What is evening prayer?
Evening prayer is not a benevolent law or dogma, but a daily conversation between a believing soul and God. There is a wide variety of evening rules - Elder Iliodor, Metropolitan Photius, the rule of the city of Makhachkala, the complete rule of Ermak, the complete rule of Seraphim of Sarov and Ambrose of Optina, Archbishop Polycarp or Alexy - and their interpretation is simple. All of them are simply named after the place where they were created or after the person on whose advice they were made at some time. If you want to find a rule for your life for constant reading with interpretation, it is better to contact your confessor. Of course, he will not be an archbishop or archimandrite, an elder like Iliodor, but you can find a priest you like, tell him your life and find out an explanation for you of the line of correct prayer in Orthodoxy, that is, life in the Church. A benevolent look is not the main thing here, what’s important is what’s inside. And miracles, for example, the miracle of myrrh, will come into your life on their own.
You can watch prayers in any language, not only Church Slavonic or Russian, with video translations and explanations, read prayer books in any language, listen to audio. The Church blesses us to watch and listen to even short evening prayers with explanations. Long, blessed prayers can be found in any prayer book. We offer you a list of different prayers that you can begin to read for guidance in Orthodox life. Let us note that it is incorrect to use the word blissful about prayers. Blessed is a pious line externally, but inside the line is unkind, that is, if a good grandmother comes up to you and looks sweetly, but speaks sarcasticly - this is wrong, you may not listen to her. Also read and interpret prayers before the Sacrament of Communion - this is church law, read about the rule for Communion.
Traditions of Orthodox Christians
From time immemorial, at the end of the day, people return to their home in the evening after a hard day of work, talk with their family and friends, wish them a good and restful sleep.
At the same time, in Ancient Rus' they never forgot about the Lord, because it was he who gave people confidence in the future, instilled hope and peace in their souls.
It was very important to find a state of peace for the coming sleep ; it was in this state that a person felt completely relaxed and rested, ready to begin new achievements in the morning.
Prayers for the coming sleep were created by holy people in the first centuries after the adoption of the Christian faith; they are also called rules, since they must be read regularly.
Today, evening prayers for beginners are available in any form. An Orthodox Christian can not only memorize the sacred text, but also listen to it in the form of an audio recording, watch a video of it, or simply read it online.
In this case, the chosen method of reading the rules will not be important to the Lord, the main thing is that there is deep faith and a desire to serve him sincerely.
These texts were compiled by clergy in the Church Slavonic language; unfortunately, this language is forgotten by many today and is difficult to perceive visually; previously it was included in the compulsory curriculum studied in schools. Today it is studied only by philologists and those who are planning to become a clergyman.
Rule of Evening Prayer
Let us immediately warn you about the church rule of Iliodor - you do not need an archbishop or archimandrite Iliodor and not Trufanov (who was only benevolent), but Elder Iliodor from Optina Hermitage. He adheres to the ancient rule of the elders to forgive. The most famous Optina elder is the founder of the Shamordino hermitage, Rev. Ambrose of Optina, a teacher and healer, whose heir is Elder Iliodor. Saint Ambrose had a very great influence not only on the peasants and church people who loved and revered him, but also on the educated society of the 19th century, just like Elder Iliodor today in Orthodoxy.
The holy elders of Optina and with them Iliodor blessed to read prayers according to the usual prayer book, possibly in Church Slavonic with translation, in order to forgive the sins of people. These prayers from the evening rule can be read from the Orthodox prayer book or listened to on the official website of the monastery.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, souls ours.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times, with the substitution of the cross and a bow from the waist.)
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.
Lord have mercy. (Thrice) Glory, and now:
Elder Iliodor always advised reading or listening to the following prayer to the Mother of God in Orthodoxy at night
My most blessed queen, my hope is the Mother of God! Receiver of orphans, wanderers, Representative, Joy of the grieving, Patroness of the unjustly offended! You see my misfortune, you see my sorrow - help me as a weak person, feed me as a stranger. You know my offense, deliver me from it as you wish. I have no other help than You, no other Representative before God, no good Comforter but You, O Mother of God! Save me and cover me forever and ever. Amen.
