Evening prayer for beginners. Read evening prayers Reading evening prayers for beginners

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and in the evening it is necessary to read prayers for the coming sleep.

Why do you need to read prayers before going to bed?

There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and spiritually experienced lay people, for example, they may use a rosary.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

In this case, it is better to read the short rule than to mindlessly and without reverence jabber the full text.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer request will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serving God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, the laity reads a short rule - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

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

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

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

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the enemies of the flesh and the incorporeal that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

• Heavenly King.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, like God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and still provides comfort to those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

Icon of the Holy Trinity

• Trisagion.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The heavenly angels sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

• Lord's Prayer.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as the Father; we stand before Him as children before their mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His power, we beg to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death they will be awarded the honor of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

About other Orthodox prayers:

• Prayer to the Guardian Angel.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will protect the soul and body.

The prayer especially highlights the danger of attacks from bodily enemies (people pushing to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions).

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants on audio recordings?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work is done for the glory of God.

Apostle Paul

Important! It is necessary to understand that you cannot replace prayers for future sleep by listening to Orthodox songs.

Prayer should begin before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has given throughout the day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of every word spoken.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

How Orthodox Christians pray:

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil’s army; he is visited by sinful thoughts and bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered a time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious; they can send nightmares in a dream.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances are going well, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed, and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This men's monastic monastery is famous for its miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching it is recommended to put aside worldly activities.
3. Church officials advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders as part of the evening rule. Their texts have been developed over centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and understanding their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! Offering prayer before going to bed means that an Orthodox Christian gains protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Video about prayers for bedtime.

Every Orthodox Christian has prayer rules that he must strictly adhere to. These rules are the daily rituals performed by the laity: in the morning they read morning prayers, and in the evening they prepare evening prayers before going to bed. Every Orthodox believer needs to know about all the features of performing such a ritual.

The Orthodox religion contains a specific rhythm of prayer that is intended for both renounced monks and ordinary lay people. It is necessary for both experienced believers and only those new to the church to perform the daily ritual of prayer.

The prayer ritual contains a special sacrament that is beyond the reach of an unenlightened person. Laymen with many years of experience will be able to confirm that messages to God can influence a person, improving his physical and spiritual condition. Those initiated into this sacrament note that after reading the prayers, the soul finds peace and harmony.

By reading evening prayers at night, you can guarantee yourself a calm and sound sleep, full of pleasant dreams. Waking up from such a dream, you feel a surge of strength that lasts throughout the day.

The main difficulty in the evening ritual is that it is quite difficult for beginners to read the entire prayer. In addition, everyone has unforeseen circumstances when there is not enough time to complete the entire evening ritual.

In such cases, the church allows short evening prayers to be read, since it is much better to read thoughtfully and reverently than to perform the sacrament just for show. After all, a prayer appeal will be supported by Heaven only when it sees that a person purposefully carries out his deeds in the name of serving God and people.

For beginners, it is recommended to shorten the evening prayer and start reading only a few evening prayers - as many as they can remember, and after a certain period of time, for example, after 10 days, you can add one prayer daily. In this way, the skill will rapidly develop, which will allow inexperienced believers to quickly master the prayer ritual.

Strict rules

According to Orthodox tradition, morning and evening sacred rites should occur daily according to special Prayer rules. Of course, special attention is given to evening petitions, because a person, freed from daytime activities, has more time for personal conversation with God.

Not knowing about the existence of prayers for the coming sleep, people still often resort to them unconsciously. This happens when a person has experienced grief, is scared, or has had a bad dream that turned out to be too realistic or prophetic.

Of course, the correctness of prayer is not the main thing, since it is sincerity and reverence that plays a key role in communication with the Almighty. But still, in order not to make mistakes in prayer, you need to know the rules of evening prayers for the coming sleep. In this way, a person will be able to calm down and look at a difficult life circumstance from the other side, and find the key to solving it.

Sleep is not just a way of rest for a spiritual person, but something intimate, secret and unknown. It is in his sleep that a person is most vulnerable. Everyone in his life has had a bad dream or nightmare. For some, this is especially frightening; people are afraid that the prediction may come true in real life. At such moments, a person should do several things:

• realize that everything you see is just a dream and nothing more;
• protect everything negative with positivity;
• read a prayer to find peace and a sense of security;

Even the Lord’s Prayer can help you find harmony and spiritual balance. Often this will be enough to drive away all negative thoughts and return to sleep in peace and tranquility. If terrible dreams have become frequent guests, then praying for the coming sleep will come in handy.

In addition to adults, children can have disturbing dreams. This is a particularly traumatic factor for them, because they are still too young to understand and explain the nightmares happening to them. In this situation, parents should come to the rescue and read a prayer for the baby. Mom is the best person to handle this, because tone of voice plays a key role in such worship. Hearing the calm intonations of his mother, the baby will calm down and soon fall asleep safely.

Often mothers themselves are very anxious about the bad dreams of their babies. They cannot calm down until the danger disappears in reality. For them, the best solution would be to read prayer petitions that mention the Hieromartyr Cyprian, as well as Saint Ustinia and Saint Cyprian.

These prayers are a kind of amulets, the essence of which is to ask God for your children. Such a petition will help maintain spiritual harmony and avoid the influence of the forces of evil. Children do not have to pronounce them; it will be enough for them to simply listen to their mother’s reading or the service in audio format.

It happens that prayer does not bring peace and tranquility, and the baby’s sleep is interpreted poorly, then his parents need to go to church and light two candles for the health of the child and enemies at the icon of the Mother of God, and the third should be placed at the Icon of All Saints.

The most popular prayers for calming children’s and baby’s sleep are:

• Prayer to the Kazan Mother of God;

Concentration is the main key to the success of such prayers. After all, in personal communication with God, what is encouraged is not a mechanical reading from a prayer book, but a reverent and concentrated pronouncement of the sacrament. You need to imagine that the Almighty is standing nearby, and the appeal goes to him directly.

Nuances when turning to the Almighty

A special attitude towards reading prayer was formed in the Optina Pustyn Church, which is located in the Kaluga region in Russia. The male Orthodox monastery has formed the following prayer rules:

Conditions for reciting holy texts

The Optina elders developed a certain a set of rules that include all possible weaknesses in the mental and physical health of people:

1. The prayer rule should be valid for every person;
2. The prayer may be short, but it must be read daily;
3. There is no need to perceive prayer as a duty, you need to perceive it as an opportunity and joy;
4. It is better to discuss any questions regarding prayer rules by going to church, with your rector or priest, or by contacting your spiritual father;
5. In prayer to the Almighty, the main road is reasoning and advice.

There is no difference in the language of reading prayers; you can read evening prayers in Russian, which is the oldest Orthodox tradition that can help a person not only know himself as an individual, but also find sacred grace in communication with the Lord. After all, prayer is the key to knowledge of the holy sacraments prepared by faith.

Evening conversations with God

In Russian, the text of the evening rule has the following order and content:

In the modern world, there is always a shortage of time, so if necessary, the prayer ceremony can be reduced to a faster option. For example, shortened to the phrase:

When going straight to sleep, say the following short prayer:

After all, for the Almighty it does not matter how many prayers are said, it is important for Him with what feeling it is done. And it is important to remember that the key to communicating with the Lord is focus, reverence, love and sincerity.

Hello, dear readers! Orthodox people adhere to certain prayer rules and read morning and evening prayers every day.

For a long time, humanity has associated going to sleep with higher powers; many people asked themselves, when going to bed, whether the next day would come for them. Therefore it was very important read evening prayers, before going to bed.

Traditions of Orthodox Christians

From time immemorial, at the end of the day, people return to their home in the evening after a hard day of work, talk with their family and friends, wish them a good and restful sleep.

At the same time, in Ancient Rus' they never forgot about the Lord, because it was he who gave people confidence in the future, instilled hope and peace in their souls.

It was very important to find a state of peace for bedtime, it was in this state that a person felt completely relaxed and rested, ready to begin new achievements in the morning.

Prayers for the coming sleep were created by holy people in the first centuries after the adoption of the Christian faith; they are also called rules, since they must be read regularly.

Today, evening prayers for beginners are available in any form. An Orthodox Christian can not only memorize the sacred text, but also listen to it in the form of an audio recording, watch a video of it, or simply read it online.

In this case, the chosen method of reading the rules will not be important to the Lord, the main thing is that there is deep faith and a desire to serve him sincerely.

These texts were compiled by clergy in the Church Slavonic language; unfortunately, this language is forgotten by many today and is difficult to perceive visually; previously it was included in the compulsory curriculum studied in schools. Today it is studied only by philologists and those who are planning to become a clergyman.

Today, the texts of most evening prayers have been adapted for modern people, that is, they can be read in Russian, so their meaning becomes more understandable.

