To the Lord

Sweetest Jesus, God of my heart! You gave me children according to the flesh, they are Yours according to the soul; You redeemed both my soul and theirs with Your priceless blood; For the sake of Your Divine blood, I beg You, my Sweetest Savior: with Your grace, touch the hearts of my children (names) and my godchildren (names), protect them with Your Divine fear, keep them from bad inclinations and habits, direct them to the bright path of life, truth and goodness, decorate their lives with everything good and saving, arrange their fate as You yourself want and save their souls in the image of fate.
Lord God of our fathers! Give to my children (names) and my godsons (names) a right heart to keep Your commandments, Your revelations and Your statutes and to fulfill all this.

God! To the Creator of all creatures, adding mercy to mercy, You have made me worthy to be the mother of a family; Your goodness has given me children, and I dare to say: they are Your children! Because You gave them existence, revived them with an immortal soul, revived them through baptism for a life in accordance with Your will, adopted them and accepted them into the bosom of Your Church. God! Keep them in a state of grace until the end of their lives; grant them to be partakers of the sacraments of Your Covenant; sanctify by Thy truth; may he be holy in them and through them holy name Yours! Grant me Your gracious help in raising them for the glory of Your name and the benefit of your neighbor! Give me methods, patience and strength for this purpose! Teach me to plant in their hearts the root of true wisdom - Thy fear! Illuminate them with the light of the ruling universe of Your Wisdom! May they love You with all their souls and all their thoughts, may they cleave to You with all their hearts and may they tremble at Your words throughout their entire lives! Grant me the understanding to convince them that true life consists in keeping Your commandments; that work, strengthened by piety, brings serene contentment in this life and ineffable bliss in eternity. Open to them the understanding of Your law! May they act until the end of their days in the feeling of Your omnipresence! Plant in their hearts horror and disgust from all lawlessness, may they be blameless in their ways, may they always remember that You are the All-Good God, a zealot of Your law and righteousness! Keep them in chastity and reverence for Your name! Let them not discredit Your Church by their behavior, but let them live according to its instructions! Inspire them with a desire for useful teaching and make them capable of every good deed! May they acquire a true understanding of those objects whose information is necessary in their condition; may they be enlightened with knowledge beneficial to humanity.

God! Manage me to impress with indelible marks on the minds and hearts of my children the fear of partnerships with those who do not know Thy fear, to instill in them every possible distance from any alliance with the lawless. May they not listen to rotten conversations, may they not listen to frivolous people, may they not be led astray by bad examples from Your path, may they not be tempted by the fact that sometimes the path of the lawless is successful in this world!
Heavenly Father! Grant me the grace to take every possible care to tempt my children with my actions, but, constantly bearing in mind their behavior, to distract them from errors, correct their mistakes, curb their stubbornness and obstinacy, refrain from striving for vanity and frivolity; Let them not be carried away by foolish thoughts, let them not follow their hearts, let them not become proud in their thoughts, let them not forget You and Your law. May iniquity not destroy their mind and health, may sins not weaken their mental and physical strength. Righteous Judge, who punishes children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generation, turn away such punishment from my children, do not punish them for my sins, but sprinkle them with the dew of Thy grace, that they may prosper in virtue and holiness, and may they grow in Thy favor and love. pious people.

