The prayer to Saint Nicholas is rightfully considered one of the most miraculous. It is the book that is read when it seems that there is no way out of the situation and that there is no solution to the problem. Undoubtedly, a prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker that changes fate, read for 40 days, reviews will come in handy for everyone who so desperately needs an invisible helping hand. Everyone will be heard.
Prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker changing fate - read for 40 days: text, comments, reviews
Nicholas the Wonderworker: who is he?
Nicholas the Wonderworker was born in the 3rd century AD in the Lycian province of the Roman Empire in the Greek colony of Patara. Being childless for a long time, his deeply religious parents Feofan and Nonna constantly prayed to God and vowed to dedicate their only child to Him. According to legend, baby Nicholas showed his miraculous power as soon as he was born. He stood alone, unsupported by anyone, for three hours on his feet in the baptismal font, and his mother, only having been relieved of her burden, was healed of a serious illness. From the first days of his life, he saw his mother only on Wednesdays and Fridays, after evening prayer.
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In early childhood, Nikolai began to study the Divine Scripture. He did not leave the temple, reading prayers and holy books day and night. Thus his soul became a worthy refuge for the Holy Spirit. The boy’s spiritual successes greatly pleased his uncle, Bishop Nicholas of Patara, who first made his nephew a reader, and then elevated him to the rank of priest. The future saint became the bishop's assistant and began to speak teachings to the flock.
Young Nicholas possessed the wisdom of an elder and was very experienced in matters of faith. Thanks to this, he earned the deep respect and respect of believers. He was very merciful, always came to the aid of the suffering and on holidays secretly, hiding his good deeds, distributed food and money to the poor.
One day Nicholas decided to go to Jerusalem, the Holy Land, and came to the bishop for a blessing. The bishop blessed his nephew, and Nicholas set off. On the way, the ship encountered a strong storm. Then he pacified the sea waves with prayer. When the saint arrived in Jerusalem, he walked around in prayer all the holy places associated with the earthly ministry of the Savior Jesus Christ, and climbed to Golgotha. And at night, on Mount Zion, the locked doors of the church opened in front of Nicholas. After visiting all the shrines, he wanted to go into the desert, but heard a Divine voice telling him to return to Lycia.
Upon returning to his homeland, Nicholas wanted to take a vow of silence and entered the brotherhood of the monastery of Holy Zion. But again he heard the voice of God, who this time told him to go into the world and glorify His Name. Later, Saint Nicholas, God's chosen one, was elected archbishop. He died in the 4th century from old age in the same place where he was born. Throughout his life, in the eyes of his flock, he was the personification of meekness, goodness and philanthropy.
Today his relics are kept in the city of Ber, where they were transferred in 1086.
How Saint Nicholas repaired Father Iliodor’s car
Elder Eli and Father Iliodor
Priest Dionysius Kuvaev, rector of the Epiphany Church in the city of Kozelsk, remembers the beloved and revered hierodeacon of the Optina Hermitage Iliodor (Gairiyanets) among the people.
Avva Iliodor and Akathist to St. Nicholas
The ever-remembered Archdeacon of Optina Hermitage, our Abba Iliodor (Gairiyants; 1947–2020), greatly revered St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. He calls me one weekday, when there are no services and the church where I serve is closed. So he calls and asks me to open the temple: he urgently needs to pick up some spiritual books left with us for safekeeping. I come over and open it.
Family of Father Dionysius
The priest drives in, gets out of the car and first of all asks:
- So, Father Dionysius, do you know St. Nicholas?
- Certainly! - I answer, and I try to figure out what the catch is, realizing that he’s asking for a reason...
- Well, what do you know about him?
- Like what? Same as everyone else. Why are you asking, father?
- Well, come on, tell me what you know?
I’m starting to tell you a little, but it’s clear that there’s nothing new, and we can talk for a long time.
Epiphany Church at the mechanical plant, near Optina Hermitage
To go somewhere without serving an akathist to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - this could not happen!
- So... further...
I continue to give out a couple of phrases.
- Next... well, so what?
- What, father, what?
– Do you know that the akathist needs to be read to him?
- A-a-a... of course!
- Well, open the temple, get everything ready quickly, we’ll read the akathist to the saint!
And he was in a hurry... But to go somewhere without serving an akathist to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker - this could not happen!
Abba Iliodor and Father Dionysius
The story of how Saint Nicholas repaired a car to Abba Iliodor
In the early 1990s, when Father Iliodor was serving as assistant steward of the monastery in Optina Hermitage, his Volga official car broke down. It just won't start - that's all. And in the evening I urgently needed to go somewhere on important matters.
