I bought a prayer book months ago and follow the morning and evening prayers with a psalm. The Jesus prayer I do throughout the day. It takes me about 20-30 minutes during each prayer time. When I talked to my spiritual father he approved it. At night I follow with reading about the saints and my bible. I cannot tell you how it has changed my life and me. I'm not the same person. It was quite a shock to me cause I've been a devout Protestant for 3 decades. I'll be baptized on Holy Saturday into the Russian Orthodox Church.
I have been attending the Church for a couple of months (like 6 months now), and I was wondering how far I was to a decent prayer routine, and the answer was: extremely far away, lol. Thank you, Father.
You should always remember that before checking RUclips for this sort of question, you should talk to your priest first. The priest who will be knowing you personally is far better to discuss a prayer rule with than a video on RUclips because your priest can access multiple factors the video cannot.
@@biggrobb9273 Yeah, thanks. My priest is extremely busy (we don't much money as a community, so he have to work a regular work), so I try to check some topics in reliable sources in RUclips.
Father my prayer rule is more intercessory than anything. I pray for 185 people during my prayer rule, morning prayer, and at night I am so tired sometimes I just make the sign of the cross with 3 Lord have mercies.
As a secular convert and catechumen, i struggle with finding the words for prayer, and a structure for consistent prayer. I asked my priest for a prayer rule and he told me to read the morning and evening prayers in the orthodox study bible, which has been really helpful since it has so many of the essential prayers; the our father, the creed, etc; it has a psalm, gospel and epistle reading, plus well rounded entreaties so I can pay for friends and loved ones daily. The one thing that I am wanting is a lectionary to make it easier to do the daily gospel and epistle reading. I will also look into the blue prayer book you recommend. Thank you!
Using the Konvoskinion is a fixed rule to used it with the left hand and for each Jesus Prayers we should use to cross our self? Please Father Peter what do you think and what udvice you can give us which have problems in following this way of using the Konvoskinion and Crossing our self in each Jesus Prayer? With much Christian Brotherly Love and Respect, Your Orthodox Albanian Brother Serving God's People in Italy, Father Gentian Anton Gjonej, Orthodox Church of Saint Juda Tadeus Apostle and Martyr, Quartu Sant'Elena, Cagliari, Italy.
Thank you for your help in my learning journey. What does Mathew 6:7 mean by repetition and vanity as the heathens pray. For some reason also I had the understanding it should be sincere. But I watch and hear on videos people rushing the Jesus prayer so bad it is hard to understand and it seems like a race to get as many verses in as possible. Seems so strange to me and I want no part of it, almost insulting to Jesus and God in my eyes anyhow. Perhaps I am totally wrong.
They’re available online. Look them up. There’s even a smaller prayer book in PDF form you can print if you have access to a printer. Otherwise, you can copy them down from online or just read them from your phone just to start until you can by a prayer book. Just look up Christian orthodox prayers.
Tive o desgosto de adquirir essa bíblia. Uma pena, pois as variantes do texto aramaico são bem interessantes. O único ponto positivo dela foi o material e a encadernação.
How can I find a spiritual father? There's no orthodoxy church where i live. The closest one I have to travel a day via boat. Any advise? Online maybe something legit?
I sometimes do this, maybe when I'm walking around I speak to God like I always used to in my time as an evangelical protestant Christian, and I sometimes put my own prayers in amongst the liturgical prayers but very sparsely and very brief usually. I used to pray in tongues a very great deal but I don't do this any more at all, I say the Jesus Prayer instead.
You can pray with your own words (without ceasing as St Paul says) But prayer books provide excellent guidance for us as they are full of theology and scripture. Often the formal prayers will have gaps in for your own intentions too
It's touching your chin to your chest and fixing your eyes there, breathing and saying the words timed to your heart beat. I'm no expert but I've read a lot and watched many videos, all of which advise against it without proper guidance (confessor or spiritual Father)
@@adognamedkevin9846 is the guidance needed for the possibility of dangerous spirits interfering? Seems like one can put themselves into a trance like state following what you just stated.
