Various Orthodox
Prayers
from A pocket prayer book for Orthodox
Christians
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North
America
Pray
before the icon of Christ
We reverence Your spotless icon, O gracious Lord, and ask
forgiveness of our transgressions, O Christ our God: for of
Your own good will You was pleased to ascend the Cross in
the flesh, that You might deliver from bondage to the enemy
those whom You have fashioned. Wherefore, we cry aloud unto
You: You have filled all things with joy, O our Saviour, for
You come to save the world.
The Jesus
Prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me,
a sinner.
Hymn
to the Theotokos
from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, who are ever
blessed and all-blameless, and the mother of our God. More
honourable than the Cherubim, and more glorious beyond
compare than the Seraphim, you who without stain barest God
the Word, and are truly Theotokos: we magnify you.
A prayer to the All-Holy
Trinity
The Father is my hope; the Son is my refuge; the Holy
Spirit is my protector. O All-holy Trinity, glory to
You.
A prayer to your Patron
Saint
Pray unto God for me, O Holy Saint (Name), well-pleasing
to God: for I turn unto you, who are the speedy helper and
intercessor for my soul.
A Prayer to your Guardian
Angel
O Angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector of my soul
and body, forgive me everything wherein I have offended you
every day of my life, and protect me from all influence and
temptation of the evil one. May l nevermore anger God by any
sin. Pray for me to the Lord, that He may make me worthy of
the grace of the All-holy Trinity, and of the Most Blessed
Theotokos, and of all the Saints. Amen.
Prayers at the
table
Before Meals
+ In the Name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your Name;
Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our
sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; and lead us
not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For
Yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; now and
ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Then
O Christ our God, bless the food and drink of Your
servants, for You are Holy always;
now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
After Meals
+ Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Then
Blessed is God, who is merciful unto us and nourishes us
from His bounteous gifts by His grace and compassion,
always, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
A prayer of repentance
O Lord our God, good and merciful, I acknowledge all my
sins which I have committed every day of my life, in
thought, word and deed; in body and soul alike. I am
heartily sorry that I have ever offended you, and I
sincerely repent; with tears I humbly pray to You, O Lord:
of Your mercy forgive me all my past transgressions and
absolve me from them. I firmly resolve, with the help of
Your Grace, to amend my way of life and to sin no more; that
I may walk in the way of the righteous and offer praise and
glory to the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
A prayer in time of
trouble
O God, our help and assistance, who art just and
merciful, and who hears the supplications of Your people;
look down upon me. a miserable sinner, have mercy upon me,
and deliver me from this trouble that besets me, for which,
I know, I am deservedly suffering. I acknowledge and
believe, O Lord, that all trials of this life are given by
You for our chastisement, when we drift away from You and
disobey Your commandments; deal not with me after my sins,
but according to Your bountiful mercies, for I am the work
of Your hands, and You know my weakness. Grant me, I beseech
You, Your divine helping grace, and endow me with patience
and strength to endure my tribulations with complete
submission to Your Will. You know my misery and suffering
and to You, my only hope and refuge, I flee for relief and
comfort; trusting to Your infinite love and compassion, that
in due time, when You know best, You will deliver me from
this trouble, and turn my distress into comfort, when I
shall rejoice in Your mercy, and exalt and praise Your Holy
Name, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: now and ever, and unto
ages of ages. Amen.
Thanksgiving after deliverance from
trouble
Almighty and merciful God, I most humbly and heartily
thank Your divine majesty for Your loving kindness and
tender mercies, that You have heard my humble prayer, and
graciously vouchsafed to deliver me from my trouble and
misery. Grant me, I beseech You, Your helping grace, that I
may obediently walk in Your holy commandments, and lead a
sober, righteous and godly life, ever remembering Your
mercies, and the blessings You have undeservedly bestowed
upon me, that I may continually offer to You the sacrifice
of praise and thanksgiving, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen.
A prayer of a sick
person
O Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour, Physician of souls and
bodies, who become man and suffer death on the Cross for our
salvation, and through Your tender love and compassion did
heal all manner of sickness and affliction; visit me O Lord
in my suffering, and grant me grace and strength to bear
this sickness with which I am afflicted, with Christian
patience and submission to Your will, trusting in Your
loving kindness and tender mercy. Bless, I pray to You, the
means used for my recovery, and those who administer them. I
know O Lord, that I justly deserve any punishment You might
inflict upon me for. I have so often offended You and sinned
against You, in thought, word and deed. Therefore, I humbly
pray to You, look upon my weakness, and deal not with me
after my sins, but according to the multitude of Your
mercies. Have compassion on me, and let mercy and justice
meet; and deliver me from this sickness and suffering I am
undergoing. Grant that my sickness may be the means of my
true repentance and amendment of my life according to Your
will, that I may spend the rest of my days in Your love and
fear: that my soul, being helped by Your grace and
sanctified by Your Holy Mysteries, may be prepared for its
passage to the Eternal Life, and there, in the company of
Your blessed Saints, may praise and glorify You with Your
Eternal Father and Life-giving Spirit. Amen.
Thanksgiving after recovery from
sickness
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, Source of life and
Fountain of all good things, I bless Your Holy Name, and
offer to You most hearty thanks for having delivered me from
my sickness and restored me to health. Grant me Your
continuing grace, I pray to You, that I may keep my good
resolutions and correct the errors of my past life, and
improve in virtue, and live a new life in dutiful fear of
You, doing Your will in all things, and devoting this new
life which You have given me to Your service: that thus
living for You, I may be found ready when it pleases You to
call me to You, O heavenly Father, to whom with Your
Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and Your all-holy
and Life-giving Spirit, is due all honor, praise, glory, and
thanksgiving: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
A prayer for the sick
O holy Father, heavenly Physician of our souls and
bodies, who have sent Your Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus
Christ to heal all our ailments and deliver us from death:
visit and heal Your servant N., granting him/her release
from pain and restoration to health and vigor, that he/she
may give thanks unto You and bless Your Holy Name, of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: now and
ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Trisagion Memorial Prayer for the
departed
"O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who has trampled down
Death and overthrown the Devil, and given life unto Your
world, give, we beseech You, eternal rest to the soul of
Your departed servant, in a place of brightness, in a place
of verdure, in a place of repose, from whence all pain,
sorrow, and sighing, have fled away.
Pardon, we beseech You, every transgression which may
have been committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For
there is no man who lives and does not commit a sin. You
only are without sin, Your righteousness is everlasting, and
Your word is the Truth.
For You are the Resurrection, and the Life, and the
repose of Your departed servant, O Christ our God, and unto
You we ascribe glory, together with eternal the Father, and
Your Most Holy, and Good, and Life-giving Spirit, now and
forever, and for ages to come." Amen
"May our gracious and merciful Lord, who rose from the
dead, Christ, our True God, through the intercessions of His
Holy Mother and of all the Saints, establish the soul of His
departed servant in the mansions of the righteous; give rest
in the bosom of Abraham, and number his soul among the just,
and have mercy upon us and save us".
Eternal be Your memory.
These prayers are customarily read for 40 days after the
falling asleep of the servant of God.
The Penitential
prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the
spirit of sloth, faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle
talk. Instead, give to me, Your servant, the spirit of
chastity, humility, patience and love. Yes, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother,
for You are Blessed from all ages to all ages.
Amen.
This prayer should be read DAILY throughout Great Lent by
all Orthodox Christians. Fasting
from all meats, fish, eggs and dairy products is also
required throughout Great Lent.
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