How to read sacred texts for the coming sleep

Many beginning Christians are interested in the questions of what evening rules to read, at what time, and how to read. It is worth noting that reading the prayer words will take approximately 15 minutes; such texts should be read slowly, pondering each word; some changes should occur in the person’s soul, awareness of what you are reading.

The Holy Fathers recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep every day, spending an extra half hour on this, which could be spent at the computer or watching TV. It is very important to read the rules before communion and during Lent.

Also, some people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to read evening prayers while sitting. There are several opinions on this issue.

Most believers believe that you only need to turn to the Lord while standing in front of icons. But, at home, many people read sacred texts in a sitting position. Communicating with God while sitting is also allowed for those people who, for some reason, cannot stand at all, or can, but not for long.

What is included in evening prayers

• First of all, a Christian should read the appeal to the Holy Trinity;
• Next, the well-known prayer “Our Father” is read by heart (you can read the prayer not only for the coming sleep, but also when there is a strong need to communicate with God);
• Then the person must turn in turn to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. This address was compiled by the monk Macarius the Great, the author of many sacred texts.

Appeal to the Holy Trinity

Our Father

Prayer of Macarius the Great

Also, in evening prayers, people often turn to God with a request for forgiveness of sins. This is due to the fact that night is a time of rest, but in this state a person is weak, since demons can take possession of his soul, exposing it to various temptations and temptations that are very difficult to fight.

To prevent demons from visiting and to make it easier to cope with their temptations, it is necessary to cleanse the soul through repentance.

In addition, in the rules read in the evening, it is important for a Christian to turn to his Guardian Angel. Each person who has undergone the rite of baptism has his own Guardian Angel, who protects his soul and body, tells his ward what to do in this or that case.

It is known that the symbol of the Christian faith is the Cross, therefore there is a prayer to it. Everyone knows that the Cross symbolizes the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for the sins committed by humanity. The sign of the cross means protection from the forces of darkness, so it is important not to forget to cross yourself when reading the evening rules.

When to read the words of the prayer for the coming sleep

Each person has his own regime, but it is worth considering that time on the church day is calculated differently. You can start reading the evening rules after three o'clock in the afternoon. People are also interested in what time in the evening they can do this, whether it is possible at night. The clergy recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep before 12 o'clock at night.

If a person attends evening services in a church, then the rules must be read out after its completion. You can read the sacred texts at home, take a prayer book with large print and slowly pronounce the phrases.

It is believed that one prayer, pronounced with feeling and understanding, can replace a dozen of those that were read hastily, and their deep meaning was not understood by a person.

It is very important for beginning Christians, when reading evening prayers, not to be distracted by extraneous thoughts, to be collected, to try to understand their essence, only if these conditions are met will spiritual benefit be obtained.

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

Offering prayer words before going to bed is necessary for an Orthodox Christian to gain protection and support at night. From time immemorial, mothers asked the Lord for protection for their children, turning to him with prayers for the coming sleep.

Saints always hear sincere words addressed to them and strive to protect their charges and send them mercy.

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In detail: a short evening prayer for beginners - from all open sources and different parts of the world on the website for our dear readers.

For Orthodox Christians, the logical end of the day is the evening prayer rule.

In the evening, a person can calmly, without rushing, be alone with the Lord, talk it out before going to bed at night.

It is also called the Seraphim Rule - the holy elder Seraphim of Sarov commanded every Christian to pray this way morning and evening.

Lord's Prayer. Our Father (read three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity)

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.

Hymn to the Theotokos “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” (also read three times)

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Creed (read once)

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, by whom all things were; For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human; Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And again the one who is to come will judge with glory 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 hope for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.

At the end, just before going to bed, you need to make the sign of the cross and say:

Evening prayers for beginners

For people who have just come to God, Orthodox beginners, there are evening prayers for beginners.

Evening and morning prayers are included in every Orthodox prayer book, which can be purchased in the candle shop of any temple.

Evening prayers for new Christians, before bed

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

Beginning prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers 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, Spirit of truth, Who exists everywhere and fills the whole world, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

(Bow)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, 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 both in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us! Finding no justification for ourselves, we, sinners, offer this prayer to You as to the Lord: “Have mercy on us!”

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God! Have mercy on us, we trust in You. Do not be very angry with us and do not remember our iniquities: but turn Your gaze on us even now, since You are merciful. And deliver us from our enemies: after all, You are our God and we are Your people, we are all the creations of Your hands and we call on Your name.

And now and always and forever and ever. Amen. Open to us, blessed Mother of God, the door to God’s mercy, so that we, who trust in You, do not perish, but through You we get rid of troubles: after all, You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great to God the Father

Eternal God and King of all creation, who has made me worthy to live until this hour, forgive me the sins that I committed on this day in deed, word and thought; and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all carnal and spiritual impurity. And grant me, Lord, to spend this night in peace, so that, rising from sleep, all the days of my life I will do what is pleasing to Your most holy name and defeat the enemies who attack me - carnal and incorporeal. And deliver me, Lord, from the vain thoughts and vicious desires that defile me. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Almighty, Word of the Father, Jesus Christ! Being yourself perfect, according to Your great mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always remain in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not give me over to the work of the serpent and do not leave me to the will of Satan, for there is in me the seed of destruction.

You, Lord God, whom everyone worships, the Holy King, Jesus Christ, protect me during sleep with unfading Light, Your Holy Spirit, with which You sanctified Your disciples. Grant, O Lord, to me, Thy unworthy servant, Thy salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of understanding of Thy Holy Gospel, my soul with love for Thy Cross, my heart with the purity of Thy word, my body with Thy suffering, alien to passion, my thought Maintain your humility.

And raise me up at the proper time to glorify You. For You are supremely glorified together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer 3, Rev. Ephraim the Syrian to the Holy Spirit

Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and forgive me, unworthy, and forgive all the sins that I have sinned before You today as a man and, moreover, not as a man, but even worse livestock Forgive my sins, voluntary and involuntary, known and unknown: those committed out of immaturity and evil skill, out of temper and carelessness.

If I have sworn by Your name, or blasphemed Him in my thoughts; or whom he reproached; or slandered someone in my anger, or saddened someone, or about what I was angry; either he lied, or slept untimely, or a beggar came to me, and I rejected him; or saddened my brother, or stirred up quarrels, or condemned someone; or became arrogant, or became proud, or became angry; or when standing in prayer, his mind strove for evil worldly thoughts, or had insidious thoughts; either he overate himself, or got drunk, or laughed madly; or thought evil; or, seeing imaginary beauty, bowed your heart to what is outside of You; or said something obscene; or laughed at my brother’s sin, while my sins are countless; or did not care about prayer, or did something else evil that I did not remember: I did all this and even more than that.

Have mercy on me, my Creator and Lord, Thy careless and unworthy servant, and leave me, and forgive my sins, and forgive me, for You are Good and Humane-loving. So that I may lie down in peace, sleep and calm down, prodigal, sinful and unhappy, and so that I may bow and sing and glorify Your venerable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 4

Lord our God, everything in which I have sinned this day in word, deed and thought, You, as the Merciful and Humane One, forgive me. Give me a peaceful and restful sleep. Send me Your Guardian Angel, who would cover and protect me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send up glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 5, St. John Chrysostom (24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)

1. Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings. 2. Lord, deliver me from eternal torment. 3. Lord, whether I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. 4. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice, and petrified insensibility. 5. Lord, deliver me from every temptation. 6. Lord, enlighten my heart, which is darkened by evil desires. 7. Lord, as a man I have sinned, but You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. 8. Lord, send Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy name. 9. Lord Jesus Christ, write me, Your servant, in the Book of Life and grant me a good end. 10. Lord, my God, although I have not done anything good before You, grant me, by Your grace, to begin good deeds. 11. Lord, sprinkle the dew of Your grace on my heart. 12. Lord of Heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, foul and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
2. Lord, accept me in repentance. 2. Lord, don't leave me. 3. Lord, protect me from every misfortune. 4. Lord, give me a good thought. 5. Lord, give me tears, and the memory of death, and heartfelt contrition for sins. 6. Lord, give me the thought to confess my sins. 7. Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience. 8. Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness. 9. Lord, plant in me the root of goodness - the fear of You in my heart. 10. Lord, deign me to love You with all my soul and thoughts and to fulfill Your will in everything. 11. Lord, protect me from evil people, and demons, and passions, and from every inappropriate deed. 12. Lord, You know what you do and what You desire - Your will be done even on me, a sinner, for You are blessed forever. Amen.

