Seraphim prayer rule. Prayer rule of the Monk Seraphim of Sarov for the laity. Prayer work of the soul

Every believing person should be in contact with God every second of his existence. This should be his goal and daily work expressed in prayer. Many holy elders said that each appeal to the Creator should be accompanied by three prayers. The first is read as given by the Almighty, the second as gratitude to the Mother of God, and the third - for support in faith and Christian morality.

In order to make it easier for believers to go to God, some holy people created special prayer rules that indicated when and where it was appropriate to read this or that prayer. Also, thanks to this list, it was possible to find out how many times a day it is necessary to turn to the Creator. The days of church holidays and sacraments, requiring special spiritual preparation from the laity, were especially distinguished. The most famous is the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity, which we will tell you about today. In addition to it, we will touch on some additional nuances of turning to God in the article.

Prayer work of the soul

Christianity takes it very seriously daily prayer. The clergy instruct the flock, explaining to them that it is necessary to move towards God in small steps, but not stopping for a minute. It is not necessary immediately after baptism to rush headlong into reading religious books and actively attend all services in the church. So you will not gain spiritual purity, but only get confused in your feelings and sensations.

It is worth starting your movement towards God with the study of the prayer rule, which will help you correctly clothe the spiritual impulse in words. Moreover, every minister of the church will say that you need to accustom yourself to prayer. Despite the daily rhythm of life, mood and fatigue, you need to force yourself to turn to God with gratitude and a request for protection. At first, it will be quite difficult to do this, but gradually prayer will begin to bring joy and spiritual enlightenment.

At this stage, the believer can already say all the prayers from the prayer rule. And this work causes him an incredible feeling of unity with the Creator, which pushes him to further self-improvement. And over time, prayer begins to cause such happiness that it descends on a person special condition peace and tranquility. Filled with such feelings, the believer can leave everyday affairs in order to immediately turn to God.

It is these religious feelings they push people to go to the monastery, because within its walls prayer takes on a completely different meaning - turned into a single impulse of several souls, it becomes a real purification. Many holy elders say that it is for prayer that people go to the monastery. It becomes their reward, because with other ideas about God, few people will be able to cope with difficult monastic everyday life.

We have used such a phrase as "prayer rule" more than once in the article. Let's analyze this church term in more detail.

Prayer rule for the laity: a brief description

Since it is rather difficult for laymen who have just come to faith to accustom themselves to daily prayer, special collections have been compiled that help to correctly calculate their strength and turn to the Creator with a certain spiritual message.

Prayer rules were not invented overnight. Sometimes they were created by the holy elders at the request of the laity, while others appeared in connection with various church rituals. Be that as it may, but every Orthodox believer must adhere to a certain regulation that allows him to cleanse himself as much as possible from everything worldly and vain, in order to open his heart to his Creator.

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity

It is worth noting that the holy elder considered communion with the Creator the first necessity for a Christian. It should be more important to him than food, water and air. No believer can imagine his life without prayer.

The elder himself spent most of his time in this occupation and bequeathed such a pastime to his spiritual children. Sometimes he even demanded many hours of daily prayer from his followers, and therefore he made up a rule for them that helps in difficult spiritual work.

Morning

Seraphim of Sarov believed that a new day must be met sign of the cross and the fulfillment of the morning prayer rule. The elder argued that in order to pray, a Christian should stand near the icons or in another place where nothing would distract him from communion with God.

The morning prayer rule includes three texts. Reading must be done in the following order:

"Our Father";
"Virgin Mother of God, rejoice";
Symbol of faith.

Keep in mind that the first two texts should be read three times, but for the last prayer, one time is enough. After fulfilling the rules, a person can proceed to his daily affairs and duties.

Day

Seraphim of Sarov advised not to forget about the prayer rule during the usual affairs. In Russian, you can quietly read the Jesus Prayer. This allows you not to be distracted in your thoughts from communication with the Creator and makes it possible to correlate your thoughts with Christian virtues every second.

You should not start a lunch meal without repeating the morning ritual, only after it you can start eating.