Prayers said in private, separate from the evening rule
Prayer 1
Relax, forgive, forgive, God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, day and night, in mind and in thoughts - forgive us all, as Merciful and Human. Forgive those who hate and insult us, Loving Master of Humanity! Do good to those who do good. Mercifully grant their requests for those things that lead to salvation, and grant eternal life to our brothers and relatives. Visit the weak and give them healing. Help those at sea. Accompany travelers. Help Orthodox Christians in the fight. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve us and to those who have mercy on us. Those who taught us, unworthy, to pray for them, have mercy on your great mercy. Remember, Lord, before our dead fathers and our brothers, and rest them where the light of Your Face shines. Remember, Lord, our brothers in captivity and deliver them from all troubles.
Remember, Lord, that you bear the fruits of their labors and adorn your holy churches. Give them, at their request, that which leads to salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, and we, humble, sinful and unworthy Your servants, and enlighten our minds so that we know You and guide us along the path of following Your commandments through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady, the eternal Virgin Mary, and all that is holy, for you are blessed until the end of time. Amen.
Confession of sins is everyday, pronounced in private.
I confess to You, Lord my God and Creator, in the One Most Holy Trinity, glorified and revered, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins that I committed in all the days of my life and at every hour, and now, in facts, speech , thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and all my senses, mental and physical, with which I have irritated you, my God and Creator, and insulted my neighbor. He sinned: (further listing of individual sins). Sympathizing with them, I am guilty before You and want to repent. Only, Lord my God, help me, I humbly pray to You with tears. The sins that I have committed by your grace, forgive them and set them free because you are a good and loving person.
Prayer for the coming sleep
It is interesting that many point out that it is dangerous to be baptized in Makhachkala - they say that this is a Muslim city, not a Slavic one. But that's not true. It turns out that there are even traditional evening prayers of the fang of Makhachkala for the Slavic prayer book. They can be read if there are difficulties with the fang, the fang hurts.
“Into Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ my God, I commend my spirit. Bless me, your servant, have mercy on me and give me eternal life. Amen"
“Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honest and Life-giving Cross and save me among and from any evil.”
Evening prayers for Lent
Especially during the strict season of Lenten, the Church calls on Christians to read evening prayers daily. This is union with God. End the day with a prayer rule during Lent, reading the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, not Slavic, Byzantine, but which archbishops, metropolitans, and archimandrites have been blessing to read for many centuries (for example, Polycarp of Smyrna wrote even earlier about the meaning of prayer during Lent). During Lent, the Patriarch also cooks myrrh, reading a special prayer that is unknown to the laity. Myrrh is used during Baptism in the Sacrament of Confirmation.
The texts of evening prayers for Lent will protect you with the power of the Cross, give you the protection of the Lord - with them you entrust your life into the hands of God and wait for the Resurrection of Christ - Easter. Here is the Lenten prayer of Ephraim Silin
Lord and Master of my life, take away the sins of laziness, melancholy, addiction to sins and empty talk from me.
You need to cross yourself and bow to the ground. In the second part, the believer asks the Lord to give him virtues in the midst of the world: Give me, Your worker, the spirit of chastity, humble, calm and peace-accepting thoughts, the strength to endure and love.
Again bow to the ground:
To her (Oh), Lord and King, help me to repent of my sins instead of condemning my neighbor. You, Lord, are blessed by all believers and I forever, amen. Then, with bows and the sign of the cross, they say 12 times:
God, cleanse me, a sinner!
Three days before the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ, the reading of the prayer stops.
What is Lent
Great Lent is a multi-day fast preceding the Easter holiday, consisting of the fast of St. Lent and Holy Week.
This fast is called Great Lent both because of its spiritual significance and because of its duration.
Great Lent is an image of the forty-day fasting of Jesus Christ in the desert before His departure for preaching (public) ministry.
Fasting is not an end in itself, but a means. By observing Lent, a Christian is better prepared for the Day of Holy Easter. By and large, correct observance of church fasts generally contributes to the spiritual and moral transformation of a Christian and a closer union with God and others.
Observance of Great Lent (and not only Great Lent) cannot be reduced solely to food restrictions. Fasting is not a diet in the banal sense of the word. During the period of Great Lent, it is appropriate to engage especially carefully in Christian spiritual work.
