Prayer before and after reading the gospel: how to read correctly. gospel christian prayer

When we prepare to hear or read the New Testament, we need to ask God for help. There are many cases when believers began to interpret the divine books in their own way and as a result departed from the Orthodox faith.

The prayer before reading the Gospel, which the holy fathers commanded us to do, can be heard in different options. Their meaning, as a rule, comes down to one thing - there must be a petition to God for the gift of understanding of Holy Scripture.

For example, one of them, the most capacious: "Lord, enlighten the eyes of my heart with the light of the mind of Thy Holy Gospel."

The prayer of Ignatius Brianchaninov before reading the Gospel is widespread: “ Save, Lord, and have mercy on Your servants (names) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which are about the salvation of Your servants. Lord, the thorns of all their sins have fallen, and may Thy grace dwell in them, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.»

Prayer before and after reading the Gospel will be understandable and meaningful if it is built according to the following scheme:

to read before reading the Divine Revelation a prayer for the enlightenment of the mind and the granting of the understanding of the Divine Words;
after reading the Holy Letter, to fulfill the rule of Ignatius Brianchaninov, in which a petition is raised for the cleansing of the sins of all those for whom the Holy Gospel was read.

Most believers do just that. The chapters of Divine Scripture are included in prayer rule done by believers Orthodox Church everyday. Therefore, it is very important to perform the prayers before reading the Gospel at home in an appropriate way.

There are many books that fill our bookshelves. Almost everyone has a personal library.

According to the books that are in it, it is possible with a high degree of probability to make a judgment about the person, their owner. About who he is, what he thinks and dreams about, what he aspires to, what his life is like.

Most of the books we have are enough to read once, and we never go back to them.

But there are those that we turn to again and again, reading them throughout our lives. Divine Revelation is the most main book any Christian. It can be compared with air, food, which we need every day to live and pray to God. She leads, inspires, supports on a difficult path and to eternity and does not allow to turn off it.

The Bible was a reference book for many prominent people. It was read and re-read many times by Dostoevsky, Pushkin, Gogol, Mendeleev, Pavlov and other equally famous personalities. In pre-revolutionary Russia, at the end of any educational institution graduates were given a volume of the Gospel along with the certificate, as parting words and guidance for their future lives.

The Bible is Divine Scripture. And this means that each of his lines is filled with a special spiritual power that can change and enlighten our lives. Each of us has such days, periods when everything seems to be filled only with darkness.

It would seem that there is no light, longing and hopelessness around us. And so, as soon as we start rereading the Revelation, spiritual light begins to illuminate our life path.

Getting rid of passions

Through the Divine Books, the Lord himself begins to act in us, in our life.

There is ample evidence of how High power helped the believer to cope with some of his bad habits, sinful habits.

So one person for a long time suffered from alcoholism and could not get rid of this addiction, for which he turned to doctors, tried to fight this habit by exerting his own will, but all these attempts were unsuccessful.

And one day he came to the monastery to consult with the elder how he should be in order to overcome this sin.

The old monk advised him every time a craving for something evil, sinful arises, to pick up a volume of the Holy Book and start re-reading it over and over again. This is what this man did.

When a craving for alcohol appeared, and his hand reached out like a glass, before giving up and giving way to a destructive passion, he began to reread the Holy Letter. And a miracle happened. As soon as he finished reading a chapter, he discovered that the passion that had tormented him so much either died out completely, or weakened and became insignificant.

There are many examples of how the Word of God changed a person's life. Therefore, we should not forget and as often as possible turn our gaze to the Holy Scriptures, reread it every day, so that the light of Divine Revelation illuminates us.

And so that through the reading of this Holy Book, the Lord will always be with us, and our life will be filled with his light. Prayer before reading will facilitate and help this like nothing else.

How to Read the Gospel

Today, every person has the opportunity to buy a Bible, open it and start flipping through the pages, rereading them again and again. But will it always be salutary? If we do it hastily, without proper preparation and mental attitude, without deep immersion in the meaning of what has been stated, then it is unlikely.

It is unacceptable to behave in relation to the Holy Letter as an ordinary novel or a detective story, rereading it somewhere in the subway or while away the time on the bus. Leafing through the sacred pages in between, hastily and without some inner effort, we are unlikely to understand anything.

It is good to have in your library explanations of Divine Revelation:

Theophylact of Bulgaria.
John Chrysostom.
Bishop Michael.
Theophan the Recluse and others.

The holy ascetics, who shone in the church with their deeds, believe that it is better to reread the Scriptures, referring to the Orthodox calendar. It contains daily indications of which verses (passages) from the New Testament are included in the liturgical circle.

