Long-suffering and most merciful Lord! I fall to You, I am a prisoner, praying warmly: like the strong Sampson, he recognized his powerlessness when he was in custody, and turned to You, the omnipotent God, chained iron fetters; like the wicked Manasseh in captivity and prison he sought You, the true God; Like the captivity of the Jews, rather than in a foreign land, they understood You, God their father; Like the prodigal son, I will remember his father, when he went to a distant country and began to bend with his hunger: so from now on I will only know You and pray more diligently. I am alienated now from communication with people: but You seek those who are alienated. There is no father, no mother, no brother with me here, not one of my friends, may they help me; No one from them will hear my cry from here: but You are near to all who mourn and call upon You in truth. O merciful God!
I have sinned even more than the sand of the sea, and I do not dare to look up to the heights of heaven because of the multitude of my sins: but You, who have no remembrance of anger, accept me who repents. I have sinned only to You, but to You alone I repent, All-Merciful Lord! Before I even die completely, save me.
Lord my God! By Thy grace alone, Thou hast brought me into existence from non-existence, and Thou hast adorned me with Thy image. I did not think of thanking You more than You, for You have given me life, nor for You have placed me over all earthly creatures, like their king. You have made me worthy to receive holy Baptism when I was a baby. But from my childhood I did not retain the grace of baptism: I began from childhood to lie, to use foul language, to compose voluptuous songs, to be lazy, to hide the things of others, to resist my commands parents, despise the good advice of the elders, and beat the younger ones in vain with your hand. When he came to the age of courage, he indulged in various passions, drunkenness, fornication, evil acquisitions, anger, pride. Both my body and soul are, of course, desecrated by sins. What kind of bodily filth did the accursed one not fall into? In what uncleanness of the flesh have you not clearly imagined yourself and in a dream? What evil have you not thought in my soul?
How many unlike dreams have risen into my soul! How selfish you are, don’t even think about having Christian love for your neighbor! I, the accursed one, have become hardened only in my heart, because neither from prayers, nor from tears, nor from the groans of those suffering because of my malice or selfishness, have I been moved. For this reason, my crimes were not confessed before the judges. I told a lot of lies at the trial and were not embarrassed. There will be neither human shame nor the fear of God before my eyes. If you forget to say prayers in the morning and in the evening, then protect yourself with the sign of the cross, showing yourself that you are godless. I also avoid remembering the name of my Creator and Savior in conversations with my neighbors. The name of the enemy of my salvation, the devil, is woe to me, foolish! - I often remember. Even though I have received good things from Thy hand, O merciful Lord, even though I have seen illness and other visits on my neighbors: for this reason I have not managed to repent before You. And so to the end I retreated from You, my Lord!
I have taken a break from You, like the prodigal son, to a far country: I have gone away in no place - for You are omnipresent, and nothing can hide from You - truly in my spirit and life. Your image and likeness have darkened within me: I have become more like a fallen spirit, to whom I have given myself over. Oh, can I think from the beginning of the world to be like me, a sinner? Worse than the murderers of Christ, I, the accursed one, have sinned. Thus, having gone away from You, I reached the point of prison, and became, in my name and life, a criminal. But Lord, Lord! Leave you, don’t leave me. Do not turn Your face away from me, for I grieve. Do not let me perish with my iniquities, even though I am not worthy to receive mercy from You. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy! With them, only fate weighs, save me, a great sinner. For You are, O God, the God of those who repent, and I ascribe glory to You, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
(Creation of St. Philaret of Moscow)
Lord God, my Creator and Savior, blessed be your holy name!
Thanks and glory to You, Lord, for all the good things that I have received from You in this life.
Now I have found sorrow and illness, and I call on Your name.
The reproaches of the attack on me. Placing me in the pit of the grave, in the darkness and the shadow of death. I grieve over this, and through this sorrow I understand that I have sinned before You, and because of my sin troubles have come upon me. For Your righteous women did not lose heart, even in prison they worshiped You, and in their suffering they rejoiced.
And if you see lawlessness, Lord, Lord, who will stand? For there is no man but he cannot sin.
But You, Lord, bear the sins of the whole world and cleanse them with repentance. I believe, just as you did not reject me, a sinner, from Your presence. For the whole world, Your Only Begotten Son poured out His Divine Blood. I believe that he can and wants to wash me from my sins.
