Why is gluttony dangerous? Not only a set of extra pounds and health problems that inevitably arise in overweight people. Gluttony is dangerous for the human soul. He who reveals himself to him is revealed to all destructive passions, sins and moves away from the path that the Lord has determined for man.
People with little knowledge of religious teachings often do not see a direct connection between banal overeating and the fall. Meanwhile, gluttony is nothing but gluttony, in its simplest manifestation. Accordingly, a person who overeats is indulging in mortal sin.
What is gluttony?
What is meant by this word? Normal overeating. In Orthodoxy, gluttony is considered one of the manifestations of the sin of gluttony. This word is understood simply - every piece of food, taken beyond necessity, or for the sake of one's own carnal pleasure, is nothing more than a manifestation of gluttony. It is also believed that drinking is not to quench thirst, but to receive carnal joy, is nothing but the sin of gluttony.
Of course, the concept of gluttony is much broader, it is not synonymous with overeating. However, it is gluttony - the very first and often unnoticed by a person action, falling under the concept of gluttony and opening his soul to other sins. Therefore, it is extremely important for any believer to control their carnal desires and prevent overeating. A prayer from overeating and gluttony will help the Christian to cope with this difficult task.
What can be gluttony?
In Orthodoxy, a person’s addiction to overly sophisticated, exquisite dishes, delicacies is perceived similarly to the fact that he eats everything in excessively large volumes. That is, both characteristics of food - quality and quantity, when they adopt grotesque forms, become manifestations of mortal sin.
This topic has become the subject of research and reflection of many Christian philosophers and theologians. One of the students of this sin was the Monk Dorotheus of Palestine, highly revered saint in Orthodoxy. He wrote the theological work, entitled "soulful teachings." In this work, gluttony is considered in two manifestations:
Gastrimargia is nothing but gluttony. In other words, it is a person’s constant desire to fill his own stomach. The quality, appearance, ingredients that make up the dish are not important to him. This is simply a constant desire for satiety, an irresistible and uncontrolled desire to exist, and it does not matter what, if only more.
Lemargy is the opposite manifestation of sin, called laryngealism. To a person prone to lemargy, the taste of each piece and sip is of utmost importance. This is aesthetics in food, taking an ugly grotesque form. People who are prone to it are not able to accept simple food, feeling gratitude to the Lord for its availability. They need excessive delights, and the fact of eating itself gives an inexpressible, demonic pleasure.
How to cope with gluttony?
Both variants of manifestation of gluttony in the modern world are considered pathologies and are treated by psychologists and other specialists. However, nutritionists, like psychotherapists, often achieve only a temporary result. People lose weight, and then again gain the lost kilograms. This is because those who suffer from gluttony do not see the root of the problem, think only about the external and physiological component, forgetting about the soul.
To cope with this addiction can only prayer from gluttony. But prayer alone is not enough. A person should not just begin to eat less and attend church services. You should realize that overeating is not an innocent action or a symptom of a neurosis. It is a mortal sin. That is, it is important to repent of it and pray to the Lord for protection against gluttony in the same way as to prevent discouragement, anger or anger in the soul.
When and how to pray for deliverance from gluttony? Reading Features
Prayer from gluttony and obesity will help to defeat, and to cope with the diseases caused by them, you only need to believe in the power of the Lord and sincerely repent of sin. There are no special requirements for when and how to gloss over the committed sin and ask for protection from this action in the future. However, there are some features that are purely advisory in nature.
You should pray daily and repeatedly:
- in the morning after waking up;
- in the evening, when going to bed;
- before eating.
There is no need to assume that there is any time frame. Many believe that by reading prayers for a month or any other period, you can stop doing this. Sin literally lies in wait for a person, expects a loss of vigilance, the appearance of weakness, and at that moment takes possession of him again. One must always pray, and all the more so for protection from sin, to which there is a tendency. It should be understood that Orthodox prayers from gluttony are a person’s spiritual work on himself, his shield before temptations.
Another feature of prayers that help to cope with the manifestations of gluttony is their reading when the need arises. In other words, when a person begins to experience temptation, an irresistible desire to eat something, although he understands that there is no objective need for food, you should interrupt all your activities and urgently pray. Such a prayer from gluttony will help get rid of the physiological urge to snack and free the mind from thoughts about food.
Who to pray for?
Gluttony is a mortal sin; accordingly, the Savior himself should pray for deliverance from him and protection of his soul. Only the Lord can protect a person from temptations, sins, temptations. Only the Almighty is able to tear a person out of the cloaca of his sin and return to the true path. It is the Lord who gives people the food and drink they need. And the devil perverts these gifts, corrupting the flesh and tempting the soul with pernicious addictions.
Not only the Lord himself but also holy saints, guardian angels pray for the prevention of gluttony, for the granting of spiritual strength. Heavenly intercessors never ignore the plea for help from a stumbled soul, from a man who has embarked on the path of redemption and needs help and protection in resisting evil. It is not so important who the prayer for gluttony is addressed to. The main thing is the sincerity of a person and his need for help.
How to pray to the Lord?
A prayer for help and deliverance addressed to the Lord should come from a pure heart. It is not so important that a person uses ready-made texts or his own words, the main thing is that his faith be firm and his repentance sincere.
A prayer for gluttony can be this:
“Lord Almighty and Almighty! Do not leave me alone with temptation, give me strength to overcome crafty machinations and instruct, help distinguish between the true and the false. Teach me, Lord, grant me clarity to see the need and demonicity of my womb. God forbid exhaustion, but deliver from gluttony and laziness, anger and lust, anger and envy. Amen".
How to pray to Saint Boniface?
From ancient times, it helps people to overcome the gluttony and drunkenness of St. Boniface. A prayer for gluttony and drunkenness can be this:
“Martyr St. Boniface, compassion full of human needs! Help to overcome the terrible sin, give me strength to get out of the abyss of gluttony, do not allow gluttony and drunkenness cursed. Protect, holy martyr, enlightened my mind and indicate how to resist temptation. Amen".
Should prayer be combined with conspiracy?
Gluttony was considered dangerous for a person long before the birth of Christianity. They fought with him from time immemorial. The healers, healers, herbalists and others helped people cope with the passion for eating too much food.
With the establishment of Christianity, popular superstitions and rites did not disappear. They merged with faith in the Lord and took a new form. For example, amulets, incense prayers are nothing more than a merger of ancient superstitions with Orthodox teachings.
Therefore, conspiracies and prayers from gluttony are often used by people together. Such a combination is not only not welcomed by the church, but also condemned by it. Conspiracies are witchcraft, and it is unacceptable to a Christian. Witchcraft comes from the devil and is also a temptation. And the combination of conspiracy and prayer is nothing but heresy.