What is the power of Optina prayers
With the words of the sacred prayer of the Optina elders, you can heal your soul, gain wisdom, and achieve harmony in your inner state. I liked the prayer texts for their brevity, but capacity. Any of the prayers of the elders should be pronounced with awareness of each word, then you will definitely wait for an answer to your request. Optina’s prayer heritage includes a large number of texts for different occasions:
- rule at the beginning of the day;
- a request for healing;
- prayers for mothers for their children;
- a crying voice of deliverance from destructive passions;
- requests for protection from enemies and all kinds of sorrows.
The first lines of the morning prayer sound like an affirmation of the will of the Lord for the whole day. Then comes a request to the Almighty to take guidance over our thoughts, over communication with the people around us, our family. With the words of the full text of the prayer of the Optina elders, we ask for the granting of calm confidence in His holy will over everything that happens around us.
After creating a prayer intended to be read at the beginning of the day, you will gain a positive attitude for the whole day. You can read the prayer text in both short and full versions.
Texts and meaning of appeals
The prayers of the Optina elders are a collection of wisdom from several generations of monks, monastery residents and pilgrims.
The morning prayer for the beginning of the day is the most famous one written by the Optina elders. This is the most complete text, and if you can’t remember some lines exactly, you can retell it in your own words. It is important to sincerely turn to God with prayers with faith and humility.
It must be read before starting each day. The prayer is said just after waking up from sleep. The “Our Father” and the “Creed” are usually read before it.
The most famous is considered an abbreviated version of the prayer of each day. It is often found in prayer books and helps in arranging any charitable work.
Orthodox mothers have a favorite prayer of the Optina elders. It says that any mother should be ready to hand over her beloved child to the will of the Lord and not wish them worldly bliss.
The prayers of the Optina elders still help people live every day with benefit and great dedication. Their glory lives on to this day.
Prayer of the Optina Elders for every day and the beginning of the day - full version
Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me.
Lord, let me completely surrender to Your holy will.
Lord, at every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything.
Lord, no matter what news I receive during this day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and with the firm conviction that everything is Your holy will,
Lord, reveal to me Your holy will for me and those around me.
Lord, guide my thoughts and feelings in all my words and thoughts.
Lord, in all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You.
Lord, teach me to correctly, simply, wisely treat everyone at home and those around me, elders, equals and juniors,
so that I may not upset anyone, but contribute to the good of everyone.
Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day.
Lord, You yourself guide my will and teach me to pray, hope, believe, love, endure and forgive.
Lord, do not leave me to the mercy of my enemies, but for the sake of Your holy name, lead and rule me.
Lord, enlighten my mind and my heart to understand Your eternal and unchangeable laws that govern the world, so that I, Your sinful servant, can correctly serve You and my neighbors.
Lord, I thank You for everything that will happen to me, for I firmly believe that all things work together for good to those who love You.
Lord, bless all my exits and entries, deeds, words and thoughts, deign me to always joyfully glorify, sing and bless You, for You are blessed forever and ever.
Amen.
Icon "Optina Elders"
Prayer of the Elders to the Holy Spirit
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth,
Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and life to the Giver,
Come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Reading Suggestions
- This prayer should be read upon awakening, thoughtfully and slowly. It helps you feel confident and gives you a positive outlook for the day. The essence of prayer is distrust of appearances and falsehood.
- When you read it daily, you will feel changes in yourself over time. Your attitude in life changes, you gain peace and tranquility. It protects against hasty, thoughtless actions.
About the meaning of this prayer
This short prayer is addressed to the Holy Spirit. Invisibly reigning over us, protecting us and the whole world. To glorify the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity. We ask that he come and dwell in us.
It is believed that this prayer should be read both before bed and in the morning. For the reason that the Holy Spirit may dwell among us, uniting us into the unity of Christ.
In church, this prayer is sung and read at the festive service of Pentecost (Holy Trinity Day), the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles. That is, to complete the saving feat of our Lord. During the period from Easter to the holiday itself, prayer is not read. Readings are resumed only after seven weeks of abstinence. Initially at Great Vespers, and then it is with this prayer that almost every church service begins.
Which Optinas to read
According to the advice of the elders, one should not turn to God with verbose texts; the prayer should be specific and concise, containing a specific request. Having become familiar with the Optina prayer books, one cannot help but note their dissimilarity with traditional prayer books. These are real affirmations with a mindset for a happy and joyful life in harmony with others. This is a hymn-confession of love to the Heavenly Father and unshakable faith in response to your request, set out in a sincere text-plea for help.
Texts of some prayers of the Optina elders:
Important. The pious elders wrote many other prayers, all the texts are short, but succinct and can be easily memorized, but reach the very soul. However, you should not say the same words repeatedly; the main thing is that the reading is meaningful, even if just once.
Who were the Optina elders?
At the direction of Metropolitan Philaret, in the year 1821, on the territory of the picturesque area of Optina Hermitage, located in the vast expanses of the Kaluga diocese, a monastery was founded in honor of John the Baptist. The monastery was located near a small forest monastery, built presumably in the 16th century through the efforts of a repentant robber called Optius.
The first monks to settle in the secluded skete were five great God-bearing elders, who were eventually joined by other Christian hermits. The desire of people who chose absolute solitude for spiritual improvement was the need to perform special deeds:
- take care of the poor, support widows, protect orphans;
- warmly and cordially greet arriving pilgrims;
- organize schools and hospitals for poor people.