Afternoon

According to the precepts of Seraphim of Sarov, an Orthodox believer cannot be distracted from prayer even after dinner. At this time, it is better to subtract:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner";
"Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner."

The first of these texts is suitable for solitude, when you can completely surrender to turning to the Almighty. But the second is possible to read, doing business until going to bed.

Prayers meant for the evening

Naturally, a Christian cannot calmly fall into sleep without taking time for his God. The evening prayer rule is identical to the morning one, all words must be pronounced when you definitely no longer do business. At the conclusion of the prayer, the believer overshadows himself with the sign of the cross and can calmly lie down in bed.

Interestingly, it is customary for Christians to fall asleep only after turning to God, because in a dream a person can finish his life path, and there is nothing worse than to appear unprepared before the Creator. Therefore, every day, believers end with a prayer and repent in committed sins. Only this characterizes the true relationship between the soul and the Supreme.

Communion: preparation features

Communion is a special procedure that requires great labor and abstinence from the Orthodox. He must approach the sacrament prepared according to all the rules. They include a list of six items that include a prayer rule before Communion.

First of all, a Christian must keep himself in bodily and spiritual purity, and also observe fasting. Usually, preparation for the sacrament lasts several days; on the evening before Communion, it is imperative to take part in church service and read a few prayers at night:

penitential canon;
prayer canon to the Mother of God;
canon to the Guardian Angel;
Follow-up to Holy Communion.

Do not forget that the texts listed are read several times in a row, and the Orthodox believer must be in an even frame of mind and not harbor evil on anyone. Only in such a state can one come to the sacrament.

Bright Week: the first days of Easter

Many Christians who have recently come to God are interested in the prayer rule for Bright Week. Lay people often get confused in the numerous rituals and rituals that accompany this or that church festival.

During this period, Christians must completely change the order of their previous prayers, because the prayer rule for Bright Week includes a fairly wide list of canons and hymns. So, on the eve of the holiday (on the night of Easter), the Orthodox should read:

Easter hours;
"Christ is Risen";
"Seeing the Resurrection of Christ";
Easter troparia;
"Lord have mercy";
"Christ is Risen" (again).

Keep in mind that the first song is sung for at least seven minutes. The Orthodox claim that during this time an incredible grace descends on them. The second and third prayers are read three times, but the fifth must be said at least forty times.

From Easter to the Ascension of the Lord

Prayer rule on Pascha means to begin and end the day with the troparion of Pascha. It is necessary to read it three times, but more times will not be a violation - such is the impulse of your soul in honor of the bright holiday.

Also, the prayer rule for Easter includes the Trisagion. This prayer must be read at least three times.

From Ascension to Trinity

If you are not good at church holidays, then keep in mind that all days from the beginning of Easter to the Trinity are considered holidays. Therefore, special prayers are read during this period. Of course, if you start and end your day by simply turning to the Almighty out of ignorance, then this will not be a serious departure from the rules. However, it is best to observe a special prayer rule after Easter.

Each coming holiday changes the order of reading prayers. We have already covered the period from Easter to Ascension in the previous section. Now we need to talk about the prayer rule after Easter until the Trinity.

During this period, which lasts ten days, the troparia to the Theotokos and the "King of Heaven, the Comforter" are not read. There is also a ban on bowing to the ground. Every day, the clergy recommend starting with the Trisagion.

Optina Elders

Many believers have heard about the prayer rule of the Optina elders. However, not every Christian understands who these holy people are and how effective their advice is in a given life situation. Therefore, we decided to tell you a little about the Optina elders themselves.

So, Optina Pustyn is one of the most ancient monasteries on Russian territory. It is located near the Kaluga province, and the first mention of it dates back to the time of Boris Godunov.

Of course, the main value of the monastery was its monks, who quickly began to be called elders. All of them were not ordinary people, but had a number of characteristics that put them on the same level with recognized Orthodox saints during their lifetime.

