Prayer
This article forms part of the series Orthodox Spirituality | |
Holy Mysteries | |
Baptism - Chrismation Confession - Eucharist Marriage - Ordination Holy Unction | |
Three Stages | |
Catharsis/Purification Theoria/Illumination Theosis/Divinization | |
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Asceticism | |
Chastity - Obedience Stability - Fasting Poverty - Monasticism | |
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Humility - Generosity Chastity - Meekness Temperance - Contentment Diligence | |
Prayer | |
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Apostolic Fathers Desert Fathers Cappadocians The Philokalia The Ladder of Divine Ascent | |
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Prayer, with fasting and almsgiving, is one of the three "pillars of piety" (Matthew 6:1-18). The Orthodox Church teaches that all of the virtues and powers of God are attained primarily by prayer.
Contents
Personal and private prayer
Personal prayer must be in secret. In the spiritual tradition of the Church, Christ’s words "go into your room" have been interpreted both, literally, and also to mean that the praying person must enter within himself, a unification of the mind and the heart, within the soul.
Prayer must be brief. It must be simple and regular. It can be the totally silent inner attitude of the soul before God, the fulfillment of the words of the psalmist: ‘’Commune with your hearts... and be silent. Be still, and know that I am God.’’ Spiritual teachers warn against being too long and demanding of the Lord because prayer directed to God in faith is answered. One may get what they want but should not have. God knows best what is needed, and one should trust him in prayer, "Give what is needed, 0 Lord. Thy will be done." The teaching of Christ on how to pray, is the Our Father.
Unceasing prayer
St. Paul, in his first letter to the Thessalonians says, "pray without ceasing", and to the Romans, "be constant in prayer." This has been interpreted by Orthodox tradition in two different ways. One is to have regular times for prayer which are never skipped, a prayer rule. The other is to have a brief prayer verse, usually the Jesus Prayer which is repeated over and over, literally hundreds of times throughout the day and night, until it becomes perpetually implanted in the heart, as a continual presence in the soul, calling out to the Lord.
According with Father Cleopa there are the following stages of prayer:
- prayer of the lips - when prayer is just said
- prayer of the mind - when mind comprehends the prayer
- prayer of the hearth - when the hearth feels the prayer
- active prayer - when hearth starts praying alone even in sleep
- all-seeing prayer - when unseen world including angels becomes visible together with future, past
- ecstasy prayer - when mind is taken to Heaven
- contemplative prayer - when people can be taken to Heaven
Practical teachings about raising through prayer stages is done in the book The Way of a Pilgrim and this book recommends saying "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me !" many times.
The following steps are recommended:
- To say the prayer "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me !" for 3000 times a day for around one week,
Then - To say the prayer "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me !" for 6000 times a day for around another week
Then - To say the prayer "Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy on me !" for 12000 times a day for around another week and then to continue the prayer many times
Also, practical advice about the Prayer of the Hearth is found in the book named Philokalia. The Way of a Pilgrim book recommends a certain way in reading Philokalia so as to better understand the Prayer of the Hearth. The following chapters are recommended to be read from Philokalia
- The book of Nicephorus the monk (in part two),
- The whole book of Gregory of Sinai, except the short chapters,
- Simeon the New Theologian on the three forms of prayer and his discourse on faith
- The book of Callistus and Ignatius. In these Fathers there are full directions and teaching on interior prayer of the heart, in a form which everyone can understand.
- Part four with the summarized pattern of prayer by the most holy Callistus, Patriarch of Constantinople
Intercessory prayer
Orthodoxy teaches that Jesus, in praying to his Father, prayed for his people, and he is the only competent intercessor for mankind before God. In his resurrected glory, he prays eternally to his Father on behalf of all. In and through Christ, Orthodox Christians become competent to intercede before God. In the name of Jesus, Christians are authorized to pray for each other and for all creation. All prayer is to God the Father, through his Son, in his Holy Spirit, even if not mentioned in the words of the prayer.
God, outside of time, knows all things eternally and takes into consideration each act in his overall plan. Even before the creation of the world, God has heard, or rather, more accurately, eternally hears, the prayers of his people. The Lord does not hear prayers after something is finished, because for God there is no before and after at all. God knows what is asked even prior to it being asked, for he knows all of life in one divine act of all-embracing vision and knowledge. Prayers, even for those who are dead, are heard and considered by God before they are said. Failure to pray is also known to God from eternity, and takes its effect in God's plan of salvation.
Liturgical prayer
In the Orthodox Church, liturgical prayer is the Church's participation in Christ's perpetual prayer in the presence of God in the Kingdom of heaven, offering his "body" and "bride" to the Father in the Spirit. It is the official prayer of the formally assembled Church, the body of Christ, and the bride of Christ.
In the liturgical prayer of the Church, one should make every effort to join oneself fully with all the members of the body. This is not a time for personal prayer, one should pray with the Church. Not to forgets one’s own needs and desires, not just become a voice in the crowd, rather one should unite one’s own person, one’s own needs and desires, with all those who are present, with the church throughout the world, throughout time, with the angels and saints, with Christ Himself in the one great "divine" and "heavenly liturgy" of all creation before God.
Prayer for the dead
The deceased are remembered at a special service called "Saturday of the Souls" held four times a year: the two Saturdays prior to Great Lent, the first Saturday of Great Lent, and the Saturday before Pentecost. Orthodox believe that it is the duty of the living to remember and pray for the deceased. A general prayer is said for specific individuals and all unknown souls who have no one to pray for them. Parishoners bring small dishes of kollyva to the church and submit a list of first names of the deceased loved ones to the priest.
See also
External links
- Prayer as an Important Aspect of Our Spiritual Life by Monk Moses in Athonite Flowers. Brookline, MA: Holy Cross Orthodox Press, 1999.
- What is Prayer? from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Department of Religious Education in Orthodox Prayer Book: My Holy Pascha, April 14, 1985. Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America.
- Prayer to the Saints from the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
- Mary / Prayer / Death from the Orthodox Church in America website
- Prayer in the Orthodox Christian Church from the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia
- Prayer - V. Rev. Thomas Hopko
- Purpose of Orthodox Christian prayer, Bishop. Christodoulos of the Holy Metropolis Old Calendar G.O. Church discusses the purpose of Orthodox Christian prayer.
- Orthodox Prayer
- Amateur video on Orthodox Prayer