Why should you always thank God for everything? Prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord and the saints How to thank God for his help in life.

Sometimes a person notices only negative events in his life, focusing on what he does not have, and forgets to thank the Lord. But it's not right. Whatever emotions you feel, thank the Creator for everything he has provided for you. Remember what was and what is good in your life now. Very often people do not pay any attention to the good things that they have and complain, for example, that they do not have a luxury car, although they drive a middle-class car, they do not have their own home, although they own a good apartment, and so on. They do not understand what to thank God for and are subsequently left with nothing: without shelter, without a car, and so on. Everyone wants to eat deliciously, forgetting about the hungry - people in dire need of help.

When we express our gratitude to God, we acknowledge our dependence on Him. The Holy Scriptures give reasons why people should thank God. Our great example is Jesus, the Son of God, who gave thanks to the Father in his prayers. A person’s heart should be filled with gratitude to God for the fact that, by His mercy, the Lord introduced us into His Kingdom of light, in which Christ will reign forever.

How to thank God

• If you don't know the right prayer, you can thank God in your own words. Having done this, cross yourself three times from right to left, saying: “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen".
• Also, if there are quite a lot of people around you, you can simply say to yourself: “Thank you, Lord!” Based on the Orthodox faith, Christians thank the Lord for everything. Even if something bad happens in life, Orthodox believe that these trials are sent to them by God, so that a person admits his mistakes, repents of his sins and takes a new path - the path of correction.
• If you carefully read the Psalter, a book that is part of the Bible, you will find 150 songs in it, most of which are dedicated exclusively to thanking the Lord. Read this holy book, and you will certainly feel that you have become stronger spiritually.
• Visit any Orthodox church. Buy a candle from church officials and place it in front of the icon with the image of the Savior. Often, this face is placed on the right in front of the altar. You can buy a prayer book at the church store (in case you don’t know the prayer of thanksgiving). This special book contains not only thanksgiving, but also prayers for all occasions. You can put as much money as you see fit into the alms boxes installed in the temple. Usually these alms go towards the purchase of church utensils, restoration of the temple, etc. This way you will thank God.
• You can also order a thanksgiving prayer behind the candle box in the church - this is a special service at which the priest reads certain prayers to the Lord. To do this, write on a piece of paper the names of those from whom the prayer service will be performed.
• Do any good deed - it will be the best gratitude. Give alms, feed a hungry cat or dog, help your relatives, etc.

Christian parable

One man felt that he was very indebted to the Lord God, since he happily escaped the danger that threatened his life. Once, in a conversation with a friend, he asked what he should do to properly thank God. In response, his friend told him the following story.

A young man loved a girl very much and asked her to become his wife. However, the young woman had other plans. And then one day, while walking down the street at an intersection, the girl was almost hit by a car. She did not die only thanks to the skill of the guy who sharply pulled her back. After which the girl turned and said: “Now I will become your wife.”

How do you think the guy felt at that moment? - asked a friend.

And instead of answering, his comrade only curled his mouth in displeasure.

“You see,” the friend turned to him again, “maybe your behavior now evokes the same feelings in God.

Today I want to reflect with you, dear readers, on gratitude. Do you know why? Because the more grateful a person is, the closer he is to perfection, and therefore to God. These wonderful words were spoken by my beloved Saint Nicholas of Serbia. The words of the saints were spoken not for discussion and debate, but for humble fulfillment, for childlike faith in them. “In this world, only in man does gratitude acquire its true divine radiance,” is another thought of the Serbian saint. It was born from the experience of a purely lived life, and also because the saints achieved their goal - the Kingdom of Heaven.

Let me remind you that one of the signs of holiness is the impeccable Orthodoxy of a saint of God, including that expressed in his instructions and advice. To explain these words, I will give an example from my personal life. When I was young, I was a little interested in mountaineering. Walking in snowy areas in bright sunlight is very dangerous for the eyes: you can go blind. The instructor says to the beginner: “For climbing you need special dark glasses! It’s impossible without them.” This is advice from a seasoned practitioner to an inexperienced student. If you obey, you will see the incomparable beauty of the mountains; If you doubt, you will become blind. So are the words of the saints about gratitude: they are derived from many years of experience. Their advice is the steps by which one ascends to the Heavenly Jerusalem. You need to listen carefully to the words of the saints.