Thus, together with the whole church, we read the four Gospels during the year. Thereby, New Testament opens up in a completely different way. We cease to see and perceive only the eventual, historical outline of the Divine Revelation. Its deep spiritual meaning begins to open.

The gospel is the way, the guide to action. This is how the commandments given by Christ should be taken. They must be fulfilled, they must be lived every minute.

One should not seek only the delight bestowed by the Holy Spirit on everyone who touches the Divine Scriptures with their eyes and thoughts.

One must strive to see the infallible Truth hidden in the words of Divine Revelation. Perceive the reading of holy books as an appeal of God to us all and each personally.

Attention! When reading the Gospel, both in church and in private, it is necessary to stand with your head bowed.
At home, with a lack of physical strength or severe fatigue, you can kneel down and in a reverent pose listen to the words of God himself. Prayer before reading the Gospel , as a rule, should always accompany this mysterious act.

How to read at home

If you have received the blessing of a confessor or have come to such a decision yourself under the influence of reading spiritual literature, listening to sermons, you must remember that you should read the whole chapter, not leaving it to be completed tomorrow. On the advice of the illustrious ascetics, deeds, as well as the epistles of the apostles, should be included in the daily prayers performed by Orthodox believers.

There is another way , how to read the Gospel at home. Many Orthodox Christians take a similar path.

One chapter is read in full and one or more, at will or in accordance with the blessing of the confessor, chapters of the Apostle per day.

You need to read everything in order, from beginning to end, and then returning and repeating everything again.

You should not randomly open the first page that comes across and read everything that catches your eye, or most of all liked. There should be a gradually ordered, chapter by chapter, reading of the Holy Scriptures.

Only in this case, a clear, distinct picture of all the biblical events that took place will form in the mind of a person.

When reading the Holy Revelation, one should not behave somehow too freely, uninhibitedly. It is still, though performed independently, at home, but a liturgical act. That's why appearance praying (s), and the behavior should correspond to what is happening.

There is no need to be like the sectarians who have belittled the Holy Letter to such an extent that they read it almost sitting in the closet. Disrespect for God is a great sin.

Standing in prayer or reading the Divine Letter generates reverence in a person. This results in more focus. On the other hand, if it’s hard, in cell prayer you can give yourself relief and read while sitting.

Solely to make it easier to focus on the meaning Holy Scripture rather than being distracted by shifting from foot to foot. But it is also necessary to sit with reverence, and not spread out in a position that is too loose and inappropriate for this occasion.

Attention! If some kind of sorrow or trouble has visited, prayers before reading the Gospel at home, as well as listening to and paying attention to the Holy Letter, help a lot not to get confused and find a prudent way out in a difficult situation.

Useful video

To summarize

Believers and many people who are absolutely non-religious recognize the Bible as the source of the highest culture and spirituality for all mankind.

Divine Revelation presents us with fundamental moral truths that have long been lost and completely forgotten in the incessant pursuit of material goods, progress and personal comfort.

Vladyka, spiritually experienced people advise reading the Gospel every day. Also - one or two chapters of the apostolic letters, the Psalter ... Unfortunately, today it is very difficult for a working person to choose the time for unhurried, meaningful reading. Why is it still necessary to read the Gospel every day, what does it give?

Reading the gospel is not just an integral part of the Christian life, but its foundation. There is a lot of good spiritual literature. But the gospel is the primary source, it is the foundation of the foundations, the word of God, which must constantly resound in the human heart. That is why the Holy Scripture, and above all the New Testament, must be read by a Christian.

The tradition of daily reading of the Gospel is very ancient. This reading may vary. Some read one chapter a day, some read the beginnings - passages that sound on this day at the Divine Liturgy, thereby following the readings of the church year. There is also such a common practice (and I recommend it): to read three chapters of the New Testament a day - one chapter of the Gospel and two from the Apostle (the book of Acts and the apostolic epistles). If you read it this way, then both the Gospel and the Apostolic Readings end at about the same time.

In addition, the personal prayer rule of a Christian usually includes the Psalter. How to read it - according to the kathisma per day, or at least one part of the kathisma, according to "Glory ..." - it depends on the capabilities of a person and on the needs of his heart. In fact, finding time to read one, two, even three chapters of Scripture is not so difficult. Let's say it takes me up to fifteen minutes a day, and I can hardly imagine that a person could not find a few minutes to read.

A person's life all this day should pass under the sign of what has been read. According to the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov, the mind should revolve in the words of Holy Scripture. If a person starts the day with reading and then during the day, regardless of his duties and occupations, at least remembers what he has read (and even better - try to fulfill it) - he will receive great spiritual benefit. Like all good things, this skill is acquired over time, you need to make an effort.

