The Lord's Prayer is not just the main words for any Christian. These lines contain a secret meaning, an understanding of God himself and everything that surrounds us. Much is connected with the text of this prayer. interesting facts and even mysteries that only a true believer can comprehend.
History of Prayer
"Our Father" is the only prayer that the Lord himself has given us. It is believed that it was given to humanity by Christ, and was not invented by either saints or ordinary people, and this is precisely its great power. The text of the prayer itself is as follows:
Our Father who art in heaven!
hallowed be thy name;
let your kingdom come;
may Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
give us our daily bread this day;
and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
These words reflect all human needs, aspirations and aspirations for the salvation of the soul. The meaning and mystery of this prayer lies in the fact that it is the universal word of God, which can be used both to bless one's path and to protect one from evil spirits, from illness and from any misfortune.
rescue stories
Many Christian leaders say that reading "Our Father" in the most terrible moments of life can help to avoid a terrible fate. The main secret of this prayer lies in its power. God saved many people in danger, reading "Our Father". Desperate situations that put us in the face of death are the best moment to utter powerful lines.
One of the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, a certain Alexander, wrote a letter to his wife, which she did not reach. Apparently, it was lost, because it was found in one of the places of deployment of troops. In it, the man said that he was surrounded in 1944 by the Germans and was waiting for his death at the hands of the enemy. “I was lying in the house with a wounded leg, I heard the sound of footsteps and a German dialect. I realized that I was about to die. Ours were close, but it was simply ridiculous to count on them. I couldn't move, not only because I was wounded, but also because I was in a dead end. There was nothing left but to pray. I prepared to die at the hands of the enemy. They saw me - I was frightened, but I did not stop reading the prayer. The German did not have any cartridges - he began to quickly talk about something with his own, but something went wrong. They abruptly rushed to run, throwing a grenade at my feet - so that I could not reach it. When I read the last line of the prayer, I realized that the grenade had not exploded.”
The world knows many such stories. Prayer saved people who met wolves in the forest - they turned around and walked away. Prayer put thieves and robbers on the righteous path, who returned stolen things, attaching notes of repentance and that God had instructed them to do this. This sacred text will save from cold, fire, wind and from any misfortune that can threaten life.
But the main secret of this prayer is known not only in grief. Read "Our Father" every day - and it will fill your life with light and goodness. Thank God with this prayer that you are alive and you will always be healthy and happy.
We wish you strong faith in God, health and patience. Learn the secret of the Divine plan and our life in the reading of the prayer "Our Father". Read it from the heart - then your life will be brighter and calmer. God will be with you in everything. Good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and
17.02.2016 00:30
Every day we face difficulties and challenging situations that test our faith. Exactly...
You and I are starting a very large and important topic dedicated to the prayer "Our Father". Why is this topic so big and important? Then you will know everything.
Foreword
One day the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ asked Him: “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1).
And the Lord, in response to this request, said to them: “When you pray, speak”:
This is the full text of the Lord's Prayer.
Very often it is called the Lord's Prayer, because the Lord Himself left it to us. He gave it to us as a model, as an example for prayer: pray like this, so we will consider the Lord's Prayer with all possible care.
Let's think about it: Jesus Christ is God made man. He “is the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. The Son of God became the son of man. And when we asked Him to teach us how to pray, He said, "To my Father, pray like this."
What prayer is more true if not the one given by the Son of God? What prayer will be more quickly heard and accepted by our Heavenly Father, if not the prayer that the Son of God Himself gave us?
People often come to priests and ask: “Batiushka, such and such a problem is so bad with us. Tell me, please, what prayer should I read? They answer: “Do you know the Our Father?” And they: "Yes," Our Father "we know, but it's so, something of little importance." This is the wrong attitude, because this prayer is the standard. 
Does this mean that we can only pray the Lord's prayer "Our Father", while others do not? Are other prayers somehow wrong and less effective? No! We communicate with our Heavenly Father through prayer. In addition, prayer, if you think carefully, expresses the inner world of a person, his faith. How he looks at himself, how he looks at God. What are the values in his life, what does he ask God for, how does he ask God. That is, prayer expresses a certain inner world, human essence, the essence of faith. As you pray, so you believe. As you believe, so you pray. Therefore, we can say that the prayer "Our Father" in a sense, as it were, reflects the inner world of Christ Himself. After all, He taught us: "Pray like this."
Interpretation of the prayer "Our Father"
Let's look at the structure of the Lord's Prayer. It consists of the appeal: "Our Father, who art in heaven!" Then there are seven petitions. The prayer ends with a brief doxology, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen". The seven petitions are also heterogeneous.
The first three are not even petitions, but a kind of doxology, dressed in the form of a petition “Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth.” It is as if we are expressing our desire, our desire for it to be like this, for the name of the Lord to be holy, for His Kingdom to come and His will be done, both in Heaven and on earth. And then there are those four petitions that relate to our needs “Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Four petitions that relate to our needs, about what? What are we asking God for? We actually ask the Lord to help us remove those obstacles in our lives that prevent us from hallowing the name of the Lord, the Kingdom of the Lord in our hearts and the will of God in everything. And then - the final doxology “For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen". But we pronounce it differently, it is modified. In practice, it is pronounced like this: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen". Just this modified doxology also, as it were, indicates that we are not clearly, rigidly enclosed in the framework of just such words. We can change them a little.
"Our Father"
If all prayer is addressed to God the Father, then in doxology we are already addressing the entire Trinity. Because both the Son and the Holy Spirit, equally with the Father, deserve all glory, honor and worship.
So, the invocation in the Lord's Prayer: "Our Father, who art in heaven." Let's talk first about the initial phrase of the invocation - "Our Father".
The word "Father" is the vocative case of the word "father". This is how we address God: "Father, our father God." We call the Creator of the Universe our Father. Thus, we testify that we are, as it were, transferred from the rank of a slave state to a son's state.
There are such words in the Gospel: “But to those who received Him, to those who believed in His name He gave power to become children of God” (John 1-12). Calling God the Father, we call ourselves children of God. This means that we must live up to our rank. In the Gospel we read the following words of Jesus Christ:
That's what it means.
If you are a child of God, then you must be a child of God so that, looking at you, it is clear who your father is. So easily, very unobtrusively, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us with just one word to correspond to that great ideal that can only exist in the Universe - our Heavenly Father.
"Our Father". Pay attention to the accuracy of the wording. How the Lord teaches us to be friendly to everyone, to love everyone, to treat absolutely everyone as brothers and sisters. He does not say, teaching us the prayer, "My Father." He says, "Our Father." We are all brothers and sisters and should treat each other accordingly.
"Who art thou in heaven"
Let's talk about the end of the invocation of the Lord's Prayer. "Who art thou in heaven." Here we immediately encounter a small heap of incomprehensible words. The most incomprehensible of them is "thou". What is this word? What is it for and what does it mean?
It is not clear to us because it has no analogues in the Russian language. More precisely, there are, but they are not used or are used very rarely. Therefore, for our hearing, this word is not attached to anything. But in foreign languages analogues exist. For example, in English language. If a direct English phrase is translated into Russian, then it sounds like this: “this is a table”, “this is a chair”. Why do they say "it is" in English? We don't understand. And it is so obvious that this is a table, this is a chair. Why bother with anything else? There is no such verb in Russian, but it is present in English. It is also present in Church Slavonic. This is a form of the verb "to be", in Slavic - "to be". This verb is conjugated by persons and by numbers, and (again, a feature of the Church Slavonic language) it also has a dual number, in addition to the singular and plural. It is used when talking about two people, two objects, or something paired.
So, the verb "to be" is conjugated in the singular - "I am." We recall the phrase from the film "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession": "Azm is the King." In the second person - "you". In the third - "is." We see examples of use in Psalm 50: “Behold, in iniquity I was conceived, and in sins give birth to me, my mother, Behold, thou hast loved the truth; Thou hast manifested to me Thy obscure and secret wisdom” (Ps. 50:7-8).
The plural of this verb in the first person is "esma". In the second person - "essence", in the third - "essence". An example in the Gospel: “What are these words” (Luke 24:17). That is, what do these words mean, what are these words, what is their meaning (here we are talking about many words). The dual number of the verb "to be": "esva", "esta" and "esta" (in the second and third person the form is the same). But the dual number in prayers is used extremely rarely. After all, I and the Lord pray. Or I'm talking to a saint. There is nowhere to use the dual number here.
