About those who hate and offend us
Troparion, tone 4: You have prayed for those who have crucified You, O Lord of love, and commanded Your servant to pray for all of us, forgive us those who hate and offend us, and instruct us from all evil and wickedness to brotherly and virtuous living, we humbly offer You a prayer; Yes, in unanimity we glorify Thee, the One Lover of Mankind.
Kontakion, voice 5: Like Your first martyr Stephen, for those who kill him, he prays to Thee, O Lord, and we pray deeply, forgive those who hate everyone and offend us, so that not a single one of us will perish for the sake of them, but all will be saved by Your grace, O All-Bountiful God.
Prayer from prodigal thoughts to St. Ambrose of Optina
When thoughts of sin and depravity become precipitated, they must be fought by calling on the Lord for help. A person cannot fight his sinfulness alone and must seek support from the Holy Guides. Saint Ambrose taught to fight the onslaught of demons and seduction, praying against lustful thoughts.
Pray like this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner...” Click on the word “sinner”... Remember the sins with which you offended the Lord and humiliate yourself. If you cannot humble yourself, but “virtues” come to your mind, say the following: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. O obscene slave! Behold your fornication and the previous error associated with fornication! “And now again: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Request for protection from the offender. Martyr John the Warrior
Troparion, tone 8: Having loved the blessedness of the Gospel, you honored the God-Wise John with the purity of your heart. Moreover, you disdained the vanity of this world and strived to see God, who glorified you with miracles in healing the variously suffering. For this reason, we pray to you: ask us from Christ the Lord of all sorrows for deliverance and receipt of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Kontakion, tone 6: Let us duly praise the pious warrior of Christ, who defeated the enemies of soul and body in a divinely wise manner, John the Martyr with songs, for by working miracles he gives abundant healing to suffering people, and prays to the Lord God to save the faithful from all troubles.
Prayer: O great martyr of Christ John, champion of the faithful, chaser of enemies and intercessor of the offended. Hear us, in troubles and sorrows, praying to you, as if grace from God has been given to you quickly to console the sad, to help the weak, to deliver the innocent from vain death, and to pray for all those who suffer evil. Be therefore a strong champion for us against all our visible and invisible enemies, for with your help and fight all those who show us evil will be put to shame. Pray to our Lord, that He may grant us His sinful and unworthy servants to receive from Him the ineffable good that is prepared for those who love Him, in the Trinity of the Holy Ones, glorified by God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
They pray to the same saint to find the stolen goods.
Prayer against the fornication of her husband to Thomaida of Egypt
Some wives whose husbands cheat on them sometimes tolerate it and even justify it by explaining that their husbands return to them and continue to love them. But they do not always have time to notice in time what changes are taking place in their souls, and by then it is too late. Family is a sacred institution and we must fight for it. And the best way to fight may be Orthodox prayer for a husband’s fornication. But you need to pray with all the strength of your soul, and not only for the husband to leave the woman who seduced him, but also to calm his mind and find a new meaning and value of life in peace and love with his own. Wife and God in the soul.
O venerable martyr Thomaido! For the purity of marriage, even those who fought to the roof and laid down their souls for chastity, you are worthy before the Lord, you are in a hedgehog before the venerable maidens, to be more respectful to you. Hear us as we pray to you, and as the ancient healer of the flesh, the healer that you have, according to the grace given to you by God, to those who now have recourse to your intercession, grant joy and freedom from carnal wars and a chaste life, and your prayers pleasing to God in marriage and virginity, all in order to seek help, as if our bodies were the temple of the Holy Spirit living in us. O chosen women and faithful workers of Christ! Help us so that we do not perish with our passions and lusts, but control our minds and strengthen our hearts in all piety and purity, glorifying your help and intercession, but the grace and mercy of the One and Three God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever centuries... Amen.
Prayer for unbelievers, persecutors and despisers of truth
Lord, turn the hearts of our enemies to You, and if it is not possible for the hardened to turn, then put a barrier to evil and protect Your chosen ones from them. Amen. About the increase of love and the eradication of hatred and all malice
Troparion, tone 4: Having bound Thy apostles with a union of love, O Christ, and us, Thy faithful servants, thus firmly bound to Thyself, keep Thy commandments and love one another unfeignedly, through the prayers of the Mother of God, the One Lover of Mankind.
Kontakion, voice 5: With the flame of love our hearts have kindled towards You, O Christ God, so that with that kindling, in our hearts, in our minds and in our souls, and with all our strength, we may love You, and sincerely, as ourselves, and keep Your commandments and glorify You, all the blessings of the Giver.
