Prayer as the main assistant
Every parent wants to raise their child to be a real person. Everyone strives to invest only the best feelings and qualities in their child. Godparents show no less care for their godchildren. On the shoulders of godparents lies the task of helping to build a correct spiritual life. And the main assistant in this should be sincere prayer for children and godchildren.
Child in an Orthodox church
“Parents need to pray to God for their children, so that He Himself will teach His fear and make them wise for salvation” (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk).
Prayer for children as the main part of education
In the Psalter we read the following words: “This is the inheritance from the Lord: children; His reward is the fruit of the womb” (Ps. 126:3). A child, as an extension of a person, pushes the boundaries of time and death, gives hope and joy. According to Saint John Chrysostom:
“The birth of children became the greatest consolation for people when they became mortal. That is why the humane God, in order to immediately soften the punishment of the first parents and ease the fear of death, granted the birth of children, revealing in them... the image of the Resurrection.”
When a child is born, a person becomes, as it were, an assistant to God, His co-creator.
“Parents, giving birth to children and giving them a body, should, as far as possible, contribute to their spiritual rebirth. After all, if a person is not reborn spiritually, hellish torment awaits him...” (Reverend Paisius the Svyatogorets).
A person has a great responsibility for a newborn soul. After all, it is parents who are the first and main authority for children.
“Parents, stand guard over the souls of your children! Raise them from early childhood in faith and piety, in the fear of God and good morality. Stay awake in prayer for your children” (theologian Hermogenes Szymansky).
At first, the child is like pliable clay, and the parents are pottery masters. What the clay will turn into depends on their upbringing and positive example. It can make a wonderful vessel or a worthless pot.
“There is no higher art like the art of education. The painter and sculptor create only a lifeless figure, but a wise teacher creates a living image, looking at which God rejoices and people rejoice” (St. John Chrysostom).
According to the theologian and writer Nikolai Pestov (1892-1982)
“The first condition for the success of raising children is the intense prayer of parents for them.” After all, “Divine prayer is truly a heavenly all-weapon, and only it can safely protect those who have surrendered to God” (St. John Chrysostom).
Prayer for children and godchildren is a reliable protection against bad inclinations and sinful habits.
Prayer for godchildren - the duty of godparents
No less than parental responsibility for a person’s spiritual growth lies with godparents.
“Those who have accepted the guarantee of virtue must show great care, convincing, advising, correcting, showing fatherly love. And let them not think that what is happening does not matter to them. But let them know for sure that they too will become partners in glory if with their instructions they lead those being taught to the path of virtue; and if they fall into idleness, there will be much condemnation for them...” (St. John Chrysostom).
These are the people who took into their arms a newborn Christian from the font. Therefore, godparents are also called godparents. It was they who made vows for the baptized person and confessed the Creed on his behalf. Now their direct responsibility is to teach the child to become a real Christian, a full-fledged member of the Orthodox Church.
Archpriest Pavel Gumerov writes in his book about the great responsibility that lies with the recipients:
“Godparents are very responsible persons; they become guarantors before God for the souls of their godchildren. At the moment of baptism, together with their parents, in front of the Cross and the Gospel lying on a lectern, they make a promise to God Himself. What promise? That they will make every effort so that the newly baptized baby grows up to be a believer, an Orthodox person. Their responsibility now is to pray for their spiritual children. Teach them prayers. Instruct in the Orthodox faith and take them to church to receive communion. And then, after seven years, and confess.”
So, the first thing the mentioned author talks about is prayer for godchildren.
Symbol of faith
A churchgoer knows the text of the Creed by heart; anyone who comes to church to perform a ritual over a baby is obliged to learn it. It is advisable to try to understand every word; if difficulties arise, you need to seek help from a priest. You must try to remember the correct placement of accents. Yes, it doesn’t matter to the Lord whether we pronounced all the words correctly, but a mistake can cause confusion for the priest performing the sacrament and those present. This can have a bad effect on the general mood and throw off the priest, especially an inexperienced one. But the most important thing is to put all your heart, all the faith that a person has, into every sound you pronounce. You need to try to connect in spirit with the baby and read the Creed as if together with him.
