Prayer of detention (for protection from evil spirits)
“Merciful Lord, You once through the mouth of the servant of Moses, Joshua, delayed the movement of the Sun and Moon all day long, until the people of Israel took revenge on their enemies.
With the prayer of Elisha the prophet, he once struck the Syrians, delaying them, and healed them again. You once told the prophet Isaiah: behold, I will return back ten steps the shadow of the sun that passed along the steps of Ahaz, and the sun returned ten steps along the steps on which it descended.
You once, through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, closed the abysses, stopped the rivers, and held back the waters.
And You once stopped the mouths of the lions in the den through the fasting and prayer of Your prophet Daniel.
And now delay and slow down until the right time all the plans around those standing by me about my displacement, dismissal, removal, expulsion. So now, destroy the evil desires and demands of all those who condemn me, block the lips and hearts of all those who slander, are angry and growl at me, and all who blaspheme and humiliate me.
So now, bring spiritual blindness into the eyes of all those who rise up against me and against my enemies. Didn't you tell the Apostle Paul: Speak and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will harm you.
Soften the hearts of all those who oppose the good and dignity of the Church of Christ. Therefore, let not My mouth be silent to reprove the wicked and glorify the righteous and all Your wondrous works. And may all our good undertakings and desires be fulfilled.
To you, righteous women and prayer books of God, our daring intercessors, who once with the power of their prayers restrained the invasion of foreigners, the approach of haters, who destroyed the evil plans of people, who stopped the mouths of lions, now I turn with my prayer, with my petition.
And You, the venerable great Elius of Egypt, who once fenced the place of your disciple’s settlement in a circle with the sign of the cross, commanded him to arm himself with the name of the Lord and from now on not to be afraid of demonic temptations.
Protect my house, in which I live, in the circle of your prayers and save it from fiery ignition, thieves’ attacks and all evil and insurance.
And you, Reverend Father Poplie of Syria, who once with your unceasing prayer for ten days kept the demon motionless and unable to walk either day or night; Now, around my cell and this house (my) keep behind its fence all the opposing forces and all those who blaspheme the name of God and despise me.
And You, reverend virgin Piama, who once with the power of prayer stopped the movement of those who were going to destroy the inhabitants of the village where she lived, now stop all the plans of my enemies who want to expel me from this city and destroy me: do not allow them to approach this house, stop them with the power of prayer his:
“Lord, Judge of the Universe, You, who are displeased with all unrighteousness, when this prayer comes to You, may the Holy Power stop them at the place where it overtakes them.”
And You, blessed Lawrence of Kaluga, pray to God for me, as having the boldness to intercede before the Lord for those suffering from the wiles of the devil. Pray to God for me, may He protect me from the wiles of Satan.
And You, Reverend Vasily of Pechersk, perform your prayers of prohibition over those who attack me and drive away all the machinations of the devil from me.
And you, all the saints of the Russian land, with the power of your prayers for me, dispel all the demonic spells, all the devil’s plans and intrigues - to annoy me and destroy me and my property.
And You, great and formidable guardian, Archangel Michael, cut off with a fiery sword all the desires of the enemy of the human race and all his minions who want to destroy me. Stand inviolably on guard over this house, all those living in it and all its property.
And You, Lady, not in vain called the “Indestructible Wall”, be for all those who are hostile against me and plotting dirty tricks on me, truly a kind of barrier and an indestructible wall, protecting me from all evil and difficult circumstances.”
Interpretation of prayer words
The prayer of detention from Elder Pansophius is quite difficult to interpret, because its meaning after reading becomes self-explanatory. The prayer text was written on behalf of a person who considers himself surrounded on all sides by enemies. Moreover, the prayer contains the statement that they can be both visible and invisible.
This means that prayer can become a protective tool, both from the actions of evil people and from the machinations of otherworldly evil forces.
The actions of real forces in prayer are scrupulously listed. The text indicates that enemies can do harm by condemning, slandering, being angry, roaring, blaspheming, humiliating and despising a person. Enemies standing around are harboring evil plans for relocation, dismissal, displacement. Enemies also seek to expel him and destroy him.
It becomes clear that by sincerely offering such a prayer one can successfully resist real evil. As a rule, such a prayer is read when a person subconsciously feels a threat emanating from people around him.