Prokeimenon, tone 7: I will love you, O Lord, my strength, the Lord is my strength. Gospel of John, chapter 13, v. 31-3: When Jesus went out, he said: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him; If God is glorified about him, God will glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him. Children, I am still a little with you: you will seek Me, and even as I died in Judea, even as I went, you cannot come: and I say to you now. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another: as you have loved, you also love yourselves; Everyone understands this, as my disciples are, if you have love among each other. From the litany: Lord our God, mercifully, for He is Good, look upon the land of our hearts, parched in love, and frozen with thorns of hatred, self-love, and countless iniquities: and having released a drop of the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit, it has been richly watered, in the hedgehog fruitfulness , and to grow from burning love for You, all virtue is the root of Your fear, and non-lazy care for sincere salvation, and the eradication of all passions and manifold deceits, and hypocrisy, as we diligently pray to the Benefactor of all, hear soon and philanthropically have mercy... Participated: I give a new commandment let you love one another as I have loved you, says the Lord.
Symbol of faith
On deliverance from temptations (Reverend Simeon the New Theologian)
Do not allow me, Master, Lord, temptation, or sorrow, or illness beyond my strength, but deliver me from them or grant me the strength to endure them with gratitude.
Daily prayer of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
Lord, I don’t know what to ask of You. You alone know what I need. You love me more than I can love myself. Father, give to Your servant what I myself cannot ask for. I do not dare to ask for either a cross or consolation: I only stand before You. My heart is open to You; You see needs that I don't know. See and create according to Your mercy. Smite and heal, overthrow and raise me. I am in awe and silent before Your holy will and Your destinies, incomprehensible to me. I sacrifice myself to You. I have no other desire than the desire to fulfill Your will; teach me to pray; Pray in me yourself! Amen.
About those who hate and offend us
Troparion, tone 4: You have prayed for those who have crucified You, O Lord of love, and commanded Your servant to pray for all of us, forgive us those who hate and offend us, and instruct us from all evil and wickedness to brotherly and virtuous living, we humbly offer You a prayer; Yes, in unanimity we glorify Thee, the One Lover of Mankind.
Kontakion, voice 5: Like Your first martyr Stephen, for those who kill him, he prays to Thee, O Lord, and we pray deeply, forgive those who hate everyone and offend us, so that not a single one of us will perish for the sake of them, but all will be saved by Your grace, O All-Bountiful God.
Prayer for unbelievers, persecutors and despisers of truth
Lord, turn the hearts of our enemies to You, and if it is not possible for the hardened to turn, then put a barrier to evil and protect Your chosen ones from them. Amen.
The everlasting psalter
The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering a commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul.
It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself; you will feel the support. And one more important point, but far from the least important, there is eternal remembrance on the Undying Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is still not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.
Order from the monastery in Jerusalem
Request for protection from the offender. Martyr John the Warrior. (they pray to the same saint to find what was stolen)
Troparion, tone 8: Having loved the blessedness of the Gospel, you honored the God-Wise John with the purity of your heart. Moreover, you disdained the vanity of this world and strived to see God, who glorified you with miracles in healing the variously suffering. For this reason, we pray to you: ask us from Christ the Lord of all sorrows for deliverance and receipt of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Kontakion, tone 6: Let us duly praise the pious warrior of Christ, who defeated the enemies of soul and body in a divinely wise manner, John the Martyr with songs, for by working miracles he gives abundant healing to suffering people, and prays to the Lord God to save the faithful from all troubles.
Prayer: O great martyr of Christ John, champion of the faithful, chaser of enemies and intercessor of the offended. Hear us, in troubles and sorrows, praying to you, as if grace from God has been given to you quickly to console the sad, to help the weak, to deliver the innocent from vain death, and to pray for all those who suffer evil. Be therefore a strong champion for us against all our visible and invisible enemies, for with your help and fight all those who show us evil will be put to shame. Pray to our Lord, that He may grant us His sinful and unworthy servants to receive from Him the ineffable good that is prepared for those who love Him, in the Trinity of the Holy Ones, glorified by God, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
About the increase of love and the eradication of hatred and all malice
Troparion, tone 4: Having bound Thy apostles with a union of love, O Christ, and us, Thy faithful servants, thus firmly bound to Thyself, keep Thy commandments and love one another unfeignedly, through the prayers of the Mother of God, the One Lover of Mankind. Kontakion, voice 5: With the flame of love our hearts have kindled towards You, O Christ God, so that with that kindling, in our hearts, in our minds and in our souls, and with all our strength, we may love You, and sincerely, as ourselves, and keep Your commandments and glorify You, all the blessings of the Giver.
Prokeimenon, tone 7: I will love You, O Lord, my strength, the Lord is my strength.
