Brief morning prayer of Seraphim of Sarov. Prayer rule. Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov

Seraphim of Sarov (in the world Prokhor Isidorovich Moshnin)

Born in 1754 in Kursk, in the family of a wealthy eminent merchant Isidor Moshnin and his wife Agathia. Lost my father early. At the age of 7, he fell from the bell tower of the Sergius-Kazan Cathedral under construction, but remained unharmed. A local holy fool predicted that the boy would be “a strong representative before the Holy Trinity and an ardent prayer book for the whole world.” IN at a young age Prokhor fell seriously ill. During his illness, he saw the Mother of God in a dream, promising to heal him. The dream turned out to be true: during Procession of the Cross an icon of the Sign was carried past his house Holy Mother of God, and the mother brought Prokhor out to venerate the icon, after which he recovered.

In 1776, he made a pilgrimage to Kyiv to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, where Elder Dosifei blessed and showed him the place where he was to accept obedience and take monastic vows - the Sarov Hermitage. In 1778 he became a novice under Elder Joseph at the Sarov Monastery in the Tambov province. In the monastery he performed the duties of a sexton, did carpentry, baked prosphora and bread for the brethren. In 1786 he became a monk and was ordained a hierodeacon; in 1793 he was ordained a hieromonk.

In 1794, having a penchant for solitude, he began to live in the forest in a cell five kilometers from the monastery. As part of ascetic deeds and exercises, he wore the same clothes in winter and summer, got his own food in the forest, slept little, fasted strictly, re-read holy books, and prayed for a long time every day. Near the cell, Seraphim planted a vegetable garden and built a beekeeper.

A number of facts from the life of St. Seraphim is quite remarkable. Once, for three and a half years, an ascetic ate only grass. Later, Seraphim spent a thousand days and a thousand nights in the feat of pillar-building on a stone boulder. Some of those who came to him for spiritual advice saw huge bear, which the monk fed with bread from his hands (according to Father Seraphim himself, this bear constantly came to him, but it is known that the Elder also fed other animals).

Of the more dramatic events, the case of the robbers is known. According to the life, some robbers, having learned that rich visitors often came to Seraphim, decided to rob his cell. Finding him in the forest during daily prayer, they beat him and broke his head with the butt of an ax, and the saint did not resist, despite the fact that he was young and strong man. The robbers found nothing for themselves in his cell and left. The monk miraculously returned to life, but after this incident he remained severely hunched over forever. Later these people were caught and identified, but Father Seraphim forgave them; at his request they were left without punishment.

In 1807, the monk took upon himself the monastic feat of silence, trying not to meet or communicate with anyone. In 1810 he returned to the monastery.
In the monastery he took upon himself the most difficult new feat of seclusion. The monk secluded himself for 17 years, not going anywhere and gradually loosening the severity of his seclusion. For the first 5 years, no one saw him, and even his brother, who brought him meager food, did not see how the elder took it. Then the holy elder opened his cell door, and anyone could come to him, but he did not answer the questions of those who needed him, taking a vow of silence before God and silently continuing his spiritual work. There was nothing in the cell except the icon of the Mother of God, in front of which a lamp glowed, and a stump of a stump that served as his chair. An unpainted oak coffin stood in the entryway, and the elder prayed near it, constantly preparing for the transition from temporary life to eternal life.

After 10 years of silent seclusion, according to the Divine Will, the Monk Seraphim again opened his lips to serve the world - his love, sent from God with the grace-filled gifts of teaching, insight, miracles and healings, his spiritual guidance, prayer, consolation and advice. The doors of his cell became open to everyone - from early liturgy to eight o’clock in the evening.

1823 - the first case of miraculous healing by Father Seraphim of the seriously ill landowner Mikhail Vasilyevich Manturov.

