... Lent- This is a period of abstinence and repentance. And repentance is unthinkable without reading a prayer. The most famous and revered prayer of Ephraim the Syrian during Great Lent is read in all churches and in the homes of Christian believers throughout Lent, except Saturday and Sunday. This prayer represents the quintessence of the spiritual requests of the supplicant to God. She teaches him to love, enjoy life and helps him observe the fasting regime.
Text of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.
Lord and Master of my life! Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. (Bow to the ground). Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. (Bow to the ground). To her, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen. (Bow to the ground).
God, cleanse me, a sinner (12 times and the same number of bows).
The repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian consists of only three dozen words, but contains all the most important elements of repentance, indicating what the praying person should put the main efforts to. Thanks to this prayer, the believer determines for himself the path to deliverance from ailments that prevent him from getting closer to God. In addition, this prayer clearly and succinctly expresses the significance and meaning of Lent and reflects the main commandments given by the Lord, helping in an accessible form to comprehend one’s attitude towards them.
Behind the modest petitions in this prayer there is a very deep meaning hidden. It is divided into two types of petitions: in some, the supplicant asks the Lord to “not give” - that is, to free him from shortcomings and sins, and in the other series of petitions, the supplicant, on the contrary, asks the Lord to “give” him spiritual gifts. Petitions for deliverance sound like this: “Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.” Only through prayer is a person able to accomplish a feat and get rid of these sins.
Idleness.
It would seem that idleness is not such a great sin compared to envy, murder and theft. However, it is the most sinful negative state of man. The translation of this word from Church Slavonic means emptiness and passivity of the soul. It is idleness that is the cause of a person’s sad powerlessness before spiritual work on himself.
Dejection.
In addition, it invariably gives rise to despondency - the second terrible sin human soul. They say that idleness symbolizes the absence of light in a person’s soul, and despondency symbolizes the presence of darkness in it. Despair is the impregnation of the soul with lies regarding God, the world and people. The devil in the Gospel is called the father of lies, and therefore despondency is a terrible devilish obsession. In a state of despondency, a person distinguishes only the bad and evil around him; he is unable to see kindness and light in people. That is why the state of despondency is equivalent to the beginning of spiritual death and the decomposition of the human soul.
Enthusiasm.
The repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian also mentions such a state of soul as covetousness, which means a person’s desire for power and domination over other people. This desire is born out of despondency and idleness because, while remaining in them, a person breaks off his relationships with other people. Thus, he becomes internally lonely, and those around him turn for him only into a means of achieving his goals. The thirst for power is dictated by the desire to humiliate another person, to make him dependent on himself, his freedom is denied. They say that there is nothing more terrible in the world than such power - disfigured by the emptiness of the soul and its loneliness and despondency.
Celebration.
The Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian also mentions such a sin of the human soul as idle talk, that is, idle talk. The gift of speech was given to man by God, and therefore it can only be used with good intentions. The word used to commit evil, deceit, express hatred, impurity carries great sin. The Gospel says about this that at the Great Judgment, the soul will answer for every idle word spoken during life. Idle talk brings lies, temptation, hatred and corruption to people. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian helps one to realize these sins and repent of them, because only by realizing one’s wrongness can a person move on to other petitions—positive ones. Such petitions sound like this in prayer: “Spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love... grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother.”
Chastity.
The meaning of this word is broad, and it means two basic concepts - “integrity” and “wisdom”. When a person asking the Lord for chastity for himself, it means that he is asking for knowledge, experience to see good, wisdom to lead a righteous life. The integrity of these petitions represents human wisdom and allows a person to resist evil, decay and departure from wisdom. By asking for chastity, a person dreams of returning to life in peace and harmony for the mind, body and soul.
Humility.
Humility and humility are not the same concepts. And if humility can be interpreted as impersonal submission, then humility is humility that has nothing to do with self-abasement and contempt. A humble person rejoices in the comprehension revealed to him by God, in the depth of life that he discovers in humility.
Patience.
“All that remains is to endure” is not Christian patience. True Christian patience is manifested by the Lord, who believes each of us, trusts us and loves us. It is based on the belief that good always triumphs over evil, life defeats death in Christian faith. It is this virtue that the supplicant asks for himself from the Lord when he speaks of patience.