To complete the picture, let's add about what is negative form the verb "to be" in the present tense. Then the particle “not” is added and it turns out “not”. In the first person - "I am not the King." In the second - "carry", in the third - "carry". In plural: “nonsmy”, “neste”, “carry”. In the dual number: "nesva", "nesta", "nesta". Again, this negative form is less commonly used. The dual number is practically not used.
What does the phrase "Who art in heaven" mean? "Which" - which is our Father, who is in heaven or who is in heaven, who exists, is in heaven. When we say “Father” in our address to Him, this already means for us that we are His children and what we should be. Here is this phrase, "Who art in heaven" for us, and not for Him.
"Hallowed be thy name"
The first petition of the Lord's Prayer: "Hallowed be thy name." This is both a petition, and well-wishes, and the glorification of God.
"Holy be thy name among all men, among all peoples, throughout the earth and throughout the universe." It's clear. What are we asking here? What is the subtext here? What is the petition about? The fact is that in the Gospel there are such words that Jesus Christ spoke to His disciples:
That is, in the words “Hallowed be Thy name,” the subtext reads: “Lord, give us wisdom, give us strength. Give us the opportunity to live so that, looking at us, Your name is glorified among all people.
"Thy Kingdom Come"
The second petition of the Lord's Prayer is: "Thy kingdom come." Let's talk about the Kingdom of God. “The earth is the Lord, and its fulfillment, the universe and all who live in it” (Ps. 23:1) That is, the whole world, nature, the whole universe - this is the Kingdom of God, the kingdom of nature. But we can't ask "Thy Kingdom come" with that in mind, because it's already there. And we are part of this world, part of this nature.
The fact is that the Kingdom of God is a multifaceted concept, and nature is only one of its sides. The other side is the Kingdom of Glory, which will come in the future. This is the life of the next century. This is what will happen after the end of the world and the Last Judgment, when the Lord will say to the righteous: “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
The Kingdom of Glory exists to some extent even now. We see off the souls of our dead and say: "Kingdom of Heaven to him." That is, the soul can already now inherit the Kingdom, in which there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life is endless. Inherit life! There is no death and no sin. There is only the Kingdom of love, life, happiness. This is what the Kingdom of God is, the Kingdom of Glory. But there is another facet of understanding the Kingdom of God: it is the Kingdom of grace. Christ at Pilate's trial said that "My kingdom is not of this world" (John 18:36). And in another place, answering questions, Christ said that "the Kingdom of God will not come in a conspicuous manner" (Lk. 17:20), "the Kingdom of God is within you" (Lk. 17:21).
The fact is that inside every person, somewhere deep in the heart, there is a certain territory that cannot be regulated by any external framework. It cannot be regulated even by morality and morality. This is a kind of territory of absolute freedom. Only the person himself decides what or who will reign in this place. He can let anything in there: any sin, any passion, vice, weakness, infirmity. He can put whatever he wants in there. He can create an idol for himself from another person and put him on a pedestal. A holy place is never empty. We can put someone in this place. Or we can open our heart to God and say:
Elsewhere in Scripture, Christ says, "I am the vine, and you are the branches" (John 15:5). “Just as a branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it is in the vine, so neither can you unless you are in Me” (John 15:4). “For without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) In fact, without God we cannot do anything genuine and good. We can try to do it, but it will always bear the stamp of our own weakness, sinfulness. One way or another, it will be saturated with something bad. What is inside of us lives. And only Divine grace can purify our hearts.
Therefore, we ask in the prayer "Our Father": "Thy Kingdom come." Come into my heart and reign. Not only in mine, because our Father is not my Father. After all, we pray for everyone.
“Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth”
In the prayer “Our Father”, we, turning to God the Father, ask Him: “Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth.” That is, not my will, which may be sinful, but may Your will be good and all-perfect. In essence, this is humility. The determination to fulfill the will of God, rejecting, if necessary, his own. This is humility, which the Lord Jesus Christ teaches us not only in word, but also in deed.
When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane praying until bloody sweat to His Father: “My Father! If possible, let this cup pass from Me; but not as I will, but as You” (Matt. 26:39). Why do we say, "Thy will be done, as in Heaven and on earth"? Here we again, as it were, ascend to the celestials, to Heaven. We ask Him to give us strength, wisdom. He gave us the determination to do His will, so that He would warm our hearts with His Love in the same way as the angels. So that we and our human world, just like the angelic world, are filled with aspiration, a desire to do His will. How should we relate to the wish: "May all your dreams come true"? Probably like this: "May our will always be in harmony with the will of God."
"Give us our daily bread today"
At first glance, only one word may be incomprehensible here - “today”. It means "today, now, today." What is "our daily bread"? In fact, this concept is very multifaceted. Man is a being both material and spiritual. And when we ask for “our daily bread,” we mean both.
What is “our daily bread” in material terms? This is what we essentially need to maintain the vital activity of the body. Food, water, rest, warmth - all the most necessary for biological existence. Does this mean that a Christian can no longer claim anything? Only this biological minimum, and that's it? No, it doesn't. We ask God for the very minimum deliberately, in order to emphasize, first of all, to ourselves our faith in God and trust in Him. We believe that He cares about us, that He loves us. That He is ready to give us everything we want, even the whole world. But will it help us? That is the question. If the Lord, the Creator of the Universe, deigned to give us His Kingdom of Heaven, then does He really feel sorry for something earthly, material for us? No, it's not a pity at all. The question is, how useful is this for us? We do not know. Therefore, we, as it were, hand over into the hands of God. He Himself knows what we need and what can be given to us that is useful to us. We ask only for the most necessary minimum - "our daily bread."
But what about spiritually? Man really needs God. We live by our Lord God. In fact, “our daily bread” is the Lord Himself. He also spoke about this in the Gospel: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:51). The Jews asked Him about our fathers eating manna in the wilderness. The Lord sent the bread of heaven, but Jesus Christ said: “Your fathers ate the manna and died; whoever eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:58). “I am the bread that came down from heaven” (John 6:41). That is, we are talking.
What do we mean when we ask, "Give us Yourself"? We mean: “Give us strength, wisdom, determination. Give us the faith to live so as not to be rejected from Communion, so that we can always be vouchsafed to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
But we don't take communion every day. Someone, maybe, takes communion once a month, someone - more often. Someone even less than once a month, but still not every day. And we are asking for today. The fact is that we have communion with God not only through Communion. We also communicate with God through prayer. Our whole life, by and large, can be a walk with God. That's what the Bible says about it.
When we say: “Give us our daily bread today,” we mean: “Give us the opportunity to conduct daily fellowship with You and communion with You.”
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”
The Lord dwells separately on this petition, explains it, as it were, strengthens it, drawing our attention to it. Perhaps He wanted to emphasize by this that such a quality as vindictiveness is especially disgusting to Him. And the opposite quality is especially pleasant to Him - the breadth of the soul, the ability to forgive, the ability to understand a person. Why are our sins called debts?
By the way, in the Gospel of Matthew in the text of the prayer "Our Father" it says "debts". And in the Gospel of Luke - "sins". These two words actually complement and explain each other. Why are sins called debts? Because the Lord expects love from us.
The text of the prayer "Our Father" from Matthew
The text of the prayer "Our Father" from Luke
We must love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind in return for the love He gives us. The Lord gives us His love, His mercy, His care and expects from us reciprocal love. If we do not show Him such love, then we become debtors. We must also love our neighbors.
Suppose we love a person, take care of him, show him love. And in return we expect him to treat us accordingly. If he does not give us the same love in return, he becomes our debtor. He seems to be sinning against us. We are love to him, and he is a stone to us.
Just as we forgive those who sin against us, do not repay us the debt of love, so forgive us. That's what this petition is about. If it seems that there is some justice here, then this is not entirely true. There is justice, but Divine. Still, great mercy and God's bounties are manifested there, because we forgive those who owe us. But we ourselves are debtors to God. By forgiving them, we hope to receive forgiveness from God.
In fact, the great philanthropy of God is manifested here.
