Faith is not the sum of certain knowledge coupled with pious traditions and rituals. Faith is the biggest secret that we have in our lives. Faith is being in the Mystery and this Mystery is God.
Such a lamp of faith was the Monk David of Gareji. This is a saint of the Georgian Orthodox Church, who is revered with deep reverence in our country. He became famous as a great miracle worker, a reverent faster and man of prayer, and as an irreconcilable fighter against fire worship.
May 7/20, Thursday after Ascension (movable) - the day of remembrance of St. David of Gareji.
Who is David of Gareji?
David of Gareji - lived in the 6th century, came to Georgia along with other monks from Syria to preach Christianity. Abbot John, the former head of the monks, sent his disciples through Georgia as apostles to preach the new faith through their actions and service. The Monk David is known as a great preacher of faith in Christ, a fighter against idolatry, a healer and a miracle worker, who especially helped women with their health, successful pregnancy and childbirth. The saint is known not only in Georgia, but throughout the Orthodox world.
Legends about his spiritual power were kept in Jerusalem.
When he went as a pilgrim to the promised land and approached its borders, he suddenly decided that he was not worthy to visit the land where Jesus walked, he told this to his companion, took three stones from the holy land and returned. And at that moment, the Patriarch of Jerusalem had a vision in which it was said that David had taken away the power of grace from the entire city and it was necessary to return it. Envoys were sent in the saint's footsteps, who took two stones from him and left one. This stone, as a shrine, was brought to the Gareja desert and since then there has been a legend that a three-time pilgrimage to the Gareja desert is equivalent to visiting holy places in Jerusalem.
Reading rules
The Christian Church has its own attitude towards human illnesses. David of Gareji is most often asked specifically for healing, so you need to know how to behave in order for prayer to help.
The Church calls on you to come to terms with your illness and accept it as the will of God. Next, you need to realize for what sinful acts the disease was given, repent, and do everything possible to change your life. It would be good to fast, give alms, confess, and then turn to the saint for help.
The rules for reading the prayers themselves are simple:
- Those who are baptized in the Christian Church turn to David of Gareji with a prayer.
- You can pray in the temple in front of the face of St. David or retire to this house. Light a candle and use incense.
- You need to tune in to prayer. Remove thoughts from your head, calm your emotions and fuss. Start saying words when there is only silence inside.
- You can pray to the saint not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones.
- It is only wrong to take something from reading a prayer. You need to be able to give. What can we give in return? Our unconditional love, openness, trust, gratitude and kindness.
We need to believe that we are not alone in this world. There are always holy helpers next to us, ready to come to our aid at our first call.
Strong prayer to St. David of Gareji
The course of many diseases is latent. Late diagnosis, and sometimes insufficient competence of doctors, lead to a deterioration in a woman’s well-being and an exacerbation of the course of diseases. In addition, there is a time factor where one cannot wait long and measures must be taken quickly. One can imagine the stress and confusion a woman is in, and in this case it is necessary to pray to Monk David of Gareji. Sincere prayer sometimes works miracles. Diseases that have not been treated for many years disappear unnoticed and quickly. Repeated medical examinations confirm the fact of recovery.
Oh, all the shining, glorious Abba David, holier than God! You, by the power of the blessed Lawgiver, appeared to us, bound and crushed by the snares of the evil one, as a teacher of repentance and an assistant in prayer. For this, you were given many gifts of grace and miracles, resolution of our sins and misdeeds, forgiveness, healing from illnesses and removal of the devil’s slander. Likewise, for your fatherly mercy in the divine understanding, for your abundant prayers and supplications, especially for your unceasing intercession for us, may the Lord God exalt us in sin, falling into sin, with His invincible power over every enemy. Visible and invisible, so through your desire we wanted to worship the Eternal God in Trinity, One, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer for women's diseases
There is an icon in Russia that is especially revered by believers. This is the icon of David of Gareji in the Church of the Life-Giving Trinity in Moscow, in which there is a particle of the holy relics of the monk. There is a constant flow of suffering towards this icon, especially among women who need the help of a heavenly healer. Prayer in front of the icon of David Garejin gives healing from female diseases. Thanks to the prayers of David from Gareja, he was cured of serious female diseases, including cancer. There are many testimonies of miraculous healings, and believers themselves claim that this is the merit of the saint.
O venerable and bearer of God the Father of David, brother of the angels and imitator of the apostles, accomplice of martyrdom, prisoner of monastic life, helper of the monastery, helper who prays to you, illuminated by miracles, by the flash of your dark powers, invisible to the repellent. O blessed father, with your prayers deliver us from all evil and snares of the wicked, earthly and airy, from fiery hell. Pray for your beloved God to crush us with His angels with invincible power. Oh, bright star, divine splendor, be the intercessor of the Holy Trinity, before which you stand, so that you save us from internal wars and give us a peaceful and serene life, mental and physical health, fertility of the earth, purity of the air, illumination of the Divine and Just light in forever and ever, peace as if it were due to You, Holy Trinity, all glory, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer for infertility to David of Gareji
Among religious women, you can often hear advice to turn to David Garejinsky with a prayer for deliverance from infertility. This healer is loved and respected by the people, and many women, thanks to his conversion, received healing and the long-awaited gift of childbirth.