Love.
In fact, all prayer comes down to a request for love. Idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk are an obstacle to love; they are the ones who do not allow it into a person’s heart. And chastity, humility and patience are a kind of roots for the germination of love.
Who is Ephraim the Syrian? It was not only the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian that made him a revered saint; this man is known as a church speaker, thinker and theologian. He was born in the 4th century in Mesopotamia, into a family of poor peasants. For a long time, Ephraim did not believe in God, but by chance he became one of the best preachers of that time. According to legend, Ephraim was accused of stealing sheep and sent to prison. While in prison, he heard the voice of God, calling him to repent and believe in the Lord, after which he was acquitted by the court and released. This event turned the young man’s life upside down, forcing him to repent and retire to life away from people. For a long time he led a hermit's life, and later became a disciple of the famous ascetic - Saint James, who lived in the surrounding mountains. Under his leadership, Ephraim preached sermons, taught children and helped at services. After the death of Saint James, the young man settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa. Ephraim persistently studied the Word of God, the works of great thinkers, holy elders, and scientists. Possessing the gift of teaching, he could convey this information to people in an accessible and convincing manner. Soon people began to come to him in need of his instructions. It is known that the pagans who attended Ephraim’s sermons converted to Christianity easily and confidently. Veneration of the saint today Today Ephraim the Syrian is called the father of the church, the teacher of repentance. All his works are imbued with the idea that repentance is the meaning and engine of the life of every Christian. Sincere repentance, combined with tears of repentance, according to the saint, completely destroys and washes away any human sin. The spiritual heritage of the saint includes thousands of works.
How did Ephraim the Syrian create this prayer? According to legend, one desert hermit saw angels holding in their hands a large scroll covered with inscriptions on both sides. The angels did not know to whom to give it, they stood in indecision, and then God’s voice came from heaven: “Only Ephraim, My chosen one.” The hermit brought Ephraim the Syrian to the angels, they gave him a scroll and ordered him to swallow it. Then a miracle happened: Ephraim spread the words from the scroll like a wondrous vine. So the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian during Lent became known to everyone Orthodox Christian. This prayer stands out among all other Lenten hymns; it is read more often than others in church, and most often it is during this prayer that the entire church kneels before God.
In the first days of Lent, Christians are advised to pay attention to the Great penitential canon Andrey Kritsky. The Holy Canon is read on the evening before Lent and on the first four days.
The famous Saint Theophan the Recluse said that a person is not complete without a body, just as prayer is not complete without a prayer rule. The prayer rule, in turn, is that you should: pray with your soul, delving into every phrase. Pray slowly, slowly, as if in a chant. Pray during the time allotted exclusively for this task, so that nothing distracts the person praying during this time. Think about prayer throughout the day, noting in advance to yourself where you manage to observe it and where you fail. Read prayers with breaks, separating them with prostrations. Observe the time of prayer - they should be carried out in the morning and evening, before and after meals, on the eve of each new task, before taking prosphora and holy water...
The temptation is great to fall into despondency: “How can I live without delicious food! No more fun now! What long services!” - whereas there is no reason for despondency. Long service- these are high examples of medieval spiritual poetry, and philosophical reflections on man’s place in eternity, and a feeling of unity with other worshipers, and communication with God Himself.
No less often, if not more often, the other side of Lenten despondency occurs: “I cannot fast according to the rules. I miss services. I get distracted by the bustle of the world.”
It’s banal, but no less true: remember that God does not need a stomach and legs, but a heart. He sees in the human soul a sincere desire to serve Him, and He also sees infirmities.
This constant remembrance of God will be our unceasing joy in Him.
No, of course, we all don’t need to become hesychasts for fasting, but we can try to become half a step closer to the ideal.
It’s worth spending a little more time on prayer than you usually do. More attention during services - sometimes it is worth taking with you a book with the texts of the service. Execute more carefully prayer rule- leave the computer half an hour earlier and read evening prayers. Add . On the road, listen to or read the Psalter.
It is useful to fight numerous Lenten temptations with prayer: respond to irritation, anger, and despondency with yourself short prayer Jesus.
Household chores, the road during rush hour, noise at work - even if we were able to organize our lives in such a way that we eat only permitted food, read the entire prayer rule and even pray during the day, we get terribly tired from all this fuss. And here the temple comes to our aid.
