Morning prayers
In fact, reading prayers is not just a random utterance of words addressed to God or some saint. Deeply religious people are indignant towards those who read prayers wherever and whenever they have to. Beginners, on the contrary, cannot even pronounce the texts in the language in which the prayers are written.
In addition, there is a certain prayer rule - this is a list of prayers created for the evening and for the morning. For example, the prayer “Our Father,” which is popular with almost everyone, is the main address with which the day can begin and end. This prayer must be read before breakfast. The prayer rule may not be the same for everyone: some have the opportunity to devote the required amount of time to morning prayers, but others do not.
One thing is fundamental here: the prayer rule may even be very small, but it must be observed without fail. It is believed that even a five-minute morning prayer, read from the heart, and not formally, is sufficient for a person to be called a good Christian. The most important thing is the correspondence between thoughts and words read.
Morning prayers must certainly include the reading of the remembrance. At this time, they pray for peace, the health of their own relatives and just people who are somehow related to your life. It is also important to remember your own ill-wishers in order to wish them well.
The prayer of Macarius the Great “God cleanse”, as, in general, his other prayers are mostly morning. Specifically, she has great power, because this saint was known for his good deeds.
INTERPRETATION OF MORNING PRAYERSPrayer 1, Saint Macarius the Great
God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done nothing good before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and may Your will be done in me, may I open my unworthy lips without condemnation and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Translation:
God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have never done anything good before You; deliver me from the evil, treacherous (the name of the devil in Church Slavonic), and let Your will be done in me; grant me, without condemnation (with impunity), to open my unworthy lips and praise Thy holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Prayer 2, Saint Macarius the Great
Rising from sleep, I bring the midnight hymn to Thee, Savior, and falling down, I cry out to Thee: do not let me fall asleep in sinful death, but be gracious to me, crucified by will, and hasten me lying in laziness, and save me in standing and prayer, and In my dreams, by night, shine upon me a sinless day, O Christ God, and save me.
Translation:
Rising after sleep, at midnight I bring You, Savior, a song and, falling at Your feet, I exclaim to You: do not let me fall asleep in sinful death, but have pity on me, O voluntarily Crucified, quickly raise me, lying carelessly, and save me, standing before You in prayer. And after a night’s sleep, send me a clear and sinless day, O Christ God, and save me.
Prayer 3, Saint Macarius the Great
To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running, and I strive for Your works with Your mercy, and I pray to You: help me at all times, in every thing, and deliver me from all worldly evil things and the devil’s haste, and save me, and bring us into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Provider and Giver of every good thing, and all my hope is in You, and I send up glory to You, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
In this prayer, we express our readiness and desire before God, upon awakening from sleep, to engage in the affairs assigned to each of us by God, and we ask Him for help in these matters; We also ask that He save us from sins and bring us into the Kingdom of Heaven. The prayer ends with praise to God.
Translation:
To You, Lord Lover of Mankind, getting up after sleep, I hasten and, by Your mercy, take up the deeds pleasing to You. I pray to You: help me always and in everything, and deliver me from all evil in the world and from the devil’s work, and save me, and bring me into Your eternal Kingdom. For You are my Creator and the Source and Giver of all good, all my hope is in You, and I send praise to You now, always and forever. Amen.
Prayer 4, Saint Macarius the Great
Lord, Who through Your many goodness and Your great bounty has given me, Your servant, the passing time of this night without misfortune to pass away from all evil that is contrary to me; You Yourself, Master, the Creator of all things, grant me with Your true light and an enlightened heart to do Your will, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Translation:
Lord, who, by Your abundant goodness and Your great mercy, preserved Your servant in the past time of this night and repelled every attack of the devil, You Yourself, Master, Creator of the whole world, deign me, in the light of Your truth, to do Your will with an enlightened heart, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
Rules for believers
It is allowed to pray either in Russian or in Church Slavonic, depending on your ability. As a result, any person who considers himself a believer must develop certain rituals.
These include:
- undeniable prayers every day.
- veneration of icons and holy relics.
- definitely wear a cross, and not at all as decoration.
- celebration of Christian dates and honoring saints.
- pilgrimages, fasting, bowing before icons and shrines.
It is important to remember that it is better not to skip morning prayers; words are also prohibited in places. There is no need to rush and fuss while reading the prayer. It is important to be aware of the essence of spoken words and sentences. It is necessary to pray in silence, so as not to be distracted by sounds from outside - radio, TV, telephone.
