Be careful what you ask for
Strange subtitle. What's wrong with asking God to admonish your children, loved ones, or other half? Guidance on the true path can be different. It’s not for nothing that they say: if the Lord gives understanding, He will give understanding.
Let's give an example: there lived an old mother with a divorced son. Her son is not bad: he didn’t offend his mother, he carried a bag of groceries home, and he earned good money. One problem - he drank. From the word "strongly". God rewarded him with heroic health. And to get drunk, the son had to drink a fairly decent amount of alcohol.
One day an old woman went to visit her granddaughter. The son went into all sorts of troubles. It got to the point where I got hit on the head by a drinking buddy. Result: concussion and long sick leave.
And before that, the old mother kept asking God to bring her lost son to reason. Did you ask? Receive and sign.
So be careful in your requests to admonish your loved ones.
Prayer to God
What prayer to read for the preservation and admonition of the family? When everything collapses before your eyes and it seems that everything is the end?
Start with the Jesus Prayer. It would seem, what does admonition have to do with it, when in it we ask for mercy for ourselves? Remember the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Save yourself, and thousands around you will be saved”?
People by nature tend to blame others for their problems. Is the family falling apart? It's the husband/wife's fault. But not me. Conflict at work? This boss is a bastard, and his colleagues are vile. Does your child not listen? He grew up disgusting, no respect for his parents. Before throwing around accusations, let's pay attention to ourselves. Everyone around cannot be bad if everything is not going well on all fronts. This doesn’t happen, so the fault lies with us.
You can’t see your sins, and that’s understandable. But somewhere you need to be able to remain silent. To be smarter and wiser than we are. This doesn't always work out. We prefer to put the behavior of our spouses, colleagues and children under a microscope instead of dealing with ourselves.
How to read a prayer for admonition to the Lord? Very simple. Repeat it mentally or out loud. When doing physical labor or household chores, say a prayer. And ask on your own behalf that God will enlighten you. Words of prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner
Other powerful prayers for increased intelligence
You can ask not only the Mother of God for an increase in intelligence and intelligence. Such a request is also made to some intercessors of the weak before the Almighty. We will consider prayers for them below.
Prayer to Cosma and Damian for increased intelligence
Despite the fact that the brothers Cosmas and Damian went down in history primarily as healers, these miracle workers, who lived on earth in the 2nd half of the 3rd - early 4th centuries, are also asked for the gift of intelligence. Such a request is made to those without money using a special prayer written and left to all Christians by the holy fathers. In order for this text to be effective, it should be spoken regularly.
Prayer for increased intelligence to Sergius of Radonezh
One of the famous monks of the 14th century is prayed to in various life situations, including those moments when an adult or child has learning problems. For example, there is a strong prayer to Sergius of Radonezh about passing the exam.
The abbot grants an increase in intelligence to everyone who sincerely and passionately desires this, who is diligent in his prayer and is pure in heart and thoughts.
WE RECOMMEND: Prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” in Russian.
Prayers to the Mother of God
To whom should we read prayers for the preservation of the family and the admonition of the husband? Of course, the Mother of God. She is the Mother of God, our Helper and Intercessor. The Virgin Mary has a special, maternal prayer before God. We ask for Her help the same way we ask our own mother for help. Without hesitation, but with all my heart. Knowing that we will be helped and heard.
Pray in front of the icon “Seeking the Lost.” Mothers turn to her for help, praying for their lost and perishing children. They ask for those who have fallen away from the church and the Christian faith. They pray before the image and in illness. And isn’t the husband who is about to leave the family lost and spiritually sick? Pray for him:
Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Virgin, Lady Theotokos! Look with Your merciful eye on us standing before Your holy icon and praying to You with tenderness, raise us from the depths of sin, enlighten our minds, darkened by passions, and heal the ulcers of our souls and bodies. We are not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, do You, Lady, weigh all our infirmities and sins? We resort to You and cry out: do not forsake us with Your Heavenly help, but appear to us ever and with Your ineffable mercy and bounties, save and have mercy on us , dying. Grant us correction of our sinful life and deliver us from sorrows, troubles and illnesses, from vain death, hell and eternal torment. You, Queen and Lady, are the quick Helper and Intercessor of all who flow to You, and a strong refuge for repentant sinners. Grant us, O Most Blessed and All-Immaculate Virgin, the Christian end of our life, peaceful and unashamed, and grant us, through Your intercession, to dwell in the heavenly abodes, where the unceasing voice of those celebrating with joy glorifies the Most Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever , and forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4
Seek us who are perishing, Most Holy Virgin, not because of our sins, punish us, but because of your love for mankind, deliver us from hell, illness and need, and save us.
