Rising from sleep, first of all other things, stand reverently, presenting yourself before the All-Seeing God, and, having made the sign of the cross, say:
In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Amen – truly, truly, so be it (Hebrew).
+ With the first words of our morning prayer, we invoke the Triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and we dedicate all our prayers to Him, His name.
“We must learn to behave in the presence of the invisible Lord as we would in the presence of the Lord who has become visible to us.
First of all, this presupposes a certain state of mind, which is reflected in the state of the body. If Christ were here before us, and we stood completely transparent, mind and body, to His gaze, then we would experience reverence, fear of God, love, maybe even horror, but we would not behave as freely as we usually do. The modern world has largely lost the spirit of prayer, and body discipline has become something of secondary importance for people, although it is far from secondary. We forget that we are not a soul living in a body, but a person consisting of body and soul, and that, according to the Apostle Paul, we are called to glorify God in our bodies and in our souls (1 Cor. 6:20); our bodies, like our souls, are called to the glory of the Kingdom of God.”
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
+ Sign of the Cross – sign of the Cross. A sign is a symbol, an image, but also a military banner and a miracle (remember the expression “signs and wonders”, which is often used in the Holy Scriptures). The sign of the cross is our testimony of the crucifixion of Christ; it was used in all circumstances of life by the first Christians. This sacred and terrible sign is filled with great power, and it should be used clearly, carefully, without the slightest carelessness. The first three fingers of the right hand (thumb, index and middle) are folded together as a sign of our faith in the One and Indivisible Holy Trinity. The ring finger and little finger are bent to the palm, which signifies the two natures of the Lord Jesus Christ (that he is true God and true Man). Now with three folded fingers with the words In the Name of the Father... we touch the forehead, as a sign of sanctification of the mind, then, with the words... and the Son... - to the bottom of the chest (and even just below the chest, to the navel area, so that the cross inscribed on the body turns out to be proportional, and not inverted), as a sign of sanctification of the heart, then with the words... and the Holy Spirit!
- to the right and left shoulders, as a sign of the sanctification of the works of our hands and all bodily strength. Finally, lowering our hand and bowing, we say: Amen.
(When the sign of the cross accompanies another prayer, these words, of course, are not spoken).
You should apply the sign of the cross on yourself in such a way that you feel the touch of your own hand (and not cross the air), and bow only after touching the right and left shoulders (without “breaking the cross” before it is drawn).
Then wait a little until all your feelings come to silence and your thoughts leave everything earthly, and then say the following prayers without haste and with heartfelt attention.
“Never say your prayers hastily, and not hastily, with thoughts and feelings that are expressed in the prayers you read. Before starting prayer, always prepare a little, collecting your thoughts and trying to place your attention before the Lord, to whom you are beginning to pray. Let the main attitude of prayer be one of repentance, for we all sin a lot...
The integrity of our prayer is disrupted by thoughts. Try to fix it. The first step towards this is when starting to pray, to arouse in yourself the fear of God and reverence; then become attention in the heart and from there cry out to the Lord.”
Saint Theophan the Recluse. From letters to spiritual children.