Contents · 45 parts
Prayers of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk
Prayers and thoughts of God for them for every need
Prayers to Christ, the Son of God, taken from the Holy Gospel
1.
Bring my soul out of prison, to confess to Your name.
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Attract me, so that I may come to You.
I am imprisoned, O Lord, and darkness surrounds me; bound by many iron ties, and there is no weakening. Break the bonds, so that I will be free. Destroy the darkness so that I may see Your light. Bring me out of prison, so that I can come to You.
Let my ears hear You. Let my eyes see You. Give me a taste and give you a taste. Give me the scent of Thy fragrance. Let my nose come to You. Give my lips to speak about You. Give my heart to fear and love You.
“Train me, O Lord, in Thy way, and I will walk in Thy truth” (Ps. 85:11). For you are “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Take what is mine from me, and give me the will to do Your good will.
Take away what is old and give us something new.
Take away the “heart of stone” and give the “heart of flesh” (see Eze. 11:19), which loves You, honors You, and follows You.
Give me your eye, so that I may see Your love. Give me an eye, so that I may see Your humility and follow it. Give me an eye, so that I may see Your meekness and patience and follow it.
Rtsy word - and everything will be. For Your word is your work.
“I believe, Lord, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).
2.
Jesus Son of God, have mercy on me!
Be the food and drink of my soul.
Be the source of my thirsty soul.
Be the light of my darkened soul.
Be a consolation in my sorrow.
Bring joy to my sorrow.
Be a deliverance against my captivity.
May there be peace and tranquility against my evil conscience.
Be wisdom against my madness.
Be an Intercessor against my slanderers.
Be an excuse against my sins.
Be sanctified against my uncleanness.
Be victorious against my enemies.
Be a shield against my persecutors.
Be my Intercessor against the wrath of God.
Be a sacrifice for my sins.
Be a strength in my weakness.
Be strong against my death.
Give advice against my bewilderment.
Be strength against my weakness.
Be to me, sir, Eternal Father.
Be the Judge against those who insult me.
Be the King against the kingdom of the devil.
Be the Leader on my journey.
Be the Intercessor at the hour of my death.
Be the Patron after my death.
May you have eternal life after my resurrection.
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me.
Give glory to Your name, and eternal salvation for me.
“Lord, not to us, not to us, but to Your name give glory” (Ps. 113:9). Amen.
3.
“Lord, if you want, you can cleanse me.” (Leper to Christ). Christ: “I want, cleanse yourself. And he was immediately cleansed from leprosy” (Matthew 8:2-3).
“Lord, my servant lies at home in relaxation and suffers severely.” Jesus to him: “I will come and heal him. The centurion, answering, said: “Lord! I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will recover” (The Centurion in Capernaum to Christ).
Christ: “Go, and as you have believed, it will be done for you” (Matthew 8:6, 8:13).
“Lord, save us, we are perishing.” (The disciples suffering at sea - to Christ). “Then he stood up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was great silence” (Matthew 8:25-26).
“Be of good cheer, child, your sins are forgiven” (Christ to the paralytic lying on his bed). “Get up, take up your bed and go to your house. And he got up, took up his bed and went to his house” (Matthew 9:2, 6-7).
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. Will you soon learn what to eat? Go and learn what it means: I want mercy, not sacrifice? For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Christ to the Pharisees) (Hos. 6; Matt. 9:12-13).
“Jesus turned and saw her and said: “Be of good cheer, daughter! Your faith saved you." From that hour the woman became healthy.” (Christ to the bleeding woman, who touched the hem of His garment from behind) (Matthew 9:22).
“Have mercy on us, Jesus, Son of David.” (Two blind men to Christ). Christ to them: “According to your faith, be it unto you. And their eyes were opened” (Matthew 9:27, 29-30).
“Seeing a strong wind (the Apostle Peter, walking on the waters, spoke to Christ), he was afraid and, beginning to drown, cried out: “Lord, save me.” Jesus immediately stretched out his hand, supported him and said to him: “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:30-31)?
“And behold, a Canaanite woman, coming out of those places (the country of Tire and Sidon), shouted to Him: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly raging,” and so on. And she, coming up, bowed to Him and said: “Lord! Help me." She said: “Yes, Lord! But dogs also eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus: “Oh woman! Great is your faith; Let it be done to you according to your desire” (Matthew 15:22, 25, 27-28).
Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of God: my soul is angry with evil. Lord, help me. Give to me, that I may be satisfied, like a dog, from the grains that fall from the table of Your servants.
“Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David (Two blind men to Christ). The people forced them to remain silent; but they began to shout even louder: “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” They say to Him: “Lord! (We want) our eyes to be opened.” Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.” (Matt. 20:30-31, 33-34).
Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of God! Have mercy, Jesus, Son of God! May my eyes be opened, that I may see Your light, and may I walk in You.
“Jesus said to him (the father whose son was possessed): “If you can believe a little, all things are possible to him who believes.” And immediately the boy’s father exclaimed with tears: “I believe, Lord! Help my unbelief." Jesus, seeing that the people were running, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him: “A mute and deaf spirit! I command you, come out of it and do not enter it again.” (Mark 9:23-25).
Good Teacher, Son of God! I brought my soul, which has demons, to You. “I believe, help my unbelief,” they commanded to come out and whoever does not heed: everyone obeys You.
“When the Lord saw her, he took pity on her and said to her: “Don’t cry.” And, approaching, he touched the bed; The carriers stopped, and He said: “Young man! I’m telling you, get up!” The dead man got up, sat down and began to talk.” – About a widow and her son in the city of Nain (see Luke 7:13-15).
“Therefore I tell you: her many sins are forgiven because she loved much, but he who is forgiven little loves little. He said to her (the weeping wife): “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7:47-48).
“He, turning to them, rebuked them (James and John) and said: “You do not know what kind of spirit you are, for the Son of Man came not to destroy the souls of men, but to save” (Luke 9:55-56).
Glory to Your love for mankind, O Lord!
“Let the dead bury their own dead” (Luke 9:60).
“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).
“Therefore, brethren, be more and more diligent to make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10).
“Those whom He predestined, He also called, and those He called, He also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:30).
“Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
“Faith without work is dead” (James 2:26).
“Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejected and fell from the faith” (1 Timothy 1:19).
“They say they know God, but in their works they deny Him” (Titus 1:16).
“In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has power, but faith working through love” (Gal. 5:6).
“I sing of Thy mercy, O Lover of Mankind, and I adore the riches of Thy mercy, O Lord: for although Thou didst save Thy creation, Thou hast lifted up death, O Most Merciful One. For the sake of Your Passion, have mercy on us.”
Every ud of Thy Holy Flesh has endured dishonor for us: thorns are the head, the face is spitting, the jaws are strangled, the lips are the taste of bile dissolved in the mouth, the ears are wicked blasphemies, the shoulders are beatings, and the hand is a cane, the entire Body is the extension of the Cross, the member is a nail and the ribs are a spear. Who suffered for us and freed us from passions, who descended to us with love for mankind and exalted us, O All-Powerful Savior, have mercy on us” (Stichera on Good Friday at Matins at the verse).
* * *
“What shall I render to the Lord for all that He has rendered to me?” (Ps. 116:3)
Since You, O our Savior, came into the world for the sake of everyone, so also for the sake of me, for I am one of all; “I came into the world to save sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15), then me too, for I too am one of the sinners; “I came to seek and save the lost” (Matthew 18:11), then me, since I too am one of the lost.
Oh, my God, my Lord and my Creator! I would have to come to You, as a transgressor of Your law, and fall and prostrate myself before You, and humbly ask Your forgiveness, and pray to You, and seek Your mercy. But now You Yourself came to me, to me, Your cursed and indecent servant. My Lord came to me, an apostate and His enemy, my Lord came and visited me with His love for mankind.
