There are many varieties of prayers, but one of the most frequently said among them is the evening prayer, which believers should read before going to bed. However, even such a prayer has several types, so before you start reading it, you should figure out what each of them means and learn the words of the prayers that you are going to say.
Rules for reading prayers before going to bed
Before you start praying before going to bed, it is very important to remember for yourself the evening rule of prayer for the coming dream, so that your prayer words are heard by God and give you peace, remission of sins and a restful sleep at night. And this rule consists in singing thanks to God and turning to him with a request for protection from evil thoughts that often overcome people when they go to bed. Therefore, you need to read a prayer before going to bed, trying to discard all daytime worries, chores and thoughts, forget about all the bad things, think only about the good, so that the soul can be completely cleansed of the negative. In addition, it is very important before such a prayer to forget about all grievances,that were inflicted on you during the day and forgive the offenders with all my heart. And finally, before praying, you need to remember all your mistakes and sins that happened days, and ask for forgiveness from the All-Merciful Lord for them.
A very important point of the evening prayer rule is the choice of the place of conversation with God. It must be a quiet, peaceful place where you feel protected. It is there that you will need to light a candle in front of the icon, cleanse your thoughts of all evil, if possible, kneel down and douse yourself with the sign of the cross. Only after that it will be possible to start reading the evening prayer service, which in its structure should consist of five parts:
- preparation for prayer with an appeal to God and thanksgiving to him;
- repentance with the blessing of light;
- the word of God, consisting of a psalm, a song and a reading from the Holy Scriptures;
- prayers to the Guardian Angel and the Lord;
- conclusions with Grace and Blessing.
But if you do not have time for the full text of the prayer service, according to the evening prayer rule for sleep, you can get by with the usual appeal to God in a simple language, preceded by reading the Our Father prayer familiar to everyone from childhood.
Types of prayers to read before going to bed
It is very important before you turn to God with a prayer, to pre-select a prayer that you will read before going to bed. There are 3 types of evening prayers in total.
- Prayer-petition is those prayerwords that are spoken by people who are in trouble and grief. The evening prayer of Macarius the Great can be attributed to such a prayer service: “God, cleanse me a sinner, for I have never done anything good and good before You. Deliver me from the evil one, let it be Your will. And let me open my mouth with impunity unworthy to praise Your name and the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen!".
- The thanksgiving prayer is our prayer speech in which we thank God for today, our he alth, well-being and harmony in the family.
- Prayer-doxology is the glorification of God, which is present at the end of each prayer. However, you can also say it separately, praising the Lord and singing a song of praise to him.
But if you feel low or sick, you can get by with a short evening prayer, which will give you strength and allow you to fall asleep peacefully.
The simplest prayers for the coming dream
If you do not know which prayer to read before going to bed, you can say the simplest of them, which can be read even while lying in bed.
"In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen! Oh Son of God, Jesus Christ. I pray to you for the sake of your Most Pure Mother, our Reverend Father and all the saints. Please have mercy on us. Glory to Thee, Lord, glory, King of heaven! Amen!”
But besides this short prayer, there is another evening prayer for beginners, which should be said every time before going to bed, putting your heart into every word.
"O King of all things, all-merciful God! I tearfully ask you, forgive me my sins, which I did this afternoon with my thought, word or deed, and cleanse me, Lord, my humble soul from all filth. And give me, please, a peaceful sleep at night, so that, getting up in the morning from bed, I serve Your Most Holy Name every day of my life. And deliver me, Lord, from the lust of evil and vain thoughts, so that I, the servant of God (full name), would only glorify the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen!”
Reciting a prayer before going to bed for children
Children also need to be taught from an early age to talk with God. But since they themselves cannot yet remember the words of the prayers, instead of them you should read the evening prayer to them, becoming an intermediary between your child and the Lord. These prayers will give the children a sound sleep, full of colorful dreams, after waking up from which they will feel full of strength. The first of these prayers will be "Our Father", and after it it will be possible to read to the kids the children's prayer of Our Lady of Kazan, the prayer "God, if I sin in today's day …" and the prayer to the Guardian Angel, which the child can not only listen to, but also himself pronounce.
“The cross is on me and in me, so fly, my Angel, to me! Sit next to me on a wing and help the Lord save me from evening until dawn, from this day to eternity.”
In addition, you can call on the Guardian Angel to guard the child's sleep and other prayer words.
"In the name of the Lord our God! Co.me, saviors-baptizers! Intercede for my soul, turn to it! In the name of the Father, and of his Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
And of course, according to the evening prayer rule, it is worth reading these prayers in a calm, relaxed mood, rejecting all worries, troubles and worldly evil thoughts. If something happened to you that day, and you can’t get bad thoughts out of your head, it’s better not to read a prayer to your child in the evening, otherwise the result will not be the same as it should be.
Prayer to St. John Chrysostom
If it turned out that you do not know which of the prayers to read, then the clergy recommend that you first read "Our Father", and then say the Orthodox evening prayer of John Chrysostom, consisting of 24 lines, equal to the number of hours in a day.
- God, do not deprive us of Your blessings.
- God, release me from the terrible torment of eternity.