The days of Great Lent are days of special contrition for sins. Some features of Lenten worship are also associated with this circumstance: on these days, solemnity and merriment are postponed as much as possible; The Royal Doors are opened less often; Singing is heard less often and reading is heard more; fewer lamps are lit; the ringing (except on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays) is rare and mournful; The full Liturgy is celebrated on Saturdays and Sundays, and instead, on Wednesdays and Fridays, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
While fasting, one should remember: the body is killed not by (reasonable) restrictions on food and other pleasures, but by excess in them (gluttony, drunkenness, etc.). As for people suffering from diseases that require special nutrition, the diet for them on fasting days can be agreed upon individually with a priest or bishop. In addition, relaxations in fasting / abolition of restrictions on “forbidden” types of foods are acceptable for infants, pregnant and lactating women.
Confessing only during Great Lent is not a very good tradition: you need to think about salvation outside of Great Lent.
Lent implies not only bodily abstinence, but abstinence from everything vain that prevents a Christian from realizing his highest calling and destiny: from entertainment, unnecessary, secondary activities, idle conversations.
Fasting and repentance are our sacrifice to God (Ps. 50:19), and it is appropriate to make a sacrifice by reconciling / having peace with our neighbors, according to the word of Christ Himself.
Short prayers for beginners
Short prayers for reading by Orthodox Christians in the midst of the world were written into the rule by the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov to his children. This is a saint who lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. Seraphim of Sarov is a heavenly doctor, a prayer book about many difficulties of people. The texts of Serafimov's rule are simple. According to the word of Seraphim, you need to start by reading the text of “Our Father” three times; we will present it for beginners
“Our Father, who is in the Kingdom of Heaven! We glorify and ask you to glorify Your holy name! Let Your Kingdom come, let Your will direct everything in heaven and on earth. Give us the food we need for the present time; and forgive us our sins, just as we forgive our insults and debts to our debtors; Let us not have the temptations of the devil, protect us Yourself from the influences of Satan and his spirits. After all, You reign in heaven and earth and demonstrate Your power and glory - the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen".
Three times in the Seraphim Rule they read the prayer “Mother of God, Virgin, Rejoice”
“Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice, blessed Mary, the Lord is with you! You are especially blessed of all women by God and people, and the fruit of your womb is blessed: after all, you gave birth to Jesus Christ, the Savior of our souls.
And once the “Symbol of Faith” was included in Seraphim’s prayer book. And during the day, how many times can you repeat the Jesus Prayer simply or with the rosary. The same rule is read in the morning.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”
Evening rule of Optina Pustyn
The rule of evening prayer is especially reverent in Optina Pustyn, a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church located in the Kaluga region (Russia).
Temple prayer rules:
- religiously read the evening prayers according to the prayer book;
- carefully delve into the meaning of each word;
- use rosary beads in church, and sometimes at home at the very beginning of hostile thoughts;
- read every day a chapter from the Gospel, the Apostolic Epistles and Acts;
- if you want a close conversation with God, read the kathisma or akathist to the Sweetest Jesus, the Mother of God.
Evening prayer rule of the Optina elders
There is also a set of rules for reading bedtime prayers for those coming from the Optina elders, which include all the weaknesses of a person’s physical and mental health:
- the prayer rule must be valid (sick people, women with small children);
- let the prayer be short, but be sure to be read daily;
- Moderation is better than excess;
- do not perceive prayer as a duty;
- It is better to discuss the prayer rule with your spiritual father or priest;
- reasoning and advice are the main path in prayer to the Lord.
The best article for you, go to: Prayer against the evil eye and envy of evil people
You can read the evening rule in Russian - this is not just a whim, it is a long-standing Orthodox tradition that helps a person to know himself and, in communion with God, find eternal grace.
Prayers for the future
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Tropari
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call upon Thy name.
And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.
Lord have mercy. (12 times)
Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father
Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the fleshly and incorporeal enemies that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.
Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel
Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.
Kontakion to the Mother of God
To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.
Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.
I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.
Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Prayer of Saint Ioannikios
My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.
The Lord is always with you!
The best article for you, go to: Prayers for the coming sleep - short
Watch another video in which you will hear the evening prayer rule:
Prayers for children
It is very important for children to call on the name of God and their Guardian Angel, helper and intercessor, who is given to every person in holy Baptism. A sick child, if his canine tooth hurts, can also pray, but his health must also be treated. Let the child first read the Lord's Prayer, and then this prayer from the rule. This prayer also helps with pain if a fang tooth hurts.
