Praying for your child is a natural spiritual need of parents, not only mothers, but also fathers. Turning to the Almighty not only helps to protect children from adversity, illness, dangers and guide them in life, it also helps parents curb their own anxieties and worries.
If in the old days there were no questions about how to ask the Lord or the saints for their children, then in our time it is relevant for many. This is due to the fact that the vast majority of people were not brought up within the framework of Orthodox culture and are not familiar with spiritual traditions.
How and where should you pray?
As a rule, for those who do not quite understand the principles of behavior in the church service, it is enough just to carefully observe the people present in the temple and do the same. With regard to appeals to the Almighty or saints, you can resort to the same principle, that is, listen to prayers for children. Orthodoxpriests in no way restrict parishioners in their requests to the Lord.
You can pray using ready-made texts or expressing needs in your own words. You can ask for help both in the temple of God, and in any other place. In other words, if there is a desire to pray, it must be done regardless of where exactly the person is.
The power of Orthodox prayer lies not in its words, but in the energy message that a person puts into them. In other words, the strength of faith, the absence of doubts and the purity of thoughts are important for prayer. Purity of thoughts should be understood not only as the absence of hidden, not particularly righteous desires, but also as the liberation of the mind from all vain things. That is, you cannot pray for the needs of your children and at the same time think about where and what to get for dinner, or plan a family budget. There should be no worries or troubles in the head of a praying person, his mind should completely surrender to the request to the Almighty, concentrate on it.
Despite the fact that you can pray anywhere, you should not avoid visiting the temples of God. Under the church vaults there is a special atmosphere, as they say about it - prayerful. The atmosphere of the temple helps to free your mind from everyday worries and completely surrender to prayer, in addition, the church atmosphere enhances a person’s energy, fills his soul with grace.
Do I need to light a candle when visiting a temple?
Of course, an Orthodox prayer for a child can be read without lighting a candle in front of the image. Neither to the saints, nor to the Lord himself candles fromparishioners are not required, the Almighty only needs absolute, unquestioning faith.
However, it is not just customary to put a candle in front of the icon. This tradition is not at all meaningless and must be followed. By setting a candle, a person tunes in to the desired mood, all unnecessary, vain thoughts and worries leave his mind. A slightly fluttering light and the smell of wax also contribute to this. Thus, an Orthodox prayer for a child, thoughtfully and leisurely read in combination with placing a candle in front of the icon, will turn out to be stronger than the one that was uttered “in between times”, by a person who just ran into the church for a minute.
However, you should not take the installation of a candle as a kind of magical ritual or a kind of sacrifice. Its ignition is not a guarantee that the prayer will be heard and accepted.
Who should I turn to in prayer?
Traditionally, an Orthodox mother's prayer for children is offered to the Mother of God. She is considered the comforter, intercessor and heavenly patroness of all women who raise children. From time immemorial, it is to the Mother of God that they come with every misfortune, both large and small, invariably finding help through their prayer.
In addition to the Mother of God, the saints and, of course, the Lord himself are asked for the well-being of children. There is no single answer to the question of which saint an Orthodox prayer for a child should be addressed to. Traditionally in Russia, since ancient times, they turn for help to Nicholas the Wonderworker, the martyr Barbara, Saint Tryphon. ATfor the last centuries they have been praying for their children to the Matrona of Moscow. Of course, they also turn to those saints whose name the child is named.
Are there any rules for reading prayers?
Orthodox prayer for a child has no restrictions or church prescriptions governing its reading. You can ask the saints or the Almighty for your child as your heart tells you.
However, if a person is in a church service, one should not violate his order. Personal prayers are said before the start of the service or at its end, but not during the reading of sacred texts. This means that one should not push through the believers to the desired icon with candles in their hands and start their own prayer while the priest reads akathists or other texts. Of course, no one will say anything to a person who does this, but such a prayer is unlikely to be effective.
How to pray for he alth for a sick child to the Mother of God?
Prayers for sick children are most often addressed to the Mother of God. Orthodox believers from time immemorial consider her to be the Heavenly Patroness, helping the child and his parents to cope with all worldly needs and worries. Of course, and if you need a cure for diseases, the prayer of the Mother of God also helps.
You can apply for the healing of a child from an illness like this:
“Mother of God, Queen of Heaven! Comforter in sorrows and Patroness in earthly joys! I fall to you with humility, in the hope ofyour mercy and help in my trouble. Do not leave, Heavenly Intercessor, my child (the name of the child) in his illness, send relief from bodily suffering, grant healing from severe ailments. Amen!"
Many people are convinced that only a motherly prayer is addressed to the Mother of God. When a child is sick, the Orthodox Church does not separate his parents, they are in the eyes of God a single whole. This means that not only the mother can pray to the Mother of God, but also the father of the baby, as well as other family members. The Mother of God listens to all who need her help. In case of a serious illness, it will not be superfluous to place a not very large icon with the face of the Virgin above the head of the bed of a sick child.
How to pray for the he alth of children to Saint Tryphon?