Prayers
Audio
My soul, my soul, why do you complain about the Lord? For your laziness is an intercessor for the eternal torment. If only I knew the gift of God, I would cry with burning tears, groaning with sighs, grieving for every sin, for the small and for the great. Cry out to Your Master, so that the wrath of the one who overcomes the all-powerful hand of the righteous does not precede you. But I, a sinner and a lazy and flattering tongue, how shall I pray to my Master, may the Lord deliver me from the Last Judgment? I always tremble with the thought in my heart about the Last Judgment, may it deliver me from eternal torment, and never-ending worms, and pitch darkness, and from unwarmable thunderstorms. Have mercy on me, Your sinful servant (name), like Paul the Apostle, whom you love more than all, and do not turn Your face away from us, the poor, on the Day of Dread, for whom my soul and the limbs of my body tremble. are horrified. Lord, deliver me from this terrible hour, so that I may not fall from Your mercy. But I pray to the holy Angels and Archangels, and the prophets, and the martyrs, and all the saints, that they pray to God for my soul. For the sake of your prayer, may the Lord return His demands from me, a sinner. And you, Most Pure Lady Virgin, having boldness towards the Son for Your servants, do not forget the labors of Your servant (name). Master Savior, from my poor soul I pray to You, deliver me from the sorrow of my sins and lead me into the joy of endless life, where Your all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy, is glorified of the Spirit, always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Translation:
Prayer for every day.
Soul, my soul, why do you complain about the Lord? After all, your laziness requires eternal torment. If I knew the gift of God, I would cry with burning tears, groaning with anguish, grieving over every sin, small and great. Exclaim to your Lord, so that the sudden wrath of Him who possesses the all-powerful righteous hand does not overtake you. But I, a sinner and lazy, having a flattering tongue, how can I pray to my Master that the Lord will deliver me from the Last Judgment? I constantly tremble with thoughts in my heart before the Last Judgment, about deliverance from eternal torment, and the worm that eternally torments, and pitch darkness, and from a thunderstorm that cannot be avoided. Have mercy on me, Your sinful servant (name), like the Apostle Paul, whom you loved more than anyone, and do not turn Your face away from us, the poor, on that Terrible Day, which my soul fears and before which my body freezes. Lord, deliver me from this terrible hour, so as not to fall away from Your mercy. But I pray to the holy Angels, Archangels, prophets, martyrs and all saints to pray to God for my soul. Your prayer is for the Lord to deliver me, a sinner, from His retribution. And You, Most Pure Lady Virgin, who has the right to turn to the Son about Your servants, do not forget the labors of Your servant (name). Master Savior, from my poor soul I pray to You, deliver me from the sorrow of my sins and lead me into the joy of endless life, where Your all-holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is glorified, always, now and constantly and in all ages. Amen.
Macarius the Majestic
Saint Macarius the Great is the creator of almost all Orthodox prayers and conversations, an Orthodox miracle worker and hermit. He was born around the year 300 in Lower Egypt. His ancestors lived to old age without having children. When the guy grew up, he got married.
He got married quickly, at the request of his parents, but his home life did not last long, and he soon became a widower. Then his parents also passed away. Macarius decided that all his property would no longer be useful to him, distributed it to the poor and began to move into the desert. There lived a lonely old man who was very happy to shelter a guest. During this period of residence, the old man preached worship to Macarius as a science, and at the same time they weaved baskets together. A little later they built a separate house for Macarius nearby. A couple of years passed like this.
Then Macarius' path lay to Saint Anthony, who was the pope of the hermitage in Egypt. The arrival of Macarius amused the monk, whose student and follower he became. This period lasted quite a long time. Much later, following the advice of his own mentor, Macarius went to the Skete hermitage. He showed himself to be a monk with a wealth of experience, and this despite the fact that he was only 30 years old! In addition, he skillfully healed and treated people who came and came to him even from afar.
This lifestyle did not give him the privacy he wanted, and he created such a space for himself. It was a cave that he dug with his own hands under his home. There he hid from the whole world to read prayers and think about God. He achieved such boldness in this that, with the power of his own prayers, he learned to revive the dead. Despite all this, he himself remained a man of complete humility.