"And lead us not into temptation"
Perhaps the most incomprehensible request of the Lord's Prayer is "and lead us not into temptation." Here we need to carefully consider what temptation is. Temptation is our position when we are faced with a choice. When life, circumstances, by a certain providence of God, develop in such a way that we find ourselves in a situation of choice. And in this situation, we can, by gathering together, concentrating, straining all our strength, having received God's help, grow in virtue, overcoming a certain temptation. Or we can, having shown carelessness, negligence, arrogance, grow in sin. This fork in the road, this state of choice is the temptation.
Temptation comes from three sources. First, we are tempted from our own flesh, from our human nature, which, what to do, is sinful. And sometimes it inclines us to something bad, wrong, base.
Secondly, we are tempted by the world that surrounds us. This "world lies in evil" (1 John 5:19). There is something about him that appeals to us, seduces us. Or the people around us, with their way of life, seem to demonstrate: “It's okay, there is something in my life that is attractive to you. And I get it because I live like this, sinfully.” That is, by their example they lead us into temptation. This is the second source of temptation - from the outside world.
And the third is a temptation from the evil one. When the demon inclines us, calls to something. Just as he tempted Eve in Paradise, telling her about the forbidden fruit. God never tempts anyone. Some people think that the Lord sends us trials. The Lord has sent us trials and is looking to see if we can withstand them or not. No. The Lord never does that. First, because He has no need to test us. He sees right through us, without any test. He knows what we are capable of, what we can, what we cannot. For Him, everything is clear and simple. Therefore, He does not need to send us some tests and see how we will cope with it.
So, the sources of temptations are either from oneself, or from the outside world, or from the evil one. Temptations are essential to our spiritual life. If we live absolutely without temptations, we will never learn anything.
Note that the word "temptation" and the word "art" are the same root words. If a person practices in some business, he develops the art of this. And he becomes a skillful, sophisticated person in this matter. He knows everything about him, understands, copes with him better than others. That is, we need temptation, in principle, for spiritual life. If it does not exist, then we will remain infants in faith and will not be able to develop our virtues in any way. Once again, I draw your attention: temptation is a state of choice, when you can either grow in virtue, or lean towards sin and grow in sin. It is impossible to grow in virtue without the risk of growing in sin. Thus, we need temptation.
What are we praying for when we say, “Lord, lead us not into temptation”? Are we asking Him to make our lives completely carefree and secure? To never give us a choice? No way. First, we ask that He will deliver us from such temptations that would exceed our strength and our capabilities, when we certainly would not have coped. Secondly, we ask that He, during the time of temptation, during this situation, does not leave us left to our own devices, one on one with this temptation. So that He would give us His Divine help to overcome and grow in virtue. The temptations that arise in our lives must be providential. And we must be called to this feat. So that it is not from ourselves, according to our arrogance, pride, self-conceit. So that we do not create these temptations for ourselves. To deliver us from these temptations. Because the Lord, by His providence, allows us to find ourselves only in such a situation of temptations in which we can really do good, right choice, the right step and grow in virtue. We can, of course, make another choice. But we have every chance to grow precisely in virtue. If, however, we presumptuously do, we go out on that feat to which we were not called, then we lose God's help and find ourselves face to face with our own temptation. With such a situation, with almost one hundred percent probability, we will not cope.
"But deliver us from the evil one"
The last petition of the Lord's Prayer: "But deliver us from the evil one." Who is so crafty? This is the devil himself, Satan. But in prayer he is called not the devil and not Satan, but the evil one. Because that is his nature. He is a liar and the father of lies. When he tells a lie, he tells his own. Even if he wants to tell the truth, the truth, in his mouth this truth will immediately become falsehood.
That is why the Lord Jesus Christ, when he cast out demons from people, forbade them to say that they knew who He was. We read about this many times in the Gospel. Demons are trying to say that this is the Son of God, Christ, listen to Him. Christ forbids them. The evil one, the demon, Satan, the devil has existed for about as long as this world has existed. How many people exist, so much he builds his intrigues. With his cunning, with his cunning, he tries to sow enmity between people, between people and God, starting with Adam and Eve. The whole history of mankind before his eyes. He does not eat, does not drink, does not sleep, does not go on vacation. He only does what he tempts. Moreover, he pays more attention to those people who strive to go to God. Trying to fight him, to resist him is completely presumptuous and absolutely futile. That is why in the Lord's Prayer we humbly, recognizing our weakness, ask the Lord: "But deliver us from the evil one."
Moreover, not only from himself but also from his deeds. After all, all people, perhaps at enmity with us, causing us some inconvenience, building plans against us, cunning, are either voluntary or involuntary tools of this very evil one.
“For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen"
Doxology of the Lord's Prayer: “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen". Doxology again reminds us of the reverence that we should feel when turning to God, as at the beginning of prayer, when we just started it and said: “Our Father, who art in Heaven!” That is, our mind immediately ascended from the earthly to the heavenly. So it is here: we speak with Him to Whom belongs the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory. That is, we speak with the King and Lord of the entire Universe. In addition, praise awakens hope in us, because if we turn to our Father, who is still the King and Sovereign of the Universe, and to Him belongs the Kingdom, and power, and glory forever, and nothing can challenge, change this, then really won't our Heavenly Father give us what we just asked Him for?
In this ending of the prayer, in the doxology, our confidence is manifested that we will receive what we ask for. In the very text of the Gospel, the prayer ends like this: “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matt. 6:13). But in practice, we modify it a little and say: “For Yours is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
Lord's Prayer: short version
The prayer "Our Father" is included in the morning and prayer rules. In addition, the clergy advise to read it before eating and starting any important business. All because it is able to protect a person from demons, strengthen faith and cleanse the soul from sin. If suddenly you made a mistake during prayer, then don’t worry, just say “Lord, have mercy” and continue reading. Do not treat the reading of a prayer as a routine work, you should not pronounce it purely mechanically, otherwise it will not be effective and may even offend the Almighty. All requests addressed to Him must be sincere. Collect your thoughts and feelings, concentrate and pray with hope in the Creator.
The words of the prayer should be known by heart not only by adults, but also by children. Parents should teach their children about spiritual values from an early age.
Prayer "The Trisagion of Our Father"
In this topic, we will talk about a whole group of prayers addressed to the Holy Trinity. Sometimes in church books this group of prayers is called the "Trisagion", but the very first prayer in this group is called "Trisagion". It sounds like this: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us". It is always read three times with the sign of the cross and a bow.
The history of this prayer has many centuries. At the beginning of the fifth century, a prayer service was served in Constantinople on the occasion of a very strong earthquake. During this prayer service, one of the youths present was taken up to heaven by some invisible force, and then also lowered back, and unharmed. He was asked what he saw and heard. The child said he heard an angel singing: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal." People added: "Have mercy on us." And in this form, prayer immediately, in a very short time, entered into church use.
It is also read during home prayers. Very often it is read during worship in the temple. Consider the meaning of prayer.
- “Holy God” is an address to God the Father.
- “Holy Strong” is an appeal to God the Son. We call Him strong because He is the Winner, He is the Almighty. He conquered death. He conquered hell with his Resurrection. Defeated the devil, that's why we call him "Holy Strong". This does not mean that the Father and the Holy Spirit are not omnipotent. We do not deprive them of their omnipotence, but it is precisely this feature that we emphasize in the Son.
- "Holy Immortal" is an address to the Holy Spirit. We have already talked with you about the fact that the Holy Spirit gives life, gives life, therefore here He is called the “Holy Immortal”. But we do not deprive either the Son or the Father of immortality. We just emphasize this feature in the Holy Spirit. This is the Trinity, although God is one. God is one, but in three persons is glorified and known. That is why, turning to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, we ask in the singular: "Have mercy on us." Not "have mercy on us", but "have mercy on us".
Then comes a little hymn: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen". This small doxology is very often used in divine services and in home prayers, and in the temple. It is conditionally divided into two parts.
- First part: "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit." Here everything seems to be clear and all the words are clear.
- The second part: “And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen". There are unfamiliar words here. “And now” means “now”. “And forever” means “forever”, “until the end of time”, “as long as this world exists”. The phrase "and forever and ever" means "and beyond this world too." "Amen" - "Truly so", "So be it".
