Hear Me: A Prayer Book for Orthodox Young Adults (3rd edition)

A prayer book for Orthodox young adults

Annalisa Boyd

Chesterton, Indiana

Hear Me: A Prayer Book for Orthodox Young Adults

3rd edition

Original material copyright © 2016 and 2024 by Annalisa Boyd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

Prayers are adapted from original ancient sources by the author unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN, and are used by permission. Published by Ancient Faith Publishing A

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 978-1-955890-66-3

Contents

HEAR ME: an introduction 9

On the Front Lines: daily prayers 11

Morning Prayers  12

Midday Prayers 17

Evening Prayers 19

On Watch: prayers for any time 25

Lord, Have Mercy 25

The Jesus Prayer 25

Prayer to Your Guardian Angel 26

Prayer to Your Patron Saint 26

Prayer to the All-Holy Trinity 26

Hymn to the Theotokos 26

Prayer of Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow 27

Psalm 141:2 27

The Good, the Bad, and the Family:

prayers for relationships 29

Prayer for a Sick Friend 30

Prayer of a Child or Youth 30

Prayer of a Foster or Adopted Child 31

Prayer of a Single Person 31

Prayer for Friendships 31

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Prayer for Enemies 32

Prayer for Family Relationships  33

Prayer for Parents  33

Prayer for Godparents  34

Prayer for One Who Is Dying 34

Prayer for the Dead  34

Psalm 23—A Psalm of David  35

Prayer for the Departed 36

In the Hope of Resurrection 36

Life under Pressure:

prayers for circumstances 39

Prayer before Beginning Any Task 39

Prayer before Going to School 40

Prayer before Going Online 40

Prayer against Internet Pornography 41

Prayer before a Journey 41

Prayer in Times of Need 42

Prayer when Facing the Unknown  42

Prayer in Times of Trouble 43

Thanksgiving after Deliverance  43

Declaration of Dependence: the sacrament of confession 45

The First Commandment 46

The Second Commandment 47

The Third Commandment 48

The Fourth Commandment 49

The Fifth Commandment 50

The Sixth Commandment 51

The Seventh Commandment 52

Mine Field! 53

The Eighth Commandment 54

The Ninth Commandment 55

The Tenth Commandment 56

Demolition 57

Prayer before Confession 60

After Confession 61

Armed and Ready 62

The Beatitudes 66

Prayer after Receiving the Eucharist 68

The Witness Stand:

prayers with the bible & the saints 69

Addiction 70

Anger 72

Bitterness 74

Chastity/Purity/Modesty 75

Confusion/Doubt 78

Fear 80

Gossip/Taming the Tongue 84

Identity 86

Loneliness 89

Mental Health 90

Passions 93

Persecution—The Persecuted Church 95

Sexuality/Sensuality 96

Sexual Purity 100

Stepping away from God 103

Suffering/Trials 105

Troubled Sleep 107

Worldliness 108

Scriptures for Meditation 110

When the Saints Go Marching In: some saints who pray for you 111

Standing in the Gap: intercessory prayer 115

Basic Training: the christian walk 119

What is Orthodox Christianity? 119

How is an Orthodox Christian “saved”? 120

Do Orthodox Christians believe they are “saved by works”? 121

Don’t we just need the Bible and nothing else to understand and follow God? 121

What’s the big deal about Mary? 122

Do you pray to the saints? Why? 123

Why can’t just any Christian take Communion (the Eucharist) in an Orthodox church? 124

Why do you fast all the time? 124

Why do you have icons? What about “no graven images”? 125

Why do you light candles? 126

Why do you burn incense? 127

Why do you baptize babies? 127

Getting Through the Obstacle Course 128

I feel betrayed by a friend.  128

I don’t think I can trust my priest. 129

My parents aren’t Christians. Do I have to obey them? 130

I’ve committed a big sin and am afraid to tell anyone.  131

I keep committing the same sin over and over again. 131

I think I’m in love. 132

I really want to be in an intimate relationship. 133

I’m making myself throw up or starving myself to lose weight. 134

My friend is depressed. 135

I’m so depressed I’m hurting myself or don’t want to live. 135

I’m being pressured to drink or do drugs. 136

I can’t control my anger. 137

I’m anxious all the time. 137

I’m having a hard time believing in God. 139

I can’t forgive. 139

Someone is hurting me. 140

I don’t think my parents’ rules are fair. 141

I saw someone do something dangerous or illegal.