-Vladyka, what is spiritual literature? What books correspond to this concept?

This concept is quite broad. Of course, the basis is the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Then the interpretation of Scripture is literature that explains and supplements it in an accessible form.

There is a huge corpus of ascetic monastic literature: these are books that describe the spiritual experience of people who have managed to live according to the Gospel, mainly those who are recognized as saints by the Church. Reading such books helps us, although we do not lead such an intense ascetic life, to become partakers of the experience of the saints, to enjoy its fruits. Still, of course, here one can include the biographies of ascetics, saints of God.

In general, this is a large corpus of books, and it is constantly being supplemented. AT recent decades remarkable spiritual books of our contemporaries, who are now living or who lived quite recently, have appeared. All these books speak of one thing: how to live a person today, in the conditions in which he is placed, but at the same time fulfill the commandments of God - just as they were fulfilled by those who lived a hundred, and a thousand, and almost two thousand years ago .

Why is it necessary to get acquainted with the interpretations of the holy fathers when reading the Holy Scriptures? Why can't you just trust yourself?

As a matter of fact, any ancient book cannot be understood without interpretation. Any text can be adequately perceived only in a broad context - in the context of its time, culture, history of the people where it appeared. With the help of interpretations, explanations, the reader is attached to the realities of this text. This is the first.

Second: as a rule, patristic interpretations were created by people who lived much closer to the era of Christ and the apostles than you and I. These are the explanations of people who knew such details from the earthly life of the Savior, from the history of the Church, which we today may not even suspect.

And then, you need to understand: the Holy Scriptures did not fall from the sky ready, in the form familiar to us. It was born in the Church - these are books selected by the Church itself. The Church is united in understanding their meaning, and this unity is reflected in the interpretations of the holy fathers. Therefore, when a modern person takes a book and says: “Now we will start everything from scratch, because we are smart people, much smarter than those who lived before, and we will find here something that no one has found” - he really is something finds, as they say, "from the wind of his own head." But how does this correspond to the Holy Scripture itself? As a rule, or very little, or even contrary to it. I do not want to say that today's person lacks depth, but he lacks knowledge of the realities of the time in which the text was created: historical, political events, spiritual movements. Therefore, without taking into account the interpretation of certain books of Holy Scripture, it is impossible to perceive them correctly.

Yes, you can and should. It is also good to get acquainted with the Slavic text in order to understand it during the service. But at home you need to read in Russian or in the language that is native to a person. Holy Scripture has been translated today into the vast majority of the languages of the world, and, of course, you should read in the language that is understandable and close to you.

Prayer before reading the Gospel

Pray before starting any business. In the prayer books there are prayers before reading the Holy Scriptures - you can read them, or you can ask God for understanding and help in your own words, just as we ask for His help in other matters.

Reading the Old Testament is more difficult than reading the New Testament. These are very ancient books, and the situations that they describe happened so long ago that we cannot understand and accept many things - again without interpretation. But read Old Testament necessary, because the New Testament comes from the Old, these two parts of the Bible are inextricably linked with each other.

I think it's possible different ways reading the Old Testament. The easiest is to read from beginning to end, in a row. Someone does it calmly, and someone "gets stuck" in the excessive details of ancient life Jewish people, for example, described in the books of Deuteronomy and Numbers. If so, then you can skip them, because there really is a lot that concerns the history of the people to a greater extent than the history of the salvation of mankind. But it is desirable to read the Old Testament in its entirety.

Whether it is worth reading it constantly, daily, just like the New Testament, is up to the individual to decide. The Old Testament is also very edifying and useful. Books such as the Psalter, Proverbs, the books of the Wisdom of Solomon and Jesus, the son of Sirach, and a number of others are extraordinarily instructive. Christians of the first centuries, who did not yet have the mass of spiritual literature that we have today, were inspired precisely by the images of the Old Testament. Let us recall the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete, which we read during Great Lent. The Old Testament has been the main edifying reading for Christians for many centuries! They saw in these books the most important thing, because the through line that runs through the entire Old Testament is the relationship between the human soul and God. There are wonderful examples there, excellent examples of how a person should act and how it should not be done under any circumstances.

This is a deep and instructive book, you can find a lot of meanings in it. It's a pity for modern man The Old Testament is gradually “silencing”: it is not interested in, say, the book of the Wisdom of Solomon or the books of Maccabees, where a Christian can learn a lot of useful things.

– Vladyka, the next question is from our reader: “St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) wrote: “Each one choose for himself the reading of the Fathers, corresponding to his way of life.” But patristic literature is basically monastic books. Is it possible and necessary to read them to the laity?