@@someotherguy43 from what I've heard that's exactly it. These words are said to embody the entire message and power of the Gospel, it is a flaming spiritual sword and the darkness knows it's power and will try its best to medel with it's welding. There's a lot of emphasis on keeping your mind completely clear, not thinking of good or bad deads, just focusing on the words, there is a chance of delusion. That's why the Father says some warn against it at all. I'm a beginner myself, been saying it for a year and a half, no techniques except the use of a prayer rope to gather the mind, though I do it throughout the day and while working I've never sat in a dark room and done it for hours. That's a serious endeavor and I haven't found anyone to guide me.
@@someotherguy43 I recommend reading the book The Way Of The Pilgrim, it's largely about this prayer and it's journey. My priest gave it to me last year, it changed me. There's audio versions on RUclips also
I have been seeking online for advice on my query but have yet to find any substantial answers; do any modifications need to be made for a beginner (with no spiritual father) who works graveyard shift?
I bought the blue prayer book for the prayers but I did not see the evening prayer there, what to pray if I don't have those evening prayers in the book, can someone give me advice to what to pray in the evening according to the Greek Orthodox faith and maybe which book should I get? Thank you guys, God bless you all!
Hi, if you have the blue book you can do the Small Compline section during the evening. It has prayers that are used before sleep and are very similar if not the same as "Evening Prayer" sections in other prayer books. Another good prayer book is the one from St.Tikhon's Monastery. It has both an Evening Prayer section and a Small Compline section. God bless you! ☦️
What about pouring our hearts out in sincerity before God without a rule? Why must everything be so structured? Can’t we have both? It seems as if we have a form of godliness only, if we don’t pray from the heart.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A SPIRITUAL FATHER; A PRIEST. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR PRIEST ABOUT ALL OF THIS FIRST. Without a rule to help, your mind and heart can wander. When I pray the Jesus Prayer, I am careful to think about each word, placing an emphasis on "sinner." When I think about each word, while speaking the Jesus Prayer, it focuses my mind and heart unto Jesus Christ - God. I am only on the first step of prayer. The three (or four) steps of prayer that I've read are: **[From the Optina Monastery Heritage]** 1. "The first step is oral prayer, when the mind often runs away and the person has to apply great effort in order to collect his scattered thoughts. This prayer takes work, but it gives one a repentant mood." 2. "The second step is the prayer of the mind in the heart, when the mind and the heart, reason and feelings are one; then prayer is made without interruption. No matter what the person is doing - eating, drinking, or resting - the prayer continues." 3. "The third step is creative prayer, which can move mountains with one word. This is the prayer that for example St. Mark the Desert Dweller of Thrace had." 4. "Finally there is the fourth step. This is such a high level of prayer that only the angels have it, and it may be given to one man only out of all humankind." "In order to understand better what gifts the Lord sends to those who pray and what prayer corresponds to the level of spiritual growth of the one praying, St. Barsanuphius explained in more detail: "'The first gift the Lord gives in prayer is attention; that is, when the mind can dwell in the words of the prayer without being distracted by thoughts. But with suck attentive, undistracted prayer the heart is yet silent. That is the whole matter - our feelings and thoughts are separated; there is no agreement between them. Thus, the first prayer, the first gift, is undistracted prayer. "'The second prayer, the second gift, is inner prayer, that is, when the feelings and thoughts are in agreement and directed toward God. Up until this stage, every struggle with passion ends in the passion's victory over the person, but from that stage on, when the mind and heart pray together - that is, the feelings and thoughts are in God - the passions are already conquered. They are conquered, but not destroyed; they can come back to life if he is careless. Here the passions are like corpses lying in the coffins, and if a passion but twitches, the man of prayer beats it down and conquers it. "'The third gift is spiritual prayer. I cannot say anything about this prayer. Here there is no longer anything earthly left in the person. True, a person can live on earth, walk on earth, sit, drink, and eat - but in his mind and thoughts he is wholly in God, in the heavens. To some have even been revealed the service of the angelic ranks. This prayer is the prayer of a visionary. The one who has attained this prayer sees spiritual things, for example the state of a human soul, just as we see tangible things, as if in a picture. They look with the eyes of the spirit; in them the spirit is looking.'"