Oh, all the shining, glorious Abba David, holier than God! You, by the power of the blessed Lawgiver, appeared to us, bound and crushed by the snares of the evil one, as a teacher of repentance and an assistant in prayer. For this, you were given many gifts of grace and miracles, resolution of our sins and misdeeds, forgiveness, healing from illnesses and removal of the devil’s slander. Likewise, for your fatherly mercy in the divine understanding, for your abundant prayers and supplications, especially for your unceasing intercession for us, may the Lord God exalt us in sin, falling into sin, with His invincible power over every enemy. Visible and invisible, so through your desire we wanted to worship the Eternal God in Trinity, One, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
What does a saint help with?
After the story with the pagans, the merciful monk spent the rest of his life praying for the murdered pregnant woman, asking God to show mercy and forgive her. The prayers of the righteous man were heard. As confirmation of this, a holy spring appeared. All this gives the right to consider David the holy helper of all women.
He is prayerfully asked:
- about women's health;
- successful pregnancy;
- correct intrauterine development of the child;
- assistance during childbirth;
- getting rid of infant diseases;
- conceiving a child if a woman cannot become pregnant.
Prayer to David of Gareji for pregnancy
Prayer to David of Gareja allows you to literally beg your children. When they pray for a miracle to continue the family, women are healed and their fertility is restored, pregnancy proceeds safely and healthy children are born. The main thing here is a personal appeal to the saint, persistent and sincere prayer.
O holy head, Reverend Father David, great sorcerer! We fall to you with faith and love, and we ask you, our heavenly intercessor: show us your great mercy, humble and sinners, and pour out your warm prayers to the Lord God for us. Come to us for mental and physical health, the fertility of the earth, the kindness of the air, a peaceful and serene life, and save the slaves who come and pray for you and fall with your heavenly blessings, and satisfy all their requests for good. You, father, do not neglect our prayers, which ascend to you with tenderness, but awaken for us an ardent intercessor before the Lord God, we glorify the great generosity and mercy of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit in the Trinity, we worship God and your paternal intercession forever and ever . Amen.
Lifetime miracles
Saint David had great humility, and during his life he performed many miracles, although little information about him has come down. It is known that, having become stranded in the desert, where there was nothing to eat, he trusted in the mercy of God. And his faith never failed him:
- Fallow deer came to the hermits, giving them the opportunity to milk themselves.
- David turned milk into cheese through prayer and the cross.
- He expelled a serpent (dragon) from the cave, which was feeding on young fawns.
- Turned the bitter water from the source into sweet.
- He healed the crippled son of a pagan who was going to kill the ascetic.
Note: Become a saint and thousands around you will be saved. This applies to the saint, since, thanks to his humility and faith, many people were saved and, following his example, came to the desert.
Prayers to saints for female infirmities
For women, their illness means severe suffering and pain. Women deprived of the joy of motherhood become unhappy; they experience not only physical suffering, but also mental suffering. But not everything is so hopeless! There are miraculous prayers to Saints David of Garejin and Hypatiy of Pechersk about the weakness of women. Pray and be healed!
Prayer to St. David of Gareji
Oh, all the shining, glorious Abba David, holier than God! You, by the power of the blessed Lawgiver, appeared to us, bound and crushed by the snares of the evil one, as a teacher of repentance and an assistant in prayer. For this, you were given many gifts of grace and miracles, resolution of our sins and misdeeds, forgiveness, healing from illnesses and removal of the devil’s slander. Likewise, for your fatherly mercy in the divine understanding, for your abundant prayers and supplications, especially for your unceasing intercession for us, may the Lord God exalt us in sin, falling into sin, with His invincible power over every enemy. Visible and invisible, so through your desire we wanted to worship the Eternal God in Trinity, One, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer to the Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra
The Trisolar Light is a shining star that introduces the Trisolar Light into the world from your apostles, the evangelical preaching of sacred teachings, the holy martyr, the hierarch of Christ, Blessed Hypatia. You have received from the Most Holy Trinity grace equal to the apostles, the ardent love of the seraphim for God, like the great Apostle Peter, and cherubic wisdom, which can be read a lot in the teaching, like the second Paul. Enlightened by his omniscient piety, by the teaching of many people who zealously imitate the All-Comprehensive Master, the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ. For the same reason I humbly pray for your God-imitating fatherly kindness: look upon your mercifully blessed God, my present unworthiness, as a father, a loving Bose of all, and a guide for our salvation, and all is right in the Highlands" illuminating Mount Zion. Start helping our army on the battlefield early. Always ask the Holy Trinity for all Orthodox Christians for peace and silence, spiritual salvation and long-term health in the body, air of good will, land for fertility, good barren and in the law of the Lord of enlightenment, and for every good increase good, not shameful and peaceful, with the most detailed confession and communion of the Holy Immortal Heavenly and life-giving mysteries of Christ, and with prayer and supplication, unhindered easy tests of the holiness of life, heritage, but together with the angelic hosts of unceasing praise, we lift up to the Father with His only begotten Son and with His Most Holy, good and life-giving Spirit, and also to you, your great fatherly and merciful intercession, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
What do they pray to the monk for?