In monasteries and in many parish churches in large cities, during Great Lent, services are performed every day in the morning and evening. It’s worth going to at least part of the service before or after work - it puts you in a completely different mood from the surrounding reality.
There are divine services for which it is not a sin to take time off from work early. These are - in the first four days of Great Lent, on Wednesday evening of the fifth week, an akathist to the Mother of God on Friday evening, services...
It is good to visit at least once during Lent - by the way, in some churches it is sometimes performed in the evenings (for example, in the Sretensky Monastery several times during Lent, the Presanctification begins at 18.00).
It is well known: it is not God who needs fasting, but us. Great Lent consists of two parts: Lent and Holy Week. The first is the time of repentance, the second is the time of cleansing, preparation for Easter.
It is not for nothing that the Church offers us the reading of the canon of St. Andrew of Crete twice during Lent. It is not for nothing that every Lenten Saturday during the All-Night Vigil we hear the chant “Open the doors of repentance, O Giver of Life.” It is not for nothing that three weeks before Lent the Church calls for repentance: with the parable of the tax collector and the Pharisee, the parable of the prodigal son, a reminder of Last Judgment and the expulsion of Adam from paradise.
It is for repentance that we need the time of Lent. If you are not going to repent, you should not start fasting - it is a waste of your health.
By the way, health. If problems with well-being arise during fasting, the degree of abstinence should be immediately discussed with your confessor.
There can be no question of any unauthorized fasting according to the regulations or even close to the regulations if there are diseases associated with the stomach or metabolism. In modern conditions, even monasteries on rare occasions fast with dry eating - God will not condemn a working person who is not in good health.
(It is worth remembering that during Great Lent a sacrament is performed in churches - anointing with specially consecrated oil with a prayer for the healing of the sick.)
A stomach ulcer will in no way bring you closer to God, but can also significantly distance you - there is an extremely thin line between a sincere desire to obey the church charter, not sparing your belly, and pride in your zeal.
“If I fast, I become vain, and if I don’t fast, I become vain,” he laments in his “Ladder.”
“Vanity by fasting” is dangerous in its obviousness and goes hand in hand with condemnation. Brother eats fish during the first week of Lent, while you sit on bread and water? None of your business. He drinks milk, but you don’t even put sugar in your tea? You don’t know the specifics of how his body works (by the way, in seminaries students are often given dairy products). I ate a sausage and the next day went to receive communion, while you began the Eucharistic fast even before All-night vigil? This is a matter for him and the priest who admitted him to the sacrament.
“Vanity through non-fasting” is a more subtle passion. In our time, there is such a character as the tax collector, who is proud that he is not a Pharisee. And here another trend arises: he doesn’t eat vegetable oil - but at home I make a hundred prostrations before bed! He doesn’t drink any alcohol - but I repent every weekend!
Therefore, I would like to repeat the call of educators to kindergarten: “Look at your plate!”
And in general, talk less about food. No matter how much this simple truth sets one's teeth on edge, Lent is only to the smallest extent - a change in diet.
Vegetarians never eat animal food - this neither brings them closer to God nor removes them, exactly in accordance with the words of the apostle.
Continuation famous quote: “but by every word of God” - ideally suits the Lenten period, when special attention is paid to reading the Bible - the word of God.
During Lent it is customary to read the entire Gospel. Also during this period, the Old Testament is read daily in churches.
It would be good to combine a decrease in interest in the contents of other people's plates with an increase in attention to others in general.
Focusing on your own spiritual state should not turn into indifference to others. Fasting should benefit the cultivation of both virtues: love of God and love of neighbors.
He called for spending the money saved on the Lenten meal to help the poor. After having lunch in the canteen for a few days without a cutlet, you can buy gloves for a freezing beggar or an educational game in an orphanage.
During fasting, it is not at all necessary to interrupt communication with people who may need it - a pregnant friend, a sick neighbor, a lonely relative. A conversation with them over a cup of tea is not entertainment, but helping your neighbor.
A kind attitude towards our neighbors sometimes turns into the most unpleasant side for us: people-pleasing. In fact, as a rule, there is no good attitude here - there is one’s own weakness of character and dependence on the opinions of others. It is during Great Lent that this passion intensifies.