The effectiveness of prayer is enhanced already at the beginning of the prayer text when turning to the Merciful God. Here we recall an action from the Old Testament, when God stopped the movement of the Sun and Moon for a whole day in order to provide the Israeli people with the opportunity to take revenge on their enemies. Various actions that he performed through the mouth of the prophets are also listed.
After such a listing, there is a request to delay and slow down all the actions of the enemies of the praying person.
Contained in prayer and appeals to the Saints:
Venerable Great Elius of Egypt, who lived in the 4th century. He had the gift of clairvoyance and could control animals. Once he was able to protect the place where his disciple was settling with the sign of the cross, after which he commanded, with the name of the Lord on his lips, not to be afraid of demonic temptations.
The Monk Poplia of Syria, who, being a Syrian ascetic, was able to keep the demon motionless for ten days with his unceasing prayer.
Venerable virgin Piama , living in the 4th century. She was able, through the power of prayer, to stop the enemies who were heading to destroy the inhabitants of her village.
Blessed Lawrence of Kaluga, who lived in the 16th century, who with the power of his words was able to encourage the soldiers who defended Kaluga from the invasion of the Tatars and give them the strength to win.
Reverend Vasily of Pechersk, who lived in the 9th century in the Near Caves of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. His prayers had enormous power.
A slightly pagan bias is addressed to all Russian lands, which should help dispel the demonic spell around a praying person.
But after this there is an appeal to the Archangel Michael, who leads the army of the Lord. The prayer text contains a request to cut with a fiery sword everyone who wants harm to the human race, those who direct evil against the praying person.
At the end of the detention prayer there is an appeal to the Mother of God , depicted in the “Unbreakable Wall” icon.
This image of the Most Pure Mother of God is one of the greatest shrines of Orthodoxy. It is believed that Prayer before the icon of the Mother of God “The Unbreakable Wall” grants reliable protection and patronage of the Most Holy Theotokos. If you hang the icon opposite the front door, then a person with evil intentions will not be able to enter the house.
Historical analogues
History has known many similar cases when, using the style and features of the Church Slavonic language, apocryphal texts that were not recognized by the Church were compiled. Professor of the Kazan Theological Academy Ivan Yakovlevich Porfiryev (1823 - 1890), who studied Russian literature, repeatedly found examples of conspiracies that were in circulation among his contemporaries. In them, like the “Prayer of Detention,” folk superstitions were intricately mixed with appeals to Christ, the Mother of God and the saints.
Professor Ivan Yakovlevich Porfiryev
Just as in the apocrypha, fictions of popular imagination and ancient mythical traditions of pagan antiquity are constantly mixed with the true ideas ... of sacred history, so in the apocryphal prayers, among the appeals to the Savior, the Mother of God, angels and saints, ideas from popular beliefs and superstitions are constantly found.
For example, “The Dream of the Virgin Mary” was in circulation, which was recommended to be rewritten or learned by heart so that “the Lady with three angels would rest in the house.” It was believed that this would provide protection from fire, thieves, sorcerers, and in general from illness and sorrow. “The Dream” is similar to the “Prayer of Detention” not only in the content of the petitions, but also in the condition of fulfillment - it was prescribed to read it a specified number of times.
How will the prayer of Pansophius of Athos help against evil spirits?
- Stops and destroys any manifestations of magical, satanic influence
- Helps to protect yourself from outsiders’ envy, intimidation and secret wishes for evil
- Calms anxiety and foreboding after unpleasant meetings or acquaintances
- Removes the threat of dismissal from work, loss of position, and prevents conflicts with superiors and colleagues.
In order for your request to have a result, it is necessary to remember the elder’s instructions, which he followed during his lifetime and later bequeathed to people:
- Prayerful reading is a hidden rite, which consists of hiding it from prying eyes and hearing, therefore it is performed not in the church among parishioners, but in private.
- Each word must be pronounced with a calm soul, realizing the full depth of its meaning, and restraining unnecessary emotions and nerves. It is important to resolve all disputes and conflicts with family and friends, surrounding yourself with an atmosphere of family harmony and peace.
- The prayer of Pansophius of Athos is read or listened to daily, in the morning or evening, nine times in a row for nine days without skipping. You cannot pause, get confused or be distracted. Otherwise, you will have to start reading from the very beginning.
- Also, many church ministers warn that you can pronounce the words of such an appeal to the holy elder only after receiving the blessing of a clergyman, because it is not canonical and can only be used with sincere confidence that only such an appeal to the Lord can protect the one asking.