“Give thanks to the Lord in everything!” - this saying of the Apostle Paul became a New Testament commandment. Saint Nicholas of Serbia relies on him, pointing the way to Christian perfection. To be perfect is also a commandment; and just like holiness, this is the fruit of Christian achievement, and it must ripen in us. Spiritual life is always moving forward and developing the best qualities and abilities of a person. Including gratitude. You need to know about this, and you need to want this. The vector of our movement should always point to Christ, for He is our path to eternal life and an example to follow.

But earthly life lasts decades, and you need to take the right steps and efforts every day. What should I do? A rich evangelical young man comes to the rescue, asking the Savior the most important question: “Good Teacher, what good thing can I do to have eternal life?” To such a serious question from a young man, the only correct answer immediately followed: “If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments...” And among them there is a commandment to thank God. So, we heard the answer.

There are many commandments of God; in their multitude and diversity they resemble paths in the forest. You can only walk through the forest along trails. The path straight through the bushes and ravines is for wild boars and bears, but not for humans. It’s something like this in Christian life: moving forward, towards Christ, is possible only along “spiritual paths” - the commandments of God. This is the only correct and safe way. The Holy Fathers advise choosing commandments that are easy to fulfill, which, according to the thought of St. Seraphim of Sarov, “help in collecting the greatest spiritual income.” Gratitude to God is one of these.

Gratitude comes from living a mindful life, especially paying attention to the little things.

Gratitude comes from living a mindful life, especially from paying attention to the little things. “He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). A bus that arrives on time or a free seat on the metro means you won’t have to freeze at the bus stop or stand in the carriage for an hour after service. It’s as if someone kind took care of you to make you feel more cheerful. And there are many such small joys and consolations throughout the day. A quiet sunny morning, a good atmosphere in the family, a compliment or a word of gratitude from people, a successful purchase, and just a cup of aromatic coffee or an abundance of flowers on the streets and in parks... All this cannot but please. And who gives our soul joy? We most often forget about Him.

Large-scale events in our lives happen infrequently. A wedding, a successful operation, buying a home, a promotion, the birth of a son or grandson... People ask God for this and therefore remember for some time and usually thank them. Not all though. It's different with little things. They are taken for granted and obvious, and we don’t even pay attention to the flow of small joys and surprises. And it should be! And you also need to understand and feel that God is sending them. The most important thing is not to be indifferent to this action of God’s love, but be sure to react – not only with the mind, but most importantly – with the heart.

Another example. There is a buffet in our temple where I sometimes go to eat. One day after the service I really wanted millet porridge. Chefs cook different ones every day: semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat... But I want millet. I go to the buffet and millet porridge is waiting for me. A small but very important reason to glorify God. He took care of me and I have to thank Him.

To practice gratitude to God requires stops in our life's marathon. A person is not a squirrel in a wheel or a cog in a clock mechanism. When they are looking for living people under the rubble of destroyed buildings, they turn off the powerful engines of construction equipment every 10 minutes. In the ensuing silence, everyone listens carefully to every rustle and sound. The best time to think about life is the evening - a time of silence and relaxation, a time to sum up the results of the day.

You can start with “gratitude from the mind”, and then the heart will wake up

Gratitude to God must come from the heart. God constantly looks at the human heart from the heights of heaven, waiting for it to learn to love and become His temple: “Son, give Me your heart - and I will abide in it.” The heart warms up and softens for a long time. There is no way to speed up this process, so you need to be patient. But the human mind is more mobile. Therefore, you need to start with him: “give thanks from the mind,” as they say. Let's remember how young children are raised. They are simply forced to say “magic words,” hoping that over time the child’s heart will also join in the act of thanksgiving.

The development of heartfelt gratitude is helped by the process of knowing God in His actions. God is good and does only good things. Every person feels this, but out of pride does not agree with it, and therefore does not react to it in any way. It is necessary to develop the memory of the heart, accumulate invaluable experience of grateful feelings and experiences and carefully store it.

A Christian in the matter of giving thanks to God must move from particular cases to the general picture of life, from everyday trifles to the ultimate goal of our existence. For successfully passing an exam, for example, you need to thank God immediately - go to the nearest church and light a candle or read an akathist to the Savior. There are no general recipes here, but the principle is clear: thank God as soon as possible.

