What is a psalm and when is it read? Why do demons attack when you read the psalter

Information for beginners

1. To understand worship, you need to know the psalms

The Psalter is a book of the Old Testament on which all Orthodox worship is actually based. Psalms are used in large quantities in all services. For example, at the beginning of Vespers, Psalm 103 is sung, and at the beginning of Matins, six psalms are read: 3, 37, 62, 87, 102, 142. At liturgy (or at mass), Psalms 102 and 145 are sung. And these are only the most obvious examples.

2. If you buy an edition of the Psalms, everything you need will already be there

There are 150 psalms in the Psalter, and they are divided into 20 groups called kathismas. Each kathisma is divided into three more parts, between which short prayers are inserted. Usually, editions of the Psalter already have all the divisions and the introductory and intermediate prayers are printed, which is convenient. In principle, such publications are easy to Google.

3. You can’t stop in front of a difficult text.

What may not be included in the purchased Psalter are explanations and translations of the text. Psalms are ancient spiritual poetry. Because of the poetic expressions and the special style and rhythm that you need to “get into,” the psalms are initially very difficult to perceive when listening and reading. It is often difficult to understand what a place means in Church Slavonic. You can understand difficult passages with the help of Russian translation or interpretations of the holy fathers. The most famous interpretations are those of Basil the Great, John Chrysostom and Athanasius the Great.

4. You can read the Psalter at home in the same way as it is read in church

The Psalter is read in its entirety at services every week. At Vespers one kathisma is read, and at Matins two kathismas are read. On Saturday evening a new week begins and a new round of reading the Psalms begins, so the first kathisma is always read, and at Sunday matins the second and third kathismas are always read. It turns out that the reading scheme is like this:

Saturday (vespers): kathisma 1
Sunday: 2.3
Monday: 4, 5, 6
Tuesday: 7, 8, 9
Wednesday: 10, 11, 12
Thursday: 13, 14, 15
Friday: 19, 20, 18
Saturday: 16, 17

5. The main thing: The Psalter is a book that is good to pray through

And the holy fathers highly recommend doing this. You can read individual psalms or kathismas at home, adding short prayers at the beginning and between parts of the kathisma, just as they do in church. They are usually already in publications (see point 2).

At first:
Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)
Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God. (Bow)

In the middle:

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to You, O God! (3 times).
Lord, have mercy (3 times).
Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

You can follow the reading cycle that is completed during the week and read those kathismas that are prescribed on this day of the week: the first two are read in the morning, the third in the evening. Or learn your favorite psalms and remember them throughout the day, following the example of many saints who knew the entire Psalter by heart.

There is also advice to remember individual verses from the psalms for the same purposes.
For example, Ps.117 verses 10-11:
All the nations have gone after me, and in the name of the Lord I have resisted them.
bypassed me, and in the name of the Lord you resisted them
(that is: all the nations, going around, surrounded me, but I resisted them in the name of the Lord)

It is believed that every Orthodox Christian is obliged to pray for his dead. For this purpose, there are sets of various traditions, rules and terms.

In order to avoid wandering in the rules, conventions and stereotypes with which this work of love has been enriched over more than 2 thousand years - prayer for a loved one.

Orthodox commemoration of the departed

Today, to remember the dead, it is customary to read the Psalter - a collection of Old Testament psalms (150 in total). They begin reading on the first day (or better, immediately after the fact of death is confirmed). You can perform prayer in person - that is, directly at the coffin of the deceased - or in absentia, for example, in a temple or at home. They usually read for up to 40 days, stopping at the fortieth day. In the future, often practice reading 40 days before the date of death and after, a total of 80 days. You can read both aloud and silently.

From the video you will learn how prayers help the deceased.

This book, which has long since become a liturgical book, since almost half of the texts of the service in churches consist either of its texts or imitations of them, can be read while sitting. This is what is called a “sciatic” book. You can also read while standing. But not lying down. The Holy Fathers, who through their relationship to the Heavenly Father acquired the Holy Spirit (that is, checked their inner state with God), teach that God does not hear those prayers in which the body is not tired and the heart does not grieve.

In general, the Psalter is a collection of psalms. The psalm, in turn, is a half-prayerful, half-poetic text that expresses literally all possible states of a person who has already begun his relationship with the Heavenly Father. There are several authors whose works have been imprinted in it for centuries. But the main content belongs to the Old Testament king named David, who is best known to us from the battle with Goliath.

However, for God himself this man was dear for other merits - for his meekness and kindness, his ability to forgive and not take revenge on his enemies. After all, these qualities that we inherit from God were extremely rare in the cruel times of David. Therefore, the spiritual state of this man holy before God is expressed in the psalms and sets the reader in an appropriate, peaceful mood. And a soul full of states and moods in tune with God is very pleasing to the Heavenly Father; He hears it and responds to its requests and needs. Through this, the deceased also receives great benefit.

From this video you will learn how to properly pray for the departed.