For this reason, with David, I say: I will confess my iniquity against me, but You, who are Good, forsake the wickedness of my heart.
I am afraid of human judgment and condemnation, but most of all let Your unwashed Judgment and eternal condemnation be in my fear.
If unrighteousness arises against me: I dare to pray to You in the word of David: Hear, O Lord, my righteousness, and attend to my judgment, and deliver me with Your righteousness.
If I have committed unrighteousness, by Your mercy heal my unrighteousness.
Do not allow my heart to wander into words of deceit, to conceal the truth and to false justification.
Help me to understand and hate my unrighteousness, to love the truth and in the truth to find relief for my soul.
Ease my time of trouble. And even if I am destined to bear it, let me bear it with patience for the sake of cleansing my sins and for the sake of appeasing Your justice.
Even if shame covers me before some people, may I endure with humility, may I appease You, Lord, may I not be ashamed before the face of the whole world at Your Last Judgment.
I come to You mournful and sad, do not deprive me of spiritual consolation.
I come to You darkened, show me the light of the hope of salvation.
I fall to You, exhausted, raise me up and strengthen me with Your grace.
Most of all, grant me the desire and help me, Lord, to do Your will in everything, so that in the peace of conscience I will glorify Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Translation: Lord God, my Creator and Savior, blessed be your holy name!
Thanks and glory to You, Lord, for all the good things that I received from You in this life.
At present I have acquired sorrow and illness, and I call on Your name.
Insults attacked me. You have placed me in the pit of the grave, in darkness, in the abyss (Ps. 87:7). I grieve over this, and after this sorrow I understand that I have sinned before You, and because of my sins, troubles have come upon me. For Your righteous did not lose heart and sang Your praises in prison and rejoiced in their suffering.
If You, Lord, notice iniquities, - Lord! who can resist? (Ps. 129:3) Because there is no man who does not sin.
But You, Lord, bear the sins of the whole world and cleanse them with repentance. I believe that you will not cast me, a sinner, away from Your presence (Ps. 50:11). For the whole world, Your Only Begotten Son shed His Divine Blood. I believe that he can and wants to wash me away from my sins.
That is why I say with David: I confess my transgressions to the Lord (Ps. 31:5), but You, since You are Good, have taken away from me the guilt of my sin (Ps. 31:5).
I am afraid of human judgment and condemnation, but especially may Your incorruptible Judgment and eternal condemnation be in my fear.
If unrighteousness arises against me: I dare in the word of David to pray to You: Hear, O Lord, my prayer for justice (Ps. 16:1), and stand in my defense (Ps. 34:23) and save me according to Your righteousness! (Ps. 70:2)
If I have done something wrong, correct my mistake with Your mercy.
Do not allow my heart to wander into deceitful words, to hide the truth and to false justification.
Help me both to understand and to hate my untruth, to love the truth and in the truth to find relief for my soul.
Ease my time of distress. And if I am destined to bear it, may I bear it with patience for the sake of cleansing from my sins and for the sake of appeasing Your justice.
Even if shame covers me in front of some people, may I endure with humility, may I appease You, Lord, may I not be caught in the face of the whole world at Your Last Judgment.
I come to You mournful and sad, do not deprive me of spiritual consolation.
I come to You darkened, show me the light of hope of salvation.
I fall on my knees before You, exhausted; lift me up and strengthen me with Your grace.
Most of all, grant me desire and help me, Lord, teach me to do Your will (Ps. 143:10), so that in peace with conscience I will glorify Your holy name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Oh, Most Holy Virgin, Mother of my Lord and Savior! All people flow to You and no one who flows away from You in vain, even if he asks for good. Am I the only one, a gray-haired sinner in prison, who will be forgotten by You? Will you not hear my only prayer? Will you not accept me, who comes running to You, under Your roof? Oh, I can’t imagine this happening! Indeed, You are the Mother of the Savior of perishing sinners. For since there is no other God except Jesus Christ, Thy Son, with the Father and the Holy Spirit in one Godhead, so there is no other at the throne of God the closest intercessor, like You, Mother of God! More motherly, Your prayer can do a lot for the goodness of the Lord. Before Him, all things are possible for You. For this reason, according to God, I place all my hope in You. For this reason, I preserve Your pure image in my prison, remembering Your closeness to all those who mourn and are imprisoned. Bring my sinful soul to repentance.