How to perceive the so-called “blows of fate”: a major loss of money, a long-term serious illness, betrayal and betrayal of a loved one, the death of a child?.. There is only one piece of advice - to accept this test with humility and not to grumble at God. And for the strongest - through pain and tears, say: “Thank God for everything!” There is no need to demand an answer from God: “Why and why did grief come into my life?” God has an answer, but people often cannot accept it because they lack faith and humility. Therefore, God remains silent and waits for some time. Time will pass, grief will seem to move away from the person in time at a distance, and then it can be correctly seen and understood. This happens when viewing large objects, such as high-rise buildings. To see them better, you need to move away from them. For example, I like to look at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior from the Sparrow Hills - from there it is visible in all its grandeur and beauty. But they look at small things up close, sometimes wearing glasses. Let’s try to apply this rule in life, so that in difficult moments we don’t lose our living faith in God and stop thanking Him for everything. Let us first of all look at the main goal - the salvation of the soul, in order to correctly understand and accept life with its sorrows and suffering. Only through them is a person’s soul cleansed of sins and becomes suitable for the Kingdom of Heaven. In this matter, God is no longer an indifferent observer of our suffering, but a wise teacher and an experienced doctor who knows his business and expects our cooperation in the common work of soul salvation. And we participate by humble acceptance of His Providence and our heartfelt gratitude for everything that happens to us.

Sometimes even personal egoism helps to thank God. I'll explain how. A person wants comfort and convenience, but he does not have the opportunity to achieve it. Like, “everyone around us lives as they should, but I am the worst of all.” And here a person drowning in melancholy can grab his last straw: remember God and turn to Him with the words of his own prayer. And often such a prayer is heard, and the memory of one’s personal miracle is kept in the heart for a long time. And usually for all this there is deep gratitude to God, similar to the feelings of the healed leper Samaritan. If a person knows how to be grateful, then God will not deny him earthly blessings. It is dangerous to give to the proud and intelligent, but not to the humble and grateful. “Gratitude to God is an outstretched hand to Him for new blessings,” says wonderful spiritual wisdom.

The time has come to sum up our conversation. The fruitfulness of spiritual labors depends on the exact and correct fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. “Less is better” - this saying also applies to Christian life, when a person, having chosen one of the Gospel commandments, responsibly and carefully works to fulfill it. As an example, the commandment was offered to thank God for everything. It can contribute to successful spiritual growth and give the soul the desired grace of God. I’m not saying that other commandments should be neglected, no, no! I just wanted to remind you that God, like us, sometimes cares about quality rather than quantity. “If you chase two hares, you won’t catch either” - this should be remembered. If you try to do everything at once, you will overstrain yourself and become disillusioned with Christianity. Let us recall the story from the Patericon about a monk who outwardly lived carelessly, but tried with all his might not to condemn anyone. He achieved his goal: the angels were at his death and announced his blessed fate in eternity. Carefully and intelligently fulfilled, God's only commandment opened the gates of heaven to the monk. Gratitude to God is a commandment no less important, and its fulfillment is no less fruitful.

I thank God for His help in writing this article, and you, dear readers, glorify Him if our conversation turned out to be edifying and useful for you. Until next time.

There is a story about a Protestant pastor who, while visiting the sick, went into a hospital for the mentally ill. Here one of the patients, who apparently had a moment of mental enlightenment, approached the shepherd and asked him: “Have you ever thanked God for your sanity?” The shepherd was dumbfounded by such an unexpected question. No, it never occurred to him to thank God for such an obvious gift. Only here in the hospital, seeing so many unfortunate mentally ill people around him, did he realize that reason is God’s great gift! The shepherd immediately promised the sick man and himself that he would thank God daily for his sound mind.

E That incident from the life of a shepherd characterizes the general feature of the human attitude towards the blessings of life, due to which people are accustomed to accepting everything, as a matter of course. It is rare that any person thanks his Creator, who constantly takes care of him and sends him countless material and spiritual benefits.

“Wherever I look with the eyes of my heart,” the saint writes, “whether inside or outside myself, everywhere I see a strong reason for thanksgiving and glorification of the Lord!”

D Indeed, our whole life is an unbroken chain of God’s blessings! He created our body, which is better and more perfect than any mechanism or computer. He breathed into us this immortal, god-like soul, which animates our mortal body, and which is more precious and dear to us than anything else. He gave us intelligence, which elevates us above animals; – free will, thanks to which we can improve physically and spiritually and direct our lives towards good; – feelings capable of enjoying the gifts of God’s goodness, finding happiness and joy in life.