For ease of reading, the Psalter is divided into 20 chapters, each of which is called “kathisma”; it, in turn, includes 3-4 psalms. There is a pious tradition in the first three days before the burial of the deceased, 1 day on any of the indicated ones, to read the entire book at the coffin of the deceased. N.V. Gogol tried to tell part of this in his story “Viy”. Khoma Brut performs precisely this church obedience: he reads the Psalter at the tomb of the deceased.

Scheme for reading the Psalter

Vladyka Afanasy (Sakharov) devoted many works to help study the issue regarding how it is appropriate to pray according to this divinely inspired book at the tomb of the deceased. He notes in his research that in order for everything to go correctly, efficiently and without unnecessary difficulties, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules. He says that during the funeral reading there is no need to read the prayers that are placed after each kathisma.

They are intended for a simple cell rule (that is, when a person, simply for the sake of prayer to God, also includes one or more kathismas from the Psalter in his daily prayer rule). During the funeral prayer, it would be more “appropriate,” writes the Bishop, to say a special funeral prayer after each “Glory” (Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit), and after the end of the kathisma. It starts with the words “Remember, O Lord our God, in faith and hope...” . And also during the reading, the Bishop notes, it is appropriate to make five prostrations to the ground, and the troparion itself is read three times.

In accordance with the same ancient practice, the funeral reading of the Psalter is preceded by the reading of the Canon for the person who introduced himself, after which the psalms will begin. When the entire book has been read, the funeral Canon is again laid down. Upon completion, you can again begin the divinely inspired book. And so on in a circle throughout the reading of the Psalms for the repose.

How to remember the dead.

Order of reading the psalms

There is an established order for reading the psalter about the deceased. This church liturgical text is usually always placed before the first psalm. If it is not there, then you can turn to the online version, if this option is not available, then you can proceed with the following scheme:

1. We say the opening prayer: “Through the prayers of our holy fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen".
2. Next, “Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.”
3. And then turn to the invocation of the Holy Spirit for joint prayer with God (prayer is not only a request, but also communication): “To the Heavenly King...”.
4. After this, you can begin reading the kathisma.
5. At each “Slava” (“Glory to the Father…”) a memorial prayer is read.
6. After its completion and the reading of prayers after it, they end the prayer service with a prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos “It is worthy to eat...”. Because, according to the rules, if at the beginning of the prayer there was an invocation of the Holy Spirit, then it is appropriate to end one’s communication with the Heavenly Father through an address of gratitude to the Queen of Heaven.

Options for praying according to the Psalter for the repose

Sometimes for a one-time, but strong, that is, tangible for the deceased, mention, there is a tradition (and for good reason) to read from the entire book one kathisma, which, as was realized through rich church experience, is most suitable for expressing the feelings and moods of the deceased himself.

Such a kathisma, unique and most extraordinary, beautiful not only in its content, but also in artistic expression and language, this is the 17th kathisma. It is one of not only the most beautiful, but also one of the longest in the entire text of the book. Those who read this chapter have the opportunity to truly, even if relatively briefly remember the dear deceased, work for him (bring to God not only a word, but also an action, work), and the person praying himself receives great benefit from this for his soul.

Prayer for the dead and the emergence of tradition

As one Christian once said, rules (read - traditions) are needed for those who have not learned to love. The remark is at least fair. After all, if the heart itself does not lead a person to any good action in the name of the deceased, then one of the best options is to imitate in this those who showed their love for the dead with a full heart and received approval from the Lord. The person who became, one might say, the founder of the remembrance of the dead was the Old Testament military leader by the traditional Jewish name Judas. The story, which is associated with a significant event, is recorded in the Old Testament in the second book of Maccabees (see 12, 39−46).

As you know, when Abraham believed God (which was credited to him as righteousness forever), the Almighty promised his followers that if they kept his covenant (including not worshiping anyone other than Him), then the Jews will win all battles even with a minimum army. As long as His people kept the covenant, every battle they fought, according to Scripture, was won. And then one day the army of Judah suffered a crushing defeat.

The survivors and the military leader himself were in confusion, alarmed that God had somehow refused His word. When, according to the rules, they began to examine the bodies of the dead in order to send some of their belongings to their relatives, the soldiers discovered that many of them were wearing signs of idol worship. This became the explanation why victory was with the enemy.

The pious Jews thanked God, who did not hide the truth from them and honored them with His answer. It was then that Judas and the rest of God’s faithful stood up to pray for the fallen dead, so that the Lord would forgive the dead their sins. After praying, Judas turned to those who remained with an appeal not to retreat from God, who intercedes for them and honorably keeps the agreement between Himself and people, in order to avoid such horrific defeats and the needless death of people in the future. This act was accepted by the Almighty and highly appreciated and Judas was “counted as righteousness.”