A prayer rule is mainly about submitting to God's divine authority it's just a bare minimum that you have to do. Anything else have at it as long as it's in spirit and in truth. But as building muscle you can do 10 reps everyday of 10 lb but you'll only ever get that strong, it's whenever you do 1-3 reps of you max weight that builds strength.
@@OrthodoxEthos It's in English .. The name of the App is "Orthodox Prayers" It's a collection of Canon prayers and different prayers from the saints. Eg. The prayers of st. Epraim the Syrian.
@@kurtbansag935 my priest recommended me a free app by the Greek Archdiocese called Daily Readings Lite, it supports English, Greek and I think Arabic. Hope this is something you find helpful, I sure have.
How about the bible? I was gifted the Bible from holy apostles convent. I recently purchased their book of psalms but realized that the translation is a bit different from the blue prayer book that I also have (i have their pocket psalter as well). So now I'm hesitant to read it because I'd like to keep a consistency when it it comes to praying and reading. Any thoughts?
@OrthodoxEthos I appreciate the speedy response. I do have one last question. What bible do you recommend? I was told that Holy Apostles Convent has the most accurate translation of the New Testament (I have volume 1 of the Gospels).
The precedent for the repetition of any and all Orthodox ‘prayer’ is found in other men. Instead let’s hear what is written, “Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples” Amen
It is also written that Jesus repeated prayer, and that the Christians held to ‘the’ prayers. So it’s not all wishy washy nor is there just one prayer. O most special and divinely chosen prophet of God, get a better understanding of the scriptures before you quote them
This is for a beginner!? Okay, this is way too much, I don't event know where to begin to find all of this... If this is for a beginner, show where it can be found and in what order. if this is just to start... Shouldn't you just be starting? You do remember the meaning of the word beginner? One who is TOTALLY FRESH to all of this? Beginner... Lol ok. Well most beginners... You lost them.
all of them you can find in a prayer book. you need to find one that a a lot of them though because there are a lot of prayers and there isnt avery prayer to every prayer book
It’s really not that much. Especially in the morning. It takes me max 20 minutes to do the morning prayer rule and like 40 to do the night time if I’m sluggish. I think there may be confusion. From what I think he’s saying in the video in the evening it is the small compline and an akathist or canon. Not all he mentioned at once. I do the small compline with the akathist to the holy Theotokos at night. Edit: he even says different ways you can break up the akathist in the week or day.
Read the bible and you will find all the answers you need. Come to Jesus who has already paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, repent, and ask him to come and live in your heart, and you will be saved. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Jesus Christ was still a religious man. He followed His traditions inside His synagogues. What He hated however, was hypocrisy; especially religious hypocrisy (of the Pharisees).
I bought a prayer book months ago and follow the morning and evening prayers with a psalm. The Jesus prayer I do throughout the day. It takes me about 20-30 minutes during each prayer time. When I talked to my spiritual father he approved it. At night I follow with reading about the saints and my bible. I cannot tell you how it has changed my life and me. I'm not the same person. It was quite a shock to me cause I've been a devout Protestant for 3 decades. I'll be baptized on Holy Saturday into the Russian Orthodox Church.
Kudos. 😊
I just got one today from a priest, this helps alot thank you! God bless
May God bless you. ☦ 🤗
Welcome brother. ☦️💖
I am inspired. I wonder how you came across Orthodoxy
I have been attending the Church for a couple of months (like 6 months now), and I was wondering how far I was to a decent prayer routine, and the answer was: extremely far away, lol. Thank you, Father.
Same, so far away
You should always remember that before checking RUclips for this sort of question, you should talk to your priest first. The priest who will be knowing you personally is far better to discuss a prayer rule with than a video on RUclips because your priest can access multiple factors the video cannot.
@@biggrobb9273 Yeah, thanks. My priest is extremely busy (we don't much money as a community, so he have to work a regular work), so I try to check some topics in reliable sources in RUclips.
Same and I’m coming up on a year baptized!
I agree with Bigg Robb about ask your priest!