These words of St. Ignatius have a slightly different meaning. Here he speaks of ascetic literature and draws a distinction between books intended for hermits, silent people, and those who lived in cenobitic monasteries. As a rule, instructions of the second kind have general character, that is, they are suitable for any person, including those living in the world. First of all, these are the first three volumes of the well-known "Philokalia" - a great anthology of patristic literature, which contains the works of such authors as St. Anthony the Great, John of the Ladder, Ephraim the Syrian, Abba Dorotheos. Being monks and describing the monastic experience, they nevertheless created books that are important for every Christian, because they very accurately describe those internal processes that occur in any human soul.

Take, for example, the "Ladder" of St. John of the Ladder. Each chapter in it is a treasure. If a person living in the world reads it, he will take as much as he can bear. Or the book of Abba Dorotheus - unusually light, transparent, talking about the fundamental issues of human life, the movements of the human heart. I am convinced that every person who comes to the Church should read it. Perhaps, after the Gospel, it is with her that one should begin acquaintance with Christianity - with what it represents not in theory, but in practice.

After all, what exactly is a family? This is the same hostel as in the monastery, only small. It is difficult to live in a hostel where there are a lot of people, but it is even more difficult to live in two or three, because people are always together. Even in monasticism, life in a skete, where there are fewer inhabitants, is considered a higher level than life in a large monastery. In the mass of people, you can hide, choose for yourself those with whom you will communicate, and avoid those with whom it is difficult to communicate, do not want to or are not interested ... Therefore, monastic literature, even for a family man, can tell many important things about how to live and how to relate to those with whom you live, with whom you see constantly. This is a very helpful read.

The next question, I think, is very important for many: “Dear Vladyka! You have great priestly and hierarchical experience. What literature can you recommend to a person who wants to discover the world of Orthodoxy? Which authors are better to start taking the first spiritual steps with?

As a matter of fact, I just answered him - this is Abba Dorotheos, St. John of the Ladder. There is a wonderful Russian spiritual writer - St. Theophan the Recluse. First of all, I would like to recommend his letters to various people, they have been published many times in our time. These are amazing letters - unusually simple and at the same time very deep. He has several books for the laity, for those who lived the same life as we do today. One of the most famous is called: “What is the spiritual life and how to tune in to it.”

AT recent times books of new very interesting authors appeared: first of all, Greek ascetics of the 20th century. Of these, the most famous is the elder Paisius Svyatogorets. I would recommend reading his books to anyone who wants to know what Christianity is in general - starting from the deepest concepts and ending with some external manifestations that we often do not even think about. Elder Paisios has a very good comparison. He says: “Here you are walking along a mountain path, and your brother is walking behind you. If you are a Christian, then by moving a tree branch away from your face, you will linger and hold it until the one who is following you passes by. And if you let her go and she hit the one following you, you are not a Christian.” After all, we live and sometimes do not notice some of the most elementary things! And you need to be a Christian in everything, starting with the most inconspicuous and seemingly insignificant deeds.

Romanian Orthodox Christianity very interesting, very deep. There were and are many real ascetics, one of them is the famous elder Cleopas (Ilie). I had occasion to meet with him, at one time I visited him in the monastery of Sihastria. There are many teachings of Romanian ascetics today on the Pravoslavie.ru portal. What is published is very interesting and testifies to a very deep experience of spiritual life, adequate to the patristic.

Lots of things to read. But you see, what's the matter - we are all very different people: both those who read books and those who wrote them. And here the well-known law operates - like attracts like. Let's say someone likes St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) so much that he overshadows all other authors. And I, for example, have such an attitude towards St. Theophan the Recluse, and I read St. Ignatius more detachedly. This does not mean that some of these authors are better, more correct, and some are not. There is such a patristic concept - the sensibilities of the soul. And these senses in different people respond to different things in different ways.

Therefore, first, as I said, you need to read the Holy Scriptures. Be sure to get acquainted with the New Testament - this is the main thing, and then start reading patristic literature. And then, in that sea of literature that exists, try to choose what resonates the most in your heart.

Another very important thing is this. When I was young, there were no books, no one published spiritual literature. Something could only be found in special stores or in private libraries. Therefore, then to read, for example, the same St. Ignatius or Theophan the Recluse was simply happiness. And each such book turned a person upside down, changed his whole perception of the world. Today there are enough books, there are people who read a lot - but at the same time they do not change inside. Spiritual literature must have some effect on a person: he must change from this reading, he must necessarily try to embody what he has read in his life. And now it often happens like this: yes, he read, he seems to be “in the know,” but at the same time what he read does not correlate with his life in any way. Reading like this is a waste of time.