There were other examples of people from the Old Testament when they showed concern for the dead, professing the unconditional existence of further life after the loss of the body:

• Jesus, the son of Sirach, writes in his Book of Wisdom that the need to help the dead as well as those on earth, he teaches to do good to those living not only here, but also there: “The grace of giving (that is, alms for the deceased, material and verbal - prayer) let there be grace before everyone who lives, but he does not forbid grace even over the dead” (7, 36);
• The same author in the indicated book writes: “with the reassurance of the deceased, calm down the memory of him, according to the outcome of his soul, you will be comforted about him” (38, 23);
• The dying Tobit commands his son Tobius: “Distribute your bread at the grave”;
• Holy prophet Jeremiah in ch. 16 of his book he calls those cursed and rejected on behalf of God who are not remembered after death and do not give alms.

Prayer for the deceased 40 days

Many people who do not yet believe, but are in search of truth, are repulsed by some specific numbers and statements. After all, there are no fixed deadlines anywhere., documentary evidence that after a certain amount of time, if you do certain actions, everything will be fine with a person’s soul.

The video will tell you about remembering the dead.

The skepticism of such people is justified and understandable. After all, there really are no such documents. However, a person on the path needs to understand one thing: the only way to interact with God, as He himself said, is faith. We can draw a simple, although far from perfect, analogy: in order to interact with, for example, a magnet, you need metal. This condition. Anyone who wants to begin to interact with a magnet and touch its properties can express his dissatisfaction and disagreement for a long time, but still, if he does not do what is required, the magnet will remain silent.

To discover interaction with God, as countless people have done, and through approaching God have received part of his properties (overcoming nature, loving with divine love, healing, casting out evil spirits, seeing the future and seeing the true state of things), faith is needed. Many examples from the New Testament where Jesus performs miracles show that the first thing He, as God and the Son of God, looks for in a person is the ability to believe Him and His omnipotence.

You can start by taking on faith some church experience and the experience of people who have already approached God, a slightly mystical experience. We know about 40 days thanks to Blessed Theodora, a holy woman who received the opportunity posthumously, after she reached heaven, to report what she encountered along the way from earth to the Kingdom of God. It was she who named this figure - 40 Earth days. That’s how much time passed for us while she overcame this important path.

Thanks to the experience of Saint Theodora, we know exactly the period that is the most important for one who was called from the earth into another existence. We know that our constant mental presence through prayer for the called, is especially necessary in the first 40 days after the physical death of a person.

Why do they read the Psalter?

The following arguments will be indicative:

• The Psalter is one of the most effective ways to help the deceased. As you know, the soul’s free “flight” to its heavenly homeland is hindered by demons - evil spirits who claim to dispose of souls on an equal basis with God.
• The collection of psalms is an expression of the highest qualities of the human soul, which is sanctified by God, united with His Spirit and therefore has a special influence.
• Before the advent of the New Testament, it was the Psalter that was the book that could allow one to “reprimand” a person possessed by evil spirits and set him free.
• The Psalter allows you to protect the soul ascending to God from the evil spirits that traumatize it, and spiritually support the person praying, and help him express all his feelings, because this great book reflects almost all the situations that a Christian finds himself in during his life on earth.

Understanding the Psalms

1. Approach one. Someone advises reading the Psalter for the dead and for the living, regardless of whether you understand what you are reading or not. The main consideration: man does not understand, but the evil spirits understand everything and retreat in fear, because God himself is at work here. After some time, the one who prays regularly will, in turn, begin to understand over time, because the Lord begins to reveal the meaning to man. However, this happens gradually.
2. Approach two. Others strongly recommend resorting to translations into Russian, writing down incomprehensible words, expressions, terms and using a Church Slavonic dictionary to translate them into Russian. It is advised to read historical information about the creation of any psalm and apply the explanations of the holy fathers and theologians.

You can find such explanations in the church store and on useful Christian websites. And also, in order to understand the meaning of each individual psalm, one should study the Holy Scriptures. For example, the Second Book of Samuel will explain to the reader how to understand Psalm 50. It explains what its author, King David, experienced before he wrote it.

To any reader of the Psalms(experienced or inexperienced), it is more decent to stand like a person praying (at the feet of the coffin of the deceased), unless a particular extreme forces him to sit down. Negligence in this matter, as in the observance of other pious customs, is offensive both to the sacred rite, blessed by the Holy Church, and to the word of God, which, if carelessly, is read as if in conflict with the intention and feeling of the praying Christian.

Video

From this video you will learn how to correctly read the Psalter for the deceased.

Explained according to St. Arsenius of Cappadocia by the Athonite elder Paisius

The Monk Arseny used psalms for blessing, suitable for various occasions; especially in cases where there was no church order for a special need. The Greek primary source can be found in the publication “0 Heron Paisios” by Hieromonk Christodoulos, Holy Mount Athos, 1994.

