Prayers should be performed at home, in solitude, as the Savior commanded, saying: When you pray, go into your room and, closing the door behind you, pray to your Father. Which is secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6), and in the Church of God, in the assembly of believers, - according to the words of the same teaching: For where two or three are gathered in My Name, there I am in the midst of them! (Matt. 18:20). The times for daily prayers at home are as follows:
Morning, that is, upon awakening from sleep, as a time of conscious and necessary thanksgiving to the Lord, for preserving the one praying in the night and raising him up again for life and activity.
At the beginning of each task, as a reverent invocation of the gracious help of the All-edifying Holy Spirit, for better admonition and success.
At the end of each task, as due gratitude for sending this help.
Before eating food, as a request for blessing and grace, so that the nutrition given by the mercy of God would bring the strength and strength necessary for the body.
After eating food, as sincere gratitude for the satisfaction of the earthly needs of the body, with a warm desire for heavenly blessings for the soul, and
Evening and when going to bed, as a grateful glorification of the goodness of God for prolonging the life of the one praying on the past day, and a petition, with the help of prayers and the intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Guardian Angel and all the Saints, for mercy on him in the night from the sending of the sleep of death.
The time of Church prayers occurs at the established hours of Divine services, mainly on holidays and during fasting.
The prayers or sacred songs used by those praying (or on their behalf by the clergy) in Church services are as follows:
Troparion - where the essence or action of the celebrated event is briefly and clearly expressed, as well as the exploits of the Saint glorified by the Church.
Kontakion, where only one main idea, or the religious significance of the holiday, is briefly conveyed.
Ikos, where this main idea is stated in more detail.
Greatness - where the hero of the celebrated holiday is glorified in a hymn of praise or gratitude.
Sedalen - songs sung after the 3rd song of the Canon and after each kathisma. They got this name from the fact that during their time in the ancient Church they were allowed to sit.
Stichera on a verse (that is, with verses) are the essence of selected, by floridity and enthusiasm, praise for the triumphant holiday (or Saint); and the accompanying verses are brief and more striking excerpts from the psalms. Those and others sung at Vespers after the psalm, Lord! I cried out to You, hear me, and ends with the hymns of the Theotokos.
The Prokeimenon (translated from Greek means “Present” is a verse appropriate for the holiday, selected from the psalms, placed at the head of other hymns, or readings of that day: proverbs, the Apostle and the Gospel. It, corresponding in its content to what it precedes, must express a common thought with it.
Luminaries are the essence of chants, during which the church is usually illuminated (that is, candles and lamps are lit in the main places), according to the content of the petitions contained in them for the sending of the light of spiritual grace on those praying.
A canon is a collection of sacred songs or praises (compiled according to special rules) depicting the Glory of God or the exploits of the Saints. It consists of three parts, which are separated from one another by small litanies, and contain 9 divisions in honor of the angelic ranks.
Irmos is the initial song of each of these mentioned 9 divisions, containing several short songs that have a connection with each other, and are composed according to the model of the initial one.
Praises are the essence of the psalms (148, 149 and 150), pronounced during the morning service, after the singing of the canon, in which the word “Praise” is often repeated.
Kathisma is a part of the psalms, which, out of a number of 150, are divided for church use into 20 parts, each of which is called Kathisma. Translated from Greek, this word means sitting, and was assigned to these prayers because during them in the ancient Church it was allowed to sit.
Proverbs are readings whose contents are borrowed from ancient historical books, parables and prophecies that speak of the appearance of the Savior on earth.
Antiphons are selected verses sung at Matins, before the reading of the Gospel, to prepare the spirit of those present for worthy hearing of it.
Six Psalms - 6 selected psalms of David, depicting the special care of God over the people of Israel during their wanderings in the desert, read during Matins.
Litia is a short prayer among the people for their well-being and for the salvation of every Christian soul.
Litanys are general prayers publicly heard and on behalf of all those present, pronounced by a deacon or, in his absence, a priest. They collect and briefly outline everything that needs to be prayed for. They are divided into four genera:
The Great Litany, which contains many different petitions (11 in number) and is the most ancient in origin;
Small or abbreviated from Great;
Subdued, i.e. especially diligent, in which all prayers are presented more intensely, and, finally,
The petitionary room, where the people, or the clergy represented by them, confirms each prayer with the words, “Lord grant!”
The word litany translated from Greek means: drawn-out, i.e., diligent prayer or offering.