An example of selfless service to the Lord is the Optina elders who lived in the Optina Hermitage. The monks had the gift of foresight and helped everyone who turned to them for help. The Optina elders left a lot of useful advice to subsequent generations, filled with their wisdom and patience. Those who seek to find peace of mind need to listen to monastic advice and instructions.

Prayer of the Optina elders for the coming day (every day)

The Optina elders taught believers that the rule of prayer should be done consciously. It is important to consult with your own spiritual mentors before reading prayers for the coming day. While reading prayers, you need to completely renounce the events of the outside world, you need to learn to open your soul to God. Prayer for the coming day encourages spiritual achievement and instills confidence.

Morning prayer of the Optina elders at the beginning of the day

Every respectable Christian should read prayers every morning, the sequence of which was recommended by the Optina elders. Morning prayer spiritually cleanses and allows you to protect yourself from unforeseen life circumstances and do the right thing in difficult situations.

The morning prayer of the Optina elders is as follows:

“Lord, the All-Merciful, grant me peace of mind in order to adequately meet everything that this day brings me. I sincerely believe in Your power and accept Your will. Lord, I ask You not to leave me in the coming day, instruct me and support me. Reveal Your will to me and protect me from devilish temptations. Give me the strength to accept everything that will happen to me on this day, so that I accept any news with peace of mind and the firm conviction that everything is Your Holy will. Guide me, Lord, and guide me. Tell me how to act wisely so as not to bring grief to other people. Grant me bodily strength so that I will not feel tired. Teach me to believe, endure, hope, forgive and love. Amen".



It is imperative to include the evening prayer of the Optina elders in the evening rule.

The prayer goes like this:

“Lord, Almighty and All-Good! Accept the gratitude of the servant of God (proper name) for the day you have lived. I apologize for my voluntary and involuntary sins. I forgive myself and my soul is filled with love. I forgive all my loved ones. And you, Lord, forgive us all. Lord, Almighty and All-Good! Have mercy, save and preserve my soul and body. Remove all bad thoughts from my head, get rid of bad feelings and emotions. May the grace of God, cleansing and healing, dwell in me and in my neighbors at the end of this day. Bless, Lord, my coming dream. Amen".

Prayer Optina Pustin for the coming day

The full sacred text of the prayer of the Optina elders for the coming day helps to heal the soul, bestows wisdom and promotes the harmonization of the inner world. You can read it at any time, but it is better to do it in the morning. This will set you up for good, fruitful work. This prayer promotes a positive attitude, which will allow you to successfully carry out all planned activities.

The full text of the prayer is:

“Lord, fill me with inner strength and grant me with peace of mind to accept everything that is destined for me in the coming day. God, give me the strength to completely surrender to Your holy will. At any hour of the coming day, I, the servant of God (proper name), hope for your support and guidance. Lord, so that I don’t have to find out, help me accept any news calmly and with confidence that Your decision and Your will are Holy. Help me with my mind and heart to understand and accept Your Holy will. In all my actions and actions, I completely trust You. Guide my feelings and thoughts, do not let me succumb to sinful temptations. Control my behavior, Lord, in all unforeseen situations, do not let me forget that everything that happened was sent down by You. I ask you, Almighty, to teach me how to communicate rationally with all the people around me, tell me how to behave so as not to upset anyone. so that only positive and good things come from me. Lord, grant me the strength to endure the fatigue of a working day. God, teach me sincere forgiveness and love. Help me maintain hope and faith in the best in my soul, do not allow disappointment and unbelief to appear in my heart. Save me, Almighty, from the machinations of my enemies who seek to harm me, but do not punish the lost, but enlighten them. Lead me along the path of life, Lord, and control me, enlighten my mind and fill it with an understanding of your eternal and unchangeable laws, do not allow me to deviate from God’s commandments. Lord, thank you for everything you give me in my life. I believe that Your will for me, who sincerely loves You, will promote my good. I ask you for blessings on my actions, thoughts and words. God, grant me the great honor of glorifying Your Holy Name in prayers. Amen".

Full version of the prayer of the last Optina elders

Over time, the prayers of the Optina elders changed. They were filled with new meaning, but sincerity and faith remained unchanged. All phrases of prayer texts are imbued with them.