The New Testament ends with the book "The Revelation of St. John the Theologian, or the Apocalypse." This is perhaps the most complex and mysterious book of Holy Scripture. Is it necessary to read it, because much remains incomprehensible?

Apocalypse must be read. It is enough to do it once. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the interpretation in parallel with or after reading. The classic interpretation of the Apocalypse, recognized by the entire Church, is the interpretation of St. Andrew of Neocaesarea. It has been published many times and is also available on the Internet. As a matter of fact, one should read the Apocalypse and leave it, because in this book there are secrets of the future age, which cannot be fully understood now. We need to remember that this world will come to an end, but somehow it is not worth reflecting on this book in any particular way. It is not for nothing that the Church did not introduce the Apocalypse into the series of liturgical readings. This is the only book of the New Testament that we do not read in the temple.

Is it necessary to look for parallels between contemporary events and what is described in the Apocalypse? Now many people are trying to do it ...

You know, if you wish, parallels with the Apocalypse can be found in absolutely every one of the past 2000 years from the birth of Christ. There have always been and are some unfavorable trends that, in their development, can lead to an end human society. But as the Scripture says, not ours it is a matter of knowing times or seasons which the Father has set in his own power(Acts. 1 , 7), so it is not useful for a person to talk about it. You just have to always remember that our personal Apocalypse, that is, the end of our earthly life, can come at any moment. This is what you need to know, you need to prepare for this and for the sake of this you need to correct your life.

An interesting question from our reader: “St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) repeatedly says in his letters that the spiritual life Orthodox Christian should be the simpler the better. How to understand it ?»

This was said by many holy fathers, beginning with the ancients and ending with almost our contemporaries. Remember famous expression Saint Ambrose Optinsky: “Where it’s simple, there are a hundred angels, and where it’s tricky, there’s not a single one”? It means that the person himself should be simpler. This is primarily the gospel requirement: let your word be: yes, yes; no no; and what is more than this is from the evil one(Mt. 5 , 37). Simplicity in good sense- openness, lack of self-digging, some kind of constant throwing - should be inherent in every Christian. You know, after all, there are people who cannot decide on anything, from the important to the smallest. But with this quality in yourself you need to fight. If there is a need to say or do something, say it and do it. There will be some kind of reaction - then proceed in accordance with what you received in response. Still simplicity as the absence of cunning, cunning, resourcefulness. Not that simplicity that is worse than theft, but simplicity as a person's openness to God and the people around - this is the correct and good simplicity that is commanded to each of us. It is about her that St. Ignatius and many other saints speak.

Prepared by Natalia Gorenok

Newspaper " Orthodox faith» № 24 (524), 2014; №1 (525), 2015

Reading Holy Scripture for some people from childhood is considered the norm, but many believers cannot answer the question “What is the difference between the Bible and the New Testament? What is the gospel? How important is it to read and study the Good News?” Prayer before and after reading the Gospel is a powerful help in understanding the messages of Jesus and finding answers to exciting questions.

Four Gospels of the New Testament

The Bible consists of two large collections, consisting of spiritual messages to mankind - the Old and New Testaments, written before and after the birth of Christ.

The gospel is the holy book of christians

The Son of God sent to earth had to fulfill His mission, to show people the way to eternal life. (John 14:6) The birth of Jesus the Savior began in human existence new era. His stay on earth lasted only 33 years, hence the expression "the age of Christ" appeared.

Additional articles:

The disciples and followers of Jesus scrupulously recorded all the events of the Teacher's stay on earth in order to convey to subsequent generations the Good News - the Gospel. The messages to humanity are not simple writings, in these sacred writings there are not only descriptions of the life of Jesus, they are filled with His teachings, instructions, prayers and promises.

Attention! Only four Gospels were included in the New Testament, for it is they who are recognized as inspired, canonical, and sanctified by the Church.

There are also non-canonical, apocryphal epistles; the Church is not responsible for their divine essence.

Why constantly read the Gospel

The Lord Jesus left His children a real gift:

messages;
instructions;
warnings;
tips.

The Master revealed the meaning of the Good News when he met a Samaritan woman (John 4:1-40), naming his teachings clean water, the thirst for which will move Christians in the study of the depth of the essence of God.

Conversation between Jesus Christ and a Samaritan Woman

Reading the holy message reveals the deity of Jesus through the mystery of His birth and resurrection, helps a person to see his sinfulness and shows the way to eternal life through repentance. Through supernatural miracles such as turning water into wine (John 2:1-11), stopping a hurricane (Matthew 8:26), raising the dead (John 11:1-46) and others, Jesus showed that He is the real God who has been given dominion in heaven and on earth.