Since this prayer, a small doxology, is very often used, it is abbreviated in prayer books and church books as follows: “Glory now.” When you see such an inscription, it means that this doxology is being read here. Moreover, it reads in full: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen". If only “Glory” is written, then the first part is read: “Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.” If “and now” is written, then only the second part is read: “And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
Prayer "Our Father" in Church Slavonic with accents
Why is this Orthodox prayer considered the strongest? It's simple - it is commanded to believers by Jesus Christ themselves, while it is one of a kind. It is in the Bible, the New Testament, where it was recorded by the disciples of the Creator - the apostles. The prayer of the Old Believers "Our Father" will help you in a variety of situations.
Prayer should be said not in front of people, but in a room, with closed door. Protect yourself from everything that could interfere with your fellowship with God.
If you pray at the liturgy, then do it as if you are one on one with the Creator. Try to concentrate and do not pay attention to the people around you. Having learned to pray correctly, it will be difficult for you to refuse such communication with the Lord.
Strong prayer "Our Father": listen online 40 times
There is such a principle of life: "Learn to do what you already know how to do, and the unknown will be revealed to you." It fully relates to the prayer "Our Father", which we all know well.
The abbreviated gospel is called the prayer "Our Father" by theological people. Everything in it is simple, there is not a single theological term. "Father", "name", "heaven", "kingdom", "bread", "debtor", "temptation", "evil one", "amen". The set of nouns is very simple and specific. At the same time, everything in prayer is about Christ, the Trinity, the Sacrament of the Church, Eternal life.
Why is it so difficult to live on earth? Yes, because here everyone has their own will, their desire, their desire. We all want different things. We will not ask for bread in Heaven either, since a person who has reached eternity will be abundantly saturated with a stream of sweetness.
In fact, in Heaven we will praise and praise God, and we will not ask for anything. And what will remain of the prayer “Our Father”: “Our Father, who art in Heaven. May your name be hallowed. Amen". We will stand before Him and rejoice in Him. In addition, we will look at each other, because it is a great beauty to see those who are better than you in front of you. For example, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Elijah, Moses, John the Baptist and all of them, not to mention the Mother of God, the apostles and Jesus Christ himself.
Here from such an unexpected angle we examined the prayer "Our Father". Of course, you need to know it by heart.
In order not to lose the desire to pray, you need to feel the words of the prayer with your heart, listen to the prayer "Our Father" online performed by choirs.
How to read
Prayer can be really prayer, or it can be a purely external form. And you know what a tragedy? Almost no one knows how to pray properly. The Holy Fathers resolutely say: "Prayer without attention and spiritual attitude to words is an empty occupation." And not only empty, but even offensive to God.
Prayer without attention is self-deception. Anyone can simply read the text, but without faith it means nothing. Do not engage in such terrible self-deception.
St. Theophan the Recluse said this: “If you don’t have time or you are very tired and cannot read a prayer, well, do this: think, you can resist for 5 minutes, pray. (- Yes I can). Set an alarm to ring in 5 minutes. During these 5 minutes, read with full attention the prayers that you want. Pray this time, and it will turn out to be a thousand times more valuable and useful than you mindlessly chattering these prayers to the end.
How does the prayer "Our Father" help?
Many people underestimate the power of this prayer, although they have heard more than once that it can work miracles. With the help of it, people regained health, gained peace of mind, got rid of troubles in life. But when saying a prayer, you need to be in a good reverent state of mind.
When the prayer "Our Father" is read:
- fighting depression;
- guidance on the right path;
- getting rid of misfortunes and troubles;
- purification of the soul from sinful thoughts;
- healing from diseases, etc.
As you can see, prayer is not just a text, but words that have healing power. If you pronounce them correctly with sincere faith in your heart, then you will only increase the effect. This was repeatedly noted even by those people who previously did not believe in the miraculous powers of prayer. But one must turn to the Lord sincerely, without any lies.
It is customary to read a prayer 40 times. Turning to the Lord, do not ask him for material benefits or to punish the enemy. Your thoughts must be exceptionally pure, otherwise the request will not be heard or you will anger the Creator.
Download prayer "Our Father"
Once convinced of the benefits of prayer, you will read it daily. It won't take much of your time. You can download it in several versions from Luke, from Matthew, in Church Slavonic, Russian and other languages. We will give several options that you can easily download and print.
The text of the prayer "Our Father" in Latin
The Lord's Prayer, or, as many still call it, the Lord's Prayer, is the main prayer book of the Christian world and tradition. You can find it in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of Luke. On Latin"Pater noster" is used by Catholics. It is in this language that it is written on a marble slab found during excavations at the beginning of the last century in Jerusalem. At this place now is the Pasteur Noster Church, one of the main attractions of the country, open to all Christians. According to legend, "Pater noster" is the only prayer left by the believer by Jesus Christ himself, our Savior.
The text of the prayer "Our Father" in English
“Our Father, who art in heaven” is the phrase that begins “Our Father”, translated into English. As in the case of other versions of this prayer book in different languages, the translators did their best on this one, doing everything possible to preserve the main meaning of the main prayer in the Christian tradition, which gathered all the needs and aspirations of a person to save the soul. "Our Father" in English is almost the same in volume as the Russian version. It is convenient to read it, focusing on the transcription with accents placed throughout the text. So even people with minimal knowledge of English can get acquainted with the translation of the most important prayer for Christians.
The text of the prayer "Our Father" in Ukrainian
The main text of the "Lord's Prayer", written, as is known, in Aramaic, has survived to this day. What was the original sermon of our Savior is unknown. Nevertheless, this prayer book continues to be considered the only one handed over to believers and the Church by the Son of God himself. For the convenience of reading, studying, it has been translated into different languages, including Ukrainian. At the same time, there is not one, but two whole translation options, which essentially differ little from each other. In different versions, the forms of the same words slightly differ, but the meaning of the main prayer in the Christian world is preserved.
in Polish
The first versions of the translation of "Our Father" into Polish existed, according to historians, as early as the middle of the 17th century. However, scholars now call those translations a parody of the main Christian prayer, which was not uncommon for medieval Poland, given the popularity of the Polish tradition of parodying religious texts. Now, modern Christians have the opportunity to use the full, correct, most accurate translation of “Our Father”, the universal Lord’s word, which we use to protect against all evil, to bless the path chosen by man, to save us from troubles and illnesses.
in Belarusian
The main prayer for any Christian "Our Father" was translated into all languages of the world, including Belarusian. It is in this language that this prayer book can be heard in the vast majority of Belarusian churches at liturgies organized by clergy. It is interesting that this version of “Our Father”, according to the latest data, will not be changed after the corresponding statement of Pope Francis, who expressed doubts about the correctness of the translation of the line “lead us not into temptation” from the original into a number of languages, including Belarusian. According to the Belarusian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, there is no need to correct the translation.
in Chuvash
It is generally accepted that the author of the first official translation of "Our Father" into the Chuvash language is Gerard Friedrich Miller, who in the 18th century included such a text in his book "Description of the pagan peoples living in the Kazan province, like Cheremis, Chuvash and Votyaks", that was written by a Russian historiographer of German origin when he returned home after an expedition to Siberia. The Chuvash version of "Our Father" in the republic itself was popularized a long time ago, which is not surprising, given that the main faith of the population of this subject Russian Federation, as well as other subjects located within the borders of the Volga region, is Christian.
in Aramaic
A well-known historical fact - in ancient times, the Aramaic language was generally understood throughout the entire Middle East. Merchants, ambassadors of Judea and Israel also spoke this language. For this reason, scholars dare to suggest that it was a worthy competitor to Greek in the Hellenistic era. Aramaic was spoken during the secular life of our Savior, so it is not surprising that the so-called most accurate text of the Lord's Prayer was written in Aramaic. In this form, the main Christian prayer, according to many, is able to work miracles, to bring to life what a person most wants.
in Armenian
“Our Father” is an important prayer for all Christians, which exalted people in their relationship with the Universe. Thanks to it, a person gets the opportunity to address the Lord directly, without falling on his face, without belittling himself, as is typical for many other religions. Considering this, as well as the fact that the Christian religion is, without exaggeration, world-wide, it is not surprising that this prayer book was translated into all languages that exist today, including Armenian. In Armenia, as is known, the apostolic church has the official status of the national church of the Armenian people. And "Our Father" in this church at the liturgies can be heard in translation.
