that there are many varieties her icons, and icons appeared so that people understood that she was the first representative on any issues before God. Further down the hierarchy are Angels, Archangels, Cherubim, Seraphim, All the saints who lived a God-pleasing life on earth, and after death, people were healed from their relics and continue to be healed. Each saint lived a life of heroic deeds, some more famous and some less known, and often the most revered saints are depicted in churches, who showed special miracles to people.
God, the Mother of God, Saints are depicted on icons, we pray not to icons, but to those who are depicted on them
If you don’t know who is depicted in front of you, take a closer look and in the area of the face you will see, it is written to us what kind of saint he is. In order to find out the biography of a particular saint, there are books “Lives of the Saints”, where you can familiarize yourself with the deeds and exploits of the saint and find out why he is revered. Of course, every saint has special care. So, let’s say, if the saint was an outstanding doctor, then many people pray to him for medical matters, but this does not mean that you cannot ask for other things, quite the opposite. Can. But when praying to the saints, we must understand that these are God’s helpers, but not his substitutes, and it is necessary and possible to ask them for intercession before God on such and such issues.
In everything related to prayer, it is very important to understand that we pray in front of an icon, but not to the icon, we turn to the one who is depicted on it, we venerate icons, but we do not worship icons, but bow our heads and knees as if before the Lord himself or the Mother of God or the Saints.
There are prayers that were compiled by the Holy Fathers, they are contained in the prayer book (a collection of prayers), but what if we are in church and don’t know the prayers?
Sincerity is important
In fact, sincerity is important, and in such cases you can pray in your own words. For example: “Holy Father Nicholas, pray to God for us,” then you can ask what you consider necessary. Likewise to the Mother of God: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us, help us.” And at the icon of All Saints: “All Saints, pray to God for us.” And there is no greater petition than the one we are talking about.
But if you have a prayer book, you should know that they are of different publishers and contents, some contain only basic prayers, and there are few prayers for saints, then they are looking for special collections of prayers for certain saints on sale.
Prayers are written in Church Slavonic liturgical language
The prayers were compiled by the Holy Fathers so that a person could clearly express his thought in liturgical language, because you already understand how difficult it is for a person to concentrate on prayer, it is difficult to understand how to speak and what to ask. The Holy Fathers very competently and soulfully composed prayers under the Grace of the Holy Spirit, and their words soften a person’s soul, open his heart to God, open his eyes.
The meaning of prayer
The meaning of prayer is not reading, not reading, not spells - these are no longer prayers, this is the occult. Prayer is a person’s appeal to God, the Mother of God or the Saint. When reading a prayer, a person penetrates the meaning of every word. The composition of the prayer may contain an appeal, praise, and mention of historical moments related in meaning to a specific prayer. If the prayer is already familiar, then you cannot switch to automatic reading; in this case, it is important to concentrate on each word.
Very often, people ordering a prayer service, magpie or other worship service ask about who and what they should pray for in order to receive God’s help.
The Orthodox Church responds to this as follows: “Any prayer service is a divine service aimed at glorifying the Lord, the Mother of God and all the Saints. In the prayer service, Orthodox Christians ask for mercy or thank God for the blessings received. The Savior favors His children who turn to Him for help, and helps - according to the power of our faith, showing miracles of good deeds, the purpose of which is to heal, enlighten, encourage and reveal to a person the spiritual side of life. The Lord hears any of our prayers addressed to him. Therefore, when praying or ordering prayer services, remember all the Saints. each of them, as well as all of them together, are equally important."
Nevertheless, each of the Saints, each of the Miracle-Working Icons, have their own, unique grace. Prayed for centuries, Miracle-Working Icons are for believers a source of God's love, which the Lord generously bestows upon us. In this section of our website you can find out detailed information about all the Miracle-Working Icons located in churches and monasteries in Moscow and the Moscow region.
- Pray for healing. Young virgins especially pray before her, asking for help in maintaining chastity, piety and morality. They call on Her and, in the hope of meeting a kind man, ask for a successful marriage, a strong and happy family life. They pray to the Queen of Heaven before Her image “Tenderness” and for the onset of a long-awaited pregnancy and a successful delivery. Prayer.
- Located in Moscow,
- Days of veneration - August 01, August 10.
- If you need an icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. Proposed
- They pray for the well-being of the entire country. Before Vladimir icon they turn to the Mother of God to ask Her for intercession from the enemy, for help in overcoming difficulties and for strengthening faith. Prayer in front of this image also helps to heal from physical ailments and mental hardships. Prayer.
- Located in Moscow
- Days of veneration - June 03, July 6, September 08.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God "Vladimir" for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- The icon became famous for its numerous healings from physical ailments, including fatal ones. They pray for the health of both themselves and their family and friends. They ask the Mother of God in front of the icon “for the joy of all who mourn” and for healing from spiritual illnesses - lack of faith, despondency, despair and sorrow.
Prayer in front of this image helps in other everyday issues. If there is a “burden” on your heart, things are not going well, there are family feuds, difficulties with work, etc. – you can pray to the Mother of God in front of the “Joy to All Who Sorrow” icon for a successful outcome of all this.
In front of the icon of the Mother of God “Joy of All Who Sorrow” with coins, in addition to everything listed above, they pray in need. Prayer. - Located in the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God of All Who Sorrow Joy on Ordynka, Moscow
- Days of veneration - November 6.
- They pray for healing for cancer. Prayer helps in getting rid of drug and alcohol addiction and gambling addiction. They pray asking for protection from witchcraft spells, from magical influence from someone's side. Prayer.
- Located in the Novospassky stavropegial men's monastery, Moscow.
- Days of veneration - August 31.
- If you need an icon of the Mother of God “The Tsaritsa” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Everyone who is sick physically prays, and through their prayers they receive healing from the most serious illnesses. Prayers in front of this image also heal from the passions that often overwhelm the human soul, depriving us of vitality and from mental illness. They pray to correct moral vices that lead to the spiritual death of a person. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple in the name of the prophet of God Elijah (EXCELLENCE OF THE LORD'S CROSS) in Cherkizovo, Moscow
- Days of veneration are every year on Friday of Bright Week (Easter Week).
- They pray for healing from diseases of the soul and body, for the protection of the home from natural disasters and attacks from enemies, for the inviolability of the borders of the Fatherland. Repentant sinners come to her asking for forgiveness of their sins, and relatives pray for the unrepentant. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, Moscow,
- Days of veneration are February 25, October 26, every year on Tuesday of Bright Week (Easter week).