While living in the monastery, he received many visitors from monastics and lay people, having, as it is said in his life, the gift of insight and healing from illnesses. He was also visited by noble people, including Tsar Alexander I. He addressed everyone who came to him with the words “My joy!”, and at any time of the year he greeted him with the words “Christ is risen!” He was the founder and permanent patron of the Diveevo Convent.

On September 5, 1831, a miraculous healing of a Simbirsk landowner and benefactor took place by the Sarov Wonderworker Diveevsky Monastery Nikolai Aleksandrovich Motovilov, who subsequently recorded a conversation with Father Seraphim “On the Purpose of Christian Life,” which became the Elder’s spiritual testament.

In 1831, the saint was granted a vision of the Mother of God (for the twelfth time in his life) surrounded by John the Baptist, John the Theologian and 12 virgins. He died in 1833 in the Sarov Monastery in his cell during kneeling prayer.

Currently, the shrine with the relics of St. Seraphim, the miracle worker of Sarov and all Rus', rests in the Trinity Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Seraphim-Diveevo Convent.

One of the most revered Russian saints.

Seraphim of Sarov, the seer, with amazing accuracy predicted the future fate of Russia: “There will be a great long war and a terrible revolution in Russia, exceeding any human imagination, for the bloodshed will be terrible: the riots of Razinsky, Pugachevsky, French revolution- nothing compared to what will happen to Russia. There will be the death of many people loyal to the fatherland, the plunder of wealth good people, rivers of Russian blood will be shed... There will be such sorrow as has not happened since the beginning of the world! The angels will not have time to receive souls... I prayed to the Lord to avert this terrible misfortune, but the Lord did not hear the poor Seraphim.” “When will the most scary time? - one of his admirers once asked the monk. “A little later than a hundred years after my death,” answered Elder Seraphim of Sarov.”

Instructions of the Holy Elder Seraphim

Passions are destroyed by suffering and sorrow, either voluntary or sent by Providence.

My joy, I pray you, acquire a peaceful spirit, and then thousands of souls will be saved around you.

One should not unnecessarily open one’s heart to another. When you happen to be among people in the world, you should not talk about spiritual things, especially when there is no desire to listen to them.

The true goal of our Christian life is to acquire the Holy Spirit.

God is a fire that warms and ignites hearts and bellies. So, if we feel coldness in our hearts, which is from the devil, for the devil is cold, then we will call on the Lord, and He will come and warm our hearts with perfect love not only for Him, but also for our neighbor. And from the face of warmth the coldness of a good-hater will be driven away.

God shows us His love for mankind not only when we do good, but also when we offend and anger Him. How patiently He bears our iniquities! And when he punishes, how compassionately he punishes!

To the extent that a person perfects himself before God, to the extent that he follows Him; in the true age, God reveals His face to him. For the righteous, to the extent that they enter into contemplation of Him, see the image as in a mirror, and there they see the manifestation of truth.

If you do not know God, then it is impossible for love for Him to be aroused in you; and you cannot love God unless you see Him. The vision of God comes from the knowledge of Him: for the contemplation of Him does not precede the knowledge of Him.

One should not talk about the works of God after the belly is full, for in a full belly there is no vision of the mysteries of God.

Faith without works is dead (James 2:26); and the works of faith are: love, peace, long-suffering, mercy, humility, bearing the cross and living in the spirit. Only such faith is imputed to the truth. True faith cannot be without works: whoever truly believes certainly has works.

If a person has no concern at all for himself for the sake of love for God and acts of virtue, knowing that God cares for him, such hope is true and wise. But if a person himself cares about his affairs and turns to God in prayer only when inevitable troubles already befall him, and in own strength he does not see any means of averting them and begins to hope for God’s help - such a hope is vain and false. True hope seeks the one Kingdom of God and is confident that everything earthly, necessary for temporary life, will undoubtedly be given. The heart cannot have peace until it gains this hope. She will pacify him and pour joy into him. The venerable and most holy lips spoke about this hope: come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28), that is, trust in Me and be comforted from labor and fear.