Merciful King, merciful Mother, most pure and blessed Mother of God Mary! Pour the mercy of Your Son and our God onto my passionate soul, and guide me with Your prayers to good deeds, so that I can live the rest of my life without sin and with Your help, the Virgin Mary, the only pure and blessed one, enter heaven.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Kontakion to the Mother of God

Having been delivered from troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a victorious and grateful song to You, the Supreme Military Leader. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry to You: Rejoice, Bride, not involved in marriage!

Glorious Eternal Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son and our God, may He save our souls through Thy prayers.

I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your protection.

Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, so that I do not fall asleep in the sleep of death, so that my enemy does not say: I have defeated him.

Be the Protector of my soul, O God, for I walk among many snares. Deliver me from them and save me, O God, for You are a Lover of Mankind.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!

End of prayers

It is truly worthy to glorify You as the Mother of God, always Blessed and Immaculate, and the Mother of our God. We magnify You as the true Mother of God, who painlessly gave birth to God the Word, worthy of greater honor than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayers said in private, separate from the evening rule

Prayer 1

Relax, let go, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, day and night, in mind and in thought - forgive us all, as the Merciful and Humane One. Forgive those who hate and offend us, O Lord, Lover of Mankind! To those who do good, do good. To our brothers and relatives, graciously fulfill their requests in what leads to salvation, and grant eternal life.

Visit the weak and give them healing. Help those at sea. Companion to travelers. Help Orthodox Christians in their struggle. Grant remission of sins to those who serve us and those who take pity on us. Have mercy on those who have entrusted us, the unworthy, to pray for them, according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before and rest them where the light of Your Face shines. Remember, Lord, our brothers who are in captivity, and deliver them from all misfortune.

Remember, Lord, those who bear the fruits of their labors and adorn Your holy churches. Give them, at their request, that which leads to salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, Your humble, sinful and unworthy servants, and enlighten our minds so that we know You, and guide us on the path of following Your commandments, through the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Eternal Virgin Mary, and all Your saints, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Everyday confession of sins, pronounced in private

I confess to You, my Lord God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins that I have committed in all the days of my life, and at every hour, and at the present time, by deed, in word, thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and all my feelings, mental and physical, with which I have angered You, my God and Creator, and offended my neighbor.

Sinned: ( further listing of individual sins). Regretting them, I stand before You guilty and want to repent. Only, Lord my God, help me, I humbly pray to You with tears. By Your mercy, forgive the sins I have committed and free me from them, for You are Good and Lover of Mankind.

When you go to bed, mark yourself with a cross and say the prayer to the Honest Cross:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may all who hate Him flee from His Face. As the smoke disappears, so let them disappear. Just as wax melts from the fire, so let the demons perish at the sight of those who love God, and sign themselves with the sign of the cross and joyfully say: “Rejoice, much-honored and life-giving Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you, who descended into hell and who destroyed the power of the devil and gave us you, His venerable Cross, to drive away every enemy.” O venerable and life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your venerable and life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

When you go to bed and fall asleep, say:

Into Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit. Bless me, have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Prayer before going to bed to the Guardian Angel

The Guardian Angel, introduced to a Christian after Holy Baptism, hourly protects his ward. Whenever there is a need, Orthodox Christians turn to their Guardian Angel, asking him for help and protection.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body! Forgive me everything that I have sinned today, and deliver me from every insidious plan of the enemy coming against me, so that I do not anger my God with any sin. But pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, to present me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Bedtime prayer for a child

Very often, faith comes to people after the birth of a child. Any mother is ready to do anything to protect her child. Before going to bed, for a good sleep, as at any time of the day, you can turn to the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and the saint whose name the child bears.

Prayer for children, to the Lord Jesus Christ

Sweetest Jesus, God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours after your soul; You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless blood. For the sake of Your Divine Blood, I beg You, my Sweetest Savior: with Your grace, touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, hold them remove them from bad inclinations and habits, direct them to the bright path of truth and goodness, decorate them their life to all good and saving, arrange their fate as you yourself want, and save their souls, even according to destinies.

Prayer for children to the Most Holy Theotokos

O Most Holy Lady Virgin Theotokos, save and preserve under Your roof my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, beseech my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Cover of Your servants.

Prayer for children to the Guardian Angel

Holy Guardian Angel of my child (name), cover him with your cover from the arrows of the demon, from the eyes of the seducer, and keep his heart in angelic purity. Amen.

Interpretation of evening prayers

For the laity, there are various evening prayers and interpretations of texts, the meaning of which can be explained by a priest or independent study of the topic. Beginners on the path of prayer can listen to the chants of the elders of Optina Pustyn before going to bed.

The Optina elders healed the suffering, served people, predicted the future and prayed for all sinners. It is useful for everyone to plunge into the life of the Optina monks to study their holy deeds and night vigils.

You can listen to the evening prayer rule of the Optina monks here:

Conclusion

For true Christians, the question of whether to pray or not is not worth it. For people who just want to come to God and a righteous life, the roads to the temple are open, and it doesn’t matter when a person made this decision, it’s never too late.

Having come to church, a person must grow in faith and knowledge, study the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, regularly attend divine services, then prayer will become an integral part of the life of a Christian.

Religious reading: evening prayer for beginners to help our readers.

Evening prayers

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

• Heavenly King.

Nuances of the evening rule

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

Evening prayer - great spiritual support for beginners

When a person begins to believe in God and comes to church, he discovers here many rules that are well known and familiar to believers and completely incomprehensible to unchurched people. At first, such a mass of rules seems like unnecessary rituals, and only later does a person understand that in this way the church puts some kind of spiritual barrier between sin and man.

A person never stands still. Either he is going up or he is steadily going down in his spiritual condition. It is in order to support a person every day that the church has established some prayer rules. These are, for example, morning prayers, prayers before meals or evening prayers. For beginners, this all seems far-fetched and unnecessary. But in fact, only a regular reminder of God sometimes allows one to refrain from condemnation, anger, lies and petty theft, that is, from those numerous sins that every day is filled with.

Morning prayer is gratitude to God for life and for awakening. Starting the day with prayer, a person immediately tunes into a gracious mood and good deeds. He asks God for blessings on his upcoming activities.

The day ends with evening prayer. For beginners, any prayer rule can be shortened. For example, the usual evening rule begins with the prayer “To the Heavenly King.” Then comes a short invocation to God, known as the Trisagion, then the Most Holy Trinity and Our Father. This is the usual beginning of prayers; almost every prayer begins this way. The evening prayers themselves were compiled by famous church fathers and contain appeals of repentance, petition and gratitude.

How long does evening prayer take? For beginners, the prayer rule is usually shortened. It all depends on the age and health status of the person. For example, children sometimes read only one prayer at night, and older people also shorten their prayers. But in reality, evening prayer does not take that much time. The text, when pronounced slowly, takes about fifteen minutes; you also need to add bows and reading the commemoration. In general, an ordinary conscientious, leisurely parishioner prays in the evening for about half an hour.

This is quite a bit, so it is quite obvious that evening prayer is quite a feasible burden for beginners.

Orthodox Christians visit the temple twice a week and on holidays. Some people find this too burdensome. You shouldn’t force yourself and immediately try to stand through the entire service from the beginning to the very end. Of course, while everything is unclear and unusual, it is extremely difficult to do this. Church Slavonic is an additional complexity. It is similar to Russian, but many words are unclear or translated differently. Some read evening prayers in Russian and try to find a translation of the service. This is correct: prayer is a conversation with God, it should be understandable to the person praying. But then, when everything gradually becomes clearer, it is worth switching to ordinary church language.

Evening prayer is a small step for beginners, the first step on the path to becoming a church member and finding true joy in God. A step that is not that difficult to complete.

Brief evening prayer rule in Church Slavonic

This section presents evening prayers in Church Slavonic written in modern font.

• Brief prayer rule
  • Beginning of prayers
  • Tropari
  • Kontakion to the Mother of God
  • Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

Brief prayer rule:

Beginning of prayers

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, souls ours.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us;

Lord, cleanse our sins;

Master, forgive our iniquities;

Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

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.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us;

Bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sins: have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You;

Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if we are well-behaved, and deliver us from our enemies;

For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, may we not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has made me worthy even at this hour to achieve, forgive me the sins that I have committed on this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

And grant me, Lord, in the night of this dream to pass away in peace, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name, all the days of my life, and will stop the enemies of the flesh and the barren who fight me ́tnyya.

And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts.

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers guide me to good deeds, May I pass the rest of my life without blemish and through You may I find paradise, O Virgin Mary, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Prayer 11, to the Holy Guardian Angel

To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me in all respects that I have sinned this day, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that I may not sin in any way. I venerate my God;

but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil, let us write thanksgiving to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti;

Rejoice, Unbridled Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Little Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as the truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God.

We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.

Evening prayers: are they so hard?

