(Rising from sleep, before any other work, stand reverently, presenting yourself before the All-Seeing God, and, making the sign of the cross, say):

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

(Then wait a little until all your feelings come to silence and your thoughts leave everything earthly, and then say the following prayers, without haste and with attention of the heart:

Publican's Prayer

God, be merciful to me a sinner (Bow).

Predestinatory prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen. Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (It is read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist).

Prayer to the Holy Trinity

Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Lord, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Your name's sake. Lord have mercy (thrice). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen.

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Song of the Virgin

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you: blessed are you in women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, as if you gave birth to our souls as the Savior.

Symbol of faith

I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, who was all. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried. And she rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the coming with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, Who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Troparion to the Cross and Prayer for the Fatherland

Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victory to the opposition, and Thy keeping Thy Cross living.

Prayer for the Living

Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives (names), bosses, mentors, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians.

Prayer for the dead

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

At the end of every prayer and every deed

It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed Theotokos, Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of the God of the Word, who gave birth to the Existing Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

Jesus Prayer

(spoken aloud or silently, in the heart and mind - constantly throughout the day)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Various prayers throughout the day

Before starting any business

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fills everything, Treasury of the good and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed, our souls.

Bless, Lord, and help me, a sinner, to complete the work I begin, to Your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of Your Father without Beginning, You said with Your pure lips that without Me you can do nothing. My Lord, Lord, by faith the volume in my soul and heart spoken by You, I bow to Your goodness: help me, a sinner, this work that I begin, do about You, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, with the prayers of the Mother of God and all Your saints . Amen.

At the end of the case

Thou art the fulfillment of all good things, O my Christ, fill my soul with joy and gladness, and save me, as one is the Most Merciful, Lord, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as if truly blessed Theotokos, Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honest Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without the corruption of God the Word, who gave birth to the real Mother of God, we magnify Thee.

Before eating food

Lord's Prayer or: The eyes of all in Thee, O Lord, trust, and You give them food in good time, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal good will.

After eating food

We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Heavenly Kingdom, but as if in the midst of Your disciples, Thou hast come, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.

Prayers for the dream to come

When you go to sleep, say: In Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commit my spirit: You bless me, You have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Cross:

Mark yourself with the cross
Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered, and let those who hate Him flee from His presence. As the smoke disappears, let them disappear; as wax melts from the face of fire, so let the demons perish from the face of those who love God and are marked by the sign of the cross, and in joy they say: Rejoice, Most Honorable and Life-giving Cross of the Lord, drive away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, crucified on you, who descended into hell and corrected his strength the devil, and who gave us His Honorable Cross to drive away every adversary. O Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady Virgin Mother of God and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:
Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your Honorable and Life-Giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

This prayer should be said just before going to bed, kissing the cross worn on the chest, and protecting yourself and the bed with the sign of the cross.

Commandments of God

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is similar to it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself. (Gospel of Matthew, ch.22.st.37-39)

Ten commandments of God:

1. I am the Lord your God. May you not be bosi and and unless Mene.

2. Do not make for yourself an idol, and any likeness, a spruce in heaven, a mountain, and a spruce on the earth below, and a spruce in the waters under the earth, but do not bow down to them, nor serve them.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy: do six days, and do (in them) all your works. On the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord your God.

5. Honor your father and your mother, may it be good, and may you be long on earth.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Do not commit adultery.

8. Don't steal.

9. Do not listen to a friend, your testimony is false.

10. Thou shalt not covet thy sincere wife, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, nor his village, nor his servant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his livestock, nor all the spruce of your neighbor.

(Book of Exodus, ch. 20, vv. 2,4-5,7,8-10,12-17)

Beatitudes, virtues, mortal sins and struggle with them

Beatitudes of the Gospel

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for of them is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the mercies, for they will have mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed exile for the sake of righteousness, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and they give you up, and they say all sorts of evil words against you lying for Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven. (Gospel of Matthew, ch.5, st.3-12)

Three virtues:

1. Faith. 2. Hope. 3. Love.

Seven deadly sins

1. Sadness, laziness. 2. Anger. 3. Despondency. 4. Gluttony. 5. Fornication. 6. Love of money. 7. Pride - Vanity.

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov defines sin as a distortion or excess in the use of God's gifts. This means that any desire, feeling, thought and deed, depending on the measure and aspirations, can be righteous or sinful. For example, they are not sins: moderate rest after work, anger in defense of the weak or the truth, from time to time - grief over one's imperfection, pleasure in a moderate meal, pleasure in an honest marriage from the physical union of the flesh with his wife, possession of the material world for the glory of God as an increase in love, joy from the created creation (realized thought, word, action), which is based on the Good Beginning.