He who has acquired perfect love for God exists in this life as if he did not exist. For he considers himself a stranger to the visible, waiting patiently for the invisible. He completely changed into love for God and forgot all other love.
He who loves himself cannot love God. And whoever does not love himself for the sake of loving God, loves God.
Truly loving God considers himself a wanderer and a stranger to this land; for with his soul and mind, in his striving for God, he contemplates Him alone.
A soul filled with the love of God, during its exodus from the body, will not fear the prince of the air, but will fly with the Angels, as if from a foreign country to its homeland.
Reading the word of God must be done in solitude so that the whole mind of the reader is deepened in the truths of Holy Scripture and receives from this warmth, which in solitude produces tears; from these, a person is completely warmed and filled with spiritual gifts, delighting the mind and heart more than any word.

Nothing promotes acquisition inner world like silence and, as much as possible, constant conversation with oneself and rare conversations with others.

We must vigilantly guard our hearts from obscene thoughts and impressions, according to the words of the Pritochnik: with all guarding, guard your heart from these things that come from the belly (Proverbs 4:23).
From vigilant guarding of the heart, purity is born in it, for which the vision of the Lord is available, according to the assurance of the eternal Truth: Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8).
What is best has flowed into the heart, we should not pour it out unnecessarily; for then only what is collected can be safe from visible and invisible enemies, when it is kept, like a treasure, in the interior of the heart.
The heart only boils then, being kindled by the Divine fire, when there is living water in it; when it all pours out, it gets cold, and the person freezes.
When a person tries to have a humble heart and an undisturbed, but peaceful thought, then all the machinations of the enemy are ineffective, for where there is peace of thoughts, there the Lord God Himself rests - His place is in the world (Ps. 75:3).

Repentance for sin, by the way, consists in not doing it again.
Just as there is a cure for every illness, so there is repentance for every sin.
Therefore, undoubtedly, approach repentance, and it will intercede for you before God.
In church it is useful to stand in prayer with your eyes closed in inner attention; open your eyes only when you become discouraged, or sleep weighs you down and tempts you to doze off; then one should turn one’s eyes to the image and to the candle burning in front of it.

When the mind and heart are united in prayer and the thoughts of the soul are not scattered, then the heart is warmed with spiritual warmth, in which the light of Christ shines, filling the world with peace and joy inner man.
Whoever has tears of tenderness flowing, his heart is illuminated by the rays of the Sun of Truth - Christ God.

In order to accept and see the light of Christ in your heart, you must, as much as possible, distract yourself from visible objects. Having cleansed the soul with repentance and good deeds and with faith in the Crucified One, having closed the bodily eyes, one must immerse the mind inside the heart and cry out invoking the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; and then, according to the zeal and ardor of the spirit towards the Beloved, a person finds pleasure in the invoked name, which arouses the desire to seek higher enlightenment.

Prayer Rule the seventh elder Seraphim

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov considered prayer to be as necessary for life as air. He asked and demanded from his spiritual children that they pray unceasingly, and commanded them a prayer rule, which remained under the name “Rules of Father Seraphim.”

Rising from sleep, every Christian, having protected himself with the sign of the cross, let him read the saving prayer that our Lord and God Jesus Christ Himself taught to His disciples:
Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be it your name, let him come Your kingdom Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Thrice)

In honor of the Mother of God:
Virgin Mary, Rejoice, O Blessed Mary, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among women and blessed is the fruit of Your womb, for You have given birth to the Savior of our souls. (Thrice)

Then - the Creed:
I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible to all. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, who was born of the Father before all ages; Light from Light, true God from true God, born, uncreated, consubstantial with the Father, to Whom all things were. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became human. She was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered and was buried. And he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father. And again the coming one will be judged with glory by the living and the dead, His Kingdom will have no end. And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Life-Giving One, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who spoke the prophets. Into One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins. I hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. Amen.