Listen, my soul, and take heed: God has come to us, our Lord has visited us. For my sake, he was born from the Virgin Mother, born from the Father before the ages. For my sake he was wrapped in swaddling clothes, “He who covers the sky with clouds and is clothed with light as with a robe” (Ps. 103:2). For my sake He was laid in a wretched manger, having “a throne, the heavens, and a footstool, the earth” (Is. 66:1). For my sake he fed on his mother's milk, the one who nourishes all flesh. For my sake, He who sits on cherubim and contains all creation was carried in his mother’s arms. For my sake, the Creator of the law was circumcised according to the law. For my sake, You, invisible, appeared and lived with people, my God. My God became like me, a man, for my sake and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14), and my Lord, the Lord of glory, “took on the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7) for my sake, and lived on earth, and walked on the earth as the King of Heaven. He worked, worked miracles, talked with people, treated himself like a slave, the Lord of all. He who feeds and drinks all flesh was hungry, thirsty, He who takes away every tear was weeping, He who takes away every tear was sick and grieved, the Comforter of all was sick and sad, only the Holy and Righteous One dealt with sinners, the Almighty was weary, “he who dwells in the inaccessible light had no place to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20; 1 Timothy 6:16). He who gives wealth to all was a beggar. From city to city and from place to place the Omnipresent and fulfilling One moved. And so for thirty-three years or more on earth he lived and worked for me, His servant, the Son of God, “not being separated from the Father’s bosom.” But what did You see in me that was worthy of Your eyes, that you came to this deplorable vale to seek me?
Shepherds are looking for lost sheep, but they are looking for their own benefit. People are looking for lost goods, but they are looking for their own selfishness. People leave for foreign countries, but for their own gain. Kings ransom captives, but through silver and gold, through their messengers and, for the most part, for their own sake. But what have you found in me, my Lord? What benefit, what self-interest and what good, when the King of heaven and earth Himself came to me to seek me, and not through messengers, the Lord Himself came to seek His servant and redeem - to redeem not with silver and gold, but with His honest Blood? Nothing at all except corruption, weakness, repentance, disobedience and enmity towards You!
It would be a great thing if You came to seek me, who involuntarily perished and was taken away from You and captured by need by my enemy. But what an incomprehensible thing it is that I am an unauthorized apostate, I am an apostate and Your enemy! Ah, I’m ashamed to even talk about this, but it’s true: I am an apostate from You, and I myself went after Your enemy. I entered into council with him and wanted to steal Your Divine honor. I wanted to be God, Thy creation, not content with the fact that You honored me more than Your other creatures, with a rational soul and with Your Divine image. Such a great honor seemed small to me. I wanted to be God, and thus dishonor You, who honored me, my Lord. I have greatly offended and angered Your infinite majesty, and so I have become Your enemy. This is what I am before You, for whose sake You came!
However, not finding anything in me except my sole salvation and self-interest in me, he came to look for me. My misfortune and my destruction were Your loss, and my salvation was Your gain. That I perished, You imputed to Yourself for the loss; and that I might be saved and be blessed, You have set it for Your own profit. Your goodness did not tolerate seeing me in destruction, and convinced You, the invincible, to come to me and seek me: neither an intercessor, nor an Angel, but the Lord Himself came to me, because I could not come to You. The shepherd had to go out, work hard and look for the lost sheep in the mountains.
You have visited me with Your love for mankind, my Lord! My Shepherd searched for me without His own self-interest! You loved me without benefit, my God! For this is true love - to love without any benefit and to do good without the hope of reward. You loved me so much, my Lover, that you came to my salvation without Your own selfishness.
O Thy goodness and love for mankind, Son of God and Son of the Ever-Virgin! Oh, our blessedness, poor and damned people, for whose sake our Lord and King came and lived with us! God became like people and came to us for our sake!
O “blessed womb that bore You, and the breasts that nourished You” (Luke 11:27), Son of God!
Blessed are the swaddling clothes with which You were wrapped! Blessed is the manger in which You were laid! Blessed are the hands that bore the Child, Who is “our God before this world”! Blessed are the garments with which God clothed himself in the flesh, “who is clothed with light as with a garment” (Ps. 103:2)! Blessed are the eyes that have seen You, and the ears that have heard You, and the hands that have touched You, the living and life-giving Word! Blessed is the time in which You, the Heavenly King, appeared on earth! But much more blessed are those who see You not walking on earth, but sitting at the right hand of the Father, Jesus, Him “whom, not having seen before, but believing in You, your faithful on earth rejoice with inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). Grant me now to see You with faith and to honor You with love, and there to see You face to face!
But look, my soul, how the King of Heaven was greeted by His subjects, how the servants of their Lord received them, how His people honored their incarnate God. What a gift, what thanksgiving, honor and worship were given to their Benefactor by those whom He came to save, before whom He performed miracles, from whom He cleansed the lepers, healed the sick, raised up the paralytic, enlightened the blind, corrected the lame and bowed down, raised the dead, and fed many thousands of the hungry. Ah, shame covers my face, my heart is seized with horror, and my tongue trembles to speak!.. His holy Evangelist cries out to us with pity: “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him” (John 1:11), and they rejected him, saying: “we do not want him to reign over us” (Luke 19:14)! Terrible and pitiful rumor! God came in the flesh to His people - and they did not receive Him. The King and Lord came to His servants and rejected Him. “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth” (Is. 1:2): the people of their God, and the servants of their Lord, and the subjects of their King did not accept! Oh my God! You knew all this, but, nevertheless, you came to save me, who was lost, and to seek me, who was lost. The anger and ingratitude of Your enemies did not hinder You, but Your goodness and love and my poverty convinced You; and it was not enough for the ungrateful not to accept and renounce their Lord and Benefactor, but they added evil to evil and cruelty and inhumanity to such rudeness, they honored Your heavenly teaching for demonic possession: “He is possessed by a demon and is going mad; Why are you listening to Him? (John 10:20) Your miracles were attributed to Beelzebub, Your enemy: “He casts out demons by the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). You communicated with sinners, wanting to catch them with Your favor and save them - they called You “one who loves to eat and drink wine, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matthew 11:19), and other blasphemies were regurgitated against You, their Lord and Benefactor, against You, Who is above all honor!... Oh, the cruelty and ingratitude of man! Oh, Thy goodness and long-suffering, Lord! Next, they sought to kill You, their Savior, who had come to save them. You saw their evil advice and their heart, breathing malice, you saw, O Lord of the Heart, but you endured. They found their instrument for this - Your ungrateful disciple. He sold You, priceless, for thirty pieces of silver, for such a small price, the Most Precious of the whole world and more than a thousand worlds. You saw their wicked advice and their lawless bargaining, you saw and endured, wanting to suffer for me, Your indecent servant, and to cleanse me with Your Blood, and to revive me with Your death, and to honor me with Your dishonor. Glory to Thee for everything, O my Lover!
Sold and betrayed You, or, more, Yourself, by Your own will, surrendered to them and came out to them, looking for You, knowing everything that lies ahead of You, they bound You, unapproachable for the Cherubim and Seraphim of the Lord. They judged You, the Judge of the living and the dead, they scolded You, dishonored You, spat on Your holy Face, which the Angels do not dare to look at, and struck You on the cheek, and condemned You, the Life of all, as subject to death. They preferred the robber and murderer to You, the Son of God, the only Good and Righteous. All the nations cried out, saying: “Take Him, release Barabbas to us; crucify him, crucify him” (Mark 15:13-14)! Oh miracle, oh horror and unheard of thing! They took him out of the city as a condemned man, and hanged him as a villain among villains, and killed the only Immortal, and blasphemed him hanging on the Cross, “nodding their heads” (Matthew 27:39), “they gave you gall for food, and in your thirst they gave you vinegar to drink” (Ps. 69:22); “they pierced your hands and your feet, they counted all your bones” (Ps. 21:17-18), they pierced the ribs of the dead one, and they blasphemed the dead one: “We remember what that deceiver said” (Matthew 27:63), etc. Your most pure Body was given into military custody and Your tomb was sealed. This was given to You, my God, by Your people - to You, who came to save them!..