To St. Tryphon from time immemorial, the strongest mother's prayers for children have been raised. Orthodox women turn to the saint with many troubles, but most often they ask him for help in healing from serious illnesses, both bodily and mental. It is generally accepted that it is necessary to pray to Tryphon before the upcoming operation or other hospital procedures.
You can pray to the saint like this:
“Martyr of Christ, great sufferer, Tryphon! Save my child (name of the child) from human error, direct the hands of doctors and save them from their negligence. Most Holy Martyr, Passion-Bearer of the Lord, send down to my child healing from his illness. And grant me peace and patience, pacify my temper and do not allow doubts in the providence of our Lord! Amen"
How to pray for the deliverance of a child from ailments to Matrona of Moscow?
WhenDuring the life of Matronushka, people in need of healing came to her from all over Russia. The future saint helped everyone, delivering from illnesses with the power of her prayer. Of course, while staying in Heaven, Matronushka does not leave without the help of all those who need it.
The Orthodox prayer for the he alth of the child, addressed to her, as a rule, concerns the general soreness of the baby. That is, usually parents go to the saint for help, whose child constantly catches a cold, has a temperature, suffers from allergies and other similar ailments.
You can ask for help from the Matrona of Moscow like this:
“Our Blessed Mother! Matronushka, marked by the Lord! I ask for your help for my child (child's name). Begged, Holy Matronushka, for bodily he alth for him. Strengthen his body, tormented by countless ailments. Do not leave my child, Holy Mother! Amen!"
An Orthodox prayer for a child's temperature, addressed to the Matrona of Moscow, may sound like this:
“Most Holy Mother, who is with the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven! Behold my need from heaven and do not leave the child (name of the child) without assistance. The heat of the demonic torments, does not allow my child to sleep or eat. His body is burning, it is not appeased. Help, Holy Matronushka, take away the heat, cool my child, give him a sound sleep and return his he alth! Amen!"
How to pray for the deliverance of a child from fears to Nicholas the Wonderworker?
Prayer from the fright of a child is very much in demand among parents. The Orthodox prayer of a mother or father can not only save the baby from the consequences of experienced fears, for example, from stuttering, but also preventsimilar cases.
Example of prayer words:
"Nikolai Ugodnik, father! Our intercessor before the Lord, aware of all earthly aspirations, helping in all worldly affairs! I ask you not for my own sake, but for the good of my child (name of the child). Help, holy saint of the Lord, to cope with fear and fright, do not let the child suffer from them all his life. Do not allow fear to become a stutterer, to lose the gift of speech or to master another misfortune. Amen!"
In the old days in the villages, a short Orthodox prayer was read from the fright of a child, which was supposed to protect the baby. Sample text:
"Nikolai Ugodnik, father! Our protector, Nicholas the Wonderworker, father! Look after my child from Heaven, save him in a dream and in reality, in fun and in learning, in feasible work and in human festivities. Do not let the child be frightened, take the evil people away from him, only allow the joy to know everything and only know the good. Amen!"
How to pray for the children of Xenia of Petersburg?
It is often to this saint that a prayer is addressed from the fright of a child. Orthodox Blessed Xenia helps not only protect the baby from fears, but also protect from the evil eye.
You can pray to the saint for protection from the fear of a child like this:
“Mother Xenia, a holy participant in our troubles and worries! I give you my child (name of the child) to protect you from night and day fears, from sudden fright and arranged by evil children. Shelter him from adversity and sorrow, but give clear, happy days. Amen!"
Helps to avoid the influence and envy of bad people prayer from the evil eye of a child. Orthodox Xenia invariably provides patronage to all who turn to her. However, if you fear that the baby may be jinxed, in addition to praying, you need to put a talisman on him. It can be a small amulet with an image of a saint inside, purchased in a church shop.
An Orthodox mother's prayer for children, protecting them from spoilage, can be like this:
“Xenia, blessed mother, marked by our Lord! Hear me, slave (proper name), consider my needs and aspirations. I trust in your mercy, Blessed Xenia! Protect my child (name of the child) from human envy, from anger and hatred, from an evil look and thought. Protect the child and do not let demons approach him, let everything that is not from our Lord go by the side! Amen!"
How to pray for the welfare and protection of the child to the Lord?
Orthodox prayers for children, strong and quickly helping, are read, of course, to the Lord God. There are no differences between appeals to the Almighty and prayers addressed to saints. You should not find out how many times and on which passage of the text you need to cross yourself or bow. Prayer is not a ritual that requires a special sequence of certain actions, it is a conversation between a person and the Creator.
An Orthodox prayer for the he alth of the child and his well-being can be like this:
“Lord Jesus! Our Almighty, the Savior of all people, living and he althy! I turn to You, Lord of Heaven, with humility and hope, with faith and without the evil intent of the wicked. I ask you to give a child to my (child's name) fromyour generosity and favors, do not leave him without participation. I ask you, Lord, protect my child from illnesses and sorrows, from misfortunes and wicked people, save from evil and adversity. Do not give him severe ailments, endow him with good he alth and meekness, reward him with earthly blessings and ease hardships. Amen!"
The prayer of the child for a restful sleep is also addressed to the Lord. The Orthodox Church pays special attention to evening prayers, considering them necessary to protect the soul during a night's rest. Such prayers are read by the child himself or are pronounced jointly by all family members. But the smallest children are prayed for by their parents, of course.
