Traditions of Orthodox Christians
From time immemorial, at the end of the day, people return to their home in the evening after a hard day of work, talk with their family and friends, wish them a good and restful sleep.
At the same time, in Ancient Rus' they never forgot about the Lord, because it was he who gave people confidence in the future, instilled hope and peace in their souls.
It was very important to find a state of peace for the coming sleep ; it was in this state that a person felt completely relaxed and rested, ready to begin new achievements in the morning.
Prayers for the coming sleep were created by holy people in the first centuries after the adoption of the Christian faith; they are also called rules, since they must be read regularly.
Today, evening prayers for beginners are available in any form. An Orthodox Christian can not only memorize the sacred text, but also listen to it in the form of an audio recording, watch a video of it, or simply read it online.
In this case, the chosen method of reading the rules will not be important to the Lord, the main thing is that there is deep faith and a desire to serve him sincerely.
These texts were compiled by clergy in the Church Slavonic language; unfortunately, this language is forgotten by many today and is difficult to perceive visually; previously it was included in the compulsory curriculum studied in schools. Today it is studied only by philologists and those who are planning to become a clergyman.
What is a prayer rule?
The prayer rule is the daily, regulated reading of special morning and evening prayers.
The prayer rule is the daily, regulated reading of special morning and evening prayers, which is performed privately (at home or in a monastery cell), outside of public worship. It is necessary for the rhythm of life, so that the soul does not fall out of the prayer life. It invisibly connects a person with the psalmists and ascetics who created him. It helps create the right spiritual mood.
The prayer rule can be different:
- general - obligatory and the same for everyone;
- individual - a special, private confessor selected taking into account the spiritual state, employment and strength of the believer.
Theophan the Recluse recommended calculating the prayer rule not by the number of prayers, but by the time that a person is ready to devote to God. For a worldly person, sometimes even 5 minutes of morning and evening prayer is enough to be a real Christian. The main thing is to pronounce it with attention and feeling.
How to read sacred texts for the coming sleep
Many beginning Christians are interested in the questions of what evening rules to read, at what time, and how to read. It is worth noting that reading the prayer words will take approximately 15 minutes; such texts should be read slowly, pondering each word; some changes should occur in the person’s soul, awareness of what you are reading.
The Holy Fathers recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep every day, spending an extra half hour on this, which could be spent at the computer or watching TV. It is very important to read the rules before communion and during Lent.
Also, some people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to read evening prayers while sitting. There are several opinions on this issue.
Most believers believe that you only need to turn to the Lord while standing in front of icons. But, at home, many people read sacred texts in a sitting position. Communicating with God while sitting is also allowed for those people who, for some reason, cannot stand at all, or can, but not for long.
What prayers exist and how to read them?
In Orthodoxy there is such a term - a prayer rule. This is the name given to sets of prayer texts intended for morning and evening readings. These obligatory prayers can be found in every prayer book. Among them are “Our Father”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary”, “Heavenly King”, “Creed” and others. The prayer rule was formed several centuries ago, and since then has become a guideline for Orthodox believers.
The prayer rule is divided into complete, that is, common to everyone, and short, individual (it is discussed with the confessor and assigned with his blessing, in cases of, for example, illness, lack of strength, heavy workload, etc.). There is also a version of a short prayer rule from St. Seraphim of Sarov. According to it, if a believer is in an extremely weak state or is very limited in time, then only the following prayers can be read: three times “Our Father”, three times “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” and once “Creed”.
Prayer "Our Father"
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice”
Virgin Mary, Hail Mary, the Lord is with You: blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.
Prayer "Creed"
I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.
For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human.
She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.
And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.
Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
Tea of the resurrection of the dead.
And the life of the next century. Amen.
What is included in evening prayers
The content and sequence of sacred texts, called rules, were compiled approximately two hundred years ago, and they are still read in church this way. When reading the rules, you must adhere to a special order, while some texts can be skipped, but they cannot be swapped.
- First of all, a Christian should read the appeal to the Holy Trinity;
- Next, the well-known prayer “Our Father” is read by heart (you can read the prayer not only for the coming sleep, but also when there is a strong need to communicate with God);
- Then the person must turn in turn to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. This address was compiled by the monk Macarius the Great, the author of many sacred texts.