Although we do not see God with our eyes, we know that He constantly cares for our welfare more than the most loving mother. He commands the sun to shine over us, which illuminates and warms, cheers and revives us. He does us good by sending rain and fertility, filling us with food and gladdening our hearts. He commanded the earth to produce various fruits with which our body feeds and lives, and makes animals serve us. Thus, according to His will, mountains and valleys, seas and rivers, trees and stones, birds and fish, earth and air - everything serves our benefit and pleasure. His divine power sustains, continues and preserves our lives in the midst of everything hostile and dangerous in the world. In a word, “In Him we live and move and have our being.” Every moment of our life is a gift of His infinite goodness, every breath of our chest is a sign of His fatherly favor, every beat of our heart is a work of His highest love and mercy.

N this is not enough! When, by violating God’s commandments, people exposed themselves to all kinds of disasters, became obscene before God, unworthy of life and blessedness, God the Father did not leave them to die. On the contrary, because of His infinite love, He “He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”().

E heterogeneous God's Son, taking pity on us prodigal children, came into our world and took on our mortal nature. He “He humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man, and humbled Himself, being obedient even to death, even death on the cross.”(). He taught us to live righteously and showed us the path to the Kingdom of Heaven. He took upon Himself the sins of the human race, for our sake endured humiliation, spitting, slaps, beatings, suffering on the cross and shame with evildoers, shed His blood for us and laid down His soul for us, “in order to destroy the power of him who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and to deliver those who, from the fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives.”().

Consubstantial with the Father and the Son - Holy Spirit, for the sake of the atoning sacrifice of the God-man, descends on us, cleanses our conscience from sinful deeds, revives and sanctifies our nature, gives us His divine power necessary for a righteous life and makes us children of God.

P In all this, we often forget God and upset His mercy with our stubbornness, stupidity, and malice! But the Lord not only does not destroy, but continues to forgive and have mercy on us, patiently waiting for our correction. Despite our frequent falls, He, with great care and wisdom, leads our lives to salvation, to endless joy in the heavenly abodes. Few people think about how many obstacles they create for God in the work of their salvation!

WITH V. John of Kronstadt shares his experience, which is familiar to many believers: “How many times death entered my heart, then passing to my body (there is no number), and the Lord delivered me from all deaths!” The feeling of the flow of mercies from God evoked the following inspired words from the psalmist:

“Bless, my soul, the Lord and everything within me - His holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His benefits: He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your ailments, delivers your life from the grave, surrounds you with mercy and bounty, fulfills your good desires, your youth will be renewed like an eagle’s. The Lord shows mercy and truth to all those who are offended... The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 102).

In moments of trial, many become discouraged and grumble. But we must understand that the Lord sometimes allows troubles and sorrows to happen to us, not because He has forgotten us or wants to punish us. No! He admits them like bitter things, but necessary medicine, healing us from pride, frivolity, arrogance, self-love and other shortcomings. Realizing this, the great Saint John Chrysostom said at the end of his days: “Glory to God for everything, and especially for the sorrows!”

N We, Orthodox Christians, must especially thank God for deigning us to be children of His true Church, which, by the power of the Holy Spirit, contains pure Gospel teaching, which sanctifies and strengthens us with its grace-filled sacraments. This is the one to which belonged the Prophets, Apostles, martyrs and all the saints who are in the abodes of heaven and at the same time constitute with us, their younger brothers, one great family of God. This is the Church in which we are honored with the communion of the life-giving Body and Blood of our Savior, which gives us immortality.

AND So, when we delve into the ways of God's providence in our lives, we see that it is not so much duty and obligation, but our whole being, our whole life in the present and in the future, that requires us not to remain insensitive to the benefits of God! To this we must add that our gratitude is not needed by God, but by ourselves. When we thank God, we remember His love for us, His constant care at about us and the sea of ​​material and spiritual benefits that He pours out on us daily. This is a memory clarifies our intelligence, gives us the opportunity to clearly understand, what is the purpose of our life helps us weed out the unimportant from the main.

TO In addition, gratitude to God dispels despondency, removes sadness, returns to us vivacity and cheerfulness. Gratitude to God can be likened to warm rays of sunlight penetrating the dark cellar of the soul. From contact with the Spiritual Sun the soul warms up, a person becomes kinder and ready for love.

B Let us try every day, and especially on Sundays, to thank our Creator and Savior - this will serve as an excellent medicine for our soul!

