St. Theophan the Recluse speaks about this[29]. I myself do not know Russian, by nationality - Yakut, disabled. I collect medicinal herbs. I would like to know what prayers should be read during this, is there any literature? All prayers are good when they are prayed for good. You need to read short prayers: "Our Father," "O Virgin Mother of God, rejoice.

", "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner" and others. It happens that a Christian on the occasion of a special holiday drank a little alcohol. It is time for evening prayer. Is it not a sin to pray to God for the coming sleep in such, albeit slight, degree of intoxication? Let your heart and conscience tell you how to do the right thing.

I would like to ask you for a prayer for abortion. I have already repented of this sin to the priest. A prayer for abortion is not given in hand. This prayer is read by the priest at the request of the penitent directly. I would like to pray with tears, but it does not always work out, we are connected with the world, we are distracted. We gather with the same believers, sing cantes. Maybe you will write at least one?

Tears in prayer are a gift from God. The Church has always opposed artificially created exaltations. The main thing in Orthodox prayer is the recognition of sins and repentance for them. A prayer of repentance is the most correct. Canting is not used in church services. These hymns are allowed to be sung at home; This is soul-saving. We read in the Life of St. Demetrius of Rostov that the canting was sung by his order in the last hours of his life[30].

This already shows their importance for spiritual edification. On the tablets in the commandments of the Lord it is written: "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." In the Law of God it is written: "When we need anything, we must turn to God with prayer. You can pray to God everywhere: at home, in church, and on the road. A Christian is obliged to pray daily, morning and evening, before meals and after, before and after the beginning and at the end of any work."

Is it possible to often repeat "Lord, bless, save"? The vain (i.e. in vain) pronunciation of the name of God is when we pronounce it without realizing it, in proverbs, at every trifle. Prayerful appeal to God is never in vain. What should I do if it is impossible to cross myself (my hands are full, etc.)? "The Jesus Prayer will replace the sign of the cross, if for some reason it cannot be laid" (Elder Nikon of Optina) [31].

Prostrations to the ground in church or at home are necessary during a prayer service or is there no need for heartfelt prayer? In the liturgical practice of the Church there is a special statute on prostrations. It is found in the Typicon, a book that is the Rule of Divine Services of the Orthodox Church. About prostrations, in particular, it is said that they are performed after the transmutation of the Holy Gifts, during Lenten services, in particular, during the reading of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, etc.

Prostrations are not made according to the rule on the great Twelve Great Feasts, and they are also abolished on Sundays. During home prayer, you can make prostrations when your soul requires it. If I read prayers and there is no candle in front of the image, do my prayers reach our Lord Jesus Christ? A candle is a symbol of prayer.

It is good when it glows during prayer; however, this is not a condition for the Lord's acceptance or rejection of our prayers. Love for God, sincere repentance – these are some of the conditions for the clarity of our prayers to God. Is it possible to replace morning and evening prayers with the reading of psalms, the Jesus Prayer or something else? St. Theophan the Recluse answered a similar question that it was not necessary to replace evening and morning prayers with anything[32].

Когда молитва ставится в грех? «Нет большего греха, — учил святитель Феофан Затворник, — как молиться Богу без страха, внимания и благоговения; молиться языком, а умом с бесами вести беседу»[33] . Как бороться с посторонними мыслями? «Во время молитвы и духовных рассужде­ний, — советует нам архимандрит Феофан Новоезерский, — остерегайтесь принимать ка­кие-либо посторонние мысли; с запрещением говорите мысли своей: «Именем Божиим, за­прещаю тебе!» — и мысль непременно послуша­ет.

Иисусовой молитвой и крестным знамением удобно прогонится вся сила вражия»[34] . Как быть, если хочется помолиться с поклонами? «Когда придет желание помолиться среди правила (или вообще) особенной молитвой и с поклонами, тогда не надо мешать такому на­строению» (преподобный Амвросий Оптинский) [35] .

Какие на молитве признаки посещений Божиих и какие — вражиих? При благодатных явлениях или посещени­ях Божиих бывают добрые мысли и чувства: радость, любовь к Богу и к ближнему и даже к врагам, смирение, самоукорение, покаянное чувство, сокрушение, умиление, спокойствие сердца, мир ко всем, желание всем добра и спа­сения.

При вражиих же: гордость, сознание собственного достоинства, злоба, ненависть, жестокость, беспокойство, смущение, сомнение в явлении. Можно ли мирскому человеку по четкам молиться? «О молитве по четкам, — пишет святитель Феофан Затворник, — я сам в первый раз ус­лышал от мирянина, а не от монаха. И многие миряне и мирянки молятся сим образом. И нам пригодится сие.

Только молиться по ним надо не показно, а скрытно»[36] . Так ли уж важно неопустительно держать свое молитвенное домашнее правило? Христиане, не держащие домашнего прави­ла, мертвые христиане. Правило домашнее есть возбудитель душевных сил, руководитель к не­престанной молитве. Что делать, когда на молитве худые мысли на­вязчиво лезут в голову?