What to do if you don’t have the strength to pray?

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For salvation we need the Lord, not the rule.

Fatigue, overwork, and incredible summer heat take away everyone’s strength. By evening, most of us look like squeezed lemons. If you can’t get enough sleep, this condition overtakes you in the morning. How can we find strength to pray in all this? What to do if they are not there? Is it worth reading the rule for the sake of discipline - or is it better to shorten it? Archpriest Vitaly Vorona answers these and other questions.

Let's understand the problem

The question is quite specific, and there are specific answers to it. If you don’t have the strength to pray, then you can shorten the rule; there is nothing reprehensible in this. If you don’t have the strength to stand, pray while sitting. In general, all the recommendations relate to such moments, but I was thinking about something else: how much do these recommendations help?

Yes, they will help you pray, but they do not always solve the main problem. The fact is that not every believer can answer the question: is his condition really fatigue or spiritual laziness? Or maybe a demonic temptation? How to determine this? At such moments, I suggest thinking not about the size of your prayer rule, not about whether to light a candle and which prayer book to take - these are unimportant issues. I suggest thinking about God. Prayer is a conversation with Him!

Let's remember how we behave with people: before we call someone or make a request, we subconsciously imagine this person, and in our head we form an approximate scenario for a conversation with him. The same applies to talking with God. Our first task is to realize that He is really present in our lives. If we are talking about the evening rule - and most likely this is the case, because it is often skipped due to fatigue - you need to remember what the past day was like. How did God reveal Himself in him? If the day was prosperous, successful, ask yourself the question: am I grateful to God for what happened today? If there were any failures, mistakes, we stumbled somewhere or sinned in something, then we should ask God for forgiveness - and focus on this feeling.

If after this you do not have the strength to light the lamp and open the prayer book, then most likely you are just tired. In this case, pray as you would talk to your own father or mother: thank, if you want to thank, share what is on your heart. Perhaps later you will want to read this or that prayer, after which you will have to fight for attention. The most important thing is to find the impulse after which your dialogue begins. The absence of this impulse is the most important obstacle in prayer.

We are turned off by a focus on the rule. Demons take advantage of this. When we remember God, everything changes. In fact, we usually have enough strength to pray. Just imagine: after a hard day you came home, went to bed, but suddenly it turns out that something happened to your loved ones, they need help - where does your fatigue go? Everyone will try to do everything to help. We feel the presence of loved ones in our lives and cannot help but communicate with them and respond to their call. It should be the same with God. It's not about the rule or the number of prayers read. A person prays not only when he reads prayers from a prayer book. He prays when he only says “Lord, have mercy.” It’s great if at the same time he does good deeds and helps his neighbors.

Prayer text to read

I ask my True Creator, all the Higher Light forces, whose help I need today, to collect from all my energy-information space, from the aura, biofield, from all systems and organs, down to the intranuclear, intracellular level, all the energies that I knowingly or unwittingly, knowingly or unknowingly, have taken from other people in the past, present and future, please collect them, clean them, filter them and return them to those to whom they belong. I ask them all for forgiveness, forgive me and release me to God’s Judgment. Amen. And I forgive you all and release you to God’s Judgment. Amen.

And all those energies that were given to me initially, at the moment of my birth, according to the Divine Plan, find, restore (if necessary, replace), clean, pass through filters and return to me in the past, present and future, starting from this second and forever. Amen. My True Creator! Do it right! Do it right! Do it right! Amen.

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Forcing yourself to pray and showing violence against yourself - where is the line?

Self-violence is dangerous. We must always adhere to the rule of the golden mean. Any extreme in spiritual life is bad and harmful. It is clear that the Kingdom of God is gained through labor, and we must force ourselves to prayer, fasting, and good deeds. However, this compulsion must be feasible and feasible for us. The suitcase must be carried over the shoulder.

If situations occur when a person almost tortures himself with a rule or additional prayers, if he has not finished reading the rule from the prayer book and reproaches himself to the point of despair, these are demonic temptations. We repent of our weakness, we repent of lazy and crafty thoughts, but in no case should we concentrate specifically on the rule. Subtracting it is not our main goal, it is a second or even third plan. If we think only about him, we will stop thinking about the meaning of prayers.

Prayer Forgiveness spiritual strength will return

But it is not enough to get rid of alien forces. Sincere forgiveness can bestow strength, peace of mind, and happiness. If you can’t forgive someone and let go of your resentment, you will rush around all your life, not knowing peace.