Prayer text

The full version of the prayer of the last Optina elders is as follows:

“Lord, I ask you to give me peace of mind that everything that does not happen around me on the coming day did not take me by surprise and any life circumstances were accepted by me with dignity. Fill me, Lord, with holy faith, so that I can accept your will and not go against it. At every moment of this day, let me feel Your support and follow Your instructions. I want to accept any events and news in a balanced manner and ask for your help in this. Teach me firmness and poise. Help me understand that everything is Your will. Ease my soul, O Almighty, so that I can understand Your Holy will. I trust You completely, I ask You to guide my thoughts and deeds, to ensure that I do not make mistakes. If I have to face troubles and problems, then remind me that all the trials in my life were sent by you to strengthen me. I ask, Lord, to teach me how to communicate with other people, so that I do not become the cause of conflicts and quarrels, suggest compromise ways to resolve difficult situations. Don't let me, God, upset people close to me. Help me behave in such a way that all my actions and words are only for the good. Grant me, Lord, mental and physical health, so that I can work hard and endure the fatigue of a working day. Grant me, Lord, wisdom and patience, teach me to believe, love and forgive. Become, God, my helper in my endeavors. Protect and save me, Lord, from enemies. Enlighten my heart and fill it with faith so that I can sincerely glorify You in my prayers. Support me in my sincere desire to live according to the commandments of God and do not allow me to deviate from the true path. Accept, Lord, my gratitude for everything you do for me in my life. I accept Your blessings as one who sincerely loves You and glorify Your name in my prayers. Amen".

Listen to the online prayer Optina Pustyn

The famous elder Ambrose of Optina composed an Orthodox maternal prayer for children. It has enormous protective power and can be used every day.

The prayer text goes like this:

“Lord Almighty and All-Merciful! You are the Creator of everything in our world. You gave me grace and allowed me to experience maternal happiness, but I boldly declare, servant of God (proper name): they are Your children too. For You, the Creator, gave them existence, revived their souls with immortality, granted them Your baptism and accepted them into Your Holy Church. God! I ask You to grant grace to my children until the end of their days, to partake of the Sacraments of Your Testament, to sanctify their minds with Your Holy thought. I ask You to send down Your holy help for me, so that I can raise my children for Your glory and the help of my neighbor. Grant me spiritual strength, worldly wisdom and patience for this. Help me raise my children in the fear of God. Illuminate, Lord, the souls of my children with a gracious light, so that they love You with all their hearts. Help me convince my children that the truth lies in following Your commandments, that only honest work can bring real pleasure in life and open the doors of eternity to unspeakable bliss. Reveal for my children the power of Your Law, instill in their hearts the fear of punishment for iniquity and do not let them succumb to sinful temptations. Show my children the true path and may their lives be immaculate and may they become true zealots of Your righteousness. help them, Lord, on the paths of their lives and keep them in chastity and reverence for Your name, so that they do not discredit Your name with their behavior. Fill their souls with the desire to learn and do good, may their deeds be beneficial to everyone. God! Give me wisdom to teach children to live in society and find a common language with other people, so as not to become the cause of conflicts and quarrels. Help me teach my children to move away from lawlessness and not to participate in rotten conversations and not to listen to frivolous people. Grant strength to my children to resist bad examples and lawlessness. Heavenly Father! Help me become an example for my children so that I can give them wise advice and correct their mistakes. Help me promptly curb their stubbornness and obstinacy, smooth out their fussiness and frivolity. May the iniquity of their faith not destroy them, may their soul not be filled with sins. Do not allow, Lord, my children to pay for my sins, for I repent of my sins, voluntary or involuntary. Merciful Father! Hear my prayer and grant an abundance of life’s blessings to my children, bless them for righteous work and do not deprive them of their daily bread. Send down to my children, O Lord, everything that is necessary to receive a blissful eternity. If they sin, then be merciful to them. Guide them on a path pleasing to God and forgive them the sins of their youth, for they did not know what they were doing due to their youth and inexperience. Do not reject them, Lord, from yourself, so that they do not do what they do, but bring them to their senses and direct them to the true path. Accept their prayers and maintain sincere faith in their souls. May the Guardian Angel, appointed by You at birth, always be next to my children and protect them from all misfortunes on their life path. All-merciful God! May my children become my joy and support in my old age. I extol Your name, Lord Almighty, in my prayers and thank You for Your deeds. Amen".