- If you need the Iveron Icon of the Mother of God for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for deliverance from any disease, including those over which doctors are powerless. There are many known cases of healing from blindness and paralysis, plague and other mass epidemics. They pray for the protection of their home and country from attack and capture by enemies, from robbery and other unlawful actions. They pray in front of the Jerusalem image and for salvation from natural disasters. Often in front of the Jerusalem Icon of the Mother of God you can hear prayers for the preservation of the hearth, for the well-being of the family and good relations between its members. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple in the name of the prophet of God Elijah (EXCELLENCE OF THE LORD'S CROSS) in Cherkizovo, Moscow
- Days of veneration - October 25
- By venerating the miraculous image, people received instant healing from severe toothaches, gumboils, and stomach pains. Prayers to the icon saved men from alcohol addiction, and also cured severe cancer, blood diseases, ulcers, and kidney stones. There are numerous cases of miraculous healings and, in particular, the gift of children to infertile couples. They pray for healing of illnesses and healing of infertility (conception of children). Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kosino, Moscow,
- Days of veneration - July 3
- Pray for speedy conception, about the successful course of pregnancy and safe delivery. They also turn to the Heavenly Intercessor in matters of feeding newborn children - when there is not enough milk, or when the baby does not latch well. They also pray to the Mother of God for the health of children and their timely development. Prayer.
- Located in Moscow,
- Days of veneration - January 25.
- They pray for sclerosis, atherosclerosis, lack of intelligence, weak mental development, and also when “adding” intelligence (help in studying) is needed for students and schoolchildren. In addition, you can turn to this icon with a prayer for help (increasing intelligence or admonition) during scientific work or work on any project. They pray for help for students, mental enlightenment and the cure of the mentally ill. Prayer.
- Located in Moscow,
- Days of veneration - on the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, August 28.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God “Addition of Mind” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Prayers to this icon bring comfort in sorrows and help with mental and other ailments. They ask a prayer for deliverance from demonic possession.
They pray for healing from cholera, the blind and paralytic, from the fire. Prayer. - Located in the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Sokolniki, Moscow,
- Days of veneration - August 26.
- If you need an icon of the Mother of God “Passionate” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray to ask to overcome life's difficulties, misfortunes and adversities. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of St. Nicholas in Tolmachi, Moscow,
- Days of veneration - February 07.
- Unexpected joy is a miracle that we no longer hoped for or counted on - unexpected, sudden and unpredictable. Believers pray to the Mother of God in front of the icon " Unexpected Joy"when it seems that the spark of hope has already faded. They ask the Most Pure One for protection from sorrows and troubles, pray for deliverance from mental anxieties and physical illnesses. Prayer before the “Unexpected Joy” icon helps mothers seek physical and spiritual health for their children. Lost but repentant souls can finally receive forgiveness and find peace. Those who have lost relatives and friends turn to the Mother of God to reunite with dear people. And those who suffer from physical illness are healed. The icon also helps those who are burdened by a heavy spiritual burden - irreconcilable resentment or deep sadness. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple of the Icon of the Mother of God Unexpected Joy, Moscow,
- Days of veneration - December 22, May 14.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God "Unexpected Joy" for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, clicking on this link Face 2. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for well-being on the way, from storms and drowning at sea, for healing from various ailments, for the protection of the family hearth, for help in various troubles, from sadness and despondency, for children, to get their daughters married, for help in poverty and need. , about intercession for widows and orphans, about compassion for the defenseless, in captivity among enemies. Prayer.
- Located in the Epiphany Cathedral, Moscow.
- Days of veneration - May 22, December 19.
- If you need an icon of the Savior Nicholas the Wonderworker for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, Clicking on this link Face 2, Face 3, Face 4, Face 5. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Believers turn to her to ask for help and protection for their homes and their families. It is with this icon that during the sacrament of weddings that the newlyweds are most often blessed for strong and happy marriage. The image of the Kazan Mother of God is often placed next to the crib of children, because they believe and know that the Most Pure One will not leave the child, but will graciously watch over him. Prayer before her has more than once helped people get back on their feet and regain their sight, not only physically, but also spiritually. Lost souls kneeling before the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God regained faith and returned to a pious life, for the Mother of God responds to the call of everyone who thirsts for Her help and forgiveness with all their heart and soul. Prayer.
- Located in the Epiphany Cathedral, Moscow,
- Days of veneration - July 21, November 4.
- If you need an icon of the Mother of God "Kazan" for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, Clicking on this link Face 2, Clicking on this link Face 3. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for the fate of Russia, as well as for forgiveness for the death of Nicholas II and his family. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of St. Nicholas in Pyzhi, Moscow
- Days of veneration - July 17
- Considered the patroness of babies, she is also called the nursery. She helps children in illness, calms the restless and disobedient, helps them choose friends, and protects them from the bad influence of the street. It is believed to strengthen the bond between parents and children. Helps women during childbirth and pregnancy. They also pray when there are problems with conception. Before her they pray for the sight of the blind and the healing of eye diseases, for illnesses of children, for epilepsy and paralysis, for the preservation of peace and the non-occurrence of war. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple in honor of the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God in Alekseevsky, Moscow
- Days of veneration - July 9
- If you need the Tikhvin Icon of the Mother of God for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for any help they need - in matters of the heart, in healing from illnesses, in case of financial disorders or to avoid impending deception, in case of damage from the elements, in preserving the family, in caring for children and their well-being - you can’t list everything. But the holy elder Matrona is always with us, and prayerful trust in her intercession before her icon helps everyone who comes to her in sorrows and illnesses. Prayer.
- Located in the Pokrovsky Stauropegial Women's Monastery, Moscow
- Days of veneration - March 8 (discovery of relics), May 2, October 5.
- If you need an icon of St. prbl. Matrona of Moscow for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for healing of head diseases. Prayers before miraculous icon helped many people find a happy marriage (ask for a good husband/wife). Prayers to Saint John the Baptist will help every person to successfully cope with any work and fulfill their duty with dignity. With it, it will be easier for you to discover your destiny, following which a person finds happiness and health. Prayer.
- Located in St. John the Baptist Stavropegial Convent, Moscow
- Days of veneration - October 6 - Conception, July 7 - Christmas, September 11 - Beheading, January 20 - Council, March 9 - first and second finding of the head, June 7 - third finding of the head, October 25.
- If you need an icon of St. John the Baptist (Baptist) for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for protection of the home from ill-wishers, for healing from epidemics, and for the protection of military personnel. They pray for the well-being of those on the road and those traveling. Prayer.