Kontakion, tone 6
The intercession of Christians is shameless, the intercession to the Creator is immutable, do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, but advance, as the Good One, to the aid of us who faithfully call Thee: hasten to prayer and strive to supplicate, ever interceding, the Mother of God, those who honor Thee.
Greatness
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Your holy image, through which you heal our illnesses and raise our souls to God.
There is another image in front of which they ask for help in the same situations. In front of the icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” (“Tavern”) they ask for those who have strayed from the Orthodox faith and stopped attending church. About guiding the lost and helping the sick. If the spouse drinks, then a prayer to admonish the husband before this image will be very useful:
O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King, God's Chosen Youth! Unreliable hope, healing for the sick, quick help and intercession for the orphaned, consolation and joy for the grieving, the offended patroness and all those in troubles and misfortunes! Help, O Mother of God, us sinners in our sorrow, gladden the hearts of Your people with joy; rule our lives in peace and silence and do not let us fall into despair, for You are the only One, more than all the saints and more than all the heavenly minds, our Representative to God, as the All-Blessed King, the Good Mother. In the same way, we, sinners, look at Your Most Pure Image “The Sign”, bow our knees with emotion and, reverently kissing, we pray to You, Blessed Mother: do not reject our humble prayer and show us a sign of Your mercy: no one, running to You with hope, comes He is ashamed of You, but asks for grace and accepts the gift of useful petition, glorifying Your Son and God, and You with Him, forever and ever. Amen.
Greatness
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of Christ our God, and honor Your holy image, from which you exude healing to all who flow to You with faith.
Prayers at a loss as to what to do
- Jesus Prayer
- Prayer to St. John Chrysostom
- Venerable Silouan of Athos
- Saint John Chrysostom
- Holy Guardian Angel
- Before the icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost”
- Before the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” Korchemnaya
Jesus Prayer
Audio:
2:35
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (or sinner).
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Prayer to St. John Chrysostom
Audio:
00:23
Give, Lord, to my unworthiness the grace of understanding, so as to recognize what is pleasant for You, and what is useful for me, and not only to recognize, but also to do, so as not to get carried away and not to cling to the empty, to have compassion for those who suffer and be forgiving to go to sinners.
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Venerable Silouan of Athos
Audio:
04:43
Oh, wonderful servant of God, Father Silouan! By the grace given to you by God, to pray tearfully for the entire universe - the dead, the living and the coming - do not keep silent for us to the Lord, who diligently come to you and tenderly ask for your intercession (names). Move, O all-blessed One, to prayer the Zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most Blessed Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who miraculously called you to be a faithful worker in Her earthly work where God’s chosen one beseeches God for our sins to be merciful and long-suffering, so as not to remember our untruths and iniquities , but, by the ineffable goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to spare and save us according to His great mercy. To her, saint of God, with the Most Blessed Lady of the world - the Most Holy Abbess of Athos and the holy ascetics of Her earthly lot, ask the saints for the most holy Word of Holy Mount Atho Its God-loving desert dwellers will be preserved in the world from all the troubles and slander of the enemy. May the saints deliver the Angels from evils and the God-loving desert dwellers in the world from all troubles and slander of the enemy, may the saints deliver the Angels from evils and be strengthened by the Holy Spirit in faith and brotherly love, until the end of the century for the Ones, Saints, Catholics and Apostles of the Church they say prayers and They show everyone the path of salvation, so that the earthly and heavenly Church continually glorifies the Creator and Father of Lights, enlightening and sanctifying the world in the eternal truth and goodness of God. Ask the people of the whole world for a prosperous and peaceful life, a spirit of humility and brotherly love, good morals and salvation, a spirit of fear of God. Let it not be malice and lawlessness that harden the hearts of men, which can destroy the love of God in men and plunge them into godly enmity and fratricide, but in the power of Divine love and truth, as in Heaven and on earth, hallowed be the name of God, His holy will be