Gospel of John, chapter 13, v. 31-3: When Jesus went out, he said: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him; If God is glorified about him, God will glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him. Children, I am still a little with you: you will seek Me, and even as I died in Judea, even as I went, you cannot come: and I say to you now. I give you a new commandment, that you love one another: as you have loved, you also love yourselves; Everyone understands this, as my martyrs are by nature, if you have love among each other
From the litany: Lord our God, mercifully, for He is Good, look upon the land of our hearts, parched in love, and frozen with thorns of hatred, self-love, and countless iniquities: and having released a drop of the grace of Your Most Holy Spirit, it has been richly watered, in the hedgehog fruitfulness , and grow from burning love for You, Thy fear is the root of all virtues, and non-lazy care for sincere salvation, but all passions. and the eradication of manifold deceits and hypocrisy, as we diligently pray to the Benefactor of all, soon hear and philanthropically have mercy...
Participated: I give you a new commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you, says the Lord.
In sorrow or illness
Save, O Lord, and have mercy on Thy servant (name) with the words of Thy Divine Gospel, read about the salvation of Thy servant (name). The thorns of all his sins have fallen, O Lord, and may Thy grace dwell in him, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying every person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
* Every day you need to read one chapter of the Gospel, and before and after the chapter - this prayer
Prayer of St. Demetrius of Rostov
Save me, my Savior, according to Your goodness, and not according to my deeds! You want to save me, You decide how to save me: save me as you want, as you can, as you know: in the same way, save me by destinies! I trust in You, my Lord, and I commit myself to Your Holy will: do with me whatever you want! If you want to have me in the light, be blessed. If you want to have me in the darkness, be blessed again. If you open the doors of Your mercy to me, then it is good and good. If You shut the doors of Your mercy to me: blessed art Thou, Who shutth me into righteousness. If You do not destroy me with my iniquities, glory to Your immeasurable mercy. If You destroy me with my iniquities, glory to Your righteous judgment: arrange for me as You wish!
Cry to Our Lady
What should I pray to You for, what should I ask of You? You see everything, you know it yourself, look into my soul and give it what it needs. You, who have endured and overcome everything, will understand everything. You, who entwined the Baby in a manger and took Him with Your hands from the Cross, You alone know all the heights of joy, all the oppression of grief. You, who have received the entire human race as adoption, look at me with maternal care. From the snares of sin, lead me to Your Son. I see a tear watering Your face. It was over me that you shed it and let it wash away the traces of my sins. Here I have come, I’m standing, I’m waiting for Your response, oh, Mother of God, oh, All-Singing, oh, Lady! I don’t ask for anything, I just stand before You. Only my heart, a poor human heart, exhausted in longing for truth, I throw at Your pure feet, Lady! Let everyone who calls You reach the eternal day with You and worship You face to face.
Prayerful sighing to the Lord (Laying prayer of Hieroschemamonk Parthenius of Kyiv)
1. When I, depressed by illness, feel the approaching end of my earthly existence: Lord, have mercy on me. 2. When my poor heart, at its last beats, languishes and languishes in mortal pain: Lord, have mercy on me. 3. When my eyes are watered with tears for the last time at the thought that during my life I have offended You, O God, with my sins: Lord, have mercy on me. 4. When the rapid beating of my heart begins to accelerate the outcome of my soul: Lord, have mercy on me. 5. When the mortal pallor of my face and my cold body strikes my loved ones with fear: Lord, have mercy on me. 6. When my vision is darkened and my voice is cut off, my tongue turns to stone: Lord, have mercy on me. 7. When terrible ghosts and visions begin to drive me to despair of Your mercy: Lord, have mercy on me. 8. When my soul, struck by the memories of my crimes and the fear of Your judgment, becomes exhausted in the fight against the enemies of my salvation, who are trying to drag me into the darkness of torment: Lord, have mercy on me. 9. When the sweat of death drenches me, and the soul with painful suffering moves away from the body: Lord, have mercy on me. 10. When mortal darkness closes all the objects of this world from my dim gaze: Lord, have mercy on me. 11. When all sensation in my body ceases, my veins become numb and my muscles become rigid: Lord, have mercy on me. 12. When human speech and earthly sounds no longer reach my ears: Lord, have mercy on me. 13. When the soul appears before Your face, O God, in anticipation of Your appointment: Lord, have mercy on me. 14. When I begin to heed the righteous sentence of Your judgment, which determines my eternal fate: Lord, have mercy on me. 15. When the body, abandoned by the soul, becomes the prey of worms and corruption and, finally, my entire composition turns into a handful of dust: Lord, have mercy on me. 16. When the sound of the trumpet awakens everyone at Your second coming and the book of my deeds is opened: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, Your sinful servant (name). In Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Amen.
Commemoration at the Divine Liturgy (Church note)
Health is commemorated for those who have Christian names, and repose is remembered only for those baptized in the Orthodox Church.
