Prayer 1, to the Savior for a spiritual father
Audio:
0:41
O Sweetest Jesus! You are immeasurably holy, immeasurably righteous, immeasurably merciful, sanctify my spiritual father with Your shrine, justify him with Your righteousness, cover him with Your mercy, heal him from pain ́zney. Lord, You have united us on earth, do not separate us and in Your Heavenly Kingdom and with His holy prayers forgive all my sins, forgive also all His spiritual children, for He is Good to Mankind Dude. Amen.[1]
Translation: O Sweetest Jesus! You are immeasurably holy, immeasurably righteous, immeasurably merciful, sanctify my spiritual father with Your holiness, justify him with Your righteousness, protect him with Your mercy, heal him from illnesses. Lord, You have united us on earth, do not separate us in Your Heavenly Kingdom, and through his holy prayers, forgive all my sins, forgive all his spiritual children, as the Good One and the Lover of Mankind. Amen.
Orthodox Life
How not to get spiritually confused, says Archimandrite Markell (Pavuk), confessor of the Kyiv theological schools.
– Father, in our time it is almost impossible to find a real confessor, is that so? The holy fathers also spoke about this.
– Every priest is called to be a confessor. If he does not strive for this, then he turns into a demand fulfiller who comes to the temple like a salesman to a store to work. His lifestyle is quite typical. Usually he drives up to the temple in a car, enters through the back door into the sexton’s room, puts on a cassock, cassock, vestments like some kind of special clothing, serves, baptizes, performs a funeral service, performs a wedding ceremony, without saying a single word of edification. Then he quickly takes off his vestments and cassock, as if he is afraid that people in the city will recognize him as a Christian and a priest, gets into the car and leaves to go about his personal affairs.
The priest-spiritual seeks to devote as much time as possible to prayer and his flock. He, as a rule, tries to wear a cassock or cassock everywhere, imitating the Saint-Confessor Luke of Crimea (Voino-Yasenetsky), who, even in the terrible godless years of persecution, never took off his cassock. Also, such a priest, following the iconographic image of the Savior and the ancient Nazarenes, usually does not cut his hair or shorten his beard. In church, he does everything to not only perform sacred rites correctly, but also actively preach. Guided by the Holy Scriptures and patristic tradition, such a priest is ready at any time of the day, according to the commandment of the Apostle, with meekness and reverence to give an answer about his hope (hope). Before and after the service, parishioners are always waiting for him to receive a blessing and ask questions regarding spiritual life and more.
I drew the image of an ideal priest-confessor. Believe me, there are many such good shepherds in our Orthodox Church, and therefore I will not say that there is now a sharp decline in their depletion.
The Holy Fathers, when they spoke about impoverishment, did not mean clergy, but eldership. These are different categories. An elder is a person, most often a monk, not necessarily in the priesthood, who, thanks to long-term asceticism (prayer and fasting), has cleansed his soul from passions so much that he has received from the Lord the gift of prudence and the will of God is revealed to him about other people who turn to him for advice. There have been few such visionaries at all times. And now there are only a few of them.
– Is it possible to pray for the gift of a confessor? How do you feel that you have met your spiritual father?
– The priest who serves in your church is your confessor. You don't have to look for it for long. True, in a big city, where there are many temples and priests, there is always a choice. Every Christian should try to make such a choice for himself as quickly as possible (prayer will not hurt here), so as not to run around to different churches and confessors, since such a “selection” usually does not lead to anything good. The person becomes spiritually confused.
- Why?
– Because each priest has his own approach to solving certain spiritual issues. For example, more temperamental people categorically insist that a person quickly give up this or that bad habit, while calmer ones show more patience and, possibly, prudence in this matter.
People who are prone to relaxation need to choose a strict confessor who would constantly wake them up and urge them on. And vice versa, for pedantic and precise people, excessive strictness on the part of a confessor can harm them; they can overstrain themselves in their spiritual life and abandon it completely. They need to look for a spiritual father who is gentle and forgiving.
Usually a person who has found a spiritual father feels a spiritual connection between him and himself. He really feels that his spiritual father is diligently praying for him, and this has a beneficial effect on all his affairs.
– Perhaps someone cannot decide on a confessor because they are not ready to show real humility: listen and follow his advice?
– Yes, it can be very difficult for a person who began going to church in middle or older age, or for people with a higher education who are accustomed to evaluating everything not with their soul and heart, but rationally, to fully become a church member. Due to their previous, often very stormy and difficult worldly life, they are accustomed to treating everything with distrust, and therefore they begin to look for some ideal elder confessor, but their inveterate passions do not allow them to completely trust anyone.