done man and may peace and the Kingdom of God reign on earth. So also for your earthly Fatherland - the Russian lands, ask, saint of God, the longed-for peace and heavenly blessing, in order to cover him with the omnipotent omophorion of the Mother of God, get rid of his eyes yes, destruction, coward, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare and from all visible enemies and invisible, and thus remain the most holy house of the Most Blessed Mother of God until the end of the age, the Cross giving life by power, and be established in the unfailing love of God. For all of us, who are immersed in the darkness of sins and warmth of repentance, who have no less than the fear of God and who constantly insult the Lord who loves us immeasurably, ask, O all-blessed one, from our All-Bountiful God, for Your All with strong divine grace will visit and revive our souls and all malice and may he abolish worldly pride, despondency and negligence in our hearts. We also pray for us, strengthened by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit and warmed by the love of God, in love for mankind and brotherly love, humbly crucified for each other and for everyone, to be established in the righteousness of God and for the good It is good for the divine love to be strengthened, and for the son-loving One to draw closer. Yes, so, doing His all-holy will, in all piety and purity of temporary life, let us walk the path shamelessly and with all the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom and His Lamb marriage. To Him from all on earth and in heaven be glory, honor and worship, with His Beginning Father, His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
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Saint John Chrysostom
Audio:
3:04
Oh, great saint John Chrysostom! You have received many and varied gifts from the Lord, and like a good and faithful servant, you have multiplied all the talents given to you: for this reason you were truly a universal teacher You are, as every age and every rank learns from you. Behold, the image of you appeared to the youth of obedience, to the young - the luminary of chastity, to the husband - the mentor of hard work, to the old - the teacher of gentleness, to the monk - the rule of abstinence, to those who pray - the leader from God inspired, wisdom seeker - enlightener of the mind, kind words - an inexhaustible source of living words, beneficent - a star of mercy, to those in charge - a wise image of government, a zealot of righteousness - an inspirer of boldness, righteousness for the sake of the persecuted - a mentor of patience: you were everything, yes everyone was saved ́shi. Above all of these you have acquired love, which is the union of perfection, and with that, as by the power of Divine, you have united all the gifts in your soul into one, and here you love divided and reconciling, in the interpretation of the words of the apostles you preached to all the faithful. We are sinners, we each have our own gifts, the unity of the spirit in the union of the world is not imams, but we are vain, irritating to each other, jealous of each other: today Because our gifts were divided not into peace and salvation, but into enmity and condemnation for us. Moreover, we fall to you, the saint of God, servants of God (names), overwhelmed by discord, and in contrition of heart we ask: with your prayers drive away from our hearts all pride and envy, with those who divide, so that in many places we may remain one church body without restraint, so that Through your prayerful words let us love one another and with one mind confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
* * *
Holy Guardian Angel*
Audio:
0:21
To the Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me by God from Heaven, I earnestly pray: you enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and guide me on the path of salvation. Amen.
Translation: Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from heaven by God for my protection, I earnestly pray to you: enlighten me now, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds, and guide me on the path of salvation. Amen.
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Prayers before the icon of the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost”
(February 5/18)
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “Seeking the Lost” they pray for the blessing of marriage; people come to her with a prayer for liberation from vices, mothers come with petitions for perishing children, for the health and well-being of children, for the healing of eye diseases and blindness, for toothache, for fever, for the disease of drunkenness, for headaches, for the admonition of those who have fallen away from the Orthodox faith and the return of the lost to the Church.
Troparion, tone 4
Audio:
00:17
Seek us, who are perishing, O Most Holy Virgin, / not because of our sin, punish us, / but because of your love for mankind, / deliver us from hell, illness and need, / and save us.
