Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov. Morning and evening prayer rule. Prayer: Creed

Having fallen ill, my grandmother would only say, they say, if I pray to Father Seraphim, he will help. The pious old woman did not tell about her assistant and intercessor. I was afraid that I would start to retell what I heard at school, and we grew up in a period of atheism.

When the persecution of the church ceased, my grandmother advised me to turn to the reverend. She believed that he was an assistant in a variety of matters. Two dates are also marked in the grandmother's calendar: on January 15, the elder appeared before the Lord, and on August 1, his relics were found.

Grandmother aroused in me an interest to learn more about the reverend, who spent his whole life in the service of God. The elder assured that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Daily and constant prayer - this is a conversation with the Heavenly Father. The conversation is conducted according to certain rules. One of them is the rule of Seraphim of Sarov.

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov

How and to whom it helps

Everyone who, with a sincere heart and pure thoughts, turns to our Lord, is granted what we address in these requests. Healing from diseases, finding peace of mind, fulfillment of desires. After all, words spoken with faith have a special property, and the Lord is all-merciful. Father Seraphim said that everyone who regularly communicates with God will achieve Christian perfection.

Reading Rules

Even during the life of the elder, pilgrims went to him. People admitted that they could not always go to the temple. Batiushka advised them to make it a rule to turn to God during the day. We know this advice as the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity.

"Our Father" (conversion to the Most Holy Trinity) three times;
the song "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice" three times;
"Creed" once.

Daily activities can be interspersed with fellowship with the Lord. On the way, at the service before dinner, say quietly: “Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (th). If there are outsiders nearby, say mentally, “Lord have mercy.”

Before dinner and before going to bed, repeat the morning prayers again. When doing work, before going to sleep, turn to the Mother of God "Save me a sinner (s)". Start praying by crossing yourself.

Prayer text

"Our Father" is fundamental. With it, we confidentially turn to the heavenly Father in different life situations.

The song "Virgin Mother of God, rejoice." The Mother of God is the heavenly intercessor for all believers. A laudatory appeal helps to cope with adversity, to join in joy.

"The Symbol of Faith" is a summary of the foundations of the Orthodox faith. Each of its 12 members contains one of the dogmas of Orthodoxy.

What is Seraphim's Rule

Biography

Prokhor was born in the 18th century in the family of a wealthy Kursk merchant Moshnin. Deeply believing parents and sons were brought up in Christian traditions. When the 17-year-old boy decided to go to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, his mother blessed him. The woman was sure that she owed the Mother of God the miraculous healing of her son after his fall from the bell tower.

From Kyiv, the path of Prokhor lay in the Sarov desert. After serving there, he became a monk and received the name Seraphim. The monk led an ascetic life in a secluded cell in prayer. He collected scarce food in the forest and in the garden, which he planted nearby.

The monk revived the eldership in Russia, spending many years in silence. He is also known as a stylite: he prayed at night on a boulder, raising his hands to the sky. During his lifetime, he became known as a healer and seer. He predicted terrible trials for Russia and its revival as a strong power. At the beginning of the 20th century, he was canonized on the initiative of John of Kronstadt and Emperor Nicholas II.

History of appearance

The monk for many years was the patron of the Diveevo Convent. He left a prayer rule for the sisters of the monastery. In the morning, read the rule as for the laity (Pravilce), other morning prayers. Obedience could not interfere with reading.

Evening rule of the Diveevo convent:

12 psalms chosen by hermits;
memorial;
teaching;
100 bows from the waist with prayers: “Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us sinners!”, “Our Lady, the Most Holy Theotokos, save us sinners!” and “Reverend Father Seraphim, pray to God for us sinners!”;
repeat Rule.

Other prayers of St. Seraphim

Approximately in the 7th-8th century, the Theotokos prayer rule was known. It helped in illnesses, misfortunes. For a while, this rule went out of use. The elder of Sarov returned this strong prayer.

You need to say “Virgin Mary, rejoice” 150 times a day. After each ten, one should read “Our Father” and “Open the doors of Mercy for us, blessed Mother of God.” Then comes the troparion in accordance with one of the events in her life.