In the period from 364 to 378, Macarius the Majestic was persecuted by Archbishop Luke. Together with Macarius of Alexandria, he was taken by ship to an uninhabited peninsula, which was inhabited by pagans. Both saints should not have survived on this peninsula. But they not only survived, but healed the daughter of the head priest. After this, the inhabitants of the island received Baptism. Even the bishop himself, having learned about the exploits of the saints, decided to return to them.
After this, Macarius the Great lived for about 60 more years in the ruined desert in constant prayers, labors and repentance. All of his actual experiences resulted in countless prayers and spiritual conversations. They became the majestic legacy of the majestic saint and were translated into almost all languages of the world. Their main themes are Christian love, patience, purity, and spiritual perfection. Their main rule is faith, life without sin, according to the commandments.
The saint died at the advanced age of 90 or 97 years old - information here varies.
February 1 for Christians is a day of remembrance and honor of this miracle worker. On this day, a church service is held in his honor and an akathist is read.
Orthodox Life
Recently I was asked to recommend a stronger prayer so that it would definitely work.
This is not the first time we have heard such a formulation of the question - YouTube regularly offers strong prayers for cleansing the house and protecting against the evil eye.
Why is this fundamentally wrong? Because the text of the prayer itself is attributed some special power. As if if you switched the words, something would change. Maybe God doesn’t understand some of the texts of prayers well enough, and in order for Him to understand them better, a different text is needed, a clearer one? Or are there some special phrases that the Lord will not dare to disobey and will certainly grant my request? Agree, it sounds absurd and even blasphemous.
Once upon a time, during my distant youth, in our local newspaper, along with the daily television program, they began to print icons of the saints of the day and write who should pray for what. Then I did not fail to make fun of the fact that Orthodoxy is no different from paganism in this case: they simply replaced narrowly specialized gods with their own saints - and that’s all. Much later, when I opened my first prayer book, I was surprised to discover that the prayers to all these saints did not contain requests for specific types of illness, harvest, removal of the crown of celibacy, or reconciliation with superiors. On the contrary, they are all quite similar and, by and large, boil down to the fact that since you are a holy person, now next to God, then please ask Him to grant us forgiveness of sins, repentance, to be merciful when we appear at His Judgment, and kept the Church from heresies and schisms. If the health of the body is mentioned, it is only in conjunction with the health of the soul, and then somewhat in passing. The entire emphasis is shifted to the spiritual, there is no everyday life or esotericism even close.
Of course, there is nothing reprehensible in asking saints for help when a tooth hurts, but this cannot determine their functionality. That's not what the good news is about. Jesus Christ healed the sick and crippled, but at the same time preached repentance and called to eternal life. The connection of our troubles and illnesses with sin is repeatedly emphasized on the pages of the Gospel: “Behold, you have recovered; Sin no more, lest anything worse happen to you” (John 5:14). You should not look for relief from poor health, but to eradicate its cause.
If you do not read the prescribed prayer rule mechanically, but try to understand the meaning of what is written, then you can understand what we really should desire and what we should strive for. The texts of the prayers included in the rule are determined and recommended by the hierarchy not because of their specifically magical properties, but so that we learn to pray correctly. That's why it's called a rule.
The authors of the prayers are holy ascetics. Trying to pray in their words, we become familiar with their spiritual experience, we understand what exactly we need to ask from God and what to repent of. With personal spiritual growth, study of Scripture and dogmatic truths, more and more new meanings will be revealed in the texts of prayers.
When the disciples asked Jesus Christ to teach them to pray, He gave them the Lord’s Prayer. The Lord not only gave us beautiful words, but revealed the meaning of spiritual life. The Holy Fathers wrote many interpretations on this prayer - it is very deep and multi-layered. Therefore, it is unreasonable to be content with simply repeating it regularly; it would be nice to try to understand its meaning. After all, Christ gave us not a universal spell for all troubles, but instructions for the correct construction of spiritual life.
Of course, this is easier said than done. But, as they say in one modern saying: if you can’t go to the goal, crawl, you don’t have the strength to crawl, at least lie down in the direction of the goal. Even our good intentions are important to God. Therefore, we suggest starting small and reflecting a little on the prayers included in our usual morning and evening rules.
Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great (from “Morning Prayers”).
God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no more good before You; but deliver me from the evil one, and let Your will be done in me, that I may open my unworthy mouth without condemnation and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. in Amen.