The following characteristics can be safely attributed to the features of the Optina elders:

The gift of healing or predicting the future. Almost every one of the elders had some kind of gift received from above. But most often these holy people predicted the future or healed the seriously ill. There are cases when they were even called sorcerers, but all their deeds were only with the blessing of God.
Faith. Each of the elders stood firm in the faith, no matter what happened in his life. This condition was one of the main ones for admission to the monastery, because only a true believer can help other people.
Service. The whole life of the Optina elders was aimed at serving the Creator and the people. For them, there was no concept of fatigue, everyone who needed help received it from the monks.
Repentance for the sins of others. The fact is that the Optina elders took a vow of repentance for all the Orthodox in this world. Often people came to the monastery for confession, telling about all their sins. The elders prayed for human misdeeds for many hours and then let them go with pure soul and heart.

It is worth noting that people went to Optina Pustyn regardless of their social status and financial situation. And for every misfortune, the elders found words of consolation, for many pilgrims they advised certain prayer rules, which turned out to be very effective.

Prayers from the Optina Elders

The monks of the Optina Hermitage spent most of their time in prayer. Therefore, they had accumulated a sufficient number of prayer rules, which they shared with pilgrims.

For example, in the morning it was supposed to be mandatory reading of twenty-seven texts. Among them, one can especially highlight:

Trisagion;
Symbol of faith;
prayer for the living;
prayer for the dead;
prayer to the Holy Trinity.

Optina elders advised to read prayers one time and in random order. The main attribute of turning to God is true faith and longing for communion with God. Only in this case the prayer will be effective and will bring purification.

The monks of the Optina Hermitage shared prayer rules with pilgrims for any occasion. For example, in case of temptation it was necessary to read a psalm to David. And if for one reason or another you cannot attend church services, then you should read the following texts at home during the day:

morning - twelve psalms, a prayer to the Mother of God, a daytime akathist;
evening prayer rule - the canon to the Guardian Angel, twelve psalms, chapters from the Gospel, the prayer "Weaken, leave";
for the coming sleep - the prayer "Everyday Confession".

Interestingly, the Optina elders allowed some deviations from these regulations. They believed that for certain reasons, the laity can completely and completely immerse themselves in everyday affairs. This may be due to some serious problems or illness. However, after the resolution of all problems, the Christian must return to his former religious behavior and devote time again to communion with the Creator.

Conclusion

We hope that our article will be useful to you and you will be able to choose for yourself some kind of prayer rule that will gradually bring you closer to God. Of course, the prayers we have listed are not the only ones, and if desired, every Christian will be able to find others. religious texts, the reading of which will cause him a feeling of grace and spiritual joy. Remember that it is this feeling that accompanies your daily appeal to the Almighty that indicates that you are doing the right thing and your prayer has been heard. Many Christians consider this work, but in fact there is no greater joy than to work with the name of God on our lips and for His glory. Do not forget about daily prayer in the bustle of everyday life, and perhaps then the Lord will change your life.

In our vain time, when everyone around is in a hurry, fussing, we don’t even really have time to pray. Where are we before morning or evening prayers. , and collect yourself, put yourself in order and such a bonanza every day. But we forget to think about our souls. But even here the holy fathers come to our aid. he is not able to follow a more complete prayer rule. All we need is to get out of bed 10 minutes earlier and pray briefly. And this will help our soul overcome anxiety, excitement, gain confidence and God's protection.

Seraphim of Sarov advised to pray as follows: “Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing in front of the holy icons, let him read the Lord’s Prayer“ Our Father ”three times, in honor of Holy Trinity, then the song of the Theotokos "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" also three times and, finally, the Creed once. Having made this rule, let each one go about his own work, for which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him quietly read: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (s)”, and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him only say with his mind: “ Lord have mercy, ”and continues until dinner. Just before dinner, let him do the above morning rule. After dinner, doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner (th),” and let this continue until bedtime. Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross. “Keeping to this rule,” says Fr. Seraphim, “it is possible to achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundations of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is a model of all prayers; the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord; The symbol, in short, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith. For those who, for various reasons, cannot fulfill even this small rule, St. Seraphim advised to read it in any position: both during classes, and walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for that the words of Scripture: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Here it is
Brief prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov
Lord's Prayer (Thrice)

Our Father, Who art in Heaven! May your name be hallowed,
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as
heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today;
and leave us our debts, as we leave our debts
whom ours; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us
from the evil one.