This answers a lot of questions, thank you
Father my prayer rule is more intercessory than anything. I pray for 185 people during my prayer rule, morning prayer, and at night I am so tired sometimes I just make the sign of the cross with 3 Lord have mercies.
Try speaking with your Priest
As a secular convert and catechumen, i struggle with finding the words for prayer, and a structure for consistent prayer.
I asked my priest for a prayer rule and he told me to read the morning and evening prayers in the orthodox study bible, which has been really helpful since it has so many of the essential prayers; the our father, the creed, etc; it has a psalm, gospel and epistle reading, plus well rounded entreaties so I can pay for friends and loved ones daily. The one thing that I am wanting is a lectionary to make it easier to do the daily gospel and epistle reading.
I will also look into the blue prayer book you recommend. Thank you!
Prayer books are incredibly helpful. I find that reading and focusing on the words on the page help my mind not to wander so much
Your thoughts ARE Prayers! Make your thoughts GOOD ones! 😊❤
Using the Konvoskinion is a fixed rule to used it with the left hand and for each Jesus Prayers we should use to cross our self? Please Father Peter what do you think and what udvice you can give us which have problems in following this way of using the Konvoskinion and Crossing our self in each Jesus Prayer? With much Christian Brotherly Love and Respect, Your Orthodox Albanian Brother Serving God's People in Italy, Father Gentian Anton Gjonej, Orthodox Church of Saint Juda Tadeus Apostle and Martyr, Quartu Sant'Elena, Cagliari, Italy.
Can someone explain what’s so dangerous about the Jesus prayer? I keep hearing how we shouldn’t do it without guidance but no one ever says why.
I found this ouch longer video from the Fr. About prerequisites for the Jesus Prayer. Hopeful it helps y’all.
ruclips.net/video/nvFftSuRFlY/видео.html
☦️
What is a good Synaxarium edition? Where can one find one? Is there a difference from Greek to Slavic ?
Please see the video description for a couple options
What are the techniques youre talking about?
Thank you for your help in my learning journey. What does Mathew 6:7 mean by repetition and vanity as the heathens pray. For some reason also I had the understanding it should be sincere. But I watch and hear on videos people rushing the Jesus prayer so bad it is hard to understand and it seems like a race to get as many verses in as possible. Seems so strange to me and I want no part of it, almost insulting to Jesus and God in my eyes anyhow. Perhaps I am totally wrong.
Thank you for your comment.
Praying slowly, it is like tasting God for me.
Is it possible for you to send all these prayers you have mentioned
They’re available online. Look them up. There’s even a smaller prayer book in PDF form you can print if you have access to a printer. Otherwise, you can copy them down from online or just read them from your phone just to start until you can by a prayer book. Just look up Christian orthodox prayers.
Tive o desgosto de adquirir essa bíblia. Uma pena, pois as variantes do texto aramaico são bem interessantes. O único ponto positivo dela foi o material e a encadernação.
How can I find a spiritual father? There's no orthodoxy church where i live. The closest one I have to travel a day via boat. Any advise? Online maybe something legit?
Tu é brasileiro mano?
I started reading/ praying the "A Psalter for Prayer" this week. How important is prayer from the heart (extemporaneous) in Orthodox church?
Do Orthodox brothers and sisters do not pray freely as like just talking to God or is just reading prearrange material?
I sometimes do this, maybe when I'm walking around I speak to God like I always used to in my time as an evangelical protestant Christian, and I sometimes put my own prayers in amongst the liturgical prayers but very sparsely and very brief usually. I used to pray in tongues a very great deal but I don't do this any more at all, I say the Jesus Prayer instead.
You can pray with your own words (without ceasing as St Paul says) But prayer books provide excellent guidance for us as they are full of theology and scripture. Often the formal prayers will have gaps in for your own intentions too
☦️✝️🙏♥️💯 PROCENT
When you say technique’s, do you mean hesychasm?
It's touching your chin to your chest and fixing your eyes there, breathing and saying the words timed to your heart beat. I'm no expert but I've read a lot and watched many videos, all of which advise against it without proper guidance (confessor or spiritual Father)
@@adognamedkevin9846 is the guidance needed for the possibility of dangerous spirits interfering? Seems like one can put themselves into a trance like state following what you just stated.