To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me all that I have sinned this day, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy who opposes me and grant me health, and in no way sin. I will anger my God; but pray for the sinful and unworthy servant, that I may be worthy of showing the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen
Also, a child can ask the study assistant of St. Sergius of Radonezh for support and help with canine pain. There is a similar prayer to Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow.
“O venerable and God-bearing Father Sergei of Radonezh! Look upon us mercifully, and lead us to the heights of heaven, those who are devoted to the earth. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Lord God through your prayers. Ask, O Saint Sergei, through your intercession the gift of understanding science, and through your prayers that help us all (with the help of your prayers), grant that on the day of the Last Judgment we will be delivered from the right parts of the land, and will be able to hear the blessed voice of the Lord Christ: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Amen"
Evening prayers to the Guardian Angel
You can pray to the Angel - Intercessor, Helper and Guardian - in your own words, sincerely, simply and at any time. Reading a prayer to your personal intercessor helps both children and adults. Don’t forget to light a candle when praying - this is not necessary, a candle is a tradition, but a candle is also a symbol of prayer.
Holy Angel, accompanying my sinful soul and my passionate life, do not leave me, a sinner, under any circumstances, do not leave me because of cases of my intemperance. Do not let the evil demon possess me through the violence of my mortal body; hold me by my weak hand and guide me on the path of salvation. Oh, holy Angel of God, guardian and patron of my sinful soul and unclean body, forgive me everything with which I offended you all the days of my life, and everything I sinned with this past night, cover me in the coming day, and save me from any temptation, so that I do not anger God with any sin, and pray to the Lord for me, so that He will confirm me in His fear, and see me worthy as a servant of His grace. Amen.
How to pray correctly during Lent 2022
These days, believers turn to the Lord with requests to cleanse their souls from vices and strengthen them in faith. Petitions for love and prosperity are best left for holidays.
Prayer for remission of sins for every day
I, servant of God (name), turn to You, Lord, and with all my heart I ask You to forgive my sins. Have mercy on me, Heavenly King, deliver me from mental torment and self-torture. I will turn to You, Son of God. You died for our sins and You rose again to live forever. I hope for Your help and ask you to bless me. Forever You are my Savior. Amen!
Evening prayer before Communion
The Sacrament of Communion was established by Christ Himself during the Last Supper before His death on the Cross and commanded the apostles to always receive communion for the sake of the memory of Him and life in eternity: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.” . Christ said that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, bread and wine will constantly be miraculously transformed into His Body and Blood, and the people who eat (taste) them will be united with Himself. The Church blesses us to receive communion at least once a year: preferably about once a month.
You need to prepare yourself for the Sacrament of Holy Communion, and also prepare for Confession, this is called “conversation”, “fasting”. Preparation includes reading special prayers according to the prayer book, fasting and repentance. There is a long list, but these are the last of the rules for Communion. They are also read before Confession so that the confession is prepared.
I believe, Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the first. I also believe that this is Your most pure Body, and this is Your most pure Blood. I pray to You: have mercy on me, and forgive me my sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word, in deed, in knowledge and ignorance, and grant me uncondemned communion of the Lord. Your steadfast Sacraments, for the remission of sins, and for eternal life. Amen.
What not to do during Lent
The Church believes that fasting is not a time for negative emotions, anger and scandals. You can’t do evil to people, do bad things and get hung up on a bad mood. It is advisable to completely abandon your passions and addictions. Smoking, alcohol, adultery - religion does not approve of all this.
Excessive fun is also not welcome. According to the canons of the Church, all free time during Lent should be spent fighting one’s desires and praying.
It is also forbidden to get married during fasting. This should be done after Easter.
Evening prayers from the Valaam Monastery
The Valaam Monastery and its cell rule were compiled for the monks and spiritual children of this monastery on the island of Valaam, which is famous for the ringing of bells. This monastery is located in Lake Ladoga, and from its monks came many great saints - archimandrites, archbishops, metropolitans: Alexy, Ambrose, Lev... The Valaam cell monastic rule is three special combined canons (Christ, the Mother of God and the Angel - they are in many prayer books ) plus an akathist to the Mother of God “The Unbrided Bride,” which is read after the bell rings for Vespers. The reading of the Valaam cell rule and the ringing of the bells of Valaam require a special blessing. Read the wonderful prayer to the Mother of God from the last Akathist of the cell rule from Valaam. It is also useful to bring a sacrifice to the monastery.