In Christianity, prayer - communication with God - is called “food for the soul.” Therefore, for a full spiritual life, it must be daily, just like nutrition for our body. For most people, morning and evening are convenient times to turn to God. This is reflected in Orthodox prayer books. And if there is often not enough time to read the entire morning rule, then read evening prayers By pushing back bedtime, almost anyone can do it.

The meaning of prayers is not in reading as such, but in living communication with God. Without humility, attention, contrition of heart, all that remains of it is its external form. This is sometimes observed both among “experienced” Orthodox Christians and among newcomers. The former sometimes proofread evening prayers in the usual patter, without much attention. And the latter are ignored due to the not very clear language and meaning of some texts. In addition, they are tired of unusually long periods of standing.

What do we pray for at the end of the day? The main thing in our conversion is repentance. We ask forgiveness for all sins, for the undue things that, due to weakness, we committed during the day. We thank God for everything sent to us. We pray to preserve us in the coming night and help us reach the Kingdom of Heaven. It's very good if evening prayer for beginners will also contain a confession of sins, by which it is easier to check your forgetful conscience. Evening time is the best time to mentally analyze all your actions for the day, your feelings, and once again bring repentance to God.

Evening, Orthodox prayer for beginners

People just starting to follow the prayer rule should understand that the most important thing in its implementation is consistency. If you have already decided to do it, then you need to read it every day, and not at will: if I want, I do it, if I don’t want, I don’t do it. Another question is what should this prayer rule for beginners consist of? Each prayer book has a corresponding section; it is with the reading of these prayers that one should begin to fulfill the prayer rule. Beginners should spend about half an hour on evening prayer, but everything, of course, depends on the personal characteristics of each person. It would be good to supplement the implementation of the rule by reading chapters from the Apostle and the Gospel - this takes little time, but the benefits are obvious.

Do beginners need a priest's blessing to read the evening prayer?

Churchgoers sometimes have a question: is it necessary to take a special blessing for beginners from a priest to read the evening prayer? This question can be answered in different ways. On the one hand, to read the prayer rule, the blessing of the priest is not required because prayer is a natural necessity for every believer. But, based on the fact that the beginner has little experience, it is better to ask the priest for advice and blessing on such an important matter. By asking for blessings, we thereby show humility, which attracts Divine grace. In addition, the priest will help you correctly calculate your strength for prayer.

Difficulty of Evening Prayer for Beginners

For overworked and busy modern people, it is temporarily possible to follow the prayer rule in such a way that the evening prayers for beginners are not read all in a row, but selectively. If it is impossible to read all the prayers, then it is good to read at least some of them. It is advisable to coordinate the choice of these prayers with the priest. Performing the evening prayer is the most difficult for beginners - fatigue after a hard day takes its toll.

Text of evening prayer for beginners

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. Lord have mercy. (3 times)

We will try to answer the question in detail: a short evening prayer for beginners on the site: prayer-to-god.rf - for our dear readers.

Brief

A brief prayer rule for the laity

“Every Christian should have a rule.” (St. John Chrysostom)

“If you create a rule without laziness, then you will receive a great reward from God and remission of sins.” (St. Innocent of Irkutsk)

I. Initial bows

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

Stay a little, silently and then pray slowly with the fear of God, if possible, then with tears, firmly believing that “the Holy Spirit strengthens us in our weaknesses: for we do not know what to pray for, and how we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (Rom. 8:26).

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

God, cleanse my sins and have mercy on me (bow).

Having created me, Lord, have mercy on me (bow).

Without the number of sinners. Lord, forgive me (bow).

My Lady, Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner (bow).

Angel, my holy guardian, save me from all evil (bow).

Saint (name of your Saint), pray to God for me (bow).

II. Initial prayers

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of Truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything. Treasure of good things and life to the Giver, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Blessed One, our souls. Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal; have mercy on us (thrice).

Note. During the period from Holy Easter to Pentecost, the prayer to the Holy Spirit - “Heavenly King” is not read. On the week of St. On Easter the entire Trisagion is not read, but is replaced by the troparion “Christ is risen. ” three times. Also, before the celebration of Easter, instead of “It is worthy to eat, as in truth,” the following is read or sung: “Shine, shine, new Jerusalem: for the glory of the Lord has risen upon you; rejoice now and be glad in Zion, but you, the Pure One, show off to the Mother of God, about the rise of Your Nativity.”

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us: Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.

Lord, have mercy (three times).

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and throughout the age of ages. Amen.

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.

Come, let us worship our God the King (bow).

Come, let us bow down and bow down to Christ, our King God (bow).

Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God (bow).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your mercies, cleanse my iniquity. Above all, wash me from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and I will take away my sin before me. I have sinned against You alone, and I have done evil before You; for you may be justified in all Your words, and be victorious, and never judge You.

Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sins. You have loved the truth; you have revealed to me the unknown and secret wisdom of Yours. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed; Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Give joy and gladness to my hearing; humble bones will rejoice. Turn Your face away from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. God, create in me a pure heart, and renew a right spirit in my womb. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit away from me. Reward me with the joy of Your salvation, and strengthen me with the Master’s Spirit. I will teach the wicked Your way, and the wicked will turn to You. Deliver me from bloodshed. O God, God of my salvation, my tongue will rejoice in Your righteousness, O Lord, You have opened my mouth, and my mouth will declare Your praise. As if you had wanted sacrifices, you would have given burnt offerings, but you would not have been pleased. The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a contrite and humble heart, God will not despise. Bless Zion, O Lord, with Your favor, and may the walls of Jerusalem be built. Then you will be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, the wave offering and the burnt offering: then they will lay the bullock on Your altar. (Psalm 50.)

1. I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.

2. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. Who was born of the Father before all ages. Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were.

3. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human.

4. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

5. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures.

6. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father;

7. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

8. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who is with the Father and the Son, we are worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets.

9. Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

10. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

11. Tea of ​​the resurrection of the dead;

12. And the life of the next century. Amen.

Morning prayer (read only in the morning)

To You, Lord, Lover of Mankind, having risen from sleep, I come running and 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 me 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.

Evening prayer (read only in the evening)

Lord our God, who have sinned in these days in word, deed and thought, as He is Good and Lover of Mankind, forgive me. Grant me a peaceful and serene sleep; Send Your guardian angel, covering and keeping me from all evil; for You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send glory to You. To the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the age of ages. Amen.

Virgin Mary, rejoice. Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You: blessed are You among women, and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Weaken, forgive, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word and in deed, even in knowledge and in ignorance, even in days and in nights, even in mind and in thought: forgive us everything, for it is Good and Lover of Humanity.

Forgive those who hate and offend us, Lord Lover of Mankind. Do good to those who do good. Grant to our brothers and relatives the same petitions for salvation and eternal life: visit those who are infirm and grant healing. Manage the sea as well. For travelers, travel. Contribute to the Emperor. Grant forgiveness of sins to those who serve and forgive us. Have mercy on those who have commanded us unworthy to pray for them according to the greatness of Your mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before us, and give them rest, where the light of Your face shines. Remember, Lord, our captive brothers, and deliver me from every situation. Remember, Lord, those who bear fruit and do good in Your holy churches, and give them petitions for salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us humble and sinful and unworthy Thy servants, and enlighten our minds with the light of Thy mind, and guide us on the path of Thy commandments through the prayers of our Most Pure Lady Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, and all Thy Saints, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen (bow).

Memorial for the living

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (his name), and with his holy prayers forgive my sins (bow). Save, O Lord, and have mercy on my parents (their names), brothers and sisters, and my relatives in the flesh and all my neighbors and friends, and grant them Your peace and the most peaceful goodness (bow).

Save, Lord, and have mercy on those who hate and offend me and create misfortunes against me, and do not leave them to perish for me for the sake of a sinner (bow).

Hasten, Lord, to enlighten the ignorant of You (the pagans) with the light of Your Gospel, and blinded by destructive heresies and schism, and unite them to Your Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church (bow).

Remember, Lord, the souls of Your servants who have fallen asleep, my parents (their names) and all relatives in the flesh; and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, grant them the Kingdom and the communion of Thy eternal good things and Thy endless and blissful life of pleasure (bow).

Grant, Lord, remission of sins to all who have previously departed in faith and hope of resurrection to our fathers, brothers and sisters, and create for them eternal memory (three times).

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit! Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord have mercy (three times). Bless.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and the saint (remember the Saint of this day) and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen. (three bows).

Note 1st. In the morning, without praying, do not start eating, drinking, or doing anything. Before starting any task, pray like this: “Lord, bless! In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen". At the end of the task, say: “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and throughout the age of ages. Amen".

Before eating food, read: “Our Father.” to the end, then bless food and drink with the cross. (In the family, the eldest in the house blesses.) At the end of the meal (food), read “It is worthy to eat as truly. ” to the end, for the Most Holy Virgin Mary, through the birth of the Son of God, gave to the whole world “true food and true drink” (John 6:55), i.e. Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout the day, keep in your heart the shortest, but most saving prayer: “Lord, have mercy!”