Connection of temptations. “The thought of gluttony ends with the thought of fornication, and the thought of fornication ends with the thought of sadness, because sadness and despondency will immediately follow in the conquered by such thoughts, after he is sobered up.” Venerable Nilus of Sinai (IV-V centuries)

“Despondency sometimes comes from pleasure; and sometimes because the fear of God is not in a person. Saint John of the Ladder (7th century AD)

With melancholy, despondency, you must immediately fight, because the next step after despondency is despair, from which death already happens. Hieromartyr Arseny (Zhadanovsky), Bishop of Serpukhov (1874-1937).

A weapon against depression.

Save yourself from despondency by weeping for sins. Rev. Joseph of Optina (1837-1911).

In times of trouble, expect a peaceful dispensation, and in a time of peaceful dispensation, expect a mournful one. In this temporary life, peaceful and mournful experiences alternate. Schiegumen John (Alekseev) (1873-1958).

A person who has death before his eyes constantly overcomes despondency. "Father".

Orthodox prayers for all occasions read and listen online in Russian

Every person during his life at least once, but there are difficult situations in life. An Orthodox believer in such situations does not, first of all, despair, but goes to the church for help to pray to the saints and ask them to direct them on the right path to resolve a difficult situation. There is a special prayer for help in a difficult life situation. Sometimes, of course, if a person does not know its text, he makes a petition in his own words.

Prayers for those in difficult situations

In Orthodoxy, there are many saints to whom believers come for help. In difficult situations, the following saints are most often turned to:

• Virgin Mary. The Mother of God is considered the intercessor of all Orthodox people.

Saint Seraphim of Vyritsky is one of the most revered Orthodox saints. He became a monk after the revolution ended. He was one of the representatives of the strengthening of the faith in the Leningrad region. In Orthodoxy, the saint is known as a miracle worker. Prayer to the Monk Seraphim of Vyritsky helps the faithful in a variety of situations.

Life of a Saint

The monk was born in 1866 on March 31 in the village of Vahromeyevo, Yaroslavl province. At baptism he was given the name Vasily. The baby's parents were deeply religious people. Since childhood, the boy showed the features of a Christian and faith. He was smart and studied hard. When Vasily grew up, he independently studied literacy and writing and mathematics.

Our turning to the Lord always brings us closer to him. The sincerity of our words and the kindness of our motives do possess a certain holiness. Also, Abraham of Bulgaria unquestioningly followed all the laws of God, endured all the torments and never thought about rejecting Christ. That is why prayer by agreement with Abraham of Bulgaria is considered the strongest.

How does prayer help a saint

Some refer to the saints as intermediaries who are sure to help in any situation. Often this is true, but we should not forget that the biggest role in all this is played by the strength of our faith.

Many note that Saint Abraham was recognized as the patron of sick children and business owners. …

Among all Orthodox saints, the Monk Parthenius of Kyiv occupies a special place. On the day of his memory on March 25, many believers gather to make a prayer petition with various requests. What do they pray to the saint and what are the valuable instructions of St. Parthenius of Kyiv you will learn from our article.

Brief Life of a Saint

In worldly life, the saint's name was Peter. He was born in the Tula province. His family was poor. From childhood, the boy deeply believed in the Lord God. He was distinguished by infantile purity and kindness. He saw his salvation from poverty only in prayers, so he offered them in a free moment.

Even at a young age, while studying at the seminary, ...

The reverend deserves special attention in the study of church history. After all, he contributed to it quite a lot of value. In many churches, Christians read the prayer of Isaac the Syrian. She has a special power and helps people in various difficult life situations.