Translation: Seek us, the perishing, Most Holy Virgin, for you do not punish us for our sins, but out of love for mankind, deliver us from hell, illness and sorrow and save us.
Kontakion, tone 6
Audio:
00:21
The representation of Christians is unshameful, / intercession to the Creator is immutable, / do not despise the voices of sinful prayers, / but advance, like the Good One, to the aid of us, / faithfully calling to You: / hasten to prayer and labor come to supplication, // interceding ever since, the Mother of God, who honor Cha.
The protection of Christians is reliable, the intercession to the Creator is unchangeable! Do not despise the prayerful voices of sinners, but come quickly, as the Good One, to the aid of us who call upon You with faith: “Hasten with your intercession and hasten your prayer, Mother of God, always protecting those who honor You!”
Greatness
Audio:
00:13
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, and honor Your holy image, who heals our illnesses and raises our souls to God.
Prayer
Audio:
01:41
Oh, Most Holy and Most Blessed Virgin, Lady Theotokos! Look with Your merciful eye on us, standing before Your holy icon and praying to You with tenderness; raise us up from the depths of sin, enlighten our minds, darkened by passions, and heal the ulcers of our souls and bodies. There are no imams of other help, no imams of other hope, except for You, the Lady. You weigh all our weaknesses and sins, we resort to You and cry out: do not leave us with Your Heavenly help, but appear to us ever and with Your ineffable mercy and bounty, save and have mercy on us who are perishing . Grant us correction of our sinful life and deliver us from sorrows, troubles and illnesses, from vain death, hell and eternal torment. You, Queen and Lady, are the quick Helper and Intercessor of all who flow to You and the strong refuge of repentant sinners. Grant us, O Most Blessed and All-Immaculate Virgin, the Christian end of our life to be peaceful and shameless, and grant us, through Your intercession, to dwell in the Abodes of Heaven, where the unceasing voice of the vain with joy he glorifies the Most Holy Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages . Amen.
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Prayers before the Icon of the Mother of God “The Sign” Korchemnaya
(November 27/December 10)
Before the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos “The Sign” Korchemnaya they pray for instruction in the Orthodox faith, for deliverance from heresy and schisms, for healing of diseases of the hands and feet, from drunkenness, for the admonition of those who have fallen away from the Orthodox faith and for the return of those who have gone astray to the Church.
Greatness
Audio:
00:15
We magnify You, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of Christ our God, and honor Your holy image, from which You exude healing to all who flow to You with faith.
Prayer
Audio:
01:32
Oh, Most Holy Lady Theotokos, Mother of the Heavenly King, God’s Chosen Youth! Hope for the unreliable, healing for the sick, consolation and joy for the orphaned, consolation and joy for the grieving, quick help and intercession for those in trouble and adversity! Help us, O Mother of God, also to us sinners in our sorrow, gladden the hearts of Your people with joy; rule our lives in peace and silence and do not let us fall into despair. For You are the One, more than all the saints and more than all the Highest Minds, our Representative to God, as the All-Good King, Good Mother. Moreover, we, sinners, look at Your Most Pure Image of the Sign, tenderly bow our knees and, reverently kissing, we pray to You, Blessed Mother: do not deny our humble prayer and show it to us the sign of Your mercy: no one, running to You with hope, comes from You He is ashamed, but asks for grace and accepts the gift of useful petition, glorifying Your Son and God, and You with Him, forever and ever. Amen.
Archpriest Seraphim Slobodskoy. God's Law.
Prayer to the Guardian Angel
What prayer for admonition should I say? How to ask your angel for help? First of all, without hesitation. A guardian angel is given to us at baptism and accompanies us until the end of our lives. We, by nature, are inclined to sin. How do we upset him? The angel leaves us and cries. But he does not abandon his unlucky charges.
Let's, instead of causing him distress, let's pray, ask for forgiveness for our actions and help:
Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection! I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds, and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.