Having completed this rule, let every Christian go about his business to which he has been assigned or called. While at work, at home or on the road, let him quietly read the Jesus Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (or sinner); and if other people surround him, then, while doing business, let him say with his mind only: Lord, have mercy! And this continues until lunch.
Before dinner, let him do the above morning rule.
After lunch, while doing your job, also read quietly: Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner (or a sinner); and continue this until sleep.
As you approach sleep, read the above morning rule, and then go to sleep, protecting yourself with the sign of the cross.

At the same time, St. the elder spoke, pointing to the experience of the saint. father, that if a Christian adheres to this small rule, as a saving anchor among the waves of worldly vanity, fulfilling it with humility, then he can achieve a high measure of spirituality, for these prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first is like the word of the Lord Himself and set by Him as a model of all prayers, the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel as a greeting to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord. The latter contains all the dogmas of faith.
Let him who has time read the Gospel, the Apostle, other prayers, akathists, and canons. If it is impossible for someone to follow this rule - a servant, a forced person - then the wise old man advised to follow this rule while lying down, and while walking, and in action, remembering the words of Scripture: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

In the daily whirlwind, it is difficult for us to carve out a piece of time to talk with the Almighty. But every true believer Christian tries to follow the righteous path, observing the prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov.

The Monk Seraphim - known in the world as Prokhor, the son of the Kursk merchant Isidor Moshnin - became famous for his Orthodox deeds at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. While still a novice in Sarov, young Prokhor experienced a severe illness (dropsy), from which the young man was healed, according to him, by the Mother of God herself, who appeared before him at night.

Even then, Prokhor was firm in his decision to serve the Lord, and his miraculous recovery only strengthened his faith.

At the age of 27, the young man became a monk and found his famous name Seraphim (Heb. - “warming”). Such a selfless monk was worth looking for in Rus'. Seraphim spent all his waking hours in prayer.

After the death of their spiritual superior, Father Pachomius, Seraphim and several other monks went into hermitage - they built a cell far from the bustle of the world and served there in the name of God for more than twelve years. The devil sent many temptations to the hermits, trying to destroy their faith and holiness. But adversity only gave strength to Seraphim and his brothers in sincere worship of the Heavenly Father.

The Mother of God and even the Almighty himself appeared to the monk more than once, and more than once he healed laymen who sought help from deadly ailments. Many prophecies of the holy elder remained as a legacy to descendants. But the main gift to all laity is undoubtedly the prayer rule that Seraphim of Sarov bequeathed to the people.

The covenant spread, according to church descriptions, when a woman came to Father Seraphim and asked how to pray correctly if there was too much work to do and there was absolutely no time to stand before the images and go to church every day. Parishioners repeatedly turned to the reverend with this question. He gave everyone the same instruction - to pray unceasingly from morning until the dead of night - and suggested which prayers were best to read.

Why do you need a prayer rule?

Among the people, the prayer rule is endowed with a special magical meaning. When analyzing how and to whom the rule is useful, it is important to know that there is a short set of prayers that St. Seraphim ordered the faithful to read, and the so-called Theotokos rule, which consists of repeated repetition of the prayer to Mother Theotokos.