They dragged the car to the garage to the car mechanics, but the guys, after fiddling with the car until the end of the working day, were unable to determine the fault. Father Iliodor comes to get the car, and they explain that they cannot understand what’s going on, and tomorrow they will need to remove something else, and try something else... But they have to go!
Well, as you know, Father Iliodor was on very good terms with Saint Nicholas, he sang the akathist EVERY DAY without exception for several years, and the Saint of Christ constantly helped the priest - you can’t count all the miracles. So this time it became clear that we couldn’t do without St. Nicholas. Father always had a strong, living faith and was a zealous preacher. And the guys who worked in the auto mechanic shop weren’t even particularly churchgoers.
It became clear that we couldn’t do without St. Nicholas
So Father Iliodor decided to introduce them to the faith.
“Okay,” he says, “you’re not much use, you should have asked St. Nicholas right away and not wasted time.”
-Which Nikolai? - the workers ask, not understanding who they are talking about.
- Which one?! I'll show you now which one!!! Yes, attention! - having crossed himself and silently asking for help from the saint, - look how Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker works!
He gets into the car, inserts the key into the ignition, and, as he later said, he says to himself:
- So... Saint Nicholas, dear, just don’t let me down - you see what I’ve done here...
He turns the key - and this Volga, as they say, starts from the first turn!
Father Iliodor looks: everyone around is standing in a daze - they don’t understand anything. And he told them:
- Do you understand what Nikolai is like?!
“They’re standing there, everyone’s jaws are hanging open, and I, being so businesslike, waved my hand at them: “Ciao, study!” “And he went,” so Abba Iliodor finished his story with a smile.
“Abba, help!” And Abba helps!
Avva Iliodor really helps, so much so that there can be no doubt where the help comes from...
Forty kilometers from Optina Pustyn, in the city of Belev, there is the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Monastery. His deputy, Abbot Arseny (Devyaterikov), is the spiritual child of Elder Elijah and Abba Iliodor. And during his lifetime, Abba Iliodor helped his brethren whenever possible, both in the restoration of the monastery and with food.
One day, after the death of the priest, a conversation began between the abbot of this monastery, abbot Arseny, and the altar boy Vyacheslav, who was a very close spiritual child of the abba. They talked about how difficult it had become without Abba.
“Father Iliodor is no more,” the abbot complained, “he won’t send us more food...
- And you, Father Arseny, ask the priest! Previously, he sent you a gazelle, but now from there, from Heaven, he’ll even send you a truck,” Vyacheslav responded jokingly.
The next day - call:
– Hello, we would like to donate food to you at the monastery.
The next day - a call: “Hello, we would like to donate food to you at the monastery.”
- Okay, thank you very much! - the abbot answers.
– Only we have a large volume, do you have the opportunity to accept it?
Well, how large do you think the volume of food aid turned out to be?
Seven trucks! Pasta, butter, condensed milk...
It turned out that some company urgently needed to vacate its warehouses. So it was enough not only for the monastery, but also for many churches of the Belevsky diocese, as well as for a large number of people in need. Even to us, in the neighboring Kozel diocese, it fell - for the Orthodox gymnasium and distribution to the needy.
Coincidence? In general, are such coincidences possible? Anyone who knew Abba well understands that this is his “handwriting”...
And there are many such stories. Just the other day, one very close brother of ours called me and told me how my father took him to holy places, what he promised during his lifetime... He brought me to tears!
Elder Eli and Father Dionysius
Elder Eli, Abba Iliodor and tomatoes
In March 2008, I was finally transferred to our parish of the Epiphany Church in the city of Kozelsk. The house we moved into had a small vegetable garden on the property, so we immediately began cultivating the land and repairing the greenhouse. Tomatoes were planted in the greenhouse. And this is all for the first time.
After some time, the elder, Schema-Archimandrite Iliy (Nozdrin), served in our church, and after the service he asked how we were settling in and decided to come in and see for himself. I took him into the house with great joy, but he only came in for a minute, glanced at the inside of the house, said, “Thank God,” and went outside.
And the first thing he asked was:
-Have you planted a garden?!
- Yes, father, of course! – I answered, glad that the work was worth it even if I didn’t blush and get a scolding. After all, everyone knows perfectly well how strictly the elder treats the fact that a person works on the land, and the land is not empty.
“Here, father, we also made a greenhouse and planted tomatoes!”
- Yes? Well done!
Father went into the greenhouse and blessed every (!) bush. And then there was a harvest unimaginable for the first experience
Father went into the greenhouse and blessed every (!) bush.
What's next? And then there was a harvest that was unimaginable for the first experience. By mid-August, we had already eaten enough tomatoes, distributed them to everyone who wanted them, and added enough salt to last us two or three winters.