@@someotherguy43 from what I've heard that's exactly it. These words are said to embody the entire message and power of the Gospel, it is a flaming spiritual sword and the darkness knows it's power and will try its best to medel with it's welding. There's a lot of emphasis on keeping your mind completely clear, not thinking of good or bad deads, just focusing on the words, there is a chance of delusion. That's why the Father says some warn against it at all. I'm a beginner myself, been saying it for a year and a half, no techniques except the use of a prayer rope to gather the mind, though I do it throughout the day and while working I've never sat in a dark room and done it for hours. That's a serious endeavor and I haven't found anyone to guide me.
@@someotherguy43 I recommend reading the book The Way Of The Pilgrim, it's largely about this prayer and it's journey. My priest gave it to me last year, it changed me. There's audio versions on RUclips also
@@adognamedkevin9846 I appreciate the advice.
Fsther is it okay for the lay men to do 100-300 Jesus prayer?! Without blessing from perish father? Thks
I have been seeking online for advice on my query but have yet to find any substantial answers; do any modifications need to be made for a beginner (with no spiritual father) who works graveyard shift?
I bought the blue prayer book for the prayers but I did not see the evening prayer there, what to pray if I don't have those evening prayers in the book, can someone give me advice to what to pray in the evening according to the Greek Orthodox faith and maybe which book should I get? Thank you guys, God bless you all!
Hi, if you have the blue book you can do the Small Compline section during the evening. It has prayers that are used before sleep and are very similar if not the same as "Evening Prayer" sections in other prayer books.
Another good prayer book is the one from St.Tikhon's Monastery. It has both an Evening Prayer section and a Small Compline section.
God bless you! ☦️
What about pouring our hearts out in sincerity before God without a rule? Why must everything be so structured? Can’t we have both?
It seems as if we have a form of godliness only, if we don’t pray from the heart.
DISCLAIMER:
I AM NOT A SPIRITUAL FATHER; A PRIEST. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR PRIEST ABOUT ALL OF THIS FIRST.
Without a rule to help, your mind and heart can wander.
When I pray the Jesus Prayer, I am careful to think about each word, placing an emphasis on "sinner."
When I think about each word, while speaking the Jesus Prayer, it focuses my mind and heart unto Jesus Christ - God.
I am only on the first step of prayer.
The three (or four) steps of prayer that I've read are:
**[From the Optina Monastery Heritage]**
1. "The first step is oral prayer, when the mind often runs away and the person has to apply great effort in order to collect his scattered thoughts. This prayer takes work, but it gives one a repentant mood."
2. "The second step is the prayer of the mind in the heart, when the mind and the heart, reason and feelings are one; then prayer is made without interruption. No matter what the person is doing - eating, drinking, or resting - the prayer continues."
3. "The third step is creative prayer, which can move mountains with one word. This is the prayer that for example St. Mark the Desert Dweller of Thrace had."
4. "Finally there is the fourth step. This is such a high level of prayer that only the angels have it, and it may be given to one man only out of all humankind."
"In order to understand better what gifts the Lord sends to those who pray and what prayer corresponds to the level of spiritual growth of the one praying, St. Barsanuphius explained in more detail:
"'The first gift the Lord gives in prayer is attention; that is, when the mind can dwell in the words of the prayer without being distracted by thoughts. But with suck attentive, undistracted prayer the heart is yet silent. That is the whole matter - our feelings and thoughts are separated; there is no agreement between them. Thus, the first prayer, the first gift, is undistracted prayer.
"'The second prayer, the second gift, is inner prayer, that is, when the feelings and thoughts are in agreement and directed toward God. Up until this stage, every struggle with passion ends in the passion's victory over the person, but from that stage on, when the mind and heart pray together - that is, the feelings and thoughts are in God - the passions are already conquered. They are conquered, but not destroyed; they can come back to life if he is careless. Here the passions are like corpses lying in the coffins, and if a passion but twitches, the man of prayer beats it down and conquers it.