Index of Psalms

Agriculture: 1, 26, 30, 50, 52, 62, 66, 71, 83, 124, 147, 148.
Hostile animals: 63, 123, 147.
Children: 22, 76, 109, 113, 114.
Death and the deceased: 33, 150.
Disasters: 17, 21, 30, 50, 62, 68, 85, 89.
Physical health: 5, 12, 28, 36, 37, 44, 56, 58, 63, 79, 86, 88, 95, 102, 108, 122, 125, 128, 145, 146.
Mental health: 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 24,27, 41, 55, 56, 60, 61, 69, 70, 80, 81, 84, 97, 100, 103, 128, 136, 138.
Women's health: 18, 19, 40, 67, 75, 106, 142, 145.
Laws and government: 14, 16, 32, 36, 47, 51, 59, 72, 82, 84, 93, 101, 108, 110, 137, 140, 141, 143.
From unclean spirits: 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 33, 57, 65, 90, 94, 96,121.
Peace and War: 26, 33, 42, 73, 78, 93, 107, 111, 117, 118, 120, 127, 131, 132, 135, 140, 141, 143.
Peace in the family and between friends: 10, 19, 22, 35, 41, 43, 45, 54, 65, 76, 86, 94, 109, 116, 126, 127, 139.
Property: 14, 15, 23, 47, 83, 124.
Defense: 9, 13, 34, 47, 48, 57, 90, 133.
Public issues: 20, 32, 35, 38, 51, 53, 59, 77, 80, 81, 87, 93, 101, 110, 112, 113, 114, 119, 124, 137, 140.
Spiritual issues: 3, 9, 24, 25, 29, 49, 50, 57, 72, 91, 98, 99, 100, 104, 105, 108, 115, 119, 130, 134, 136, 149.
Travel: 28, 29, 31, 92, 135, 150.
Work: 2, 38, 39, 46, 48, 51, 52, 57, 60, 64, 74, 81, 83, 100, 101, 103, 129, 137. 140, 144.

Reading the Psalter on Various Occasions

(The number indicates the number of the psalm, and then indicates for what need it should be read)

1. When you plant a tree or vine, let it bear fruit.
2. May the Lord enlighten those coming to meetings and councils.
3. Let anger leave people, and let them not unjustly torture their neighbors.
4. May the Lord heal those who are soft-hearted and who become despondent at the sight of the deeds of the hard-hearted.
5. May the Lord heal the eyes wounded by the villain.
6. May the Lord free those under spell.
7. Tormented by fear from the intrigues and threats of villains.
8. Wounded by demons or wicked people.

9. May demonic insurance in dreams or temptations during the day cease.
10. Abusive spouses who bicker and get divorced (when an abusive husband or wife torments the spouse).
11. Mentally ill people who are tormented by anger and attack their neighbors.
12. Suffering from liver diseases.
13. Read from the demon three times a day for three days.
14. Let thieves or robbers turn and return home and repent.
15. May the lost key be found.
16. In case of serious unfair accusations, read three times a day for three days.

17. During earthquakes, other disasters or thunderstorms.
18. Let the woman in labor give birth.
19. To barren spouses, so that the Lord heals them and they do not divorce.
20. May the Lord soften the hearts of the rich and give alms to the poor.
21. May the Lord control the fire and may there be no great damage.
22. May the Lord pacify disobedient children so that they do not upset their parents.
23. May the door open when the key is lost.

24. Those who suffer greatly from temptations, that they lose and complain.
25. When someone asks God for something, so that He may give it without harm to the one asking.
26. May the Lord protect the peasants from the enemy army, so that there is no harm to the people and fields.
27. May the Lord heal those suffering from mental and nervous illnesses.
28. Those suffering from seasickness and fearing a stormy sea.
29. In dangers in distant lands, among those who exist, among the barbarians and the godless, may the Lord protect them and enlighten the people of those lands and pacify them, so that they know God.
30. May the Lord provide sufficient grain and fruits when the weather is unfavorable for farming.
31. May lost and confused travelers find their way.

32. May the Lord reveal the truth about those unjustly convicted and may they be released.
33. Those standing on the verge of death when they are tormented by demons. Or when the enemy invades with sinister intentions.
34. May the Lord free the good from the snares of the evil ones that oppress the people of God.
35. May hostility dissipate after disputes and misunderstandings.
36. Wounded by robbers.

37. For toothache.
38. May the abandoned and discouraged find work so that they will no longer grieve.
39. May the owner and the employee make peace after a quarrel.
40. May the wife be delivered successfully if the birth is premature.
41. Young people, when they suffer from unhappy love.
42. May our compatriots be freed from enemy captivity.
43. May the Lord reveal the truth to the spouses if there was a misunderstanding between them, so that they can live in peace and love.
44. Suffering from heart or kidney disease.
45. Young people who are not allowed to marry by their enemies out of envy.

46. ​​In order to reconcile the worker or the owner when the worker leaves offended by the owner, and to find him a job. 47. When gangs of robbers rob people and grave disasters occur, read for 40 days.
48. To those whose work is fraught with danger.
49. Let those who have wandered away from God repent and turn, that they may be saved.
50. When, because of our sins, God sends punishment (a pestilence of people or animals) for admonition.
51. May the hard-hearted rulers repent and may their hearts soften, and may they stop torturing the people.
52. May God bless the nets and may they be filled with fish.
53. May the Lord enlighten the rich who bought slaves, and may they set them free.
54. May the good name of the family that was unjustly accused be restored.