Notes can be submitted at the liturgy:
For proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphoras, which are subsequently dipped into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins
Order from the monastery in Jerusalem
About taming human anger
1. Pray to the holy prophet and king David. 2. Read the prayer “Lord, Lover of Mankind...” (the prayer of St. John of Damascus from the prayers for the future). 3. Read the prayer “ Virgin Mother of God, Rejoice , Gracious Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.” 4. Read Psalms 26 and 131. 5. Approaching the door of an angry boss, you should say: “Remember, Lord, King David and all his meekness.”
Prayer to the Lord for forgiveness, intercession and help
In the hand of Your great mercy, O my God, I entrust my soul and body, my feelings and words, my advice and thoughts, my deeds and all my movements of body and soul. My entry and exit, my faith and life, the course and end of my life, the day and hour of my breathing, my repose, the repose of my soul and body. But You, O Most Merciful God, invincible to the sins of the whole world, kindly, kindly Lord, accept me more than all sinners in the hand of Your protection and deliver from all evil, cleanse my many iniquities, grant correction to my evil and wretched life and from Always delight me in the coming cruel falls of sin, and in no way will I anger Your love for mankind, with which you cover my weakness from demons, passions and evil people. Forbid the enemy, visible and invisible, guiding me along the saved path, bring me to You, my refuge and the land of my desires. Grant me a Christian end, unashamed, peaceful, keep me from the airy spirits of malice, at Your Last Judgment be merciful to Your servant and number me at the right hand of Your blessed sheep, and with them I will glorify You, my Creator, forever. Amen.
Prayer against sedition
God of hosts, King of kings and Lord of lords! In Your hand is the king's heart and the power of the whole earth. You place kings on their thrones and say about them: “Through Me kings reign; do not touch My anointed.” Look with Thy merciful eye on our suffering country, in which, because of our iniquities, disorder and discord, civil strife and opposition to our king and the authorities established by him have greatly multiplied. There is also pestilence, famine, and all sorts of illnesses that have befallen us, and there is no peace, no weakness, no peace in our homes, lower in our cities and towns. O Omniscient and Most Merciful, You weigh our misfortune, see our bitterness, hear the sobs of the poor, the groans of the orphans and widows and the voices of innocent babies suffering in public need. You spared Nineveh, a great city full of lawlessness, for the sake of its repentance and for the sake of the child, who did not know his right hand and his shui; have mercy on us sinners, have mercy on our fatherland, have mercy for the sake of our babies, orphans and widows, who shed their tears before You, O Merciful One! See, Lord, how people, who have no reason, do not accurately say in their hearts “there is no God,” but preach to us, especially to our young men and maidens, inexperienced beings, corrupt teachings, and strive to turn them away from the path of Your Commandments on the way obstinate and disastrous. Everything is possible for You, O Almighty Master! For with Thy one word Thou hast not only healed the blind, the deaf and the dumb, but also raised the dead: thus have Thy omnipotent Word spoken in the hearts of these sowers of wickedness: enlighten their minds, darkened by pride, awaken their conscience, with vain wisdom, envy and destructive passions put to sleep, turn their will to the fulfillment of Your life-giving Commandments, so that they too will know how sweet the essence of Your Word is to the human heart, and how Your yoke is good and Your burden is light. May Thy Name be glorified, O Lord our Savior, even in these perishing brothers of ours, and may our wicked adversary the devil be put to shame, who sows tares in Thy field, which is Thy Holy Church! O Lord, Merciful God, Wise God, Almighty God! Again and again we fall before You and cry out tearfully in repentance and tenderness of heart: we have sinned, been lawless, untruthful before You, and truly righteously we are punished for our deeds. Remember the faith and humility of our fathers, hear the warm prayers of Your holy saints who have shone in our land: have mercy on the Russian land, quench all sedition, discord and disorder, pacify your hearts, overcome by passions, save Your beloved servant, our king, protect his throne with righteousness and peace, spoke good and peaceful things in his heart about Your Church and about Your people, gave him advisers filled with wisdom and holyly fulfilling his will, keep his judgments unprofitable and impartial, breathe courage into the hearts of those who stand guard over the well-being of the state: and to them You judged for the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland in the days of sorrow, lay down your soul, and thereby forgive all their sins, crown the crowns of martyrdom in Your Kingdom. Illuminate all of us with the light of Thy Gospel Law, warm our hearts with the warmth of Thy grace, confirm our will in Thy will, so that as in ancient times, so now on our earth, and in us, and through us, Thy All-Holy Name, of the Father and the Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
In trouble, sadness and sorrow. Holy Martyr Tryphon (They pray to Him for deliverance from snoring.)
Troparion, tone 8: Thy martyr, Lord, Tryphon, in his suffering, received an imperishable crown from You, our God: having Thy strength, overthrow the tormentors, crush the demons of weak insolence. Save his souls with our prayers.
Kontakion, tone 8: With Trinitarian firmness you destroyed polytheism from the end, having become all-glorious, honorable in Christ, and having defeated the tormentors in Christ the Savior, you received the crown of your martyrdom and the gift of Divine healings, as if you were invincible.