John Chrysostom
A big request: do not confuse John the Baptist (apostle) and John Chrysostom. The latter was born into a noble family. His father died when Chrysostom was just a baby. The mother, left a 20-year-old widow with two children, was able to raise her son with dignity. And she gave him a good education. What happened to the second child, John’s sister, is unknown. Most likely she died.
Chrysostom was not baptized as a child. I came to God through the study of the Holy Scriptures. In the world, Chrysostom was engaged in lawyering, but left it for the sake of God.
In the church, this saint is on a par with Gregory the Theologian and Basil the Great.
You can turn to him with a prayer for the admonition of your wife and husband. How? Below we will tell you how to pray. In the meantime, here is the text of the prayer to John Chrysostom:
Oh, great saint John Chrysostom! You have received many and varied gifts from the Lord, and as a good and faithful servant, you have multiplied all the talents given to you for good: for this reason, you were truly a universal teacher, as every age and every rank learns from you. Behold, you appeared as an image of obedience to the youth, a luminary of chastity to the young, a teacher of hard work to the husband, a teacher of kindness to the old, a teacher of abstinence to the monk, an inspired leader from God to those who pray, an enlightener of the mind to those who seek wisdom, an inexhaustible source of living words to those who are kind-hearted, to those who do good. - a star of mercy, to those in command - a wise image of rule, a zealot of truth - an inspirer of boldness, a mentor of truth for the persecuted - patience: you were everything to everyone, and you saved everyone. Over all of these you have acquired love, which is a union of perfection, and with that, as if by the power of the Divine, you have united all the gifts in your soul into one, and the reconciling love shared here, in the interpretation of the words of the apostles, you preached to all the faithful. We are sinners, each one of us has his own gift, we are not imams of unity of spirit in the union of peace, but we are vainglorious, irritating each other, envious of each other: for this reason, our division, divided not into peace and salvation, but into enmity and condemnation, has turned over to us. Moreover, we fall to you, the saint of God, servants of God (names), overwhelmed by discord, and in contrition of heart we ask: with your prayers drive away from our hearts all pride and envy that divides us, so that in many places we may remain one church body without restraint, so that In the words of your prayer, let us love each other and with one mind confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, Consubstantial and Indivisible, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
And this prayer was composed by a saint to the Lord. Don't be lazy to read it:
Give, Lord, to my unworthiness the grace of understanding, so as to recognize what is pleasant for You, and what is useful for me, and not only recognize it, but also do it, so as not to get carried away and not cling to empty things, to have compassion for those who suffer and to be condescending to sinners.
Prayers for increased intelligence
Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “Addition of mind”
First prayer
O Most Holy Virgin!
You are the Bride of God the Father and the Mother of His Divine Son Jesus Christ!
You are the Queen of Angels and the salvation of people, the accuser of sinners and the punisher of apostates.
Have mercy on us too, who have gravely sinned and failed to fulfill the commandments of God, who have broken the vows of baptism and vows of monasticism and many others that we promised to fulfill.
When the Holy Spirit retreated from King Saul, then fear and despondency attacked him and the darkness of despair and a joyless state of soul tormented him.
Now, for our sins, we have all lost the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The mind has become fussy with vanity of thoughts, oblivion about God has darkened our souls, and now all kinds of sadness, sorrow, illness, hatred, evil, enmity, vindictiveness, gloating, and other sins oppress the heart.
And, having no joy and consolation, we call to You, Mother of our God Jesus Christ,
May you beg Your Son to forgive us all our sins and to send the Comforter Spirit to us, as He sent Him to the apostles,
may we, comforted and enlightened by Him, sing a song of thanksgiving to You:
Rejoice, Most Holy Theotokos, who has added wisdom to our salvation.
Amen.
Second prayer
My most blessed Queen, my most holy Hope, friend to the orphans and the strange intercessor, help to the needy and protection of the embittered, behold my misfortune, behold my sorrow;
I am overwhelmed by temptation everywhere, but there is no intercessor.
You Yourself, help me as I am weak, nourish me as I am strange, guide me as I am lost, heal and save me as I am hopeless.