55. For soft-hearted people who are hurt by their neighbors.
56. Those suffering from headaches resulting from great tribulation.
57. May circumstances favor those who work with good intentions, and may the Lord rebuke demons and wicked people.
58. To the dumb, may the Lord give them the gift of speech.
59. May the Lord reveal the truth when many people are unjustly condemned.
60. Those who find it difficult to work out of laziness or fear.
61. May the Lord deliver the weak from adversity, so that he does not complain.
62. May the fields and trees bear fruit during the drought.
63. When someone is bitten by a mad dog or a wolf.

64. May merchants prosper.
65. May the evil one not bring discord into the house, and may not plunge the family into sorrow.
66. Blessing be on livestock.
67. May those suffering from miscarriages be healed.
68. When the rivers flood from the rains and wash away people and houses.
69. To the soft-hearted, who are sad and fall into despair over trifles, may the Lord strengthen them.

70. For those who are lonely, who, due to the machinations of demons, are bored with their neighbors and fall into despair, may the Lord have mercy on them and heal them.
71. May God bless the new harvest that the peasants are reaping.
72. Let the robbers repent.
73. May the Lord protect the peasants who work in the fields when the enemy surrounded the village.
74. May the evil owner reconcile and not torment his neighbors and workers.
75. To a mother who is afraid during childbirth, may the Lord strengthen and protect her.
76. When there is no mutual understanding between parents and children, may the Lord enlighten them, so that children obey their parents, and parents love their children.

77. May the Lord enlighten creditors so that they will be compassionate and not extort debts from debtors.
78. May the Lord protect villages from plunder by enemy troops.
79. May the Lord heal the patient with dropsy.
80. May the Lord not leave the poor in need and grief, who have fallen into despair from poverty.
81. So that people buy goods from peasants, and they do not fall into grief and despair.
82. May the Lord forbid the evildoers who plot murder.
83. May the Lord protect household utensils, livestock and the fruits of labor.
84. May the Lord heal those wounded by robbers and those suffering from fright.

85. May God save the world when the plague comes and people die.
86. May the Lord prolong the lives of those family members whom others cannot do without.
87. May the Lord protect the defenseless who suffer from their hard-hearted neighbors.
88. May the Lord strengthen the sick and weak, so that they do not become exhausted at work and do not fall into despondency.
89. May the Lord send rain in the drought, and may the dry springs be filled.
90. Let the demon disappear that appears before a person and frightens him.

91. May the Lord give prudence to people so that they grow spiritually.
92. May the Lord protect a ship in danger at sea. (The monk also advised sprinkling the ship with holy water on four sides.)
93. May the Lord enlighten the troublemakers who sow discord among the people and cause unrest and division.
94. Let spouses not fall under the influence of spells that make them quarrel and bicker.
95. May the Lord heal the deaf.
96. Let the spell dissipate.
97. May the Lord comfort those overwhelmed by grief.
98. May God bless the young people who want to leave everything and follow Him, and may He give them grace. (Apparently, we are talking about those about to take monastic vows - translator's note.)
99. May the Lord bless those who do His will and fulfill their desires.
100. May the Lord give gifts and talents to kind and simple-hearted people.

101. May the Lord bless those in power so that they are kind and compassionate and help people.
102. May the Lord help a woman suffering from female infirmity.
103. May the Lord bless the wealth of people, so that they do not fall into despondency, but glorify God.
104. Let people repent and confess their sins.

105. May the Lord enlighten people so that they do not deviate from the path of salvation.
106. May the Lord heal the barren woman.
107. May the Lord pacify the enemies and may they abandon their evil intentions.
108. May the Lord heal the sick person with epilepsy. May the Lord have mercy on those who accuse unjustly, so that they will repent.

109. So that the younger ones respect the elders.
110. Let unrighteous judges repent and judge the people of God with justice.
111. May the Lord protect soldiers going to war.
112. May God bless the poor widow so that she pays her debts and escapes prison.
113. May the Lord heal weak-minded children.
114. May the Lord bless poor children and comfort them, so that they do not suffer from rich children and do not become despondent.
115. May the Lord heal you from the terrible passion of lies.
116. May love continue in the family and may they glorify God.
117. May the Lord humble the barbarians when they surround the village and instill fear in the inhabitants, and may he turn them away from evil intentions.

(funeral)
118. May the Lord frighten the barbarians and forbid them when they kill innocent women and children.

(spiritual or posthumous path)
119. May the Lord grant long-suffering to those who have to live with the evil and unrighteous.
120. May the Lord protect slaves from the hands of the enemy, so that they are not maimed before they return to freedom.
121. May the Lord heal those suffering from superstition.
122. May the Lord heal the blind and those suffering from eye diseases.
123. May the Lord protect people from snakes so that they do not bite.
124. May the Lord protect the fields of the righteous from evil people.
125. May the Lord heal those suffering from headaches.
126. May the Lord bring peace to the family if there is a quarrel.
127. May the evil of enemies not touch the houses and may the peace and blessing of God be in the family.
128. May the Lord heal those suffering from migraines. May the Lord show His mercy on the hard-hearted and unrestrained, who bring grief to the soft-hearted.
129. May the Lord grant courage and hope to those who are starting a new work and are not skilled in it, and may they not experience great difficulties.
130. May the Lord grant people repentance and console them with hope so that they can be saved.
131. May the Lord show His mercy in a world where wars do not stop because of our sins.
132. May the Lord enlighten the peoples, so that they become peace-loving and live in peace.
133. May the Lord protect people from every misfortune.