In German
The German version of the well-known "Our Father" begins with the line "Unser tägliches Brot". As in the case with other translations of the main Christian prayer book, in this particular one, thanks to the efforts of translators, the main essence of the appeal to the Lord, the text left by the believer Jesus Christ himself, was preserved. At the same time, there are several versions of the text "Our Father" in German, which differ slightly from each other. Different translations were created by specialists taking into account the display of the compositional, grammatical and lexical features of the German language in the text.
In French
"The Lord's Prayer" is known even to those people who do not consider themselves religious. For church members, this is the most important prayer book, which Christians resort to reading in the most difficult life situations, as well as to glorify the One Creator and express gratitude to Him. Considering all this, it is not surprising that “Our Father” was translated for the convenience of worship into different languages of the world, including French. For many years, the Christians of France used one version of the translation of this prayer book, but since December 2017 this text has been slightly corrected. On the advice of Pope Francis, the line "Ne nous soumets pas à la tentation" (and lead us not into temptation) was changed to "Ne nous laisse pas entrer en tentation".
in Greek
About 98% of the Greek population consider themselves Christians, which is not surprising, given the history of this state. Nor is it surprising that the text of the Lord's Prayer was translated from Aramaic into Greek. At the same time, this translation, one of the oldest, has its own characteristics. IN short form prayer book, one cannot fail to notice the traditional Jewish style of religious texts. Every Russian can get acquainted with it. It is easy to read “Our Father” in Greek, based on transcription, in which consonants that are difficult to pronounce and that sound like voiceless and voiced th in English, respectively, are most often noted.
in Hungarian
According to the latest data, more than 54% of the Hungarian population are Christians, so the popularization of the prayer "Our Father" in translation into the official official language this country is not at all surprising. In this language, the main prayer book of the world religion can be heard not only in the Catholic churches of Hungary, but also in Orthodox Ukrainian churches, in particular those located on the territory of “Hungarian Transcarpathia”, where many clergy are bilingual and for this reason the liturgy is celebrated in two languages. Everyone can study the text of the Hungarian "Our Father", for this it is enough to use the letter-by-letter transcription of the prayer.
conclusions
“Our Father” is the strongest prayer, the text of which every believer should know and read regularly. It was commanded to humanity by Jesus Christ himself, so there is no need to doubt its power. At home, it is customary to read it in the morning and at night before going to bed. And in the church, you can ask the Creator at any time. Help the Lord.
In those cases when a person’s strength leaves, he is haunted by turmoil, he lost heart, and experiences many difficulties, it certainly makes sense to turn to the Almighty for help with the help of prayer.
Believers are well aware of its healing power, and if it is uttered from a pure heart, God will certainly hear prayers and help in the most difficult moment. Naturally, the choice of prayer depends on the type of your request, but this is not mandatory. The main prayer in Christianity is the prayer "Our Father" and you can use it in any case.
What is the history of prayer?
This prayer is considered universal. Therefore, it can be read in hours of illness, despondency, trouble and deterioration in health. Its history goes back to ancient times. It is known that it was Jesus Christ who gave prayer to the disciples who asked to teach them. 
In subsequent years, it could already be found among many peoples, but with different texts. For example, in the first century it was considered the center of worship. Prayer illuminated the morning, evening and day. The Eucharist also began with her.
The fulfillment of prayer also has its own history. So, the chant was originally performed by all the people. And later the prayer began to be performed by the choir. This tradition slowly gained popularity, but still took root. Now the chant has supplanted the ancient custom of performing prayer by the people, thereby disappearing the personal that each person put into it when reading.
In the Gospels, prayer can be found in several versions: from Luke in a short way and from Matthew in a more complete one. The first option, according to biblical scholars, was constantly added, which erased the boundaries of the difference between it and the prayer from Matthew. The second option is more common in the Christian world and is used much more often.
Prayer text
Our Father, Who art in heaven!
May your name be hallowed,
let your kingdom come,
let your will be done
as in heaven and on earth.
Give us our daily bread today;
and leave us our debts,
as we leave to our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Interpretation of prayer
Before proceeding to the interpretation of the prayer, one should recall its text: “Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today, and forgive us our debts, as we leave our debtors, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
It should be noted that all priests explain the text of the prayer in different ways. So, according to the interpretation of the clergyman Anthony of Sourozh, the prayer is divided into several parts.
The first contains the invocation of God, the second - the invocation of the sinner, representing the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. The last words of the prayer are a glorification of the Holy Trinity, blessing the sinner himself on this path. Usually these words should be spoken exclusively by the priest.
In prayer, God is referred to as the Father. And this means that all people are equal before the Saviors. For the Lord, there are no boundaries associated with nationality, material wealth or origin. Only those who live in accordance with the commandments and lead a pious lifestyle have every right to call themselves the Son of the Heavenly Father.
As you can see, prayer carries the broadest meaning.
Healing properties of prayer
Prayer "Our Father" considered to be the strongest. With the help of it, many people found peace, restored health and self-confidence, and all because it has healing properties. By reading its text, a person can:
- Overcome depression;
- Reveal yourself;
- Develop an optimistic outlook on life;
- Get rid of diseases and troubles;
- Cleanse the soul from sinful thoughts.
But in order for the properties of prayer to really activate their power, it is also important to follow some rules for its pronunciation. Coming to church, or just saying the text of the prayer to yourself, it is important to fully open your soul before God, become yourself without pretense and deceit, ask for help sincerely without lies and tricks. Then the chances that the Almighty will hear the prayers will only increase.
From a psychological point of view, it is believed that while reading this prayer it is also important to accept all difficulties. After all, denying them, you only move away from solving problems.
Even such a science as biorhythmology confirms that sound vibrations when reading a prayer really help to heal, tune in a positive way and calm down. Reading the text with all your heart, you will certainly tune in to a specific result and feel spirituality.
Examples of the miraculous effect of prayer
Usually science and religion are incompatible in their concepts and views on life. But, the only thing that science cannot contradict is the healing properties of the Lord's Prayer.
In recent years, scientists have carried out a considerable number of experiments. So on one of these the miraculous power of prayer was proved. For research, a certain amount of water was taken from various reservoirs. In all samples, the content of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was recorded. Over the water, unbelievers and believers read the prayer "Our Father" and the samples were overshadowed by the sign of the cross.
The results of the study showed that the number of bacteria in different containers decreased by hundreds, and in some by thousands of times.
In addition, prayer had a beneficial effect on the well-being of the people who took part in the experiment. In hypertensive patients, a decrease in pressure was recorded, in the subjects the composition of the blood improved, and fatigue disappeared.
It was also observed that for those who did not touch certain points with their fingers, the effect of prayer was much lower.
As you can see, prayer is not only a text, but words that have healing power. With their correct pronunciation, as well as the sincerity of feelings, this power can only be increased. Even those who did not previously believe in the miraculous properties of prayer change their minds after they are convinced in reality of their activity. If you really want the Almighty to hear you and lend a helping hand, turn to him with all your heart without lies and insincerity. Then the result from reading the prayer will not keep you waiting, and you will receive the support that you have been asking for.
Video about the prayer "Our Father".
“The one who walks on four who, having given himself over to sensual affairs, constantly occupies the dominating mind with them. The man with many legs is the one who is surrounded by the corporeal from everywhere and is based on it in everything and embraces it with his two hands and with all his strength.
The prophet Jeremiah says: “Cursed be the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.”
People, why are we baking in vain? The path of life is short, as both the prophet and King David say to the Lord: “Behold, Lord, You have made the days of my life so small that they are numbered on the fingers of one hand. And the composition of my nature is nothing before Your eternity. But not only me, but all in vain. In vain is every man living in this world. For a restless person does not live his life in reality, but resembles his life as a painted picture. And therefore he worries in vain and collects wealth. For he does not really know for whom he collects this wealth.
Man, come to your senses. Don't rush like crazy, all day long with a thousand things to do. And at night, again, do not sit down to calculate the devilish interest and the like, because your whole life, as a result, passes through the accounts of Mammon, that is, in the wealth that comes from injustice. And therefore you do not find even a little time in order to remember your sins and weep over them. You don't hear the Lord telling us, "No one can serve two Lords." “You cannot,” he says, “serve both God and Mammon.” For He means to say that a man cannot serve two masters, and have a heart in God, and riches in unrighteousness.