What is my responsibility? 142

I have a friend/relative who attempted or committed suicide. 142

How I feel about my body/gender and what the Church teaches don’t match. What should I do? 143

I think God wants me to be a monastic. 143

I have been considering having or have had an abortion. Is God’s love big enough for me? 144

I am drawn to the LGBTQ+ community/lifestyle. What should I do? 145

I am attracted to someone of the same sex. Can I participate in the fullness of the Faith if I act on those attractions? 146

My teacher/therapist says some teachings of the Church are wrong. What should I do? 147

In Closing: at ease 150

HEAR ME

an introduction

I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

—Psalm 34:4

welcome to your personal prayer book. May you find joy and peace within its pages. As a youth, you have entered an exciting time of life. You are able to exercise more freedom in your daily activities and in your faith. You may not be aware of it, but right at this moment you are developing patterns for living that will follow you through the teen years and into adulthood. Patterns for developing friendships. Work and study patterns. Even patterns for your spiritual life.

Prayer is a valuable pattern to establish, and you will be

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challenged as you pursue your personal prayers and quiet times with Christ and His saints. The world offers so many distractions, but a well-established prayer time is like a tree with strong roots. When the winds or trials and temptations of life come, you will stand firm.

In this book you will find prayers and encouragement for many areas of your life. Written prayers are valuable tools which, in time, become prayers of the heart, not just the mouth. Adding your own personal thoughts, praise, and confession makes praying even more meaningful.

May these prayers open your heart to your Savior and bless you as you grow in the love and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you know that you have a God who hears you!

DAI

Who is this King of glory?

The Lord strong and mighty,

The Lord mighty in battle.

—Psalm 24:8

when preparing for a battle, it is important to go to your commander, seeking his direction and listening to his plan of attack. It is no different in our Christian walk. Trials and temptations assail us daily, and if we are not armed and prepared through close communication with our Commander, we will fall in battle. We arm ourselves through extensive training in prayer and union with the Lord through the sacraments. Through prayer we are able to recognize the enemy and false teachings, which can be deadly landmines resulting in unnecessary casualties. God doesn’t wait for you to fall, either; He is right there with you in the heat of battle.

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Do not rush one prayer after another, but say them with orderly deliberation, as one addressing a great person for a favor. Do not just pay attention to the words, but rather let the mind be in the heart, standing before the Lord in full awareness of His presence, in full consciousness of His greatness and grace and justice.

—Saint Theophan the Recluse

Morning Prayers

The Trisagion Prayers

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. amen.

Glory to You, our God, glory to You.

O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of truth, everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of blessings and Giver of Life, come and abide in us, cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. amen.

O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.

O Lord, cleanse us from our sins.

O Master, pardon our iniquities.

O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Your name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy, Lord, have mercy.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. amen.

A Prayer for the Beginning of the Day by Saint Philaret of Moscow

O Lord, grant me to greet this new day in peace. Help me in all things to humbly rely upon Your holy will. In every hour of the day, reveal Your will to me. Bless my dealings with all who surround me. Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with the firm conviction that

Your will governs all. In all I do and say, guide my thoughts and feelings. In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You. Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering or embarrassing others. Give me the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring. Direct my will, teach me to pray, and pray Yourself within me. amen.

A Portion of the Breastplate Prayer by Saint

Patrick

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me: God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me, God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me, God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me, God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me, God’s host to secure me:

Against snares of devils, against temptations of vices, Against inclinations of nature, against everyone who shall wish me ill, afar and near, alone and in a crowd.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

Psalm 5:1–3

Give ear to my words, O Lord,

Consider my meditation.

Give heed to the voice of my cry,

My King and my God, for to You I will pray.

My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, And I will look up.

A Prayer to the Holy Trinity

Arising from sleep I thank You, O Holy Trinity, because of the riches of your goodness and longsuffering. In Your compassion You raised me up, as I lay in hopelessness, that in the morning I might sing the glories of Your Majesty. Guide the eyes of my understanding; open my mouth to receive Your words; teach me Your commandments; help me to do Your will, confessing You from my heart, singing and praising Your All-holy Name: of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. amen.