- Located in the Mother of God-Smolensk Novodevichy Convent, Moscow
- Days of veneration - August 10
- They pray for help in God’s blessing over the house, in housing problems, they pray for finding their own home. Prayer before the icon of the Holy Blessed Daniel of Moscow helps in cases where the Fatherland is in military danger, and also asks for the preservation of peace. They ask him for help if they see unnecessary divisions between people, about the lenient nature of governments and authorities - for example, you can pray to him before elections of heads of any scale, so that he helps, perhaps gives some kind of sign so that a person makes the right choice in favor of or another candidate. They pray to Saint Daniel to stop and prevent internecine warfare. But most of all, a prayer request to him helps in solving housing issues - they pray to him for finding his own home and for God’s blessing over the house. Also, the holy blessed Prince Daniel of Moscow is now the heavenly patron of the Engineering Troops of the Russian Army. Prayer.
- Located in the Danilovsky stauropegial monastery, Moscow
- Days of veneration - March 17, September 12
- If you need an icon of St. Prince Daniel of Moscow for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Saint Peter is the first Moscow saint, he is revered as the heavenly patron and protector of the city of Moscow. They pray for deliverance from all illnesses and troubles. There are many known cases of miraculous healings that occurred through prayers to the Saint. Prayer.
- Located in the Vysoko-Petrovsky Monastery, Moscow
- Days of veneration - January 3, September 6 - transfer of relics, October 18 - Moscow. St., October 23 - Volynsk Cathedral. Saints
- Prayer can heal a wide variety of ailments, such as stomach diseases, eye and dental diseases, helps with mental disorders, and can also give women suffering from infertility long-awaited offspring. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of St. Martin the Confessor (Ascension of the Lord), Moscow
- Days of veneration - September 4
- Prayer in front of his icons will help pacify pain and heal from any illness. They appeal to Panteleimon with requests to cure spiritual ailments - despair, anxiety, anger, resentment and other vices of the soul. It is customary to pray to Panteleimon not only with requests for deliverance from any hardships, but also with requests for the preservation of existing health.
Panteleimon the Great Martyr is addressed as the patron saint of those whose work and life are invariably connected with the salvation of people. Military personnel, doctors, sailors, employees of internal law enforcement agencies, representatives of peacekeeping forces, etc. can ask the Saint for well-being in their activities. Prayer. - Located in the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Izmailovo, Moscow
- Days of veneration - August 9
- If you need an icon of the Great Martyr. Panteleimon for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, Face 2. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for children who are having trouble studying. They pray for the healing of physical and mental illnesses, alcoholism and drug addiction. They pray for spiritual guidance for young people, help in choosing a life path, and support in the infirmities of old age. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt is the greatest healer and intercessor for us; we can resort to his help in any trouble and in any difficulty. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple of St. Sergius of Radonezh in Rogozhskaya Sloboda, Moscow
- Days of veneration - January 2
- They pray to find what was lost, expose theft, and return what was stolen. Since ancient times in Rus', under serfdom, they believed that prayer to the holy martyr John the Warrior would help apprehend a runaway slave or find a robber and return the loot, evidence of which exists in our times. If such a nuisance happens to someone, it is worth turning to the saint for help in sincere prayer. In Rus', all thieves were afraid of the saint: if suspicion of theft fell on someone, they served a prayer service to Saint John the Warrior, and the thieves were so afraid of the saint that they themselves confessed to theft. They pray to him for help in finding missing things. They also resort to it in protection from offenders. They also pray to Saint John the Warrior for those who are in captivity or imprisonment. Anyone who is in spiritual sorrow or any other everyday situation can turn to Saint John the Warrior for help. Prayer.
- Located in the Temple of St. John the Warrior on Yakimanka, Moscow
- Days of veneration - August 12
- If you need an icon of St. John the Warrior for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray to ask the Holy One for help in getting rid of physical and mental ailments. Especially often, pilgrims appeal to the Reverend, begging for the pacification of pride, as one of the most serious sins. They ask not only for themselves, but also for their friends and enemies. This image is especially revered by parents whose children do not show success in learning. Sergius of Radonezh himself could not cope with reading and writing for a long time and mastered it perfectly only after fervent prayers to our Lord. Now he himself stands next to God and asks him for those who cannot succeed in learning only on their own. The students themselves turn to Sergius of Radonezh on the eve of an exam or when mastering complex sciences. Sergius of Radonezh is also revered as the Holy Protector of the righteous and honest life. Therefore, they pray in front of his icons on the eve of important court cases or during litigation: the Reverend helps everyone who is sincere and pure in thoughts and deeds and fights for the truth against lies in court. Prayer.
- Located in the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, Sergiev Posad, Moscow region.
- Days of veneration - July 18 - acquisition of honest relics, July 20, October 8 - Repose
- If you need an icon of St. Sergius of Radonezh for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, clicking on this link Face 2, clicking on this link Face 3. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Pray for successful marriage, about success in all areas of life, about help in raising children and about their excellent studies, about the gift of children (to those who cannot conceive), about healing from illnesses and for those who died without communion (begging). Prayer.
- Pieces of the relics and the icon are in the Chapel of St. Ksenia of Petersburg at the Kuzminskoye cemetery, Moscow
- Days of veneration - February 6.
- If you need an icon of St. prbl. Xenia of St. Petersburg for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for help in matters of real estate, taxes and financial well-being. Prayer.
- Located in Moscow
- Days of veneration - December 15th.
- The Venerable Mary of Egypt is the patroness of repentant harlots, fornicators and the judge at the Last Judgment of those who have not repented. Prayer has the properties of liberating a person from bad addictions, which can lead to harmful habits (drunkenness, drug addiction, gambling addiction) if a prayer is read before it. They pray to obey in performing abortions. You can pray to the Reverend Mary of Egypt for choosing the right path in life, for the gift of modesty, chastity, and Christian wisdom. Prayer.
- Located in the Sretensky stauropegial monastery, Moscow
- Days of veneration - the fifth week (Sunday) of Lent, April 14 - the day of repose...
- Praying for a solution material problems in life. Spiridon Trimifuntsky still helps to find a job, decide legal issues regarding money matters and business affairs, people turn to Spiridon of Trimifuntsky for help in buying and selling real estate, which was recommended by Ambrose Optinsky. Prayer.
- The revered icon with parts of the relics and the shoe are located in the St. Daniel Stavropegial Monastery (slipper), the Zachatievsky Stauropegial Convent, in the Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Assumption Vrazhek, Moscow, Nikolo-Solbinsky Convent, Yaroslavl Region.
- Days of veneration - December 25th.
- If you need an icon of St. Spyridon of Trimifunt for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, clicking on this link Face 2. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for the establishment of family piety, assistance in the upbringing and moral and religious growth of children. Prayer.
- They are located in the Pokrovsky Khotkovsky stauropegial convent, Moscow region, Sergiev Posad district, Khotkovo.
- Days of veneration - January 31, October 11.