Prayer rule of Seraphim of Sarov

“Having awakened from sleep and standing in a chosen place, everyone must protect himself with the sign of the cross and, standing in a chosen place, read that saving prayer that the Lord Himself conveyed to people, that is, “Our Father” (three times), then “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice "(three times) and finally once a symbol of faith. Having completed this morning rule, let every Christian go to his work and, while working at home or on the road, should read quietly to himself: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” If people are around you, then, while doing business, say only with your mind: “Lord, have mercy,” and continue like this until lunch. Before lunch, do the morning rule. After dinner, while doing his work, everyone should read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner,” which continues until nightfall. Whenever you happen to spend time in solitude, you need to read: “Lord Jesus Christ, through the Mother of God have mercy on me a sinner,” and When going to bed at night, every Christian must repeat the morning rule, and after it, with the sign of the cross, fall asleep. At the same time, St. the elder spoke, pointing to the experience of the saint. father, that if a Christian adheres to this small rule, as a saving anchor among the waves of worldly vanity, fulfilling it with humility, then he can achieve a high measure of spirituality, for these prayers are the foundation of Christianity: the first is like the word of the Lord Himself and set by Him as a model of all prayers, the second was brought from heaven by the Archangel as a greeting to the Blessed Virgin, Mother of the Lord. The latter contains all the dogmas of faith. Let him who has time read the Gospel, the Apostle, other prayers, akathists, and canons. If it is impossible for someone to follow this rule - a servant, a forced person - then the wise old man advised to follow this rule while lying down, and while walking, and in action, remembering the words of Scripture: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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In the short version of the rule, three prayers are required to be read: “Our Father”, “Rejoice to the Virgin Mary!”, “Creed”. The texts of the prayers are read in the morning (immediately after sleep) and after supper (before bed) in this order, with the first two being read three times, and the last once.

Before lunch, going about his business, a person quietly says, “Lord, Son of God Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!” Or he simply constantly repeats the words “Lord, have mercy!” Throughout the second half of the day after mass, it is necessary to make a request in a whisper or in the mind to the Mother of Christ: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner!”

Don't forget about sign of the cross: before reading the morning and evening rules.

The Theotokos rule is read 150 times a day, every ten is diluted with the most famous prayers: “Our Father” to the Almighty, “Doors of Mercy” to the Mother of God. Everyone who works is not forbidden to say the words of prayers during the work process, on the go. In order not to lose count when reading the Theotokos, you are allowed to use church rosaries, selecting one after 5-10 texts.

Do not neglect bowing. As Seraphim of Sarov said, 200 bows per day should definitely be done. Only those who are completely infirm and not walking are allowed to read the prayer and the Theotokos rules while sitting (lying down), without bowing.

By constantly adhering to the prescriptions of the Rules (standard or Theotokos), a person is able to experience the mystery of faith and come to a righteous life that meets Christian canons. Saint Seraphim understood that only constant prayers and concentration on the correct reading of texts could help to the common man get rid of sinful thoughts, cleanse yourself and find spiritual unity with the Lord.

Even prayers said automatically, without giving due meaning to the words, are capable of returning the human soul to holiness and humility.

Evidence of the Value of Prayer

There are thousands of cases known all over the world when a prayer included in the Rule, read at the right time, saved from imminent death or healed from a serious illness.

Divine power saved us from troubles, gave us hope, and helped our cherished desires come true. History contains a lot of evidence of such events that cannot be called anything other than a miracle.

During the Second World War, soldiers were protected from a stray bullet by the phrase “Lord, have mercy” uttered before battle (although that time was famous for the persecution of the church). Contemporaries also share a lot of information via the Internet. interesting stories : someone quit drinking and became an athlete after coming to church and studying the prayer rules; to someone higher power

bestowed the joy of motherhood; others heard the voices of the Saints with instructions on how to change their lives. But all the evidence convinces us that only faith is capable of bestowing grace and working miracles!

Video: Rule of Seraphim of Sarov“Rising from sleep, every Christian, standing before St. icons, let him read the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, then the hymn to the Mother of God “Rejoice, Virgin Mary” also three times and, finally, the Creed once. Having completed this rule, let everyone go about their work to which they have been assigned or called.While working at home or on the road somewhere, let him quietly read: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,” and if others surround him,then, while doing business, let him say with his mind only: “Lord have mercy,” and continue until lunch. Just before lunch, let him perform the above morning rule. After lunch, while doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner,” and let him continue this until sleep.

When going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.”