“Let's meet on Friday after work in a cafe!” - a friend suggests, and now you order a cake with her - you can’t offend!
“Come visit on Saturday evening!” - the neighbors call, and you skip the service, instead of apologizing and rescheduling the meeting for a later time or Sunday.
“Eat a piece of chicken, otherwise I’ll be offended!” - the relative is openly capricious, and here you can even hide behind respect for your elders, only this will be cunning: reluctance to enter into conflict is not always associated with love for your neighbor.
To free ourselves from the sin of man-pleasing, we can recall the advice given: we must hide our personal fasts so as not to fast for show, but church-wide fasting is standing in faith. We must not only respect our neighbors ourselves, but also strive to be respected for ourselves and our faith.
Most often, people understand polite explanations and get into the situation. And even more often it turns out that our sophisticated interpretations are far-fetched. Our friend in the coffee shop is not at all embarrassed by our empty cup of espresso, the neighbors will be glad to see you after the service, and a relative will gladly treat a fasting guest to potatoes and mushrooms.
Finally, the most important rule of Lent is to remember why this period exists.
Lent is a time of concentrated anticipation of the Light Christ's Resurrection. Active expectations: together with the Lord we will try to go through forty days of fasting, together with the Lord we will approach the tomb of Lazarus, together with the Lord we will enter Jerusalem, we will listen to Him in the Temple, we will take communion together with the Apostles at His Last Supper, we will follow Him on the Way of the Cross, with Mother of God and with Christ’s beloved Apostle John we will grieve on Golgotha...
Finally, together with the myrrh-bearers we will come to open coffin and again and again we will experience the joy: He is not here. Christ is Risen!
Correct Fasting, how to fast correctly and receive an answer to prayer
As Practice shows, fasting really reveals answers to prayer and brings a person closer to God. Christian fasting.
1- fasting is not a diet!
2- food is not taken at all, water, if possible, too.
3- choose the duration yourself - a day, two... (but still within reason)
4- Before starting fasting, you must ask the Lord to bless and accept it.
5- Intense prayer, if possible not alone (for example, with family). Several times a day, kneeling before the Lord and praying about your problem (in detail, as you tell a close friend, with the names of whom you ask for).
6- ATTENTION!!!- LEAVE THE FAST GRADUALLY, GRADUALLY INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FOOD.
One day, the disciples of John the Baptist approached Jesus Christ and asked Him: “...why do we and the Pharisees fast a lot, but your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14) The Pharisees, indeed, fasted a lot. For example, the Pharisee who went into the temple to pray with the tax collector (Luke 18:10-14) spoke about himself like this: “... I fast twice a week...”. But for some reason Jesus did not praise or even approve of them for such zeal in the work of God, as if he did not even notice it.
Probably many people ask the same question - “why do some Christians fast a lot, while others do not?” Christ then answered those asking very simply that at present His disciples were rejoicing, but in their lives there would also be a time when they would fast. Moreover, nowhere else in the Gospels do we see that Christ established the order and rules for observing fasts, just as in Old Testament There is no such order and rules anywhere, from which we can draw a simple and logical conclusion that the need for fasting in each specific case and the order of its implementation, each of His disciples must determine for himself independently.
Why do people fast? Why did the Pharisees fast? Christ denounced them for the fact that they “still do their deeds so that people can see them... and so that people call them: teacher! teacher!” (Matt.23:5,7). Or to please God, just as the pagans try to appease their idols? But our God does not need to be begged, because He is good, abounding in mercy and long-suffering. The prophet Zechariah describes how the Israelites began to ask the Lord whether they should continue to fast after the Lord answered their prayers and freed them from Babylonian captivity. The Lord answered them with a question: “...did you fast for Me? Did you fast for Me?” (Zechariah 7:5). Thus, God pushes the Jews to the idea that fasting is needed not by God, but by themselves in order to eliminate the reasons that prevent God from blessing them. So, if fasting is not a means of pleasing God, then what is it?
Fast
Fasting is a special state in the life of a Christian when he, to one degree or another, limits himself in food and drink in order to concentrate all the forces of his body on prayer. Fasting is needed when a Christian expects some positive changes from God, both natural and supernatural.