The letters of the apostles will become a real adviser in any matter of life, teach you to love people and bow to God, fulfilling His commandments, and reveal the essence of the prayer "Our Father". (Matthew 6:9)

Reading places about the healing of the sick, Christians are filled with faith that Christ will help them overcome serious illnesses.

Important! The Gospels for Orthodox Christians are a guiding star in the world of passions, sin and vices.

How to read the gospel profitably

The morning reading of the Holy Letter will open the door to God's guidance for the coming day, will become the key to solving all problems, the evening reading will lock the guard for the night.

When starting to read the Good News, one should ask for fellowship with Him in order not only to understand the message of Christ, but also to accept it into one's life and act on Him. Prayer before and after reading the Gospel will help.

The Church advises to read Scripture in the morning and in the evening

You can learn all the verses of the Gospel by heart, do good deeds and still go to hell if you do not repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your Savior.

It is not necessary to mechanically read the lines of one or several chapters of the Epistles, doing this for a "tick". In the spiritual world, such reading will not bring any benefit. It is better to start the study of the scriptures in small groups at Sunday school or with the support of a spiritual guide who will explain incomprehensible passages of Scripture and help to repent of the sins revealed through the reading of the Good News.

To better understand the Epistle, one should read its interpretation, which will tell about the time of writing, traditions, and the life of people of this or that event. Reading about the Virgin Mary, in the interpretation you can find the story of Her birth and understand why it was Her God who chose to become the Mother of God. The history of John the Baptist is more fully revealed precisely in the explanatory notes of the saints.

Advice! Reading the Bible does not free from sins, but shows the way how to come to Repentance, Confession and Communion, putting on the clothes of Christ.

What prayers to read before and after reading the Good News

AT Christian world there is no single prayer that is read before or after reading the Word of God.

The meaning of this action is to ask God's blessing and help to understand and accept. There will be no sin if a Christian, with a sincere petition, turns to the Creator for a blessing, and then thanks the Almighty for the gift of communion with Him in his own words.

Orthodox prayer book

If a person does not have the skills of prayer, he trusts in the power of proven proclamations written by the saints under the guidance of the Lord.

Orthodox Christians pray with several types of prayers.

Before the beginning of the study of the revelations of the gospel, a prayer is read for receiving a blessing.

Shine in our hearts, O Lord of mankind, your incorruptible light of God-reason, and open our mental eyes in your gospel sermons understanding: put in us the fear of your blessed commandments, so that carnal lusts are all right, we will go through spiritual life, all, even to your pleasing, and wise and active. You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we send glory to You, with Your Father without beginning, and Your All-Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

After reading a chapter from the Bible, having received a revelation, instruction, and perhaps finding an answer to a problem, you should read the following words:

Save, Lord, and have mercy on Your servant (name) with the words of the Divine Gospel, which are about the salvation of Your servant.
The thorns of all his sins have fallen, Lord, and may Thy grace dwell in him, scorching, cleansing, sanctifying the whole person in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

By studying the gospel, we understand more deeply the messages of Jesus Christ to all of us, His atoning sacrifice and the magnitude of the gift for all mankind, its past, present and future.

The future of Christians depends on their relationship with Jesus.

Video about prayers before reading the Gospel at the liturgy

Prayer is not just words. This is an appeal to the Lord with a request for help, an expression of gratitude to the Almighty. The prayer before reading the Gospel is read aloud before proceeding with the reading of the story of the life of Christ, and also after reading.

The meaning of prayer

Bible study begins with reading the story of Jesus Christ. To get the most out of the process, you need to do it right. First of all, you should take the study of the Word of God with all seriousness and responsibility. The study of Holy Scripture is a search for God, so you need to believe in Him. The stories about Christ should not be read occasionally, but regularly. And this must be done by delving into the meaning of the first books of the New Testament.

The Bible cannot be read as a simple book. One should turn to the Almighty so that He reveals the meaning of each word. Of course, you will not understand much after reading once, but you should strive to delve into the meaning. Otherwise there will be no benefit from reading. Some places will be alien to consciousness for a long time, and some, like a bright flash of insight, will bring understanding and understanding of the life path.

When you start reading, you should ask God to open your ears and heart in order to hear the words of the Lord and do His will. Ask the Almighty, trusting that He will enlighten your heart, and give thanks that He will do this at your prayer request. The more you immerse yourself in the New Testament, the more the Lord reveals to you its true meaning. The truth of the good news fills you with joy and the assurance that God loves you and is ready to help you.