Prayer of Thanksgiving (from the prayer service)

Lord Jesus Christ our God, God of all mercy and generosity, whose mercy is immeasurable and whose love for mankind is an immeasurable abyss! We, falling before Your greatness, with fear and trembling, like unworthy slaves, bring thanks to You for the mercies shown to us. As the Lord, Master and benefactor, we glorify You, praise You, sing and magnify You and, falling down, thank You again! We humbly pray to Your ineffable mercy: just as now You have accepted our prayers and fulfilled them, so in the future let us succeed in love for You, for our neighbors and in all virtues. And make us worthy to always thank and glorify You, together with Your beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and consubstantial Spirit. Amen.

Some thanks and praise psalms:33, 65, 66, 91, 95, 96, 102, 103, 116, 145, 149, 150. Psalms praising God: 8, 17, 92, 102, 103.

Akathist of gratitude

Compiled in the forties by Archpriest Fr. Grigory Petrov in one of Stalin’s concentration camps, in which he probably died.

Imperishable King of the ages, containing in His right hand all the paths of human life, by the power of Your saving providence. We thank you for all Your known and hidden blessings, for your earthly life and for the heavenly joys of Your future Kingdom. Extend Your mercies to us henceforth, singing: Glory to Thee, O God, forever!

I was born into the world as a weak, helpless child, but Your Angel spread bright wings, guarding my cradle. Since then, Your love has shone on all my paths, miraculously leading me to the light of eternity. The gloriously generous gifts of Your providence have been revealed from the first day until now. I thank and cry with all who have come to know You: Glory to You, who called me to Life; Glory to Thee, who showed me the beauty of the universe; Glory to Thee, who opened heaven and earth before me as an eternal book of wisdom; The glory of Your eternity in the midst of a temporary world; Glory to Thee for Thy secret and obvious mercies; Glory to You for every step of life, for every moment of joy; Glory to You, God, forever!

Lord, how good it is to visit You: the fragrant wind, the mountains stretched into the sky, like boundless mirrors, reflecting the gold of the rays and the lightness of the clouds. All nature whispers mysteriously, everything is full of affection, and birds and animals bear the stamp of Your love. Blessed is mother earth with her fleeting beauty, awakening longing for the eternal homeland, where in imperishable beauty it sounds: Hallelujah!

You brought me into this life as into an enchanting paradise. We saw the sky, like a deep blue bowl, in the azure of which birds were ringing, we heard the soothing sound of the forest and the sweet music of the waters, we ate fragrant and sweet fruits and fragrant honey. It’s good with You on earth, it’s joyful to visit You.

Glory to Thee for the celebration of life; Glory to Thee for the fragrance of lilies of the valley and roses; Glory to Thee for the sweet variety of berries and fruits; Glory to Thee for the diamond shine of the morning dew; Glory to You for the smile of bright awakening; Glory to Thee for eternal life, the harbinger of heaven. Glory to You, God, forever!

Every flower breathes with the power of the Holy Spirit, the quiet wafting of aroma, the tenderness of color, the beauty of the Great in the small. Praise and honor to the life-giving God, who spreads out the meadows like a flowering carpet, who crowns the fields with the gold of ears of corn and the azure of cornflowers, and the souls with the joy of contemplation. Rejoice and sing to Him: Hallelujah!

How beautiful you are in the celebration of spring. When all creation is resurrected and joyfully calls out to You in a thousand ways: You are the source of life, You are the conqueror of death. In the light of the moon and the singing of the nightingale, valleys and forests stand in their snow-white wedding dresses. The whole earth is Your bride, she is waiting for You - the Imperishable Bridegroom. If You dress the grass like this, then how will You transform us into the future age of resurrection, how our bodies will be illuminated, how our souls will shine!

Glory to You, who brought out various colors, tastes and aroma from the darkness of the earth. Glory to You for the hospitality and affection of all nature. Glory to You for having surrounded us with thousands of Your creatures. Glory to Thee for the depth of Thy mind, imprinted throughout the world; Glory to You, I reverently kiss the footprints of Your invisible feet. Glory to You, who lit the bright light of eternal life ahead; Glory to Thee, for the hope of immortal, imperishable beauty; Glory to You, God, forever!

How You delight those who think about You, how life-giving is Your holy Word, softer than oil and sweeter than a honeycomb is conversation with You. Inspires and lives towards You; what trembling then fills the heart and how majestic and reasonable then nature and all life become! Where You are not, there is emptiness. Where You are, there is the wealth of the soul, there the song pours out like a living stream: Hallelujah!

