What is the importance of prayer during Lent?
Jesus is the only way and gate to the Eternal Kingdom (John 14:6), and prayer is the key to this gate. By being in a state of worship and prayer, a Christian can transform his soul and spirit. Great Lent, first of all, restricts entertainment and increases the time of communication with God in prayer, and then restricts food.
Lent is considered the longest and strictest season.
They say that fasting without prayer turns into an ordinary hunger strike. Having learned to tame the flesh through eating fast food, we transform our spirit to accept spiritual food through reading prayer texts in order to be in unity with God through the cleansing of sinfulness.
Read about the post:
- What is fasting in Orthodoxy
- Recipes for Lenten dishes from monastery cuisine
- Post for children
What prayer should you read at home every day?
Every day and many times you need to read the well-known prayer “Our Father”, which is real support in any life circumstances.
Morning prayers
Basic morning prayers are prescribed by the morning rule and include the following basic prayers:
- "King of Heaven";
- "Trisagion";
- "Our Father";
- "Virgin Mother of God";
- “Rising from sleep”;
- “Have mercy on me, O God”;
- "I believe";
- “God, cleanse”;
- “To You, Master”;
- "Holy Angele";
- "Holy Lady"
Morning prayers can be shortened if time does not allow reading them in full.
Prayers throughout the day
During the day, you should also make prayer requests to God. You can't do this casually. Therefore, it is recommended to use short prayers, the text of which is easy to focus on and does not take much time.
If there is a need to pray in a temple alone, then you need to come there during the day, when there are no services. You should first put candles in front of the icon of Jesus Christ and or in front of the icons of selected Saints and pray. To do this, you can choose a traditional prayer, or you can turn to the Higher powers in your own words.
In addition, you should know that you should pray throughout the day before any undertaking. Moreover, first you need to ask the Lord for blessings, and upon completion of the work you have begun, you need to offer a prayer of gratitude to the Lord.
Basic rules for reading Holy Scripture and prayers
During the seven weeks of fasting, Christians must read the Gospels of the four apostles.
The prayerful repentance of Ephraim the Syrian is read daily, and you should carefully think about each word, which has enormous spiritual content. While in a state of prayer, you should try to feel a community with Jesus filled with love.
Sirin's Prayer
Lord and Master of my life, I ask You, take away from me the spirit of despondency, idleness, lust for power and despotism.
Grant me, Your servant (name), the spirit of humility, patience, chastity and love.
My King, my Lord, grant me to see all my sins, teach me not to condemn my neighbor, bless me forever and ever. Amen.
After reading the repentant petition, you should make 12 bows with the words “God, cleanse me, a sinner,” after which the text of the prayers is repeated and 1 bow is made.
A repentant appeal is a powerful weapon against the spirit of idleness and laziness, which does not allow the body and soul to relax. Meaningless idleness gives rise to despondency, leads to covetousness, depriving life of God’s meaning.
The Lenten prayer of Ephraim is considered one of the most powerful prayers
By reading Sirin's message of repentance, Christians, filled with spiritual control, acquire chastity, which develops into humility and bestows the power of patience. The pinnacle of the prayer of repentance is Eph. Sirina is the acquisition of the fruit of love, the main goal of Lent.
Important! Prayer message Eph. Sirina is read daily, except Saturday and Sunday, throughout Lent.
Prayer book
The Orthodox prayer book contains all the main prayers of the Orthodox faith, which the believer should read both every day and on special holidays.
Before confession and communion
Every believer must periodically confess and receive communion. Church rules allow this to be done at home. But the ritual must be performed with an open heart and without any coercion. In order to properly prepare, you need to read special prayers.
A prayer that can be used before confession may sound like this:
“Lord Almighty, Almighty and All-Merciful, having power over everyone on earth, You are the only one who can heal souls. Hear my prayer, help me pacify the accursed serpent tempter sitting in my soul. Kill, O Lord, forever through the influx of the All-Holy and Life-Giving Spirit all my wrong desires, contrary to sincere faith. Help me receive all the real virtues that will be beneficial to you. I, the Servant of God (my own name), fall at the feet of my spiritual father and repent of my sins. Allow, Lord, my soul to be cleansed, show mercy to the repentant sinner and have mercy. Grant me, Lord, humility in my heart and good thoughts. I admit myself to be a sinner and repent sincerely. Do not leave my confessed soul alone and without support. I believe in You, Lord of Heaven. Amen".