134. May people concentrate during prayer and may their souls unite with God.
135. May the Lord protect refugees when they leave their homes and go away, may they be saved from the barbarians.
136. May the Lord pacify the hot-tempered.
137. May the Lord enlighten the rulers so that they understand the needs of the people.
138. May the Lord deliver the weak in spirit from the temptations of blasphemous thoughts.
139. May the Lord pacify the difficult character of the head of the family, so that the family does not suffer from him.
140. May the Lord pacify the cruel ruler who torments his neighbors.
141. May the Lord pacify the troublemaker who brings grief to people.
142. May the Lord protect a pregnant woman so as not to lose her fetus.

Among the books of Holy Scripture, the book of Psalms occupies a special place. Written long before the incarnation of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is the only book of the Old Testament that was entirely included in the liturgical charter of the Christian Church and occupies a prominent place in it.

The special value of the Psalter is that it depicts the movements of the human soul striving for God, giving a high example of prayerful resistance to sorrows and temptations and praising God. “In the words of this book, all human life, all states of the soul, all movements of thought are measured and embraced, so that beyond what is depicted in it nothing more can be found in a person,” says St. Athanasius the Great. The grace of the Holy Spirit, penetrating every word of the Psalter, sanctifies, cleanses, supports the one praying with these sacred words, drives away demons and attracts Angels.

The first Christians deeply revered and loved the Psalter. They learned all the psalms by heart. Already in apostolic times, the Psalter was widely used in Christian worship. In the modern liturgical charter of the Orthodox Church, it is customary to divide the Psalter into 20 sections - kathisma. Psalms are read in the church daily during every morning and evening service. During the week, the book of Psalms is read in its entirety, and Lent is read twice during the week. Psalms are also included in the prayer rule prescribed for the laity.

For a simple reading of the psalms, if a Christian does not accept some kind of vow or permanent addition to the generally accepted rule, there is no need to take a blessing from the confessor. But you must definitely take a blessing from the priest if a lay person takes upon himself some kind of special permanent prayer rule or some kind of vow.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) writes: “Say the words a little out loud when you pray in private, and this helps to maintain attention.”

Rev. Seraphim of Sarov advised that it is necessary to read prayers in an undertone or more quietly, so that not only the mind, but also the ear, listens to the words of the prayer (“Give joy and gladness to my hearing”).

There is no need to read the titles of the psalms. You can read the psalms both standing and sitting (the word “kathisma” translated into Russian means “that which is read while sitting”, in contrast to the word “akathist” - “not sitting”). It is imperative to stand up when reading the opening and closing prayers, as well as during the “Glories”.

There is no need to be discouraged and embarrassed if at first the meaning of the psalms is sometimes unclear. You can always look up incomprehensible expressions in the Russian translation, in the interpretation of the Psalter. As we read and grow spiritually, the deeper meaning of the psalms will be revealed more and more deeply.

When reading at home, there are strict instructions on how to read, it is much more important to tune in to prayer. There are different practices for reading the Psalter. One of them is when you do not depend on the amount of reading, i.e. are not required to read kathisma or two a day. If you have time and a spiritual need for prayer, you begin reading from where you left off last time, making a bookmark.

If the laity adds one or more selected psalms to the cell prayer rule, then they read only their text, such as the fiftieth psalm in the morning rule. If a kathisma, or several kathismas, is read, then special prayers are added before and after them.

Before starting to read a kathisma or several kathismas

Through the prayers of the saints, our father, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

Trisagion

Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us. (Thrice)

Prayer to the Most Holy Trinity

Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us; Lord, cleanse our sins; Master, forgive our iniquities; Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name's sake.

Lord have mercy. (Three times).

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

Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors; and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Lord have mercy (12 times)

Come, let us worship our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. (Bow)

Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God. (Bow)

On "Slava"

Where the kathisma is interrupted by the mark “Glory”, the following prayers are read:

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

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to You, O God! (3 times)

Lord have mercy. (3 times)

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit

Prayers for health and peace for« Slavakh» :

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father ( Name), my parents ( names), relatives ( names), bosses, mentors, benefactors ( names) and all Orthodox Christians.

Give rest, O Lord, to the souls of your departed servants ( names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

After reading the kathisma, the prayers and troparia indicated in the kathisma are read

Prayer"Lord have mercy" read 40 times.

Sometimes, at will, between the second and third tens (between 20 and 21 of the prayer “Lord, have mercy!”), a personal prayer of the believer is said for the closest people, for the most vital.

