Often people supplement the words of prayers with their imagination, wait for prayer of ecstasy, pleasure, new sensations. But St. Ignatius said that all these are signs of improper prayer . About what should be the "right" prayers, in particular evening prayers, read below.
"Right" Prayer
So, according to the teachings of St. Ignatius, real prayer must come from a pure heart and a spirit full of its own poverty. The worshiper should repent of prayer, beg for forgiveness, as a prisoner, praying for release from the dungeon.
The only feeling that should overflow a Christian during prayer is repentance.
During prayer, you need to stay focused - your attention is on your words, the whole mind is centered on the words of prayer. Beginning to practice reading prayers St. Ignatius recommended praying often, but not for long. Often - to accustom yourself to prayer, but not for long, so that the untrained mind is not tired.
When should we pray?
In the morning, as soon as you wake up, thank God for a new day and ask for the strength to resist sins and vices. Throughout the day, remember God more often.
About when to read evening prayers, it's easy to guess. Of course, in the evening, it is best before going to bed, when you are already in bed. Sometimes, in the life of very busy people, evening prayer before going to bed is the only way to talk with God during the day.
In the evening prayer you need to thank God for all the good things that happened, repent for all the bad deeds that you have committed, and ask for strength for the coming day.
Before confession
Confession is an opportunity to repent before God and receive the remission of sins from a priest endowed with the power of God. On the eve of the evening, you should read the prayer before confession. These can be your words, appeals to God, a request for grace, which helps to repent sincerely and renounce the old sinful way of life, or church prayers.
At such times, "Our Father" and "Psalm 51" are read, as well as prayers to God, for example, as the following:
"Come, Holy Ghost, enlighten my mind, that I may become more aware of my sins; prompt my will to genuine repentance in them, to a sincere confession and a decisive correction of my life. "
You can also read the evening prayer to the angel guardian, because the angel of every Christian is the mediator between man and God:
"Holy Guardian Angel, my patron saints, ask for me from God the grace of a genuine confession of sins."
To confession you can proceed only when our heart is clean from grievances and evil. Think, do you not hold any grievances against someone, have you asked for forgiveness from everyone you have offended, have you tried to reconcile with your enemies?
To ask God for the forgiveness of sins is possible only when you yourself have forgiven your sins for your offenders. Therefore, with special thoughtfulness and attention it is necessary to treat the words of the prayer "Our Father":
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."
Your repentance must be genuine, and your petition must necessarily imply correction for a better, cleaner way of life .
As for church prayers, you can use the following Orthodox option:
"God and Lord of all! Every breath and soul is a power,