Prayer: Oh, holy martyr of Christ Tryphon, quick helper to everyone who comes running to you and praying before your holy image, quick to obey the intercessor! Hear now and at every hour the prayer of us, your unworthy servants who honor your holy memory, and intercede for us before the Lord in every place, for you, saint of Christ, holy martyr and miracle worker Tryphon, shone in great miracles before your departure from life of this perishable one, you prayed to the Lord and asked Him for this gift: if anyone in any need, trouble, sadness and illness of soul or body begins to call on your holy name, may he be delivered from every excuse of evil, and like you sometimes daughter Thou didst heal the Tsarina, who was tormented by the devil in the city of Rome, and preserve us from his cruel machinations all the days of our lives; especially on the terrible day of our last breath, intercede for us, then be our helper, and a quick drive away of evil spirits, and Leader of the Kingdom of Heaven, where you now stand as saints at the Throne of God, pray to the Lord that he will grant us to be partakers of everlasting joy and joy, so that with you we will be worthy to glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Comforter of the Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Ordering requirements in the Holy Land
· Commemoration at the Divine Liturgy · Blessing of the Water · Prayer for health · Prayer for repose · Prayer for health · Indestructible psalter · Candle for repose · Candle for health · Sorokoust for repose · Sorokoust for health · Requiem service
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Daily prayer of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
God! I don’t know what to ask from You. You alone know what I need. You love me more than I can love myself. Father! Grant to Your servant what I myself do not dare ask for. I do not dare to ask for either a cross or consolation: I only stand before You. My heart is open to You; You see needs that I don't know. See and create according to Your mercy. Smite and heal, overthrow and raise me. I am in awe and silent before Your Holy Will and Your destinies, incomprehensible to me. I sacrifice myself to You. I surrender to You. I have no other desire than the desire to fulfill Your Will. Teach me to pray! Pray within me yourself. Amen. With unforgiveness of insults and remembrance of evil
My Savior, teach me to forgive with all my heart everyone who has offended me in any way. I know that I cannot come before You with the feelings of enmity that lurk in my soul. My heart is hardened! There is no love in me! Help me, Lord! I pray to You, teach me to forgive those who offend me, just as You Yourself, my God, forgave Your enemies on the cross!
Desires contrary to the will of God become sin
Notice that the desire to live is not a sinful desire. The desire not to be separated from God is also not sinful. But if these desires, which are not sinful in themselves, come into conflict with God’s will for you, then this becomes a sin.
All martyrs for the faith had a desire to live and this is not a sinful desire, but God’s will for them was that they should show faithfulness to death: Do not be afraid of anything that you will have to endure. Behold, the devil will cast you from among you into prison to tempt you, and you will have tribulation... Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Rev.2:10).
And if they saved their lives by renouncing God, it would be a sin!
Curiosity in itself is not a sin
Curiosity itself is not a sin, but a gift from God! Which God gave to man at the creation of the world. Although curiosity itself is not a sin, it leads to sin if it goes against God’s will for a person, which is what happened to Eve at the forbidden tree. Satan can lead to sin by using in a perverted form what may be God's gift!
If Eve had looked with lust (desire) at any other fruit and eaten it, then this would not have been a sin, since it would have been in accordance with the will of God. God endowed man with feelings and desires. We constantly experience hunger and thirst, and therefore we eat food with lust, i.e. with great desire, but this is not a sin. However, if you are tortured by hunger and tempted with food to renounce God, then eating food in this case will be a sin. Did God's gift of curiosity really make Eve a hostage to the temptations of the devil? Maybe the God-given desire to eat and drink makes me a hostage to sin when my loyalty to God is blackmailed with food? Is it possible that the fact that God created men and women with a feeling of attraction to each other pushes people into adultery? Of course not!
Satan twists what is good to lead to sin.
The depths of Satan consist in taking what is good and perverting it until it leads to sin. The Apostle Paul wrote about it this way: What shall we say? Is it really sin from the law? No way. But I knew sin no other way than through the law. For I would not understand desire if the law did not say: do not desire. But sin, taking the occasion from the commandment, produced in me every desire: for without the law sin is dead... and thus the commandment given for life served me to death, because sin, taking the occasion from the commandment, deceived me and killed me with it. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. So, has what is good become deadly to me? No way; but sin, which turns out to be sin because through good it causes death to me, so that sin becomes extremely sinful through the commandment. (Rom.7:7-13)
Continuing further, he wrote: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. (Rom.7:14).
That is, you see that the problem is not in the good that God gave us, but in ourselves, in our “I”, our spirit. And the main miracle is that in prayer our spirit changes, through the filling of us with God’s Spirit. Prayer to God strengthened the spirit of Christ, which had weakened under the onslaught of the temptations of the devil. And He strengthened His resolve to fulfill God’s will for Himself.