And at the end of the entire prayer:

It is worthy to eat as one truly blesses Thee, the Mother of God, ever-blessed and most immaculate and the Mother of our God. We magnify You, the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious without comparison Seraphim, who gave birth to God the Word without corruption.

Glory, even now. Lord have mercy. (3 times)

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, by the power of the Honest and Life-Giving Cross and the holy heavenly powers, disembodied, and our reverend and God-bearing fathers, and the holy prophet David, and all the saints, have mercy and save me, a sinner, for I am good and Lover of humanity. Amen.

Pray for one another (James 5:16).

The Psalter is a sacred book of psalms, or Divine hymns, recorded by King David at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Reading the Psalter attracts the help of Angels, blots out sins, and saturates the soul with the breath of the Holy Spirit.

The method of praying according to the Psalter is much more ancient than the Jesus Prayer or reading akathists. Before the advent of the Jesus Prayer, in ancient monasticism it was customary to read the Psalter in one’s mind (to oneself) by heart, and some monasteries accepted only those who knew the entire Psalter by heart. In Tsarist Russia, the Psalter was the most widespread book among the population.

In Orthodox ascetic practice, there is still a pious custom of reading the Psalter by agreement, when a group of believers separately from each other reads the entire Psalter in one day. At the same time, everyone reads one kathisma determined for him at home, privately, and remembers the names of those who pray with him by agreement. The next day, the Psalter is read in its entirety again, with everyone reading the next kathisma. If someone fails to read the kathisma assigned to him one day, it is read the next day plus the next one in order.

So during Lent the entire Psalter is read at least 40 times. One person cannot achieve such a feat.

Tips for beginners

1. To read the Psalter, you must have a burning lamp (or candle) at home. It is customary to pray “without a light” only on the road, outside the home.

2. Psalter, on the advice of Rev. Seraphim of Sarov, it is necessary to read aloud - in an undertone or more quietly, so that not only the mind, but also the ear, listens to the words of the prayer (“Give joy and gladness to my hearing”).

3. Particular attention should be paid to the correct placement of stress in words, because a mistake can change the meaning of words and even entire phrases, and this is a sin.

4. You can read the psalms while sitting (the word “kathisma” translated into Russian means “that which is read while sitting”, in contrast to the word “akathist” - “not sitting”). You need to get up when reading the opening and closing prayers, as well as during the “Glories”.

5. The psalms are read monotonously, without expression, slightly intoned - dispassionately, because Our sinful feelings are unpleasant to God. Reading psalms and prayers with theatrical expression leads a person to a demonic state of delusion.

6. One should not be discouraged or embarrassed if the meaning of the psalms is not clear. The machine gunner does not always understand how the machine gun fires, but his task is to hit enemies. Regarding the Psalter, there is a statement: “You don’t understand - the demons understand.” As we mature spiritually, the meaning of the psalms will also be revealed.

Prayers before reading kathisma
In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee! Heavenly King.

Trisagion according to Our Father.

Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.

Then another kathisma is read, remembering the names on each “Glory”.

On "Slava"

Where the kathisma is interrupted by the mark “Glory”, the following prayers are read:

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

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, glory to You, O God! (3 times).

Lord, have mercy (3 times).

Glory to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Save, Lord, and have mercy on the Patriarch (name of the rivers), then the name of the ruling bishop and the names on the list are remembered, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and with their holy prayers forgive and have mercy on me, unworthy! (After this prayer, you can bow to the ground, depending on the zeal of the believer).

On the first and second “Glory” names of health are remembered, on the third Glory - names of repose: “Rest, O Lord, the souls of Thy servants who have fallen asleep (according to the list) and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them Thy Kingdom of Heaven! » (and prostrations).

And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

After the third “Glory”, the troparia and prayers written in the next kathisma are read. The prayer “Lord, have mercy” is read 40 times - on the fingers or rosary.

Sometimes, at will, between the second and third tens (between 20 and 21 of the prayer “Lord, have mercy!”), a personal prayer of the believer is said for the closest people, for the most vital.

After reading the kathisma

It is worthy to eat and closing prayers
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Read the Psalter, the Apostle, the Gospel - everything is here. Whoever reads the Psalter at night with two kathismas goes through the whole Psalter. It is more valuable to read the Psalter out loud, silently if necessary. Raise the nightly Psalter - pray for yourself and those you don’t know to the seventh generation. Daytime is also valuable. Just as leaves fall from a tree in autumn, so do sins from a person reading the Psalter.

Read the 17th kathisma - pray away your sins and the sins of your relatives to the 7th generation. Be sure to read the 17th Kathisma on Friday evening. Read the 17th kathisma for the deceased every day. Pray for the Kingdom of Heaven.

Schema-Archimandrite Ioannikios
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One ninety-year-old woman said that on the fortieth day after her death, a familiar psalm-reader appeared to her in a dream. During her life, she helped him with housework: she washed floors, dishes, and laundry. He said sadly: “Why do you pray so little, but for us there is no better help than reading the Psalter.”