Life of the Reverend

Isaac Sirin is a famous ascetic writer. The monk himself was a native of Syria. Together with his brother in his youth, he entered the monastery. From the rest of the righteous, serving in the monastery, they differed in special intelligence and wisdom. They were even offered senior positions, but the brothers refused them, continuing to zealously serve the Almighty and preach the Orthodox faith.

Isaac, on a subconscious level, was drawn to the desert, where he began ...

According to a few sources from the life of Zotik the Orphan, he came from a noble family and was an approximate nobleman to Tsar Constantine. We can say that he was the favorite of the emperor.

How did the Great Martyr Zotik the Orphan Feeder become famous?

When the capital was transferred from Rome to Constantinople, the saint also settled there. He abandoned worldly life, became a priest and devoted himself to prayers and merciful deeds. He helped the homeless, the wanderers, the sick and the poor. His house became a haven for orphans and widows. Therefore, they began to call him the Orphan.

At that time, an epidemic of leprosy broke out. Sick people had to be isolated. The emperor issued an order to throw the lepers into the sea. Merciful Zotik could not watch the death of the innocent...

This saint is considered the first martyr who appeared before the Lord in the Armenian city of Melitin. To each representative of the higher powers, we will definitely turn to some kind of request. In this case, to mch. Prayers are offered to Polievkt Melitinsky for the return of funds. Those who have tried this method say that it is a very effective remedy. In addition, the debtor independently gives back what he took without pressure on him.

Life of St. Polyeuctus

You can enter the ranks of saints only if a person, during his lifetime, behaved with dignity and observed all church canons. Not much is known about his life. He served in the army of Emperor Decius. Initially…

The Monk Eleazar of Anzersk is one of the most revered saints of the Russian Church, known for his good deeds in the name of the grace of the Orthodox people, their spiritual development and formation.

Life of a Saint

The saint was born into the family of a merchant. He was tonsured at the Solovetsky Monastery. From childhood he was surprisingly gifted artistically. Later he settled on Anzersky Island, where he led a solitary life and was subsequently tonsured into a schema.

He was engaged in book writing. His most famous work was the trilogy "The Flower Garden" rewritten by him, consisting of old stories. His pen belongs to the full interpretation of the order of the cell monastic rule.

The saint lived to old age and died quietly in his monastery.

What are the saints praying for?

Already from the word "healer" it becomes clear that the holy saint of God helps people in eliminating all sorts of ailments. But let's take a closer look at exactly when the prayer is read to the Monk Hypatius of the Caves healer, and also in what way he helps.

Life of Saint Hypatius

Not much information is known about him. The most basic thing that can be distinguished is that he very strictly adhered to fasting, eating only bread and water, as well as constant prayerful vigil.

There is some information that he slept very little and spent a long time in prayer. He devoted much of his life to serving the sick. …

Since ancient times, in order to improve trade and increase profits, many merchants and merchants turned to the saints for help. In our time, it will also not be superfluous to read a prayer to the Monk Joseph Abbot Volotsky the Wonderworker.

Life of Saint Joseph

He was born in the 15th century near Volokolamsk. His father owned the village. His ancestors and parents were quite deeply religious people. He was baptized under the name John. At the age of seven, he was sent to a monastery for training. At the age of 20, he took monastic vows. Here he received a new name. One day his father fell ill and he asked permission to settle him in his cell, where ...

What are the types of prayer?

Prayers can be conditionally divided into pleading, thanksgiving, penitential and doxology.

How is prayer different from conspiracy?

Fruits of prayer.

“The fruits of sincere prayer are: simplicity, love, humility, patience, gentleness, and the like. All this, even before eternal fruit, bears fruit here in the life of the diligent.” Saint Gregory of Nyssa

“The fruits of true prayer: a bright world of the soul, combined with a quiet, silent joy, alien to daydreaming, conceit and heated impulses and movements; love for one's neighbor, not separating the good from the bad for love... but interceding for all before God as for oneself." Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)

What are the causes of absent-mindedness and temptations in prayer?