Father of generosity and all mercy! According to my parental feeling, I would wish for my children every abundance of earthly blessings, I would wish them blessings from the dew of heaven and from the fatness of the earth, but may Thy holy will be with them! Arrange their fate according to Your good pleasure, do not deprive them of life daily bread, send down to them everything they need in time to acquire blissful eternity; be merciful to them when they sin before You; do not impute to them the sins of their youth and their ignorance, bring their hearts into contrition when they resist the guidance of Your goodness; Punish them and have mercy, directing them to a path pleasing to You, but do not reject them from Your presence! Accept their prayers with favor, grant them success in every good deed, do not turn Your face away from them in the days of their sorrow, so that temptations beyond their strength may not befall them. Overshadow them with Your mercy, may Your angel walk with them and save them from every misfortune and evil path, All-Good God! Make me a mother who rejoices over her children, so that they will be my joy in the days of my life and my support in my old age. Honor me, with trust in Your mercy, to appear with them at Your Last Judgment and with unworthy boldness to say: “Here I am and my children whom You gave me, Lord!” Yes, together with them glorifying the ineffable goodness and eternal love Yours, I extol the most holy Your name, Father, Son and Holy Soul, forever and ever. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Your Most Pure Mother, hear me, unworthy of a servant (name). Lord, in Your merciful power are my children, Your servants (names). Have mercy and save them, for Thy name's sake. Lord, forgive them all the sins, voluntary and involuntary, that they committed before You. Lord, guide them on the true path of Your commandments and enlighten their minds with the light of Christ for the salvation of the soul and the healing of the body. Lord, bless them at home, at school, on the road, and in every place of Your dominion. Lord, protect them under Your holy shelter from a flying bullet, poison, fire, from a deadly ulcer and vain death. Lord, protect them from all visible and invisible enemies, from all illness, cleanse them from all filth and ease their mental suffering. Lord, grant them the grace of Your Holy Spirit for many years of life, health, chastity. Lord, multiply and strengthen them mental abilities and bodily strength. given to them by You, Your blessing on the pious and, if You please, family life and shameless childbearing. Lord, grant to me, Thy unworthy and sinful servant (name), a parental blessing on my children and Thy servant at this time of morning, day, night for the sake of Thy name, for Thy Kingdom is eternal, omnipotent and omnipotent. Amen.

In Russia for recent years The number of missing people has almost doubled and reached a frightening figure of 120,000 people per year. The majority of the missing, about 59,000, are men, 38,000 women and 23,000 children. Some of the missing are still found alive, sometimes they are found after a few days, sometimes months pass, and sometimes even several years. But how can a grief-stricken family in which a person has disappeared live all this time? How to find the strength to hold on? Orthodox prayer about missing people will help you quickly find a lost person or information about him.

Powerful prayer for missing children

They can get lost themselves, they can be kidnapped to beg for alms, a child can be kidnapped by a person with mental disabilities. When a child goes missing, you need to act immediately - a “hot pursuit” investigation gives good results. And, of course, you need to ask the Lord with strong prayer for the missing children. Older people suffering from memory loss are at risk. It happens that they get lost just going out to the store to buy bread. A man left the house without documents, but never returned - he could not remember or give his address and last name. If a person is lost, you need constant miraculous prayer asking God for a missing child, so that he stays alive, so that trouble passes him by, and so that he is found as quickly as possible.

Christian prayer for missing people

Every year, in cities with a population of over a million, several thousand people go missing. These include those who fell into slavery, and people who became victims of apartment swindlers, and victims of crime. Of course, they are looking for them, but the information is scattered between hospitals, morgues, and the police, and these structures are not very good at reaching an agreement among themselves. According to Russian law, if a person is not found within 15 years, then he is considered dead. But, if there is no reliable information about the death of a person, he is considered alive and this is correct. And we will believe that ours is hot christian prayer about missing persons will contribute to effective searches for people.

Text of a strong prayer for the missing

Lord Almighty, Lord All-Good, on my knees I pray to You for a great miracle. Grant, Lord, the return of the missing person, Your servant (name of the missing person). For You yourself said: “Whoever seeks in My name, My angel will come to him and reveal what everyone asks. Amen". Lord, for the sake of the hands that swaddled You, for the sake of the hands that kissed Your feet, for the sake of Holy Baptism, for the sake of the holy icon of Tenderness, for the sake of Your mother, my Queen of Heaven. I tearfully ask and pray: may the servant of God (the name of the missing person) be found and return to the threshold of his home. Lord, accept my prayer, bless every word, and find the servant of God. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Christ, who was infancy besides the change, and who joined the cross by will, and who looked upon the mother’s illness who gave birth to You, ease the sorrow and the fierce illness of the child of the deceased faithful parents: let us glorify Your power.