Prayer to the Holy Trinity (Thrice)

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

Song of the Most Holy Theotokos (Thrice)
Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary,
The Lord is with you; Blessed are you in women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, as the Savior
gave birth to our souls.

Symbol of faith
I believe in One God the Father, Almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.
And in One Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God
the only begotten, Who was born from the Father before all ages;
Light from Light, True God from True God, born
uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, whom all was.
For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation descended from Heaven
and incarnated of the Holy Spirit and became human.
Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate and suffering,
and buried. And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.
And ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.
And packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead,
His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, Along with the Father
and worshiped and glorified by the Son, who spoke the prophets.
In One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the age to come.
Amen.

This article contains: the prayer of the rule of Seraphim of Sarov - the information is taken from all over the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.

“Prayer Rule of Seraphim of Sarov”

Brief prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov

Many, coming to Fr. Seraphim, they complained that they prayed little to God, even leaving the necessary daily prayers. Some said they were doing it out of illiteracy, others out of lack of time. Father Seraphim bequeathed to such people the following rule of prayer:

“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read

- the Lord's prayer: Our Father - three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity,

- then a song to the Mother of God: Virgin Mary, rejoice - also three times,

- and, finally, the Creed: I believe in one God - once.

Having made this rule, let every Christian go about his business, to which he was appointed or called.

While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him read quietly: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner or a sinner; and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him say only this with his mind: Lord, have mercy, and continue until dinner.

Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule.

After dinner, doing his job, let every Christian also read quietly: Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner, and let this continue until sleep.

When it happens to him to spend time in solitude, then let him read: Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner or a sinner.

Going to bed, let every Christian again read the above morning rule, that is, our Father three times, the Mother of God three times and once the Creed. After that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.

“By adhering to this rule,” Father Seraphim said, “it is possible to achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers; the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord; The symbol, in short, contains the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.”

For those who, due to various circumstances, it is impossible to fulfill even this small rule, St. Seraphim advised reading it in every position: both during classes, and at walks, and even in bed, presenting as the basis for that the words of Holy Scripture: Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord , will be saved.

Prayers for the rule

Lord's Prayer: Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven!

May your name be hallowed,

let your kingdom come,

let your will be done

as in heaven and on earth.

Give us our daily bread today;

and leave us our debts,

like we also leave our debtor;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.

Prayer: Mother of God Virgin, rejoice

Virgin Mary, rejoice

Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you:

blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb,

like the Savior gave birth to our souls.

Prayer: Creed

I believe in one God the Father, the 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, God is true from God is true,

begotten, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, Whom all was.

For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation descended from heaven

and incarnate of the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and incarnated.

Crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried.

And resurrected on the third day according to the Scriptures.

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

And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end.

And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, Who proceeds from the Father,

Even with the Father and the Son we bow down and glorify the one who spoke the prophets.

Into one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.

I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come. Amen.

Saints of Russia: Saints of God of Russia, life, icons, prayers, akathists, days of commemoration, miracles, places of veneration.

Brief rule of Seraphim of Sarov

As a last resort, if it is not possible to read morning or evening prayers, a short rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov is read.

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

It is worthy to eat as truly Blessed Theotokos, Ever Blessed and Immaculate and Mother of our God. The most honorable Cherubim and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, without corruption of the God of the Word, who gave birth to the present Mother of God, we magnify Thee. ( bow)

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice (3 times) ;

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (3 times)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, Lady Mary the Mother of God. (3 times)

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

Having made this rule, let each one go about his own work, for which he was appointed or called.

While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him quietly read: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner" , and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him only speak with his mind: "Lord have mercy" and continues until lunch. Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule. After dinner, while doing his work, let him read quietly: "Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner" and let it continue until sleep.

Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.

He who has time, let him read the Gospel, the Apostle, other prayers, akathists, canons.

Rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity. Brief prayer rule

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov insisted on the need to pray unceasingly and compiled a prayer rule - a sequence of short prayers that are easy to remember and constantly repeat.

Brief morning rule

Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before the holy icons, let him read:

- the Lord's Prayer "Our Father"(thrice, in honor of the Holy Trinity),

Having done this morning rule, let him go about his business, to which he was appointed or called.

Prayers before dinner

While working at home or while on the road, let him quietly read Jesus Prayer. If there are people around, then repeat only in your mind: "Lord have mercy" and so on until lunchtime.

Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule.

Prayers after dinner

After dinner, while doing their work, everyone should read quietly “Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner” that continue until the very night.

When it happens to spend time in solitude, you need to read “Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me a sinner”.

Prayers before bed

Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.

Father Seraphim said that if a Christian adheres to this small rule, he can “reach the measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is the model of all prayers; the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord; The symbol, in short, contains the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.

For those who, due to various circumstances, it is impossible to fulfill even this small rule, the Monk Seraphim advised reading it in every position: both during classes, and walking, and lying in bed, remembering the words of Scripture: Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Log in

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov

In the daily whirlwind, it is hard for us to find a piece of time to talk with the Almighty. But every truly believing Christian tries to follow the righteous path, observing the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov.

Saint Seraphim - known in the world as Prokhor, the son of the Kursk merchant Isidor Moshnin - became famous for his Orthodox deeds at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. While still a novice in Sarov, young Prokhor experienced a severe illness (dropsy), the healing from which the young man brought, according to him, the Mother of God herself, who appeared in front of him at night.

Even then, Prokhor was firm in his decision to serve the Lord, and his miraculous recovery only strengthened his faith.

At the age of 27, the young man became a monk and found his famous name Seraphim (Heb. - “warming”). Such a selfless monk was worth looking for in Russia. Seraphim spent all his waking hours in prayer.

After the death of their spiritual superior, Father Pachomius, Seraphim and several other monks went to the hermitage - they built a cell far from worldly fuss and served there in the name of God for more than twelve years. The devil sent many temptations to hermits, trying to destroy their faith and holiness. But adversity only gave strength to Seraphim and his brothers in sincere worship of the Heavenly Father.

The Mother of God and even the Almighty himself appeared to the monk more than once, more than once he healed the laity from the deadly ailments, who turned for help. Many prophecies of the holy elder remained as a legacy to posterity. But the main gift to all the laity is undoubtedly the prayer rule, which Seraphim of Sarov bequeathed to the people.

According to church descriptions, the covenant received distribution when a woman came to Father Seraphim and asked how to pray correctly, if the work was too much and there was absolutely no time to stand in front of the images and daily trips to the temple. The parishioners repeatedly turned to the reverend with this question. He gave the same instruction to everyone - to pray unceasingly from morning until late at night - and suggested which prayers are best to read.

Why is a prayer rule necessary?

Among the people, the prayer rule is endowed with a special magical meaning. Analyzing how and to whom the rule is useful, it is important to know that there is a short set of prayers that St. Seraphim ordered the faithful to read, and the so-called Theotokos rule, consisting of repeated repetition of the prayer to Mother Theotokos.

You have a unique opportunity to write an online letter-note to St. Seraphim of Sarov with your request.

Mandatory reading in the short version of the rule are three prayers: “Our Father”, “Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice!”, “The Symbol of Faith”. The texts of prayers are read in the morning (immediately after sleep) and after supper (before going to bed) in this order, with the first two being read three times, and the last one once.

Before lunch, minding his own business, a person quietly says, “Lord, Son of God Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!” Or simply constantly repeats the words “Lord, have mercy!”. For the entire second half of the day, after mass, it is necessary to offer in a whisper or in the mind a request to the mother of Christ: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner!”

Do not forget about the sign of the cross: before reading the morning and evening rules.

The Theotokos rule is read 150 times a day, each ten is diluted with the most famous prayers: “Our Father” to the Most High, “Mercy Door” to the Mother of God. Everyone who works is not forbidden to say the words of prayers in the work process, on the go. In order not to go astray when reading the Theotokos from the account, it is allowed to use church rosaries, selecting one after 5-10 texts.

