A short prayer for a dream to come. What should we pray for before going to sleep?

For the labors of the day, the believers thank the Lord, for this purpose a short prayer is used for the dream to come. Words in it a little, but the essence is very informative and voluminous. And the latter is desirable to understand. There is no use in the meaningless murmuring of memorized words. Let's talk about what kind of evening prayer is for the dream to come, why it is being spoken about, what is being thought about at that moment.

The Legend of the Parable

In the church people, the Lord is always in the shower, and everyone else will recall a well-known story. It tells of a man walking along the sand. In the legend it is said that next to him the angel constantly wanders, adjusting to the rhythm of the steps of the traveler. And on the sand, they together leave traces that do not sweep the wind, does not fill the rain, that is, you can always look back and check how their route went. Ask, where does the short prayer for the dream come? Now you will understand its essence, and this is more important than words. One day the man turned and looked at the tracks. Surprisingly, he noticed areas where only one chain is visible, and the second is missing. The man remembered that it was at this time that he was particularly difficult. He reproached the angel for abandoning him, not supporting him at the most unfortunate moments of the journey. But he objected. The angel reminded the traveler that at that time the forces left him along with the firmness of the spirit. He sank to the sand and refused to continue the journey. The angel carried it in his arms, so there was only one chain of tracks left on the sand. Agree, the character of this parable reminds each of us. Everyone has difficulties, moments of despondency and depression. And who helps them to overcome? Here he is addressed to a short prayer for a dream to come. It represents gratitude to the Lord for the day he lived and his support.

Evening prayer for sleep is coming

Monks observe special rules. They read many prayers during the day. This is becoming a habit for monks and people of church people, which does not cause inconvenience. Prayer for the salvation of the soul, like other texts, for them are like a breath of fresh air or rest. These people are constantly striving for the Lord with their soul, that is why they strictly follow the strict rules. The lay people are another matter. They are difficult at first. Even a short prayer for a dream comes soon, and is still perceived as a duty. And the latter is especially dangerous. Remember the parable of the publican and the Pharisee. That prayer is dearer to the Lord, who reads it in his heart. If, however, turning to the Saints turns into a tedious duty, there will be no grace in it, harm is one for the soul. A person, having decided that he needs prayers, read at night or any other, takes the obligation to the Lord. Sometimes it can be uncomfortable or difficult, but you can not say a word without thoughtfulness, mechanically. It is better to sin and retreat from your rule.

Explanations of St. Theophan the Recluse

Do not think that only in our purely material world people do not understand what to pray for before going to sleep. These questions were of interest to many in the old days. People tried to enlist the advice of their confessors. Thus, there are letters from St. Theophan the Recluse concerning this particular problem. He said that the prayer rule is not a granite and not a believer's master. You can not become his slave. On the contrary, one should take responsibility responsibly to the obligations assumed, but concentrate on spiritual communion with the Lord. When circumstances do not promote the opening of the heart, it is better to worship the icon of the saint with the name of God on his lips. Anyone who follows the rule thoughtlessly departs from prayer either by the condemned or the Pharisee. In this case, it is necessary to avoid formality. The prayer for the salvation of the soul must go from the heart, and not just from the mouth. Still the saint wrote, that it is necessary to be the mistress of the rule, instead of the slave. From this follows, on the one hand, the desire to fulfill the obligations taken, on the other, to do it from the heart. Believers are only slaves to the Lord. Therefore, all their thoughts are directed to pleasing Him, and not to the prayer rule. Let's clarify the last point a little.

Believers and the Lord

The stated question is complicated. In a couple of sentences it can not be revealed. But we do not strive for this. It is important for us to understand why St. Theophan the Recluse speaks about the possibility and even necessity of breaking the prayer rule. The fact is that the believer risks substituting concepts, overreacting to the fulfillment of obligations. At some point it turns out that it is more important for him to observe the rules, and not to communicate with the Lord. And this means that he replaced God with his duty to Him. Such a world view is also a pharisaism, which is mentioned in the parable. You can not blindly adhere to any rules. They are accepted by believers voluntarily, and it is desirable to observe them. However, this applies no longer to the form of the obligation, but to its content. Take, for example, the evening prayers "Optina Pustyn." They are read by monks who have dedicated themselves to the Lord. They not only gave their whole soul to the ministry, but also gave up the worldly pleasures for the sake of it. This is not required from the laity. They need to strive to communicate with the Lord with all their heart. For this, obligations are taken, prayer rules are created. Do not know what it is?