Since fasting is often mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, it would be more correct to consider several specific descriptions in order to draw conclusions from them. Moses fasted on Mount Sinai in the presence of God for forty days and nights (Ex. 34:28), but throughout the Pentateuch there are no instructions that the people should do this, but only a hint of fasting when it is said that the people must humble souls on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:29).
The book of Judges (Judges 20:26) describes an incident when the sons of Israel prayed and fasted before the decisive battle with the sons of Benjamin, who were defending vile sinners. Victory came only after intense prayer and fasting.
David prayed and fasted for the child that Bathsheba gave birth to (2 Samuel 12:16). Before this, the prophet Nathan convicted him of a terrible sin, so David, apparently, bitterly repented of his sin, which led to the death of an innocent child. As a result of such repentance, the 50th Psalm appeared, in which there are the following words: “... for You do not desire sacrifice, I would give it; You do not favor a burnt offering. A sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit; You will not despise a contrite and humble heart, O God " (Ps. 50:18-19).
When Haman, one of the nobles of King Artaxerxes in the capital city of Susa, planned to destroy all the Jews, when they learned about this, they cried out to the Lord. And “there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and crying; sackcloth and ashes served as a bed for many” (Esther 4:3). And the Lord heard their prayer and, moreover, long before this problem, he had already provided a way out of this difficult situation when he allowed the Jewish girl Esther to become queen. Esther was also well aware that without the supernatural help of God, she herself, trying to help the Jews, risked not only her position, but even her life, so she decided to fast for three days herself with her handmaidens, and also asked that all the Jews in the city of Susa They prayed and fasted to support her. And God heard the cry and voice of Esther and the Jews and miraculously delivered the people from destruction.
Biblical heroes
Also very interesting is the case of the repentance of the pagan city of Nineveh from the preaching of Jonah (Jon. 3: 5-10). “And the Ninevites believed God, and declared a fast...” Even the king repented and declared a fast for all of Nineveh, not only for people, but also for livestock, so that the Lord would have mercy and avert disaster. And God heard this prayer, “...and God regretted the disaster that he said he would bring on them, but did not bring it.”
The Jewish youth Daniel, while in Babylonian captivity, turned to the Lord “with prayer and supplication, in fasting and sackcloth and ashes” (Dan.9:3), and God gave him amazing revelations about the future, both for his people and for of all humanity. The purpose of Daniel's fasts, according to the testimony of the man of God sent to him, was: “... you have set your heart to gain understanding and to humble you before your God” (Dan. 10:12).
Jesus Christ did not command His disciples to fast, but declared that “...the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Matthew 9:15). Jesus himself fasted for 40 days in the desert after His baptism by John before going out to serve the people of Israel (Matthew 4:2). And after the unsuccessful attempts of His disciples to cast out the demon from the boy, Christ revealed a secret to the disciples: “... this generation is cast out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). The first Christians in Antioch also practiced prayer with fasting, as a result of which the Holy Spirit prompted them to separate Barnabas and Saul for missionary work (Acts 13:2-3).
All these cases show, that the purpose of fasting is deep repentance, humility, reconciliation with God, correction of human ways, elimination of any obstacles between God and man that prevent the outpouring of God's abundant blessings. Fasting is necessary to strengthen prayer. It has nothing to do with a hunger strike and blackmailing God, because if a person during fasting wants to demand from God and do his will, then God will not hear him. The Prophet Isaiah provides an answer to the questions of the Jews: “Why do we fast, but You do not see? We humble our souls, but You do not know?” (Isa.58:3). He says: “Behold, on the day of your fast you do your will and demand hard labor from others. Behold, you fast for quarrels and strife and in order to beat others with a bold hand; you do not fast at this time so that your voice was heard on high. Is this the fast that I have chosen...?” (Isa.58:3-5).
Christians usually pray with fasting in critical cases when it is necessary to make a very important and turning decision in their lives. Prayer with fasting is very effective for liberation from any sinful addiction, such as smoking or even drugs. Prayer with fasting is also very important when asking God for the salvation of someone close to you.
The practical side of fasting should be strictly individual, taking into account the health status and characteristics of each person’s body. Fasting can be of varying durations, varying degrees of severity, depending on the state of health and various other reasons. Fasting is not only and not so much abstinence from food, but rather the establishment of right relationships with people and with God.