“So, he who is diligent in prayer must ask for it and know that in such an important matter he must endure a difficult struggle with much diligence and effort, since the spirit of malice attacks them with special force, seeking to overthrow our efforts. Hence the weakening of the body and soul, effeminacy, carelessness, negligence, and everything else that destroys the soul, tormented in parts and given over to its enemy. So, it is necessary that the soul be ruled by the mind, like a wise helmsman, indicating the direct path to the mountain pier and betraying the soul undamaged to God who entrusted it.
Saint Gregory of Nyssa

What are icons for?

When can a prayer fail?

When what is asked is not useful to the soul of the one who prays, or when he needs to acquire humility and patience.

“The mouth can ask for everything, but God only fulfills what is useful. The Lord is a wise Distributor. He cares about the benefit of the one who asks, and if he sees that what is asked is harmful or, at least, useless to him, he does not fulfill the request and refuses the imaginary good deed. He listens to every prayer, and the one whose prayer is not fulfilled receives from the Lord the same saving gift as the one whose prayer is fulfilled. Therefore, be sure that any petition that is not fulfilled is undoubtedly harmful, and that petition that is heard is beneficial. The giver is righteous and good and will not leave your petitions unfulfilled, because in His goodness there is no malice and in His truth there is no envy. If He delays in fulfilling it, it is not because He repents of the promise, on the contrary. He wants to see your patience."
Saint Ephraim the Syrian

“First of all, we must know that it is not permissible for us to ask for everything we want, and that in any case we are not able to ask for something useful. With great prudence, petitions should be made, conforming them to the will of God. And those who are not heard need to know that either patience or intensification of prayer is necessary. Saint Basil the Great

“Sometimes our petition is immediately heard, but sometimes, according to the Savior, God is long-suffering for us, that is, he does not quickly fulfill what we ask: He sees that this fulfillment must be stopped for a while for our humility. When your petition is not fulfilled by God, submit reverently to the will of the All-Holy God, Who, for unknown reasons, left your petition unfulfilled. Bishop Ignatius (Bryanchaninov)

According to the Gospel, one of the conditions for hearing prayer is reconciliation with neighbors. The Gospel says: “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (

Prayer is a way of a person’s conversation with higher powers, during which the most complete unity with God is accomplished. By uttering prayer words, a person repents of committed sins, makes promises to God or asks for any favors. In their essence and meaning, Christian prayers are of various types.

Prayers of Praise

The most significant are prayers that are aimed at praising God and all the saints. Before you ask the Lord for something, you first need to thank him for his help, wisdom, goodness and care.

In laudatory prayers, the greatness of God and His Divine perfection are glorified, which is one of the most important duties of a Christian. Examples of such prayers can be found both in the Old and New Testaments, as well as in the writings of especially revered holy fathers and the teachings of the apostles. Any divine service begins and ends with the general glorification of the Lord - the chanting of his holiness.

pleading prayers

Having praised the Lord at the divine service, Christians resort to petitionary prayer - a way of expressing bodily needs and inner spiritual needs. An important role is assigned to this type of prayer, because a person who is weak by nature is not able to cope with earthly difficulties on his own.

In order to live a full and prosperous life and at the same time save your soul, reading petitionary prayers is considered mandatory. Only God can give the necessary strength for a person to lead a righteous life. In the Old Testament, one can read about the call to make petitionary prayers from God the Father himself, and in the New Testament - from the face of Jesus Christ.

At the same time, God knows in advance about all the misfortunes and needs of the one who asks, but does not take any action, leaving the person with freedom of choice. A true Christian must himself come to the idea of ​​petition. Only a prayer with words of repentance and a request for help will be heard by higher powers.

Penitential prayers

Asking God for his spiritual needs and material benefits, a person must necessarily repent of his sins. Prayers of repentance are called upon to free the soul of a person from all the worries and hardships associated with committed unrighteous deeds.

Prayer of repentance is an appeal to God with a call to forgive for grave sins that prevent you from finding peace and spiritual strength. Repentance must be sincere and come from the heart, pronounced with tears in the eyes.

Such prayers are close in nature to pleading, because a person turns to God with his personal request. But in the case of repentance, a Christian asks for atonement for his sins.

Samples of such prayers can be found in the Bible and the texts of many psalms. The Holy Fathers call people precisely to repentant prayer. Any person is not sinless, and therefore one should confess one's actions before the Lord as often as possible.