For those who, due to various circumstances, cannot follow this small rule, Rev. Seraphim advised reading it in any position: during classes, while walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for this as the words of Scripture: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Seraphim rule (3 times “Our Father”; 3 times “To the Virgin Mary...”; 1 time “Creed”) was supposed to be prayed in certain cases, when for some reason it is not possible to read complete rule. That is, as an exception.

In addition, Rev. Seraphim gave it to the Diveyevo sisters, who, being nuns of the monastery, had the opportunity to often attend divine services - more often than the laity.

Spiritual life - and this especially concerns prayer - is such that if you do not constantly force yourself, there will be no success. Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says that prayer requires constant self-compulsion, no matter what spiritual state a person is in, i.e. even the saints forced themselves to pray. It is labor that is valuable before God. Constancy is important in work.

But there is another side to prayer. When a person constantly forces himself to do it, he suddenly discovers a special inner joy in the practice of prayer, so that at times he wants to give up everything for the sake of prayer. That is why there are people who go to monasteries. They go there for nothing other than prayer. And if prayer did not bring joy, it is unlikely that anyone would be able to stay there.

As for attention, which is truly the soul of prayer, it directly depends on the kind of life a person leads. He who leads an attentive life has attentive prayer. “The reason for the involuntary is arbitrary,” said the Fathers. An attentive life is when a person is attentive to everything that happens to him. First of all - inside him, and then around him: to all thoughts, experiences, desires, intentions. Every desire and every thought is compared with the Gospel: are they pleasing to God? - and leaves in the heart and mind only what is pleasing to God, expelling from there every manifestation of sin. It helps a lot to live an attentive life when a person has a spiritual father and can ask him what to do in a given situation, and can resolve various perplexities regarding spiritual life and external circumstances.

The saints of God were wise people. They understood that it is necessary to accustom a person to a pious life gradually: they do not pour new wine into old wineskins. Therefore, at first they gave their students small rules, and then they demanded greater severity. This is an indispensable law of spiritual life: forgetting what lies behind, reaching forward, as the apostle said.

They commanded short prayers as unceasing prayers so that the mind would not be distracted by many words and would maintain attention. Continuous prayer is performed during any task, called obedience in the monastery, and work in the world. These short prayers, performed according to the commandment “pray without ceasing,” should not interfere, therefore, if the work is mental, prayer is abandoned at this time. The home rule was commanded individually, in accordance with the spiritual strength of the student. And worship, sometimes even for the laity, took considerable time. No wonder it was called an all-night vigil. The reductions began in the 19th century. On Mount Athos, services still last 13-14 hours.

I believe that the necessary minimum for any layman is morning and evening prayers in full.

The Venerable Elder Seraphim of Sarov was an extraordinary man of prayer and a humble guardian of God’s laws. Until now, he is a wise teacher and mentor for many Orthodox laity. His prayer rule acts every minute on those who fulfill it with true zeal, who truly believe in Jesus Christ and the Mother of God. Many prayers are also offered to Seraphim of Sarov himself, so that he will help in overcoming difficulties and protect from various troubles. The days of his memory are celebrated Orthodox Church January 15 - when the priest appeared before the Lord, and August 1 - the day of the discovery of the holy relics.

The childhood of Seraphim of Sarov

The proposed prayer rule was literally developed by the elder himself, who had to endure and endure a lot. And only by the will of God to remain alive. Even the Devil himself once became the tempter of Seraphim of Sarov, but more on that later.

So, Prokhor Moshnin (that was his name in the world) was born on July 19, 1754 (or 1759) in Kursk into the Moshnin merchant family. His father was involved in various construction contracts, including the construction of churches.

Today in Kursk there is a preserved church - Sergiev-Kazansky Cathedral, which the father of Seraphim of Sarov began to build, but he soon died, and his wife took over the management of the church’s construction affairs. Prokhor once found himself at a construction site with his mother and accidentally, through a childish prank, fell from a high bell tower. However, to the surprise of everyone, he remained alive, since God had prepared a completely different fate for him. Today in this temple, in this very place, there is a monument to the Reverend Father Seraphim of Sarov.