Note 2. If you have an urgent task and you are very busy with work, or you are in weakness, then never read the rules hastily without due attention, do not anger God, and do not multiply your sins: it is better to read one prayer slowly, reverently, than several prayers hastily , hastily. Therefore, a very busy person should, with the blessing of the Venerable Martyr Macarius of Kanevsky, read one prayer - “Our Father. “If you have a little more time, then, with the blessing of St. Seraphim of Sarov miracle. - read “Our Father” three times, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary” three times and “I Believe” once.

Note 3. If, on the contrary, you have quite a bit of free time, then do not spend it idle, because idleness is the mother of vices, but even if you were no longer capable of work due to illness or old age, fill the time with prayerful deeds, so that you will find great mercy from the Lord God.

(The text is based on the book: Bishop Pavel of Nikolsk-Ussuriysk; “From the Holy Font to the Tomb”, 1915)

A short evening prayer for beginners

Briefoh evening prayer rule

Prayers for the future

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

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

(Read three times, with the sign of the cross and a bow from the waist.) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. Lord have mercy ( Three times) Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Lord have mercy. ( 12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

Evening prayer for the coming sleep

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and in the evening it is necessary to read prayers for the coming sleep.

Why do you need to read prayers before going to bed?

There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and spiritually experienced lay people.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

In this case, it is better to read the short rule than to mindlessly and without reverence jabber the full text.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer request will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serving God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, the laity reads a short rule - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

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

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

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

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the enemies of the flesh and the incorporeal that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

• Heavenly King.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, like God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and still provides comfort to those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The heavenly angels sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as the Father; we stand before Him as children before their mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His power, we beg to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death they will be awarded the honor of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will protect the soul and body.

The prayer especially highlights the danger of attacks from bodily enemies (people pushing to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions).

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants on audio recordings?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work is done for the glory of God.

Prayer should begin before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has given throughout the day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of every word spoken.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil’s army; he is visited by sinful thoughts and bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered a time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious; they can send nightmares in a dream.

This is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances are going well, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed, and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This men's monastic monastery is famous for its miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching it is recommended to put aside worldly activities.
3. Church officials advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders as part of the evening rule. Their texts have been developed over centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and understanding their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! Offering prayer before going to bed means that an Orthodox Christian gains protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and in the evening it is necessary to read prayers for the coming sleep.

Why do you need to read prayers before going to bed?

There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and spiritually experienced lay people, for example, they may use a rosary.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

In this case, it is better to read the short rule than to mindlessly and without reverence jabber the full text.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer request will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serving God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, the laity reads a short rule - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

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

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

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

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the enemies of the flesh and the incorporeal that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

• Heavenly King.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, like God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and still provides comfort to those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

Icon of the Holy Trinity

• Trisagion.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The heavenly angels sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

• Lord's Prayer.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as the Father; we stand before Him as children before their mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His power, we beg to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death they will be awarded the honor of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

About other Orthodox prayers:

• Prayers for Easter
• Birthday Prayers
• Prayers before and after meals

• Prayer to the Guardian Angel.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will protect the soul and body.

The prayer especially highlights the danger of attacks from bodily enemies (people pushing to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions).

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants on audio recordings?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work is done for the glory of God.

Apostle PaulImportant! It is necessary to understand that you cannot replace prayers for future sleep by listening to Orthodox songs.

Prayer should begin before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has given throughout the day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of every word spoken.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

How Orthodox Christians pray:

• How to pray correctly
• What is the point in turning to the Lord?
• Does God hear our prayers

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil’s army; he is visited by sinful thoughts and bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered a time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious; they can send nightmares in a dream.

That is why believers pray every day before going to bed, as well as before starting any good deed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances are going well, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed, and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This men's monastic monastery is famous for its miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching it is recommended to put aside worldly activities.
3. Church officials advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders as part of the evening rule. Their texts have been developed over centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and understanding their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! Offering prayer before going to bed means that an Orthodox Christian gains protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Video about prayers for bedtime.

In detail: evening prayers for beginners - from all open sources and different parts of the world on the website for our dear readers.

For Orthodox Christians, the logical end of the day is the evening prayer rule.

In the evening, a person can calmly, without rushing, be alone with the Lord, talk it out before going to bed at night.

It is also called the Seraphim Rule - the holy elder Seraphim of Sarov commanded every Christian to pray this way morning and evening.

Lord's Prayer. Our Father (read three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity)

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.

Hymn to the Theotokos “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” (also read three times)

Virgin Mary, Rejoice, full of grace Mary, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have given birth to the Savior of our souls.

Creed (read once)

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, by whom all things were; For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven, and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human; Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried; And he rose again on the third day, according to the Scriptures; And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; And again the one who is to come will judge with glory 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 hope for the resurrection of the dead. And the life of the next century. Amen.

At the end, just before going to bed, you need to make the sign of the cross and say:

Evening prayers for beginners

For people who have just come to God, Orthodox beginners, there are evening prayers for beginners.

Evening and morning prayers are included in every Orthodox prayer book, which can be purchased in the candle shop of any temple.

Evening prayers for new Christians, before bed

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

Beginning prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, through the prayers 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, Spirit of truth, Who exists everywhere and fills the whole world, Source of blessings and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

(Bow)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Bow)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, cleanse our sins. Master, forgive our iniquities. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, 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 both in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Tropari

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us! Finding no justification for ourselves, we, sinners, offer this prayer to You as to the Lord: “Have mercy on us!”

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. God! Have mercy on us, we trust in You. Do not be very angry with us and do not remember our iniquities: but turn Your gaze on us even now, since You are merciful. And deliver us from our enemies: after all, You are our God and we are Your people, we are all the creations of Your hands and we call on Your name.

And now and always and forever and ever. Amen. Open to us, blessed Mother of God, the door to God’s mercy, so that we, who trust in You, do not perish, but through You we get rid of troubles: after all, You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great to God the Father

Eternal God and King of all creation, who has made me worthy to live until this hour, forgive me the sins that I committed on this day in deed, word and thought; and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all carnal and spiritual impurity. And grant me, Lord, to spend this night in peace, so that, rising from sleep, all the days of my life I will do what is pleasing to Your most holy name and defeat the enemies who attack me - carnal and incorporeal. And deliver me, Lord, from the vain thoughts and vicious desires that defile me. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 2, Saint Antiochus to Our Lord Jesus Christ

Almighty, Word of the Father, Jesus Christ! Being yourself perfect, according to Your great mercy, never leave me, Your servant, but always remain in me. Jesus, good Shepherd of Your sheep, do not give me over to the work of the serpent and do not leave me to the will of Satan, for there is in me the seed of destruction.

You, Lord God, whom everyone worships, the Holy King, Jesus Christ, protect me during sleep with unfading Light, Your Holy Spirit, with which You sanctified Your disciples. Grant, O Lord, to me, Thy unworthy servant, Thy salvation on my bed: enlighten my mind with the light of understanding of Thy Holy Gospel, my soul with love for Thy Cross, my heart with the purity of Thy word, my body with Thy suffering, alien to passion, my thought Maintain your humility.

And raise me up at the proper time to glorify You. For You are supremely glorified together with Your Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever. Amen.

Prayer 3, Rev. Ephraim the Syrian to the Holy Spirit

Lord, Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, have mercy and have mercy on me, Your sinful servant, and forgive me, unworthy, and forgive all the sins that I have sinned before You today as a man and, moreover, not as a man, but even worse livestock Forgive my sins, voluntary and involuntary, known and unknown: those committed out of immaturity and evil skill, out of temper and carelessness.

If I have sworn by Your name, or blasphemed Him in my thoughts; or whom he reproached; or slandered someone in my anger, or saddened someone, or about what I was angry; either he lied, or slept untimely, or a beggar came to me, and I rejected him; or saddened my brother, or stirred up quarrels, or condemned someone; or became arrogant, or became proud, or became angry; or when standing in prayer, his mind strove for evil worldly thoughts, or had insidious thoughts; either he overate himself, or got drunk, or laughed madly; or thought evil; or, seeing imaginary beauty, bowed your heart to what is outside of You; or said something obscene; or laughed at my brother’s sin, while my sins are countless; or did not care about prayer, or did something else evil that I did not remember: I did all this and even more than that.