Without prayer - nowhere
Sincere prayer to God is the foundation of spiritual life. First of all, prayer helps the souls of the godparents themselves to grow. She gives them the grace to guide their godchildren on the path of church life.
And only the Lord can increase faith and piety. Therefore, prayer for the godson and goddaughter should not leave the lips of the recipients. It is required to entrust the spiritual development of your godchildren to God, asking Him for blessings and help.
“Trees cannot produce fruit if they do not drink water through the roots, nor will we be able to abound in the valuable fruits of piety if we are not refreshed by prayers” (St. John Chrysostom).
Prayer for godchildren, instilling in them human virtues by our own example, teaching them the basics of the Orthodox faith are the holy duties of godparents. And for their fulfillment they will give an answer at the Last Judgment.
Why God doesn't grant prayers
You cannot expect miracles from your prayers. For some, wealth is beneficial, and for others, poverty, for others, health, and for others, it is beneficial to get sick, etc. Not everyone will be able to manage wealth wisely, and the same Ambrose of Optina, being healthy, suffered because he was drawn to into a noisy society, where he just dissipated. When God sent him illness, his character became much calmer, which helped him pay more attention to people. The illness did not allow him to attend church services, but he spent all his time on the spiritual support of pilgrims, who flocked to him in thousands for advice and help. Most likely, he was more useful here than at the altar.
What should a prayer say about children and godchildren?
Sincere prayer for children and godchildren is the basis of proper upbringing. This is a reliable protection of children from troubles and misfortunes, a sure shield from passions and sin.
“Prayer is a great weapon, an inexhaustible treasure, never-exhausted wealth, a serene haven, a foundation of peace...” (St. John Chrysostom).
In prayer, we entrust the children into the hands of the Lord Himself, asking for His blessing and protection.
It is worth remembering that prayer is not a magical combination of words, the pronunciation of which gives cloudless happiness and success.
First of all, prayer is our warm, sincere conversation with God. In it we trust Him with our experiences and anxieties, surrendering ourselves to His Divine Will.
According to Saint Gennadius of Constantinople (400-471):
“Commit your desire [in prayer] to God, who knows everything, even before we are born. And do not ask that everything be according to your will, because a person does not know what is good for him, but say to God: “Thy will be done!” For He works everything for our benefit.”
Asking God for strength, health and earthly blessings for children is an understandable desire of parents and successors. However, let us remember that the main thing for a Christian is the inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, according to Ambrose of Optina:
“It is obvious that the main desire of parents should be aimed at raising their child as a living member of the Militant Church of Christ. And the Lord will fulfill the prayer for this in due time.”
Prayer for children and godchildren should be imbued with the main petition - to eradicate the sinful habits of children. About strengthening them in virtues and, ultimately, saving their immortal soul.
Psalm 90
A prayer for godchildren should include a request for blessing, help and protection for them every day. It would also be useful, when reading Psalm 90 before leaving home, to remember the name of your spiritual son or daughter. This psalm is known for numerous cases of miraculous help in mortal danger. Many mothers sewed a sheet of paper with the text of this prayer into their children’s clothes. It is good to have the habit of reading it with the belief that it will protect everyone mentioned in it from all evil that affects the soul and threatens bodily health. In this way, a person tunes into a peaceful mood, feels protected, and is calm for himself and loved ones. You need to help your child gradually learn several prayers, including this one. For a very young person it is difficult, but at the age of 9-10 you can try saying the words of the psalm together. If the child has an interest and desire, you need to help him memorize his text.
Prayer for children and godchildren: its power and miracles
Theologian Nikolai Pestov said:
“The prayer of parents for their children has special power before God: ardent love also motivates ardent prayer. And fervent prayer will not go unheard by God.”
There is a huge number of confirmations of the words spoken by Pestov. Sincere prayer for children and godchildren has worked and continues to work miracles.
A striking example of the power of parental prayer is the prayer appeal of St. Monica, the mother of Blessed Augustine.
At one time, her son led an immoral lifestyle, indulging in various passions and vices. In addition, he began to get involved in heretical religious movements. The grieving mother constantly prayed and tearfully begged God to save the lost soul of her son. And the Lord did not leave the fervent tearful prayers unanswered. The son of Saint Monica not only came to faith, but became one of the Fathers of the Christian Church.