Advice from Feofan the Recluse
Theophan the Recluse systematized recommendations for reading the prayer rule.
Saint Theophan the Recluse systematized recommendations for reading the prayer rule as follows:
- Never read hastily, but read as if in a chant. In ancient times, all prayers read were taken from the psalms. But I don’t see the word “read” anywhere, but “sing” everywhere.
- Delve into every word and not only reproduce the thought of what you read in your mind, but also arouse the corresponding feeling.
- To trigger the urge to hastily read, make sure you don’t just read this or that, but stand for a reading prayer for a quarter of an hour, half an hour, an hour - however long you usually stand. And then don’t worry about how many prayers you read, but when the time has come, if you don’t want to stand any further, stop reading.
- Having put this down, however, do not look at the clock, but stand in such a way that you can stand endlessly: your thought will not run ahead.
- To promote the movement of prayerful feelings in your free time, reread and rethink all the prayers that are included in your rule - and feel them, so that when you begin to read them according to the rule, you know in advance what feeling should be aroused in your heart.
- Never read prayers without interruption, but always break them up with personal prayer, with bows, whether in the middle of the prayers, or at the end. As soon as something comes to your heart, immediately stop reading and bow. This last rule is the most necessary and most necessary for cultivating the spirit of prayer. If some other feeling is very important, you should be with it and bow to it, and leave the reading. So until the very end of the allotted time.
Morning and evening prayer rules are spiritual hygiene necessary for every believer. Everyone is commanded to pray without ceasing. The Holy Fathers have a colorful comparison for this: if you churn milk, you will get butter, and in prayer, quantity turns into quality.
When to read the words of the prayer for the coming sleep
Each person has his own regime, but it is worth considering that time on the church day is calculated differently. You can start reading the evening rules after three o'clock in the afternoon. People are also interested in what time in the evening they can do this, whether it is possible at night. The clergy recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep before 12 o'clock at night.
Also, the church does not allow you to read all the rules at once; they can be broken down into parts, that is, some of them can be said on the way home from work, and others before going to bed.
If a person attends evening services in a church, then the rules must be read out after its completion. You can read the sacred texts at home, take a prayer book with large print and slowly pronounce the phrases.
What to address to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in prayer
Very often people turn to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker with a variety of requests. This Saint is often turned to when a dark streak comes in life. The prayer request of a sincere believer will certainly be heard and fulfilled, since Saint Nicholas is considered the closest Saint to the Lord.
You can express a specific request in prayers, but there is a universal prayer for the fulfillment of a desire.
It sounds like this:
“O Most Holy Wonderworker Nicholas, help me, the Servant of God (my own name) in my mortal desires. Help me fulfill my cherished desire, and do not be angry at my impudent request. Don't leave me alone with vain affairs. My desire is only for the good and not for the harm of others, fulfill it with your mercy. And if I have planned something daring according to your understanding, then avert the attack. If I want something bad, turn away the misfortunes. Make sure that all my righteous desires come true and my life is filled with happiness. Thy will be done. Amen".
Recommendations and advice from clergy
Priests recommend communicating with the Lord not only in cases when things are bad, but also when everything is good, in order to share your joy and thank God for his favor.
The church also recommends listening to church chants and watching videos of a religious nature, from which you can hear and learn a lot of useful and interesting things.
Offering prayer words before going to bed is necessary for an Orthodox Christian to gain protection and support at night. From time immemorial, mothers asked the Lord for protection for their children, turning to him with prayers for the coming sleep.
Saints always hear sincere words addressed to them and strive to protect their charges and send them mercy.
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Best regards, Irina Yarovikova
How to understand the words of evening prayer?
You just need to devote a little work and time to understand the meaning. After all, it’s really difficult to pronounce, and especially remember, words whose true meaning you don’t understand.
It is important to understand the meaning
Therefore, the clergy advise, turning away from the bustle, to carefully read each prayer, noting for yourself the incomprehensible places. Then, with the help of books, dictionaries, the Internet, or by seeking advice from a priest, figure out for yourself what this or that interpretation means.
