A '''prayer rule''' for one who is on the path outline, a plan, of a God-pleasing lifedaily routine for [[prayer]]. Memorizing The rule should first specify the places and times of prayer and then continue with the Psalms. Replacing long specific prayers to be said in an outline of the sequence of these prayers with short ones. The prayer rope.

However, A prayer rule for one does not have to do many prayers. It who is better to perform a small number on the path of prayers properly than to hurry through a large number of God-pleasing life and may include memorizing the Psalms. It may include replacing long prayers, because it is difficult to maintain with short ones and the heat use of prayerful zeal when they are performed to excessa prayer rope. It may not be static.

I would consider It is good to have a prayer rule on account of our weakness so that on the morning and evening prayers as set out one hand one does not give in to laziness, yet on the other hand restrain any enthusiasm to its proper level. The greatest practitioners of prayer books to be entirely sufficient for youkept a prayer rule. Just try each time to carry them out They would always begin with full attention established prayers, and corresponding feelings. To be more successful at thisif during the course of these a prayer started on its own, spend a little of your free time at reading over all they would put aside the prayers separately. Think them over others and feel them, so pray that when you recite them at your prayer rule. If this is what the great practitioners of prayer did, you will know all the holy thoughts and feelings that are contained in themmore reason for us to do so. Prayer does not mean that we just recite Without established prayers, but that we assimilate their content within ourselves, would not know how to pray at all and pronounce them as if they came from our minds and heartswould be left entirely without prayer.

After you have considered and felt the prayersHowever, work at memorizing them. Then you will one does not have to fumble about for your prayer book and light when it do many prayers. It is time better to pray; neither will you be distracted by anything you see while you are performing your perform a small number of prayers properly than to hurry through a large number of prayers, but can more easily because it is difficult to maintain thoughtful petition toward God. You will see for yourself what a great help this is. The fact that you will have your prayer book with you at all times and in all places is the heat of great significanceprayerful zeal when prayers are performed to excess.

Being thus prepared, when you stand at Consider morning and evening prayers as set out in the prayer books to be careful entirely sufficient as a start. Try each time to keep your mind from drifting and your feeling from coldness and indifference, exerting yourself in every way to keep your carry them out with full attention and to spark warmth of feelingcorresponding feelings. After you have recited each prayerTo be more successful at this, make prostrationsspend a little free time at reading over all the prayers separately. Think them over and feel them, as many as you like, accompanied by so that when they are recited following a prayer for any necessity that you feelrule, or by the usual short prayerholy thoughts and feelings that are contained in them are recognized. This will lengthen your prayer time a littlePrayer does not mean just reciting prayers, but its power will be increased. You should pray a little longer on your own especially at the end of your prayers, asking forgiveness for unintentional straying of the mindthat their content is assimilated within ourselves, and placing yourself in God's hands for the entire daythat they are pronounced as if they came from our minds and hearts.

You must also maintain prayerful attention toward God throughout After having considered and felt the day. For thisprayers, work at memorizing them so as we have already mentioned more than once, there not to fumble through the prayer book and with the light when it is remembrance of God; and for remembrance of God, there are short prayerstime to pray. It is goodAlso, very goodneither be distracted by anything while praying, so as to memorize several psalms and recite them while you are working or between tasks, doing maintain a thoughtful petition toward God. See what a great help this instead of short prayers sometimes, is. Keeping your prayer book with concentration. This is one of the most ancient Christian customs, mentioned by you at all times and included in the rules all places is of St. Pachomius and St. Anthonygreat significance.

After spending the day in this mannerBeing thus prepared, you must pray more diligently stand carefully at prayer be to keep ones mind from drifting and your feeling from coldness and with more concentration indifference. Exert yourself in the evening. Increase every way to keep your prostrations attention and petitions to Godspark warmth of feeling. After having recited each prayer, make prostrations, and after as many as you like. Accompany by a prayer for any necessity that you have placed yourself in Divine hands once againfeel, go to bed with a or by the usual short prayer . While lengthen prayer time a little, its power will be increased. Pray a little longer on your lips own, especially at the end of your prayers, asking forgiveness for unintentional straying of the mind, and fall asleep with it or recite some psalmplacing yourself in God's hands for the entire day.