In the life of schema-abbot Anthony of Optina (1795-1865), there was an incident when an inconsolable father came to him in grief. His only son was expelled from school. This seemed like the collapse of all my father's hopes and aspirations. Schema-abbot Anthony gave only one piece of advice: “Be sure to pray for your son, pray fervently for him. Great is the power of parental prayer for children.”
My father, who was far from the church at that time, began to fervently pray to God. To his joy, his son was again accepted into the educational institution and successfully graduated.
And today, in the era of advanced technologies and technical progress, there is still room for a miracle. Thus, Daniil Goncharov from Voronezh talks about his daughter. In 2008, she fell from a horse and broke her hip. The girl’s parents fell with fervent prayer to the Smolensk Icon of the Mother of God located in their home. To the surprise of the doctors, a repeat examination with an MRI machine did not reveal the slightest damage to the leg.
Prayer for raising children and godchildren as good Christians
God, our merciful and heavenly Father!
Have mercy on our children (names) and our godchildren (names), for whom we humbly pray to You and whom we entrust to Your care and protection.
Put strong faith in them, teach them to revere You and deign them to deeply love You, our Creator and Savior.
Guide them, God, on the path of truth and goodness, so that they do everything for the glory of Your name.
Teach them to live piously and virtuously, to be good Christians and useful people.
Give them mental and physical health and success in their work.
Deliver them from the cunning machinations of the devil, from numerous temptations, from evil passions and from all wicked and disorderly people.
For the sake of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the prayers of His Most Pure Mother and all the saints, lead them to the quiet haven of Your eternal Kingdom, so that they, along with all the righteous, will always thank You with Your only begotten Son and Your life-giving Spirit. Amen.
They also turn to St. Ambrose of Optina about the salvation and health of their children.
They also turn to the Monk Ambrose of Optina about the salvation and health of their children. The prayer can be read at any time in front of the icon of the saint. There is a short prayer that can be learned by heart. You can also read it silently if you are, for example, at work.
Icon of Ambrose of Optina
Prayer for children, St. Ambrose of Optina (first short):
Lord, You are the only One who weighs everything, who is able to do everything, and who wants to save everyone and come to the mind of Truth. Enlighten my child (name) with the knowledge of Thy truth and Thy Holy will, strengthen him to walk according to Thy commandments and have mercy on me, a sinner, through the prayers of Thy Most Pure Mother, the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary and Thy saints (all holy families are listed),
for Thou art glorified with Thy Beginning Son and with Thy Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer for children and godchildren to the Lord Jesus, Archimandrite John (Krestyankin)
Sweetest Jesus, God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours according to the soul; You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless blood. For the sake of Your Divine blood, I beg You, my Sweetest Savior: with Your grace, touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, keep them from bad inclinations and habits, direct them to the bright path of truth and goodness, decorate their life is all good and saving, arrange their fate as You yourself want, and save their souls, in the image of their destinies.
Every prayer is important, especially the prayer of a mother before her child.
A mother reads the prayer “Blessing of the Mother” for the health and salvation of her child. It is important that when reading her words, they are spoken sincerely. Every prayer is important, especially a mother's prayer.
Prayer "Mother's Blessing":
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, hear me, Thy sinful and unworthy servant. Lord, in the mercy of Your power my child, have mercy and save him for Your name’s sake. Lord, forgive him all the sins, voluntary and involuntary, that he committed before You. Lord, guide him on the true path of Your commandments and enlighten him and enlighten him with Your light of Christ, for the salvation of the soul and the healing of the body.
Lord, bless him in the house, around the house, at school, in the field, at work and on the road, and in every place of Your possession. Lord, protect him under the shelter of Your Saints from a flying bullet, arrow, knife, sword, poison, fire, flood, from a deadly ulcer and from vain death.
Lord, protect him from visible and invisible enemies, from all troubles, evils and misfortunes. Lord, heal him from all illnesses, cleanse him from all filth and ease his mental suffering and sorrow.
Lord, grant him the grace of Your Holy Spirit for many years of life, health and chastity. Lord, increase and strengthen his mental abilities and physical strength. Lord, give him Your blessing for a godly family life and godly procreation.