You endured all their malice, and “like a lamb led to the slaughter” (Jer. 11:19), you did not open Your mouth. The Lord suffered from His servants, the Creator from His creation, God from His people, the King from His subjects, the Benefactor from those who received countless benefits, the Righteous and Innocent from the wrongdoers. He endured before heaven and earth, before Angels and men, before many eyes, before friends and enemies, he endured naked and abandoned by everyone. And since he came into the world for the sake of everyone, he endured for the sake of everyone, and for my sake he endured, since I am one of all, O my Lord! For my sake, my Lord endured such dishonor and torment!.. He endured it willingly - oh, who am I and what am I, that for my sake my Lord endured?! “Earth and ashes” (Sir.10:9), sinner and indecent slave!.. Oh, a new and unheard-of miracle, ineffable and incomprehensible goodness, incomprehensible condescension! Oh, a new and unheard-of miracle, inexpressible and incomprehensible goodness, incomprehensible condescension! Arise, my soul, arise, be horrified, humble yourself, bow down and fall before your Lord! “Sing a new song to the Lord, for the Lord has done wonderful things” (Ps. 97:1)!
My Creator and Lord suffered, endured and died for His servant, the accursed, indecent and lawless servant. I am a destroyer of the law and a lawless one, I dishonored and blasphemed it, I betrayed myself to my enemy - the devil, I am worthy of demonic spitting, ridicule, cursing, strangling, beating, torment and eternal death. But You, my Master and Lord, endured in my place. The slave sinned, but my Lord endured the execution. The slave was guilty, but my Lord was beaten. The slave stole, but my Lord repaid. The slave was a debtor, but the Master paid my debt. How? Not silver, not gold. But with what? By His dishonor, By His wounds, By His Blood and by His death, the death of the cross (see Phil. 2:8). For me, accursed and damned, you became a curse (see Gal. 3:13). You alone are blessed forever. For me, a blasphemer, You endured blasphemy and dishonor, O Lord of glory. For me, sold for sin, You, the Priceless One, were sold and endured this. For me, judgment and condemnation, You, the Lord and Creator, suffered death for me. Glory to You, glory to You, glory to You for everything! I have nothing else to bring to You except this: glory to You!..
You lived on earth, O Heavenly King, in order to raise me to heaven, expelled from paradise. You were born of the Virgin in the Flesh in order to revive me in spirit. You endured blasphemy in order to stop the mouths of my enemies who slander me. You accepted dishonor, You Who are above all honor, in order to honor me, dishonored. You cried to take away the tears from my eyes. He sighed, grieved, grieved, in order to take away eternal sighing, sorrow, melancholy, illness from me and give me eternal joy and gladness. You were sold and betrayed in order to free me, captive. You were bound to tear apart my bonds. You appeared before the unrighteous court, “Judge of all the earth” (Gen. 18:25), in order to deliver me from eternal judgment. You were naked, so that I, naked, “clothe me with the robe of salvation and clothe me with the robe of righteousness” (Is. 61:10). You were crowned with thorns to give me the crown of life. I endured that You were called the King of reproach, the King of all, so that I could open the kingdom of heaven. They beat me on the head with a cane to write me in the book of life. He deigned to suffer outside the city in order to bring me, expelled from paradise, into heavenly Jerusalem. “He was counted among the evildoers” (Is. 53:12; Matt. 15:28) You, the only Righteous One, may justify me, the wicked. You became a curse (see Gal. 3:10), the only Blessed One, that you might bestow blessing upon me, the cursed. He shed His blood to wash away my pus and sinful filth. He gave me vinegar to drink so that he could serve me “food and drink at the table in Your kingdom” (Luke 22:30). You died, the Life of all, in order to revive me, who had died; was laid in the grave in order to raise me from the grave. You have risen so that you can assure me of my resurrection. You ascended to heaven in order to lift me there too and glorify me in Your kingdom. You created all this for me, Your servant!
Oh, “Lord! What is man, that You are mindful of him, and the son of man, that You visit him?” (Ps. 8:5) Man is “earth and ashes” (Sir. 10:9), and a destroyer of Your holy law. However, You honored him so much, you honored him who had dishonored You, his Creator and Lord. You have favored Your creation, my Creator. I have had mercy on Your servant, my Lord. You have found the lost sheep, my Shepherd. Delivered the captive, my Deliverer. Called the outcast, my God. I freed the bound one, my Liberator. Revived the dead, my life. You raised the fallen, my strength. I honored the dishonored and stood up for the helpless, my Intercessor, “You have broken my bonds... I will offer you a sacrifice of praise” (Ps. 116:7-8). I confess Your grace, I kiss Your love for mankind, I worship Your goodness and mercy, I honor and sing Your incomprehensible condescension.
Oh, what will I repay to Your goodness, O One who loved me, “what will I repay to the Lord for all that He has given to me?” If I died a thousand times for You, it would be nothing, since You are my Lord, my Creator and my God, but I am earth and ashes, a sinner and Your indecent servant, and worthy of all death, not only temporary, but also eternal. What shall I render to You, my Lord, who loved me, my Protector, my Liberator, my Redeemer? What shall I render to You, Who did not spare me for His own sake, but gave Himself up to dishonor, blasphemy, ridicule, reproach, spitting, condemnation, beatings, wounds, torment, crucifixion and death, in order to make me, poor, accursed and outcast, blessed? What will I repay, having nothing of my own except corruption, weakness and sins? My soul and body and my composition are from You, Yours, Yours, but by me... alas for me!... corrupted and spoiled. The advice of the evil one and my will have corrupted me. I will bring you a grateful heart, whatever you want from me. But I can’t even do that without You, for without You I can’t know You and love the one I know!
Oh, how poor I am, how wretched, how weak I am, how cursed and corrupt I am! Oh, how my enemy has wounded and crushed me! But, my Deliverer, have mercy on me, the one whom You loved and for whom You gave Yourself, have mercy on me and enlighten me, so that I may know You, in Whom my life is, and kindle Your love in my heart, and “set my feet on a stone and straighten my steps” (Ps. 39:3), so that I may follow You, my Deliverer and my only Leader to heaven. and eternal life. Draw me along with You, O burning Love! Let us run after You: I will run after the breath of Your peace (see Song 1:3), so that where You are, there I, Your servant, redeemed by You, may be, to see Your glory. O merciful, compassionate, O Lover of Humanity! Give me a heart to follow You. Guide me on Your path, which Your chosen ones follow. Lead me with Your Holy Spirit: “Your Good Spirit will lead me into the land of righteousness” (Ps. 142:10).
You have done a great thing and it is incomprehensible to my mind that You, the Lord, the King of heaven and earth, came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary, and suffered and was crucified, and shed Your Blood for me, Your servant. Great, truly great and wonderful!
I believe, and I confess, and I confess, and I preach, and I am so amazed at Thy goodness and love for mankind towards me, a sinner... Do this Thy mercy to me, a sinner, I humbly pray to Thee, Lover of mankind, who loved me: cleanse me from all my sins with Thy holy Blood, which Thou shed for me, Thy sinful servant, and strengthen me in Thy fear and love, and grant me with faith and love to follow Thy holy footsteps, and preserve me by Thy power from my enemies who seek to put an obstacle in my steps and distract me from You, my Redeemer. “Let Thy mercy, O Lord, follow me all the days of my life” (Ps. 22:6), yes, saved by Thy grace, I will give thanks to Thee face to face with Thy elect, and I will sing and praise and glorify Thee, with Thy Beginning Father and Thy Most Holy Spirit, to endless ages, amen.
* * *
Inspire my words, O Lord, understand my title. Hear the voice of my prayer, my King and my God, as I will pray to You, O Lord. Tomorrow hear my voice, tomorrow I will appear to You, and you will see me. (Ps. 5:2-4)
Chorus: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath; do not punish me with Your wrath. Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; heal me, Lord, for my bones are crushed. And my soul was greatly troubled; and You, Lord, how long? Turn, O Lord, deliver my soul; save me for the sake of Thy mercy. For there is nothing to remember You in death; in hell, who will confess to You? (Ps. 6:2-6.)
Arise, O Lord, my God, let Thy hand be exalted; do not forget Thy needy to the end (Ps. 9:33.)
You, Lord, have preserved us and kept us from this generation and forever (Ps. 11:8).
Look, hear me, O Lord my God, enlighten my eyes, lest I fall asleep into death, lest my enemy say: Be strong against him. Those who are cold will rejoice as long as I move. I have trusted in Your mercy. My heart will rejoice in Your salvation; I will sing to the Lord, who has done good to me, and I will sing to the name of the Lord Most High (Ps. 12:4-7).