- God, if I have sinned in deed, word or thought, forgive me.
- God, release me from insensibility, oblivion, ignorance and frivolity.
- God, deliver me from the devil's temptation.
- God, light up my heart, which has turned black from the wishes of evil.
- God, I am a sinful person, but You, all-merciful, have mercy on me, because you see how weak my soul is.
- God bless me so that I may glorify your name.
- God, in the book of life, please write me and give me a good end.
- God, let me not do anything good before You, but show me how to start doing goodbusiness.
- God, sprinkle the dew of Your mercy on my soul.
- God, remember in Your Kingdom me a sinner, unclean and filthy. Amen!
- God, receive me penitent.
- God don't ever leave me.
- God, don't let me get into trouble and bad weather.
- God, grant me good thoughts.
- God, grant me contrition, tears and the memory of death.
- God, give me thoughts on how to confess my sins.
- God, grant me the opportunity to become obedient, humble and chaste.
- God, grant me the opportunity to become meek, tolerant and generous.
- God, put in my heart the root of goodness - awe before You.
- God, tell me how to love You with all my heart and soul and do Your will.
- God, protect me from evil people, demons and passions and all kinds of indecent deeds.
- God, everything You do is of Your own free will, so let it be done in me, for You are blessed forever and ever. Amen!
Evening prayer "Optina Pustyn"
Optina Pustyn is a monastery of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in the Kaluga region. The history of this monastery dates back to the 15th century, and many rituals and prayers of this place have a special powerful power. This is especially true of prayers, which were read here before going to bed. Therefore, if every day before going to bed you begin to read the evening prayer of the Optina elders, then you will always be accompanied by a sound and he althy sleep, which is the key to a good and successful life.
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Spiritsaint, amen! Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, for the sake of the prayer of the pious Most Pure Mother of God, our reverend Father and all the saints, please grant us Your mercy. Amen! Glory to Thee, O Lord, glory, our Heavenly King and Comforter! As always and everywhere You fulfill everything, come and dwell in me now, You, and cleanse us from filth and all evil spirits, and save us our sinful souls. Holy God, strong and immortal, give us your mercy! (Read the last sentence three times)
Prayers for the coming sleep for help
If something is not going well in your life, you face a difficult question, you don’t know what to do, you should read an evening prayer for help every night before going to bed, which will make it possible to put your life in order and become happy.
“O Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ! I ask you to protect us with the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, holy angels and the power of the life-giving Holy Cross! Deliver me from all sorts of slanders of my enemies, evil people, divination, all kinds of evil and sorcery, so that they do not cause me any harm either in a dream or in reality. God, I ask that the light of Your radiance save me for the coming sleep, morning, afternoon and evening, and may the power of Your mercy depart from me all evil iniquities committed by the suggestion of the devil. Return all evil back to the underworld, who thought about it and did it. Amen
Another evening prayer for the upcoming sleep can also help those who are looking for true love and want to start a family with a loved one as soon as possible.
"Oh, Lord, all-merciful,I know that my happiness depends only on the fact that I love You with all my heart and every day do Your will. Govern, O God, my soul and fill my heart with goodness, so that I will please You alone, for You are our God and Creator. And save me from pride and pride, so that only chastity with modesty adorn me. And since Your laws command everyone to live in an honest marriage, bring me, O God, to this sacred title, not to please my desires, but for the sake of fulfilling Your will, for You yourself said that it is not worth it for a man to be lonely and created a spouse for him, so that together they grew, multiplied and populated the earth. So hear my prayer, humble, sent from the depths of my heart, grant me a pious spouse (s), so that together we bless You, God the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
You can also say the evening prayer, which will help children in their development and education. So this is a must read for all parents who want their kids to grow up smart, he althy and happy.
"Oh, Lord, our Creator! You have adorned us with Your image, taught us Your law, because of which those who listen to it are all amazed. As You gave them to Solomon and all those who seek the secrets of wisdom, so open the mind, heart and mouth of this Your servant (full name of the child), so that he understands the full power of Your writing and the law and begins to successfully learn the useful teaching that is taught to him to glorify the most holy name Yours, the benefit of the holy Church and the understanding of Your good and perfect will. Bury him from the machinations of the enemies and save him in purity and faithChrist throughout his life. May he be strong in mind and in the fulfillment of Your ten commandments, and so taught he will glorify Your name, for You, the Lord are all-merciful, and only You should give worship, honor and glory in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.”
And another evening prayer will help you if you read it before going to bed on the eve of the day when a very important event is planned on which your life depends.
“O our Lord Jesus Christ, you are the only begotten Son of your holy Father. Many times we have already been convinced that the truth is hidden in your words and that without your help we cannot do anything. Therefore, with all humility, I expect mercy and goodness from you. Help me, the sinful servant of God (your full name), this work that I will start tomorrow, to accomplish with Your good help to the glory of Your and Your Father without beginning, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.”
Yes, and a prayer that will need to be read before going to bed helps well with insomnia.