Do not neglect bows. As Seraphim of Sarov said, 200 waist bows per day should be done by all means. Only those who are completely weak and not walking are allowed to read the prayer and the Theotokos Rules while sitting (lying down), without bowing.

Constantly adhering to the prescriptions of the Rules (standard or Mother of God), a person is able to feel the sacrament of faith, and come to a righteous life that meets Christian canons. Saint Seraphim understood that only constant prayers and concentration on the correct reading of texts can help an ordinary person get rid of sinful thoughts, cleanse himself and gain spiritual unity with the Lord. Even automatic prayers, without giving due importance to words, are able to return the human soul to holiness and humility.

Evidence of the Value of Prayer

Thousands of cases are known throughout the world when a prayer, included in the Rule, read in time, saved from imminent death or healed from a serious illness.

Divine power saved from troubles, gave hope, helped to fulfill cherished desires. History keeps a lot of evidence of such events, which cannot be called otherwise than a miracle.

During the Second World War, the phrase “Lord, have mercy” pronounced before the battle protected the soldier from a stray bullet (although that time was famous for the persecution of the church).

Contemporaries also share via the Internet a multitude of interesting stories: someone stopped drinking and became an athlete after coming to the temple, studying the prayer rule; someone higher power bestowed the joy of motherhood; others heard the voices of the Saints with instructions on how to change their lives. But all the testimonies convince us that only faith is capable of bestowing grace and working miracles!

The prayer rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov

Rev. Seraphim of Sarov taught the following prayer rule:

“Rising from sleep, Christian, standing in front of St. icons, let him read:

Having made this rule, let each one go about his own work, for which he was appointed or called.

While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him quietly read the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner (th)”, and if others surround him, then, while doing business, let him only speak with his mind : "Lord have mercy," and continues until dinner. Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule. After dinner, doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner (th),” and let this continue until bedtime.

Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.

For those who, for various reasons, cannot fulfill even this small rule, St. Seraphim advised to read it in any position: both during classes, and walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for that the words of Scripture: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Prayer of the rule of Seraphim of Sarov

BRIEF PRAYER RULE OF REPRESENT SERAPHIM OF SAROVSKY

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov taught everyone the following prayer rule: “Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing in front of St. icons, let him read Lord's Prayer "Our Father" three times, in honor of the Holy Trinity, then hymn to the Theotokos "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice" also three times and finally Creed once. Having made this rule, let each one go about his own work, for which he was appointed or called. While working at home or on the way somewhere, let him quietly read: “ Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner“, and if others surround him, then, doing business, let him only say with his mind: “Lord have mercy,” and continue until dinner. Just before dinner, let him perform the above morning rule. After dinner, doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner (th)”, and let this continue until the very sleep. Going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross. “Keeping to this rule,” says Fr. Seraphim, “it is possible to achieve a measure of Christian perfection, for the aforementioned three prayers are the foundations of Christianity: the first, as a prayer given by the Lord Himself, is a model of all prayers; the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel in greeting to the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Lord; The symbol, in short, contains all the saving dogmas of the Christian faith.” For those who, for various reasons, cannot fulfill even this small rule, St. Seraphim advised to read it in every position: during classes, and walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for that the words of Scripture: "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

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

SONG TO THE HOLY MOTHER OF GOD

Virgin Mother of God, rejoice, Blessed Mary, the Lord is with you; Blessed are You in women and Blessed is the Fruit of Your womb, as if the Savior gave birth to our souls.

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

In order to receive and feel the light of Christ in your heart, you need to distract yourself from visible objects as much as possible. Having cleansed the soul with repentance and good deeds, with sincere faith in the Crucified, closing the bodily eyes, one should immerse the mind inside the heart and cry out, incessantly calling on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then, in proportion to the zeal and ardor of the spirit towards the beloved, a person finds pleasure in the called name, which arouses the desire to seek higher enlightenment.