There are no other imams of help, no other imams of hope, unless You, Lady, help us, we rely on You and boast in You, for we are Your servants, let us not be ashamed.
We take refuge under Your mercy, Virgin Mother of God, do not despise our prayers in sorrows, but deliver us from troubles, O pure and blessed One.
Amen.
Prayer three
Most Pure Mother of God, the House in which the Wisdom of God created for Himself, the Giver of spiritual gifts, raising our minds from the world to the worldly and leading everyone to the knowledge of reason!
Receive prayerful singing from us, Thy unworthy servants, who bow with faith and tenderness before Thy most pure image.
Pray to Thy Son and our God to grant wisdom and strength to our rulers, to judges truth and impartiality, to shepherds spiritual wisdom, zeal and vigil for our souls,
a mentor is humility, a child is obedience, but for us all is the spirit of reason and piety, the spirit of humility and meekness, the spirit of purity and truth.
And now, our All-Singing, All-Beloved Mother, give us an increase in intelligence, die, unite those who exist in enmity and division and give them an insoluble bond of love,
Convert all those who have gone astray from foolishness to the light of the truth of Christ, teach the fear of God, abstinence and hard work, grant the word of wisdom and soul-helping knowledge to those who ask, cover us with eternal joy, the brightest Cherubim and the most honest Seraphim.
We, seeing the glorious deeds and manifold wisdom of God in the world and our life, will remove ourselves from earthly vanities and unnecessary worldly cares, and raise our mind and heart to Heaven,
for through Your intercession and help we send glory, praise, thanksgiving and worship for all in the Trinity to the glorified God and the Creator of all, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Prayer to Silouan of Athos
What kind of prayer is there for admonition, to save a family? Contact St. Silouan of Athos for help. He can be called our contemporary, for this great ascetic died in 1938.
Silouan of Athos comes from a simple peasant family. He was born in the Tambov province, and his parents were illiterate people. But very kind and compassionate. They lovingly received beggars and strangers and shared the last piece. Simeon (the saint's worldly name) grew up in an environment where love for one's neighbor was above all else. He worked with his brothers in the fields and helped his father. And he secretly dreamed of becoming a monk.
His father, seeing his son’s desire, was worried that he would make the wrong choice. For Simeon was young. And his parents ordered him to do military service first. The future monk did not argue; he put aside his plans. But worldly life drew him in more and more.
It is unknown how it would have ended. At one point, having returned from another party, the future saint dozed off. And in a dream I saw a huge, vile snake entering him. Simeon was disgusted to look at this.
Immediately he heard a voice. This voice belonged to the Mother of God. She said that just as it was disgusting for him to swallow the snake, so it was hard for her to see Simeon’s sinful life.
Having awakened, he was horrified. He repented of his deeds, thanked the Blessed Virgin Mary and became even more firmly established in his desire for monastic life.
After completing his military service, Simeon went to Athos. Where he labored until the end of his days, he took monastic vows and was given the name Silouan.