Make my steps in Your paths, so that my steps may not move (Ps. 16:5).
Surprise Your mercy, save those who trust in You from those who resist Your right hand. Save me, Lord, like the apple of your eye, covering me in the shelter of Your wing, from the face of the wicked, who have made me angry. Defeat my soul; you have shut up your fat, your lips have spoken pride. Those who cast me out have now passed me by, casting their eyes upon the earth. Having embraced me, like a lion ready to catch, and like a skinman, dwell in the secret. Arise, O Lord, before me, and stifle them, deliver my soul from the wicked, Thy weapon from the enemy of Thy hand (Ps. 16:7-13).
Who understands the Fall? Cleanse me from my secrets, and spare your servant from strangers (Ps. 18:13).
You live in the Holy Place, praise of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You, you trusted and I delivered. I cried out to You, and was saved; I trusted in You, and was not ashamed (Ps. 21:4-6).
Do not depart from me, for sorrow is near, for you cannot help me (Ps. 21:12).
Lord, do not remove Your help from me, attend to my intercession. Deliver my soul from the weapon, and my only begotten from the hand of the dog. Save me from the mouth of Lions and from the horn of the unicorn my humility (Ps. 21:20-22).
Remember Your mercies, O Lord, and Your mercies, as they have been since the ages. Do not remember the sin of my youth and my ignorance; according to Your mercy, remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord (Ps. 24:6-7).
The sorrows of my heart have increased, deliver me from my needs. See my humility and my work, and forgive all my sins. See how my enemies have multiplied (Ps. 24:17-19).
Preserve my soul and deliver me, that I may not be put to shame, for I trusted in Thee (Ps. 24:20).
Hear, O Lord, my voice to which I cried: have mercy on me and hear me. My heart says to you: I will seek the Lord. I will seek Your face, O Lord, I will seek Your face. Turn not Thy face away from me, and do not turn aside in anger from Thy servant; Be my helper, do not reject me, and do not forsake me, O God, my Savior. For my father and mother have abandoned me, but the Lord will receive me. Give me the law, O Lord, in Thy way, and guide me on the right path for my enemy’s sake. Do not betray me into the souls of those who are afflicted by me: for I have risen up as a witness of unrighteousness, and have lied untruthfully to myself. I believe in seeing the good of the Lord on the land of the living. Be patient with the Lord, be of good courage, and let your heart be strong, and be patient with the Lord (Ps. 26:7-14).
In Thee, O Lord, have I trusted, that I may never be ashamed: by Thy righteousness deliver me and save me. Incline Your ear to me, hasten to take me away: make me a Protector God and a house of refuge to save me. For Thou art my power and my refuge, and for Thy name’s sake instruct me and nourish me. Deliver me from this snare, which you have hidden from me: for You are my Protector, O Lord. In Thy hand I will offer my spirit: Thou hast delivered me, O Lord God of truth. You hated those who kept vanities in vain; I have trusted in the Lord. I will rejoice and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have looked upon my humility, and You have saved my soul from need (Ps. 30:1-8).
To You, Lord, I will cry, my God, do not keep silent from me, lest you keep silent from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit. Hear, O Lord, the voice of my prayer, always pray to You, always lift up my hands to Your holy temple. Do not bring me with sinners, and do not destroy me with those who do injustice, who speak peace with their neighbors, but have evil in their hearts (Ps. 27:1-3).
Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant, save me by Thy mercy. Lord, let me not be ashamed, for I called Thee (Ps. 30:17-18).
You are my refuge from sorrow, holding me: my joy, deliver me from those who have passed around me (Ps. 31:7).
For my iniquities have exceeded my head, for a heavy burden has weighed down upon me.
My wounds have grown stale and rotten because of my madness. I suffered and suffered to the end, walking around mourning all day (Ps. 37:5-7).
Lord, all my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You. My heart is troubled, my strength has left me, and the light of my eyes, and she is not with me (Ps. 37:10-11).
Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me. Come to my help, O Lord of my salvation (Ps. 37:22).
The evil one has possessed me, and there is no number of them, my iniquities have befallen me, and I have not been able to see, the hair of my head has multiplied, and my heart has left me. Deign, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, come to my aid. Let those who seek to take my soul be ashamed and put to shame, and let those who wish me evil turn back and be ashamed. May those who say: better, better, accept their bitterness. Let all who seek You, O Lord, rejoice and rejoice in You, and let them say: May the Lord be magnified in those who love Your salvation. But I am poor and wretched, the Lord will take care of me. Thou art my Helper and my Protector, O my God, do not become stubborn (Ps. 39:13-18).
Hear us, O God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of those who are in the sea far off (Ps. 64:6).
God, be gracious to us and bless us, make Your face shine upon us and have mercy on us (Ps. 67:2).
Save me, O God, as water came down to my soul. The coal-miner is in the darkness of depth, and there is no constancy. I sank into the depths of the sea, and the storm drowned me (Ps. 69:2-3).
Hear me, O Lord, for Thy mercy is good: according to the multitude of Thy mercies, look upon me. Do not turn Your face away from Your servant, for I am grieving; hear me soon. Take in my soul and deliver it (Ps. 69:17-19).
Do not reject me in my old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me. As if they had decided to defeat me, and those who were seeking my soul conferred together, saying: God has left him to eat, marry and have him, for there is no deliverance. My God, do not depart from me, my God, come to my help. Let those who slander my soul be ashamed and disappear, and let those who seek evil against me be clothed with shame and shame (Ps. 70:9-13).
What is there in heaven? And what did You want on earth? My heart and my flesh are gone, O God of my heart, and my portion, O God, forever (Ps. 72:25-26).
May the humble and disgraced, the poor and the wretched not return and praise Your name. Arise, O God, judge Thy right, remember Thy reproach, which has come from the fool all day long. Do not forget the voice of Your prayer book; the pride of those who hate You will go away (Ps. 73:21-23).
Do not remember our first iniquities: may Thy compassions soon precede us, O Lord, as we are so poor. Help us, O God, our Savior, for glory for Thy name's sake, O Lord, deliver us, and cleanse our sins for Thy name's sake (Ps. 79:8-9).
Raise up Your power and come to save us. God, turn us and make Your face shine, and we will be saved (Ps. 79:3-4).
Thou hast pleased, O Lord, Thy land, Thou hast returned the captivity of Jacob, Thou hast forsaken the iniquities of Thy people, Thou hast covered all their sins. Thou hast tamed all Thy wrath, Thou hast returned from the wrath of Thy wrath. Bring us back, O God of our salvation, and turn away Your wrath from us. Food forever are you angry with us? Or will You sweep away Your wrath from generation to generation? God, You, turn, revive us, and Your people will rejoice in You. Show us, O Lord, Thy mercy, and grant us Thy salvation. I will hear what the Lord God says about me: as He speaks peace to His people and to His saints, and to those who turn their hearts to Him (Ps. 85:2-9).
O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried before You by day and by night: Let my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my prayer. For my soul is filled with evil, and my belly is drawing near to hell (Ps. 87:2-3).
Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and needy (Ps. 85:1).
Who knows the power of Your wrath, and through Your fear destroys Your wrath? Thy right hand tell me this, and my heart is bound in wisdom. Turn, Lord, how long? And beg for Thy servants (Ps. 89:11-13).
Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to You. Do not turn Your face away from me; Even if I mourn a day, incline Your ear to me; Even if it’s daylight I call on You, hear me soon. As if my days had vanished, like smoke, and my bones had dried up (Ps. 102:2-4).
Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law. I am a stranger on earth, do not hide Your commandments from me (Ps. 119:18-19).
My soul has fallen asleep from despondency, strengthen me in Your words. Leave the path of unrighteousness from me, and have mercy on me with Your law (Ps. 119:28-29).
Let me understand the way of Your justifications, and I will be amazed at Your wonders (Ps. 119:27).
Give me understanding, and I will try Your law, and I will keep it with all my heart. Guide me on the path of Your commandments, as I have desired. Incline my heart to Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity; live me in Your way. Make Thy servant Thy word to fear. And may Thy mercy, O Lord, come upon me, according to Thy word (Ps. 119:34-37, 41).