Boyhood

From a young age, Prokhor tried to follow the prayer rule for the laity. He often attended church services and learned to read and write. He often read the books Lives of the Saints and the Gospel aloud to his peers. When he became very ill, his mother put his head to the icon of the Sign of the Most Holy Theotokos - and the boy received healing from her. Soon, the very young Prokhor wanted to become a novice in a monastery. Birth mother she blessed him and gave him a crucifix, which he never parted with all his life. Today it is kept by the nuns in the Seraphim-Diveevsky Monastery.

Monasticism

Soon Prokhor makes a pilgrimage to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. There he receives the blessing of Elder Dosifei to serve and goes to the Holy Dormition. Upon Prokhor's arrival at the monastery, Father Pachomius assigned him a confessor - Elder Joseph. Prokhor fulfilled all his duties with great pleasure and diligence and read the prayer rule with great diligence.

Then, following the example of other monks, he wanted to retire to the forest for this. Elder Joseph blessed him for this.

After some time, the young novice began to suffer from dropsy. The illness did not let him go for a long time, but he did not want to see doctors and completely surrendered to the will of God. And then one night after communion, he saw the Mother of God and She poked him in the side with her staff and the liquid immediately flowed out of it. From that moment Prokhor began to recover.

Enoch

After eight years of staying in the Sarov monastery, Prokhor becomes a monk with the name Seraphim. He began to live in a cell located in the forest not far from the monastery. It was then that he became involved in monastic feats, in particular physical ones, since he wore the same clothes both in summer and in winter. He obtained his meager food in the forest, since he mostly kept a fast. He slept little, spending time in constant prayer and fulfilling the daily prayer rule, rereading the Gospel and patristic writings.

He achieved this spiritual development, What's on church services More than once I saw the Holy Angels helping in the ministry. And one day he even saw Jesus Christ himself, who entered into the image. After such visions, Seraphim of Sarov prayed even more intensely. With the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, Father Isaiah, he decides on a new feat - he goes several kilometers into a deserted forest cell. He comes to the monastery to receive communion only on Saturdays.

Tests

At the age of 39 he becomes a hieromonk. Father Seraphim devotes himself almost entirely to prayer and can even lie motionless for a long time. Over time, again with the blessing of the abbot of the monastery, it stopped accepting visitors, the path to it was almost overgrown, only wild animals, whom he loved to treat with bread, could wander there.

The Devil did not like such exploits of Father Seraphim. He decided to send robbers against him, who came to him and began to demand money from the poor old man. These uninvited guests beat Father Seraphim almost to death. He was strong enough to repel them, but decided not to shed blood, since he lived according to the commandments and his faith in the Lord was strong. They did not find any money from him, and therefore, ashamed, they went home. The brethren were simply shocked when they saw the wounded priest. But the elder did not need a doctor, since the Queen of Heaven Herself healed him, Once again appearing to him in a dream.

Hermitage

After several months, Father Seraphim returned to his desert cell. During 15 years of hermitage, he was constantly in the thought of God and for this he was gifted with the gift of clairvoyance and miracles. When the priest became very weak from old age, he returned to the monastery and began to receive visitors, whom he treated with great respect and addressed only as “My Joy.”

It is thanks to Seraphim of Sarov that we have a short prayer rule that gives everyone the opportunity Orthodox Christian always and at any moment be closer to God.

His real brainchild was Diveevsky, the development of which was inspired by the Mother of God herself.

Before his death, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov took communion and, kneeling before his beloved icon of the Mother of God “Tenderness,” departed in peace to the Lord. This happened in 1833.

The canonization of the holy relics of Sarov took place on August 1, 1903. Participated in this process Russian Tsar Nicholas II.

