Prayer for babies killed in the womb: how to pray for aborted children

Features of prayer

From the moment of conception, the Savior sends a soul to the baby. On the 20th day, the little man’s heart begins to beat and blood is pumped through the vessels. So is abortion murder? In the Orthodox Church it is regarded as a grave sin. Some believe that an unborn child is just an embryo, but all those who believe so are sadly mistaken.

The blood of a defenseless baby remains on the conscience of a woman who never became a mother. Murder in the womb in the modern world has been turned into legalized slaughter.

The most common choice for abortion is from 4 to 12 weeks. According to medical canons, this is the optimal time.

Nothing can justify this sin: neither lack of money, nor the absence of a husband, nor age, nor illness.

Responsibility for the murder of an innocent baby, if repentance does not come, will last until the 3rd or 4th generation. Many do not even suspect that suffering due to sins is caused by abortion in the family.

Women who have an abortion often suffer for the rest of their lives. Penance is imposed on the sinner for 10 years. She does not receive the blessing that a true believer deserves. Having not repented of deadly sin, in life they suffer from:

infertility;
problems with relatives and other half;
loneliness;
physical and spiritual diseases.

The souls of children who were not baptized and converted suffer no less from the murder. To help unborn children and alleviate suffering, mothers should repent and read prayers.

The more you pray for children killed in the womb, the more you sincerely repent of sin, the closer forgiveness is.

Penance helps:

soften the heart of the Savior;
wash the baby's blood with tears;
undergo purification;
heal spiritually and mentally.

According to the priests, great repentance allows one to wash away sin as if nothing had happened. God is love and the Savior grants forgiveness and cleansing to women who repent from the bottom of their hearts. There is no need to live with pain in your heart; despair and unbelief push sinners away from God. God's great love gives everyone the opportunity to wash themselves from sin and pray for the souls of babies.

Saint Anthony, who had suffered from the sin of abortion in the past, went to church and prayed for a long time, but the Mother of God hid her face from her. The next day she came to the temple and prayed with all her heart. Suddenly she felt a touch on her shoulder - it was a nun who told her that there are only three sins that cannot be forgiven:

suicide;
pride;
blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

Antonia learned how to pray correctly. When the woman left the church, she asked the guard about the abbess, with whom she had talked in the church. But the temple was closed, and the woman realized that the Mother of God herself had appeared to her.

To beg forgiveness for a terrible sin, you should pray at home, since the unborn children were not baptized. To do this, icons are placed in the sacred corner:

Christ crying about abortion;
Comforter of aborted babies.

For Orthodox Christians, Saint Anthony is the heavenly intercessor of all children who die in the womb. The sacred text about the murdered children is read 3 times over 40 days. They light a candle in front of the image and pray from a pure heart. A serious sin is difficult to pray away, but sincere faith and repentance work miracles.

There are no limits to repentance; the Lord forgives and blesses repentant unfortunate women. It is important after committing a sin to go to a priest and repent.

For home begging, priests recommend reading the following prayers:

about babies killed in the womb;
rule for murdered babies.

According to numerous testimonies of believers, after prayers, infant souls are freed from suffering and torment. Amazing changes for the better are taking place in the lives of families: healing, improving relationships and everyday life.

Mother Antonia advised sinners to purchase a cross, a vest and everything for baptism, and give it to the baptismal center.

The donation will be useful for families of poor people who want to baptize their child, or for children from an orphanage.

Repentance and prayer help atone for the sin of infanticide and help innocent angelic souls.

Family planning from God?

Living in an Orthodox state, most people consider themselves Christians, wear small crosses and huge crosses, but do not know God. That is why they are not afraid, living in a civil marriage, they kill unborn children, justifying that this is not yet a person.

Contraception in Orthodoxy has long been controversial; many Christians do not even try to understand this issue, categorically condemning family planning.

In time immemorial, people lived off agriculture, what they produced, grew, then sold, and that’s how they survived. Modern life is much more complicated, and here a person can no longer go out into the field and kill an animal in order to feed his family if he loses his job. Children were born at home back then, and it did not cost a huge amount, but modern Christians have to think about how many children they are able to not only give birth to, but also raise.

About the birth of children:

Which icon to pray to get pregnant and give birth to a child
Is it obligatory for Orthodox families to have many children?
About adoption of children

Adam and Eve

The Bible does not have a clear answer to this question. Having created Adam and Eve, the Creator wished them to be fruitful and multiply. The couple expelled from paradise did not have luxurious houses or enough food, but they were under the protection of the Creator.