I prayed to Your face with all my heart: have mercy on me according to Your word. Fill the earth with Your mercy, O Lord; teach me Your righteousness (Ps. 119:58, 64).
Teach me goodness and punishment and reason, as in Thy commandments I believe (Ps. 119:66).
Thou art good, O Lord, and by Thy goodness teach me Thy justification (Ps. 119:68).
Thy hands make me, and make me: give me understanding, and I will learn Thy commandment (Ps. 119:73).
Let Thy mercy comfort me according to Thy word to Thy servant. Let Your compassions come to me, and I will live, for Your law is my teaching (Ps. 119:76-77).
May my heart be blameless in Your justifications, so that I will not be put to shame (Ps. 119:80).
I am Yours; save me, for I have sought Your justification (Ps. 119:94).
Intercede for me according to Your word, and I will live, and do not disgrace me because of my hope; Help me, and I will be saved, and I will learn from Your justifications (Ps. 119:116-117).
Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name. Direct my steps according to Thy word, and let not all iniquity possess me. Deliver me from human slander, and I will keep Your commandments. Make Thy face shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy justification (Ps. 119:132-135).
I cried with all my heart, hear me, O Lord, I will seek Your justification. I called upon You, save me, and I will preserve Your testimonies. Hear my voice, O Lord, according to Your mercy, live for me according to Your destiny (Ps. 119: 145-146, 149).
May my prayer come closer to You, O Lord; give me understanding according to Your word. May my petition come before You, O Lord; deliver me according to Your word. My lips will burst forth with song, when Thou teachest me Thy justification. My tongue proclaims Your words, for all Your commandments are true. May Thy hand be to save me, as I have willed Thy commandments. I have desired Your salvation, O Lord, and Your law is my teaching. My soul will live and praise You, and Your fate will help me. I have gone astray, like a lost sheep: seek Thy servant, for I have not forgotten Thy commandments (Ps. 119:169-176).
I lift up my eyes to You, who dwell in heaven (Ps. 122:1).
Return, O Lord, our captivity, like the floods of the south (Ps. 126:4).
From the depths I cried to You, Lord, Lord, hear my voice. May Your ears be attentive to the voice of my prayer. If you see iniquity, Lord, Lord, who will stand? For You have purification (Ps. 129:1-3).
Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness (Ps. 132:1).
Lord, I have called to You, hear me: listen to the voice of my prayer, sometimes I will cry to You. May my prayer be corrected as the incense before You, the lifting of my hand, the evening sacrifice. Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth, and a guard over my mouth. Do not turn my heart into the words of wickedness, do not bear the guilt of sins with people who practice iniquity (Ps. 140: 1-4).
Keep me from the snare that I have made, and from the temptation of those who practice iniquity (Ps. 140:9).
With my voice I cried to the Lord, with my voice I prayed to the Lord. I will pour out my prayer before Him, I will declare my sorrow before Him (Ps. 142:2-3).
Lord, hear my prayer, inspire my prayer in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for every living person will not be justified before You. Like the enemy drove my soul, he humbled my belly to eat, he planted me to eat in dark, like dead centuries. And my spirit is depressed within me, my heart is troubled within me. I have remembered the days of old, I have learned in all Your works, I have learned Your hand in all creation. My hands have lifted up to You, my soul, like a waterless land to You. Hear me soon, Lord, my spirit has disappeared; do not turn Your face away from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit. I hear Thy mercy upon me in the morning, for I trust in Thee. Tell me, Lord, the way, I will go, as if I have taken my soul to You. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Good Spirit will guide me to the right land. For Thy name's sake, Lord, live for me; By Thy righteousness Thou hast delivered my soul from sorrow. And consume Your mercy by my enemies, and destroy all my cold souls; For I am Your servant (Ps. 142).
Hear, O Lord, cleanse, O Lord, attend, O Lord, and do, and do not be obdurate for Your sake (Dan.9:19).
* * *
Lord my God, save the soul of Your servant, who has been washed by Your blood, and open for him the doors of the kingdom of heaven.
God is nowhere to be seen. And where we love each other, God abides in us, and His love is perfect in us. We understand this, because we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us food from His Spirit.
Deep is the heart (of man) above all others, (and man is), and who can know it?
From the watch of the morning until the night, from the watch of the morning let Israel trust in the Lord: for with the Lord is mercy and much deliverance is with him, and he will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.
Voice 6
Irmos: As Israel walked across the dry land, with footsteps across the abyss, seeing the persecutor Pharaoh drowned, we sing a victorious song to God, crying out.
Chorus: Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Thinking about the many cruel things I have done, I tremble, wretched one, of the terrible day of judgment; but trusting in the mercy of Your mercy, like David, I cry to You: have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy.
Open the doors of repentance to me, O Life-Giver: for my spirit is drawn to Thy holy temple, the temple I wear is completely desecrated; but as you are generous, cleanse me with Your gracious mercy.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
To the Almighty Lord, we know, as many tears as possible: You raised up Hezekiah from the gates of death, delivered the sinner from many years of sins, justified the publican more than the Pharisee, and I pray: having spoken with them, have mercy on me.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Instruct me on the path to salvation, O Mother of God: my soul has been frozen with cold sins and my entire life has been wasted in laziness; but through Your prayers deliver me from all uncleanness.
Irmos: There is nothing holy like You, O Lord my God, Who has lifted up the horn of Your faithful, O Good One, and established us on the rock of Your confession.
Like the prodigal son came and I, generously, depended on all my life, in my departure I squandered the wealth that you gave me. Father: accept me, the repentant one, O God, and have mercy on me.
Now the Fatherly One has extended his arms, accept me, O Lord, and generously, as the prodigal, may I gratefully glorify Thee.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Glory to You, who has not destroyed me until now; Glory to You, who suffered my sins! But accept me, turning, O Compassionate Father, Only Begotten Son, Holy Soul, Creator and my Lord, and have mercy on me.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
On me, O God, having shown all your goodness, despise my many sins, like a Benefactor, with your prayers to Your Divine Mother.
Irmos: Christ is my strength, God and Lord, the honest Church sings divinely, crying out from a pure meaning, celebrating in the Lord.
Woe to me, whoever I am, what I do, committing a sin and not fearing the Master without conscience; For this reason I am condemned before judgment. O good justice, having converted me, save me, more than all the people who have angered you.
Those who have sinned, O Lord, those who have sinned against You, cleanse me! There is no one who has sinned among men but has not exceeded his sins.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Lover of humanity, if you want everyone to be saved, call me and accept me as a good one who repents.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, Lord, Whom everyone is terrified and trembles at the face of Your power, I bow down to You, Immortal, I pray to You, Holy One, save my soul through the prayers of Your saints and the Mother of God.
Irmos: With God's light, O Blessed One, illuminate Your souls with love in the morning, I pray, Lead You to the Word of God, the true God, calling out from the darkness of sin.
Thrown into the deep abyss of sweets, I call upon the abyss of Your compassion, Steward, save me.
Source of mercy, give me now tenderness and sighing, as if I would weep for my evil ones in the endless sea.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The time of my life is short and full of illnesses and wickedness, but in repentance, accept me and call me to reason, so that I will not be covetous, nor will I be cruel to a stranger, O Savior Himself, show me generously.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
You are our weapon and wall, Virgin Mother of God, You are the intercession of those who flow to You, and now I move You in prayer, that I may be delivered from my enemies.
Irmos: The sea of life, raised in vain by misfortunes and storms, has flowed to Your quiet refuge, crying to You: lift up my belly from aphids, O Most Merciful One.
Have mercy, save me, Son of God, have mercy, the infuriated with a healing word, and a gracious voice, like a thief, say to me: Amen, I say to you, you will be with Me in Paradise when I come in My glory.
Do not extract fruits worthy of repentance from me, for my strength within me is diminished. Grant me a contrite heart, and spiritual poverty, so that I may offer this to You, like a pleasant sacrifice, the One Savior.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I am not the imam of boldness, O Lover of mankind, to look up and see the immeasurable height, having sinned into heaven, neither will Thy son be called the prodigal, but be merciful to me, having immeasurable mercy.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Judge, Whom you gave birth to, Virgin Mary, beg in the hour of judgment to show mercy to me, O Pure One, and save the condemned, the only Representative of the human race.