The opinion of modern priests
Due to the fact that today the “Prayer of Detention” has become widespread, clergy are often asked questions related to it. The general opinion is approximately the same - the priests recommend abstaining from such religious practices.
Archpriest Mikhail Samokhin
The phrases and wishes contained in the “Prayer of Detention” are closer in spirit to the cruelty of the Old Testament than to the spirit of Christian prayer. It is also confusing that this prayer must be read secretly. Any prayer of a Christian should not be ostentatious, and especially feigned mystery here looks strange. All the more strange is the basis for such mystery: “the whole power of this prayer lies in its mystery.” This argument is closer to the pagan, magical understanding of prayer. In general, I advise you to refrain from reading this prayer, at least until you have a personal conversation with an experienced confessor. There are enough other soul-saving prayers in Orthodoxy.
Archpriest Dimitry Shushpanov
This “prayer” was rejected by the Review Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as “recommended” for publication in the “Complete Orthodox Prayer Book for Every Need”, published by the Pochaev Lavra. Therefore, the reading of the “Prayer of Detention” by Orthodox Christians cannot be considered useful.
The history of prayer
The prayer of detention was written by the elder in 1848 Pansophius of Athos. It is quite natural to ask what enemies threatened the believers on Mount Athos. After all, monks and prayer books settled there with sincere faith in their souls.
What could prompt the Elder to pray with all his might to God and all the saints, asking him to hold back time and forbid his enemies to commit evil?
The fact is that it was at that time that there were predictions about the end of the world in this period. And this greatly worried not only ordinary people, but also adherents of the faith who dedicated their lives to serving God.
In addition to predictions about the end of the world, there were other real dangers that worried the souls of people.
So in 1846-1849 in Europe, a cholera epidemic raged in many cities, which claimed a large number of human lives. Russia also suffered from the epidemic. The first cases were recorded in 1846 in Transcaucasia, where the infection came from Persia. Within a year, the disease had spread throughout Russia, and its severe consequences were aggravated by famine.
In addition, in the period 1845-1849. There was a great famine in Ireland, which was caused by Great Britain supplying potatoes contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. The entire harvest in the country suffered from this.
Around this time, the great migration to America began.
The path across the ocean was very difficult, so many of the migrants died, unable to withstand the hardships. In those days, ships heading to Canada and America were often called “floating coffins.” Europe at that time was engulfed in a revolutionary movement. This gave rise to enmity between peoples, which led to great casualties.
All such events could not leave the monks indifferent, who served the Lord God in solitude on Athos. It was on the basis of indifference to everything that was happening in the world that the prayer of detention was written by Elder Pansophius of Athos.
Specifics of stylistics
Experts in the field of the Church Slavonic language, analyzing the prayer text, drew attention to the mixture of grammar and expressions of the Russian and Church Slavonic languages. This is especially noticeable when the nominative case alternates with the vocative.
Linguists compared the text with others composed during the same time period. For example, with the works of St. Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov), Hieroschemamonk Parthenius (Krasnopevtsev) from Kyiv and other authors.
Following the rules that were firmly established by the mid-19th century, each prayer session should begin with a doxology addressed to the person to whom the prayer book is going to address. In this case it is missing.
It was concluded that both due to the nature of the presentation and the essence of the petitions, this text could not have been written by a monk who lived in the mid-19th century. For example, it is highly doubtful that one of his fears was being fired or having his “property” stolen.
How to read this prayer correctly (read 40 times)
There are several mandatory rules that should be considered when reciting the prayer of detention. First of all, you need to remember that you cannot offer prayer in a temple. This is a secret rite, so you need to pray in absolute solitude and should not let anyone in on your plans.
This is evidenced by the order of Elder Pansofia, which sounds as follows:
“The power of this prayer lies in the mystery of its ascension from human sight and hearing, in its secret action.”
- For prayer, it is necessary to organize a special place in which icons should be installed and candles should be lit.
- It is important to ensure absolute silence in the room.
- You can read the prayer in the evening and morning hours.
- It is important to pronounce every word of the prayer text clearly and distinctly.
- This means that you first need to learn the prayer by heart.
- It is important to be aware of every phrase spoken.
Another mandatory requirement is to be in a balanced and calm state. Under no circumstances should you throw out negative emotions during the prayer process.
The prayer for the detention of Elder Pansofia is read every day for nine days, and the text is repeated nine times.