Who are the elders from Optina Pustyn

Optina Pustyn is the oldest monastery in Central Russia. It is famous for its monastic healers, who are called the Optina Elders. Even in the time of Boris Godunov, many pilgrims flocked to the monastery for mental and physical healing.

The heyday of the monastery began in 1826, when Archimandrite Moses became its rector. The elders of Optina Hermitage were famous for the fact that each of them possessed some special gift. They had sincere faith in their souls and a desire to help all those suffering.

The main church figures of those times in Optina Pustyn were considered:

• Elder Lev Danilovich. This man had the gift of healing; to treat people, he used oil from an unquenchable lamp, which was located next to the icon of the Vladimir Mother of God.
• Elder Seraphim the Reverend, who was famous for the gift of righteousness and could easily determine whether a righteous person had come to the monastery.
• A novice of Lev Danilovich, Macarius, who has the gift of a fortuneteller.

In general, all the Optina elders of all times are a symbol of Russian Orthodox spirituality, sincere faith and merciful compassion. For any believer, an elder is a mentor and teacher to whom you can completely open your soul and tell about everything. He can console and give good advice, as well as receive blessings in a difficult situation. Many elders of Optina Hermitage could predict the future; they had vast life experience. It is believed that the main purpose of the elder is to guide the souls of believers to salvation and heal sinful passions.

You need to read the prayers of the ancient elders every day; this will ensure overall success in life and support sincere faith in a person’s soul. Morning prayer should be read in solitude, fully concentrating on the spoken words. This will give you a boost of energy that will last throughout the day. Prayer allows you to accumulate internal energy, which will allow you to easily solve any problems that arise during the day.

The prayers of the elders of Optina Pustyn are read in front of the icon of the Savior. Such prayers are read alone; they allow you to communicate directly with God. This means that the prayer request must be filled with sincerity. Reading the prayer of the Optina elders is a personal matter. You cannot do this in a hurry or be mentally distracted by other matters during prayer.

The basic rules for reading prayers can be combined and the following main points can be highlighted:

• It is important to throw all unnecessary thoughts out of your head and focus only on your desire to communicate with God.
• You need to awaken sincere faith in your soul that the Lord is hearing you at the moment.

Video: song prayer of the Optina elders

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A new book

The publishing house of our monastery has published a new book - “The Life of the Hieromartyr Veniamin (Kazan), Metropolitan of Petrograd and Gdov, and those like him who suffered the Venerable Martyr Sergius (Shein), the martyrs Yuri Novitsky and John Kovsharov » .

In the new book of the famous Russian hagiographer Archimandrite Damascene (Orlovsky), the reader is offered the life of Metropolitan Veniamin (Kazan) of Petrograd - one of the first holy martyrs who did not sin with their soul or conscience during the persecution that began and gave their life for Christ and His Church .

TO then he considers himself an unworthy sinner, he cries about his sins. But one who realizes his own lack of worth and weeps about his sins cannot be subject to anger. He will be a kro-tok according to the example of Spa-si-te-la, Who said: Na-u-chi-te-sya from Me, because I am a kro-tok and humble in heart (Matt. 11:29).

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Memory of the discovery of the relics of the venerable elders of Optina

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Spiritual conversations with pilgrims

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Optina prayer book

Prayer of the Optina elders at the beginning of the day

Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your holy will. For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything. Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will. In all my words and deeds, guide my thoughts and feelings. In all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Teach me to act directly and wisely with each member of my family, without confusing or upsetting anyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day. Guide my will and teach me to pray, believe, hope, endure, forgive and love. Amen.

Other prayers of the Optina elders

Prayers of St. Anthony of Optina

About the beginning of every business

God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help. Rule, Lord, everything I do, read and write, everything I think, speak and understand, for the glory of Your Holy Name, so that all my work may begin from You and end in You. Grant to me, O God, that I may anger Thee, my Creator, neither by word, nor by deed, nor by thought, but may all my deeds, advice and thoughts be for the glory of Thy Most Holy Name. God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help.

About family

In the hands of great mercy, O my God, I entrust: my soul and much-painful body, the husband given to me from You, and all my beloved children. Thou shalt be our Helper and Patron throughout our life, in our exodus and at death, in joy and sorrow, in happiness and misfortune, in illness and health, in life and death, in everything may Thy holy will be with us, as on heaven and earth. Amen.