With unmercifulness and irritation towards one's neighbor
Merciful, merciful, kind, long-suffering, loving, gracious Heavenly Father! I mourn and confess before You the innate malice and insensitivity of my heart, that I often sinned against my poor neighbor with unmercifulness and unfriendliness, did not take part in his poverty and the misfortunes that happened to him, did not have due human, Christian and brotherly compassion for him, abandoned he was in distress, did not visit, did not console, did not help him. In this I did not act like a child of God, because I was not merciful like You, my Heavenly Father, and I did not think about what Christ my Lord says: blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. I did not think about the final sentence at the Last Judgment: depart from Me, you cursed, into eternal fire; For I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was naked, and you did not clothe Me; I was sick and did not visit Me. Merciful Father! Forgive me this grave sin, and do not hold it against me. Turn away from me the grave and righteous punishment, and make sure that judgment without mercy is not carried out on me, but cover and forget my unmercifulness for the sake of the mercy of Your beloved Son. Grant me a merciful heart that would grieve for the misfortune of my neighbor, and make sure that I am quickly and easily prompted to compassion. Grant me grace so that I may help to alleviate, and not increase, the sorrows and disasters endured by my neighbors; so that I console him in his sorrow and show mercy to all sorrowful spirits - the sick, strangers, widows and orphans; so that he would help them willingly and love them not only in words, but in deed and truth. My God! You want mercy, not sacrifice. Make me clothe myself with heartfelt mercy, kindness, humility, patience, and willingly forgive, as Christ forgave me. Make me aware of Your great mercy in me, because I am too small before all the mercy that You have shown over me since the day I was born. Thy mercy went before me when I lay in sins; it embraces me, it follows me wherever I go, and finally takes me into eternal life. Amen.
Two paths have steps
As we read the Bible, we discover that both the path to God and the path to destruction are not a smooth road, but have steps. In the good path, the believer grows in God to perfection in love: ...then you, making every effort to this, show in your faith virtue, in virtue prudence in prudence self-control, in self-control patience, in patience godliness, in godliness brotherly kindness, in brotherly kindness love . (2 Peter 1:3-7).
The path of destruction also contains steps along which a person degrades. If the path of salvation contains eight steps, then the path of destruction is only three: ... but everyone is tempted, being carried away and enticed by his own lust; lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin that is committed gives birth to death. (James 1:14,15)
What a short path, only three steps, and the third is DEATH.
The purpose of today's topic is to help understand at what stage in destruction it is not too late to stop and resist the devil. And how to resist him?
Three steps to destruction
So, there are only three steps down: temptation, sin, death. What a short way and how close death is. Eve made a similar journey at the forbidden tree. There are also only three steps: desired, ate, died. Just three steps from God, the Source of life, are enough and the consequence will be eternal destruction. Complete cessation of personal existence. A complete lack of opportunity to contemplate God’s creation and feel like a part of it!
What is sin that leads to death, to the third stage? Whoever commits sin also commits iniquity; and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4); ...for by the law is the knowledge of sin. (Rom.3:20); What shall we say? Is it really sin from the law? No way. But I knew sin no other way than through the law. For I would not understand desire if the law did not say: do not desire. (Rom.7:7)
Violation of the will of the Creator, expressed in the 10 commandments of His holy Law, is a sin leading to death. For the wages of sin is death... (Rom. 6:23).
Death is the result of sin. This is a reward for its owner. When a person sins, then, having not yet reaped the wages of sin - death, it may seem to him that he still has time, one more step. But it's not that simple. Every action a person makes leaves a mark on his mind. How a man walked across the grass and left a mark. I did something and left a mark. Do it a few times and you already see a well-trodden path. Just honestly, on what basis do people choose a path, walk along the weeds or along a well-trodden path?
It's easy to walk on asphalt
In spiritual life, walking through the weeds is doing something for the first time, and walking along a well-trodden path is doing something out of habit. A first-time smoker and a smoker with 10 years of experience have different degrees of dependence on the action taken. Continuing to commit sin, the path becomes a road. The habit is even stronger. And after a while, life in sin becomes compacted asphalt.
I don’t believe that anyone, having a convenient asphalt road in front of them, will walk through the weeds of the unknown. That is, sin will become an integral part of a person’s life, without which a person cannot live. And proof of the above is the phrase that even believers say: it is impossible to live a holy life without sin on a sinful earth!
Living in sin only leads to death
It is naive to believe that being at the second stage of spiritual degradation, living in sin, we will be saved on the day of the Second Coming of Christ. The Word of God does not support such a theory: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. (Rom. 1:18).
Let the unrighteous still do injustice; let the unclean one still become unclean; let the righteous still do righteousness, and let the holy one still be sanctified. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his deeds. (Rev. 22:11,12).