Lord, grant me, Thy unworthy and sinful servant, a parental blessing on my child at this time of morning, day, evening and night for the sake of Thy name, for Thy Kingdom is eternal, omnipotent and omnipotent. Amen.
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Prayer for godchildren for godparents
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, in the Jordan from John you willed to be baptized and commanded us to be baptized for the remission of sins, have mercy and save the child (name), by me from the font perceived. Grant him undoubted faith, love for You, our Savior and his neighbor. Guide him yourself along the path of salvation, so that when he reaches the age of perfection, he will be granted spiritual gifts, his physical health will be preserved in good health, and the Kingdom of Heaven will grow in the soul of (name) from the grain of the mountain in the tree. it will bear blessed leaves and good fruit for the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for children to God the Father
Holy Father, Eternal God! I pray to You for my child (name), whose goodness I have given you. You gave him existence, revived him with an immortal soul, protected him with holy baptism, so that he could live in accordance with Your will and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Keep him in Thy grace until the end of his life. Help me with Your grace, so that I may raise him for the glory of Your name and for the benefit of my neighbors, give me the necessary means, patience and strength for this. Lord, enlighten him with the light of Your wisdom, so that he may love You with all his soul and with all his thoughts.
Plant in his heart fear and disgust from all lawlessness, so that he will be blameless in his ways. Lord, adorn his soul with chastity, long-suffering and all honesty, so that all slander, lies and flattery will be disgusting to him. Sprinkle him with the dew of Your grace, so that he may prosper in virtue and holiness, and may he grow in Your love and the love of pious people. May the Guardian Angel always be with him and protect his youth from vain thoughts, from the charms and temptations of this world and from all evil slander. Even if he sins before You, do not turn Your face away from him, but be merciful to him, arouse contrition in his heart and, according to the multitude of Your generosity, cleanse his sins.
Do not deprive him of Your earthly blessings, but send him everything he needs in time for the acquisition of a blessed eternity. Save him from every misfortune, misfortune and illness and cover him all the days of his life. Good God, I still pray to You: grant me joy and gladness for my child and grant me the ability to appear at Your Last Judgment and say with shameless boldness: Behold, I am my child, whom You have given to me, O Lord. Yes, together with him glorifying Your ineffable mercy, I extol Your most holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John
Troparion, tone 2
The memory of the righteous is with praise, but the testimony of the Lord, the Forerunner, is sufficient for you: for you have shown that you are truly and more honorable than the prophets, as if you were worthy to baptize the Preached One in the streams. Moreover, having suffered for the truth, rejoicing, you preached the good news to those in hell of God revealed in the flesh, taking away the sin of the world and giving us great mercy.
Kontakion, tone 5
The glorious beheading of the forerunner, a certain Divine sight, and the coming of the Savior was preached to those in hell; Let Herodia weep, having asked for lawless murder: for he did not love the law of God, nor the living age, but a feigned, temporary one.
Prayer
To the Baptist of Christ, preacher of repentance, do not despise me who repents, but copulating with the heavenly ones, pray to the Lady for me, unworthy, sad, weak and sad, fallen into many troubles, burdened by the stormy thoughts of my mind: for I am a den of evil deeds, by no means have an end to sinful customs; For my mind is nailed down by earthly things. What will I do, I do not know, and to whom will I resort, so that my soul will be saved? Only to you, Saint John, give the same name of grace, as you are before the Lord, according to the Mother of God, greater than all who are born, for you were deemed worthy to touch the top of the King Christ, who takes away the sins of the world, the Lamb of God: pray for Him for my sinful soul, so from now on , at the first ten hour, I will bear a good burden and receive compensation with the last. To her, the Baptist of Christ, the honest Forerunner, the ultimate prophet, the first martyr in grace, the teacher of fasters and hermits, the teacher of purity and the close friend of Christ, I pray to you, I resort to you, do not reject me from your intercession, but raise me up, having fallen into many sins; renew my soul with repentance, as with the second baptism, of which you are the ruler: with baptism you wash away sin, and preach repentance for the cleansing of every bad deed; Cleanse me with the sins of the defiled and force me to enter, even if nothing bad enters, into the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.
Prayer for children to the Most Holy Theotokos
Oh, Most Holy Lady Virgin Mary, save and preserve under Your roof my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, beseech my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Cover of Your servants.
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