– But there are priests who refuse to be confessors. For them, this is an additional burden of responsibility for their child before God... It is known that the Greeks have only monks. Maybe that’s why not all priests take spiritual children for themselves?
– Only a monk in a monastery who has some kind of special obedience that does not allow him to regularly confess to people can afford such “humility” and refusal to be a confessor, and every parish priest, I repeat, is obliged to be a confessor, and not just a performer of demands. An exception to this rule is for very young, recently ordained priests without clerical education. Due to their age and little experience in spiritual life, they should not be too zealous in imposing themselves on anyone as confessors and giving their instructions. You need to show tact, patience and caution.
As for the Greek tradition, they have a lot that we don’t have, but not everything needs to be imitated by other peoples.
Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova
Prayer 2, to the Lord for a spiritual father
Audio:
1:18
Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), grant him spiritual salvation and physical health, protect the prayers of the holy angels, drive away everyone who expects harm to him. Lord, do not judge, do not exhaust his spiritual gifts, reveal to him, Lord, all my sins, fill him with wisdom, prayer and love. For the sake of his holy prayers, grant forgiveness for my sins, correction of life, success in virtues; send down upon him Thy rich mercies. Grant him, Lord, on this day (this night) to be preserved without sin, overcome his carnal and incorporeal enemies, and deliver him from visible and invisible enemies, free him from the man of flattery and from an unrighteous man, keep his flock until the end of his breath, so that in repentance we may come to a quiet and serene life. Lord, remember, visit, strengthen and preserve him for many years.[2]
Translation: Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), grant him spiritual salvation and physical health, protect him through the prayers of the holy angels, drive away anyone who expects him harm. Lord, do not judge, do not take away spiritual gifts from him, reveal to him, Lord, all my sins, fill him with wisdom, prayer and love. Because of his holy prayers, grant my sins forgiveness, correction of life, prosperity in virtues; send down upon him Your abundant gifts. Grant him, Lord, on this day (this night) to remain without sin, overcome his fleshly and incorporeal enemies, and deliver him from visible and invisible enemies, deliver him from a treacherous and unrighteous man, keep his flock until his last breath, so that With repentance we can achieve a quiet and serene life. Lord, remember, visit, strengthen and preserve him for many years.
How to pray for parents
Prayer for the health of the father and mother should be imbued with faith and love for God and neighbors. When asking the Lord for the spiritual and physical health of our loved ones, we must humbly add: “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10). The Christian remembers that Holy Divine Providence takes care of the salvation of every person.
“Spiritual reason teaches that illnesses and other sorrows that God sends to people are sent out of God’s special mercy, like bitter healing treatments for the sick; they contribute to our salvation, our eternal well-being much more surely than miraculous healings” (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov).
When standing before the Lord, it is important to remember that prayer is not a magic wand that fulfills our desires and requests. Simply reading a prayer text in anticipation of a miracle turns prayer into a magical conspiracy. Then the Orthodox faith is replaced by a collection of rituals and rules.
In order to have real prayer, you must be a real Christian. This means doing works of mercy, fighting one’s sinful habits and passions. And try to live in peace and love with the people around you.
“If we want God to hear our prayer, then we must listen to Him, fulfill His commands and commandments. Without this, our prayer is in vain; God will not listen to a sinner. Prayer, if you want it to be heard, must lead you away from sin. Whoever is a sinner and does not retreat from sin does not accept prayer” (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk).
Prayer 3, to the Most Holy Theotokos for a spiritual father
Audio:
1:56
Oh, my Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, hear my crying soul and accept my sinful prayer, Most Pure Mother of God, for my spiritual father, sorrowing servant Your (name). Always be his companion and accompany him at all times and protect him with the holy Angels. Strengthen him when he is awake, protect him when he is sleeping, comfort him when he is crying, encourage him when he is despondent, deliver him from sorrows, free him from slander, lift up the weak, defeat those who fight against him demons, and in mortal danger help him. Show him every day as a terror to visible and invisible enemies, so that they know that he is Your servant, Mother of God, who gave birth to God and the King, to whom honor and worship are due forever and ever. ́v. Mother of God, soften the hearts of evil people who rebel against him. You see the labors and sorrows of my father, his sorrows are known to You alone. You know all the secrets of his soul, look mercifully at him from heaven, ease his suffering, cover him with Your cover, visit him with Your heavenly mercy, send blessings on his deeds and give him invisible help. And with his holy prayers give me humility, self-reproach, patience, meekness, chastity, silence and cover me from all misfortunes and enemies, visible and invisible. Amen.[2]
Translation: O my Most Holy Lady, Virgin Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, hear my crying soul and accept my sinful prayer, Most Pure Mother of God, for my spiritual father, Your grieving servant (name). Always be his companion and at all times accompany and protect him with holy Angels. Strengthen him when he is awake, protect him when he is sleeping, comfort him when he is crying, encourage him when he is despondent, deliver him from sorrows, free him from slander, lift up the weak, defeat the demons fighting against him, and help him in mortal danger. Show him every day as a terror to visible and invisible enemies, so that they know that he is Your servant, Mother of God, who gave birth to God and the King, to whom honor and worship are due forever and ever. Mother of God, soften the hearts of evil people rebelling against him. You see the labors and sorrows of my father, his sorrows are known to You alone. You know all the secrets of his soul, look mercifully at him from heaven, ease his suffering, cover him with Your cover, visit him with Your heavenly mercy, send a blessing to his deeds and give him invisible help. And through his holy prayers, give me humility, self-reproach, patience, meekness, chastity, silence, and protect me from all misfortunes and enemies, visible and invisible. Amen.