The spiritual fathers of the church drew attention to the fact that it is necessary to start studying the Scriptures only after prayer. You can read on your own or with someone together so that after reading, discuss the text of the Word of God and interpret it.

Many priests believe that the pronunciation of a special prayer, which is the key to the knowledge of what has been read, will help to understand the true meaning of the Gospel. If you decide to start studying the Scriptures, read one chapter each day. It is necessary to read in its entirety in order to interpret what is written in context and not to miss the main idea.

There are several prayers before reading the stories about Christ, which one to choose - decide for yourself. Your inner voice will help you make the right choice.

There are no special requirements for where to study the books of the New Testament that tell about Christ. This can be done anywhere at any time. By turning to the Almighty before you begin to study Scripture, you set yourself up to accept the truths of God and the ability to accept the understanding of everything that is written.

After reading, thank the Creator for giving you an understanding of the Scriptures, and ask Him to make you not only a hearer of the Word, but also a doer.

Video "Rules for reading the Gospel"

In this video, the clergy will tell you where to start reading the Gospel.

What to read before the gospel

Shine in our hearts, O Lord of mankind, your incorruptible light of God-reason, and open our mental eyes in your gospel sermons understanding: put in us the fear of your blessed commandments, so that carnal lusts are all right, we will go through spiritual life, all, even to your pleasing, and wise and active. You are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies, Christ God, and we send glory to You, with Your Father without beginning, and Your All-Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

You can learn about the life of Jesus Christ from a series of writings called the Gospel. It talks about the life of the son of God, about his deeds on earth. The New Testament of the Bible consists of four parts. But before reading one of the sections, the church recommends reading a prayer. You can read the Scriptures at home, the main thing is to believe in what you are reading.

Prayer before and after reading the gospel: how to read the gospel correctly?

The gospel is nothing but the Good News. By reading this holy book, a person receives unique opportunity know God and love him. Therefore, while reading it, it becomes possible to be freed from sin and be punished for it.

In the gospel, it is possible to single out several main provisions.

What surrounds us includes people, created by the Creator - God.
God is holy and has no sins.
People should obey God, as he is their creator.
For what has been done, eternal punishment awaits a person.
Avoid punishment, perhaps with the help of good deeds.
Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Trusting relationship between Jesus Christ and mankind. Willingness to follow him under any circumstances.

How to read the gospel at home and when to read prayers?

The gospel is not a simple book, but a sacred one. Therefore, in order to get the maximum benefit from it, you need to do it right. In order to pray before reading, you need to follow some basic rules.

Take this matter seriously. In the event that you take a holy book, then you must sincerely believe what is written there. With an unbiased attitude to reading, proper results will not be obtained.
Man's desire to study the Bible. A person must want to read the holy book, otherwise he will not understand what is written there. The gospel is holy scripture, the book is not fiction.

You can read the holy letter alone or in a group of people, but must read the prayer. Prayer before reading the gospel can be addressed for your loved ones or relatives. It is worth noting that, picking up a holy book, it is worth reading at least one chapter. In this case, do not interrupt in the middle of the text. You need to read it all the way to the end!

Many who want to understand the gospel with all their hearts summarize the essence of what they have read, highlighting important points for themselves. According to church rules, the gospel is read only while standing. But at home, it is best to take the position that will allow you to escape from extraneous matters and immerse yourself in the essence of Holy Scripture. If a person listens to the gospel in the temple, then he should give up.

How to read the gospel and when?

The church recommends praying daily. But in order for the study of the holy book to be successful, it is recommended ask for a blessing in church from your spiritual mentor. The best ways to study the holy book for yourself can be:

Daily reading one chapter a day.
Reading scripture according to Orthodox calendar. Daily, looking through what chapter today, read in the church, and study it.

The first way is optimal for those who do not know the basics of gospel history. But at the same time, it will take a lot of time to read one chapter. The second option is optimal for understanding the scripture. The next time a person comes to the temple, he will carefully and consciously listen to what the clergyman says.

But in order to avoid additional misunderstanding of what they are reading. It is best to know the historical moments. The Church recommends reading additional ecclesiastical literature that presents correct interpretation the writings of God. Recommended reading of the following ecclesiastical explanations.

Interpreter from John Chrysostom.
Interpretation from Theophylact of Bulgaria.
It is recommended to read Bishop Mikhail Luzin, as well as Averky.
Authoritative is the explanation of Professor Alexander Lopukhin.

After reading the first two authors, it may seem that the interpretation is unclear and inaccessible to common man. The clergy suggest that you first read Seraphim Sloboda, and only after that proceed to the study of Chrysostom and Bulgarian. For a better understanding of the gospel, it is recommended to study it in your own language. After all, Church Slavonic is sometimes considered difficult to understand.