For the enemies

Those who hate and offend us, Your servants (names), forgive, Lord, Lover of mankind: they don’t know what they are doing, and warm their hearts to love us, unworthy.

Prayer of St. Macarius of Optina

In carnal warfare

O Mother of the Lord my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh, Mother of God! Help me, the one who is weak with carnal passion and painful, for one is Thine and with Thee is the intercession of Thy Son and God. Amen.

Prayer of St. Joseph of Optina

When thoughts invade

Lord Jesus Christ, drive away from me all inappropriate thoughts! Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak... For You are my God, support my mind, so that unclean thoughts do not overcome it, but in You, my Creator, let it delight, for Your Name is great for those who love You.

Prayer of St. Nikon of Optina Confessor

In grief

Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent to me, I now accept what is worthy of my deeds. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom, and may all Your will be one, good and perfect.

Prayer of St. Anatoly of Optina (Potapov)

From the Antichrist

Deliver me, O Lord, from the seduction of the god-hating, evil, cunning Antichrist of the coming, and hide me from his snares in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Grant me, Lord, the strength and courage to firmly confess Your Holy Name, so that I will not retreat from fear for the sake of the devil, and may not deny You, my Savior and Redeemer, from Your holy Church. But grant me, O Lord, day and night weeping and tears for my sins and have mercy on me, O Lord, at the hour of Your Last Judgment. Amen.

Prayer of St. Nektarios of Optina

From the Antichrist

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, have mercy on us sinners, forgive the fall of our entire lives and through their own destinies hide us from the face of the Antichrist in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Amen.

Prayer of St. Leo of Optina

About the unbaptized, those who died without repentance and suicides

Seek, O Lord, the lost soul of Your servant (name): if it is possible, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin, but Thy holy will be done.

(affirmation lovers)

One of my favorite philosophers, Blaise Pascal, once said: “If God did not “lay us down” from time to time, we would have no time to look at the sky.”

Wrong approach...

1. As a rule, people turn to religion with serious questions when something is not going well in their lives. And having turned, they expect a miracle. Because they remember well (even if no one really taught them) the essence of the parable of the prodigal son - here he is: he returned, and he was accepted, and moreover, in honor of his return, they slaughtered a well-fed calf! Correct, in general. But everything here is not quite as it should be.
2. As a rule, people turn to psychology with serious questions when everything in their life goes wrong. And having turned, they also expect a miracle. But this is motivated by slightly different things. Faith in science... It is right to believe in science. But everything here is not quite as it should be.

The right approach

Interest in science (psychology) and religion should, of course, not be a quick fix. Otherwise, there will be little benefit to a person from both.

It is advisable to be interested in both when our souls are calm and good.

After all, any wisdom will be of no use if we rush to it in stress, resentment, with a head clouded with anger and holes in our shoes...

Imagine that you were cheated in a store (because, let’s say, you have been bad at math since childhood) and for some reason (although quite logical)... you rushed to a mathematician, study the basics of algebra with him and so that this will never happen to you again didn't happen again. But excuse me... Will you care about the basics of algebra when your tears are choking and your hands are shaking?

Though...

When we feel good, we prefer not to deal with serious issues. Psychology interests us - purely entertaining (“ersatz psychology”), religion interests us (if it interests us at all) - ritual.

Today I want to offer all readers an excellent prevention of the attitude towards life that then leads us to church or to a psychologist.

This is morning meditation, this is the prayer of the Optina elders. We can read it every day as an affirmation, as a mantra. If you are still practicing “Julia Cameron's Morning Notes” :-), then it is best to do this immediately AFTER you have closed the notebook and put the pen back.

At first you splashed out vanity, negativity or just stupidity. And only then did they recharge with calmness and wisdom. Here it is, this wisdom:

Prayer of the last Optina elders at the beginning of the day

“Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me.

Let me completely surrender to Your holy will.

For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything.

Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will.

In all my words and deeds, guide my thoughts and feelings.

In all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You.

Teach me to act directly and wisely with each member of my family, without confusing or upsetting anyone.

Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day.

Guide my will and teach me to pray, believe, hope, endure, forgive and love.