My soul, why are you rich in sins, why do you do the will of the devil, in which do you place your hope? Stop from these things and turn to God, crying with tears: Merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Irmos: The angel made the venerable furnace a venerable youth, and the Chaldeans were scorched by the command of God, admonishing the tormentor to cry out: Blessed art thou, O God of our fathers.
I do not dare to look up to heaven, the accursed one, from my evil deeds, but, like a tax collector, I cry out to you: cleanse me, a sinner, and deliver me from Pharisaic hypocrisy, O God of the fathers.
You have broken my mind as a robber, and left me with sores, barely alive, of my sins, but heal me, O Fathers God.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The barrenness of my much-sick soul is in vain; be patient still, O Christ, and do not sow me, like that cursed fig tree, O God of the Fathers.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Give me help, through Your prayers, O All-Pure One, for reasons that reflect harsh circumstances.
Irmos: From the flames of the saints you poured out dew and burned the righteous sacrifice with water: for you did everything, O Christ, only as you wished; We extol You forever.
Having rolled away the stone of bitterness, O Lord, from my heart, mortified by passions, raise up my soul, O Good One, and bring it to Thee, as the Conqueror of hell, in tenderness, O Lord, vouchsafe: so that I may receive an eternal life, O One Lover of Mankind, hymning Thy power and Thy compassion throughout all ages.
O wretched one, I have become rich in incomparable thoughts, I have desecrated my soul with lawless pleasures, and darkness surrounds me with despair: illuminate for me the radiance, O my God, of repentance, so that I may glorify You gratefully forever and ever.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I will melt away with a sinful illness, I will be cast down on a bed of despair; Likewise, visit me, the Physician of the sick, with Your love for mankind and do not leave me to fall asleep until death, O All-Bountiful One, let me cry out to You, the Giver of mercy: Lord, glory to You.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Mother of God, All-Holy, Wall of Christians, deliver Your servant, who usually diligently calls You, resist with a nasty and lofty thought, and cry out to You: Rejoice, Ever-Virgin!
Irmos: It is impossible for man to see God; the Angels do not dare to look at the Worthless One; By You, O All-Pure One, the Word Incarnate appeared as a man, and we exalt Him with the heavenly howls.
I resort to You, Jesus Son of God, for my sake, the accursed one, who has assumed the form of a slave: through the intercession of Your bodiless Ones, have mercy on me.
I fall before You, my Savior, through the prayers of Your Forerunner and all Your prophets and forefathers, have mercy on me.
I sigh to You, Lover of mankind, sinners have one refuge and hope, Savior of all, through the prayers of Your disciples, You, Who preached the Savior to us, have mercy on me.
I lift up my hand to You, having suffered for sinners, Son of God, through the prayers of Your martyrs, I poured out my blood for You, have mercy on me.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I am not worthy to look up and see the heights of heaven from the multitude of my iniquities; I am covered with many iron snakes, in which I cannot raise my head. But, O Compassionate Lord, show me all Your goodness and save the unworthy being and have mercy on me through the prayers of Your saints.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
For Thy goodness to be born of the Most Holy Virgin and to live on earth among men, O Word of God, through the intercession of all Thy saints, who have pleased Thee from eternity, have mercy on me.
* * *
Thank God for everything!
Glory to God for creating me in His image and likeness!
Thank God that He redeemed me, the fallen one!
Thank God for taking care of me, unworthy!
Thank God for calling me, who had sinned, to repentance!
Glory to God that He gave me His holy word, like “a lamp shining in a dark place” (2 Pet. 1:19), and thus guided me on the true path!
Thank God for enlightening the eyes of my heart!
Glory to God for giving me His holy name to know!
Thank God that the bath of Baptism washed away my sins!
Thank God for showing me the path to eternal bliss! The way is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who says about Himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
Glory to God that He did not destroy me when I sinned, but in His goodness He suffered my sins!
Thank God for showing me the beauty and vanity of this world!
Thank God for helping me in many different temptations, troubles and misfortunes!
Thank God for saving me in times of disaster and death!
Thank God for protecting me from the enemy, the devil!
Thank God for raising me up as I lay!
Thank God for comforting me when I was sad!
Thank God for converting me when I was in error!
Thank God for fatherly punishment!
Thank God that His Last Judgment was announced to me, so that I would fear it and repent of my sins!
Thank God for declaring eternal torment and eternal bliss for me, so that I could avoid one and seek the other!
Thank God that he gave me, unworthy, food with which my weak body was strengthened; gave me the clothes with which to cover my naked body, gave me the house in which I rested!
Glory to God for His other blessings, which He gave me for my maintenance and comfort! I received as many benefits from Him as I breathed!
Thank God for everything!
* * *
“Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me: attend to my help, O Lord of my salvation” (Ps. 37:22-23).
* * *
“You are my refuge from sorrow, holding me. My joy, deliver me from those who have passed me by” (Ps. 31:7).
* * *
“Remember Thy compassions, O Lord, and Thy mercies, as they have been since time immemorial. Do not remember the sin of my youth and my ignorance; according to Your mercy, remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord” (Ps. 24:6-7)!
* * *
“Who understands the Fall? Cleanse me from my secrets, and spare your servant from strangers” (Ps. 18:13-14).
* * *
“Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath; do not rebuke me with Your wrath,” and so on, the whole psalm to the end (Ps. 6: 1-11).
* * *
“Open my eyes, O Lord, that I may understand the wonders of Thy law” (Ps. 119:18).
* * *
“Look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name. Direct my steps according to Thy word, and let not all iniquity possess me” (Ps. 119:132-133).
* * *
“I will confess to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forever, for Your great mercy is upon me, and You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Ps. 85:12-13).
* * *
“Remember me, O Lord, when you come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42), just as You remembered the thief who let out this voice.
* * *
“Thou art my helper, I sing to thee, for thou art my God, my Protector, my God, my mercy” (Ps. 59:18).
* * *
First. “Lord God of Powers! Turn us and make Your Face shine, and we will be saved” (Ps. 79:20).
Second. “God, be merciful to us, and bless us, enlighten Your Face upon us and have mercy on us. Let Thy way be known on earth; Thy salvation is among all nations” (Ps. 67:1-2).
Third. “Hear us, O God of our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and those who are in the far sea” (Ps. 64:6).
Read the psalter and reason every day, morning, evening, and afternoon. Read the Doxology with attention: “Glory to God in the highest,” and so on.
* * *
(taken from the second book “On True Christianity”)
Here we briefly offer other examples of prayer from Holy Scripture, which a Christian can use in appropriate and necessary cases and seek and ask for mercy from God with faith. For without prayer we cannot have or do anything good, because we are poor and weak.
* * *
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy, and according to the multitude of Your compassions, cleanse away my iniquity,” and so on (Ps. 50). This is similar to the publican’s prayer: “God! Be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13). For great sins, great mercy, and for many iniquities, many bounties must be asked of God with faith, so that “when sin abounded, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20).
* * *
“Remember Thy compassions, O Lord, and Thy mercies, as they have been since time immemorial. Do not remember the sin of my youth and my ignorance; according to Your mercy, remember me, for the sake of Your goodness, O Lord” (Ps. 25:6-7). Man sins a lot in his youth and ignorance. And when the repentant thinks about this and looks at the truth of God, his conscience becomes much troubled and sad. In this case, the one who has fallen behind his sins and who repents should remember God’s endless mercy and bounties, which he promised in His holy Word to all who repent, and by faith in Christ for the remission of sins to those who ask for the remission of sins - and often repeat with the Psalmist: “Remember Your compassions,” and so on.