- They pray for the salvation of a heavily drinking family member, any neighbor, and help with such destructive, fatal addictions as drug addiction and smoking. Helps in the fight against gambling addiction. People also turn to her for help in resolving housing issues, concluding housing transactions for exchange, purchase and sale, and problems with inheritance. You can pray about everything, express all your wishes, requests, sorrows - the Queen of Heaven will not refuse anyone with heartfelt and sincere prayer. Prayer.
- Located in the Serpukhov Vvedensky Vladychny Convent, Moscow region, Serpukhov.
- Days of veneration - May 18.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God “The Inexhaustible Chalice” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for career, creative and spiritual growth. In addition, turning to her, they pray for healing from various diseases, as well as for a successful marriage. Prayer.
- Days of veneration December 4th.
- They pray for strengthening faith, humility, ascetic work, piety, preservation of virginity, and healing for illnesses. Prayer.
- Located in the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, Moscow region, Zvenigorod.
- Days of veneration - December 16.
- They pray for fertility, from fire, from floods, from diseases, from ulcers. They also pray for success in business, for travelers, for sailors, for warriors. Prayer.
- Located in, Moscow region, Mozhaisk.
- Days of veneration - June 9, January 9.
- They pray during mental and physical illnesses, at the end of any matter, for the granting of a Divine miracle (healing, spiritual insight, the return of the lost, pardon for sinners). Prayer.
- Located in the Luzhetsky Ferapontov Nativity of the Mother of God Monastery, Moscow region, Mozhaisk.
- Days of veneration - July 11.
- They pray for deliverance from enemies and for the preservation of the Russian State, for help to the Orthodox Russian army in difficult times for Russia. Prayer.
- Located in the Tretyakov Gallery, the miraculous list of the icon is located in Moscow.
- days of veneration - September 1.
- They turn in prayer for help in various temptations and persecutions, to gain firmness of faith, to admonish non-believers and sectarians, to give understanding in their studies. Prayer.
- Located in the Donskoy Stavropegial Monastery, Moscow..
- Days of veneration: April 7, October 9, November 18.
- They pray during difficult childbirth, for happiness in marriage, in case of prolonged childlessness, for successful pregnancy and during difficult childbirth. They also make requests for healing. Prayer before the icon Mother of God“Feodorovskaya” helps in cases of long-term childlessness of a family; brides pray before it for a successful marriage, expectant mothers, and also pray for women in labor during difficult births. If not everything is going well in the family, then prayer before it will help to improve the shaky relationship between the spouses. This icon is also revered as miraculous and helps heal diseases, especially women’s diseases. Prayer.
- Located in the Donskoy stauropegial monastery, Moscow.
- Days of veneration are March 27 and August 29.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God "Feodorovskaya" for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Lik1, Clicking on this link Lik 2. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray and pray for healing from blindness and cholera. They also pray for an end to disasters, for protection from enemy attacks, from fires, for protection from thieves and criminals and for the return of what was lost, for deliverance from the plague, for the pacification of warring parties and deliverance from internecine warfare. Prayer.
- Located in the Donskoy Stauropegial Monastery, Moscow.
- Day of veneration is December 10.
- If you need the icon of the Mother of God "The Sign" for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link Face 1, Clicking on this link Face 2. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- A prayer to the Holy Great Martyr George the Victorious helps Russian soldiers in performing active and urgent service; his icon in the house helps in prayers for the well-being of those who have gone into the reserves or for a well-deserved rest in military labor. The prayer also helps farmers and livestock breeders - they pray to him for the preservation of crops and the health of livestock, protection from the elements in agricultural work. Prayer.
- Days of veneration - May 6, November 16, November 23, December 9.
- If you need an icon of St. George the Victorious for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- You can pray to Saint War for the unbaptized. They pray asking for relief for the fate of the souls of relatives and neighbors who died in unbelief, who did not accept Holy Baptism, who did not know the True God, and who deviated from God’s truth. In addition, they pray to Saint Huar for the health of infants and young children, as well as for infants who died in the womb or during childbirth. You can pray to Saint Uar FOR the unbaptized, but NOT for suicides. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Vishnyaki, Moscow
- Days of veneration November 1
- They pray for the birth of children, for the granting of a successful birth. They also pray before her for the health of newborns. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Transfiguration on Bolvanovka, Moscow
- Days of veneration January 8
- If you need an icon of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth” for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for those who are in captivity. Unfairly captive prisoners can ask the saint for speedy release and strength in order to endure the hardships of fate with dignity, without losing faith or falling into despair. They also pray to the Great Martyr to gain humility and spiritual harmony, to strengthen faith and enlightenment, to heal ailments of the body and soul, as well as to give her strength and desire to honestly conduct her affairs for the benefit of herself and other people. Prayer.
- Day of Remembrance January 4
- If you need an icon of St. Anastasia Pattern Maker for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Pray for the well-being of the family. Prayer should be sought in difficult circumstances for the family. When a family falls apart, the priest brings peace, love and all-forgiving understanding to each and everyone. Liberation from the disease of drunkenness, the gift of children through prayers at the shrine with St. relics, relief from very different illnesses, help in the troubles and needs of everyday life. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of St. Nicholas in Klenniki, Moscow
- Days of veneration: June 22, September 29
- This bright image of the Mother of God is revered as the guardian of the hearth. They pray in front of this icon to maintain harmony in the home, to reconcile with relatives, resolve long-term conflicts with loved ones, and improve relationships between spouses, as well as children and parents. The Mother of God is addressed with prayer before Her images of “Seven Shooter” and “Softening” evil hearts“When any discord, quarrel, enmity or complex litigation occurs in a person’s life. For many centuries, Christians appealed to the Queen of Heaven through this icon if wars or riots broke out in the country. Prayer before it helps to “soften the hearts” of the warring parties and prevent bloodshed and cruelty. Prayer before it will protect us from other people’s intolerance towards us, from our own anger and irritation, which are not the best properties of human nature and are present to one degree or another in everyone. Prayer.
- Located in, in Moscow.
- Days of veneration on August 26.
- If you need the “Seven Arrows” icon of the Mother of God for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray in all matters related to education in one way or another. Schoolchildren, students and graduate students ask the Great Martyr for help in understanding the sciences, and teachers ask for strength to honorably fulfill their educational duty. She is prayed to by people in whose work rational judgment is decisive - prosecutors, judges, lawyers and advocates. In addition, young girls who dream of marriage, and women who want to become pregnant, safely bear and give birth to a child, can turn to the Saint in their prayers. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Archangel Michael at the Clinics on the Maiden Field, in Moscow.