Amen"

This text of the prayer of the Optina elders is practically non-confessional and very psychotherapeutic. A person who begins his morning with a meaningful and leisurely utterance of these or similar words has the most serious protection against any surprises and stress, especially those caused by our own stupidity and an abundance of nervous, hasty and fussy gestures.

The prayer of the Optina elders at the beginning of the day helps to tune in to the new day, leads to humility, and calms emotional unrest. It was loved by Orthodox Christians throughout Russia for its beauty, simplicity of presentation and the power of holiness.

Who are the Optina Elders?

Not all saints lived in time immemorial; there are God’s chosen ones in modern history. The memory of their spiritual feat is still fresh, and there are contemporaries who found the Optina elders alive, and the history of the eldership ended in 1966.

Their ministry began in 1821, when, by order of Metropolitan Philaret, a monastery was founded in honor of St. John the Baptist. It is a secluded place even by monastic standards for a hermit to live.

Initially there were five of them. Their first spiritual mentor was Saint Paisius. And these are not ordinary monks. All of them were elders. Eldership in Orthodoxy means that everyone had a special gift and their own mission before people and the Lord.

So, for example, one of the first elders Leo (hieroschemamonk Leonid) could heal the sick with oil, which he took from a lamp, but it never went out.

Many pilgrims flocked to Optina Pustyn to become eyewitnesses of at least one miraculous deed of the elder. He also founded the publication of Orthodox literature at the monastery. Translations of the works of many famous theologians of the world came out of the walls of the monastery printing house.

His student Makar had a prophetic gift. The Lord allowed him to foresee future events.

At the end of the 19th century, the exploits of Elder Ambrose, who guided so many Orthodox Christians on the path of truth, were glorified. Under him, the Optina monastery lived through its days of special prosperity.

Prayers of the Optina elders for every day

The most important legacy that the Optina elders left after their death was prayers. There are few of them, but they cover all the important nuances of life. Prayer that helps every day, prayers that save from enemies, against grief, from alcoholism and smoking, protecting from the Antichrist, as well as prayer requests for children and for the healing of illnesses, even for the unbaptized dead and suicides, several other prayers.

Texts and meaning of appeals

The prayers of the Optina elders are a collection of wisdom from several generations of monks, monastery residents and pilgrims.

The morning prayer for the beginning of the day is the most famous one written by the Optina elders. This is the most complete text, and if you can’t remember some lines exactly, you can retell it in your own words. It is important to sincerely turn to God with prayers with faith and humility.

The most famous is considered an abbreviated version of the prayer of each day. It is often found in prayer books and helps in arranging any charitable work.

Orthodox mothers have a favorite prayer of the Optina elders. It says that any mother should be ready to hand over her beloved child to the will of the Lord and not wish them worldly bliss.

The prayers of the Optina elders still help people live every day with benefit and great dedication. Their glory lives on to this day.

Prayer to start the day

A simple and short prayer for every day

Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your holy will. For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything. Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will. In all my words and deeds, guide my thoughts and feelings. In all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Teach me to act directly and wisely with each member of my family, without confusing or upsetting anyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day. Guide my will and teach me to pray, believe, hope, endure, forgive and love. Amen.

Prayers to St. Ambrose of Optina

O great elder and servant of God, reverend our father Ambrose, praise from Optina and all Rus' to the teacher of piety! We glorify your humble life in Christ, by which God exalted your name while you were still on earth, especially crowning you with heavenly honor upon your departure to the chamber of eternal glory. Accept now the prayer of us unworthy of your children (names), who honor you and call on your holy name, deliver us through your intercession before the throne of God from all sorrowful circumstances, mental and physical ailments, evil misfortunes, pernicious and evil temptations, sent down to our Fatherland from the great-gifted God peace, silence and prosperity, be the immutable patron of this holy monastery, in which you yourself labored and have pleased our glorified God with all in the Trinity, to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and ever forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of St. Leo of Optina

About the unbaptized, those who died without repentance and suicides

Seek, O Lord, the lost soul of Your servant (name): if it is possible, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin, but Thy holy will be done.

Prayers of St. Anthony of Optina

About the beginning of every business

God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help. Rule, Lord, everything I do, read and write, everything I think, speak and understand, for the glory of Your Holy Name, so that all my work may begin from You and end in You. Grant to me, O God, that I may anger Thee, my Creator, neither by word, nor by deed, nor by thought, but may all my deeds, advice and thoughts be for the glory of Thy Most Holy Name. God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help.