To those who created the Word of God nothing, Thou gavest a heavenly settlement as a baby: for Thou hast favored the Blessed One, with whom Thou hast numbered Thy creation. come to You now for the baby, alleviate the illness of the parents You yourself, as you are all-generous and philanthropic. (Rite of burial of infants, Canon, canto 9).

Every year, about a million end in miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. But these are not just statistics. Life is behind her And .

Orthodox Church, based on the Gospel, believes that life begins at the moment of conception, that is, during the fertilization of an egg by a sperm. God knows the name and age of every person from the womb, and we confess this during the liturgy. Therefore, we must recognize that the loss of a pregnancy—whether it be a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, or a stillbirth—results in the death of a person, an infant, a child of God. Parents awaiting the birth of new life must instead face death. Millions of families are grieving as a result of these deaths.

Grief alone

Priest John Breck writes about a woman after a miscarriage: “Her family and parish community need to recognize, accept, soften her pain with words and gestures of understanding, sympathy and love.” In fact, most parents who experience the loss of a child during pregnancy suffer alone. This is especially true for natural termination of pregnancy early stages, early miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies, when the “body” of the child is not yet visible and the mother does not yet have external signs pregnancy. Many people are unaware of the grief that pregnancy loss brings. Sometimes grieving parents themselves try to strengthen the idea that they are not very worried, pretending that they are not in pain, that they need to “figure out their lives” and “try again.”

It is important to note that the grief of parents over the loss of pregnancy is not only natural and genuine, but also characteristic of Christians. Very often we hear that it is not appropriate for Christians to grieve, that those who have lost a loved one must come to terms with the loss as “God’s will.” However, we know that “Jesus shed tears” when he learned of his death (John 11:35). Especially with early miscarriages, and most miscarriages occur before the twelfth week of pregnancy, people often utter stereotyped phrases: “It’s God’s will,” “God wanted to keep the baby with him in heaven,” “God knows best, maybe he would have been born sick.” The only purpose of these phrases is to show parents that they should not grieve, that they are “Christians” and should accept God’s will and “not complain.”

How to help a grieving friend or loved one

Everyone grieves in their own way. To help these sufferers, it is important to create an atmosphere of love and understanding. Always coordinate your actions with the priest. In 2002, I wrote an article for a magazine Jacob‘ s Well, entitled "How to Comfort Those Who Have Lost a Child During or After Pregnancy." I will give some points from this article for those who do not know what to say or how to help a grieving friend or loved one.

• First of all, it is important to realize that a child has died and that his death is just as real as the death of an older child. The parents' grief and recovery process will be painful and take a long time. Maybe they won’t come to their senses and stop “thinking about their baby” for another month or even a year. Understand that parents are sad because they are missing their baby and that he or she will not be replaced by anyone, including their future or living children.
• Let the parents know you are praying for them, their families, and the baby. Call them or send them a condolence card. You don’t need many words, just write: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your baby.”
• Most of all, parents now need support and the ability to listen; instructions and advice must be left. Listen to their stories about the baby's death. Don't be afraid or embarrassed to talk about his death. If the baby already had a name, talk about him, calling him by name. If the parents saw the baby, ask them what he was like. Most parents need to talk about their child and their unfulfilled hopes and dreams.
• It's appropriate to admit that you have no idea how they feel. You might say, “I can’t imagine how hard it is for you right now. I just want you to know that you can count on me and that I really feel for you.”
• Hug them. This will show your love and concern. Even if you don't say anything, it is a wordless way of saying, "I feel for you" or "Praying for you."
• Offer to help look after the rest of their children. Sometimes follow-up medical care is required and parents may need time alone.
• Offer to bring some food; mothers often do not have enough strength even for basic things.
• Offer to go grocery shopping, help with cleaning, laundry, or do something to ease the burden of everyday worries. This will be especially helpful if a woman is expecting a miscarriage, a process that can take several days and be physically and emotionally draining.
• Don't forget about the child. We very often neglect the feelings of men because it seems to us that they bear everything more easily. But in reality, men can be just as depressed as their spouses.
• Try to remember the date of your baby's death and honor it with a call, letter or visit. Anniversaries can trigger feelings of grief as intense as the death itself. After a few months have passed, you can ask how they are feeling after the loss of a child, this can serve as support.
• Pay attention to your baby's brothers and sisters. They are also in pain, they are confused and need attention, which parents cannot always provide them with at the moment.
• If children want to talk about death, don't be afraid to have that conversation. Children relate to death naturally, and they can talk about it openly and directly with adults they trust. When children are allowed to openly share their thoughts and dreams, death usually does not affect them negatively.
• If you are pregnant, it may be difficult for bereaved parents, especially mothers, to see you or even talk to you. You must treat them with understanding and patience. They still love you, but your situation reminds them too much of their loss. Your unhappy friends may even be a little jealous of you (especially after the birth of a child) and angry with themselves for having such feelings.
• Remember that all subsequent pregnancies may have emotional swings between joy, fear and bitter memories.
• Remember also that grief puts great strain on relationships with family and friends.