In prayer, a Christian pours out his whole soul before God: he glorifies God for His highest perfections, gives thanks for mercy, good deeds and asks for his needs. Hence the three main types of prayer: praise, thanksgiving and petition.

Doxology is the most perfect and selfless type of prayer. The purer, more impeccable the being, the brighter the highest perfections of God are reflected in it and, reflected, involuntarily evoke enthusiastic words of glory and praise. Thus the angels in heaven unceasingly praise the Lord with a song of praise. “Glorification,” says Bishop. Theophan the Recluse, is not a cold contemplation of the properties of God, but a living sensation of them with joy and admiration.
Thanksgiving is expressed by a person for the received blessings of God. It is naturally born in a grateful and sensitive soul. Of the ten lepers healed by the Savior, only one Samaritan returned to thank Him (Luke 17:12-19).
The most common type of prayer is a petition, caused by a person's consciousness of his weakness, infirmity, inexperience. Because of passions and sins, our soul is sick and weak. Therefore, in prayer it is necessary to ask God for forgiveness of sins and help in overcoming our shortcomings. Sometimes the petition is caused by the danger threatening us, hanging over us, need, etc. Petition in prayer is inevitable in view of our infirmities and is pleasing to the Lord (Mt. 7:7, John 16:23). But if our prayers are predominantly of a pleading nature, if the voice of praise, gratitude is almost not heard in them, this indicates an insufficiently high level of our spiritual and moral development.

Various types of prayer are often combined with each other. A person asks the Lord for his needs and at the same time praises Him for His greatness, goodness, and thanks Him for the fact that he can boldly address Him as his merciful Father. The most solemn laudatory church songs sometimes turn into touching petitions (“Glory to God in the highest,” “We praise God to you”), and, conversely, tearful pleas to God for help resolve into a majestic chord of songs of thanksgiving and praise. Such are many psalms, for example. 145, 148 and others.

The Holy Scriptures speak of several types of prayers, each of which is suitable for certain spiritual needs, performing different functions. In prayer, we glorify the greatness of God, thank Him for inexpressible mercies and ask for the satisfaction of our needs and for the forgiveness of sins, we intercede for others: for our relatives and friends, for friends, clergy...

Prayers of Praise.

It is better to start praying and end it with prayers of praise, glorifying the Lord for all His Divine perfections, contemplating in such a prayer His wisdom, goodness, providence and help, thanking the Lord for everything bestowed, and preparing one’s state of mind for the humble acceptance of His will, whatever she was not.
Examples of laudatory prayers can be psalms 99 and 103 from the Old Testament, akathists, the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos of St. John of Damascus "Rejoices in You ...", the prayer of St. Basil the Great:
I bless Thee, O Lord, long-suffering and gentle, daily showing His long-suffering to me a sinner, and giving us all the freedom to repent. For in order, Lord, you are silent and endure us, so that we may glorify You, who builds the salvation of our race, who visits us now with fear, now with exhortations, now through the prophets, and finally with the coming of Christ. For You created us, and not we. You are our God.
Short Prayers of Praise:
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayers of supplication.

The main number of prayers offered to the Lord are prayers-petitions, because a person is weak, and his own strength is not enough to accomplish both the external material life and the inner, spiritual life. Offering an intercessory prayer, an Orthodox Christian asks the Lord to strengthen spiritual and bodily strength, indicate the right path, and assist in the well-being of spiritual and material life.
Examples of petitionary prayers are the litanies, the publican's prayer:
God, be merciful to me a sinner.
Prayer to the Life-Giving Cross:
Save, O Lord, Thy people, and bless Thy inheritance, granting victory to the opposition, and Thy keeping Thy Cross living.
Brief Prayer: Lord, have mercy!

Intercessory prayers.