As soon as you feel that you are ready to begin prayer, that your thoughts are crystal clear, then prepare a place for prayers: light candles, so that with their fire your spirit will be freed from evil.

“My Father, Almighty Creator! I appeal to your help today, the day to come and the day past. Cleanse me from evil troubles, from dashing deeds, from evil thoughts. So that what I say does not stay with me, and what others say does not remain with me. Protect and cleanse every bone and vertebra, every piece of cartilage and hair from adversity, fill it with your bright power. Everything that is someone else’s that she unwittingly took, everything that is someone else’s that she borrowed with knowledge, is back at the gate, letting through her grace and mercy. May everyone who has been deprived of me forgive me, just as I forgive them with all my heart.

And if I left my strength somewhere, either out of ignorance or intentionally, then give it back to me, blessing it. So that what is mine, given by You at birth and generously given during life, remains with me forever, pure and unsullied. Amen".

You can read this prayer as many times as your heart dictates.

It is important to release these words from the very depths of your soul, and not read them out like a school rhyme.

You can pray not only at home by candlelight, but also in the field, in the forest, so that you can feel your connection with Mother Earth. And you can take a dip in the river, so that the clean water will wash away everything unnecessary from you.

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How to develop your own measure of prayer?

An experienced priest will help you with this. The fact is that the person himself may not see the problems that make it difficult for him to pray. Whether it’s fatigue or laziness, not everyone will understand. The priest was put in his place by God to pray for the flock and help it live spiritually, and not die spiritually.

A complete absence of prayer is spiritual death. Remembering God and His presence in every day of your life is very useful, it helps to start prayer. That's why I encourage you to analyze your day. This is a moment, not some complex analysis. Our brain immediately shows what to do at the end of the day: repent or give thanks. Or maybe both. From this impulse the desire for prayer is born, which helps not only to begin the rule, but also to complete it. If you really have no physical strength, you fall asleep and cannot do anything with yourself - limit yourself to the simplest prayer: “Lord, have mercy!” - and you will not be condemned.

Psalm 90

During the war, people read this prayer, carried it with them, and went through all the trials and war and remained alive. This is a wonderful prayer of protection from all external enemies and internal fears. Read it yourself and give it to your loved ones and family!

He who lives under the shelter of the Most High rests in the shadow of the Almighty. He says to the Lord: my refuge and my defense, my God, in whom I trust! He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler, from the destructive plague. He will overshadow you with His feathers, and under His wings you will be safe; shield and fence is His truth. You will not be afraid of the terrors in the night, the arrow that flies by day, the plague that walks in the darkness, the plague that devastates at noon. A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but he won't come close to you. Only you will look with your eyes and see the retribution of the wicked. For you said: The Lord is my hope; you have chosen the Most High as your refuge. No evil will befall you, and no plague will come near your dwelling. For He will command His angels about you, to guard you in all your ways. They will carry you in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You will step on the asp and basilisk; You will trample on the lion and the dragon. 3 But because he has loved Me, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he has known My name. He will call to Me, and I will hear him; I am with him in sorrow; I will deliver him and glorify him; I will satisfy him with long days, and show him My salvation. Amen.

Tormenting yourself with prayer is not useful

Many believers are very responsible, cannot afford weakness and read the prescribed prayers no matter what. In my opinion, automatic proofreading is no better than shortening the daily rule, because it can lead to a deep fall. Any extreme in spiritual life is bad. You can tick every day that the rule has been read - and consider yourself good and correct, wallowing in pride and delusion. You can, due to fatigue, begin to pray in your own words - and after a while forget about what prayer is in the words of the holy fathers.

We need to look for a middle ground. There is a rule, it is a model for all of us, but it is not a constant that cannot be changed. Our task is not to read everything from A to Z, but to pray, that is, to communicate with God. It is very important to constantly remember this. In this regard, I would like to say about the rule for Holy Communion. How often do people who have not read it from beginning to end do not go to receive the Holy Mysteries of Christ! But the rule was given to us so that we would achieve a feeling of repentance, so that we would understand that for salvation we need the Lord, and not the rule. Without Christ we cannot save ourselves.