Life in sin promises nothing but death. This means that you need to stop before the second stage; at the first stage there is temptation.
The mere presence of temptation does not automatically place you on the first stage of destruction.
First of all, it is necessary to understand that the mere presence of temptation does not automatically place us on the first step of the road leading to destruction. Let's remember the story of Joseph:
And his master’s wife turned her eyes to Joseph and said, “Sleep with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife: Behold, my master does not know anything in the house with me, and he has given everything that he has into my hands; I am no longer in this house; and he forbade me nothing except you, because you are his wife; How can I do this great evil and sin before God? When she said this to Joseph every day, and he did not listen to her to sleep with her and be with her, it happened one day that he entered the house to do his work, and none of the household was there in the house; She grabbed him by his robe and said, “Lie with me.” But he, leaving his clothes in her hands, ran and ran out. (Gen.39:7-13).
Potiphar's wife dragged Joseph onto the first step of his perilous path, tempting him to break the seventh commandment of God's law, which commands “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” But he refused to do this.
When you begin to desire to commit sin, then you enter the first stage of destruction.
Only when temptation comes close to the will of a person to the point of intimacy so much that they merge into one whole, and a person begins to want to commit a sin, then he finds himself on the first step leading to destruction. After this, his lust conceives from temptation, and all this results in action. This is how sin is born - this is the second step of the destructive path.
I assure you that the one whose desires have merged with temptation and become lust will no longer overcome sin. Because sin had already entered his mind and made a nest for itself in it. The Savior said this about it: You have heard what was said to the ancients: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matt. 5:27,28).
For slander and unfair oppression
You, Lord, offered yourself as a sacrifice on the cross for my salvation. Can I also reject the burdens of people’s unfair judgments about me? Grant, Lord Jesus, that, thinking about the insults and slander that You endured for me, my heart learns patience, and not only without irritation, but even with gratitude, willingly endures the insults and condemnations of others. I beg You for one thing, Lord, do not leave my enemies forever in their blindness, but finally illuminate them with the ray of Your grace. Amen.
Prayer to Macarius of Optina from passion
All human life is surrounded by carnal temptations that inflame passions. In order not to sin, you need to adhere to Orthodox customs, observe fasts, lead a moderate lifestyle, and avoid excesses in food and drink. But this is not enough. We must fight our passions, channeling our energy into creative endeavors. However, a person is weak to overcome the devil’s temptation on his own, and he needs to turn to the help and support of heavenly helpers.
O Mother of the Lord, my Creator, you are the root of virginity and the unchanging color of purity. O Mother of God! You will help me, for your weak carnal passion and your painful passion are one, and I intercede for your Son and God. Amen.
In grief from reproach and misunderstanding
Eternal God and Father! Grant me Your Spirit of strength, may He strengthen me in my weakness, may He establish me and make me unshakable, so that neither sorrow, nor persecution, nor nakedness separate me from Your love, but that I may overcome everything for the sake of Him who loved me. Grant that I may show myself in everything as a servant of Christ, with great patience in adversities, in needs, in difficult circumstances, in wounds, in prisons, in labors, in vigils, in fasting, with purity, with knowledge, with long-suffering, with with kindness, with the Holy Spirit, with unfeigned love, with the word of truth, with the power of God; may I follow Him in honor and dishonor, amidst censure and praise; willingly with Him and for the sake of His name, allowing myself to be mocked here, for He, if I remain faithful to death, will crown me with the crown of life. Amen.
Understanding the purpose of prayer
Understanding the purpose of prayer is to gain the power of God's Spirit, we understand the divinely inspired advice from the Holy Scriptures.
When should you pray? Pray without ceasing. (1 Thess. 5:17). Always be in a prayerful spirit, in communication with God.
How should you pray? Make every prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit... (Eph.6:18). From the heart, spirit, with all being, sincerely.
Why do you need to pray? …pray not to fall into temptation. (Luke 22:40).
We pray in order to overcome, just as Christ overcame when he prayed in Gethsemane. To be above the devil's temptations and emerge from the great struggle as a winner, clothed in the immortality of God.
When we pray, we are enlightened about God's will for ourselves. How can we now make God's will our own will? This will be our next topic.
The Most Important Knowledge. Topic No. 10 “In order not to fall into temptation, you need to pray”
Don't forget to share with others:
About uncomplainingly enduring ridicule and persecution to Blessed Basil, for Christ's sake the holy fool
Oh, great servant of Christ, true friend and faithful servant of the All-Creator of the Lord God, blessed Basil! Hear us, many sinners (names), now crying out to you and calling on your holy name, have mercy on us, who fall today before your most pure image, accept our small and unworthy prayer, have mercy on our misery, and with your prayers heal every ailment and illness of the soul and the body of our sinner, and grant us the flow of this life unharmed from visible and invisible enemies and pass sinlessly, and a Christian death without shame, peaceful, serene, and to receive the inheritance of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the saints forever and ever. Amen.