The Creator never leaves His children without knowledge if they obey Him. Reading the Bible, Genesis, it is easy to see that until the end of Adam’s life there were many people on earth who lived in small villages, all of them were descendants of a couple created by God. It is impossible to answer the question why God gives many children to poor people, while those who are rich and have carefully calculated everything are left without heirs as a result.

Having planned one child and then losing it, parents often blame themselves for not allowing another child to be born. How can you judge people whose firstborn is down, and doctors do not guarantee the birth of a healthy second?

A young couple who truly loved the Creator gave birth to a desired child, a boy, he was named after the prophet Daniel, prophesying wisdom and love for God in the life of his son. The young mother, who grew up as the only daughter in the family, could not even think about a second baby, so as not to spill her love for her Danechka.

The thunder did not strike immediately, only a few years later the couple learned that their son was sick with a terrible disease that could not be cured all over the world. Of course, the question arose about a second baby, and again the terrible answer was 50/50. Prayers, fasting, staying in the temple, complete trust in the Creator, and David, a healthy, strong son, was born.

After 13 years, Daniel went to the angels.

Faith in God, eternal life and a future meeting with their son in heaven gave the parents strength to continue living, and the youngest boy remained a joy for them. By the way, the couple didn’t plan anything further, they just didn’t have any more children. This was the will of God.

Proverbs 19:21 says that a person can plan a lot, but only what the Creator has determined will happen.

Nowhere in Orthodox postulates does it say how many children you need to have and whether this process can be planned if basic laws are not violated. Each family itself will answer on the Day of Judgment why and for what reasons the number of children was planned. You can't judge people without going through their path.

200 days of fasting, when, as people say, the bed is empty. Spouses abstain from sexual relations during prayers, fasts and major holidays. Next, several days of church-sanctioned sex may fall during the menstrual period, prenatal, and postpartum time. It turns out that Orthodox life itself makes its own adjustments to family planning.

Read about marital relationships:

On the intimate relationships of Orthodox spouses
On marital intimacy during Lent
About the sin of masturbation

What prayers to read

To the Merciful Lord

Remember, O Lord of Mankind, the souls of Your departed servants, the infants who in the womb of Orthodox mothers died accidentally from accidental actions from a difficult birth, or from some carelessness, or were deliberately ruined and therefore did not receive Holy Baptism.

Baptize them, O Lord, in the sea of Thy bounties and save them with Thy ineffable grace, and forgive me, a sinner (name), who committed the murder of babies in my womb and do not deprive Thy mercy. Amen.

God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (bow to the ground)

Lord, have mercy on my children who died in my womb, for my faith and tears, for the sake of Your mercy, Lord, do not deprive them of Your Divine Light.

Holy Mother of God

Open the doors of mercy to us, Blessed Mother of God, who hope in You, so that we may not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You, for You are the salvation of the Christian race. Rejoice, One Most Pure Mother of the One Creator, Lord, God and Savior of ours, Jesus Christ! Be my Intercessor on the day of the terrible trial, when I appear before the Throne of the Unfeigned Judge, so that I may be delivered from the fiery punishment of torment through Your prayers, O Blessed One. Most Holy Theotokos, save us!

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How Orthodoxy views sex among married couples

Some particularly religious people argue that sex is permissible only for the birth of children. What about spouses who cannot have offspring? Sex was created by God himself, so that spouses become one, and there is nothing shameful about it.

Married couple

It is hypocritical to say that sex is only for procreation. The answer is given by the Book of Wisdom - the Bible through the Proverbs of King Solomon (Prov. 5:19) says that the husband should constantly delight his wife.

Nothing is said here about the birth of a baby, only about the joy of mutual relationships. God created marriage so that two people could become one, helping each other. The birth of children, if any appear, is an important aspect of the feat of salvation.

Spouses are called to instruct each other in spiritual life; sex for husband and wife is:

blessing from heaven;
deep unity;
Love;
tenderness;
care;
sacrifice.

Important! In close relationships, as in everything else that brings pleasure, one must be able to set limits so as not to become a slave to uncontrollable desires when sex becomes a sin.

I would like to remind you that the Orthodox Church, by the concept of family, means married couples who have undergone the Sacrament of Wedding and received God's blessing. The church does not recognize any premarital trial or civil marriages; all this is a sin of adultery.

Wedding of spouses

Icon mourning for the babies in the wombs of the slain

The Orthodox Church and believers mourn for all the dead and dead. The death of an unborn baby is always a tragedy, but what if it is an actual murder committed by its mother? And then how can this woman live in the world, how can she then atone for her sin before the Lord?

