Human life consists of sad and joyful events. In moments of the highest happiness, or, conversely, in moments of great sadness, the Orthodox turn to God. In order for the Lord to hear man, there are prayers. This is the oldest, since biblical times, way of conveying your thoughts, requests, and thanks to the Creator.
What is prayer?
What does this word mean? In the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, she is given the following definition: “The Believer's Conversion to God. The canonized text of the message. " Orthodox Christians take prayer more exaltedly and consider it not just a way of conveying their thoughts and desires.
Believers believe that prayer is the connecting thread of the spiritual world. They connect the earthly and spiritual worlds. We can say that prayer is like air. If our thoughts and actions during it are pure, then the spiritual “air” will become pure and transparent. Grace will arise on the whole earth. If gloomy and evil thoughts prevail during a person’s prayer, then the spiritual “air” around will become gloomy and dark. And this is already a direct guide to the world of filth and vice.
So that the human soul does not end up in sin, and prayer exists. This is a kind of protective shield from the forces of evil. That is why it is so important for each of us.
Prayer. What does this mean?
What is the Christian meaning of the word prayer? In the Holy Scriptures its definition is quite widely disclosed: "The conversation of the soul with God, as the Father and the Creator, connection with Him." Based on this definition, we can say that prayer is any thought, conversion, deed associated with the Lord.
Therefore, no matter what the Orthodox Christian does, he does this with prayer. So, he does it in front of our Lord. So that the soul after the end of earthly life does not end up in the abyss of hellish darkness, it is necessary to create all earthly deeds for the good of life on earth, with love for our Lord and for all living things. In this case, one can hope for spiritual grace.
How to pray
Many Christians, especially those who have recently come to the Lord, are concerned about the correctness of prayer. Often you can observe a situation where the Orthodox feel embarrassed during prayer because they don’t know how to turn to God correctly.
To understand this, it is worth remembering the meaning of the word prayer. This is an appeal to our Heavenly Creator, a way of connecting the earthly and spiritual worlds. Therefore, there are no specific rules that should be strictly observed. Only those who have doubts about the correctness of actions during prayer can be given one piece of advice: act and speak only as the human soul desires, turned to God. Only in this case, with complete sincerity and repentance of one’s actions, one can speak of true divine prayer. Such an appeal will immediately be heard by the Lord, because it will come from the heart.
No wonder they say that children's prayer is the most sincere and pure. The soul of a child is not able to lie and think badly. Therefore, children's prayer in its sincerity and purity can be compared with angelic.
Every Christian, wondering “how to pray,” should take into account the example of a child’s prayer. If he can cleanse his soul from sinful and evil thoughts, turning to the Lord will help his soul to rise and get into the higher heavenly world of justice and kindness.
To help worshipers
In Orthodoxy there are certain recommendations for prayers. When you turn to the Creator, especially when you are in the temple, you can follow them.
- It is advisable to start and end the earthly day with prayers.
- When making a prayer, it is recommended to overshadow yourself with the sign of the Cross and give a bow.
- While in the temple, during a prayer you can put a burning candle to the saints.
- Turning to the Lord, it is necessary to ask for the salvation of the soul for all Orthodox Christians.
- Before making a meal or an important matter, it is recommended that you also turn to the heavenly Creator.
Prayer is the conversion of the human soul to God. By prayer, it is cleansed. A person is filled with joy and grace. This is the best way to enter the world of justice and bliss. The more often a person will say a prayer, the cleaner his soul will be. And that means he will be much closer to God.