The strength of the Optina elders lies in the acquisition of God's gift for deep faith in God, service to the people, as well as repentant prayers for all suffering people. The elders had the ability to predict the future, knew all the details about the past, and could heal soul and body.
The Day of Remembrance of Zealous Servants of the Lord is celebrated on October 24th. Thanks to their special style of prayer and ability to perform miracles, the righteous are extremely popular both among experienced believers and in groups of new converts. The most common prayer rule from the elders of Optina is considered to be a prayer with which every Christian should begin every day. Brief text of prayer for each day:
The strongest and most famous lights of Optina were called especially perspicacious miracle workers who never left the hermitage. Miracle-working monks lived their lives in spiritual deeds, interpreting holy scripture to people regarding certain situations, helping believers in understanding what happened in order to make the only correct decision.
Due to numerous requests from readers, we have prepared an “Orthodox Calendar” application for smartphones. Every morning you will receive information about the current day: holidays, fasts, days of remembrance, prayers, parables. Download for free: Orthodox Calendar 2022 (available on Android)
The heritage of spiritual ascetics, collected in the Optina Monastery, consists of multiple texts of sayings, recordings of conversations, as well as golden words of prayers that teach:
- meet life's surprises with peace in your soul;
- trust in God's help in situations of any complexity;
- treat the shortcomings of others patiently and without judgment.
Until 1918, the Orthodox monastery on the territory of the Optina Monastery was the spiritual center of Russia, a renowned stronghold of the monastic fraternity of healers and fortune tellers, to whom petitioners of different classes came. During the Soviet era, a rest house was organized in the holy place, then the monastery was a concentration camp, a hospital, and a location for a military unit.
Since 1987, the hermitage was returned to the Orthodox Church to continue the eldership, aimed at serving the poor and the laity crying out for help. Every day, the desert, which has gone through times of fall and wild prosperity, is visited by thousands of pilgrims who come for healing and advice from the healers of human souls who suffer to receive refuge in a miraculous place known throughout the world.
The long-suffering history of the Optina Monastery, as a symbol of Russian Orthodoxy, is associated with the famous hieromonks - Leo, Macarius, Moses, Ambrose, Joseph, although there were other, no less righteous elders.
Life of Hieromonk Leo
The first Optina elder is called the Monk Leo. In the world, the native of the Oryol province was called Lev Danilovich Nagolkin, born in 1768. As a young man, he managed to travel all over Russia on a trade mission, which allowed the young clerk to gain considerable experience and meet people of different classes. Almost 30 years old, the future elder of Optina set out on the path of monasticism, taking monastic vows and taking the new name Leonid.
In 1822, Leonid chose life in a new monastery in the settlement of Optina, organized through the efforts of Elder Moses. The arrival of Father Leonid strengthened the eldership, which contributed to the development of the gift of clairvoyance thanks to the renunciation of the sinfulness of the secular world, awareness of the sacrament of repentance, as well as the truth. Having settled in the Optina monastery, Father Leonid became an adviser to the laity and spiritual brethren.
The venerable elder had a special gift of healing people with the help of the oil of a constantly burning lamp. Elder Leonid had a presentiment of his death, and on October 24, 1841, Lev Optinsky died, which was marked by an all-night service.
Life of Elder Macarius
A student of Hieromonk Leonid, born in 1788, was a native of the Kaluga region, in the world his name was Mikhail Nikolaevich Ivanov. Despite the fact that Macarius became the soulmate of Elder Leonid, they were not alike - Macarius came from the noble class, and Leonid belonged to the common people. Members of Mikhail's family adhered to holiness, and the shy young landowner was visited by thoughts of monasticism, which he realized in 1810, settling on the lands of the Ploshchanskaya Hermitage.
Five years later, the monk receives permission to settle in Optina, where, under the auspices of Archimandrite Moses and Elder Leonid, he devotes himself to eldership, leading an ascetic life with prayers and correspondence, and listens to prayers daily. Macarius had the gift of predicting future events and cultivated humility in people.
Life of Father Moses
Archimandrite Moses was given the honor of becoming the renovator of the Optina Monastery, an exemplary abbot of the monastery he organized. The rooter of eldership, born in 1782, in the world was called Timofey Putilov. A native of the Yaroslavl province came from a devout family, at the dawn of 1811 he went with his younger brother and several monks to live in the Roslavl forests. After taking monastic vows, Moses arrived in Optina to head the monastery founded there. At the age of 43, he became the rector of the Optina Monastery, the great spiritual leader of the elders, who until his death did not stop defending the ascetic work of the brethren.
The Monk Moses (Putilov) advised the laity to check themselves daily to see what they had sown for the future - wheat or thorns. And also to forgive the offender in order to find forgiveness yourself and become a child of the Heavenly Father.
What made the Optina elders famous?
Time flies actively, centuries replace each other, but despite this, believers can still take advantage of the help of the Optina elders, who during their lifetime were “guides” and allowed each person to find the right path to the Lord.
The monks could find the right words of support for everyone who asked for help, because they had wisdom, love for life and the Lord, and the talent of prophecy.
Today, the Optina Monastery, founded in the 14th century, continues to be famous. Pustyn experienced a fall and active flourishing, but, despite numerous problems, it managed to survive.