A variety of intercessory prayers are intercessory prayers - that is, prayers for other people. An Orthodox person prays for everyone, as for himself, to give people spiritual reason and faith, awareness, repentance and liberation from sins and passions. In addition, there are people who need prayers, but cannot offer them to the Lord due to bodily, mental or spiritual illnesses.
Intercessory prayers are offered for family members, relatives and benefactors, for spiritual and secular authorities, for those who are grieving, those in need, those who are persecuted, those who are subject to bodily, mental and spiritual ailments, for their enemies, for all people and for the departed Orthodox Christians.
By praying for other people, an Orthodox Christian strengthens the unified spiritual body of the Church, helps the grace of God to turn to those for whom he intercedes, and he himself receives from the Lord a blessing and grace-filled help in building up his salvation.
Intercessory prayers for other people and the departed are offered at the liturgies of Basil the Great and John Chrysostom. In the liturgy of Basil the Great, they pray for the Universal Church, for the temple in which worship is performed, for the clergy, for those who work in the temple, for monks and hermits, for the king, the authorities and the army. Separate petitions are sent to God for married couples, babies, young men, old people, those who have fallen away from the Church, demoniacs, travelers, widows, orphans, captives, the sick, prisoners and those in need, and those whose names are forgotten.
An example of intercessory prayer is the Prayer for the Church of the Lord our God Jesus Christ (John 17:20-26):
I do not only pray for them, but also for those who believe in Me, according to their word ...

Prayers of repentance.

Pleading prayers offered by a person without recognition and repentance of their sins may not receive the prayerful fruits bestowed by the Lord. To eliminate this serious spiritual obstacle, there are prayers of repentance, which are offered to God by a person in awareness and contrition in their sins, in the desire to free their soul from them. Such a person, sincerely, and not feignedly and hypocritically seeking the correction of his heart and soul, the Lord can forgive sins and not punish for them, giving him the opportunity to work on correcting himself and his inner and outer life. The main content of penitential prayers is a request for the forgiveness of sins and the granting of Divine bounties for the correction of the soul. Since none of the people is sinless, committing sins both by actions and thoughts, one should constantly repent of sins, perfecting one's soul.
Prayers of repentance can be found in the Lenten Triodion and in the Great Canon of Andrew of Crete. Also prayers of repentance are the psalms of the prophet David: 24th, 31st, 37th, 38th, 50th, 51st 129th, and separate fragments of other psalms, for example:
I have sinned Thee, O Christ the Savior, like a prodigal son: receive me, Father, repentant, and have mercy on me, O God.
Have mercy on us who have sinned against You many times, for every hour, O my Christ, and give us an image before the end to repent to You.
Penitential 3rd prayer to Our Lord Jesus Christ:
To you, O Lord my God, I bow my head, and in confession of the heart I cry out: I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before You, and I am worthy to ask forgiveness from You; but You, like a prodigal son, have mercy on me, Your servant (name), justify me like a publican, and like a thief of Your Kingdom, make me worthy.

Thanksgiving prayers.

In thanksgiving prayers, Orthodox Christians speak of their love for God as the source of every true good in the form of Divine Love and great bounty. In such prayers, a person praises the Lord, thanking Him not only for the mercies bestowed, but in general for everything given or not given. "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus in you," teaches the holy Apostle Paul. St. John Chrysostom says that not receiving, when it happens by the will of God, is no less beneficial than receiving.
Thanksgiving prayers contribute to the transformation of the soul of the one who prays and, consequently, to changing a person’s life for the better. Daily giving thanks to the Lord and the Powers of Heaven for the happiness of living, not only for the blessings sent down, great or small, but also for the disasters and losses that befall, the praying person acquires Christian humility, learns to appreciate and be grateful for the little that he has, cherishing in himself spiritual virtue.
Examples of thanksgiving prayers are Psalm 17 of King David from the Old Testament, the Song of Praise of St. Ambrose of Milan, Song of Praise to the Most Holy Theotokos and Prayer of Thanksgiving to St. Righteous John of Kronstadt for all the blessings of God:
I thank You, Lord my God, for giving me life, for giving birth to me in the Christian faith, for the Most Pure Virgin Mary, the Intercessor for the salvation of our family, for Your holy saints, praying for us, for the Guardian Angel, for the public worship that supports us faith and virtue, for the Holy Scriptures, for the Holy Mysteries, and especially Your Body and Blood, for the mysterious grace-filled consolations, for the hope of receiving the Kingdom of Heaven and for all the blessings You have given me.
A short thanksgiving prayer to the Guardian Angel:
Having glorified the Lord, I pay tribute to you, my guardian angel. Glorious be thou in the Lord! Amen.