Let's start with authorship. The prayer was composed by St. Macarius the Great, disciple of St. Anthony the Great, founder of monasticism. He lived in Egypt in the 4th century. The goal of his entire life was St. Macarius saw the union of the soul with God. He spent more than 60 years in the desert in fasting and prayer and died at the age of 97. (This, by the way, relates to the question of the dangers of abstinence for the body.)
Therefore, the prayers included in the rule are not just pious words, but the fruit of the spiritual experience of a person who has reached the highest heights of holiness.
God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have done no more good before You.
In the very first phrase, we ask God to cleanse us sinners, because we have never done anything good in general. It even sounds a little offensive. Have I really done absolutely nothing good in my life? You can pronounce these words with your tongue, but your heart refuses to believe them. It is especially strange to hear them from a man who amazed his contemporaries with the holiness.
Let us turn to the text of the Gospel for help. The Apostle Luke quotes the following words of Christ: “Which of you, having a slave plowing or shepherding, upon his return from the field, will say to him: “Go quickly, sit down at the table”? On the contrary, will he not say to him: “Prepare my supper and, having girded yourself, serve me while I eat and drink, and then eat and drink yourself”? Will he thank this servant for carrying out the order? Don't think. So you too, when you have done everything commanded you, say: “We are worthless servants, because we did what we had to do”” (Luke 17:7-10).
The Holy Fathers unanimously interpret this passage as a teaching in humility. If we do something good and at the same time think how great we are, then vanity will multiply all our efforts by zero. Nobody praises a subordinate for what is his direct responsibility? At the end of the day, the administrator at the store is unlikely to say to the cashier: “What a smart girl you are - you scanned goods all day today!”, because that’s exactly what was expected of her. If a worker begins to boast and demand recognition, then at best they will look at her with bewilderment.
Doing good and fulfilling the commandments is not a super feat, but the norm! What we often take to be something special is only special to us. For a spiritually healthy person, the way God intended him to be, this is natural behavior. So if we have managed to reach the norm with some grief, then there is nothing special to be proud of. This means that the rest of the time my life is far from ideal and these one-time bursts of normal behavior are drowned in the bustle and fuss of everyday life. That is why the saint sighs. Macarius before God, and with him we: “God, cleanse me, a sinner, for I have never done anything good before You.”
Even those good deeds that we happen to do are still poisoned by sin: either you think about yourself that you are better than others; or will you wait for gratitude; or you will be upset when you don’t receive gratitude; or you will begin to share your piety with others, latently expecting recognition and praise, that is, this is done, as a rule, with some secret, although not always realized, purpose, but rarely from the heart. We seem to expect certain dividends from our actions, be it a positive assessment from others or internal satisfaction. The spiritual structure, ideally, is such that doing good becomes natural, like breathing, which we do not notice, and it does not even occur to us to be proud of it.
Humility is not self-flagellation and humiliation of one's own human dignity. Humility is a sober, healthy self-esteem. Yes, Lord, I understand that my life is far from the beauty of Your commandments, but I have neither the strength nor the will to correct anything. But You are the Merciful and Almighty! Since I can’t do it myself, You Yourself “cleanse me, a sinner,” You Yourself deliver me from all evil: from the devil’s machinations and from my personal sinful movements (“the evil one”). Help me not to make mistakes, but to think and act correctly, according to Your will (“Thy will be done in me”). I know You can do this, You Yourself said: “What is impossible with men is possible with God” (John 18:27).
Only then will I “uncondemnably open my unworthy mouth and praise Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages Amen.” Because “not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Heavenly Father. Many will say to Me on that day: “Lord!” God! Have we not prophesied in Your name? and was it not in Your name that they cast out demons? and did they not perform many miracles in Your name?” And then I will declare to them: “I never knew you; Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:21–23). Glorifying God with one tongue without caring about one’s correction turns out to achieve nothing. The circle of inappropriateness of mechanical reading of prayers has closed.
Christ did not offer us a barter relationship: we read a prayer to Him - He cured our illness. The words of prayer in themselves do not bring us closer or further away from God. But they can serve as a means of getting closer to Him. And how we use it and whether we use it depends on us.