- Day of Remembrance December 7
- If you need an icon of St. Vmch. Catherine for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- An ardent prayer in front of the “Unfading Color” icon can not only guide the souls of the suffering on the path of righteous and spiritual life, it also helps preserve physical beauty and youth. Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Unfading Color” helps in preserving a marriage, strengthening family relationships and resolving serious problems faced by household members. Young unmarried girls turn to the Most Pure One through this image to ask for the mercy of the Queen of Heaven in search of a faithful and reliable life partner. Those who suffer from loneliness, who have suffered great sorrows, as well as people who have experienced some kind of grief also turn to the Virgin Mary in front of this image. In such cases, praying to the Mother of God in front of Her “Unfading Color” icon helps to gain strength to continue life, inspires one to fight disappointment, and relieves one from mental anxieties and dark thoughts. Prayer.
- Prayer helps those whose profession is related to military affairs, as well as diplomatic work. For men, the image will become a protector, saving them from any evil, helping them maintain health, gain longevity and peace in the soul. Prayer protects from visible and invisible enemies. With her, your home will prosper. With this image, you and your loved ones will strengthen your faith, live together in harmony and prosperity. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Archangel Michael at the Clinics on the Maiden Field, in Moscow.
- Days of veneration: June 5, September 12, December 6
- If you need an icon of St. blv. Alexander Nevsky for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- They pray for protection from evil intent, enemies and secret enemies. They turn to Him in search of intercession from evil spirits and with a prayer for the healing of ailments of body and soul. Orthodox Christians also ask St. Michael for a happy life in a new house; its builders especially honor it. Considering important role Archangel at the Last Judgment, believers turn to Him with requests to protect the souls of deceased relatives. Michael the Archangel is revered as the patron saint of the Russian land, therefore at all times the people prayed to Him for the protection of their homeland. Prayer
- They pray for protection from enemies and ill-wishers, for protection in family life. Prayer.
- Located in the Spaso-Vlaherna convent, in Dedenevo, Dmitrovsky district, Moscow region.
- Day of veneration is July 20.
- People who find themselves on the verge of death, mental or physical, pray. They ask the Most Pure One to grant willpower to resist sorrows and endure them with dignity, without defaming their souls and without violating the commandments of the Lord our God. They pray in front of this image even when loved ones are in trouble: they ask for health for those who are near death, they ask for healing and spiritual insight for children. During the war, pilgrims called out to the Most Pure Virgin in front of the icon “Seeking the Dead,” begging the Intercessor to protect those who were at the front. This image is also revered among unmarried girls, because it helps to ask the Queen of Heaven for a happy family life. Prayer
- He is the patron saint of children. Helps sick children and infertile couples. Saint Stylian gained the glory of a miracle worker for barren parents, whom through his prayers he made capable of childbearing. Prayer.
- Located in the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kosino, Moscow
- Day of Honor December 9
- If you need an icon of St. St. Stylian Paphlogonian for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- It will protect against enemies who threaten the well-being of the house and everyone living in it. They pray to her, asking for healing and wishing health to loved ones. They pray for help in treating diseases of the hands, feet, and eyes. Relieves melancholy and sad thoughts. Patronizes those who engage in crafts.
The “Three-Handed” Icon of the Mother of God and prayer in front of the image contribute to the growth of well-being. Prayer. - Located in the Church of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Gonchary, Moscow
- Days of veneration - July 11, July 25.
- If you need the “Three-Handed” icon of the Mother of God for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
- Representatives of medical professions, and especially surgeons, over whom the Saint took Heavenly Patronage, turn to the Saint in their prayers. People burdened with various ailments, those who are awaiting surgery or have already lost hope of help from doctors, also pray to him. Prayer.
- Located in the Danilovsky stauropegial monastery, Moscow
- St. Luke of Crimea is venerated three times a year: June 11 (May 29, old style). The date was set in honor of the peaceful end of the Saint’s earthly journey.
March 18 (March 5, old style). On this day, the discovery of the multi-healing relics of St. Luke of Crimea is celebrated. February 7 (January 25, old style). The celebration is timed to coincide with the Council of New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. - If you need an icon of Luke of Crimea for a home iconostasis or as a gift, you can purchase it in the online store by clicking on this link. The icons offered in this online store were made by masters of the Danilovsky Monastery in accordance with all the canons of Orthodoxy.
I will try to show the difference between veneration of saints and serving God using one example.
Once I had to talk with one young man who, having come to the temple, was very outraged by the presence of a large number of icons in the church. It was clear that the young man was well versed in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, had an understanding of some Christian dogmas, although somewhat distorted, but at the same time he was an absolutely non-church person. From this I concluded that in front of me stood a man who had fallen under the influence of the teachings of some pseudo-Christian sect. Moreover, the guy’s behavior was somewhat aggressive towards everything Orthodox.
One got the impression that he was specially sent to the temple for some kind of provocation. This opinion was reinforced by the sight of a candlestick clearly restraining her emotions, with which the young man was trying to “clear his brains.” I hastened to help the churchwoman.
As one would expect, all the young man’s attention immediately switched to me, because. he sincerely hoped to prove his case to at least one Orthodox Christian, and even more so, a priest. He supported his arguments with the words of Holy Scripture: “It is said, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and serve Him alone” (). So why in Orthodox churches such a large number of icons of saints, when there should be nothing except images of Christ? And when you enter, all you hear is pray to the Mother of God, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Panteleimon the Healer and someone else. Where has God gone? Or have you already replaced Him with other gods?” I felt that the conversation would be difficult and, apparently, long. I will not retell it all, but I will try to highlight only the essence, because... In our difficult times, many people ask similar questions. And, unfortunately, these seekers of truth quite often fall victims of well-savvy sectarians and themselves become permanent members of various kinds of sects.
To begin with, I invited the young man to understand the definitions, following simple logic. This is a simple psychological technique that I use quite often when it is necessary to convey to a person some undeniable truths. So, who are the saints and why should we pray to them? Are these really some gods of the lower order? After all, he calls to honor them and offer prayers to them. Let's start with the fact that the veneration of saints is an ancient Christian tradition that has been preserved since apostolic times. A martyr who suffered for Christ immediately after his death became an object of reverent veneration by believers. On the tombs of the first Christian saints they performed Divine Liturgy, prayers were offered to them. It is clear that the saint was given special veneration, but not at all as a separate god. These were people who gave their lives for God. And, first of all, they themselves would be against exalting them to the rank of deity. After all, we, for example, honor the memory of people who laid down their lives for the Fatherland on the battlefields. And we even erect monuments to them so that future generations will know and honor these people. So why can’t Christians honor the memory of people who especially pleased God with their lives or martyrdom, while calling them saints? I asked the young man to answer this question. There was an affirmative answer. The first bastion of sectarian thinking collapsed.