For my iniquities have exceeded my head: how much have I angered my God hitherto with lies, thefts, drunkenness, sedition, hard-heartedness, and lack of conscience. I sin continually in this prison with laziness, dreams, deceptions, disobedience, annoyance to my fellow prisoners and their corruption, theft and murmuring about my fate. To this day I have not had any tears, no tenderness, or I have cried simply from my annoyance. Reconcile me, O Most Blessed One, with God Your Son. Grant me to receive absolution for all my sins in the mystery of repentance, and to partake of the holy Body and Blood of Your Son. Help me from now on to hate my evil passions and fight stronger against sin; For now, even if I repent, little by little I do the same things, and I find myself lying before God. Ask me, Lady Theotokos, for the grace to end the rest of my life in firm repentance. Merciful to sinners, do not despise me, the first of them.
See my troubles, see my bitter life in this prison. Help me to endure my shame, cramped conditions and other prison hardships to the end, so that I don’t fall into despair, so that I don’t dare to blaspheme God’s providence, but only let me grieve and cry for my sins mine, only because of my sorrow for my children and relatives, I am separated from them, but I turn to consolation in prayer. Comfort my father and mother and relatives, who grieve for me, for them I am dead. Most of all, O humane-loving Mother, do not deprive your protection of my wife and child, whom I left behind like a criminal father, because they are not guilty of my sins. Nourish them and keep them healthy and God-fearing. Grant me, finally, to see freedom and kiss my family with tears of joy.
From the depths of my soul I cry to You, Queen of Heaven, from one image of You with the eternal Child, held in Your hand, feel the joy in my heart: do not deny me, be my Patroness in all my needs, in all my fear and despondency, day and night, in health and illness. Ease my mental and physical sorrows, for You are the joy of all who mourn. Be merciful to me not only here, but also there, in the eternal land. Do not leave me without Your intercession on the day of the terrible second coming of my Lord. Hey, Most Holy Theotokos! Then do not forget my faith in You, and my unworthy prayers before You. Yes, having been pardoned for eternity, I will thank You forever and glorify the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
To the Forerunner and Baptist of Christ John, preacher of repentance! You were innocently imprisoned: I, having been thrown into this misadventure, worthy of my deed, I accept, as a criminal of truth and law. Instill in my heart a feeling of repentance for my sins! There is not a single malice or lawlessness that I, the accursed one, have committed; my sins are terrible. Teacher of truth! teach me the right to speak about myself before the judges. Do not cease to denounce the lawless Herod in prison, grant me, so that my conscience convicts me most of all here, so that from its denunciation I will not be able to hide mine for too long crime. If I am condemned to suffer punishment, grant me to be patient, just as you yourself patiently bore the beheading of your head, desired by Herodias. Hey, the Baptist of Christ! Stretch out to me, your servant, the hand that baptized Christ my Savior, so that you may bring me out of the depths of destruction.
You are the greatest among all those born of women, you are the first according to the Mother of God, the righteous among men. For this reason I am running to you, because I need a great intercessor, for I am a great sinner. For now, may your grace, O Forerunner of the Lord, overshadow me, unworthy.
Oh, long-suffering and wise great martyr of Christ Anastasia! You stand in soul in Heaven at the Throne of the Lord, but on earth, by the grace given to you, you perform various healings. Look mercifully at the people ahead and those praying before your image, asking for your help: extend your holy prayers to the Lord for us and ask us for forgiveness of our sins, for the sick, healing, for the grieving and needy, first aid: pray to the Lord, may he give us all a Christian death and a good answer at His Last Judgment, may we also be worthy, together with through you glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
Troparion, tone 4
You left the world, Peter, the Lord for your sake/ and you took the cross on your frame,/ you reached Mount Athos,/ like Elijah the Tishbite of old./ And you remained in it with fasting, and through prayers and vigils,/ making God merciful,/ and offering the Most Pure Theotokos a Prayer Book,/ for this reason we cry out to you: pray to Christ God that he may save our souls.
Kontakion, tone 2
Having removed yourself from human cohabitation,/ you lived in stone caves and chasms,/ you received a crown through the Divine desire and love of Peter your Lord.// Pray continually for our salvation.