After confession comes communion. After this, you need to read any known prayer of thanksgiving.
For the deceased (deceased)
According to church canons, it is very important to pray for a deceased person in the first 40 days after his death. This will help a person pass all the tests of the Last Judgment.
A prayer to the Guardian Angel, who accompanied the deceased throughout life, is considered very stylish.
It sounds like this:
“Given by the Lord during life, the Holy Guardian Angel, I urge you to pray for the Servant of God (name of the deceased). You accompanied and protected him on all the paths of life, and guided him on the righteous path. So call with your voice to the Almighty and All-Merciful Lord, pray away from him the known and unknown sins committed by the Servant of God (name of the deceased) during his lifetime, heal the ulcerative wounds on his soul. Make sure that there are no sinful memories of him on earth. Ask Jesus our Lord to have mercy on him and give him the opportunity to atone for his sins in heaven. Let the Servant of God (name of the deceased) be touched by God’s mercy. Amen".
It should be remembered that praying for the salvation of the soul of a loved one who has died is the sacred duty of relatives. With the help of prayer, you can deliver the important and only good that awaits the deceased. This is the remembrance of the Lord.
For your health and that of your loved ones
Prayers for your health and the health of your loved ones are very important for a prosperous life. There are a huge number of options.
The following prayer must be read every morning:
“I call you Higher Powers into my life. Hear me and answer my prayer. I am waiting for help from you and really need it. Please, grant your blessing to the Servants of God (all names of relatives are listed, including your own). Protect them all from terrible troubles and bitter misfortunes, cover them all from enemies and envious people with your wings. Fill their souls with the righteous Power of Heaven, so that they do good and prosperity in earthly life, remaining in absolute health of soul and body. Amen".
It is correct to read prayers for health in church. During this process, a candle is necessarily lit for the health of a particular person. It is allowed in church to ask for your own health and the health of loved ones in your own words.
Prayer for the health of a sick person is a very effective remedy. If it is pronounced with sincere faith, then it will certainly ease the suffering of the sufferer. If in such cases you have to say a prayer for health at home, then you need to do this in front of the icon of Jesus Christ, the Most Holy Theotokos or other Saints. It should be remembered that such prayer can only help a baptized person.
What not to eat
During Lent, the following food items are completely prohibited:
- meat and all derivative products (sausages, ham, smoked meats);
- milk and dairy products (kefir, yogurt, sour cream, cheeses, cottage cheese);
- butter, eggs, butter bread, pastries, chocolate;
- too salty or sweet foods, spices;
- fish and seafood (except for the Annunciation and Palm Sunday).
Alcohol is also prohibited, with wine allowed only on certain days.
Compliance with fasting is advisory in nature, since there are situations when a person, due to health conditions or other life circumstances, cannot exclude meat and dairy products from the diet.
Listen to the morning prayers of Optina Pustyn
Initial prayer
Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Trisagion
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
Lord's Prayer
Troparia Trinity
Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity
Psalm 50, repentance
Symbol of faith
Prayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great
Prayer 2, of the same saint
Prayer 3, of the same saint
Prayer 4, of the same saint
Prayer 5, St. Basil the Great
Prayer 6th, of the same saint
Prayer 7, to the Most Holy Theotokos
Prayer 8, to our Lord Jesus Christ
Prayer 9, to the Guardian Angel
Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos
Troparion to the Cross and prayer for the Fatherland
Hymn to the Most Holy Theotokos
Prayerful invocation of the holy monks Ambrose, Sergius, Seraphim and St. Nicholas
Prayer of the last Optina Elders
Prayer for the living
Prayer for the departed
Worthy to eat...
What can you eat
The main food products during the fasting period are pickles and preserves from vegetables and fruits, onions, carrots, cabbage, beets, legumes, apples, oranges, nuts, dried fruits . Particularly strict rules are observed in the first and last weeks of fasting.
According to the monastic charter, on the first day of Lent you must completely abstain from food. However, relief is being made for ordinary people. Therefore, you can include in your diet foods and dishes that are allowed throughout the fast: these are fresh, dried and salted vegetables and fruits, bread, honey, nuts, hot food .