How to read a prayer before and after the gospel at home and when?

In order to correctly understand what you read in the word of God it is recommended to read a prayer before and after reading. It is worth noting that the desired result will not come immediately. You will need to spend enough time on this issue. To better understand the gospel, you need to start living according to the commandments of God.

Many note that when reading the gospel, there is no realization of what is being read, and one does not always want to continue what has been started. Church leaders note the story of Ignatius Brianchaninov about a student. He long time read the Gospel and did not understand what he was reading. Then he came to his teacher with questions, what to do if you read and do not understand anything?! The teacher answered him that the word of God purifies the thoughts of a person and his life. Therefore, reading the gospel is necessary for self-purification. In addition, it is important to be aware of which book you are holding in your hands. You need to pray before and after reading the holy book at home. To read the gospel at home, it is best to ask for blessings in the church.

Many priests give some recommendations so that the effect of reading prayers and scriptures can be enhanced. Applying simple rules you will succeed in pretty short time achieve purification and allow improvement in your life. The main thing in this is faith in what you read and faith in God. Consider the main advice that the church offers.

How to read prayers for yourself and for loved ones and when?

The gospel is an integral part of the foundation of life Christian man. There is a lot of spiritual literature that the church recommends. But the first source and foundation, is the word of God which should constantly resound in the heart of a person. That is why it is necessary to read the gospel and prayers daily and without fail.

Even in antiquity there was a tradition of reading the gospel. It may be different. People perceive the holy book in different ways, and everyone chooses for himself how best to say a prayer and how best to read the holy book. Some begin to read the sacred words a chapter a day. Others, on the contrary, read only passages that sound in the Divine, following the church year.

Many recommend reading three chapters of the New Testament and one chapter of the Gospel after prayer a day. Some people still practice to read two chapters from the Apostle, and then pray. In addition, the main rule of a Christian is to read the psalter. You need to read one kathisma a day or one of the parts. At the same time, it is necessary to read not depending on the needs of the human heart. Each of us can find a few minutes to read one or more chapters of Scripture.

Prayer in a person's life and when to read it?

In addition, priests insist that a person's life should pass under the read. Seraphim of Sarov, argued that the human mind should revolve around writing. That is, everything that a person reads is deposited at an unconscious level. The Bible can be reread several times a day, and with each reading a new meaning will be revealed.

In the event that a person begins the day with prayer and reading the scripture, then during the day he will definitely use in practice what was conveyed to his heart. In order to receive spiritual benefit, you will need to constantly remember what has been read. And also make every effort in order to embody in life what was said by God.

Pray before and after anything. In the prayer word, you can find prayers that must be said before starting to read the holy book. But if it is not possible, then you can ask God for blessings in your own words. In addition, you should ask him for understanding and help in any other matters. And especially in the awareness and understanding of the Holy Scriptures.

In addition, the church insists that a righteous person read the Old Testament daily. Despite the fact that the Old and Old Testament is quite difficult to read. They can be accepted and understood with special interpretations. You can find out which interpretations are best for you from your mentor in the church. Ignorance of the Old Testament, as a basis, it is not possible to understand what the New Testament is about.

A person may be offered different ways to read the Old Testament. The simplest one is reading from start to finish. You need to do this calmly and not dwell on any details. Especially when it comes to the history of the Jewish people. If it is possible to skip this part, then this will be optimal for you. But despite this, you will need to fully study the old part of the holy book.

It is up to you to decide for yourself whether you need constant reading of the Old Testament daily. It is worth noting that it is advisable to read it from beginning to end. Because there is a lot of useful and edifying. In addition, a person can learn a lot of instructive things from this. Many Christians admire what is written in the old part of the sacred book.

It is worth noting that before each reading of the Old and New Testament it is recommended to read a prayer. The main thing in this is that between the Old and New Testaments you can draw a line between the soul of man and God. At the same time, there are wonderful images that can help a person take the right path and explain what he should not do.

The Old Testament is an instructive part of life in which you can find your own special meaning. But over time, a person becomes uninteresting in this part. old book. At the same time, a Christian can draw a lot of useful things from it. The Old Testament has a positive effect on each of us.

Prayers, reading a holy book- this is what a believer should do daily. Therefore, before embarking on the true path and immersing yourself, it is recommended to come to church and ask for a blessing from a mentor in this matter. He will help, as well as give advice on how to act in a given situation, and also direct you on the right path. Be sure to read the prayer before and after reading the gospel so that the understanding of the scripture goes better.