Angel of God, stand before me from the font of holy baptism! How much am I, I have grieved you with evil thoughts, nasty words and shameful deeds in my life! To whom, not in memory, as the imam gave you to us from our Guardian God. Whenever I got drunk on wine, or danced shamelessly, or in fornication, theft and mischief, my life was dependent: and in these days you did not leave me, but Only, like a pure spirit, you were sad about me, a useless servant. Since many of us were close to death, committing criminal deeds and not at all thinking of suddenly presenting ourselves to God the Judge! Death did not comprehend me then: and we know that you turned it away from me. So I will protect you, and I am not alone, I always live alone in this prison, but with you, my guardian. Even though I do not see you with my bodily eyes, you remain ever present in my cursed soul and body.
Like the sun, when it passes through bad places, it is not desecrated, so you too, luminous Angel of God, do not disdain my stench, but never separate from me in this dungeon. Keep me healthy at night and unapproachable to the devil’s temptation in my sleep. Take sleeplessness away from me. Accompany me, throughout the days, at every hour, in all my entrances and exits. Grant me the strength of bodily strength, even to bear the bitter work that is imposed on me as punishment, and the bitter work is especially due to their fault. Protect me from the malice of demons, who fiercely attack my soul: for at a single wave of your right hand the demons flee. Most of all, take away from me spiritual confusion and harmful murmurs: I am troubled in my heart, I don’t want to look favorably on anyone or anything, and I’m always upset here. Grant to my eyes tears for sins, and give quiet words to my lips.
Do not depart from me, holy Angel, even when my soul begins to separate from the body, but stand before my deathbed, calm and joyful; for the imam will then see you close to existence. Do not leave even my soul, which was handed over to you by God without blemish, but which after my death is about to be judged, as if it was defiled by many sins. Oh, my keeper! Then call upon other incorporeal powers to pray for me, so that through your intercession I will have mercy, sinful servant (name), forever and ever, amen!
Irmos: Helper and Protector become my salvation, This is my God, and I will glorify Him, God of my Father, and I will exalt Him: gloriously will I be glorified.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
My Savior, Lord, have mercy on me, I cry out from the prison of sin, I will glorify Your All-Righteous Name, gloriously I will be glorified.
Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
The wounds of sin have covered me, I am deprived of earthly joys, but, like Moses, I will glorify You, gloriously I will be glorified.
And now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
You appeared as an unscorched being, Kupino, the All-Immaculate Virgin, look upon my repentance and lead me out of the slavery of sin, O Blessed One.
Irmos: On the immovable, Christ, the stones of Your commandments, establish my thoughts.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Above all, I accept those who have sinned and deservedly according to my deeds, but correct, O Lord, my paths for good and direct my thoughts to Thy commandments.
Glory: There is no deliverance for me from the evil of my custom, if Thy grace, O Christ, does not renew me, grant me forgiveness of sins.
And now: No one is comforted from You, O Good One, go away, and do not reject me, nor destroy me, but have mercy and save my soul.
Sedalen
Creator of Mercy and Source of generosity, look upon Thy servant, who is most wretched above all the human race, and bring my soul out of the prison of sin, for Thou art my hope and peace.
Irmos: The prophet heard Thy coming, O Lord, and feared, for Thou wouldst be born of a Virgin and appear as a man, and said: I heard Thy hearing and feared, glory to Thy power, O Lord.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Incline Your ear, O Lord, to my sinful prayer, for in sorrow and weakness I cry out to You: I understand my unworthiness and see Your righteousness, glory to Your power, Lord.
Glory: Incomprehensibly merciful to me and punishing me, you show your wondrous providence on me, the accursed one. Having sobered up from a sinful sleep, I cry out to You, the Almighty: glory to Your power, Lord.
And now: Mother of the Lord, to the Christian race, You, All-merciful Lady, together with the shameless Intercessor, My Hope, have mercy and save me.
Irmos: From the morning night, Lover of mankind, enlighten me, I pray, and instruct me in Thy commandments, and teach me, O Savior, to do Thy will.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
From the night of sinful darkness to the light of Thy grace I cry to Thy servant: now have mercy on Thy servant who has sinned, bring him to reason, renew him and teach him to do Thy will.
Glory: Having transgressed the laws of God and man, I accept what is worthy in my deeds, but renew me with repentance and teach me, O Savior, to do Thy will.
And now: The good Mother of the All-merciful God has appeared, my deliverer. Likewise, do not deprive me of mercy all the days of my life, O Glorious Virgin.