Have mercy on me, my Creator and Lord, Thy careless and unworthy servant, and leave me, and forgive my sins, and forgive me, for You are Good and Humane-loving. So that I may lie down in peace, sleep and calm down, prodigal, sinful and unhappy, and so that I may bow and sing and glorify Your venerable name, with the Father and His Only Begotten Son, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 4

Lord our God, everything in which I have sinned this day in word, deed and thought, You, as the Merciful and Humane One, forgive me. Give me a peaceful and restful sleep. Send me Your Guardian Angel, who would cover and protect me from all evil. For You are the guardian of our souls and bodies, and we send up glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer 5, St. John Chrysostom (24 prayers, according to the number of hours of the day and night)

1. Lord, do not deprive me of Your heavenly blessings. 2. Lord, deliver me from eternal torment. 3. Lord, whether I have sinned in mind or thought, in word or deed, forgive me. 4. Lord, deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice, and petrified insensibility. 5. Lord, deliver me from every temptation. 6. Lord, enlighten my heart, which is darkened by evil desires. 7. Lord, as a man I have sinned, but You, as a generous God, have mercy on me, seeing the weakness of my soul. 8. Lord, send Your grace to help me, that I may glorify Your holy name. 9. Lord Jesus Christ, write me, Your servant, in the Book of Life and grant me a good end. 10. Lord, my God, although I have not done anything good before You, grant me, by Your grace, to begin good deeds. 11. Lord, sprinkle the dew of Your grace on my heart. 12. Lord of Heaven and earth, remember me, Thy sinful servant, foul and unclean, in Thy Kingdom. Amen.
2. Lord, accept me in repentance. 2. Lord, don't leave me. 3. Lord, protect me from every misfortune. 4. Lord, give me a good thought. 5. Lord, give me tears, and the memory of death, and heartfelt contrition for sins. 6. Lord, give me the thought to confess my sins. 7. Lord, give me humility, chastity and obedience. 8. Lord, give me patience, generosity and meekness. 9. Lord, plant in me the root of goodness - the fear of You in my heart. 10. Lord, deign me to love You with all my soul and thoughts and to fulfill Your will in everything. 11. Lord, protect me from evil people, and demons, and passions, and from every inappropriate deed. 12. Lord, You know what you do and what You desire - Your will be done even on me, a sinner, for You are blessed forever. Amen.

Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Merciful King, merciful Mother, most pure and blessed Mother of God Mary! Pour the mercy of Your Son and our God onto my passionate soul, and guide me with Your prayers to good deeds, so that I can live the rest of my life without sin and with Your help, the Virgin Mary, the only pure and blessed one, enter heaven.

Prayer to the Holy Guardian Angel

Kontakion to the Mother of God

Having been delivered from troubles, we, Your unworthy servants, Mother of God, sing a victorious and grateful song to You, the Supreme Military Leader. You, as having invincible power, free us from all troubles, so that we cry to You: Rejoice, Bride, not involved in marriage!

Glorious Eternal Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Thy Son and our God, may He save our souls through Thy prayers.

I place all my hope in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your protection.

Enlighten my eyes, O Christ God, so that I do not fall asleep in the sleep of death, so that my enemy does not say: I have defeated him.

Be the Protector of my soul, O God, for I walk among many snares. Deliver me from them and save me, O God, for You are a Lover of Mankind.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit. Holy Trinity, glory to Thee!

End of prayers

It is truly worthy to glorify You as the Mother of God, always Blessed and Immaculate, and the Mother of our God. We magnify You as the true Mother of God, who painlessly gave birth to God the Word, worthy of greater honor than the Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious than the Seraphim.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always, and forever and ever. Amen.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayers said in private, separate from the evening rule

Prayer 1

Relax, let go, forgive, O God, our sins, voluntary and involuntary, committed in word and deed, consciously and unconsciously, day and night, in mind and in thought - forgive us all, as the Merciful and Humane One. Forgive those who hate and offend us, O Lord, Lover of Mankind! To those who do good, do good. To our brothers and relatives, graciously fulfill their requests in what leads to salvation, and grant eternal life.

Visit the weak and give them healing. Help those at sea. Companion to travelers. Help Orthodox Christians in their struggle. Grant remission of sins to those who serve us and those who take pity on us. Have mercy on those who have entrusted us, the unworthy, to pray for them, according to Your great mercy. Remember, Lord, our fathers and brothers who have fallen before and rest them where the light of Your Face shines. Remember, Lord, our brothers who are in captivity, and deliver them from all misfortune.

Remember, Lord, those who bear the fruits of their labors and adorn Your holy churches. Give them, at their request, that which leads to salvation and eternal life. Remember, Lord, us, Your humble, sinful and unworthy servants, and enlighten our minds so that we know You, and guide us on the path of following Your commandments, through the prayers of our most pure Lady, the Eternal Virgin Mary, and all Your saints, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen.

Everyday confession of sins, pronounced in private

I confess to You, my Lord God and Creator, in the One Holy Trinity, glorified and worshiped, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, all my sins that I have committed in all the days of my life, and at every hour, and at the present time, by deed, in word, thought, sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and all my feelings, mental and physical, with which I have angered You, my God and Creator, and offended my neighbor.

Sinned: ( further listing of individual sins). Regretting them, I stand before You guilty and want to repent. Only, Lord my God, help me, I humbly pray to You with tears. By Your mercy, forgive the sins I have committed and free me from them, for You are Good and Lover of Mankind.

When you go to bed, mark yourself with a cross and say the prayer to the Honest Cross:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may all who hate Him flee from His Face. As the smoke disappears, so let them disappear. Just as wax melts from the fire, so let the demons perish at the sight of those who love God, and sign themselves with the sign of the cross and joyfully say: “Rejoice, much-honored and life-giving Cross of the Lord, driving away demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ crucified on you, who descended into hell and who destroyed the power of the devil and gave us you, His venerable Cross, to drive away every enemy.” O venerable and life-giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Lady, the Virgin Mary, and with all the saints forever. Amen.

Or briefly:

Protect me, Lord, by the power of Your venerable and life-giving Cross, and save me from all evil.

When you go to bed and fall asleep, say:

Into Your hands, Lord Jesus Christ, my God, I commend my spirit. Bless me, have mercy on me and grant me eternal life. Amen.

Prayer before going to bed to the Guardian Angel

The Guardian Angel, introduced to a Christian after Holy Baptism, hourly protects his ward. Whenever there is a need, Orthodox Christians turn to their Guardian Angel, asking him for help and protection.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body! Forgive me everything that I have sinned today, and deliver me from every insidious plan of the enemy coming against me, so that I do not anger my God with any sin. But pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, to present me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

Bedtime prayer for a child

Very often, faith comes to people after the birth of a child. Any mother is ready to do anything to protect her child. Before going to bed, for a good sleep, as at any time of the day, you can turn to the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and the saint whose name the child bears.

Prayer for children, to the Lord Jesus Christ

Sweetest Jesus, God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours after your soul; You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless blood. For the sake of Your Divine Blood, I beg You, my Sweetest Savior: with Your grace, touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, hold them remove them from bad inclinations and habits, direct them to the bright path of truth and goodness, decorate them their life to all good and saving, arrange their fate as you yourself want, and save their souls, even according to destinies.

Prayer for children to the Most Holy Theotokos

O Most Holy Lady Virgin Theotokos, save and preserve under Your roof my children (names), all youths, young women and infants, baptized and nameless and carried in their mother’s womb. Cover them with the robe of Your motherhood, keep them in the fear of God and in obedience to their parents, beseech my Lord and Your Son to grant them what is useful for their salvation. I entrust them to Your maternal supervision, for You are the Divine Cover of Your servants.

Prayer for children to the Guardian Angel

Holy Guardian Angel of my child (name), cover him with your cover from the arrows of the demon, from the eyes of the seducer, and keep his heart in angelic purity. Amen.

Interpretation of evening prayers

For the laity, there are various evening prayers and interpretations of texts, the meaning of which can be explained by a priest or independent study of the topic. Beginners on the path of prayer can listen to the chants of the elders of Optina Pustyn before going to bed.

The Optina elders healed the suffering, served people, predicted the future and prayed for all sinners. It is useful for everyone to plunge into the life of the Optina monks to study their holy deeds and night vigils.

You can listen to the evening prayer rule of the Optina monks here:

Conclusion

For true Christians, the question of whether to pray or not is not worth it. For people who just want to come to God and a righteous life, the roads to the temple are open, and it doesn’t matter when a person made this decision, it’s never too late.

Having come to church, a person must grow in faith and knowledge, study the Holy Scriptures, the works of the holy fathers, regularly attend divine services, then prayer will become an integral part of the life of a Christian.

Religious reading: evening prayer for beginners to help our readers.

Evening prayer for the coming sleep

Every Orthodox Christian must adhere to a certain prayer rule, performed daily: morning prayers are read in the morning, and in the evening it is necessary to read prayers for the coming sleep.

Why do you need to read prayers before going to bed?

There is a certain rhythm of prayer intended for monastics and spiritually experienced lay people.