Each saint is amazing, for the path of each of them is unique both on earth and before God. Saint David of Gareji, among 13 Assyrian monks, at the behest of the Mother of God, labored in the middle of the 6th century in Iberia (the ancient name of Georgia). From them monastic life originates in the ancient Iveron land.
Useful materials
Christians believe that saints in the Kingdom of Heaven carry out the same feat that they carried out on earth before God. That is why a certain prayer practice of turning to a specific saint for help has developed. The Monk David of Gareji in his earthly life achieved high feats and gifts of grace of the Holy Spirit.
Read the akathist to the saint in our material.
About pregnancy and women's diseases
Saint David of Gareji raised three stones in the Holy Land
Firstly, in Georgia he is considered the patron saint of women and unborn children.
Georgian women, and recently more and more often our compatriots, pray to the holy ascetic
- about childbearing;
- about healing from infertility;
- about cure for various female diseases;
- pregnant women about the safe bearing of the child and resolution of childbirth.
This intercession of Saint David is associated with a famous episode from his life. Bribed by fire-worshipping pagans, one pregnant harlot slandered St. the ascetic, saying that she was pregnant from him. At the convened court, the monk touched her belly (womb) with his staff and said:
“In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, I command you to tell me who your father is.” From the womb a voice answered: “You are not my father. The blacksmith is my father."
The pagans themselves, along with other witnesses, stoned the harlot for slander (slander). So, in a half-dead state, she gave birth not to a child, but to a small stone and soon died.
Interesting fact
That same stone lies at the foundation of the Kashveti Church (which means “who gave birth to the stone”), which was subsequently built on that site. It is located on the main street of the Georgian capital - Sh. Rustaveli Avenue.
Rev. David never appeared in that place again. Blaming himself for the death of the lascivious slanderer, he goes to the deserted mountainous area of Gareji, where in constant tearful and fervent prayer he begs her sinful soul from the Lord. With the prayers of the saint, in an arid mountainous area where there had never been water, a spring flowed, which received the beautiful name “Tears of David.” The flow of weak Christian women and childless pilgrims who receive healing and become happy mothers does not end here (stops).
At the same time as the fertile spring in Gareji, drops of water also appear in the abandoned cave. For 15 centuries, they have been flowing down the wall of his stone cell into a specially made font, in which, miraculously, the water is always maintained at the same level and has a constant temperature of 5-7 degrees. Only Orthodox Christians wearing special tunics are blessed to plunge into the font. Many sufferers received and are receiving healing from various diseases, including female infirmities and infertility.
Holy prayers for churching
Secondly, they pray to the monk for the churching of non-believers and for a return to faith in Christ.
Saint David, with the blessing of Abba John, carried out evangelical ministry in ancient Tiflis (now Tbilisi). Living in a secluded cave on Mount Mtatsminda (translated as “Holy Mountain”), every Thursday he left his stone cell and went to the city to bring the gospel light of truth to its inhabitants. A large number of people left the implanted paganism and returned to the faith of Christ. After the well-known incident of slandering a saint, many of the unbelieving eyewitnesses believed in God.
Akathists and prayers offer for the increase of faith
Thirdly, Saint David is asked to increase and strengthen him in the faith.
Holy Reverend David of Gareji
Even during the life of the holy ascetic in the Gareji desert, people seeking salvation began to come to him and settle in neighboring caves. By the end of St. David’s earthly journey there were about two thousand disciples next to him. This is how the history of the David-Garezhi Lavra (or Lavra of David) began, which today (currently) is the largest monastic complex in the entire territory of Georgia.
According to the tradition of Orthodox Georgians, visiting the Lavra of David three times and praying is equivalent to a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. By the way, the road from Tbilisi to Lavra is 2 hours by car.
In bodily and spiritual ailments
Fourthly, through the prayers of the holy ascetic they receive spiritual and physical healing.
The saint himself was an example of great meekness and humility. That is why he was awarded the grace of the Holy Spirit, which is given by God out of humility and awareness of his unworthiness. One of the brightest moments was the saint’s pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Having completed a six-month journey, the saint does not enter Jerusalem, considering himself unworthy to trample the ground on which the Savior walked. From that place he took the usual three stones. At night, the Patriarch of Jerusalem had a vision: God’s angel reported that a monk from Iberia in three stones had taken all the grace of Jerusalem. The Patriarch ordered the messengers to take two stones from the pilgrims and leave one for them. So the Monk David took 1/3 of the grace of the Holy Land to Iberia. Many true Christian believers received healing from the blessed stone. Today it is kept in the altar of the capital's Trinity Cathedral and is brought out on the patronal feast day.