Run to him with prayer for your family, for the admonition of your husband/wife or children:
O wonderful servant of God, Father Silouan! By the grace given to you by God, tearfully pray for the entire universe - the dead, the living and the future - do not remain silent for us to the Lord, who diligently fall to you and touchingly ask for your intercession (names). Move, O all-blessed one, to prayer the Zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most Blessed Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who miraculously called you to be a faithful worker in Her earthly city, where the chosen one of God begs God for our sins, merciful and long-suffering, so that our untruths and iniquities are not remembered , but according to the ineffable goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to spare and save us according to His great mercy. She, servant of God, with the Most Blessed Lady of the World - the Most Holy Abbess of Athos and Her holy ascetics, ask the saints for the most holy Word of the holy Mount Athos and its God-loving desert dwellers to be preserved from all the troubles and slander of the enemy in the world. Yes, the Angels deliver the saints from evil and strengthen them in faith and brotherly love with the Holy Spirit, until the end of the century they pray for the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and show everyone the saving path, and the Earthly and Heavenly Church constantly glorifies the Creator and Father of Lights, enlightening and illuminating peace in the eternal truth and goodness of God. Ask the people of the entire earth for a prosperous and peaceful life, a spirit of humility and brotherly love, good morals and salvation, a spirit of fear of God. Let it not be malice and lawlessness that harden the hearts of men, which can destroy the love of God in men and cast them into godless enmity and fratricide, but in the power of Divine love and truth, as in heaven and on earth, hallowed be the name of God, may His holy will be done in men , and may peace and the Kingdom of God reign on earth. Likewise, ask for your earthly Fatherland - the land of Russia, the servant of God, the longed-for peace and heavenly blessing, covered by the all-powerful omophorion of the Mother of God, to get rid of famine, destruction, cowardice, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare and from all visible enemies and invisible, and thus remain the most holy house of the Most Blessed Mother of God until the end of the age, the Life-giving Cross by the power, and be established in the inexhaustible love of God. For all of us, who are immersed in the darkness of sins and warmth of repentance, who have no lower fear of God and who constantly insult the Lord who loves us immeasurably, ask, O all-blessed one, from our All-Bountiful God, so that with His All-powerful divine grace He will visit and revive our souls and all evil and let the pride of life, despondency and negligence in our hearts be abolished. We also pray that we, strengthened by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit and warmed by the love of God, in philanthropy and brotherly love, in humble crucification for one another and for everyone, may be established in the truth of God and well strengthened in the gracious love of God, and will draw closer to the filial One. Yes, thus, doing His all-holy will, in all piety and purity of temporary life, let us walk the path unashamedly and with all the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom and His Lamb we will be honored. To Him from all earthly and heavenly be glory, honor and worship, with His Beginningless Father, His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayers for understanding
O wonderful servant of God, Father Silouan! By the grace given to you by God, tearfully pray for the entire universe - the dead, the living and the future - do not remain silent for us to the Lord, who diligently fall to you and touchingly ask for your intercession (names).
Move, O all-blessed one, to prayer the Zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most Blessed Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary, who miraculously called you to be a faithful worker in Her earthly city, where the chosen one of God begs God for our sins, merciful and long-suffering, so that our untruths and iniquities are not remembered , but according to the ineffable goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to spare and save us according to His great mercy. She, servant of God, with the Most Blessed Lady of the World - the Most Holy Abbess of Athos and Her holy ascetics, ask the saints for the most holy Word of the holy Mount Athos and its God-loving desert dwellers to be preserved from all the troubles and slander of the enemy in the world.
Yes, the Angels deliver the saints from evil and strengthen them in faith and brotherly love with the Holy Spirit, until the end of the century they pray for the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and show everyone the saving path, and the Earthly and Heavenly Church constantly glorifies the Creator and Father of Lights, enlightening and illuminating peace in the eternal truth and goodness of God.
Ask the people of the entire earth for a prosperous and peaceful life, a spirit of humility and brotherly love, good morals and salvation, a spirit of fear of God. Let it not be malice and lawlessness that harden the hearts of men, which can destroy the love of God in men and cast them into godless enmity and fratricide, but in the power of Divine love and truth, as in heaven and on earth, hallowed be the name of God, may His holy will be done in men , and may peace and the Kingdom of God reign on earth.
Likewise, ask for your earthly Fatherland - the land of Russia, the servant of God, the longed-for peace and heavenly blessing, covered by the all-powerful omophorion of the Mother of God, to get rid of famine, destruction, cowardice, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare and from all visible enemies and invisible, and thus remain the most holy house of the Most Blessed Mother of God until the end of the age, the Life-giving Cross by the power, and be established in the inexhaustible love of God. For all of us, who are immersed in the darkness of sins and warmth of repentance, who have no lower fear of God and who constantly insult the Lord who loves us immeasurably, ask, O all-blessed one, from our All-Bountiful God, so that with His All-powerful divine grace He will visit and revive our souls and all evil and let the pride of life, despondency and negligence in our hearts be abolished.