Fasting is done in order to concentrate all the forces of the body on prayer, so a special state of prayer is needed. The same prophet Isaiah speaks about the practical side of fasting: “...loose the chains of unrighteousness, untie the bonds of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into the house; when you see the naked, clothe him and do not hide from your half-blood…” (Is.58:6-7). This means that before asking something from God, you need to carefully put things in order both in your personal spiritual life and in relation to your neighbors. Then God will favor the one who calls on Him: “Then you will call, and the Lord will hear; you will cry, and He will say, “Here am I!”... and the Lord will be your guide always” (Is. 58:9,11).
FROM THE BIBLE ABOUT FASTING - Biblical Fasting
From Luke:
4.1- Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert.
4.2- There for forty days He was tempted by the devil and did not eat anything during these days, and after they were over, He was finally hungry.
From Matthew:
6.16- Also, when you fast, do not be sad, like the hypocrites, for they put on gloomy faces in order to appear to people as fasting. Truly I tell you that they are already receiving their reward.
6.17 - And you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,
6.18 - so that you may appear to those who fast, not before men, but before your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly
From Mark:
1.13- And He was there in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the beasts; and Angels served Him.
From Matthew:
4.1- Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil,
4.2- And having fasted forty days and forty nights, he was finally hungry.
One of the main holidays of Christians is Easter. This day is considered a symbol of goodness and rebirth. Every Christian knows what trials Jesus went through on Calvary. The period preceding the holiday is called Lent. This is a time of abstinence and purification of the soul. Prayers during Lent help to cleanse and transform.
The role of prayer in Lent
Lent is considered the longest (7 weeks). At this time, we should fill the gaps in our spiritual life that appeared due to vanity, laziness, and life's adversities. During Lent you should read all four Gospels. In addition to food restrictions, you should avoid unnecessary meetings and entertainment. Rest is not canceled, but it should not disturb the peace of the soul. The most strict rules observed in the last week, called Passion.
In order not to be tempted during this period, you need to study all the literature regarding fasting. It is important to understand that fasting is not a diet, but a time of approaching God, who will help control actions and defeat sin.
Before fasting, you should visit a priest who will give the necessary recommendations and help set the soul for purification. It is important to understand that man is a spirit that lives in the body and dominates the flesh. How spiritual being with God's grace, a person can control his weaknesses and give up bad habits.
It is important to monitor what the mouth says, what thoughts are directed at, what emotions the soul experiences, and what actions a person performs as a result.
By approaching God, a person receives the grace to be tolerant of other people, to forgive and not to harbor resentment in his heart, “most of all, keep your heart” from evil.
Before the beginning of fasting, prayers of different directions are offered. It is important not to follow tradition in this matter, but to make prayer requests in accordance with what is close in spirit.
It is recommended to say prayers of repentance. You should turn to the Almighty with a request for forgiveness of sins. A person examines his heart and cleanses it of all filth. It is important to ask the Lord to forgive all sins: both those that a person knows about and those that he does not know about. A prayer of confession is read before turning to repentance. You can turn to God in any form. In this prayer appeal, a person pours out his heart before God, speaking about his most secret things.
A prayer appeal for humility is read daily. Believers ask to forgive every sin and grant humility. Prayer against gluttony will help you abstain from food during Lent.
The fast ends with appeals to heaven, full of thanksgiving. Thanks are given to the Lord because He forgives sins and cleanses the soul from filth.
We should thank Jesus Christ for the gift of eternal life, for His mercy and grace, for the forgiveness of sins.
At this time, you should Sundays attend liturgies, also strengthen prayer requests for the needs of other people.
Video “How to pray correctly during Lent?”
In this video, the clergyman will tell you what prayers should be read during Lent and how to pray correctly on the holiday.
How to Pray
Before the beginning
I, the Servant of God (my own name), know and understand that I am in the hands of Your, Almighty, great mercy. With this understanding, I entrust to You, my God, my soul and body, control my actions, feelings and words.
Only You can see my whole life, my outcome, only you understand the torment of my soul, you see what awaits me in the future. life path, You see my death and the day of repose of my body and soul. Show your great mercy to me, Great Lover of Humanity. Forgive me for the malice that remains in the corners of my soul, cleanse my soul of unkind feelings and thoughts. I repent of all the bad things I have done and sincerely pray for forgiveness.
