One of the most important features of this “prayer” is the belief in its exceptional power; Moreover, for it to work, it is often enough just to have it at home or with you.
“...whoever has this prayer in his home or with him, do for him what he asks with it...”
“...may this prayer be read over the head of a person or in the house and may he be freed from being bound by evil spirits...”
“If anyone has acquired this prayer in his own home, let him be kept from every trick of the devil...”
“...so may all sorcery and evil spells perish on behalf of the person who honors this prayer...”
“Bless the house, Lord, that this prayer may abide in it...”
“...no sorcerer can manifest demonic plans or dreams before reading this prayer...”
“As He multiplied the years of Hezekiah the king, so multiply the years of him that has this prayer...”
“...increase the household life of the one who has this prayer...”
“...and so, through this prayer, allow every devil’s sorcery over Thy servant (name)”
“...as salvation befits all Orthodox people in that house, in it there is this prayer, written in seventy-two languages, and may all wickedness be resolved through it...”
“I also pray to You, Lord, grant this prayer to everyone who prays to it.”
“...by the power of this prayer all enemy obsession and indulgence will be driven out...”
This attitude makes the “prayer of Cyprian” similar to spells and magical texts. Conviction in the effectiveness of witchcraft gives rise to a belief in the need to counter it with the help of magical actions. One of these is reading conspiracies, which, according to magical beliefs, have power when read. That is, it doesn’t matter what is written in the text of the conspiracy, the main thing is to pronounce it at the right time and in the right place. The “Prayer of Cyprian,” with its errors and absurdities, fits this bill quite well.
Unlike conspiracies, the prayer of an Orthodox Christian is an appeal to God and trust in His help, which does not involve any magic. It is not prayer that helps, but God, and there are no magic formulas or spells that can oblige Him to fulfill what is asked. The Lord sends His gracious help only when He considers it necessary and useful for a person. Moreover, he does this in ways known only to Him, and not at all in the way the petitioner wants.