This repentant feeling should be an indicator of preparation for the Sacrament. Of course, whether we are ready or not is up to the confessor to decide. After all, as I already said, we often do not see ourselves. Therefore, before receiving a blessing for communion, it is worth saying that the rule has not been fully fulfilled. You cannot decide on your own whether to receive communion or not. And here you will have to rely on the priest and show humility. Sometimes it is useful to skip the sacrament if the negligence is not justified by fatigue.

Of course, you need to pray, you need to fight laziness, but torturing yourself with prayer is not useful. You need to have the fear of God. Not in the sense of “if I don’t read the rule, lightning will strike me from heaven,” but in the sense of “The Lord was waiting for me, but I didn’t come. He called, but I just didn’t pick up.” But tomorrow, you may have to call Him.

Archpriest Vitaly Vorona

Who is addressed in mantras for strength and energy?

Mantras that increase energy are addressed to the Universe. They improve the practitioner’s state by connecting the mind and physical shell to the global consciousness. Chanting brings the soul into harmony with nature and takes it to a new level. The work is carried out comprehensively, in all spheres of life. Brings healing to a sick person.

Energy Mantra

General information and attitude in Orthodoxy

Energy is the source of human life force. All people have not only a physical body, but also an energy shell. She protects him from the negative influence of otherworldly forces and the negative emotions of other people.

When the energy shell is depleted, many diseases begin to develop, which appear on the physical level. Ailments develop due to the fact that there is an imbalance in the biofield: somewhere there is a lot, and in another place the shell is almost completely depleted.

Energy is influenced by a person’s emotions and mood. In a good and upbeat mood, the aura glows. This shell protects against any third-party negative influence. If negativity, negative emotions predominate in the soul, then the aura fades and becomes depleted. Holes appear in it.

Quarrels, resentments and various conflicts have a negative impact on internal energy. They “devour” from the inside, causing serious imbalance at all levels of the physical and subtle body.

The only way to heal is forgiveness. But people, even when their anger cools down, are rarely able to admit their guilt and continue to cling to past grievances. This is what torments the soul the most. In such situations, it is necessary to switch attention. And the best way is to read prayers.

In the Orthodox faith there is no such concept as “return of energy.” In church practice, only prayer services are used that are aimed at cleansing the soul.

Prayers in front of images have the following positive effects:

calm and pacify the soul;
restore harmony;
bestow humility;
fill with energy;
heal mental and physical illnesses;
give strength to continue the chosen path;
stabilize the inner world;
harmonize the biofield.

Restoring internal energy requires a person to regularly say prayers. Before starting the prayer service, it is necessary to consult with the spiritual father in the church, since you need to decide on the type of prayer request.

In each individual situation, there are special prayers specifically created to solve specific problems. There are universal prayers such as the Lord's Prayer. But there are also special prayer texts that are especially effective only in certain situations.

It is important to choose the right prayer so that the result from reading it is maximum. The spiritual father will select texts that will best contribute to the restoration of the energy shell and the return of energy

Reading prayers when losing energy is carried out in front of the image of the Lord God and St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. The prayer text is pronounced unchanged and with deep faith. We must strive to cleanse our soul of sins and live a righteous life. This is the only way to take the path to recovery of body and soul.

You can also go through spiritual cleansing. There are sacraments for this:

acceptance of the Blood and Body of Christ. Celebrated after the Eucharist;
repentance. Usually held in the temple after the evening service;
commemoration “for health”: proskomedia, prayer services, Psalter.

All options for cleansing and restoring internal energy are available to anyone. The main thing is to correctly identify the problem and act on its cause, and not treat the consequences.

With the help of prayer, you can not only restore peace of mind, but also neutralize all the damage caused by bad thoughts to the energy shell.

Ways to cleanse the soul

Independent practices can be very effective, but time-tested methods should not be neglected. What absorbs human life force? The memory of past sins, grievances, traces of which remain and extend into the present. You won't be able to erase them completely, but you can reduce the consequences. To do this, you need to experience catharsis - spiritual cleansing, show God your repentance, your desire to do the right thing from now on.

There are established Sacraments for this:

repentance - carried out in church, usually after the evening service;
the acceptance of the Body and Blood of Christ, which occurs at the Eucharist;
church commemoration “for health” - Psalter, prayer services, proskomedia.

All these remedies are available and will cost much less than turning to “healers.” We should not forget home prayer, which should accompany a person constantly.

Prayer for the return of money by the debtor
Prayers for the return of a loved one and the return of love in a relationship - here
Strong prayer to Spyridon of Trimifuntsky for well-being -