Prayer to Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
If recovery does not occur for a long time, and the condition of a loved one causes concern, you can turn to Saint Spyridon of Trimythous with a prayer for the health of the pope. People turn to him to instill hope for recovery, strengthen the spirit and faith that relief from the disease or complete recovery will definitely come.
O great and wonderful saint of Christ and miracle worker Spyridon, Kerkyra praise, bright luminary of the whole universe, warm prayer book to God and quick intercessor to all who come running to you and pray with faith! You gloriously expounded the Orthodox faith at the Nicene Council among the Fathers, you showed the Unity of the Holy Trinity with miraculous power, and you completely put the heretics to shame. Hear us sinners, the saint of Christ, praying to you and through your strong intercession with the Lord, deliver us from every evil situation: from famine, flood, fire and deadly plagues. For in your temporal life you delivered your people from all these disasters: you saved your country from the invasion of the Hagarians and from famine, you delivered the king from an incurable illness and brought many sinners to repentance, you gloriously raised the dead, for the holiness of your life the Angels, invisibly in the church you had those singing and serving with you. Sitsa, then, glorify you, His faithful servant, Lord Christ, for you have the gift of understanding all the secret human deeds and convicting those who live unrighteously. You have diligently helped many who live in poverty and lack; you have nourished the poor people abundantly during famine, and you have created many other signs through the power of the living Spirit of God within you. Do not forsake us either, Saint of Christ, remember us, your children, at the Throne of the Almighty and beg the Lord to grant forgiveness of many of our sins, grant us a comfortable and peaceful life, a shameless and peaceful death, and grant us eternal bliss in the future us, may we always send glory and thanksgiving to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
You need to read prayers for your father’s recovery with a sincere desire to help your loved one and a firm belief that the prayer will be heard and help will be provided. In this case, you cannot refuse treatment.
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Prayer 4, St. Simeon the New Theologian for finding a spiritual mentor
Lord, do not want the sinner to die, but rather be converted and let him live, who came down to this earth, so that those who lie and were killed by sin may rise up and see You, the true light, like men If you can see it, grant them favor by sending me a person who leads you, yes , as You, having served him and with all my strength submitted to him, and do Your will in that will, I will please You, the only God, and I, a sinner, will be worthy of Your kingdom. .
Translation: Lord, who does not want the death of the sinner, but his conversion to life, who came down to earth for this purpose, in order to raise those lying and killed by sin and make them worthy to see You, the true light, as far as it is possible for a person to see. Send me a man who knows You, so that, like You, serving him and submitting to him with all my strength, and fulfilling Your will according to his will, I may please You, the only God, and I, a sinner, may also be worthy of Your kingdom.
Prayer for parents - its necessity
Respect for parents is not just a sign of normal human and social development. This is God's commandment:
“Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the earth” (Ex. 20:12).
This commandment, the fifth of ten in the Law of God, was given by the Lord to Moses on Mount Sinai. It is noteworthy that only this commandment promises not only the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven, but also longevity already in this temporary life. The Apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of this Old Testament commandment and recalls it when addressing the children of Ephesus:
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is what justice requires. Honor your father and mother; this is the first commandment with a promise: that it may go well with you, and that you may live long on the earth” (Eph. 6:1-3).
The Lord Jesus Christ himself sets an example of a pious attitude towards the Most Holy Theotokos and Joseph, his named earthly father, being “in obedience to them” (Luke 2:51).
And Neil of Sinai teaches:
“If you honor God, then honor those who gave birth to you. If you fear God, then fear your father and mother for the rest of your life.”
So, a person should respect his parents. He needs to listen to their advice and instructions, to be a support in various matters and needs. An important manifestation of true Christian love and complete fulfillment of God’s commandment is constant fervent prayer for parents.
