Prayer is a great weapon, a rich treasure, a wealth that is never exhausted, an undisturbed refuge, a cause of tranquillity, the root of a multitude of blessings, and their source.
Saint John Chrysostom
Prayer is helpful in our daily lives. It is a powerful defence against the enemy when we make a prayer our own.
Lord, Have Mercy
When you have very little time for prayer, you can simply cross yourself and say,
Lord, have mercy!
The Jesus Prayer
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Saint Paul tells us to “pray without ceasing.” The Jesus Prayer gives us a powerful tool to help us accomplish that mission.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Prayer to Your Guardian Angel
O angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from heaven, enlighten me this day and save me from all evil. Instruct me in doing good deeds, and set me on the path of salvation. Amen.
O angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul and body, forgive me everything wherein I have offended you every day of my life, and protect me from all influence and temptation of the evil one. May I never again anger God by my sins. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me worthy of the grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the blessed Mother of God, and of all the saints. Amen.
Prayer to Your Patron Saint
Pray to god for me, O Holy Saint______, for You are well-pleasing to God: for I turn to you, who are the speedy helper and intercessor for my soul.
Prayer to the All-Holy Trinity
The father is my hope; the Son is my refuge; the Holy Spirit is my protector. O All-holy Trinity, glory to Thee.
Hymn to the Theotokos
It is truly meet to bless thee, O Theotokos, who art ever blessed and all-blameless and the mother of our God. More honourable than the cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the seraphim, thou who without corruption barest God the Word and art truly Theotokos: we magnify thee.
Prayer of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
My Lord, I know not what I ought to ask of You. You and You alone know my needs. You love me more than I am able to love You. O Father, grant to me, Your servant, all that I cannot ask. For a cross I dare not ask, nor for consolation; I dare only to stand in Your presence. My heart is open to You. You see my needs, of which I myself am unaware. Behold and lift me up! In Your presence I stand, awed and silenced by Your will and Your judgments, into which my mind cannot penetrate. To You I offer myself as a sacrifice. No other desire is mine but to fulfil Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Psalm 141:2
Let my prayer be set before You as incense,
The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
From the book: Hear Me: A Prayerbook for Orthodox Teens by Annalisa Boyd
Published by: Conciliar Press, Chesterton, IN 46304
prepared: Todor Janev