About family

In the hands of great mercy, O my God, I entrust: my soul and much-painful body, the husband given to me from You, and all my beloved children. Thou shalt be our Helper and Patron throughout our life, in our exodus and at death, in joy and sorrow, in happiness and misfortune, in illness and health, in life and death, in everything may Thy holy will be with us, as on heaven and earth. Amen.

For the enemies

Those who hate and offend us, Your servants (names), forgive, Lord, Lover of mankind: they don’t know what they are doing, and warm their hearts to love us, unworthy.

Prayer of St. Macarius of Optina

In carnal warfare

O Mother of the Lord my Creator, You are the root of virginity and the unfading color of purity. Oh, Mother of God! Help me, the one who is weak with carnal passion and painful, for one is Thine and with Thee is the intercession of Thy Son and God. Amen.

Prayer of St. Joseph of Optina

When thoughts invade

Lord Jesus Christ, drive away from me all inappropriate thoughts! Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak... For You are my God, support my mind, so that unclean thoughts do not overcome it, but in You, my Creator, let it delight, for Your Name is great for those who love You.

Prayer of St. Nikon of Optina

In grief

Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent to me, I now accept what is worthy of my deeds. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom, and may all Your will be one, good and perfect.

Prayer of St. Anatoly of Optina

From the Antichrist

Deliver me, O Lord, from the seduction of the god-hating, evil, cunning Antichrist of the coming, and hide me from his snares in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Grant me, Lord, the strength and courage to firmly confess Your Holy Name, so that I will not retreat from fear for the sake of the devil, and may not deny You, my Savior and Redeemer, from Your holy Church. But grant me, O Lord, day and night weeping and tears for my sins and have mercy on me, O Lord, at the hour of Your Last Judgment. Amen.

Prayer of St. Nektarios of Optina

From the Antichrist

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, who is coming to judge the living and the dead, have mercy on us sinners, forgive the fall of our entire lives and through their own destinies hide us from the face of the Antichrist in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Amen.

Optina Pustyn is one of the oldest monasteries of the Orthodox Church of Russia. The center of spiritual life is located near the city of Kozelsk in the Kaluga region. The Optina monastery was famous among the Russian nobility and commoners for its high morality. People came here in search of the spiritual meaning of life, to survive grief, to find answers to the difficult questions that life posed.


Each novice in this monastery, in his wisdom, was like an old man wise in life. People who visited the monastery talked about the miracles of recovery that took place within the walls of this place of prayer. With their prayers, the elders taught to show meekness, obedience, humility, and patience.

Who are the Optina Elders

There were many clergy in the monastery who were canonized by the church at different times. On October 24, Christians celebrate a holiday that honors all the venerable fathers and elders who shone in Optina Pustyn.

Schema-Archimandrite Moses was a bright personality in the monastery, who laid down the traditions of moral and spiritual education of novices. His experience was used in the education of clergy. He showed an amazing example of strict humility in his personal life and active charitable activities. The compassion observed by the head of the monastery for people in need of help and wanderers gave rise to a tradition in secular society of seeking help from the Higher Powers in the monastic monastery when no one could help.



Hieroschemamonk Lev was the inspirer of the Optina elders. This man’s whole life was filled with the expression of gospel love for loved ones and God. He asked to beware of judging those who live nearby, because one cannot demand from a person what is not given to him by nature. For his humility, the Holy Spirit rewarded him with numerous gifts.

Hieroschemamonk Macarius published the philosophical works of his predecessors in the monastery, which allowed the intellectually developed representatives of the country to unite around the monastery. Published letters addressed to believers are regarded by Christians as a guide for communicating with Higher Powers.

In total, the Russian Orthodox Church elevated 15 people to the rank of new martyrs and confessors.

What prayers of the Elders can be used

The spiritual life of a person lies in the ability to understand the laws of existence. The knowledge gained will allow you to understand the world and accept it as it is. The Optina elders taught lay people to understand and comprehend the circumstances of life, instructing them on the path of salvation from sins with the help of sacred texts created in the monastery.

An easy-to-remember prayer to start the day not only provides an opportunity to turn to God. It prepares the psyche on a subconscious level to accept all events as an inevitability that does not need to be resisted. Prayer makes it possible to find hidden strengths to survive all the episodes of the day with dignity.