Help me, Lord, correct my life, direct me to righteous path. Grant me every opportunity to live in accordance with the commandments of God, avoid temptations and distance myself from my enemies. I glorify Your Holy Name. Amen.
To endure fasting
Do not allow temptation to come to me, Lord of Heaven, Lord, do not allow sorrow to seize me, protect me from illness beyond my strength. Deliver me from destructive passions, grant me the strength to endure all the trials sent down by You with gratitude.
Every day
Prayer for humility and forgiveness of sins:
Lord God, All-Merciful and Almighty, You know that only You are the real Savior for me. Help me, do not let me sin before You. Do not let me perish in sins, for I am weak; do not let my enemies harm me. Grant me humility and forgive me, Lord, all my sins. You are my real strength and hope. Thanks to You is immeasurable forever and ever. Amen.
Prayer for gluttony:
Lord, All-Powerful and All-Merciful, hear the servant of God (proper name), help me cleanse myself from the filth of gluttony. Grant me, God, to know the sweetness of abstaining from food. Let me enjoy the prayers addressed to You. Amen.
Prayer for cleansing the soul and body:
Lord, I ask forgiveness from all those whom I have voluntarily or unwittingly offended. May this cleanse my soul and fill it with kindness and joy. Amen.
What words to end the post with?
I thank You, Almighty, that You do not reject me, a sinner and unworthy, for allowing me to partake of Your Holy Things. You, Great Lord, Lover of Humanity, died in agony for us, and then rose again to give hope for eternal life. I thank You for sanctifying my soul and body, for giving me strength of spirit, which allowed me to resist temptations. I ask You for Your mercy in the future. Amen.
Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian
Lord and Master of my life!
Do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.
Prostration
Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Your servant.
Prostration
To her, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother,
for blessed art thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Prostration
God, cleanse me, a sinner.
12 times with bows from the waist
And once again the entire prayer is completely with one bow to the ground at the end
Take into your prayer rule some additional texts: canons, akathists (akathists are read privately on days of fasting), psalms, etc. (And think for yourself what you can realistically raise, and don’t ask your father, who is always busy and in a hurry. He may or may not approve of your choice, but he cannot decide for you.)
a necessary element of the post. Make it a rule to read the lives of the saints of this day every day.
Or all the texts of the service scheduled for this day.
You can discipline yourself by reading one chapter of the Gospel every morning (the next year - the Apostle) and reflect on what you read all day long.
Prevent your thoughts from wandering during fasting: read advertisements in the subway car, listen to the radio in the car, spend time watching TV at home. Let it be spiritual reading or listening to spiritual broadcasts.
Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann writes beautifully about this:
“We must understand that it is impossible to divide our life between Lenten light sadness and the experience of a fashionable film or play. These two experiences are incompatible, and one of them completely destroys the other. However, it is very likely that the latest fashionable film is rather overcome by a light sadness; the opposite can only happen with special efforts. Therefore, the first Lenten custom that can be proposed is a decisive cessation of listening to radio and television during Lent. In this case, we do not dare propose a perfect fast, but at least an ascetic one, which, as we have already said, first of all means a change in “diet” and abstinence. For example, there is nothing wrong with continuing to follow the transmission of information or a serious program that enriches us spiritually and intellectually. But what must be stopped by fasting is being chained to the television, the vegetative existence of a person chained to the screen, passively absorbing everything that is shown to him.”
Observation of the soul
In general, a person should watch his soul all the time. However, this is especially true for fasting, and for this reason. Experiencing discomfort from fasting abstinence, a person becomes more irritable, picky, and finds it more difficult to keep himself within limits. This can be attributed to temptations from demons. Not without temptations, of course, but the point is, first of all, that all those unhealed moods come out of the soul that do not appear until we are full, tired, satisfied...
Therefore, pastors from ancient times to this day strongly advise a fasting person to pay attention to his behavior, attitude towards his neighbors, etc. “He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting is removal from evil, bridling the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury” (St. John Chrysostom).