Now it was necessary to show this seeker of truth the difference between the worship of God and the veneration of saints. A churchgoer can immediately see the difference in definitions. And indeed, man is called to serve the Lord his God and Him alone. Worshiping anything or anyone else is regarded as a violation of the first commandment: “I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before Me” (). Serving the Lord is manifested both in the church and in the everyday life of an Orthodox Christian. It is enough to pay attention to the name - divine service, and not holy service at all. Thus, Orthodox Christians do not worship saints at all, but venerate them. They are revered as senior mentors, as people who have reached spiritual heights, as people living in God and for God. People who have reached the Kingdom of Heaven. And the basis for honoring mentors was given by St. Paul: “Remember your teachers... and looking at the end of their lives, imitate their faith” (). And the faith of saints is the Orthodox faith and it has called for the veneration of saints since apostolic times. And one of the greatest saints spoke about this veneration: “The saints are venerable - not by nature, we worship them because God glorified them and made them terrible for enemies and benefactors for those who come to them with faith. We worship them not as gods and benefactors by nature, but as servants and co-servants of God, who have boldness towards God out of their love for Him. We worship them because the King Himself honors Himself when He sees that the person He loves is revered not as a King, but as an obedient servant and a friend well-disposed towards Him.”
Our conversation with the young man moved into a calmer direction, and now he listened more than he spoke. But to be more convincing, it was necessary to give a couple more compelling arguments that I was right, and I hastened to do so. For this, the concept of the heavenly and earthly Church could not be better suited. The Heavenly Church - triumphant, together with the earthly Church - militant, constitutes the one Church of Christ - His Body. And all people, including saints, are individually members of the Church of Christ. The saints are our prayer books and patrons in heaven and therefore living and active members of the militant, earthly Church. Their grace-filled presence in the Church, externally manifested in their icons and relics, surrounds us as if with a prayer cloud of the glory of God. It does not separate us from Christ, but brings us closer to Him, unites us with Him. These are not intermediaries between God and people who would set aside the One Mediator Christ, as Protestants think, but our prayer partners, friends and helpers in our service to Christ and our communication with Him. The mediator “... is one and only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for the ransom of all...” (). The Church is the body of Christ, and those who are saved in the Church receive the power and life of Christ, are adored, become “gods by grace,” and are themselves Christs in Christ Jesus. Thus, the saints are those who, by the feat of their active faith and active love, realized in themselves their likeness to God and thereby revealed in power the image of God, thereby attracting the abundant grace of God to themselves. After all, Christ himself says in the Gospel: “Whoever loves Me keeps My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our abode with him” (). The Apostle only confirms these words: “It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me” (). To this my interlocutor could no longer find intelligible arguments in his favor either in the Holy Scriptures or in his sectarian knowledge.
Now I could calmly move on to the question of prayer to the holy saints. As I have already shown above, the saints are our companions in prayer and friends on the path of serving God. But can we not ask to intercede for us before the throne of the Almighty? Isn't the same thing happening in our daily lives, when we ask our loved ones and acquaintances to put in a good word for us in front of our superiors? But our Heavenly Father is much higher than any earthly authority. And everything is truly possible for Him, which cannot be said about ordinary earthly people. But when praying to the saints, we must not forget about praying to the Lord. For He alone is the Giver of all blessings. And it's very important point, because Many Orthodox Christians, in prayer to the saints, forget about the One to whom, in the end, the prayer request will be sent, even through the intercession of one of the saints. A Christian should not forget about the Lord his God. After all, the saints also served Him. By this I showed the young man how important it is not to go too far even in such a seemingly simple matter as prayer. It was clear that the guy was in some confusion, but having collected his thoughts, he asked the last question: “Tell me, why is it necessary to pray to different saints on a specific issue?” I was expecting this question and the answer was already ready. Saints can help us not because of the abundance of their merits, but because of the spiritual freedom they acquire in love, which is achieved by their feat. It gives them the power to stand before God in prayer, as well as in active love for people. God gives the saints, along with the angels of God, to accomplish His will in the lives of people with active, although usually invisible, help. They are the hands of God with which God does His works. Therefore, it is given to saints even beyond death to do works of love not as a feat for their own salvation, which has already been accomplished, but, indeed, to help in the salvation of other brothers. And this help is given by the Lord Himself in all our everyday needs and experiences through the prayers of the saints. Hence the saints - patrons of certain professions or intercessors before God in everyday needs. Pious church tradition, based on the lives of the saints, attributes to them effective assistance to their earthly brothers in various needs. For example, St. George the Victorious, who was a warrior during his lifetime, is revered as the patron of the Orthodox army. They pray to the Great Martyr Panteleimon, who was a doctor during his lifetime, for deliverance from bodily ailments. Nicholas the Wonderworker is greatly revered by sailors, and girls pray to him for a successful marriage, based on the facts of his life. People who live off fishing pray to the apostles Peter and Andrew, who before their high calling were simple fishermen, for a successful catch. And of course, one cannot help but say about the highest angel and archangel of all, the Most Holy Theotokos, who stands at the head of the host of saints. She is the patroness of motherhood.
In Orthodoxy, there is a custom of giving names at baptism in honor of Christian saints, who, at the same time, are called the angels of a given person (name day is also called the day of the angel). This usage indicates that the saint and the guardian angel come so close in their service to man that they are even designated by a common name, although they are not identified.
Our conversation was coming to a logical end. I really hoped that the arguments I presented would leave a mark on the soul of this young man. And I was not mistaken. Finally, he said a phrase for which one could talk for a very long time: “Thank you! I realized that I was wrong in many ways. Apparently my knowledge of Christianity is still not enough, but now I know where to look for the truth. In Orthodoxy. Thank you very much again.” With these words my interlocutor left. Left alone with my joy, I hurried to the temple to offer a prayer of gratitude to the Lord and all the saints who helped me that day in my pastoral service. But that's a completely different story.....
All Saints, pray to God for us!
Part two
Not long ago, my article “Why pray to saints when there is Christ?” was published on the site. As I expected, it generated a fair amount of feedback. There were reviews with gratitude, and there were also with condemnation and misunderstanding. But I remember one comment. I will quote it verbatim: “I have a couple of comments. As you know, Protestants are different. Among them are Lutherans. And they know the Scripture as a whole better than the Orthodox. So, their position: you can “honor the saints,” i.e. remember their lives, set them as an example... but you cannot pray to them. Why? - because all the deceased are awaiting the Last Judgment. Before this, they are, as it were, “incompetent.” Thus, the question is not about pantheism, but about understanding the afterlife before (!) the Judgment. If the priest deigns to explain this by referring to Scripture (and for Protestants this is authority as opposed to tradition), then it will be more valuable.”