Oh, Lord God, please bless me! I'm going to bed now, and I have a cross seal on me, and on both sides are guardian angels, my faithful guardians and guardians. So save my soul from evening until midnight, and from midnight until morning. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen
Evening Prayers for Lent
Despite the fact that the prayers that we read before going to bed according to the church rule are always the same, during fasting they change. For these days are intended for the purification of our souls, which means that the prayer words before going to bed at this time should be special, repentant. Prayer before going to bed should begin with an appeal to God.
“Oh, Lord God, You created all life on this earth, our King of heaven! So forgive me for all my sins that I did in thought or deed, for even in a dream I, a servant of God (your full name), do not lose faith in You. I believe with all my heart that You are able to purify my soul and deliver me from my transgressions. Every night and every day I put my sincere hope in Your protection. So hear my passionate prayer, give an answer to my tearful requests. Amen!"
And after it you need to read the second evening prayer in fasting, which will be addressed to the Guardian Angel.
“Oh, my Guardian Angel, protector of my bodies and soul! If I have sinned somewhere on this day, please deliver me from this sin, do not let our Lord be angry with me for him. Beg for me the servant of God (your full name) the Lord God, so that He forgives and forgives my sins and protects me from doing evil deeds. Amen!"
Reading prayers before bedtime
Also, going to bed, it is recommended to read troparia - short evening prayers in Russian that sing and glorify God and the saints, and are also their call for help.
- “Save and have mercy on us, oh God, save and have mercy! We cannot find any justification for our sins, and we bring this prayer to you as our Lord. Save us and have mercy on us!”;
- “O Lord God, save us and have mercy on us, for only in You and Your mercy do we trust. So do not be angry with us too much and do not remember our sins, but look at us with your Merciful gaze and deliver us from our enemies. For you are our Lord God, and we are your people and the work of your hands. Therefore we call upon Your name this hour”;
- “Most Holy Mother of God, open the doors of your mercy to us, so that we, hoping for you with all our hearts, will not be ashamed, and get rid of troubles with your pure prayers. For only You are the salvation of our Christian race”;
- "Oh, Lord God, save and have mercy!" We say this phrase 12 times.
Daily prayers to the Guardian Angel, God the Father and the Holy Cross
You can still every day before going to bed, read three evening prayers for a dream coming to your Guardian Angel, the Lord God and the Holy Cross. The first prayer is said to the angel who appears to each of us at baptism and protects us throughout our lives.
“Oh, Angel of Christ, my patron saint and guardian of the body and my soul! Forgive me all my sins that I have committed during the past day, and release me from all the deceit of the evil enemies, so that I can no longer anger the Lord God with a single sin. Pray for me, a sinner and unworthy, so that I can become worthy of the blessings and mercy of the Most Holy Trinity and the Mother of God, and all the saints. Amen!"
The second prayer will be a prayer to God the Father.
Oh, Lord God, the King of all earthly creatures, which allowed melive up to the present. I beg you, forgive me all my sins that I committed on the past day, by thought, word or deed, and cleanse my damned darling from impurities, both spiritual and bodily. And give me the opportunity, Lord, to spend the coming night calmly, so that, as I would get up from my wretched bed, I could do what pleases Your holy name, and so that every coming day of my life I can gain victory over my enemies, as corporeal and incorporeal. And release me, Lord, from the passions of evil and filthy empty thoughts. For Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven and the power of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.”
And the third evening prayer should be read to the Holy Cross.
“May God be reborn, and His enemies perish, and those who hate Him flee from Him. As the smoke dissolves, so let them dissolve, as wax dies from fire, so let the demonic forces perish before those who love God and celebrate the sign of the Holy Cross, and exclaim in joy. Rejoice, the Cross of the Lord, revered by us, that by the power of our crucified Lord Jesus Christ drives away demons, that he descended into hell, where he was able to destroy the devil's power and give us you, the Honest Cross, in order to drive away any enemy. So I ask you, Life-Giving Honest Cross, help me with the Most Holy Theotokos and all the saints forever and ever. Amen
Morning Prayer
However, daily you should say not only the evening prayer, but also the morning prayer, which is recommended to be said immediately after waking up from sleep. To do this, you must becomeeast and say, making the sign of the cross: "In the name of God the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit! Amen!". After that, you should literally wait a couple of seconds to feel peace and grace, and then whisper: "Oh, Lord my God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" Having said this phrase, you should bow low. After that, you should rise and say three prayers: to the Holy Spirit, the Holy Trinity and the Lord.
- “O Spirit of truth, Comforter, our Heavenly King! As always, you fulfill everything, so come and dwell in me, and quickly cleanse my body and soul from filth, and save our souls with good!”
- “Oh Holy Trinity, save us and have mercy on us! God, cleanse us from our terrible sins. Merciful Master, forgive us our sins and our iniquities. Holy Spirit, visit us and heal our ailments and infirmities. All for the sake of Your great Name!”
- “Our Father who lives in heaven, may your name be glorified, may your eternal kingdom come, may your will always be in heaven and on earth. Give us our vital bread today, and forgive us all our debts, just as we always forgive those who owe us, and do not let us succumb to the temptations of the devil, but deliver us from the machinations of the evil one. For only Yours exists the kingdom of heaven, and the glory, and the greatest power, both now and forever and ever. Amen!"
There are such prayers.