Which psalms should you memorize? Memorize Also maintain prayerful attention toward God throughout the ones that strike your heart as you are reading themday. Each person will find different psalms to be more effective for himself. Begin with Have mercy on me, O For this there is remembrance of God (Psalm 50); then Bless the Lord, O my soul (Psalm 102); and Praise the Lordfor remembrance of God, O my Soul (Psalm 145). These latter two there are the antiphon hymns in the Liturgyshort prayers. There are also the psalms in the Canon for Divine Communion: The Lord It is my shepherd (Psalm 22); The earth is the Lord'sgood, very good, to memorize several psalms and the fulness thereof (Psalm 23); I believedrecite them with concentration while working or between tasks, wherefore I spake (Psalm 115); and the first psalm doing this sometimes instead of the evening vigil, O God, be attentive unto helping me (Psalm 69)short prayers. There are the psalms This is one of the hoursmost ancient Christian customs, mentioned by and included in the likerules of St. Read [[Pachomius the Psalter Great|Pachomius]] and selectSt. [[Anthony the Great|Anthony]].

After you have memorized all of thesespending the day in this manner, you will always be fully armed pray more diligently and with prayermore concentration in the evening. When some disturbing thought occursIncrease your prostrations and petitions to God, and after you have placed yourself in Divine hands once again, rush go to fall down before the Lord bed with either a short prayer on your lips and fall asleep with it or one of the psalms, especially O God, be attentive unto helping me, and the disturbing cloud will immediately disperserecite some [[psalm]].

There Which psalms should be memorized? Memorize the ones that strike your heart as you arereading them. Each person will find different psalms to be more effective for oneself. Begin with ''Have mercy on me, O God'' (Psalm 50); then ''Bless the Lord, O my soul'' (Psalm 102); everything on and ''Praise the Lord, O my Soul'' (Psalm 145). The latter two are the [[antiphon]] [[hymn]]s in the subject of a prayer rule[[Divine Liturgy|Liturgy]]. There are also the psalms in the Canon for Divine Communion: ''The Lord is my shepherd'' (Psalm 22); ''The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof'' (Psalm 23); ''I believed, wherefore I willspake'' (Psalm 115); and the first psalm of the evening vigil, however''O God, mention once again that you should remember that all these be attentive unto helping me'' (Psalm 69). There are aidsthe psalms of the hours, and the most important thing is standing before God with the mind in like. Read the heart with devotion [[Psalter]] and heartfelt prostration to Himselect.

I thought After having memorized all of something else to tell these, you! You may limit the entire prayer rule just to prostrations will always be fully armed with short prayers and prayer in your own words. Stand and make prostrations, saying Lord have mercy, or When some other prayerdisturbing thought occurs, expressing your need or giving praise and thanks rush to God. You should establish fall down before the Lord with either a number short prayer or one of prayersthe psalms, or a time-limit for prayerespecially ''O God, or do bothbe attentive unto helping me'', so that you do not become lazyand the disturbing cloud will immediately disperse.

This is necessaryThere, because there is a certain incomprehensible peculiarity about us. When, for example, we go about some outward activity, hours pass as if they were a minute. When we stand at prayer, however, hardly have everything on the subject of a few minutes gone by, and it seems that we have been praying for an extremely long time. This thought does not cause harm when we perform prayer according to an established rule; but when somebody prays and is just making prostrations with short prayers, it presents a great temptation. This can put a halt to prayer Remember that has barely begun, leaving the false assurance that it has been done properly. Thus, the good practitioners of prayer came up with prayer ropes so that they would not be subject to this self-deception. Prayer ropes all these are suggested for use by those who desire to pray using their own prayers, not prayers from a prayer book. They are used as follows: Say Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinneraids, and move one bead between your fingers. Repeat the prayer again and move another bead, and so on. Make a prostration during each repetition of most important thing is standing before God with the prayer, either a partial one from the waist or a full one to the ground, as you prefer; or, for small beads, make a prostration from the waist, and for large ones, a full one to mind in the ground. The rule in all of this consists in having a definite number of prayer repetitions heart with prostrations to which are added other prayers in your own words. When deciding on the number of prostrations devotion and prayers, establish a time limit, so that you do not deceive yourself as heartfelt prostration to haste when you perform them. If haste creeps in, you can fill up the time by making more prostrationsHim.