* * *
“Lord, do not rebuke me with Your wrath; do not rebuke me with Your wrath” (Ps. 6:2). The prophet Jeremiah prays similarly to this: “Punish us, O Lord, especially in judgment, and not in wrath, so that we may not be humbled” (Jer. 10:24). And another of the Psalmists: “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living will be justified in Your sight” (142:2). And again: “If you see lawlessness, Lord, Lord, who will stand?” (Ps. 129:3). One must ask for deliverance not just from God’s punishment, but from the wrath and severity of God’s truth, which threatens every sinner with eternal torment. The fatherly punishment of God, although it is sorrowful for our flesh, should be desired, since “the Lord punishes whomever he loves; and he beats every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6). And Christ Himself says: “Those whom I love, I rebuke and punish” (Rev. 3:19). Woe to every man when God, in the severity of His righteousness, enters into judgment with him! Nothing less than eternal torment in the fire of Gehenna should await him. For every sin, even the slightest, in our opinion, is capable of plunging a person to the bottom of hell, if the mercy of God, for the sake of His Son, Jesus Christ, promised, does not arrive. What can we say about those who sin by will? Therefore, everyone who wants to avoid God’s judgment must give up their sins and pray to God with faith in Christ: “Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath,” and so on.
* * *
“Lord, my God! Trust in You, save me from all those who persecute me, and deliver me. Let me not, like a lion, snatch away my soul; I am not the one who delivers, but the one who saves” (Ps. 7:2-3).
Satan, with his evil angels and servants, constantly persecutes, and, like a lion, tries to seize and kidnap the faithful, as the apostle says: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). There is no other remedy against these enemies than fervent prayer with trust in God.
* * *
“Lord, why have you multiplied the cold? Many people rise up against me; Many say to my soul: there is no salvation for him in his God. But You, O Lord, are my Protector, my glory, and lift up my head” (Ps. 3:2-4). To a faithful person, and especially to one who has been in sins and, by the grace of God, has abandoned them and repents, Satan often puts evil thoughts into his mind, remembering his previous sins, and with them his conscience oppresses him, saying: “Stop believing, you will be condemned. You have sinned so much and so much, you have angered the Righteous God, Who rewards everyone according to their deeds. What can you hope for other than torment?” (St. Macarius of Egypt, Conversation 11). And so the evil and insidious spirit wants to lead the repentant to despair. In this case, you can answer the evil spirit: “You are a slanderer, and already condemned, and not a judge; the judgment is given to Christ, Who came into the world to save sinners, in Whom I also believe, and I hope to be saved by His grace.” And we must turn to prayer and strengthen ourselves with God’s mercy, which no sin can defeat. No matter how many sins anyone has, and no matter how great they are, God has even more mercy. For just as He Himself is infinite, so His mercy is infinite. And Christ’s merits, with which we, who believe in Him, have earned mercy, grace and remission of sins from the Heavenly Father, are as infinite as they are Divine. Console yourself with this love of God, O repentant soul, and with the grace of God and prayer stand in faith. Only those who certainly do not want to repent and renounce their sins will certainly face eternal damnation in hell with the devil. And the doors of God’s mercy are open to those who have fallen behind their sins and who repent.
* * *
“Lord Almighty, God of Israel! The soul in distress, and the spirit in pain, cry out to You: Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for You are a merciful God, and have mercy on us, for we have sinned against You” (Bar 3:1-2). The Psalmist is similar to this: “You are the one fleeing from the sorrow that holds me. Joyous! Deliver me from those who have passed me by” (Ps. 31:7). We cannot get rid of any sorrow by anything other than prayer and confession of our sins before God. For just as someone who communicates his sorrow to his faithful friend receives some kind of joy and consolation, so all the more so when we communicate to God, Who is merciful by nature and close to those who call upon Him in truth, the sorrows of our hearts, and confessing our sins, we humble ourselves, we fall before His Majesty, we receive either deliverance when His will pleases and is beneficial to us, or certainly relief and consolation: “Call Me in the day of your sorrow, and I will deliver you.” (Ps. 49:15). Listen to God’s comforting word: “Because of sin I grieved him a little, and smote him, and turned My face away from him; and he was saddened, and went on his way despondent; and I saw his ways, and healed him, and comforted him, and gave him true comfort” (Is. 57:17-18). Every sorrow and misfortune comes from sin, and if there were no sin, there would be no sorrow. This is why sorrow is sent so that sin can be cleansed, and when the sin that brings sorrow is cleansed, the sorrow itself will be taken away. Therefore, one must cleanse one’s sins through repentance, confession before God, prayer and faith, so that sorrow and sadness are taken away by the grace of God, and consolation comes, like the sun after dark days, or like food after fasting - pleasant and entertaining.
* * *
“Why are you sad, my soul? And why are you embarrassing me? Trust in God, for I confess to Him, saying: “The salvation of my face, and my God” (Ps41:6). In great sadness, a person does not know what he is doing. In this case, beloved Christian, “cast your sorrow on the Lord, and He will nourish you,” Saint David tells you (Ps. 54:23). Comfort yourself with the infinite mercy of God, “for the Lord will not forsake forever, for he who humbles will be merciful according to the abundance of his mercy” (Pl. 3:31-32). “The Lord kills and gives life, brings down to the hell of sorrows and raises up; The Lord makes the poor and makes rich, humbles and exalts” (1 Samuel 2:6-7). If your enemies, the devil and his servants, say to you: “Where is your God?” - talk with your soul, console it with Saint David: “Why are you sad, my soul?” - and so on. Although it is said to you in your thoughts: “Where is your God?” But you promise: “The Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth” (Ps. 144:18).
* * *
“Do not forsake me, O Lord my God, do not depart from me; attend to my help, O Lord of my salvation” (Ps. 37:22-23). When a person, having abandoned his sins, despising the world and its charms, tries to please God, to follow Christ with faith and patience, he is met with the hatred of the world, and those who were previously friends become his enemies, as the same psalm says: “My friends and my neighbors opposite me came close and stood up, and my closest ones stood far from me; those who sought my life pressed in; those who sought my harm spoke vain things, and all the day long they thought of deceit” (Ps. 37:12-13). Although always, but especially in such a case, the heart should be lifted up to God with sighing, so that He does not abandon or retreat with His help. Against enemies and blasphemers one must be as deaf and dumb as the Psalmist speaks of himself in the same psalm: “But like a deaf man I did not hear, and like a dumb man I opened my mouth” (Ps. 37:14). Then God, in whom you trust, will proclaim in your place by his very deed, as the prophet says: “Reveal your way to the Lord, and trust in Him, and He will do it. And he will bring out your righteousness like the light, and your destiny like the noonday” (Ps. 36:5-6). And at the same time, try not to leave the Lord, and not to depart from Him in your heart, but to always listen to His law, as He says: “Listen, My people, to My law” (Ps. 77:1).
* * *
“Let me confess to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Your name forever: for Your great mercy is upon me, and You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell” (Ps. 85:12-13). Similar to this: “Thou hast torn my bonds to pieces. I will devour a sacrifice of praise for you” (Ps. 116:7-8). A person living in sins is spiritually bound by sins, and, like a captive, is held by Satan, and his soul is at the gates of hell, although he, being blinded, does not feel it. But the goodness of God, waiting for him to repent, does not allow Satan to kidnap his soul to hell. And when he gives up his sins by the grace of God and repents, he is freed from those bonds, admires Satan’s power, and by the grace of Christ becomes free, as Christ says: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36), and is admired from the gates of death, and comes among those who are being saved. Therefore, he should always remember his previous misfortune and this great mercy of God, and diligently thank God for delivering him from that misfortune.
* * *
“It is good for me, Lord, that You have humbled me, so that I may learn Your statutes!” (Ps. 119:71). We must admit from the heart that God shows us great mercy when He beats us with the Father’s rod of punishment, although our flesh is weak and sorrowful. For “the Lord disciplines whomever he loves” (Heb. 12:6). Therefore, we should not grumble, but thank Him for this.
* * *
“Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth, and a guard over my mouth” (Ps. 140:3).
A person does not sin with any bodily member as much as with the tongue, especially during times of sorrow and adversity it is very difficult to restrain it. Therefore, we must ask God for help to help us manage it, and say only what is useful, and remain silent about what is harmful.
* * *
“Turn away Your face from my sins and cleanse all my iniquities” (Ps. 50:11). “Father, Lord of heaven and earth! I pray to You by faith in the name of Your Only Begotten Son: turn away Your face from my sins, and turn to the Face of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Whom You sent into the world “to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15), and by His grace and love for mankind, cleanse all my iniquities; By Your Most Holy Spirit forever, Amen."