It is prohibited to be distracted by extraneous thoughts or actions or pause.
It is believed that in this case the praying person wastes energy, and, consequently, the effectiveness of prayer is reduced. If for any reason a mistake was made while reading the prayer, then the prayer must be read again.
It is important to understand that in order for prayer to have maximum impact, it is recommended that before reading the prayer text, turn to God in any form and ask him for protection and help.
Such a prayer request to the Almighty will help create an aura of love and well-being and will become a real amulet for the praying person, eliminating any unpleasant consequences when reading the prayer of detention. No other special preparation is required for the protective prayer.
How it all began
I received the text of the “Prayer of Detention” (or “retention”, as it was originally called to me) from, I don’t remember who, at a time when my company was literally being bullied by all the most conceivable and inconceivable inspection services. Checks came every day: they fined, threatened, wrote reports...
And this one, I don’t remember who, once brought me a piece of paper with handwritten text. “Read,” he said, “several times a day. Works flawlessly. You’ll see for yourself in three days.” In this handwritten text, the prayer was called the “Prayer of Detention.”
As a believer, I am always afraid that, under the guise of Orthodox prayer, they will slip me some satanic nonsense, therefore, just in case, I had to strain my confessor to evaluate the text.
The prayer turned out to be Christian Orthodox from the collection of prayers of Elder Pansophius of Athos , 1848. The correct name is “Prayer of Detention.”
Our father knew the situation with my company. He said: “Read, may the Lord help you.” I didn’t have to work for long: two days of reading was enough, and a prosecutor’s employee arrived with the news that they would not fine, castrate or hang us for now, but would give us until next year to formalize everything that had not been formalized. For what merit? Well, don’t ruin a young company that, due to inexperience, blah blah blah...
In general, we got a respite of about eight months then. There were no more such brutal checks at all.
Did prayer help? “Coincidence,” a thought flashed through my mind.
The attitude of the Orthodox Church to the prayer of detention
The prayer of detention and its application should be treated with caution. Lay people see it as protection in any matter: at work, in their personal lives. They do not notice the combination of prayer requests and magic spells in it.
The text of the protective prayer before reading and memorizing is difficult to understand.
Some sentences do not have a logical conclusion, ending mid-sentence. The forty-strong amulet also contains biblical motifs: “Merciful Lord! You once, through the mouth of the servant Moses and Joshua, delayed the movement of the Sun and Moon all day long.”
Many clergy do not approve of the use of a text with a prohibitive meaning, despite the fact that it is included in the prayer book. It does not contain words of repentance and requests for remission of sins. Therefore, before her they turn to the Lord with the prayer Our Father and Guardian Angel.
Kinship with magic
Probably due to the peculiarities of the text and the content of petitions aimed exclusively at ensuring external well-being, the “Prayer of Detention” is often recommended against “damage.” True, the word “damage” is replaced here with “demonic spells”.
By reciting the sacred text a certain number of times, magical protection must be created to hold back enemies. For example, an allusion to the life of St. Elius of Egypt, who was able to protect against demonic attacks with the sign of the cross. This episode, as presented by the author, takes on a mythical connotation.
Making reference to the episode described in the book of Exodus, associated with the fact that Joshua delayed the movement of the Sun, the author asks God to restrain and stop the movement of evil-wishers. Similar calls are also typical for magical rituals.
Why is a blessing necessary?
Some consider reading the prayer of detention a sin, others consider such a statement inappropriate, because its words do not contradict the Orthodox canons.
Detain evil icon
The Church explains the need for a blessing before reading by the fact that the elder himself recommended reading it in secret from all people, even from believers, which is unacceptable in the Orthodox environment. This approach to prayer is similar to paganism, because in Orthodox churches parishioners pray collectively.
Before blessing the person asking for the prayer of detention, the priest will offer to read other prayers. But if a person is sure that only a delayed petition will help him cope with difficulties, then the priest will give his blessing to read it.
Check three
Another six months later, I “blessed” a friend who was in mortal combat with her neighbor with the text of the “Detention” prayer. I don’t remember what the ladies were quarreling about, but the battle was life and death.
After some time, a friend called and said: the neighbor, alas, died suddenly. Unexpectedly, so suddenly. I ask if my friend read THAT prayer? Yeah, but only three days: then somehow there was no time.
Unexpected effect of the prayer “Detention”