How many prostrations should be done for each prayer Another thought is set down at to limit the end of the Psalter entire prayer rule just to prostrations with sequences in two categories, one for diligent people short prayers and the other for lazy or busy people. The elders now living among us prayer in sketes or special kellia in places such as Valaam or Solovki serve the entire service according to thisyour own words. If you would like toStand and make prostrations, saying Lord have mercy, now or some other timeprayer, you can perform expressing your own prayer rule in this manner. Before you do this, however, get used need or giving praise and thanks to performing it in the manner prescribed for you. Perhaps you will not need a new ruleGod. In any case, I am sending you Establish either a prayer rope. Try it! Note how much time you spend at morning and evening prayer, then sit down and say your short number of prayers with the prayer rope, and see how many times you go around the rope during the or a time usually required -limit for your prayer. Let this quantity be the measure of your rule. Do this not during your usual prayer time, but at some other timeor do both, although so that you do it with the same sort of attentiveness. The prayer rule, then, is carried out in this way, standing and making bowsnot become lazy.

After reading thisThis is necessary, do not think I am driving you into because there is a monasterycertain incomprehensible peculiarity about us. I first heard When, for example, we go about praying with some outward activity, the hours pass as if they were a minute. When standing at prayer rope from , however, hardly have a lay personfew minutes gone by, and it seems that we have been praying for an extremely long time. This thought does not cause harm when we perform prayer according to an established rule; but when somebody prays and is just making prostrations with short prayers, it presents a great temptation. This can put a monkhalt to prayer that has barely begun, leaving the false assurance that it has been done properly. Many lay people and monastics pray in Thus, the good practitioners of prayer came up with prayer ropes so that they would not be subject to this wayself-deception. It should be suitable Prayer ropes are suggested for youuse by those who desire to pray using their own prayers, toonot prayers from a prayer book. When you They are praying with prayers that you used as follows: Say ''Lord Jesus Christ, have memorized mercy on me a sinner'', and move one bead between your fingers. Repeat the prayer again and they do not move another bead, and so on. Make a prostration during each repetition of the prayer, either a partial one from the waist or a full one to the ground, as youprefer; or, for small beads, you may pray that day using make a prostration from the prayer ropewaist, and do for large ones, a full one to the ground. The rule in all of this consists in having a definite number of prayer repetitions with prostrations to which are added other prayers in your own words. When deciding on the memorized number of prostrations and prayers another day, establish a time limit, so that you do not deceive yourself as to haste when you perform them. ThusIf haste creeps in, things will go betteryou can fill up the time by making more prostrations.

How many prostrations should be done for each prayer is set down at the end of the Psalter with sequences in two categories, one for diligent people and the other for lazy or busy people. The elders now living among us in [[skete]]s or special [[Monastic dwellings (Athos)|kellia]] in places such as [[Valaam Monastery]] or [[Solovetsky Monastery]] serve the entire service according to this. If you would like to, now or some other time, you can perform your own prayer rule in this manner. Before you do this, however, get used to performing it in the manner prescribed for you. Perhaps you will not need a new rule. Try it with a prayer rope! Note how much time you spend at morning and evening prayer, then sit down and say your short prayers with the prayer rope, and see how many times you go around the rope during the time usually required for your prayer. Let this quantity be the measure of your rule. Do this not during your usual prayer time, but at some other time, although do it with the same sort of attentiveness. The prayer rule, then, is carried out in this way, standing and making bows. After reading this, do not think I am driving you into a [[monastery]]. I first heard about praying with a prayer rope from a [[laity|lay]] person, not a [[monk]]. Many lay people and monastics pray in this way. It should be suitable for you, too. When you are praying with prayers that you have memorized and they do not move you, you may pray that day using the prayer rope, and do the memorized prayers another day. Thus, things will repeat go better. Repeating once again that , the essence of prayer is the lifting of the mind and heart to God; these little rules are an aid. We cannot get by without them because of our weakness. May the Lord bless you!

The Spiritual Life and How to Be Attuned to It (Platina, CA: [[St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood]], 1996), Ch. 47, pp. 204-209. == External Links ==*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/prayrule.aspx A Prayer Rule by St. Theophan the Recluse]*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/stpachomius.htm The Prayer Rule of St. Pachomius]*[http://www.orthodoxprayer.org/Prayer%20Rule.html A Sample Prayer Rule]*[http://orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/prayrule.aspx A Prayer Rule] [[Category: Church Life]][[Category: Prayers]]