"'The third gift is spiritual prayer. I cannot say anything about this prayer. Here there is no longer anything earthly left in the person. True, a person can live on earth, walk on earth, sit, drink, and eat - but in his mind and thoughts he is wholly in God, in the heavens. To some have even been revealed the service of the angelic ranks. This prayer is the prayer of a visionary. The one who has attained this prayer sees spiritual things, for example the state of a human soul, just as we see tangible things, as if in a picture. They look with the eyes of the spirit; in them the spirit is looking.'"
You click on a video about prayer rules and you’re confused that he’s talking about rules lol. Of course you can do both
Speaking to God out of sincerity can be a part of a prayer rule. Take as long as you need to speak to God personally.
A prayer rule is mainly about submitting to God's divine authority it's just a bare minimum that you have to do. Anything else have at it as long as it's in spirit and in truth. But as building muscle you can do 10 reps everyday of 10 lb but you'll only ever get that strong, it's whenever you do 1-3 reps of you max weight that builds strength.
Prayer rules and sincerity in prayer are not mutually exclusive
I have a prayer book app in my phone..
The translation?
@@OrthodoxEthos It's in English .. The name of the App is "Orthodox Prayers" It's a collection of Canon prayers and different prayers from the saints. Eg. The prayers of st. Epraim the Syrian.
@@kurtbansag935 my priest recommended me a free app by the Greek Archdiocese called Daily Readings Lite, it supports English, Greek and I think Arabic. Hope this is something you find helpful, I sure have.
@@kurtbansag935is it available for Android?
How about the bible? I was gifted the Bible from holy apostles convent. I recently purchased their book of psalms but realized that the translation is a bit different from the blue prayer book that I also have (i have their pocket psalter as well). So now I'm hesitant to read it because I'd like to keep a consistency when it it comes to praying and reading. Any thoughts?
Agreed. Stay with Holy Transfiguration Monastery’s translation of the Psalter. This is basically standard.
@OrthodoxEthos I appreciate the speedy response. I do have one last question. What bible do you recommend? I was told that Holy Apostles Convent has the most accurate translation of the New Testament (I have volume 1 of the Gospels).
The website isnt working for me!!
Ugh!!!
Now?
@@OrthodoxEthosWorkeddd finally thank you!!! Merry Christmas!
The precedent for the repetition of any and all Orthodox ‘prayer’ is found in other men. Instead let’s hear what is written, “Lord teach us to pray as John taught his disciples” Amen
It is also written that Jesus repeated prayer, and that the Christians held to ‘the’ prayers. So it’s not all wishy washy nor is there just one prayer. O most special and divinely chosen prophet of God, get a better understanding of the scriptures before you quote them
This is for a beginner!?
Okay, this is way too much, I don't event know where to begin to find all of this... If this is for a beginner, show where it can be found and in what order. if this is just to start... Shouldn't you just be starting?
You do remember the meaning of the word beginner? One who is TOTALLY FRESH to all of this? Beginner...
Lol ok. Well most beginners... You lost them.
all of them you can find in a prayer book. you need to find one that a a lot of them though because there are a lot of prayers and there isnt avery prayer to every prayer book
It’s really not that much. Especially in the morning. It takes me max 20 minutes to do the morning prayer rule and like 40 to do the night time if I’m sluggish. I think there may be confusion. From what I think he’s saying in the video in the evening it is the small compline and an akathist or canon. Not all he mentioned at once. I do the small compline with the akathist to the holy Theotokos at night.
Edit: he even says different ways you can break up the akathist in the week or day.
The evening rule can be a little longer, but generally your rule won't be longer than like 20-30 minutes each
Yeah, beginners.....
Thirty year beginner here
Intermediate: Pray the entire Horologion every day. Hard: Join a monastery
Read the bible and you will find all the answers you need. Come to Jesus who has already paid the penalty for your sins on the cross, repent, and ask him to come and live in your heart, and you will be saved. Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Jesus Christ was still a religious man. He followed His traditions inside His synagogues. What He hated however, was hypocrisy; especially religious hypocrisy (of the Pharisees).