The icon mourning the babies in the wombs of the murdered makes us realize anew the tragedy of the fact that the soul placed by God in every human being, already living or still in the womb of the mother, was not allowed to be born, and thereby not allowed to fulfill the will of God.

Most revered icons have a long history, sometimes measured in centuries. In contrast, the icon of murdered babies in the womb was painted quite recently, but it has its own amazing story.

And then one day a parishioner of the Makarievsky Church in Kyiv named Tatyana saw a drawing on a flat stone on the seashore that suggested to her the image of an icon. This idea literally pierced her heart, she sketched it on a piece of paper and then turned to the rector of her church, Archpriest Vladislav, who gave the icon painter a blessing to paint the icon.

Now the icon of the lament of Jesus Christ for the murdered babies is in the Makarievsky Church in Kyiv, of which Tatyana was a parishioner. Women who committed the sin of infanticide in the womb atone for their sin before her.

The icon makes a stunning impression. It depicts the Virgin Mary, the boy Jesus and an angel holding a baby in her arms. The face of the Mother of God is mournful, sorrow is written on the faces of the Savior and the angel, who hands him a baby in swaddling clothes, from which blood flows.

The icon seems to be enclosed in a frame, but under its lower edge there is a whole sea of blood, into which the blood of the baby flows. And it becomes clear that this sea of blood is the blood of not only the person depicted, but also of all the babies who did not see the Light of God due to the fault of their own mother.

The attitude of the Orthodox Church towards abortion is well known - it is sharply negative and dictated by the Lord's commandments. The Bible says in many places that every person, even while in the womb, is a Divine creation, and the development of the fetus is a creative act of God.

Thus, termination of pregnancy (abortion) directly contradicts God's plan and is a sin. Here on one side of the scale is the holiness and pricelessness of human life, starting from the moment of its birth, and on the other is the “freedom of choice” of a woman whether to give birth to a baby or not.

Reviews

Antonina, Kirov:

Thank you for the article! We have been going to the monastery since our conception. Our daughter was baptized in it and we receive communion every month. This is an amazing church (St. War Church). I never knew that people pray to him for lost children...

Ekaterina, Volgograd: The Lord loves his children! If He takes them, He will take care of the little angels, but they must be remembered in prayer. Lyudmila, Perm: Deeply religious people told my sister: if a woman had unborn children and for some reason were not born, this prayer must be read, even learned.

Why did an icon appear mourning the babies in the wombs of the murdered?

True, talking about a woman’s “freedom of choice” is not entirely correct. It often happens that a young girl who becomes pregnant out of wedlock is simply thrown out onto the street by her parents or partner, and she finds herself homeless and without money in a situation where abortion seems to be her only option.

And we must admit that the Orthodox Church has recently intensified its activities in saving such women and unborn babies: the church opens shelters for women who find themselves in a hopeless life situation in order to save the soul and the child, and the woman herself, without allowing her to tarnish her soul by the sin of murder.

Is contraception a sin?

Before we talk about contraception, we need to understand its action. Why is it considered a sin for Orthodox Christians to use contraception; what laws of God are violated?

Orthodoxy opposes abortion and contraception, during which the fetus is destroyed after the fertilization period. Contraception, based on the destruction of a fertilized egg, refers to the murder of an unborn baby, because from the moment of fertilization a soul is infused into the small creature.

The Church condemns contraception based on mini-abortions; no arguments in this case justify the sin of murder. At 12 weeks, the embryo looks like a fully formed human being.

Many contraceptives are hormonal; when taken, they harm the female body, which is the temple of God. (1 Cor. 3:16-17). This is the sin of contraception from the point of view of Orthodoxy.

Some contraceptives are based on preventing a woman's egg from maturing or increasing the mucus in the uterus so much that sperm are completely immobilized. In this case, there is no fertilization, no conception.

Creating an Orthodox family is not just about giving birth to a bunch of children, because they also need to be raised as healthy, full-fledged Christians. A selfish attitude towards having children as a problem that prevents you from enjoying life, building a business or something like that is a clear sin and devalues marriage.

Family planning without contraception

Every gynecologist knows that a woman can determine the period of ovulation; at this time, she just needs to limit her sex life, but not give it up forever, so that men are not tempted to look for pleasure on the side.

Clearly knowing the physiological cycle of a woman, the couple by mutual consent refuses sex, finding pleasure in each other at a higher level.