The same saint says what real fasting should be like:
“Together with bodily fasting there must also be mental fasting... With bodily fasting, the belly fasts from food and drink, while spiritual soul refrains from evil thoughts, deeds and words. A true faster abstains from anger, rage, malice, and revenge. A true faster refrains his tongue from idle talk, foul language, idle talk, slander, condemnation, flattery, lies and all slander... Do you see, Christian, what kind of spiritual fasting?”
The Holy Fathers taught quite definitely that abstinence from food must necessarily be combined with abstinence of the soul from evil. “The toil of the flesh, combined with contrition of the spirit, will constitute a pleasant sacrifice to God and a worthy abode of holiness in the hiddenness of a pure, well-adorned spirit” (Venerable John Cassian).
I will give another quote from the same holy father (his memory is celebrated once every 4 years, on February 29), a great ascetic and ascetic:
“What is the benefit of abstaining from food and being defiled by fornication? You do not eat meat, but you torment your brother’s flesh with slander. What profit is there in not enjoying wine, but reveling in wealth? What is the use of not eating bread and being drunk with anger? What is the profit in exhausting yourself with fasting and at the same time slandering your neighbor? What is the use of abstaining from food and stealing what belongs to others? What is the need to dry up the body and not feed the hungry? What is the use of wasting your limbs and not showing mercy to widows and orphans?..
Are you fasting? In this case, avoid slander, avoid lies, slander, enmity, blasphemy and all vanity.
Are you fasting? Then avoid anger, jealousy, perjury and all injustice.
Are you fasting? Avoid overeating, which gives rise to all kinds of wickedness...
If you fast for God’s sake, then avoid every deed that God hates, and He will accept your repentance with favor.”
The holy fathers considered the sin of idle talk to be one of our bad habits that must be eradicated. Russian word chat very accurately, although somewhat rudely, conveys the meaning of this sin - rocking, wagging the tongue from side to side. When, if not during Lent, should we declare war on idle talk?
Saint Gregory the Theologian wrote a wonderful treatise about this, “A Word on Silence during Lent”:
“When, making a mysterious sacrifice to the human suffering of God, so that I myself might die to life, I bound my flesh for forty days, according to the laws of Christ the King, since healing is given to cleansed bodies, then, firstly, I brought my mind into steadfastness, living alone, far from everyone, surrounded by a cloud of lamentation, gathered entirely within himself and unentertained by thoughts, and then, following the rules of holy men, he put the door to his lips. The reason for this is so that, by abstaining from every word, we learn to observe moderation in words ... "
And is it not for deliverance from the sin of idle talk that we pray in the words of the Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian: “Lord and Master of my life. Spirit... don’t give me idle talk.”
Good deeds
Many Christians ask how specifically they could serve their neighbors. It is clear that we do not leave elderly parents and relatives without care; we try to create peace and love in our own family. But not only their… Love to his, caring for parents is, in general, not an achievement, it is a duty! But the Christian must go further. He should also include other people with his care.
When the Savior (in the 25th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew) speaks of judgment over the righteous and sinners, the only criterion for justification or condemnation here is specific help to one’s neighbor:
“And all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those who right side His: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.
Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or to the thirsty and gave them something to drink? when did we see you as a stranger and accept you? or naked and clothed? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.”
Then He will also say to those on the left side: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me.
Then they too will answer Him: Lord! when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve You? Then he will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”
In this regard, I would like to say two words about concrete help to our neighbors.
The author believes that every Christian should help those in need. Whether with money, with our strength, with spiritual participation... But we must help. An exception can be made for teachers and doctors. Their professional service, if done honestly and with dedication, is their Christian service. But everyone else must take up and carry out the service of helping their neighbor. What might this look like?
I have dozens of examples of how my parishioners do this.
Help with money a poor family that has a sick child (cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, etc.).
Take an elderly or sick person from a nursing home or shelter to the dacha in the summer.
Participate in the life of an orphanage or shelter.
Simply help a large or needy family with money (priests always have such familiar families);
Take a group of children for a walk (circus, park) from an orphanage at least once a month...
There are a huge number of options, possibilities, you can talk to the priest of your temple, he can suggest something.
The only thing But: This must be done not only during Lent, but throughout the year, throughout our entire Christian life.
To limit our labors to the time of fasting is cruel to those whom we undertake to care for and nourish. Remember: once we have taken up the task of helping, we must always carry it out.
Nature