“Lord, let me meet with peace of mind everything that the coming day will bring me. Let me completely surrender to Your holy will. For every hour of this day, instruct and support me in everything. Whatever news I receive during the day, teach me to accept it with a calm soul and a firm conviction that everything is Your holy will. In all my words and deeds, guide my thoughts and feelings. In all unforeseen cases, do not let me forget that everything was sent down by You. Teach me to act directly and wisely with each member of my family, without confusing or upsetting anyone. Lord, give me strength to endure the fatigue of the coming day and all the events during the day. Guide my will and teach me to pray, believe, hope, endure, forgive and love. Amen".

If a person starts a new business, he must choose the time to take the first step. The outcome often depends on this choice. The elders gave a proven prayer that helps to ask God for help in an important endeavor.



“God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help. Rule, Lord, everything I do, read and write, everything I think, speak and understand, for the glory of Your Holy Name, so that all my work may begin from You and end in You. Grant to me, O God, that I may anger Thee, my Creator, neither by word, nor by deed, nor by thought, but may all my deeds, advice and thoughts be for the glory of Thy Most Holy Name. God, come to my help, Lord, strive for my help.”

The well-being of the family is the main thing in a person’s life, because children not only help to continue the family line, but also enable a person to reveal his existing talents and realize what he is capable of. Constantly calling on God's help to protect the family, parents place their entire family under the auspices of the Christian egregor. This is an important moment in the life of a person who, through the divine word, protects all his loved ones from the temptations of the Lower Powers.

“In the hands of great mercy, O my God, I entrust: my soul and much-painful body, the husband given to me from You, and all my beloved children. Thou shalt be our Helper and Patron throughout our life, in our exodus and at death, in joy and sorrow, in happiness and misfortune, in illness and health, in life and death, in everything may Thy holy will be with us, as on heaven and earth. Amen".



If an enemy appears, it means that the demons have decided to check how much you observe the gospel laws. The elders recommended this prayer, which will leave no hope for the Lower Powers:

“Forgive those who hate and offend us, Thy servants (names), O Lord, Lover of Mankind: for they do not know what they are doing, and warm their hearts to love us, the unworthy.”

When bad thoughts come to mind, to take revenge, to commit a crime or an evil deed, you need to find the strength within yourself and read this prayer several times:

“Lord Jesus Christ, drive away from me all inappropriate thoughts! Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak... For You are my God, support my mind, so that unclean thoughts do not overcome it, but in You, my Creator, (he) delights, for Your Name is great for those who love You.”



If obsessive thoughts do not lag behind, then there is a stronger version of prayer:

“Deliver me, Lord, from the seduction of the god-hating, evil, cunning Antichrist who is coming, and hide me from his snares in the hidden desert of Your salvation. Grant me, Lord, the strength and courage to firmly confess Your Holy Name, so that I will not retreat from fear for the sake of the devil, and may not deny You, my Savior and Redeemer, from Your holy Church. But grant me, O Lord, day and night weeping and tears for my sins and have mercy on me, O Lord, at the hour of Your Last Judgment. Amen".

Anyone who has lost loved ones knows how difficult the first six months after the death of a loved one are. At this time, you need to pray to calm your living soul like this:

“Glory to Thee, my God, for the sorrow sent to me, I now accept what is worthy of my deeds. Remember me when you come into Your Kingdom, and may Your will be all one, good and perfect.”

For those who passed away unbaptized, died without repentance and committed suicide, you need to ask God in these words:

“Seek, O Lord, the lost soul of Your servant (name): if it is possible, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not make this my prayer a sin, but Thy holy will be done.”



The prayer word has a special energy. Pronounced with feeling, out loud, it creates special vibrations of the soul, which rise through energy channels into Space, where they meet with the energy threads of other people who have performed the prayer. As a result, the energy flow strengthens and reaches the egregor. If the connection is once formed, then the sacred words will quickly begin to find their way to the Holy Spirit, and requests will begin to be fulfilled in a miraculous way.

The prayers of the Optina elders are sacred words verified by time. There is not a single extra word in them. Everything unnecessary disappeared by itself many years ago, when a person came up with this prayer and worked with it, repeating it every day. This is a working tool that allows a modern person to turn to a Christian egregor for help and receive help and protection from the Higher Powers.