Have you not heard of the seed that fell in thorns, that the thorns choked it, and that it did not bear any fruit? This means that the word of God fell on a man who was mired in worries and concerns about his wealth, and this man did not bear any fruit of salvation. Don’t you see here and there rich men who did like you, that is, they gathered great wealth, but then the Lord breathed on their hands, and wealth left their hands, and they lost everything, and with it their mind, and now they roam the earth, obsessed with malice and demons. They received what they deserved, for they made wealth their God, and applied their mind to it.
Hear, man, what the Lord says to us: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal." And you should not gather treasures here on earth, so that you do not hear from the Lord the same terrible words that He said to one rich man: “Mad, this very night your soul will be taken from you, and to whom will you leave everything that you have collected?” .
Let us come to our God and Father and place on Him all the cares of our life, and He will take care of us. As the apostle Peter says: let us come to God, as the prophet calls us, saying: “Come to Him and be enlightened, and your faces will not be ashamed that you were left without help.”
This is how, with God's help, we have interpreted to you the first meaning of daily bread.
The second meaning: daily bread is the Word of God, as Holy Scripture testifies:
"Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."
The Word of God is the teaching of the Holy Spirit, in other words, all Holy Scripture. Both and New. From this Holy Scripture, as from a source, the Holy Fathers and teachers of our Church drew, watering us with pure spring waters of their divinely inspired teaching. And therefore, we must accept the books and teachings of the Holy Fathers as our daily bread, so that our soul does not die of hunger for the Word of life even before the body dies, as happened with Adam, who violated the commandment of God.
Those who do not want to listen to the Word of God and do not allow others to listen to it, either with their own words or by a bad example that they set for others, but in a similar way, those who not only do not contribute to the creation of schools or other similar undertakings for the benefit of Christian children, but also repair obstacles to those who wish to help will inherit the words
"Alas!" and “Woe to you!” addressed to the Pharisees. And also those priests who, out of negligence, do not teach their parishioners everything that they need to know for salvation, and those bishops who not only do not teach their flock the commandments of God and everything necessary for its salvation, but with their unrighteous lives become an obstacle and cause a departure from the faith among ordinary Christians - and they will inherit "Alas!" and “Woe to you!”, addressed to the Pharisees and scribes, for they close the Kingdom of Heaven for people, and neither they themselves enter it, nor let others - those who wish to enter. And therefore these people, as bad stewards, will lose the protection and love of the people.
In addition, teachers who teach Christian children should also instruct them and lead them to good morals, that is, to good morals. For what is the use of teaching a child to read and write and other philosophies, but leave a corrupt disposition in him? What benefit can all this bring him? And what success can this person achieve, even in spiritual matters, even in worldly ones? Of course, none.
I say this so that God would not say to us those words that He spoke to the Jews through the mouth of the prophet Amos: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will send a famine on the earth - not a famine of bread, I do not thirst for water, but I thirst for hearing words of the Lord." This punishment befell the Jews for their cruel and inflexible intentions. And therefore, lest the Lord say such words to us, and lest this terrible grief befall us, may we all wake up from the heavy sleep of negligence and be saturated with the words and teachings of God, each in the strength of his own abilities, may our bitter soul not befall and eternal death.
Such is the second meaning of daily bread, which surpasses the first meaning in importance just as much more important and necessary is the life of the soul than the life of the body.
"Give us our daily bread today"
The third meaning: daily bread is the Body and Blood of the Lord, as different from the Word of God as the sun is from its rays. In the Sacrament of the Divine Eucharist, the entire God-man, like the sun, enters, unites and becomes one with the whole man. He illuminates, enlightens and sanctifies all the spiritual and bodily forces and feelings of a person and leads him from decay to incorruption. And that is why, mainly, we call Holy Communion of the Most Pure Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ our daily bread, for it supports and restrains the essence of the soul and strengthens it to fulfill the commandments of the Lord Christ and to any other virtue. And this is the true food of both the soul and the body, for our Lord also says: "For My Flesh is truly food, and My Blood is truly drink."
If anyone doubts that it is the Body of our Lord that is called daily bread, let him listen to what the holy teachers of our Church say about this. And above all, the light of Nyssa, the Divine Gregory, saying: “If a sinner comes to his senses, like the prodigal son from the parable, if he desires the Divine food of his Father, if he returns to His rich meal, then he will enjoy this meal, where there is abundance daily bread that feeds the workers of the Lord. The laborers are those who work and toil in His vineyard, hoping to be paid in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Saint Isidore of Pelusiot says: “The prayer that the Lord taught us does not contain anything earthly, but all its content is heavenly and is aimed at the benefit of the soul, even that which seems small and insignificant in the soul. Many wise people believe that the Lord wants to teach us by this prayer the meaning of the Divine Word and bread, which nourishes the incorporeal soul, and in an incomprehensible way comes and unites with its essence. And therefore bread was also called daily, for the very idea of essence suits the soul more than the body.
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem also says: “Ordinary bread is not daily, but this holy bread (the Body and Blood of the Lord) is daily. And it is called vital, because it is communicated to all your composition of soul and body.
Saint Maximus the Confessor says: “If we adhere in life to the words of the Lord’s Prayer, then let us accept, as our daily bread, as life’s food for our souls, but also for the preservation of everything that has been given to us by the Lord, the Son and the Word of God, for He said:
"I am the bread that came down from heaven" and gives life to the world. And this happens in the soul of everyone who receives the Communion, according to the righteousness and knowledge and wisdom that he possesses.
St. John of Damascus says: “This bread is the firstfruits of the future bread, which is daily bread. For the word daily means either the bread of the future, that is, the future age, or the bread eaten for the preservation of our being. Therefore, in both senses, the body of the Lord will be equally appropriately called daily bread.
In addition, St. Theophylact adds that "the Body of Christ is daily bread, for whose uncondemned Communion we must pray."
However, this does not mean that since the Holy Fathers consider the Body of Christ to be daily bread, they do not consider ordinary bread, necessary for the maintenance of our body, to be daily. For he, too, is a gift of God, and no food is considered contemptible and reprehensible, according to the Apostle, if it is accepted and eaten with thanksgiving: "Nothing is reprehensible if it is accepted with thanksgiving."
Ordinary bread is incorrectly, not in its basic meaning, called daily bread, because it strengthens only the body, not the soul. Basically, however, and according to the generally accepted opinion, we call the Body of the Lord and the Word of God the daily bread, for they strengthen both the body and the soul. Many holy men testify to this with their lives: for example, Moses, who fasted for forty days and nights, not eating bodily food. The prophet Elijah also fasted for forty days. And later, after the incarnation of our Lord, many saints lived for a long time only by the Word of God and Holy Communion, not partaking of other food.
And therefore, we, who have been honored to be spiritually reborn in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, must unceasingly take this spiritual food with ardent love and a contrite heart, in order to live a spiritual life and remain invulnerable to the poison of the spiritual serpent - the devil. For even Adam, if he had eaten this food, would not have experienced the double death of both soul and body.
It is necessary to partake of this spiritual bread with due preparation, for our God is also called a burning fire. And therefore only those who partake of the Body of Christ and drink His Most Pure Blood with a clear conscience, after sincerely confessing their sins, cleanse, enlighten and sanctify this bread. Woe, however, to those who commune unworthily without first confessing their sins to the priest. For the Divine Eucharist burns them and completely corrupts their souls and bodies, as happened to those who came to the wedding feast without wedding clothes, as the Gospel says, that is, without doing good deeds and not having worthy fruits of repentance.
Those who listen to satanic songs, stupid talk and useless chatter, and other similar senseless things, people become unworthy of listening to the word of God. The same applies to those who live in sin, for they cannot commune and partake of immortal life, to which the Divine Eucharist leads, for their spiritual powers are mortified by the sting of sin. For it is obvious that both the members of our body and the receptacles of vital forces receive life from the soul, but if any of the members of the body begins to decompose or dries up, then life will no longer be able to enter it, because the life force does not enter dead members. Similarly, the soul is alive as long as the life force from God enters into it. Having sinned and ceased to receive vital forces, she dies in torment. And after a while, the body dies. And so the whole person perishes in eternal hell.
So, we talked about the third and last sense of daily bread, just as necessary and useful for us as Holy Baptism. And therefore it is necessary to regularly partake of the Divine Mysteries and to accept with fear and love the daily bread that we ask in the Lord's Prayer from our heavenly Father, as long as the "day" lasts.