On Saturday and Sunday of each week of fasting you can eat hot food with vegetable oil . But in general, vegetable oil is acceptable for ordinary people (not clergy) to use every day.
During Lent you can drink water, compotes, juices, teas, coffee .
A relaxation in the diet is made for three days - the Annunciation (April 7), Lazarus Saturday (April 16) and Palm Sunday (April 17). So, on Annunciation and Palm Sunday it is allowed to add fish , and on Lazarus Saturday - fish caviar .
In the last week of fasting, in the first four days (from April 18 to 21), you can only eat bread, fruits, vegetables, and compotes . On the last Friday before Easter, April 22, as on the first day of Lent, it is recommended to completely abstain from food. On Saturday, April 23, hot food with vegetable oil .
During Lent, believers try to devote free time to prayer and visiting churches.
Other prayers of the Optina elders
Prayers of St. Anthony of Optina
About the beginning of every business
God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help. Rule, Lord, everything I do, read and write, everything I think, speak and understand, for the glory of Your Holy Name, so that all my work may begin from You and end in You. Grant to me, O God, that I may anger Thee, my Creator, neither by word, nor by deed, nor by thought, but may all my deeds, advice and thoughts be for the glory of Thy Most Holy Name. God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help.
About family
In the hands of great mercy, O my God, I entrust: my soul and much-painful body, the husband given to me from You, and all my beloved children. Thou shalt be our Helper and Patron throughout our life, in our exodus and at death, in joy and sorrow, in happiness and misfortune, in illness and health, in life and death, in everything may Thy holy will be with us, as on heaven and earth. Amen.
For the enemies
Forgive those who hate and offend us, Thy servants (names), O Lord, Lover of Mankind: for they do not know what they are doing, and warm their hearts to love us, the unworthy.
Prayer of St. Macarius of Optina
In carnal warfare
O Mother of the Lord my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh, Mother of God! Help me, the one who is weak with carnal passion and painful, for one is Thine and with Thee is the intercession of Thy Son and God. Amen.
Prayer of St. Joseph of Optina
When thoughts invade
Lord Jesus Christ, drive away from me all inappropriate thoughts! Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak... For You are my God, support my mind, so that unclean thoughts do not overcome it, but in You, my Creator, let it delight, for Your Name is great for those who love You.
Prayer of St. Nikon of Optina Confessor
In grief
Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent to me, I now accept what is worthy of my deeds. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom, and may all Your will be one, good and perfect.
Prayer of St. Anatoly of Optina (Potapov)
From the Antichrist
Deliver me, O Lord, from the seduction of the god-hating, evil, cunning Antichrist of the coming, and hide me from his snares in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Grant me, Lord, the strength and courage to firmly confess Your Holy Name, so that I will not retreat from fear for the sake of the devil, and may not deny You, my Savior and Redeemer, from Your holy Church. But grant me, O Lord, day and night weeping and tears for my sins and have mercy on me, O Lord, at the hour of Your Last Judgment. Amen.
Prayer of St. Nektarios of Optina
From the Antichrist
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, have mercy on us sinners, forgive the fall of our entire lives and through their own destinies hide us from the face of the Antichrist in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Amen.
It's never too late to take the righteous path
Those who fast for the first time do not know what prayers to read and how to talk to God. If you want to follow the path of improving your spirituality, all obstacles will be overcome.
Those who are not familiar with church prayers may have difficulties. This includes a large amount of unfamiliar text, complex language, and sometimes a lack of understanding of the meaning. Sometimes such prayer can turn into an attempt to pronounce words correctly and not become a sincere appeal to God. In this case, you can turn to church ministers for help. There are many prayers translated into understandable and modern language, but the meaning is completely preserved.
During Lent, it is advisable to go to church services. Prayer in a holy place acquires incredible power. A person feels sublimity and real faith, which permeates the space around him. The church has a special atmosphere that cleanses the heart, making it overflow with kindness, joy and happiness.
It is believed that prayers performed at this time have enormous power. Of course, if they are read sincerely, with faith in the soul. François Mauriac accurately noted how this should happen in his famous statement: “You don’t need to have faith to pray; you need to pray to gain faith.”