The story of a village priest
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My husband and I lived alone, but there was no peace and silence in the house. I did not give in to my husband, and he, in turn, proved that he was right, and so it went on for a long time.

Finally I got tired of all this and decided to behave differently. My husband will say an offensive word to me, I feel like I’m starting to get irritated, so I take the Psalter and start reading. The husband will make a little noise, then become silent. And so, little by little, peace and quiet settled in our house.

I came to the temple, my father passed by, stopped next to me and said: “I wish it would have been like this a long time ago!”

From the book "Biography of the elder schema-abbot Savva. With love in the Lord, your D.O.S.", M., 1998.
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“The seventeenth kathisma is the basis of the Psalter, it must be read in its entirety, it is indivisible... Remember the seventeenth kathisma! So that the seventeenth kathisma is read every day! If you cannot read it in the evening, it means during the day, on the road, anywhere, but the seventeenth kathisma must be read daily ". This is your spiritual savings book, this is your capital for your sins. At the ordeals, the seventeenth kathisma will already be in defense for you." Some people think that the 17th kathisma is read only when it is her turn and there is no other way. This is not entirely true. It is good to read it every day and many pious lay people do so. - This is a great help for the deceased!

Elder schemanun Antonia
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The elder advised those who have relatives who smoke to read Psalm 108 every day for the smoker. If a relative dies (spiritually) - read the Psalter and Akathist to the Mother of God “Seeking the Lost.” The demon fights strongly for a man, he said, seven times stronger than for a woman, because a man is the image of God (meaning that the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth in a male image and the first man was Adam).

The priest responded to complaints:

Read the Psalter!

Father, there are big quarrels in the family.

Read the Psalter.

Father, there's trouble at work.

Read the Psalter.

I wondered how this could help? But you start reading - and everything works out.

Jerome (Sanaksarsky)
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The Psalter drives away evil spirits. St. Barsanuphius of Optina said that every Orthodox Christian needs to read at least the Glory a day. I want to say that St. Alexander, the head of the monastery of the Never-Sleeping, introduced the Rite of the Never-Sleeping Psalter in the monasteries. It is very well written about him in the Cheti-Minea. Some spiritual giants read the entire Psalter a day on an ongoing basis. Like, for example, Simeon the Divnogorets, Parthenius of Kiev, and others. Ephraim the Syrian speaks of the psalms, so that they are constantly on our lips. This is such a sweetness - sweeter than honey and honeycombs. The law of the Lord is good to us more than thousands of gold and silver. I have loved Your commandments more than gold and topaz (Psalm 119, 127). Indeed, you read it and cannot be moved. This is wonderful! Not everything is clear when reading. But Ambrose Optinsky says that understanding comes with time. Open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Your law (Psalm 119:18). Let us really hope that our spiritual eyes will be opened.
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HOW TO GET FREEDOM FROM DEMONIC POWERS

“Many ascetics, for example, the righteous father Nikolai Ragozin. Or for example, the Blessed Elder Pelagia - the Ryazan ascetic - advised to read Psalm 26 more often to protect against dark forces. Blessed Polyushka said: “Whoever reads this psalm at least three times a day will travel among sorcerers like on a tank" - this is such a figurative expression. Blessed Polyusha also advised that if a person is possessed by an unclean spirit or has practiced witchcraft - that is, demons rape this person - then it is very useful to take a blessing from a good priest and within 40 days Read Psalm 26 40 times a day. Of course, this is a great feat, but many people receive healing through this. This psalm, according to Blessed Polyushka, has enormous power. This is the most powerful psalm in the entire Psalter."

Priest Andrey Uglov

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After the Lord's Prayer, read this Troparion, tone 6:
Have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us, bewildered by any answer, we offer this prayer to You as the Master of sin: have mercy on us.
Glory: The honor of Thy prophet, O Lord, is a triumph, Heaven shows the Church, with men the Angels rejoice. By your prayers, O Christ God, guide our belly in peace, so that we may sing to You: Alleluia.
And now: My many and many sins, Mother of God, I have come running to You, O Pure One, demanding salvation: visit my weak soul and pray to Your Son and our God to grant me forgiveness for the evil deeds, O Blessed One. Lord have mercy, 40 times. And bow down, so powerfully.
The same prayer to the Holy Life-Giving Trinity: All-holy Trinity, God and Creator of the whole world, hasten and direct my heart, to begin with reason and finish the good works of these God-inspired books, even the Holy Spirit will regurgitate the mouth of David, which I now want to say, I, unworthy, understanding my own ignorance, falling down, I pray to Thee, and ask You for help: Lord, guide my mind and confirm my heart, not about the words of the lips of this cold, but about the mind of those who say, rejoice, and prepare to do good deeds, even as I learn, and I say: yes Enlightened by good deeds, at the judgment of the right hand of Your land I will be a partaker with all Your chosen ones. And now, Vladyka, bless, and, sighing from my heart, I will sing with my tongue, saying to my face: Come, let us worship our King God. Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God. Come, let us bow and fall down to Christ Himself, the King and our God.