Definition of Passion
The love of money is the desire to acquire wealth. There are two main types of love of money: greed – an insatiable thirst for acquiring wealth by any means (can take the form of entrepreneurship, collecting, theft), stinginess – reluctance to share something of one’s own with anyone (outwardly it can be similar to frugality).
The love of money is the mother of anger and sorrow. The Monk John Climacus says the following about this passion: “The waves will not leave the sea, and anger and sorrow will not leave the lover of money” (Lestv. 17:10). In another place he gives the following instruction regarding this passion: “The love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10), and it really is, for it produces hatred, theft, envy, separation, enmity, embarrassment, resentment, cruelty and murder" (Lestv. 17:14).
It is interesting to note one feature of the modern world. The entire banking system operates on the principle of receiving and issuing money at interest and growth. There are many educational institutions to maintain and prosper the banking industry. We have forgotten one thing, the words of Christ: “Lend, expecting nothing” (Luke 6:35).
Means to combat passion
The main means of combating the love of money are non-covetousness, almsgiving, strengthening faith in the Providence of God and the memory of death.
1) One of the most powerful means of combating the love of money is the virtue of non-covetousness, the mastery of which is necessary for all Christians, and monks generally take a vow of non-covetousness.
He who endures arbitrary poverty has sorrow in the flesh, but is calm in soul: They once asked the blessed Syncletice: “Is non-covetousness a perfect good?” She answered: “Exactly, it is a perfect blessing for those who can endure it. For those who endure poverty, although they have sorrow in the flesh, are calm in soul. Just as hard linen, when it is wrinkled and rinsed more strongly, is washed and cleaned, so a strong soul is strengthened even more through arbitrary poverty.” (Ancient Patericon. 1914. P. 19. No. 3).
2) Give alms, first starting with what you don’t mind giving, and then you will learn to give more. The Lord attached extremely important importance to alms: “See that you do not do your alms in front of people so that they will see you: otherwise you will have no reward from your Heavenly Father. So, when you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that people may glorify them. Truly I tell you, they are already receiving their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly (Matt. 6:1-4).”
3) St. John Climacus says that the love of money is the daughter of unbelief. Therefore, in order to fight the passion of love of money, you need to strengthen faith in God’s Providence.
The gardener, who abandoned works of mercy and began to save money, was punished with an incurable disease. When he realized his guilt and repented, an angel healed him: The elders told about a certain gardener who, while cultivating his garden, gave out everything he earned in alms, and kept only for himself necessary for food. Subsequently, Satan put a thought in his heart: save up some money for yourself so that you can have it for your needs when you get old or sick. He began saving and accumulated coins into a clay vessel. After this, he happened to get sick: his leg festered. He spent the accumulated money on doctors, but the doctors could not provide him with any help. An experienced doctor visited him and said: “If you don’t decide to take away part of your leg, then it will all rot.” As a result, the day of the operation was set. The night before the operation, the gardener came to his senses, began to repent, sigh and cry, saying: “Remember, Lord, the alms that I previously gave when I worked in my garden and gave the money I earned to the sick.” As he was saying this, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “Where is the money you have accumulated? Where is your chosen object of hope? The gardener then realized what his sin was and said: “Lord! I have sinned. I'm sorry. From now on I won’t do this anymore.” Then the Angel touched his leg, and it was immediately healed. The doctor, as agreed, came with iron instruments to remove the leg, and did not find the patient at home. When asked about the gardener, he was told: “I went to work in the garden early in the morning.” The doctor went into the garden and, seeing him digging the ground, glorified God, who instantly granted healing from a disease that could not be cured by human means. (Bishop Ignatius. Fatherland. P. 485. No. 90).
4) One of the most powerful means in the fight against many passions is the memory of death.
Blessed Hesychius Khorivit constantly thought about death for 12 years: Blessed Hesychius Khorivit, who at first lived in negligence and laziness, after one serious illness decided to correct himself and, in order to establish himself in a new life, made it a rule to think about death constantly. Such a thought not only distracted him from his sins, but also placed him at a high level of virtue. For twelve years he remained hopelessly silent in his cell, eating only bread and water, crying day and night about his sins. When the hour of death came for him, the brothers came to him and began to beg that at least before his death he would say something to them for edification. Convinced by experience of the benefits mortal memory brings to a person, Hesychius, instead of teaching, exclaimed: “Forgive me, brothers. He who has mortal memory can never sin.” And with these words he gave up his spirit to the Lord. And truly, brothers, he cannot sin! “In all your deeds, remember your end, and you will never sin,” teaches the wise son of Sirach (Wisdom Sirach.7:39) (Prot. V. Guryev. Prologue. P. 93).