Secret prayers.

Mystery prayers are read during the performance of the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church,
the sacraments revealed in the Orthodox Church rites, through which the believers are communicated the invisible Divine grace or the saving power of God. There are seven such Sacraments in Orthodoxy: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist (Communion), Penance, Sacrament of Priesthood, Sacrament of Marriage, and Consecration of the Sick. All Sacraments are performed by God through priests. There is only one exception: in the event of a threat to the life of the baptized person and the absence of a clergyman nearby, the Sacrament of Baptism can be performed through any believing Orthodox layman.
Mystery prayer during the Sacrament of Baptism:
The servant of God (servant of God, name) is baptized in the name of the Father (first immersion), amen, and the Son (second immersion), amen, and the Holy Spirit (third immersion), amen.

Forms of prayers.

Prayers are divided into:
church (cathedral) and domestic, or public and private,
external and internal.

According to the holy fathers, one prayer “Lord, have mercy” in the temple has much greater power than many prayers and prostrations at home. Indeed, in the temple all believers conciliarly, as if with one mouth and one heart, confess the Lord, here He is closer to every one who prays and more likely to accept his prayers than anywhere else. Moreover, the scarcity of one's prayer is made up for by the faith of the other, strengthened by the prayers of the clergy, affirmed by the presence of the Holy Mysteries, singing and reading of the Holy Scriptures.
Even without uttering the words of any specific prayers to yourself (which is forgivable for beginners), but with reverence listening to everything that happens in the house of God, you are imbued with a general prayerful mood and are also a participant in conciliar prayer.
But domestic prayer, prayer for the most part solitary, does not have such grace-filled power as common prayer, the prayer of the Church, about which the Lord Himself said this: “Truly, I also say to you that if two of you agree on earth to ask for any deed, then whatever they ask, it will be from my Father in heaven, for where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20). As a rule, Orthodox Christians perform it in their houses (apartments) in a special place - the so-called "red corner".
Let us especially note that home prayer must necessarily be supplemented by church prayer (participation in divine services).

How to pray for the Lord to hear.

Without prayer, our spiritual life both hungers, and thirsts, and dies. Saint John Chrysostom

The appeal of a person to the Lord God, to the Mother of God, to the Saints, to angels and other incorporeal Heavenly Forces is called prayer: “Prayer is the most reverent turning of our mind and heart to God.” The essence of Orthodox prayer is the realization of the presence of God and inner union with Him.
Prayer appeal can be external, expressed by saying or reading a prayer in a voice or by singing. Prayer can also be internal, when those around you may not be aware of the conversion to God that is being done in the depths of the human spirit. Such an inner prayer, depending on the degree of a person’s spiritual development and the favor of the Lord Our God towards him, can be done in thoughts and be called “intelligent prayer”, or it can penetrate deep into his soul, fill his heart and be created with feelings and love for God without the need for mental verbal formulations of the words of the prayer, which will already be called the "prayer of the heart." Prayer is the strongest, but very subtle spiritual instrument in the unity of a person with God for the acquisition of prayerful fruits, given by Him in response to prayer.
Touching the Divine Grace also gives other fruits of prayer in the form of sensations of the Divine Presence, accompanied by feelings of tenderness and love. By acquiring prayerful fruits, a person can acquire simplicity and humility, patience and gentleness, spiritual warmth, love and compassion, which, in the end, will give a “joyful silence” of the heart, spiritual joy and a long-awaited sense of peace of mind.
However, one can hardly expect prayerful fruits from the Lord Our God if a vain person turns to him, puffed up with his “righteousness” and “piety”, a pagan “bargaining” with the Lord, promising God something in exchange for prayerful fruits , a hypocritical person who wants to "buy" the fruits of prayer with donations and rituals, who does not keep the commandments, who pursues the acquisition of not spiritual, but material values ​​as an end in itself, or using them to satisfy his passions and desires. Prayer, offered not from the heart, but only from the mind, will not bear fruit, a formal and ritual prayer, all the more so for show, verbose and needlessly embellished with words.