Prayer Rules

We are all talking about the essence of the tradition, and there is a definite form. Again, let's look at the example above. Evening prayers "Optina Pustyn" include up to three dozen texts. It takes a considerable amount of time to read them all. This may well scare the layman thinking about adopting the rule. In fact, an ordinary person does not necessarily have to read all of them. On this account, there are recommendations of clergymen. For example, in the book How to Learn Prayer (Trifonov of the Pechenga Monastery) it is said that you can read the following texts: "Our Father", "God of the Evening", "The King of Heaven", "Angel of Christ", "The Blessed King", Trisagion, "Have mercy on us, Lord." This is only a recommendation, not an obligatory canon. It should be understood that the selected texts - this is the rule or commitment of the believer. Every man for himself makes up.

Details of prayer

The strict rule, of which we have so far spoken, prescribes the taking of already existing texts. However, believers do not always do this, many are interested in what to pray for before going to sleep. You can just talk to the Lord before you go to bed. The theme you will always find, if you recall the parable with which we started the conversation. During the day, you experienced different events, worked or thought about solving problems. Almost always was the Lord, even when you do not understand and do not realize this. Thank Him. For this, Orthodox prayer is read for the dream to come. In fact, it is a gratitude to the Lord for the day of life, because He is near, in the heart, mind and soul. If you think well of the texts mentioned above, then they are about the same. Believers tend to be with the Lord every second, and all their daily activities are dedicated to Him. And any decision is compared with His commandments. And for the fact that he gave such a way of life, they are sure to thank.

How to prepare for prayer

Turning to faith, people habitually pay a lot of attention to the outside of the matter. It's probably easier to change your lifestyle. In fact, for true faith, special "scenery" is not needed. God is in the soul of man, and this is most important. However, almost no one can feel it right away. The religious world is too different from our usual reality. Therefore, one should tune in to prayer, at least at first. Bring the icons from the temple and place them in the "red corner". This is an Orthodox tradition. The holy faces must hang on the opposite wall from the door. Near it is impossible to place pictures of obscene content and information transmitting devices (TV, computer). Next to the icons it would be nice to place a lamp or a place for candles. Think about a place that is convenient for the whole family. It is necessary that people can gather at the Holy Faces and not interfere with each other. Agree on the time of evening prayer. So you can calmly communicate with the Lord. Do not turn on the TV at this time. He will break privacy.

Prayer to the child at a dream coming

Children also need to be taught to believe. While they are small, mothers pray for their souls (or fathers, other relatives). And as they grow up, they will imitate the elders. They will need only to be directed, to explain the essence of what is happening. Here, for example, the prayer for children, recommended by Ambrose Optina: "Lord, You are the only weight. You can do everything and everyone can help to come to the mind of truth. Lord, teach our children (names) with the knowledge of your holy truth. Strengthen their will to live according to your commandments. And us, sinners, have mercy. Amen! "This prayer should be included in your rule. And how will the children become interested in what Mother says and is baptized, be sure to explain. Only do it thoughtfully, without neglecting the essence of the tradition. Parents often think that the child is still too little to understand how a believer with the Lord communicates. And the children then slide down to the pharisaism (they explained it like above), simply repeating the rule for their parents.

Why do believers take obligations

Probably, this question will also have to be revealed to the children. So let's talk a little. We have already found out that the believer takes the prayer rule voluntarily. He does not report to anyone except the Lord and his conscience. And it does this to prove the firmness of the decision to accept the faith. But the point is that this is a personal matter. The man shows his devotion only to himself. And he struggles with laziness, reluctance to pray for his soul. No one else needs to follow the prayer rules. Everyone does it for themselves. The believer thus attains the grace of God. And this, as explained by Sergius Sarovsky, is the main goal of man. He so accumulates heavenly "capital". Everything that is done by the believer is directed toward the acquisition of grace. So the fulfillment of the prayer rule is also a step along this path.

So what texts to read?

Not everyone touches on reasoning about faith. Some people are looking for clues, they need to specify exactly what is the prayer for a dream coming short. The three strong ones we mentioned earlier, but we will repeat. Before going to sleep, you need to say: "Have mercy on us, Lord," "Angel of Christ" and "Our Father". The remaining texts can be included in the rule at will and need. In the book mentioned above, monks are advised to start every evening prayer from one text. When you get used, you will realize what you are doing, add the next one. So gradually develop your own prayer rule. And it is important to move away from the mechanical reading of texts closer to spirituality. If it does not work out right away, then postpone prayers, just talk with the Lord, thank for the last day. And if it does not, bow to the icons with an open heart and trust.

Conclusion

Religious traditions are only at first glance complicated, difficult and confusing. In fact, if you concentrate on their true essence, then quickly sort everything out. Have risen in the morning - turn thoughts to the Lord, read the prayer. In the daytime they encountered difficulties - do the same, formed - again, think of God. And in the evening, thank him for all that has fallen to you, ask for a blessing. He will always be in your soul, to which all believers aspire.