But for those who have recently come to the Church and are just beginning their prayer journey, it is quite difficult to read it in its entirety. And it happens that unforeseen situations arise for the laity when there is too little opportunity and time for prayer.

In this case, it is better to read the short rule than to mindlessly and without reverence jabber the full text.

Often, confessors bless beginners to read several prayers, and then, after 10 days, add one prayer to the rule every day. Thus, the skill of prayer reading is formed gradually and naturally.

Important! Any prayer request will be supported by Heaven when a person directs his activities to serving God and people.

Evening prayers

In the evening, the laity reads a short rule - a prayer for the night before going to bed:

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

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

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

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us; Perplexed by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.

Glory: Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You; Do not be angry with us, do not remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if you are gracious, and deliver us from our enemies; For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now: Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, so that we may not perish, but may be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has vouchsafed me even at this hour to come, forgive me the sins I have committed this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, O Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. And grant me, Lord, to pass through this dream in peace at night, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name all the days of my life, and will trample the enemies of the flesh and the incorporeal that fight me. And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts. For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Thy Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Thy prayers instruct me in good deeds, so that I may pass through the rest of my life without blemish and through Thee I will find paradise, O Virgin Mother of God, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me all who have sinned this day, and deliver me from every wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that in no sin I will anger my God; but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints. Amen.

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil ones, let us write thanks to Thy servants, the Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti; Rejoice, Unbrided Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all saints, have mercy on us. Amen.

Interpretation of individual prayers

• Heavenly King.

In prayer, the Holy Spirit is called the King, because He, like God the Father and God the Son, rules the world and reigns in it. He is a comforter and still provides comfort to those who need it. He guides believers on the righteous path, which is why he is called the Spirit of Truth.

The petition is addressed to the three hypostases of the Holy Trinity. The heavenly angels sing a great song before the throne of God. God the Father is the Holy God, God the Son is the Holy Almighty. This conversion is due to the victory of the Son over the devil and the destruction of hell. Throughout the prayer, a person asks for permission from sins, healing of spiritual infirmities for the sake of glorifying the Most Holy Trinity.

This is an appeal directly to the Almighty as the Father; we stand before Him as children before their mother and father. We affirm the omnipotence of God and His power, we beg to control human spiritual forces and direct them to the true path, so that after death they will be awarded the honor of being in the Kingdom of Heaven.

He is the Good Spirit for every believer, determined by God Himself. Therefore, praying to Him in the evenings is simply necessary. It is he who will warn against committing sins, help to live holy and will protect the soul and body.

The prayer especially highlights the danger of attacks from bodily enemies (people pushing to commit sin) and incorporeal (spiritual passions).

Nuances of the evening rule

Most people have a question: is it possible to listen to Orthodox chants on audio recordings?

The Epistle of the Apostle Paul says that it does not matter what a person does, the main thing is that any of his work is done for the glory of God.

Prayer should begin before going to bed. Before starting to read the rule, it is recommended to thank God for everything that He has given throughout the day. You need to turn to Him with your mind and heart, realizing the meaning of every word spoken.

Advice! If the text is read in Church Slavonic, then you need to study its Russian translation.

In modern practice, the rule is supplemented by reading prayers for:

• close and dear people
• living and deceased;
• about enemies;
• virtues and about the whole world.

In a dream, a person is especially vulnerable to the devil’s army; he is visited by sinful thoughts and bad desires. Night in the Christian understanding is considered a time of rampant demons. A person can receive information that can seduce his body and lead his soul into sin. Demons are very insidious; they can send nightmares in a dream.

This is why believers pray every day before going to bed.

Advice! Even when all life circumstances are going well, we must not forget about faith and the Heavenly Father, because human destinies are initially predetermined in Heaven. Therefore, it is necessary to turn to God before going to bed, and the next day will definitely turn out better than the previous one.

1. It is useful to listen to the singing of the elders of Optina Hermitage. This men's monastic monastery is famous for its miracle workers who could and can foresee human destinies. The need to serve the Almighty is conveyed through their prayer songs and sets them on the righteous path.
2. The Church has a positive attitude towards viewing Orthodox videos, but this material must be treated very carefully, and in the process of listening or watching it is recommended to put aside worldly activities.
3. Church officials advise including the prayers of the Optina Elders as part of the evening rule. Their texts have been developed over centuries and each of their phrases carries the greatest wisdom, capable of clarifying the foundations of the Orthodox faith and understanding their full depth.

Prayer is the breath of the soul of an Orthodox person. He practically cannot control his sleep, and other life processes are difficult to control. Therefore, prayer before going to bed is aimed at ensuring that the Creator participates in human life, otherwise He will not have the opportunity to help us.

Important! Offering prayer before going to bed means that an Orthodox Christian gains protection and support. In addition to their own protection, mothers beg God to protect their children and send them mercy.

Evening prayer - great spiritual support for beginners

When a person begins to believe in God and comes to church, he discovers here many rules that are well known and familiar to believers and completely incomprehensible to unchurched people. At first, such a mass of rules seems like unnecessary rituals, and only later does a person understand that in this way the church puts some kind of spiritual barrier between sin and man.

A person never stands still. Either he is going up or he is steadily going down in his spiritual condition. It is in order to support a person every day that the church has established some prayer rules. These are, for example, morning prayers, prayers before meals or evening prayers. For beginners, this all seems far-fetched and unnecessary. But in fact, only a regular reminder of God sometimes allows one to refrain from condemnation, anger, lies and petty theft, that is, from those numerous sins that every day is filled with.

Morning prayer is gratitude to God for life and for awakening. Starting the day with prayer, a person immediately tunes into a gracious mood and good deeds. He asks God for blessings on his upcoming activities.

The day ends with evening prayer. For beginners, any prayer rule can be shortened. For example, the usual evening rule begins with the prayer “To the Heavenly King.” Then comes a short invocation to God, known as the Trisagion, then the Most Holy Trinity and Our Father. This is the usual beginning of prayers; almost every prayer begins this way. The evening prayers themselves were compiled by famous church fathers and contain appeals of repentance, petition and gratitude.

How long does evening prayer take? For beginners, the prayer rule is usually shortened. It all depends on the age and health status of the person. For example, children sometimes read only one prayer at night, and older people also shorten their prayers. But in reality, evening prayer does not take that much time. The text, when pronounced slowly, takes about fifteen minutes; you also need to add bows and reading the commemoration. In general, an ordinary conscientious, leisurely parishioner prays in the evening for about half an hour.

This is quite a bit, so it is quite obvious that evening prayer is quite a feasible burden for beginners.

Orthodox Christians visit the temple twice a week and on holidays. Some people find this too burdensome. You shouldn’t force yourself and immediately try to stand through the entire service from the beginning to the very end. Of course, while everything is unclear and unusual, it is extremely difficult to do this. Church Slavonic is an additional complexity. It is similar to Russian, but many words are unclear or translated differently. Some read evening prayers in Russian and try to find a translation of the service. This is correct: prayer is a conversation with God, it should be understandable to the person praying. But then, when everything gradually becomes clearer, it is worth switching to ordinary church language.

Evening prayer is a small step for beginners, the first step on the path to becoming a church member and finding true joy in God. A step that is not that difficult to complete.

Brief evening prayer rule in Church Slavonic

This section presents evening prayers in Church Slavonic written in modern font.

• Brief prayer rule
  • Beginning of prayers
  • Tropari
  • Kontakion to the Mother of God
  • Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

Brief prayer rule:

Beginning of prayers

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

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, souls ours.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Three times)

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us;

Lord, cleanse our sins;

Master, forgive our iniquities;

Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

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.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us;

Bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sins: have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy on us, for we trust in You;

Do not be angry with us, remember our iniquities, but look upon us now as if we are well-behaved, and deliver us from our enemies;

For Thou art our God, and we are Thy people; all works are done by Thy hand, and we call on Thy name.

And now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Open the doors of mercy to us, blessed Mother of God, who trust in You, may we not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You: for You are the salvation of the Christian race.

Lord have mercy. (12 times)

Prayer 1, St. Macarius the Great, to God the Father

Eternal God and King of every creature, who has made me worthy even at this hour to achieve, forgive me the sins that I have committed on this day in deed, word and thought, and cleanse, Lord, my humble soul from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.

And grant me, Lord, in the night of this dream to pass away in peace, so that, rising from my humble bed, I will please Your most holy name, all the days of my life, and will stop the enemies of the flesh and the barren who fight me ́tnyya.

And deliver me, Lord, from vain thoughts that defile me, and from evil lusts.

For Yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages.

Prayer 10, to the Most Holy Theotokos

Good Mother of the King, Most Pure and Blessed Mother of God Mary, pour out the mercy of Your Son and our God on my passionate soul and with Your prayers guide me to good deeds, May I pass the rest of my life without blemish and through You may I find paradise, O Virgin Mary, the only Pure One and Blessed One.