* * *
Psalm 118 teaches us how earnestly we should ask God to guide us on the path of His commandments and open our minds to understand the wonders of His law.
* * *
First: “Rise up, Lord, help us and deliver us in Your name!” (Ps. 43:27).
Second. “God, be merciful to us, and bless us, make Thy face shine upon us, and have mercy on us!” (Ps. 66:2).
Третья. «Благоволил еси, Господи, землю Твою, возвратил еси плен Иаковль. Оставил еси беззакония людей Твоих, покрыл еси вся грехи их. Укротил еси весь гнев Твой, возвратился еси от гнева ярости Твоея. Возврати нас, Боже спасений наших, и отврати ярость Твою от нас. Еда во веки прогневаешися на ны? Или простреши гнев от рода в род? Боже! Ты обращся оживиши ны, и людие Твои возвеселятся о Тебе. Яви нам, Господи, милость Твою, и спасение Твое даждь нам!» (Пс.84:2-8). Когда неприятель поднимает оружие и наступает на наше Отечество, это означает не что иное, как гнев Божий, грехами нашими возгоревшийся. Также, когда нивы наши не приносят нам плода, или бывают частые пожары, или расширяется моровая язва, или иное какое бедствие на нас находит, – Бог наказывает нас общим бедствием, чтобы мы в чувство пришли и покаялись. Этот праведный Божий гнев воздвигают хотя и всякие грехи, но особенно неправедные суды, мздоимство, клятвопреступление, обиды и зло по отношению к вдовам, сиротам и прочим бедным, проливание слез неповинных, взаимная неправда в торговле, взаимное похищение, воровство, взаимная лесть, лукавство, ложь и обман, когда друг друга остерегаются и друг другу ни в чем не верят. Сюда относится мерзкая нечистота, когда люди не ужасаются осквернять ложе ближних своих, и прочие нечистоты совершать, за которые первый мир потопом, а Содом и Гоморра – огнем и серой, – праведным Божиим гневом погублены. Тот же праведный гнев Божий действует и в той стране, в которой то пожары, от которых города и веси пустеют, то оскудение хлеба и голод, то слышится о падении многих тысяч людей от военного оружия, от чего все Отечество в беду впадает: люди становятся нищими, общая казна истощается и исчезает, жалостно возносится плач, рыдание и вопль осиротевших детей, вдовствующих жен, матерей, лишившихся своих сынов, павших на брани, всех сынов Отечества объемлет печаль и скорбь, смущает страх и ужас отчаяния неблагополучного конца войны. В таких бедственных обстоятельствах, когда люди наказывающей Божией руки не чувствуют, и не только от грехов не отстают и не каются, но и грехи ко грехам прилагают, должно непременно ожидать еще большего общего бедствия. Поэтому, как и всегда, а особенно в таких случаях, должно всем вместе, познав и признав свои грехи и беззакония, единодушно из глубины сердца возвысить глас: «Господи Боже Сил! Обрати ны, и просвети лице Твое, и спасемся» (Пс.79:8), и приведенные, или иные, какие вера подаст, молитвы к Богу проливать. Ибо общие грехи наказываются общим наказанием, а потому должно общим и покаянием умилостивлять Бога. А беззаконных клятвопреступников, хищников, мздоимцев, слезы бедных проливающих, неповинно осуждающих и прочих беззаконников, как общую язву Отечества тем, кому от Бога меч правосудия предан, должно смирять и судом праведным всякому воздавать по делам его, да и сами судьи земные не будут посечены мечом праведного суда Божиего, и жребий с неверными не воспримут. Худо и беззаконно там снисхождение проявлять, где должно употреблять строгость и правосудие. Снисхождение там нужно, где от немощи грехи делаются, чему и всякий добрый подвержен. А бесстрашие и безбожие должно строго наказывать, как общую моровую язву, чтобы и прочие имели страх и не заразились.
* * *
«Помяни нас, Господи, во благоволении людей Твоих, посети нас спасением Твоим, видети во благости избранныя Твоя, возвеселитися в веселии языка Твоего, хвалитися с достоянием Твоим. Согрешихом со отцы нашими, беззаконовахом, неправдовахом», и прочее (Пс.105:4–6 и след.). Должно нам сердечно признать нашу неправду пред Богом, как Даниил пророк говорит: «У Тебя, Господи, правда, у нас же на лицах стыд» (Дан 9:7). Ибо как отцы наши, то есть предки наши, так и мы много согрешили и согрешаем пред Богом, творим беззаконие и неправду. «Ибо все мы много согрешаем», – говорит апостол (Иак 3:2). Потому должно всем вообще христианам исповедать свои грехи перед Богом: «согрешили мы со отцами нашими, творили бззаконние и неправду», и прочее, – и молить Его, чтобы помянул нас по милости, человеколюбию и благоволению, которое обещал людям Своим явить ради благословенного семени того, которое есть Иисус Христос, чтобы посетил нас спасением Своим ради того же благословенного семени, – да сподобимся «видеть благоденствие избранных Его,как солнце, сияющих в царстве» Его (Мф.13:43), «возвеселиться весельем народа святого» Его, «хвалиться с наследием» Его (Пс.105:5), и теми благами, которых «не видел глаз, не слышало ухо, и не приходило то на сердце человеку, что приготовил Бог любящим Его» (1Кор.2:9), в бесконечные веки наслаждаться. О такой славе избранных Божиих всегда нам помнить подобает. К ней наши желания, ум, сердце и воздыхания возводить, пока в этой юдоли плача странствуем, и с верой усердно молиться Отцу Небесному: «помяни нас, Господи, во благоволении», и прочее. Ибо сколько ни жить в бедственном мире сем, надобно отсюда на тот свет переселиться. Сколько ни собирать богатства, следует его непременно оставить в мире сем. Сколько ни веселиться честью и славой мира сего, необходимо следует в малом и темном гробу заключиться, и земле в землю возвратиться (см. Быт 3:19). А какая польза от богатства, чести и славы мира сего, когда лишимся той чести, славы и богатства, которое избранным Божиим на небесах уготовано? Что пользы от веселости и роскоши мира сего, когда тело на съедение червям, а душа на посмеяние и поругание демонам предана будет? Худая и бедственная перемена – от мнимой славы и чести в истинное и вечное поношение и укоризну, от временного и мнимого сладострастия в вечное и истинное мучение перейти. Такая пренеблагополучная перемена встретит сластолюбивую, славолюбивую и сребролюбивую душу. Напротив того, весьма блаженная и всежелаемая перемена – от малой и временной скорби (от малой, говорю, ибо какая бы в мире сем ни была скорбь, и сколь долговременна бы ни была, – она ничто против будущей и вечной скорби), в вечную радость и веселье избранных Божиих переселиться, и Христа лицом к лицу видеть, как солнце, сияющее и просвещающее избранных Своих. Преблагополучны те, которые части той блаженной сподобляются, и благополучия их не только словом изобразить, но и умом понять невозможно, хотя они в мире сем попираемы бывают, как сор непотребный. Напротив того, бедные и окаяннейшие – те, которые ради прихотей своих этого лишаются жребия, хотя бы их, как богов, в этом веке почитали и им бы поклонялись. Потому всегда достойно с верою воздыхать к Отцу щедрот и всякой утехи Богу: «Помяни нас, Господи!»– и прочее. Но прежде от грехов и суеты этого мира отвратиться, и обратиться всем сердцем к Нему, и так, признавая свою неправду и заблуждение, каяться и молиться.
* * *
“The Son of God, Jesus Christ, appeared in our humble flesh on earth, and sowed the good seed of faith in the villages of this world! Protect my heart with Your fear, so that the evil one does not come and delights in the seed of Your Word, and cleanse my heart from the thorns of the sorrow of this age, flattery, wealth and all vanity, and make it good soil for the reception of Your Divine Word, so that I may create the fruit of faith and have a share with Your chosen ones, whose fruit they bring to You is one hundred, one hundred, one hundred. thirty, “for blessed art thou with the Father and Thy Holy Spirit forever, amen.”