Seraphim of Sarov asked his spiritual children to pray tirelessly, believing that they needed prayer like air. He said that you need to pray both in the morning and in the evening, before and after work, and at any time. However, it is difficult for ordinary parishioners to read all the necessary numerous prayers; not everyone has enough time for this task due to the constant bustle and busyness of life. That's why, to fewer people sinned, and special short prayer rules of Seraphim of Sarov appeared.

Morning and evening prayer rules

These prayers do not require any special effort or work. But, according to the saint, it is these rules that will become a kind of anchor that reliably holds back the ship of life on the raging waves of everyday problems. By following these rules daily, you can achieve high spiritual development, since prayer is the main essence foundations of Christianity.

The morning prayer rule says that every believer, waking up in the morning, must first cross himself three times and certain place Before the icons, read the prayer “Our Father” three times, “Rejoice to the Mother of God” three times and the “Creed” once. And then you can calmly begin your business. During the day, you also need to periodically turn to God with the prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” If there are people around, then say the words: “Lord have mercy.”

Rule of Seraphim of Sarov

And so on until lunch, and before it you need to repeat the morning prayer rule exactly. Reading after lunch short prayer“Blessed Virgin Mary, save me, a sinner.” This prayer must be read periodically until the evening. In solitude from everyone, read “Lord Jesus Christ, Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

At the end of the day, the evening prayer rule is read. The text of his prayers absolutely coincides with the morning ones. And then, having been baptized three times, you can go to bed. This is the prayer rule for beginners from the holy elder Seraphim of Sarov himself.

Designation of prayers

The Lord's Prayer is the word of the Lord, set by Him as a model. The prayer “Virgin Mother of God, rejoice” became the Archangel’s greeting to the Mother of God. The “Creed” prayer is already a dogma.

However, along with these prayers, it is necessary to say others, and it is also necessary to read the Gospel, canons of praise and akathists.

Our wise elder Seraphim advised that if, due to being very busy at work, it is not possible to read prayers with dignity, then this can be done while walking, and during any activity, even lying down. The main thing is to always remember his words: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Prophecies

The perspicacious old man could predict the future. So, he predicted war, revolution and the execution of Nicholas II and his family. He also predicted his own canonization. But the main thing is that he predicted the revival of Russia (starting in 2003), that despite all the severe suffering it would become a great power, since it was her Slavic people became the keeper of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Russia that will become the world leader, many nations will submit to it, there will not be a stronger and more powerful state on Earth. Everything that Holy Father Seraphim of Sarov predicted certainly came true. And now we can only pray to God and the holy elder, so that this time all his prophecies will come true.

The Monk Seraphim of Sarov taught the following prayer rule: “Having risen from sleep, every Christian, standing before St. icons, let him read the Lord’s Prayer “Our Father” three times, in honor of the Most Holy Trinity, then the hymn to the Mother of God “Rejoice, Virgin Mary” also three times and, finally, the Creed once. Having completed this rule, let everyone go about their work to which they have been assigned or called.

While working at home or on the road somewhere, let him quietly read: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner,” and if others surround him, then, while doing business, let him say with his mind only: “ Lord have mercy,” and continues until lunch. Just before lunch, let him perform the above morning rule. After lunch, while doing his work, let him read quietly: “Most Holy Theotokos, save me a sinner,” and let him continue this until sleep.

When going to bed, let every Christian read the above morning rule again; after that, let him fall asleep, protecting himself with the sign of the cross.”

For those who, due to various circumstances, cannot follow this prayer rule, Rev. Seraphim advised reading it in any position: during classes, while walking, and even in bed, presenting the basis for this as the words of Scripture: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Seraphim rule (3 times “Our Father”; 3 times “To the Virgin Mary...”; 1 time “Creed”) was supposed to be prayed in individual cases when for some reason it is not possible to read the full rule. That is, as an exception.

In addition, Rev. Seraphim gave it to the Diveyevo sisters, who, being nuns of the monastery, had the opportunity to often attend divine services - more often than the laity.

Hieromonk Sergius