Prayer 11, to the Holy Guardian Angel

To the Angel of Christ, my holy guardian and patron of my soul and body, forgive me in all respects that I have sinned this day, and deliver me from all the wickedness of the enemy who opposes me, so that I may not sin in any way. I venerate my God;

but pray for me, a sinful and unworthy servant, that you may show me worthy of the goodness and mercy of the All-Holy Trinity and the Mother of my Lord Jesus Christ and all the saints.

Kontakion to the Mother of God

To the chosen Voivode, victorious, as having been delivered from the evil, let us write thanksgiving to Thy servants, O Mother of God, but as having an invincible power, free us from all troubles, let us call Ti;

Rejoice, Unbridled Bride.

Glorious Ever-Virgin, Mother of Christ God, bring our prayer to Your Son and our God, may You save our souls.

I place all my trust in You, Mother of God, keep me under Your roof.

Little Virgin Mary, do not despise me, a sinner, who requires Your help and Your intercession, for my soul trusts in You, and have mercy on me.

Prayer of Saint Ioannikios

My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my protection is the Holy Spirit: Holy Trinity, glory to Thee.

It is worthy to eat as the truly blessed Thee, the Mother of God, the Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and the Mother of our God.

We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.

Lord have mercy. (Thrice)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us.

Evening prayers: are they so hard?

In Christianity, prayer - communication with God - is called “food for the soul.” Therefore, for a full spiritual life, it must be daily, just like nutrition for our body. For most people, morning and evening are convenient times to turn to God. This is reflected in Orthodox prayer books. And if there is often not enough time to read the entire morning rule, then read evening prayers By pushing back bedtime, almost anyone can do it.

The meaning of prayers is not in reading as such, but in living communication with God. Without humility, attention, contrition of heart, all that remains of it is its external form. This is sometimes observed both among “experienced” Orthodox Christians and among newcomers. The former sometimes proofread evening prayers in the usual patter, without much attention. And the latter are ignored due to the not very clear language and meaning of some texts. In addition, they are tired of unusually long periods of standing.

What do we pray for at the end of the day? The main thing in our conversion is repentance. We ask forgiveness for all sins, for the undue things that, due to weakness, we committed during the day. We thank God for everything sent to us. We pray to preserve us in the coming night and help us reach the Kingdom of Heaven. It's very good if evening prayer for beginners will also contain a confession of sins, by which it is easier to check your forgetful conscience. Evening time is the best time to mentally analyze all your actions for the day, your feelings, and once again bring repentance to God.

Evening, Orthodox prayer for beginners

People just starting to follow the prayer rule should understand that the most important thing in its implementation is consistency. If you have already decided to do it, then you need to read it every day, and not at will: if I want, I do it, if I don’t want, I don’t do it. Another question is what should this prayer rule for beginners consist of? Each prayer book has a corresponding section; it is with the reading of these prayers that one should begin to fulfill the prayer rule. Beginners should spend about half an hour on evening prayer, but everything, of course, depends on the personal characteristics of each person. It would be good to supplement the implementation of the rule by reading chapters from the Apostle and the Gospel - this takes little time, but the benefits are obvious.

Do beginners need a priest's blessing to read the evening prayer?

Churchgoers sometimes have a question: is it necessary to take a special blessing for beginners from a priest to read the evening prayer? This question can be answered in different ways. On the one hand, to read the prayer rule, the blessing of the priest is not required because prayer is a natural necessity for every believer. But, based on the fact that the beginner has little experience, it is better to ask the priest for advice and blessing on such an important matter. By asking for blessings, we thereby show humility, which attracts Divine grace. In addition, the priest will help you correctly calculate your strength for prayer.

Difficulty of Evening Prayer for Beginners

For overworked and busy modern people, it is temporarily possible to follow the prayer rule in such a way that the evening prayers for beginners are not read all in a row, but selectively. If it is impossible to read all the prayers, then it is good to read at least some of them. It is advisable to coordinate the choice of these prayers with the priest. Performing the evening prayer is the most difficult for beginners - fatigue after a hard day takes its toll.

Text of evening prayer for beginners

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake. Lord have mercy. (3 times)

Hello, dear readers! Orthodox people adhere to certain prayer rules and read morning and evening prayers every day.

For a long time, humanity has associated going to sleep with higher powers; many people asked themselves, when going to bed, whether the next day would come for them. Therefore it was very important read evening prayers, before going to bed.

Traditions of Orthodox Christians

From time immemorial, at the end of the day, people return to their home in the evening after a hard day of work, talk with their family and friends, wish them a good and restful sleep.

At the same time, in Ancient Rus' they never forgot about the Lord, because it was he who gave people confidence in the future, instilled hope and peace in their souls.

It was very important to find a state of peace for bedtime, it was in this state that a person felt completely relaxed and rested, ready to begin new achievements in the morning.

Prayers for the coming sleep were created by holy people in the first centuries after the adoption of the Christian faith; they are also called rules, since they must be read regularly.

Today, evening prayers for beginners are available in any form. An Orthodox Christian can not only memorize the sacred text, but also listen to it in the form of an audio recording, watch a video of it, or simply read it online.

In this case, the chosen method of reading the rules will not be important to the Lord, the main thing is that there is deep faith and a desire to serve him sincerely.

These texts were compiled by clergy in the Church Slavonic language; unfortunately, this language is forgotten by many today and is difficult to perceive visually; previously it was included in the compulsory curriculum studied in schools. Today it is studied only by philologists and those who are planning to become a clergyman.

Today, the texts of most evening prayers have been adapted for modern people, that is, they can be read in Russian, so their meaning becomes more understandable.

How to read sacred texts for the coming sleep

Many beginning Christians are interested in the questions of what evening rules to read, at what time, and how to read. It is worth noting that reading the prayer words will take approximately 15 minutes; such texts should be read slowly, pondering each word; some changes should occur in the person’s soul, awareness of what you are reading.

The Holy Fathers recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep every day, spending an extra half hour on this, which could be spent at the computer or watching TV. It is very important to read the rules before communion and during Lent.

Also, some people are interested in the question of whether it is possible to read evening prayers while sitting. There are several opinions on this issue.

Most believers believe that you only need to turn to the Lord while standing in front of icons. But, at home, many people read sacred texts in a sitting position. Communicating with God while sitting is also allowed for those people who, for some reason, cannot stand at all, or can, but not for long.

What is included in evening prayers

• First of all, a Christian should read the appeal to the Holy Trinity;
• Next, the well-known prayer “Our Father” is read by heart (you can read the prayer not only for the coming sleep, but also when there is a strong need to communicate with God);
• Then the person must turn in turn to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ. This address was compiled by the monk Macarius the Great, the author of many sacred texts.

Appeal to the Holy Trinity

Prayer of Macarius the Great

Also, in evening prayers, people often turn to God with a request for forgiveness of sins. This is due to the fact that night is a time of rest, but in this state a person is weak, since demons can take possession of his soul, exposing it to various temptations and temptations that are very difficult to fight.

To prevent demons from visiting and to make it easier to cope with their temptations, it is necessary to cleanse the soul through repentance.

In addition, in the rules read in the evening, it is important for a Christian to turn to his Guardian Angel. Each person who has undergone the rite of baptism has his own Guardian Angel, who protects his soul and body, tells his ward what to do in this or that case.

It is known that the symbol of the Christian faith is the Cross, therefore there is a prayer to it. Everyone knows that the Cross symbolizes the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ for the sins committed by humanity. The sign of the cross means protection from the forces of darkness, so it is important not to forget to cross yourself when reading the evening rules.

Each person has his own regime, but it is worth considering that time on the church day is calculated differently. You can start reading the evening rules after three o'clock in the afternoon. People are also interested in what time in the evening they can do this, whether it is possible at night. The clergy recommend reading prayers for the coming sleep before 12 o'clock at night.

If a person attends evening services in a church, then the rules must be read out after its completion. You can read the sacred texts at home, take a prayer book with large print and slowly pronounce the phrases.

It is believed that one prayer, pronounced with feeling and understanding, can replace a dozen of those that were read hastily, and their deep meaning was not understood by a person.

It is very important for beginning Christians, when reading evening prayers, not to be distracted by extraneous thoughts, to be collected, to try to understand their essence, only if these conditions are met will spiritual benefit be obtained.

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

Offering prayer words before going to bed is necessary for an Orthodox Christian to gain protection and support at night. From time immemorial, mothers asked the Lord for protection for their children, turning to him with prayers for the coming sleep.

Saints always hear sincere words addressed to them and strive to protect their charges and send them mercy.

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Best regards, Irina Yarovikova