So, I invite the reader to reconsider the topic of veneration of saints in the light of Holy Scripture. I would immediately like to object to the author of the commentary that Lutherans know the Bible better than the Orthodox. The Bible is the same for both Orthodox and Protestants. There are Orthodox Christians who know the Holy Scriptures very well, and there are Protestants who are well versed in their knowledge of the Bible. Therefore, I think that any comparison is generally inappropriate.
Let's continue further. Indeed, Protestants do not recognize the Holy Tradition; for them only the Holy Scripture is the authority. So be it. Let's start with the words of the ap. Paul, said in his letter to the Hebrews: “you have come ... to the city of the Living God, to the Heavenly Jerusalem and to thousands of angels, to the triumphant council and church of the firstborn who are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous who have reached perfection” ( ). The righteous reside in heaven, in the Heavenly Jerusalem. This means that their fate after death has already been determined by the Lord. Even more revealing in this matter are the words of the Savior spoken to the repentant thief: “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (). The Holy Scripture contains a sufficient number of texts speaking about saints as inhabitants of the Heavenly City. Here is one of them: “then the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (). The importance of the saints in the Heavenly Jerusalem is also shown: “and he made us kings and priests to our God; and we will reign on earth" (). And their number is quite large: “And I saw and heard the voice of many angels around the throne and animals and elders, and their number was thousands of thousands” (). Consequently, according to Scripture, the saints are already in paradise next to the Lord and their afterlife fate has already been determined before the Last Judgment.
Now it is worth reflecting on the “incapacity” of the saints that the author of the commentary spoke about. Here it would be appropriate to define the Church of Christ. Let us turn again to Scripture. God ordained “to unite everything heavenly and earthly under the Head – Christ” (). Consequently, the Church of Christ is the totality of the heavenly and earthly churches. The heavenly and earthly Church is one Body, the Head of which is Christ. And all of us, including the saints, are members of one Body. But don't members of the same body take care of each other? Doesn’t one foot, when it stumbles, transfer the entire burden of the body to the other foot? Or does one hand not wash the other while taking care of it? The body cannot function if the heart has stopped working. In this case, don’t the saints care about us while they are already before God?
Doesn’t a healthy organ of the body send an impulse to the brain that the neighboring one has started to get sick? In the same way, the saints pray to the Lord for us, “so that there will be no division in the body, but all members will equally care for each other. Therefore, if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; If one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it” (). “Jerusalem above... it is the mother of us all” (). But the citizens of one city, when they see their fellow citizens in some kind of trouble, immediately at their call they help as much as they can. This is what both Orthodox and Protestants do. Both of them pray for each other, despite the many difficulties that they have to overcome in order to help either in deed or in prayer. They pray according to the words of the Apostle: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up” ().
So why do Protestants forbid the apostles themselves to pray for us? Isn't this absurd? Mutual prayer is a manifestation of mutual Christian love and care. It is in this reciprocity between the earthly Church and the heavenly that Protestant theologians do not believe. During the days of their earthly life, the apostles, according to the word of the Savior, loved their neighbors and prayed for them: “we ... do not cease to pray for you” (). So, did they really, after they “left the body and dwell with the Lord” (), begin to love less those who remained on earth? Have they really lost that love in Christ Jesus, about which they themselves wrote that it “never ceases” ()? No no and one more time no! They pray for us and their prayer is effective, and it is stupid to deny this. How many miracles the Lord performs through their holy relics and icons! And there is no contradiction to this in the Holy Scriptures, for “faith without works is dead” (). And their deeds are visible to everyone.
The saints ask for us, and the Lord fulfills their requests: “Whatever you ask in prayer with faith, you will receive” (). They are our prayer companions. We ask them to pray with us and for us. So why should we reject from ourselves what was natural for the saints - prayer for each other? In Orthodoxy, the prayerful invocation of saints is based on the fact that they are the same people. And we ask them for the same thing that we ask other people who have free prayer. It is not only the Lord who calls for mutual prayer, but the saints echo him. Saint: “Let us always and everywhere pray for each other... and if one of us goes there (to heaven) first by the good will of God: may our mutual love continue before the Lord, and may prayer for our brothers not cease before the mercy of the Father.” And here is how St. speaks about the intercession of saints. in a word for 40 martyrs: “How much effort would you use to find one prayer book for yourself to the Lord! - and here are 40 prayer books sending out a consonant prayer... holy face! Holy squad! Unshakable regiment! Common guardians of the human race! Good accomplices in care, companions in prayer, the most powerful intercessors, luminaries of the universe, flower of churches! It was not the earth that hid you, but the sky that sheltered you; the gates of paradise were opened to you.”
So, the saints pray for us, their help is effective and visible to many. How many spiritual and everyday needs do people have? But the Lord does not always fulfill our prayer requests. And this is because of our sins: “And when you stretch out your hands, I will close My eyes from you; and when you multiply your prayers, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood” (). This also happens because we pray without faith and zeal: “A person with double thoughts is not firm in all his ways” (). The Lord hears and fulfills the prayers of the saints: “because the eyes of the Lord are turned to the righteous and His ears are directed to their prayer” (). The prayers of the saints are powerful before God: “Confess your faults to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed: the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man like us, and he prayed with prayer that there would be no rain: and there was no rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again: and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit” (). That is why we try to find prayer partners and intercessors before the Lord among the saints. Indeed, many people resort to the prayerful help of saints in various needs. And the Lord gives each saint the special grace of helping people in different situations. How many women become happy mothers after many years of infertility through the prayers of the Mother of God. And truly, “Who, flowing into your temple, O Mother of God, does not soon receive healing?” (service of the small consecration of water). And how many people does the Lord heal from bodily ailments with the hands of the great martyr? Panteleimon the Healer. And you can’t count all the miracles that God does through the prayers of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker.
There has already been a tradition of praying to different saints for different needs. There is nothing prejudiced in it if you follow all of the above. But, unfortunately, many people do not understand this. IN Lately“Prayer books for various needs” appeared for sale in churches. They contain abundant prayers to saints for various everyday needs. The names of the prayers in them are presented approximately as follows: “prayer to Adrian and Natalia for family well-being” or “prayer to Panteleimon the Healer of bodily ailments.” Great, let's pray! We open the desired page and see that there is a prayer read on the day of remembrance of the saint. Something is confusing. Where is our everyday need? Where did our prayer request to the saint to pray in a specific situation go? Isn’t it easier to turn to the saint in your own words and ask him to pray for us? After all, as he said, “the prayers of the saints have very great power, but only when we ourselves repent and correct ourselves.” And only in a rare book can one find such an explanation. As a rule, there is none. And the people of God begin to diligently read the proposed prayers as some kind of conspiracies. It’s written in black and white: “for bodily ailments,” etc. And they don’t even consult with priests on such an important issue as the rule of prayer. What for? After all, everything is written in the prayer book, how and to whom to pray. And in prayer to the saint, many completely forget that the giver of all blessings is Almighty God, and not the saint. And the prayer rule of such a person is like a “prayer book for every need,” where there is no place for prayer to the Lord. And a person already begins to imagine himself as a pillar of piety and an example of prayerful asceticism. As a result, he falls into pride. And this is to blame for the publishers of such prayer books, who, in order to save money, do not bother themselves with explaining how to correctly honor the saints and ask for their prayerful intercession. Sad but true! And this was not invented by me at all, but is based on real human destinies. Fortunately, there are opposite examples when publishers, caring for the reader, explain in detail how to honor the saints and turn to them for prayerful support. It’s nice to pick up such a prayer book and pray.