Ekaterina Vykhovanets
Miracles
Nicknamed the miracle worker, Macarius the Great, indeed, did many good deeds, truly wonderful. For example, at one point a lady was brought to him. She was blind and, as they said, possessed by Satan. Her father had long been searching for various medicines to cure her, to no avail. Nothing helped, and she was taken to the elder in the desert. As a result, she received her sight and got rid of the devil's obsession.
About 50 cases of healing similar to this have been recorded and described.
Icon of St. Macarius
The icon of Macarius the Great cannot be classified as one of the most widespread icons: occasionally a church can be damaged by its presence. Most often it is found in monasteries, where this image is highly revered.
The face of Saint Macarius is quite difficult to distinguish from other hermits. A distinctive feature can only be the inscription next to the face itself, or the foot.
One of his most famous images is an icon made using the fresco technique by Theophan the Greek. This particular work by the famous bogomaz is one of the most beautiful creations in world art. It is located in the choir of the Trinity Church.
The icon is made in monochrome, in other words, in black and white colors. On it, an old man stands before us - tall and powerful, his face darkened from a tan. A long beard and a shock of grayish hair are a distinctive feature. At first glance, it may seem that there are hairs all over the figure of Macarius; in fact, this conveys the fact that he is covered with a pillar of light.
This is how the Reverend appears to people in the vision of Theophan the Greek. On other icons, Macarius the Great can be seen in long clothes made from the wool of feral goats. But this also unites all the icons with the image of Macarius; in each work one can note a small number of colors. Thanks to such stinginess, his ascetic lifestyle and renunciation of all earthly things are conveyed in his coloring books as inadmissibly better.
Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian - read the prayer, prayer for Lent
Righteous and praiseworthy God, Eternal God, hear the sinner at this hour! Listen to me, O God, listen in Your strength, without remembering, in this prayer of mine, the constant and incessant disobedience of my insignificance. “Listen to me, O Lord, listen to me this day with fire” in prayer, as Thy prophet once did (1 Kings 18:36). To her, God of holy powers, to her, Creator of the bodiless, to her, Who spoke: “Ask” and… “receive” (Mark 11:24), do not abhor me, unclean, defiled my lips and covered with sins. Listen to me, Who has given the promise to listen to those who call You in truth, and direct the feet of Your servants and ours on the path of peace. Be merciful to gentle slaves who are on the wrong side. O You, who said: “Be ye... targets like doves” (Matthew 10:16), “I have cried out to You with all my heart,” God, God, “hear me” (Ps. 119:145), “the hope of all the ends of the earth ” and wandering “far away” (Ps. 65:6). Rebuke all unclean spirits, so that they may flee from the presence of Your servants. “Take the weapon and the shield, and rise up to help” them. “Draw out the sword and imprison them against those who persecute them.” “Rits”, “Rets”, Lord, Lord, “souls” of them: “I am your salvation” (Ps. 34:2-3). Let the spirit of fear, the spirit of despondency, the spirit of pride and all malice depart from their thoughts; let all kindling caused by the action of the devil be extinguished in them; may their body, soul and spirit be enlightened by the light of Thy knowledge, and having come into the unity of faith and knowledge of the holy worshiped Trinity, may they become perfect men according to the measure of their age, in the age of ages with the Angels and with all who have pleased God from time immemorial, glorify the all-honorable and protective name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Be my helper, Lord of all Christ, protect my spiritual weakness, so that I can get rid of this vile and sinful corruption, become free from the bonds of sin, so that malice does not torment me, and so that I, as a captive, do not be possessed by a hostile demon with the power of sin. , but may the Kingdom of Your Divine and worshiped Spirit come upon me, so that the bad passions that now prevail and reign in me will be removed from me. For You are the God of mercy, and love for mankind, and generosity, and we send glory to You with Your Beginning Father and Your All-Holy, Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
“Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed” (Jer. 17:14). One, wise and merciful Physician, I beg Your goodness, heal the ulcers of my soul and enlighten the eyes of my mind, so that I can understand Your constant dispensation for me! And since my heart and my mind have become fools (have gone mad), then may Thy grace, this true salt, correct them. What will I tell you, Forerunner, who searches hearts and wombs? You alone know that, like the waterless land, my soul thirsts for You, and my heart longs for You. And Your grace has always satisfied the one who loves You. Therefore, as You have always listened to me, so now do not despise my prayer. For my mind, like a captive, seeks You, the only true Savior. Therefore, send Your grace to come to my aid soon, and it will satisfy my hunger, quench my thirst. For I lust after you insatiably, Lord. And who can be satisfied with You if he truly loves You and thirsts for the light of Your truth? Fulfill my requests, O Giver of light, and grant me, through my prayer, pour out into my heart a single drop of Thy grace: may the flame of Thy love kindle in my heart, like fire in a forest, and may it consume (devour) evil thoughts like thorns and thistles. Give me richly and without measure, like God to man, grant me like the King of kings, multiply like a good father. If I, as a wicked person, have rejected and continue to reject Your gifts, You, as the one who filled the waterpots with Your blessing, quench my thirst with Your grace and, as the one who fed five thousand, feed me, the hungry one, with Your grace, O Lord. Grant, O Lover of Mankind, the request of Thy servant who beseeches Thee. For behold, the air brightens, and the birds change their voices from the glory of Thy great Wisdom. So the whole earth puts on a robe of various colors, woven without human hands, rejoices and celebrates a double holiday - a holiday for the sake of its firstborn son Adam, because he was called to life, and a holiday for the sake of its Master. So the sea is filled with Your grace and enriches those who sail on it. Your grace has granted me the boldness to speak before You, and the desire that I have within myself compels me to go to You. The serpent, the instrument of the murderer from time immemorial, coming at this time, opens his mouth; How much more will Your servant, who desires You, open his mouth to the glory and praise of Your grace. You, who have accepted and praised the two mites of this widow, accept the prayer of Thy servant, multiply my prayer, and grant what I ask, so that I may become a temple of Thy grace, may she dwell in me, and may she herself teach me how to please her, herself, striking at let my harp play songs of tenderness, filled with joy, and let me bind my mind as if with a bridle, so that I do not sin before You by getting lost, and not be cast out from this light. Hear, O Lord, hear my prayer, and grant that I, who was wandering and unclean, having become pure, I, the fool, having become wise, I, the useless, having become useful in the flock of Your chosen ascetics and all the saints who have pleased You, may be called into Your Kingdom . Those who rejoice in paradise themselves intercede for me and cry out to You, the only Lover of Mankind. And You listen to their prayer and save me through their intercession. And through them I will give You glory because You heard their prayers, and were gracious to me, and did not despise my prayer. You, Lord, said through Your prophet: “Enlarge your mouth, and I will do it” (Ps. 80: 11). So, behold, both the heart and the mouth of Your servant are open; Fill them with Your grace, so that you may continually bless me with You, Christ our God our Savior. Sprinkle my heart, O good Lover of Mankind, with the dew of Your grace. For, just as the sown land cannot by itself nourish its growths, without visiting Your goodness, so my heart is not able to utter what is pleasing to You by Your grace, if You do not bear the fruit of righteousness. Behold, summer nourishes the fruits of the earth, and the trees are crowned with various flowers. And may the dew of Your grace water my mind and decorate it with the flowers of humility, contrition, love and patience. And what should I say? Behold, my prayer is weak, but my iniquities are great and strong. Sins oppress me, and my infirmities trouble me; You are rich and good, merciful and generous. You, who opened the eyes of the blind, open the eyes of my mind, so that I may continually contemplate Your beauty. Thou who hast opened the mouth of him who weareth the yoke, open my mouth to Thy praise and to the glory of Thy grace. You, who set a limit to the sea by the word of Your command, set a limit also to my heart by Your grace, so that it does not turn aside “to the right hand or to the left” (Deut. 5:32) from Your beauty. You, who gave water in the desert to a rebellious and quarrelsome people, give me contrition and tears for my eyes to cry day and night throughout my life with humility, with love and with a pure heart. Let “my prayer come near unto Thee, O Lord” (Ps. 119:169), and grant me the holy seed, that I may bring unto Thee full hilts of contrition. Glory to the Giver of what to bring to Him! Hear, O Lord, the prayer of Thy servant, through the intercession of all Thy saints, thou art blessed above all forever! Amen.