We also pray that we, strengthened by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit and warmed by the love of God, in philanthropy and brotherly love, in humble crucification for one another and for everyone, may be established in the truth of God and well strengthened in the gracious love of God, and will draw closer to the filial One. Yes, thus, doing His all-holy will, in all piety and purity of temporary life, let us walk the path unashamedly and with all the saints of the Heavenly Kingdom and His Lamb we will be honored. To Him from all earthly and heavenly be glory, honor and worship, with His Beginningless Father, His Most Holy and Good and Life-Giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
How to pray
We are talking about the prayer for admonition, and we present its texts. How should you pray?
Heartfelt and sincere. Has anything become completely unclear? Cordially - from the bottom of my heart. Sincerely - with all my heart. That is, they didn’t just stand in front of the icons, mutter the text of the prayer under their breath, and not understand anything themselves. They closed the prayer book and, with a sense of accomplishment, began to wait for a miracle.
It doesn't happen that way. More precisely, the Lord can do everything. If he wants to give help right away, he will do it. But who needs a prayer “to fade away”? God? Hardly. Saints? Also no. To ourselves? What's the point of this?
When we pray, we must focus all our attention on the words of the prayer. It's complicated. Thoughts scatter in all directions, and we think about anything, just not about the words of prayer. It's okay, everything comes with experience. We collect our thoughts in a heap and again turn our attention to prayer.
It is advisable, before starting the prayer for admonition, to light a candle or lamp in front of the icons. A candle is a small sacrifice to God. Ideally, the lamp should burn constantly in front of the icons.
Is it possible to pray in a temple?
Not only is it possible, but it is also necessary. It’s one thing to say a prayer for admonition at home, and another to serve prayers in church. What prayer services? About help to the Mother of God, to the saints of God and to the Savior himself.
Come to the temple, write notes about your health, serve a prayer service. Buy candles and place them in front of the images of those from whom you are asking for help. Stand in silence, pray with concentration, ask for help.
If you want to stand quietly and pray, come to church after services or on weekdays. Sunday morning is usually crowded. But this does not mean that you should not go to services. An Orthodox Christian must attend church at least once a week.
Icon of the Mother of God “Addition of Mind”
Prayer in front of an icon, as many clergy believe, is much more effective than usual, since the holy face allows the believer to better tune in to a conversation with higher powers. Considering this, it is not surprising that the vast majority of Christians ask the Virgin Mary in front of the corresponding icon to increase their minds. This is not one of the most popular; it cannot be found in every temple.
This image is a depiction of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus and angels. Icon painters also pay a lot of attention to the bell-shaped red veil, decorated with crosses, a symbol of faith. Often, on the holy face, the Most Pure Virgin and little Jesus are surrounded by flames, symbolizing the light of truth. Houses may be depicted below, this is a reference to Jerusalem.
The icon itself, among other things, serves as a reminder to people that people have the opportunity, by the will of the Almighty, to learn the secrets of the world He created. Behind the appearance of this image there is an interesting story hidden, telling about an icon painter seeking to penetrate the essence of Christianity through reading books. The man wanted, first of all, to learn how to pronounce prayers correctly; with their help, he dreamed of protecting himself from sin.
The large amount of information that the poor fellow was exposed to every day drove him crazy. At the moment of enlightenment, he turned to the Mother of God for help, positioning himself before Her face. The Virgin Mary appeared to the icon painter and ordered him to depict her on canvas in the form in which she condescended to him. So he did. In return, the man was healed, was able to think clearly and soberly again, and remember new information without problems.
Let's summarize
We talked about prayer for admonition, discussed who to contact and how. Let's highlight the main aspects:
- You need to be more careful with requests for admonition. God can reason in such a way that a person does not have the fortitude to withstand.
- Start with yourself, as they say. Before rushing to ask for admonishment for your accursed spouse and harmful children, ask God for help for yourself, for your admonition. How it's done? Through the Jesus Prayer.
- Do not be afraid to turn to the Mother of God with your troubles. The texts of prayers before her images are given above.
- John Chrysostom and Silouan of Athos will not abandon those who ask them for help with faith and hope.
- Let's not forget about our guardian angel. We often upset him. Instead of doing this, it’s better to pray and ask for help.