In the Diveevo monastery, the parishioners marched around the church with the Song, with the blessing of the elder. This tradition lives on today. After all, numerous pilgrims go to the monastery to venerate the relics of the monk, walk along the Mother of God groove, and draw holy water from the source.

During his life, the priest helped everyone who turned to him. Even now he does not forget those who come with faith and deep hope. Therefore, in every church there is an icon of the saint, there are several prayers for communicating with him.

One of the main "Prayer of Seraphim of Sarov for every day" (Oh wonderful father).

Sick people often turn to the elder in a petition to help overcome the disease (On healing and health).

The saint patronizes in family matters. It helps all girls who have not found their soul mate after 30 years to choose a worthy spouse. (About love and marriage).

We cannot deal with any problems alone. Then every Christian prays to the reverend for help in business and good luck.

Merchant people honor the patron and pray to Father Seraphim for good trading and good luck in money matters.

They also tell this story. In 1928, an old man was threatened with arrest. And now Seraphim of Sarov appears to him, orders to write down the text of the prayer to the Theotokos "All-merciful" and always read it. The old man endured 18 years of hard labor.

morning

Waking up, stand in front of the icons, cross yourself, read “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".

Then carefully, slowly say the prayers:

publican (verse 13. chapter 18, the Gospel of Luke);
Intentional;
Holy Spirit (twice);
to the Holy Trinity (three times);
Lord's;
Troparion Trinity;
to the Holy Trinity (with bows);
Psalm 50;
Symbol of faith;
First, Saint Macarius the Great;
Second. Saint Macarius the Great;
Third, Saint Macarius the Great;
Fourth, Saint Macarius the Great;
Fifth, Saint Basil the Great;
Sixth, Basil the Great;
Seventh, Mother of God;
Eighth, to Our Lord Jesus Christ;
Ninth, to the Guardian Angel;
Tenth, to the Most Holy Theotokos;
The invocation of the saint whose name you bear;
Song of the Mother of God;
Troparion to the Cross and prayer for the Fatherland;
about the living (with bows);
about the dead (with bows);
end of prayers.

Evening

Before going to sleep, we again stand in front of the icons and turn to the Lord. Light a candle, forget about the fuss of the world.

Words of prayers one by one will go from your heart:

Intentional;
Holy Spirit (twice);
Trisagion (three times with the sign of the cross and a bow);
to the Holy Trinity (three times);
Lord's;
Troparion;
1st, Saint Macarius the Great, to God the Father;;
2nd, Saint Antiochus, to our Lord Jesus Christ;
3rd, to the Holy Spirit;
4th, Saint Macarius the Great;
5th, (O Lord Our God, even those who have sinned in the days of this word ...);
6th, (Lord Our God, in Him we believed ...);
7th, St. John Chrysostom (24 prayers by the number of hours);
8th, to Our Lord Jesus Christ;
9th, to the Most Holy Theotokos, Peter of Studius;
10th, to the Most Holy Theotokos;
11th, to the holy guardian angel;
kontakion to the Mother of God;
the prayer of St. Joannicius;
the prayer of St. John of Damascus;
Holy Cross (crossed);
Relax, leave, forgive, God ...;
Forgive those who hate and offend us, God ...;
daily confession of sins;
to go to sleep.

Cleanse your thoughts and heart before prayer, then your soul will be filled with love, and the Reverend will not leave you.

Video

The video tells how the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin is held in Diveevo.

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.

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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 acquired 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 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 a lot of interesting stories via the Internet: someone stopped drinking and became an athlete after coming to the temple, studying the prayer rule; someone higher powers 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 One, 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)

The importance of the command of Seraphim of Sarov

Why do Orthodox Christians need to know about the life of Seraphim of Sarov and, moreover, follow his orders? To do this, you need to know what kind of person the elder was and how his life went.

By birth, Prokhor Isidorovich (the name received at birth as a boy) was from a wealthy family of merchants who, despite their position and condition, took care of their souls and helped the church in every possible way. His father sponsored the construction of the Sergiev-Kazan Cathedral in the city of Kursk, so the boy was close to the church from birth.

Saint Seraphim of Sarov

As a child, Prokhor experienced a miraculous healing - he fell seriously ill at the age of 10 and was healed after his mother carried him out into a crowd of people who were making a procession with the icon of the Virgin. After that, the young man began to attend church services more and more often and decided to connect his life with the Lord. He made several pilgrimages, lived in asceticism all his life, and was a stylite for several years. His life is an example of ardent and selfless dedication to the Creator.