Example text:
“God Almighty! Save the soul of your servant (name of the child) in the night wandering, do not let her be exposed to dangers unknown to the world. If you call my child to you in a dream, accept his soul in the Host of your Angels! Amen.”
In the villages in the old days there was a custom before going to bed to kiss the child on the forehead and say the following words: "Sleep with God." Of course, this folk custom did not replace the evening family prayer, it only supplemented it.
How to ask a guardian angel for a restful sleep?
As a rule, people ask for the help of a guardian angel on their own. However, if we are talking about a newborn child or a baby who, for some reason, is not able to turn to an angel, parents ask for him.
A child's prayer for a restful sleep, Orthodox and addressed to his guardian angel, may be:
"Angel of the Most Bright Lord! Descend into the earthly world and stay near my child (name of the child). Protect him from bad dreams, go to the nights of dark joys and cover him from the coolness with your wing in the early morning. Amen!"
Appeals to the baby himself, wishes said to the child for the coming dream, are not prayers. That is, if a person says to his son or daughter the phrase "May the Angel of the Lord be with you", he only expresses a wish.
How to pray for the blessing of future children?
Often, people planning the conception and birth of a child ask themselves questions about whether it is possible to pray in the temple for the gift of he alth and well-being to their unborn children. Such prayers are not condemned by the church, on the contrary, they are encouraged by it. After all, if people who responsibly approach the sacrament of childbearing initially feel the need to offer prayers for their future children, then they will raise them in accordance with church traditions.
But Orthodox prayers help not only those who plan to replenish the family. Many people have been waiting for the conception of children for years, sincerely not understanding why it does not happen. It is not so rare life situations in which completely he althy bodily people, passionately desiring to have offspring, do not have children.
As a rule, they pray to the Mother of God for the gift of offspring. However, if it is customary for generations in a family to turn to a saint for help with all the troubles and needs, then it is he who should be asked about the sacrament of conception and the well-being of future children. Of course, they ask for the gift of descendants and theGentlemen.
You can pray for the completion of the sacrament of conception and the granting of well-being to future children as follows:
“The Most Holy Queen of Heaven, the Most Pure Mother of God, who has tasted all earthly sorrows and joys in abundance, does not leave the human race without care, comforts in earthly sorrows! I beg you with all humility, with purity in my heart and without any ungodly intention, for help in my women's affairs, personal troubles. Grant me, a slave (proper name), to know the great joy of motherhood, reward a baby, strong and he althy. For a woman's life is empty without children. They are our delight, a reward from the Lord for meekness and humility. Bless me, Blessed Mother of God, and send down to my children the cover of your mercy. The fact that by the will of the Lord our God and by Your intercession, the Queen of Heaven will be born. Amen!"
How to pray for children in military service?
Sons grow up and join the army, serve for the good of the Motherland and protect the country from potential enemies. Of course, there are no parents who would not worry about the well-being and he alth of their children who left their home, who did not fear that their children were in danger.
Asking for intercession for military personnel, for the preservation of their he alth and life itself, for the removal of various dangers from them is customary with Archangel Michael. This tradition developed in the old days, when they served in the army for more than ten years, and the very fact of the son's departure for the service became a real test for his family. Nowadays, military service does not last as long as inCenturies long gone, but parents' worries are not lessened by this.
You can pray to Archangel Michael for the he alth and well-being of your sons in the army as follows:
“The Warrior of the Lord, Holy Michael, the storm of all the enemies of God! Punishing the wicked with a fiery sword in the name of our God, hear my plea, do not leave a great request without attention in the cares of the great, heed me, Most Bright Warrior of the Lord! I beg you, protect my child (name of the child) on the battlefield, cover him, like a shield, with your wing, Archangel Michael! Do not leave my child out of the fierce battle, protect him from hardships and troubles, do not let him experience human malice, save him from injustice and slander of strangers. Amen!"
What should not be forgotten when praying?
Prayer for a Christian is a constant spiritual work that never stops. This means that you cannot pray only when the need arises, one-time. It is necessary to constantly turn to the Lord in your thoughts or out loud.
Of course, there is no need to ask the Almighty for anything every minute or every day to beg the Lord to grant he alth to already strong, disease-free children. Orthodox people turn to God not only when they are in need, they can also pray with gratitude for what has been given. Thanksgiving prayers are very important for a Christian. After all, they testify to his meekness and humility, the understanding that everything in life is given to man by the grace of the Lord.
Of course, in addition, it is important not to allow sinfulness both in your life and in your thoughts. Humanweak by nature and without spiritual support in the form of sincere prayer easily succumbs to various temptations. It is extremely important to understand what sin is, why it is dangerous and to fight temptations. And when committing a sin, you need to sincerely repent of your actions or wicked thoughts. This is an important part of the spiritual work on oneself, which every believer does throughout his life.
Of course, even a sinful or murmuring person can pray for their children. However, prayer requires a deep, sincere and absolute faith in the power of the Almighty and complete acceptance of His providence, and people mired in sin, as a rule, do not possess these spiritual qualities.