So what should an inexperienced person do in such an important matter as prayer? First of all, it is necessary to clearly understand that we are asking the saints to pray to God for us. And nothing else! Secondly, prayer is not some kind of conspiracy, after reading which your headache will instantly stop or your daughter who has spent too much time getting married will get married successfully. Only the Lord knows when and what to give from His rich mercies and bounties to man. Thirdly, before starting the constant reading of one or another prayer sequence, you need to take a blessing from your confessor. In this case, the person will know that he is doing the right thing, and it is always better to pray with a blessing. You can even ask the priest to serve a prayer service to the saint, to whom you will later turn with prayers. But just don’t ask the priest to serve a prayer service for material well-being or promotion. If the Lord fulfilled these petitions, then the priests would probably be the richest and most successful people on earth. But most importantly, we must remember that prayer is never superfluous. She, in the words, “is our reverent conversation with God.” Let it be through the intercession of saints. In a word, have a healthy conversation! All saints, pray to God for us!
In difficult situations, Orthodox Christians turn to their patron saints in prayer. Knowing what to pray to the saints for will help you be heard and get what you want.
Prayer helps to establish a connection with Higher powers and receive the protection of saints. There are many prayer rules for all occasions, strengthening and encouraging believers, consoling in sadness and even capable of changing life and destiny.
Which saints should I pray for family happiness?
Love and family happiness are the basis of a joyful life. Orthodox Christians who want to live their lives in love and harmony pray for family happiness Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Newlyweds are also blessed in this way.
In addition to the Mother of God, they pray to Peter and Fevronia of Murom for mutual love and a strong family. Their life became a model of family happiness for all Orthodox Christians; The Day of Family, Love and Fidelity, celebrated annually, is named in honor of the saints.
Image of the Mother of God “Unfading Color” They pray to meet a loved one, with whom family life will be pleasing to the Lord. They also ask this icon for help in resolving any family problems.
Theodore Icon of the Mother of God They pray for the appearance of children and the right choice of a spouse. This image is often a “wedding” icon in a young Christian family.
Ostrabramsky image Holy Virgin Maria It is considered the best protection against love spells and interference of strangers in a young family.
They pray for the preservation of the family and the prevention of divorces Great Martyrs Vera, Nadezhda, Lyubov and their mother Sophia. It is believed that saints patronize Orthodox families and help spouses remain faithful to each other, respect, appreciate and love their loved ones, and live in peace and harmony.
Saint Xenia of Petersburg Orthodox girls ask for a successful marriage and a happy family life. Ksenia patronizes girls in love who want to create a strong Orthodox family.
Who is customary to pray for financial well-being?
Each of us wants to live comfortably and have the opportunity to do good deeds. Knowing which patron saints they pray to for material benefits, you can improve your financial situation and achieve material well-being.
Iveron image of the Virgin Mary pray to live in abundance. It is believed that this particular icon patronizes people who want to end poverty.
Icon of the Mother of God “The One Hope of the Desperate” helps preserve your home and property from thieves, dishonest people and accidents.
“The Spreader of the Loaves” is also an icon of the Virgin Mary. Prayer before it can protect the farm from destruction, attract financial profit and save it from bankruptcy.
Great Martyr Vadim They ask for deliverance from betrayal, envy and self-interest. The saint should be prayed to before starting his own business or investing his money.
Holy Great Martyr Valentine also helps to live in abundance and not need anything. On the icon the saint is depicted with ears of wheat in her hands, which is a symbol of fertility and wealth.
They ask Saint Basil for success in business. Prayer to this patron will bring good luck in financial transactions and any monetary expenses.
Saint Daniel of Moscow They pray to find their own home: the icon of the saint must be kept with you until you receive your home, and then the story in the “red corner” of the new home.
Holy Matrona of Moscow They ask for solutions to housing and everyday problems, material success, preservation of savings and acquisition of wealth. The life of Blessed Matrona is widely known and still attracts thousands of people to her grave, receiving help after praying to the patron saint.
Paraskeva Friday — heavenly patroness traders and needlewomen. They pray to her for the successful sale of their craft and manual labor.
Which saints do they pray to for healing illnesses and promoting health?
In prayer to the patron saints, one seeks help and consolation in illnesses and troubles: there are many known cases when sincere prayer literally created a miracle in a hopeless situation and brought seriously ill people back to life.
Image Holy Mother of God"Baby Leap" we venerate young mothers: they pray to this icon if a child is seriously ill, as well as during a difficult pregnancy and before childbirth.
“Tenderness” is another icon of the Mother of God, granting healing from the most serious illnesses. There is a legend that he Venerable Seraphim Sarovsky, healing the sick, prayed in front of this image, located in his cell.
Icon of the Mother of God “Helper of Sinners” can bring peace of mind and a successful outcome of a complex operation or difficult treatment.
Icon of the Virgin Mary “Inexhaustible Chalice” They pray if someone in the family suffers from alcohol or drug addiction.
The most powerful image of the Virgin Mary is considered to be the “Healer”. This icon is prayed to for the relief of any illness and the successful cure of all ailments. According to legend, this image healed more than half a million seriously ill people who were on the verge of death.
Saint Alexy they pray for blindness, inflammation of internal organs and severe infections and epidemics. It is also believed that prayer to this patron saint can help with mental illness, drug addiction or alcoholism.
Saint Anne Women suffering from infertility, as well as mothers of seriously ill babies, pray.
Saints Boris and Gleb They ask for healing of heart diseases, bones and nervous system.
Great Martyr Valentine They pray for the healing of the hopelessly ill, paralyzed, and for the alleviation of the suffering of the dying.
Saint Panteleimon He is considered the patron saint of the sick and suffering, a healer and a miracle worker. People turn to him asking for healing of any ailment, relief of pain and suffering.
Prayers to patron saints can not only bring love, wealth and healing from illnesses, but even help you find the right path to happiness and a true calling. We wish you peace in your soul and good luck in all your endeavors. Smile more often and don’t forget to press the buttons and