I magnify You, O Lord, that You looked upon my humility and did not deliver me into the hands of enemies and saved my soul from need. And now, Master, may Thy hand cover me, may Thy mercy come upon me, because my soul is confused and greatly grieves, so that when it departs from this poor body, the wicked hand of the enemy does not meet it and hold it in darkness for its sins , done by me in this life out of ignorance and with knowledge. Be merciful to me, Lord of all; May my soul not see the darkened gaze of evil demons, but may Your pure and bright Angels receive it. Give glory to Your holy name, and by Your power lead me to Your Divine throne. And when I am judged, may the hand of the prince of this world not seize me and lead me, a sinner, into the depths of hell. But You appear to me and be my savior and intercessor. Have mercy, Lord, my soul, defiled by the passions of this life. And if, as a man, due to the weakness of nature, I have sinned in word, or deed, or thought, You, who have the power to forgive sins, forgive and release me, so that I may find coolness, and I will appear before You without uncleanness or defilement, and May Thy hand accept me blameless, undefiled, O Lord, for blessed are You forever.
O philanthropic Jesus Christ, my God, firmly trusting in Your mercies, I beg You, do not put me on Your side with the goats who have upset You, and do not say to me: “I say Amen” to you, “I do not know” you (Matthew 25:12) , but, in Your goodness, give me unceasing tears, give contrition and humility to my heart and cleanse it with Your fear in the communion of Your Life-giving and Most Pure Mysteries, so that it may become a temple of Your grace. For, although I am a great sinner and unworthy, yet I continually knock on Your door; Although I am careless and lazy and careless about my salvation, I nevertheless follow Your path. Save me for the sake of Your mercy, because You are good, O Lord, in all Your compassions “in all Your works” (Ps. 144:9), and to You be glory forever! Amen.
Have mercy, Lord, on those who hate me and envy me, and also slander me and slander me; and none of them, either in this age or in the future, will tolerate anything bad for the sake of me, the unclean, but sanctify them with Thy mercy and cover them with Thy goodness, O All-Merciful One!
"God, cleanse me, a sinner"
It is safe to say that this particular morning prayer to the designated saint has greater power. It is read in the morning, preferably immediately after waking up, when no work has yet been started, and certainly before breakfast. The text of the prayer is pronounced in Russian; if desired, other morning prayers can be added to it.
It was not for nothing that Macarius was dubbed the Wonderworker: the fame of his wondrous deeds was very great. There were also magical healings and resurrections from the dead. Therefore, Macarius the Great is often prayed to for various diseases.
For a long time in Rus', Saint Macarius was revered as a majestic adviser, a liberator from various ailments. His prayers and conversations, as the Orthodox believed, could transform a person’s soul. Orthodox Christians celebrate February 1; there was no need to even work on this day. They preferred to visit people and drink tea at the samovar.
Prayers before and after eating food
prayer
PRAYERS BEFORE BREAKFAST
As before the beginning of any prayer, first of all three bows with prayers of repentance are required:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Let's pray before meals
The eyes of all trust in You, Lord, and You give them food in good season, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal’s good will.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest : O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
[If only lay people eat, then the person reading the prayer, usually the eldest, without blessing the meal, says:
Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.]
And we : Amen.
PRAYERS AFTER BREAKFAST
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings, and do not deprive us of Thy Heavenly Kingdom, but for Thou hast come among Thy disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest: God is with us by His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
We : Amen.
(In the absence of the priest: Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.)
And three final bows with prayers:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
PRAYERS BEFORE DINNER
Three short prayers of repentance with bows.
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Then:
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.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest : O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
(In the absence of a secular priest: Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for He is Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.)
All: Amen.
AFTERNOON PRAYERS
Let us make a release : Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.
And we : Amen.
Blessed be God, have mercy and nourished us from our youth, give food to all flesh, fill our hearts with joy and gladness, so that we may always have all sufficiency, abounding in every good work, in Christ Jesus our Lord: with Him befits you glory, power, honor and worship, with the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee, Holy One, glory to Thee, the King, for Thou hast given us food for joy: fill us with the Holy Spirit, so that those who are before You may be well-pleasing and not ashamed, always rewarding each according to his deeds.
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast filled us with Thy earthly blessings, and do not deprive us of Thy heavenly Kingdom, but for Thou hast come among Thy disciples, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.
Then the troparions are sung or read on that day of the feasts celebrated - the Lord's, the Theotokos, the Archangels, the Forerunner, the Apostles and the great Ecumenical Saints (with a bow after each troparion).
Let us therefore troparion to All Russian Saints ( Tone 8):
Like the red fruit of Your saving sowing, the Russian land brings to You, Lord, all the saints who shone in that place. With those prayers in the deep world, the Church and our country are preserved by the Mother of God, O Most Merciful One.