“Do not deviate from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with your intemperance” (1 Cor. 7:5).

Many priests are based on the messages of St. Basil, Clement of Alexandria, who opposed termination of pregnancy, without understanding the new methods of pregnancy planning.

Important! Spiritual mentors should teach young couples to respect each other so that they can enjoy a natural married life, knowing how Orthodox families are protected.

The issue of contraception is such a concern for the Orthodox Church that the issue was discussed at the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1998, which condemned priests who forced renunciation of sexual relations.

Western scientists have developed a new method of fertility recognition (FRP), which in no way violates the laws of the Orthodox Church, but with high accuracy determines the period of possible pregnancy.

Is contraception a sin? Archpriest Andrey Tkachev

I’ll cut out a heart and give it to Mom and say the words: “I love you.”

Our children are a sacred gift from God. Pregnancy occurs when the Almighty sends the soul of a child to a woman. It is very scary when a child passes into another world without being born and, accordingly, without undergoing the rite of Baptism. Sometimes this happens by accident: due to a miscarriage or frozen pregnancy. There is no need to give divine honors to an unborn child: they have no mistakes and return to the Creator. They should be remembered in prayer for unborn children, because they already have a soul.

Rules and recommendations

Go to church, buy several candles: light one at the icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness” (you can bring flowers and put them in a vase near the face), the rest for Heavenly Father, Guardian Angel, beloved miracle worker. Buy images of Uar and the Mother of God for home - beg for protection, drink holy water, wash your face with it. It is not worth adhering to a strict fast during pregnancy, but eliminating junk food from the diet will be useful.

Along with the above, develop your femininity, be happy and desirable!

History of the icon

The history of the appearance of the icon, as well as the location of its original, are unknown. People turn to the Blessed Virgin to ask for help and enlist support in any matters relating to the birth of children. The Mother of God, having found her Son, saw his death and Resurrection, therefore she patronizes expectant mothers, understanding their pain and mental anguish.

The following fact is known about the historical path of the icon. In 1993, during Great Lent, Archpriest Vladimir Andreev administered communion to an elderly woman at home. The believer was sincerely happy about the revival of the parish of St. Nicholas Cathedral in Serpukhov and handed over to the archpriest an old icon that had been kept for many years in her home.

After the restoration work was completed, the image of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth” was revealed to the world. Later the icon was placed in the Cathedral of St. Nicholas. The Holy Face is still there today. Father Vladimir wrote an akathist, which is still read by pregnant women, as well as those who dream of pregnancy.

The miraculous icon and prayer of the Mother of God “Helper in Childbirth” gives the joy of motherhood even to those who, according to doctors, are doomed to a childless existence. Women from all over the world come to venerate the image of the Blessed Virgin.

Abortion - what is it?

Abortion is legal, and this is a national tragedy. Legally, the life of an unborn child is not protected. A mother and father who go for an abortion are more cruel than robbers. They commit madness - the murder of a defenseless person, their own child. A family union turns into a union of two killers. Love leaves the family, people experience many sorrows afterwards. Most often, they do not even understand that the root cause of their sorrows is a completed abortion. A godless secular society gives a person the right to kill his unborn children.

It is comforting to know that the fight against abortion is intensifying in Russia. There are still people with a living soul who are ready to fight the selfishness and madness of this world. To save innocent babies, they carry out educational work and provide psychological and material support to expectant mothers.

Who to pray to

The most important words should be addressed to the Almighty: ask for mercy and forgiveness for your inability to protect a valuable gift. Also, with such a loss, Saint Uar and the Most Pure Mother of God help: she, like a mother, must support women in difficult times.

Saint Huar is addressed with these words:

O holy martyr Uare, the venerable one, we kindle with zeal for the Lord Christ, you confessed the Heavenly King before the tormentor, and now the Church honors you, as glorified by the Lord Christ with the glory of Heaven, Who has given you the grace of great boldness towards Him, and now you stand before Him with the Angels, and in the highest you rejoice, and clearly see the Holy Trinity, and enjoy the light of the Beginning Radiance: remember also our relatives in languor, who died in wickedness, accept our petition, and like Cleopatrine, you freed the unfaithful generation with your prayers from eternal torment, so remember the people buried against God, those who died unbaptized (names), trying to ask for deliverance from eternal darkness, so that we may all praise the Most Merciful Creator with one mouth and one heart forever and ever. Amen.

His help is asked for the easy fate of the spirit of a relative or loved one who died without knowing the real God, as well as Christian women whose children died during childbirth or in the womb.