To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having got rid of the evil ones, let us sing thanksgiving to Thy servants, the Mother of God; but since you have an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call to You:
Rejoice, Unbride-less Bride.
My Most Holy Lady Theotokos, through Your saints and all-powerful prayers, drive away from me, your humble and accursed servant, despondency, oblivion, foolishness, negligence, and all that is unclean, evil and blasphemous thoughts from my damned heart and from my darkened mind, and extinguish the flame my passions, for I am poor and damned: and deliver me from many and cruel memories and enterprises, and free me from all the actions of evil: for blessed art thou of all generations and glorify Your most honorable name forever and ever. Amen.
Evening prayers to the Virgin Mary
The purest and most beautiful spirit of all people of all times was and remains the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary. The explanation for this is that God chose the best person for His Son, but She herself tried to be good. Many of Her icons were painted over the centuries, there are a number of Catholic and Orthodox icons, but according to the explanation of those copied from Catholic ones, this is not scary, no special sacrifice is needed to pray in front of them. We have given the first prayer to the Mother of God from the Valaam cell rule. Here's the sequel.
Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.
I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.
Mother of God Virgin, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.
Recommendations and advice from clergy
Priests recommend communicating with the Lord not only in cases when things are bad, but also when everything is good, in order to share your joy and thank God for his favor.
The church also recommends listening to church chants and watching videos of a religious nature, from which you can hear and learn a lot of useful and interesting things.
Offering prayer words before going to bed is necessary for an Orthodox Christian to gain protection and support at night. From time immemorial, mothers asked the Lord for protection for their children, turning to him with prayers for the coming sleep.
Saints always hear sincere words addressed to them and strive to protect their charges and send them mercy.
Goodbye, dear guests and blog readers, share interesting and useful information using social networks! Subscribe to blog updates!
Best regards, Irina Yarovikova
Evening prayers for the suddenly deceased
Let's supplement the list of prayers with a mention of Flavian. Flavian is a perspicacious priest who does not allow death, the hero of the books of Archpriest Alexander Torik. Flavian is almost a saint and a very interesting person, although he is not an archbishop, and not a Catholic archimandrite, but simply an Orthodox priest Flavian with a big belly, looking like a lion. In the book about Flavian, you can read an explanation of how to survive and not be overwhelmed by the grief associated with a sudden death, a deceased person, if you have to die or you are on the verge of dying or becoming a sudden victim of an attack. Here is a prayer that will help you not to drown in grief
“O Lord and our God, do not forget Your servant (Your) (name) who died in faith and hope for eternal life. You are the Good and Loving Lord of all people, you forgive sins and destroy the lies of the lion, forgive and forget all his sins and mistakes, accidental and intentional, deliver him from eternal torment and do not let him float in the flames of hell, give him the sacrament and joy of Your eternal joys prepared for all who love You. Even if he (she) sinned, he did not depart from You, believed without a doubt in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity, You, the Lord in the Holy Trinity, One and Glorified, and until his last breath he confessed the Holy Trinity Orthodoxy. Be merciful to him (her), reward at least for faith instead of works, rest with all Your saints, as a Generous God: after all, there is no person who has lived life and not sinned. You, Lord, He is Sinless, Your truth is the Truth in all ages, only You are the God of mercy and generosity, May we all, living and dead, give eternal glory to You, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh on Great Lent
Lent is a time of joy, a time when we can come to life, when we shake off everything that is decayed and dead in us - in order to gain the ability to live - to live with all the depth and intensity to which we are called.
The structure of Great Lent is built in such a way that each week of fasting has its own spiritual meaning, its own spiritual orientation. And a person who devotes his time and energy from the beginning to the end of the Lenten period, he really, as if on a ladder of spiritual ascent, step by step, approaches the mystery of Christ's Pascha.
Fasting is just a small proof, a test of the truth and strength of our love and faith. Christian life is unthinkable without heroism. That is, without the effort that the faithful make to get rid of sins and passions in order to follow the will of God. Fasting plays a significant role in this effort. It is one of the most effective weapons in spiritual warfare.
True fasting is abstinence from all evil. While fasting physically, fast also spiritually. Let the MIND fast from vain thoughts, MEMORY from resentment, WILL from evil desire, TONGUE from condemnation, lies, idle words. Without all this, fasting becomes a diet.