Your help, comfort and gentle support can provide positive influence on how parents will experience the loss of a baby, and how quickly they can recover from it. Your actions are very important, these parents need you now more than ever.

After having two wonderful children, my husband and I experienced the death of two babies during pregnancy. Our second baby died while we were at St. Vladimir's Seminary. The prayers and support of our community really helped us get through this. The annual prayer service my husband serves on October 15th means a lot to us. We hope that such prayers will also help other people recover from grief. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the same consolation with which God comforts us!” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Dennis Kraus is the wife of Rev. Martin Kraus, Holy Trinity Church, East Meadow, New York, and the mother of four children.

In Russia, the number of missing people has almost doubled in recent years and reached a frightening figure of 120,000 people a year. The majority of the missing, about 59,000, are men, 38,000 women and 23,000 children. Some of the missing are still found alive, sometimes they are found after a few days, sometimes months pass, and sometimes even several years. But how can a grief-stricken family in which a person has disappeared live all this time? How to find the strength to hold on? Orthodox prayer for missing people will help you quickly find a lost person or information about him.

Powerful prayer for missing children

Small children can get lost on their own, they can be kidnapped to beg for alms, or a child can be kidnapped by a person with mental disabilities. When a child goes missing, you need to act immediately - a “hot pursuit” investigation gives good results. And, of course, you need to ask the Lord with strong prayer for the missing children. Older people suffering from memory loss are at risk. It happens that they get lost just going out to the store to buy bread. A man left the house without documents, but never returned - he cannot remember or give his address and last name. If a person is lost, you need to ask God with an unceasing miraculous prayer for the missing child so that he remains alive, so that trouble passes him by, and so that he is found as quickly as possible.
Christian prayer for missing people

Every year, in cities with a population of over a million, several thousand people go missing. These include those who fell into slavery, and people who became victims of apartment swindlers, and victims of crime. Of course, they are looking for them, but the information is scattered between hospitals, morgues, and the police, and these structures are not very good at reaching an agreement among themselves. According to Russian law, if a person is not found within 15 years, then he is considered dead. But according to church laws, if there is no reliable information about the death of a person, he is considered alive and this is correct. And we will believe that our fervent Christian prayer for the missing will contribute to an effective search for people.

Text of a strong prayer for the missing

Lord Almighty, Lord All-Good, on my knees I pray to You for a great miracle. Grant, Lord, the return of the missing person, Your servant (name of the missing person). For You yourself said: “Whoever seeks in My name, My angel will come to him and reveal what everyone asks. Amen". Lord, for the sake of the hands that swaddled You, for the sake of the hands that kissed Your feet, for the sake of Holy Baptism, for the sake of the holy icon of Tenderness, for the sake of Your mother, my Queen of Heaven. I tearfully ask and pray: may the servant of God (the name of the missing person) be found and return to the threshold of his home. Lord, accept my prayer, bless every word, and find the servant of God. In the name of the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.