Since August 19 (Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord), I simply stopped watering the tomatoes in the greenhouse. And since our soil is sandy, the ground dried out quickly. But the tomatoes never stopped bearing fruit. They were everywhere at home, and we no longer knew what to do with them. And this continued until mid-October! Two month!
On the day of the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, October 14, Abba Iliodor came to visit us in the evening. And I, sitting at the table, enthusiastically told him about this miracle. Avva responded:
- Here, Dionysius, you are sitting here, telling us... it would be better if you went, picked and brought it, than feed us with your stories.
- Now!
I take a flashlight, leave... and return with a full bucket.
If a person can return the aspiration of his spirit to God, and not to earthly things, the world will again submit to him
Man is the crown of creation of the entire created world. And before the Fall, while the spirit of man strived for God, the whole world was subject to man. Sin destroyed this order. And the earth began to punish people, and they began to earn bread by the sweat of their brow. Therefore, if a person can return the aspiration of his spirit to God, and not to earthly things, the world will again submit to him.
The elder-prayer raises his spirit to God - and the elder’s blessing brings not only abundant spiritual, but also abundant earthly fruits. This yearning of the human spirit for God is holiness!
Elder Eli, Archdeacon Iliodor and Priest Dionysius
Why did Father Iliodor always call my grandmother mom?
Avva Iliodor used to call her “Mama Vera” when meeting my grandmother. Why did he call her that? The answer lies in the following story.
When our family was still unchurched, my uncle (my mother’s brother) Vyacheslav, a 25-year-old student at Tver State University, unexpectedly entered a monastery.
It happened like this. In 1990, he went to Optina Pustyn. Whether this trip was a pilgrimage or just a tourist one, I don’t remember now. The monastery had only just been returned to the Church (in 1989), and it lay in ruins, but those who came to restore it now remember these years as the most extraordinary - full of spiritual uplift.
In Optina, my uncle met Father Iliodor and, after talking with him, he was so shocked by the meeting with Abba and the Optina Hermitage that he wanted to stay there.
“Please,” said Abba, “go home to get your things, and then come back to Optina.” We are waiting for you.
So my uncle Vyacheslav remained in the monastery, soon took monastic vows and became the monk Gabriel. It was a shock for all our relatives.
After some time, his mother (our grandmother) went to Optina Pustyn to see her son. She arrived, and it turns out he had already taken monastic vows, and, like all newly tonsured people, he literally flies on the wings of the first monastic grace. But with spiritual reasoning, like all beginners, things were a bit difficult.
The grandmother met her son and said to him:
- Slavik, son! Well, how are you doing?
And he immediately answers her:
– I’m no longer Slavik. From now on I am Father Gabriel.
Grandmother had little understanding of how to properly address monks and monks. She was terribly surprised by her son’s words and exclaimed almost with tears in her voice:
- As Father?! Whose father?! And my father too?! And then I’m not your mother anymore?!
“When a person takes monastic vows, he renounces the world and no longer has the same family relationships that he had before, before his monastic vows,” my uncle seriously explained to my mother.
Nun Mariam and monk Gabriel
And, after talking with her a little, he retired to his cell. And the grandmother, in tears from such unexpected news, wandered off to the Pilgrim’s House. At this time, Father Iliodor passed by. He, of course, could not help but stop when he noticed the crying pilgrim. He approached her and asked why she was crying, and the grandmother told him everything.
Abba immediately went to Father Gabriel’s cell and reproached him quite severely:
– Gabriel, what are you, sick or what?! Your mother has come to see you, and you announce such things to her straight away!
The young monk was embarrassed and began to make excuses:
- Well, I said everything correctly, a monk renounces the world and, therefore, all family ties...
- Ah well?! Then listen to me carefully! From now on, she is no longer your mother, but mine! Understood?!
Abba Iliodor and nun Mariam
From now on, she is no longer your mother, but mine!
And Abba Iliodor consoled our grandmother, made sure that she was placed more comfortably, told her everything and showed her in Optina. And from that moment on, he always began to call her mother Vera. So my grandmother left reassured and partly even churched thanks to Father Iliodor.
Subsequently, when our whole family became a church member and moved to Kozelsk, my grandmother took monastic vows. And Elder Eli (Nozdrin) tonsured her in Shamordino and gave her the name Mariam - in honor of the Mother of God. So my grandmother’s name day was on the Annunciation, and the next day the Council of the Archangel Gabriel is celebrated - her son’s name day.
Nun Mariam died at the age of 85 in the Shamordino Monastery.
Why do people pray to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
Prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker is the most powerful prayer that can change fate
Centuries have passed since the death of Nicholas the Wonderworker, and people still believe in his miraculous power. Pilgrims from all over the planet come to his remains. True believers know that he became a saint because he led a correct lifestyle and was merciful.
