How to pray: at home and in the church

Prayer is not just a request and a thanksgiving to God. This is the way to get a little closer to the bright forces of the invisible world. Often in a conflict or extreme situation, prayer "about yourself" helps a lot, calming not only you, but others, and miraculously changing the situation. There are special prayers that allow you to protect yourself from demons. They are useful in situations where you feel unmotivated fear or obsessive thoughts come. Any sincere prayer is effective. However, it is still necessary to know how to pray properly.

As a rule, an Orthodox Christian every day needs morning, evening prayers, prayers before meals and after meals, as well as prayer in the church. Those of us who did not go to Sunday school did not teach how to pray properly. Usually, at first it is not very difficult to pray, an inquisitive person is interested in every word in prayer and he himself is interested in the very words of the spoken prayer. Then comes a time when you have to force yourself to pray, words are no longer new, and thoughts easily dissipate. However, if you do not quit the habit of praying, then after a while every word of prayer will become for you a note of your favorite song, you will catch yourself saying many prayers about yourself "singing", especially often if a person regularly goes to Church services. A good alternative to obsessive music, which is difficult to throw out of my head.

First, we will discuss how to pray at home. You need to buy a small book with morning and evening prayers. The beginner can not immediately read a complete collection of prayers for morning and evening - "morning and evening rule." There are several prayers that are read at the beginning of the rule, they must be read by everyone, and then there are numbered prayers that can be read in part, for example, three per day, completing the prayer with obligatory prayers (they go after the numbered ones). If you are preparing for the sacrament, you need to read all the prayers. On average, praying takes 20-25 minutes, if you read them completely. How to correctly read the prayers? Thinking about every word, uttering prayers aloud or whispering. You need to say it, even with your lips. This will allow you to better tune in to prayer and memorize prayers more quickly.

What if the attention is dissipated? Some fathers advise to allocate a certain time for prayer, for example, 15 minutes. If it's a normal day, not a preparation for communion, when you need to read everything, then you need to read carefully and watch yourself. Once distracted - return to the place that is remembered, and so read until the allotted time is over. This fosters concentration, despite the fact that some prayers you will not be able to read at first.

The execution of the morning and evening rules, as well as observance of the weekly fast on Wednesday and Friday, is very important. If you have very little time due to external circumstances, read in the morning and evening once the "Creed", three times "Our Father", three times "Theotokos, Devo, rejoice." This can be done only if you have really little time and there is a valid reason for the lack of time. The fact that the rule was reduced or not executed, it is necessary to confess in confession. Before meals and after meals, you must also pray, before meals you can read "Our Father", and after eating - a special prayer after eating.

How to pray in church? Most importantly - without the need to not attract attention to yourself and not to stop others from praying. Get on your knees when everyone is standing, put the candles before or after the service, if you do not stand near the candlestick, do not go without much need for the temple. Women are encouraged to pray in the left part of the temple, men in the right. But this rule is not always respected, especially if few men go to this church. In the queue for chrismation and communion, it is customary to let men go forward. You can buy a book about the liturgy, which sets out the basic prayers, this will allow you to focus on what is happening, and better understand what is happening, praying "about yourself" together with the choir.

Most of us are far from "geniuses of religiosity" - saints, but our prayer to God is needed. This may not be Church Slavonic words, but a sincere call from the heart. God will hear and help, especially in a difficult situation. Just call him in prayer.