And the troparia of the Russian saints celebrated that day (with bows).
Glory: Troparion to the Prophet Elijah (Tone 4):
In the flesh, an angel, the foundation of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, the glorious Elijah, who received food from the angel and nourished the widow during the famine, and be a gracious nourisher for us who honor you.
And now: Theotokos (same voice):
Let us now fall to the Intercessor of our country, the Ever-Virgin Mother of God, and to Her first-painted icon, calling with faith from the depths of our souls: O Mother of God, save the Russian land, heal its contrition, and comfort the faithful people.
Thanksgiving for being fed can be accompanied by prayer for the hosts of the meal and benefactors. Then, at the end of the troparion to the Mother of God, the priest exclaims:
Merciful Lord, have mercy on Your servants who have mercy on us. Everyone repeats this refrain. Priest: Glory. And we: And now. Then they sing the chaos:
Deliver from the troubles and sorrows of Your servants who nourish us, O Merciful One, as we diligently resort to You, to our Gracious Nourisher and to all who are merciful and who has promised mercy.
The priest pronounces the litany: Have mercy on us, O God, according to Thy great mercy, we pray, hear and have mercy.
All: Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)
Priest: We also pray for mercy, life, peace, health, salvation, visitation, forgiveness and forgiveness of sins... (The worldly begins the petition: Lord have mercy... further general continuation) of all those who love, have mercy and feed us, do good and serve us, commanded and We are commanded to pray to them, and to all their relatives, to reward them for their love for us, remember their faith in the power of the prayer of your brethren and priests, and according to their faith, fulfill all their requests, pour out spiritual and physical blessings on them, bless them with success their labors and undertakings, and save them from all sorrows (especially let there be no sorrow for them for this work of love that is being done for us), we pray to You, Merciful Lord, hear us sinners praying to You, and have mercy.
All : Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)
Priest: How merciful...
All : Amen.
Glory: (Bow.) And now: (Bow.) Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) (Bow.) Bless.
Priest : Blessed be God, have mercy on us and nourish us with His rich gifts, with His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and forever and ever.
(In the absence of the priest, the worldly: Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.)
All: Amen.
In conclusion, three bows are required with the usual prayers and everyone thanks the organizers of the meal and the eldest of the tablemates.
PRAYERS BEFORE NON-STARTED MEALS (TEA PARTY)
Three short prayers of repentance with bows:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
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. Glory, even now. Lord have mercy. (Thrice.)
Priest : O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
[If only lay people eat, then the person reading the prayer, usually the eldest, without blessing the meal, says:
Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.]
And we : Amen.
PRAYERS AFTER NON-STARTED MEALS
It is worthy to eat, as truly, to 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 seraphim without comparison, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
Glory, even now . Lord have mercy. (Three times.) Bless.
Priest: God is with us by His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
We : Amen.
(In the absence of the priest: Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.)
And three final bows with prayers:
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
PRAYERS BEFORE DINNER
God, cleanse me, a sinner. (Bow.)
Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me. (Bow.)
Without number of sinners, Lord, have mercy and forgive me, a sinner. (Bow.)
After three prayers of repentance:
The squalids eat and are satisfied, and they who seek Him praise the Lord; their hearts will live forever and ever.
Glory, even now . Lord have mercy. (Three times.) Bless.
Priest : O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
[If only lay people eat, then the person reading the prayer, usually the eldest, without blessing the meal, says:
Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servant, for Thou art Holy, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.]
And we : Amen.
PRAYERS AFTER DINNER
Thy belly became the Holy Table, possessing the Heavenly Bread, Christ our God, from which no one who eats poison dies, as everyone says, the Mother of God, the Nourisher.
We magnify You, the most honorable cherub, and the most glorious seraphim without comparison, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
You have made us glad, O Lord, in Your creations, and in the works of Your hand we will rejoice. The light of Your countenance shines upon us, O Lord, You have given gladness to my heart, from the fruit of your wheat, wine and oil multiplying. I will sleep together in peace and rest, for You, Lord, alone have given me hope.
Glory, and now : Lord, have mercy. (Three times.) Bless.
Priest: God is with us by His grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.
We : Amen.
(In the absence of the priest: Through the prayers of the saints, our fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us.)..
To the list of prayers