When the mind abides with such an exercise for a long time, it hardens the heart, then the light of Christ will shine, illuminating the temple of the soul with divine radiance, as St. Prophet Malachi: “And the sun of righteousness will shine on you who fear My name” (4, 2). This light is also life, according to the Gospel word: “In Him was the life, and the life was the light of man” (John 1:4).

Venerable Seraphim (Sarov miracle worker)

What it is?

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov left It was intended for the sisters of the Diveevo Monastery. This was explained by the fact that novices and nuns have the opportunity to go to church much more often than ordinary lay people.

The nuns of the monastery have a lot to do all the time. And time is even more scarce than the people of the world. Nevertheless, Seraphim's rule for the laity somehow imperceptibly found itself outside the monastery. And now those people who do not have enough time for a long prayer resort to it.

No time or laziness?

The short rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity should be resorted to in case of emergency, and not because they are too lazy to read the morning and

The Holy Fathers spoke about the need to force yourself to pray. Spiritual life is made up of compulsion. Otherwise, if you allow yourself to be lazy, there will be no spirituality. Work is valuable before the Lord.

There is another side to prayer. There is a special joy in the state of prayer, for the sake of which one sometimes wants to give up everything. This joy is internal, and that is why people go to monasteries to pray there. If there were no spiritual joy in prayer, it would hardly be possible to endure the harsh monastic regulations.

About attention

It is the soul of prayer. And it depends on attention what kind of prayer will be. If a person is attentive in life, then even in prayer he will not be "scattered by the mind." What is he - an attentive person? The one who treats his life with attention. First of all - to the inside. Such a person will not neglect the rule of prayer because of laziness. If he really cannot subtract it because of time or illness, then he will carefully read the short Seraphim rule for the laity.

What is this rule?

Saint Seraphim left, as mentioned above, a prayer rule for the nuns of the Diveevo Monastery.

What is this Seraphim rule for the laity? What does it represent? Now it is generally accepted that you need to read the prayer "Our Father" three times, "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" three times and the "Symbol of Faith" three times.

And here is what the elder himself bequeathed. After waking up, a person should stand in front of the icons. First, the Our Father is read three times, in honor of the Trinity. Then "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice," also three times. And once "Symbol of Faith".

After the reverent fulfillment of the short rule, the layman proceeds to his work.

If a person is busy with household chores or works physically, you need to read the Jesus Prayer "to yourself." About myself means in the mind.

It's time for lunch. Before him, man used to say the Jesus Prayer. Now, before sitting at the table, he will again perform the morning prayer rule. He will read "Our Father" and "Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice" three times each. Once - "Creed".

After dinner, a prayer should be made to the Theotokos "Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner (sinner)". And so on until the evening.

Before going to bed, the Christian reads the morning rule again. He goes to sleep, shielding himself with the sign of the cross.

Faith and family are inseparable: Seraphim's rule for the laity can be read by agreement. Like this? Each family member reads one or two prayers from the rule.

Completely, completely unable to fulfill it? Seraphim of Sarov recommended reading the rule everywhere: whether you are walking down the street, doing business, or lying in bed due to illness. As the monk said, this rule is the foundation of Christianity. And by reading it, one can reach the absolute perfection of the Christian.

How to pray at home? A few short tips for those who are just starting their Christian journey.

Woke up? Washed up? We stand before the icons. Having overshadowed ourselves with the sign of the cross, we thank the Lord for the awakening in our own words. And we begin to read the morning prayer rule. Or Seraphim's rule for the laity, the text of which is on the video.

A woman prays with her head covered, not only in church. At home there should be a handkerchief for prayer.
Men do not cover their heads.
If there are children in the family, then the girls should wear a headscarf. Boys, like dad, do not need a hat.
After completing the rule, we ask God for blessings for the coming day and go to work (study).
In the evening we thank the Lord for the day lived, we read evening rule or Serafimovo, we go to bed.
It is advisable, while reading the evening rule, to read the prayer "Let God rise again" and overshadow all four corners of the room with a cross.

Conclusion

The purpose of the article is to help those people who have just begun their journey to God. Everything starts small. And prayer is no exception.