Important! The main characteristic of the life of Seraphim of Sarov is his undivided love for the Lord and the complete leveling of his own desires and desires.

He is a good example for modern Christians to refuse many earthly blessings, which distract from the main thing - from spiritual food. The elder spent most of his life as an ascetic, eating only grass and living either in a forest hut without any benefits, or in an ascetic cell of a monastery. The life of a saint is complete asceticism and dedication to God. He spent his days in prayer and is an example of an incredible will, when, refusing wealth and blessings, a person consciously chooses an ascetic life with the Lord.

Every Christian should understand, using the example of St. Sarov, that life will end and all riches and blessings will remain in the past, only the soul is eternal, which must be in unity with the Creator. That is why it is important to devote time daily to communion with Him and to pray regularly and to fulfill the prayer rule.

Why is a prayer rule necessary?

Staying in prayer fellowship can be compared to exercising. Someone does it from time to time, forcing themselves, realizing that it is necessary for the sake of health, while others have found joy in it and no longer imagine another life.

During the day, the churched Christian lives an attentive life, checking his actions to what extent they are pleasing to God. It is much easier for the Orthodox to strengthen their spiritual life, having their own spiritual mentor, who will guide and strengthen in faith through the reading of the prayer rule. The saints knew about the weakness of the human spirit, therefore they wrote the rules for prayers, both complete and brief, so that a person could be in the presence of God at any time.

Icon of Seraphim of Sarov

An example of a prayer book is Seraphim of Sarov, who knew the joy and importance of communion with the Lord from childhood.

Important! The prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov for the laity is a set of morning, afternoon and evening appeals to the Creator, helping to live the day in spiritual purity.

The Orthodox Church honors the memory of St. Seraphim on January 15, the day of the death of the saint, and on August 1, on this day, the relics of the saint were uncovered.

Many Orthodox laity took as the basis of their spiritual life the rules of prayer compiled by the venerable elder, who throughout his life was known as a humble man of prayer.

How to read the prayer rule

All his disciples who followed him, pilgrims who came for blessings, and followers who have been reading the works of Sarovsky for many years, the elder taught one thing - to spend regular time in communion with God, to pray and read the morning and evening rules.

The saint advised to pray every day, certainly in the morning, starting a new day with a blessing. If the Lord is important and necessary for a Christian, will he not find time to talk with the Almighty?

Getting up in the morning, having washed and dressed, in front of the red corner, with a lit candle in front of the images, read the prayer rule for the morning. It consists of:

"Our Father" - read three times;

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

"Song of the Mother of God" - read three times;

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.

"Symbol of Faith" - 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, Whom all was. For us for the sake of man and for our sake of salvation, he descended from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, and became human. He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And the packs of the future with glory to judge the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit of the Lord, life-giving, 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.

Throughout the day, while doing work or household chores, constantly repeat to yourself "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." This can be done out loud or silently, depending on the environment.
Before taking dinner, you should repeat the full morning prayers. It is best to do this out loud in a quiet place. If this is not possible, you can pray silently.
During the rest of the day, after dinner, a person should say aloud or to himself the following words “Most Holy Mother of God, save me a sinner / th” and continue to do this until going to bed.
Before going to bed, repeat the morning prayers in full and overshadow yourself with the sign of the cross.

Advice! Saint Seraphim recommended doing this regularly, every day, thereby devoting your consciousness completely to God and not forgetting about Him for a minute. If a person’s work does not allow him to constantly repeat prayers, then this can be done in free moments of rest.

The Elder of Sarov said that by praying daily in this way, one can achieve Christian perfection, as far as it is possible for a sinful person.

This is because these prayers of the morning rule are the foundation of the Orthodox faith:

the first was given by Jesus Christ and the Lord Himself;
the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel Michael to the Virgin Mary;
the third includes all the fundamental tenets of the Orthodox faith.

By pronouncing them meaningfully every day, completely immersing yourself in the meaning, you can grow spiritually, gradually changing and reaching a really high growth of the spirit.

The rule of St. Seraphim of Sarov for the laity