This "day" has three meanings:
firstly, it can mean "every day"; secondly, the whole life of each person;
and thirdly, the present life of the “seventh day” that we are completing.
In the next century there will be neither "today" nor "tomorrow", but this whole age will be one eternal day.
“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”
Our Lord, knowing that there is no repentance in hell and that it is impossible for a person not to sin after Holy Baptism, teaches us to say to God and our Father: “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”
Since before this, in the Lord's Prayer, God spoke about the holy bread of the Divine Eucharist and urged everyone not to dare to partake of it without due preparation, therefore even now he tells us that this preparation consists in asking for forgiveness from God and our brethren, and only then to approach the Divine Mysteries, as it says elsewhere in Holy Scripture: “So, man, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
In addition to all this, our Lord touches on three other issues in the words of this prayer:
firstly, he calls on the righteous to humble themselves, about which he speaks in another place: “So you also, when you have done everything commanded to you, say: we are slaves, worthless, because we did what we had to do”; secondly, He advises those who sin after Baptism not to fall into despair; and thirdly, he shows by these words that the Lord desires and loves when we have compassion and mercy towards one another, for nothing likens a man to God like mercy.
Therefore, let us treat our brethren the way we want the Lord to treat us. And let's not talk about anyone that he so upsets us with his sins that we cannot forgive him. For if we think how much we grieve God with our sins daily, hourly and every second, and He forgives us this, then we will immediately forgive our brothers.
And if we consider how numerous and incomparably greater are our sins in comparison with the sins of our brethren, that even the Lord Himself, who is righteousness in His very essence, likened them to ten thousand talents, while He likened the sins of our brethren to a hundred denarii, then we will be convinced we are in how truly insignificant the sins of our brothers are before our sins. And therefore, if we forgive our brethren their small guilt before us, not only with our lips, as many do, but with our whole heart, and God will forgive us our great and countless sins, of which we are guilty before Him. If it happens that we do not forgive the sins of our brothers, all our other virtues, which we think we have acquired, will be in vain.
Why do I say that our virtues will be in vain? For our sins cannot be forgiven, according to the decision of the Lord, who said: “If you do not forgive your neighbor their sins, then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.” In another place, about a man who did not forgive his brother, he says: “Evil servant! all that debt I have forgiven you, because you begged me; Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your friend, just as I had mercy on you? And then, as it is said later, being angry, the Lord handed him over to the tormentors until he repaid all the debt to Him. And then: “So also My Heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins.”
Many say that sins are forgiven in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Others claim the opposite: that they are forgiven only if they confess to a priest. We tell you that both preparation with confession are obligatory for the remission of sins, and the Divine Eucharist, for neither one gives everything, nor the other. But what happens here is similar to how, after washing a dirty dress, it must be dried in the sun from dampness and moisture, otherwise it will remain wet and rot, and a person will not be able to wear it. And just as a wound, having cleansed of worms and removed decomposed tissues, cannot be left without lubricating it, so washing it off, and having cleansed it with confession, and removing its decomposed remains, it is necessary to accept the Divine Eucharist, which completely dries up the wound and heals it, like some kind of healing ointment. Otherwise, according to the words of the Lord, “a person again falls into the first state, and the last is worse for such people than the first.”
And therefore, it is necessary to first cleanse yourself of any filth by confession. And, above all, cleanse oneself of vindictiveness and only then approach the Divine Mysteries. For we need to know that just as love is the fulfillment and end of the whole law, so vindictiveness and hatred are the abolition and violation of the whole law and any virtue. The tributary, wanting to show us all the malice of the vindictive ones, says: "The paths of the vindictive ones lead to death." And in another place: "He who is vindictive is a lawless one."
It was this bitter leaven of vindictiveness that the accursed Judas carried in himself, and therefore, as soon as he took the bread into his hands, Satan entered into him.
Let us fear, brethren, condemnation and the hellish torments of vindictiveness, and let us forgive our brethren for all that they have committed against us. And let us do this not only when we gather for Communion, but always, as the Apostle urges us to do with these words: “Be angry, do not sin: let not the sun go down in your anger and in malice against your brother.” And in another place: "And give no place to the devil." That is, do not let the devil settle in you so that you can boldly cry out to God and the remaining words of the Lord's prayer.
"And lead us not into temptation"
The Lord calls us to ask God and our Father not to let us fall into temptation. And the prophet Isaiah, on behalf of God, says: "I form light and create darkness, I make peace and allow disasters to be created." Similarly, the prophet Amos says: “Is there a disaster in the city that the Lord would not allow?”
From these words, many of the ignorant and unprepared fall into various thoughts about God. Allegedly, God Himself throws us into temptations. All doubts on this issue are dispelled by the Apostle James with the following words: “In temptation, no one say: God is tempting me; because God is not tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone, but everyone is tempted, carried away and deceived by his own lust; lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin, but what has been done gives birth to death.
The temptations that come to people are of two kinds. One kind of temptation comes from lust and happens at our will, but also at the instigation of demons. Another kind of temptation comes from sorrow, suffering and misfortune in life, and therefore these temptations seem to us more bitter and sad. Our will does not participate in these temptations, but only the devil helps.
The Jews experienced these two kinds of temptations. However, they chose of their own free will the temptations that come from lust, and strove for wealth, for glory, for freedom in evil and for idolatry, and therefore God allowed them to experience all the opposite, that is, poverty, dishonor, captivity, and so on. And with all these troubles he again frightened them, so that they would return to life in God through repentance.
These different guilt punishments of God the prophets call "calamity" and "evil." As we said before, this happens because everything that causes pain and grief in people, people are used to calling evil. But this is not true. It's just the way people perceive it. These misfortunes occur not according to the “initial” will of God, but according to his “subsequent” will, for the admonition and for the good of people.
Our Lord, connecting the first cause of temptations with the second, that is, combining the temptations that come from lust with the temptations that come from grief and suffering, gives them a single name, calling them "temptations", because the intentions of a person are tempted and tested by them. However, in order to better understand all this, we must know that everything that happens to us is of three types: good, evil and average. The good include prudence, mercy, justice, and everything like them, that is, qualities that can never turn into evil ones. The evil ones include fornication, inhumanity, injustice and everything similar to them, incapable of ever turning into good. The middle ones are wealth and poverty, health and disease, life and death, glory and dishonor, pleasure and pain, freedom and slavery, and others like them, in some cases called good, and in others evil, in accordance with how they man's intention governs.
So, people divide these average qualities into two kinds, and one of these parts is called good, because it is precisely this that they love, such as wealth, fame, pleasures, and others. Others of them they call evil, because they have an aversion to it, such as poverty, pain, dishonor, and so on. And therefore, if we do not want that which we ourselves consider evil to overtake us, we will not do real evil, as the prophet advises us:
“Man, do not enter into any evil and any sin of your own free will, and then the Angel who guards you will not allow you to experience any evil.”
And the prophet Isaiah says: “If you will and obey, and keep all my commandments, you will eat the good of the land; but if you deny and persist, the sword of your enemies will devour you.” And yet the same prophet says to those who do not fulfill His commandments: "Go into the flame of your fire, into the flame that you kindle with your sins."
Of course, the devil first tries to fight us with voluptuous temptations, for he knows how prone we are to lust. If he understands that our will in this is subordinate to his will, he distances us from the grace of God that protects us. Then he asks God for permission to raise a bitter temptation on us, that is, grief and disasters, in order to completely destroy us, by his great hatred for us, forcing us to fall into despair from many afflictions. If in the first case our will does not follow his will, that is, we do not fall into a voluptuous temptation, he again raises a second temptation of grief on us in order to make us now fall into a voluptuous temptation out of grief.
And that is why the Apostle Paul calls to us, saying: "Be sober, my brethren, watch and be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." God allows us to fall into temptations, or according to His economy in order to test us, as the righteous Job and other saints, according to the words of the Lord to His disciples: “Simon, Simon behold, Satan asked to sow you like wheat, that is, to shake you temptations." And he allows us to fall into temptations by His permission, just as he allowed David to fall into sin, and the Apostle Paul to deny Him, in order to save us from self-satisfaction. However, there are also temptations that come from being abandoned by God, that is, from the loss of Divine grace, as was the case with Judas and the Jews.