Irmos: I cried out with all my heart to the generous God, and heard me from the underworld, and raised my belly from aphids.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
I appeal to my Lord with a repentant voice: raise me from the hell of destruction and renew my perishing soul.
Glory: With all my heart I joyfully cry out to the Almighty: Creator, have mercy on me, who am lost forever, and raise my belly from aphids.
And now: Fragrant Flower of unearthly purity, apply the hem of Your robe to me, the accursed one, and heal the sinful scabs of my soul.
Kontakion, tone 5
As the Source of mercy, and the goodness of the Abyss, O Christ God, do not despise those who call upon You in sorrows and troubles with faith, but as you are generous, have mercy, and soon free us from bonds, so that we may sing to You: Hallelujah.
Ikos
The inexhaustible Sea of beneficial moisture, the Tree of the Cross, the waters of Merra changing bitterness to sweetness, the desert serpent, the bite of the infernal serpent, you heal, the Good Pattern, who delivers Peter and Daniel from prison, now have mercy on me, the accursed, and soon free me from the bonds, so that I sing to You: Alleluia.
Irmos: We have sinned, we have sinned, we have acted untruthfully before You, we have been inferior to the observant, inferior to those who have done as You commanded us: but do not betray us to the end, O God of the fathers.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
Godlessly, having ruined all the commandments in a bad way and having done nothing good, I plunged myself into the abyss of sin and passionate hell, and I appeal to Your Mercy, do not betray my soul to a demon, O Fathers God.
Glory: I did not fulfill Nikiya’s virtues, naked of Thy grace appeared, the most wretched one, bearing the seal of Cain on myself and crying out from the depths of humility: do not leave me to perish to the end, God of the fathers.
And now: Heavenly Ladder, who gave birth to God in the flesh, now bring down God’s grace to us, create joy for us as partakers, for Your mercy is greater than all our spiritual barrenness.
Irmos: Whom the Armies of Heaven glorify and tremble with Cherubim and Seraphim, and Whom the human eye does not see, tremble, my soul, and cry out: sing, bless and exalt to all ages.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
The angels glorify Your Majesty, but You accept our voice. Now hear me, the accursed one, that I may glorify You, the All-Blessed, forever.
Glory: There is no forgiveness for me from those on earth, only I can resort to You, but You do not abandon my prayer in vain, honored and exalted forever.
And now: Glorious Virgin, Who gave birth to the Creator into the world, extend Your goodness to me, a great sinner, according to God You are our first and most merciful Intercessor.
Irmos: The birth of the seedless conception is an unspeakable Christmas, the fruit of the husbandless mother is imperishable, the Birth of God renews the nature. In the same way, we all give birth to You, like the Blessed Mother of God.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy on me.
My mind remains barren, melancholy and sorrow relentlessly plunder me. God, have mercy on me, the fallen one, raise me up, lying down, and heal me, the sick one, with Your healing oil.
Glory: If not for Your mercy, my soul would soon have entered hell. You will never leave me, greatly demonstrating Your mercy.
And now: Having given birth without a husband, you showed a wondrous miracle, before Christmas and after Christmas you remained a Virgin. I glorify and magnify You, Mother of God, always, never deny Your goodness from me.
It is worthy to eat as you truly bless Theotokos, Ever-Blessed and Most Immaculate and Mother of our God. We magnify Thee, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison, the Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.
Merciful and abundantly merciful God, who did not forsake the prophet Daniel in the lion’s den and His martyrs in prison with grace, but sent an angel to strengthen them, glorious is your merciful I beseech you, I bow the knee of my heart before the majesty of Your goodness and humbly ask You: do not reject my prayer, but like the Apostle Paul send me an angel, strengthening and instructing me, the most wretched one, in Your Divine commandments. I accept what is worthy of my deeds, do not disgrace my trust in You, but make me a Christian, walking the right path of Your commandments. For You are the hope of all Christians and the Lord Jesus Christ who contains everything, and We glorify You forever. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ our God, free from chains and prison without any harm, Your holy Apostle Peter, accept, we humbly pray to You, mercifully forsaking this sacrifice the sins of Thy servant (name) into prison, and through his prayers, as a Lover of Mankind, by Thy all-powerful Right Hand, deliver him from every evil situation and bring him to freedom.
* Saint Philaret of Moscow (Drozdov). Prayers. Initially, the text was intended to be read by prisoners, but we are all prisoners of the prison of sin.