They are sure that, even being in another world, Saint Nicholas still hears their prayers and helps them in healing from illness, getting rid of poverty, and pacifying the souls of deceased loved ones. Those who do not believe in the effect of prayers and the power of saints, when faced with a difficult life situation, one way or another come to higher powers for help. And the prayer to St. Nicholas is considered one of the most powerful, which helps even the desperate, who have lost faith in a miracle.
How to pray correctly
The prayer to Nicholas the Wonderworker is read for 40 days, without missing a day.
In Orthodoxy, the number 40 symbolizes completeness and perfection. This figure appears in many stories in both the Old and New Testaments. If it is not possible to make a pilgrimage to the relics of Nicholas in Italy, you can pray in any temple or in your home. An icon is placed on a clean table and a lamp is lit. Before you start reading the prayer, you should definitely thank the saint for all the good things in life.
Thoughts should be focused on the desire to change your life.
The first time you need to read in a full voice, the second time - in a half-whisper, the third time - to yourself. If for some reason they miss a day of prayer, they begin to read again. It is best to read akathists in the morning, before lunch, when the mind is not burdened with everyday affairs, and the body is not burdened with food. The reading of this prayer must be accompanied by sincere faith and humility. Before starting to read 40 akathists, you should ask for the blessing of an Orthodox priest. You should not expect quick fulfillment of difficult requests. A long time must pass before fate begins to change for the better.
Who will prayer help?
The prayer has already helped millions of people who turned to Nicholas for help through it, finding themselves in a difficult life situation.
- It helps to completely change your destiny. Thanks to her, people forget about their serious illnesses, young girls, whom love has avoided for a long time, finally get married, childless spouses have a child, and the poor suddenly get rid of hunger.
- The Miracle Worker helps in building a career and in studies. Travelers and sailors consider him their patron, because it was not without reason that he pacified the sea waves.
- Those who pray receive strength from above, which helps them overcome all obstacles in their path. Its effect is especially strong if the situation is critical, and the person asking for help has lost hope that he can solve the problem on his own.
- Daily prayer to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker and those whose lives are an endless series of ups and downs will help, leveling out their spiritual imperfections.
And if prayer still doesn’t help, perhaps it’s worth looking at the problem from a different angle. Perhaps this is a test through which one must go, as befits a true Christian, without becoming embittered or giving up, in order to become stronger and stronger in spirit.
Is it possible to read an akathist for 40 days to start a family?
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes.
Reader question:
Hello! I would really like to read the Akathist for 40 days to Nikolai Ugodnik, ask him for help in my current difficult situation and starting a family, and I would like to ask you for your blessing to read. I live alone with my little daughter; her father abandoned me while I was pregnant. Now he has another family and a child, he does not want to communicate with us. I won’t interfere with their family; I would like to create my own. But I can’t do it, I can’t let go of this situation, I suffer a lot. And I can’t meet a suitable man, few people need a family, and I don’t want to fornicate. I want there to be a person who would love me and accept my daughter as his own.
It is for this purpose that I want to read the Akathist. I read it before, but not for 40 days.
Priest Viktor Nikishov answers:
Priest Victor NIKISHOV
God bless you!
Archimandrite Cyprian Kern described the akathist as follows: “The akathist, or “unsaddled song” is a poetic work, close in form to the ancient kontakion, but also significantly different from it. This is also a large poem, consisting of a main “kontakion” with a specific ending; or a chorus and 24 stanzas following it, but not only ikos, as in the ancient kontakion, but an alternating alternation of 12 ikos and 12 kontakia; at the same time, the ikos end with the same refrain as the first kontakion, and all other kontakia end with the refrain “alleluia.” You can also see the text about akathists: What is an akathist?
From this description we can understand that an akathist is not a request to the Lord for a certain result, but rather a hymn to what or about whom the akathist is written. Moreover, you should not expect 100% results when reading a certain number of akathists. The Lord is not controlled by us through combinations of words or actions. Reading 40 times, or 100,500, or exactly at midnight, or on an empty stomach is a magical approach that excludes meaningful, heartfelt and impulsive prayer, as a sincere dialogue with the Lord. In this case, it would be simpler and more logical to even pray in your own words. Read the akathist you have chosen, supplementing it with prayer, as much as is convenient for you. So much so that your daughter does not suffer from lack of attention and communication, so that household chores and work do not suffer.
You thought correctly that you do not need fornication. You should expect your man, who will be ready to accept you and your child and start a family with you. But there is no need to rush things; events may well develop in such a way that the man will not be found. And in this case, you also need to thank the Lord, who may have saved you from unnecessary sorrows and suffering.
God help you.