And the temptations that come to the saints through the economy of God come to the envy of the devil, in order to reveal to everyone the righteousness and perfection of the saints, and in order to shine on them even brighter after their victory over their adversary the devil. Allowed temptations are sent in order to become an obstacle in the way of sin that has happened, is happening, or is yet to happen. The same temptations that are sent out of God-forsakenness, have as their cause the sinful life of a person and his bad intentions, and are allowed for his complete destruction and annihilation.
And therefore, we must not only flee from the temptations that come from lust, as from the poison of the crafty serpent, but if such a temptation comes to us against our will, we must not fall into it in any way.
And in everything that concerns the temptations in which our body is tested, let us not endanger ourselves through our pride and insolence, but let us ask God to protect us from them, if such be His will. And may we bring Him joy without falling into these temptations. If these temptations come, let us receive them with great joy and pleasure, as great gifts. We will only ask Him for this, so that He will strengthen us for victory to the very end over our tempter, for this is precisely what He tells us with the words “and lead us not into temptation.” That is, we ask you not to leave us, so as not to fall into the maw of the mental dragon, as the Lord tells us in another place:
"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation." That is, in order not to be overcome by temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
But no one, however, hearing about the need to avoid temptations, let him justify
"the forgiveness of sinful deeds", referring to his weakness and other things like that when temptations come. For in a difficult hour, when temptations come, he who is afraid of them and will not resist them will thereby renounce the truth. For example: if a person happens to be subjected to threats and violence for his faith, or in order to renounce the truth, or to trample on justice, or to renounce mercy to his neighbors or any other commandment of Christ, if in all these cases he backs down out of fear for his flesh and will not be able to bravely resist these temptations, then let this person know that he will not be a partaker of Christ and in vain he is called a Christian. Unless he later repents of this and will shed bitter tears. And he must repent, for he did not imitate the true Christians, the martyrs, who suffered so much for their faith. He did not imitate the saint, who went through so many torments for justice, the Monk Zosima, who endured adversity for his mercy to his brothers, and many others whom we cannot even list now and who endured many torments and temptations in order to fulfill the law and commandments of Christ. We must also keep these commandments, so that they free us not only from temptations and sins, but also from the evil one, according to the Lord's prayer.
"But deliver us from the evil one"
The evil one, brethren, is mainly called the devil himself, for he is the beginning of all sin and the creator of all temptation. It is from the actions and instigations of the evil one that we learn to ask God to free us and believe that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our strength, according to the Apostle, that God “will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but when tempted will give you relief, so so that you can endure." However, it is necessary and obligatory not to forget to ask Him and pray to Him for this in humility.
“For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"
Our Lord, knowing that human nature always falls into doubt due to its lack of faith, comforts us, saying: since you have such a powerful and glorious Father and King, do not hesitate to turn to Him with requests from time to time. Only, when pestering Him, do not forget to do it in the same way as the widow pestered her master and heartless judge, saying to Him: “Lord, deliver us from our adversary, for yours is an everlasting Kingdom, an invincible power and an incomprehensible glory. For You are the mighty King, and You command and punish our enemies, and You are the most glorious God, and You glorify and exalt those who glorify You, and You are a loving and philanthropic Father, and You bake and love those who, through Holy Baptism, were worthy to become Your sons, and have loved you with all our heart, now and forever, and forever and ever." Amen.
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The most important prayer is called the Lord's, because the Lord Jesus Christ Himself gave it to His disciples when they asked Him to teach them how to pray (see Matt. 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4).
Our Father, Thou art in heaven; hallowed be thy name; let your kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth; give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one.
We offer our reader an interpretation Blessed Simeon of Thessalonica.
Our Father!- because He is our Creator, who created us from nothing, and through His Son by nature became a Father for us by grace.
Thou art in heaven because He rests in the Saints, being holy, as it is written; holier than us are the angels who are in heaven, and purer than the earth is heaven. Therefore, God is predominantly in heaven.
May your name be hallowed. Since you are holy, then sanctify your name in us, sanctify us too, so that we, having become yours, can sanctify your name, proclaim it as holy, glorify it in ourselves, and not blaspheme.
May your kingdom come. Be our King for our good deeds, not an enemy for our evil deeds. And may your kingdom come, the last day, when you will take the kingdom over all, and over the enemies, and your kingdom will be forever, as it is; it expects, however, worthy and ready for that time.
May your will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Establish us as angels, so that your will be done in us and by us, as in them; let not our passionate and human will be done, but yours, passionless and holy; and just as You united the earthly with the heavenly, so let the heavenly be in us who are on earth.
Give us our daily bread today. Although we ask for heavenly things, but we are mortal and, like people, we ask for bread to maintain our being, knowing that it is from You, and You alone have no need for anything, but we are bound by needs and we believe in You his boldness. Asking only for bread, we do not ask for what is superfluous, but necessary for us for this day, since we have been taught not to worry about tomorrow either, because You care for us today, and you will be baked tomorrow and always. But also another give us our daily bread today- living, heavenly bread, the all-holy body of the living Word, which he who does not eat will not have a little life in himself. This is daily bread: because it strengthens and sanctifies soul and body, and not poisonous it does not have a stomach in itself, A his poison will live forever(John 6:51-53-54).
And leave us our debts, just as we leave our debtors. This petition expresses the whole meaning and essence of the divine Gospel: for the Word of God came into the world in order to leave us our iniquities and sins, and, being incarnate, did everything for this purpose, shed his blood, bestowed the sacraments in the remission of sins and it commanded and legitimized. Let go and let you go, says It (Luke 6:37). And to the question of Peter, how many times to let a sinner go in a day, he answers: up to seventy times seven, instead of: without counting (Matt. 18:22). In addition, It determines by this the success of prayer itself, testifying that if the one who prays lets go, he will be let go, and if he leaves, it will be left to him, and will be left to the extent that he leaves (Luke 6:36-38), - of course , sins against the neighbor and the Creator: because the Lord wants it. For we are all equal by nature and all together are slaves, we all sin, letting go a little, we receive a lot, and, giving forgiveness to people, we ourselves receive forgiveness from God.
And lead us not into temptation: because we have very many tempters, full of envy and always hostile, and many temptations from demons, from people, from the body and from the carelessness of the soul. Everyone is subjected to temptations - both those who strive and those who neglect salvation, the righteous even more, for their trial and exaltation, and they all the more need patience: because the spirit, although it is vigorous, the flesh is weak. It is also a temptation if you despise your brother, if you seduce him, insult him, or show carelessness and negligence about the deeds of piety. Therefore, no matter how we have sinned before God and our brother, we ask Him to have mercy on us, forgiving and releasing us ourselves, and not to lead us into temptation. Even if someone is righteous, let him not rely on himself: because one can be righteous only with humility, mercy and remission of their sins to others.
But deliver us from the evil one: because he is our implacable, tireless and furious enemy, and we are weak before him, since he has the most subtle and vigilant nature, the crafty enemy, inventing and weaving thousands of intrigues for us, and always inventing dangers for us. And if You, the Creator and Lord of everything and the most evil one, the devil with his slanderers, as well as the angels and us, do not steal us from them, then who will be able to rip us out? We do not have the strength to constantly oppose this immaterial, so much envious, treacherous and cunning enemy. Deliver us Thyself from him.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever, amen. And who will tempt and offend those under your dominion, God of all and Master, who owns the angels? Or who will resist your power? - No one: because You created and keep everyone. Or who will stand against your glory? Who dares? Or who can hug her? Heaven and earth are filled with it, and it is higher than heaven and angels: because You are one, always existing and eternal. And your glory, the kingdom and the power of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit forever and ever, Amen, i.e., truly, undoubtedly and authentically. Here is a brief summary of the meaning of the thrice-holy and sacred prayer: "Our Father." And every Orthodox Christian must certainly know it all, and lift it up to God, rising from sleep, leaving the house, going to the holy temple of God, before eating and after eating food, in the evening and going to bed: for the prayer of the Trisagion and “Our Father” contains everything - the confession of God, and the doxology, and humility, and the confession of sins, and the prayer for their forgiveness, and the hope of future blessings, and the petition for the necessary, and the renunciation of the superfluous, and the hope in God, and the prayer that temptation did not overtake us, and we were free from the devil, so that we could do the will of God, be the sons of God, and be worthy of the kingdom of God. That is why the Church performs this prayer many times day and night.