When sunset descends on the earth, when the peace of eternal sleep and the silence of the fading day reigns, I see Your palace under the image of shining chambers and cloudy shadows of dawn. Fire and purple, gold and azure prophetically speak of the indescribable beauty of Your villages, they solemnly call: let's go to the Father! Glory to Thee in the quiet hour of the evening;

Glory to You, who has poured out great peace into the world; Glory to Thee for the farewell ray of the setting sun; Glory to Thee for the rest of blessed sleep; Glory to Thee for Thy goodness in the darkness, when the whole world is far away; Glory to Thee for the tender prayers of a touched soul. Glory to Thee for the promised awakening to the joy of the eternal non-evening day; Glory to You, God, forever!

The storms of life are not terrible for those who have the lamp of Your fire shining in their hearts. All around there is bad weather and darkness, horror and the howling of the wind. And in his soul there is silence and light. There is Christ! And the heart sings: Hallelujah!

I see Your sky shining with stars. Oh, how rich You are, how much light You have! Eternity looks at me with the rays of distant luminaries, I am so small and insignificant, but the Lord is with me, His loving right hand protects me everywhere. Glory to You for your constant care for me; Glory to Thee for providential meetings with people; Glory to Thee for the love of relatives, for the devotion of friends; Glory to Thee for the gentleness of the animals that serve me; Glory to You for the bright moments of my life; Glory to Thee for the clear joys of the heart; Glory to You for the happiness of living, moving and contemplating; Glory to You, God, forever!

How great and close You are in the powerful movement of a thunderstorm, How Your mighty hand is visible in the bends of dazzling lightning, Your greatness is wondrous. The voice of the Lord over the fields and in the noise of the forests, the voice of the Lord in the birth of thunder and rain, the voice of the Lord over many waters. Praise be to You in the roar of the fire-breathing mountains. You shake the earth like a garment. You raise the waves of the sea to the sky. Praise be to the one who humbles human pride, who emits a cry of repentance: Hallelujah!

Like lightning, when it illuminates the halls of the feast, then after it the lights of the lamps seem pitiful, so You suddenly shone in my soul during the most intense joys of life. And after Your lightning light, how colorless, dark, and ghostly they seemed. My soul was chasing you. Glory to You, the edge and limit of the highest human dream!

Glory to Thee for our tireless thirst for communion with God; Glory to Thee, who breathed into the soul an eternal longing for heaven; Glory to Thee, who has clothed us with Thy subtlest rays; Glory to You, who crushes the power of the spirits of darkness, who doomed all evil to destruction; Glory to You for Your revelations, for the happiness of feeling You and living with You; Glory to You, God, forever!

In a wondrous combination of sounds, Your call is heard. You open to us the threshold of the coming paradise in the melody of singing, in harmonious tones, in the height of musical beauty, in the brilliance of artistic creativity. Everything truly beautiful with a powerful call carries the soul to You, makes you sing enthusiastically: Hallelujah!

With the influx of the Holy Spirit, You illuminate the thoughts of artists, poets, and geniuses of science. By the power of superconsciousness they prophetically comprehend Your laws, revealing to us the abyss of Your creative wisdom. Their deeds involuntarily speak about You: oh, how great You are in your creatures, oh, how great You are in man.

Glory to Thee, who has revealed incomprehensible power in the laws of the universe; Glory to You. All nature is full of the laws of Your existence; Glory to Thee for everything revealed to us through Thy goodness; Glory to Thee for what Thou hast hidden according to Thy wisdom; Glory to Thee for the genius of the human mind; Glory to Thee for the life-giving power of labor; Glory to Thee for the fiery tongues of inspiration; Glory to You, God, forever!

How close You are in days of illness. You Yourself visit the sick, You Yourself bend down at the suffering bed and the heart talks with You. You illuminate the soul with peace during times of severe sorrow and suffering, You send unexpected help. You console, You are testing and saving love, We sing a song to You: Hallelujah!

When I first consciously called upon You as a child, You fulfilled my prayer, and a reverent peace overshadowed my soul. Then I realized that You are good and blessed are those who resort to You. I began to call You again and again, and now I call You.

Glory to You, who fulfills my good desires; Glory to Thee, who watches over me day and night; Glory to Thee, who heals sorrow and loss with the healing passage of time; Glory to You, with You there are no hopeless losses, You give everyone eternal life; Glory to You, You have bestowed immortality on all that is good and lofty, You have promised the desired meeting with the dead; Glory to You, God, forever!

Why does all nature smile mysteriously on holidays? Why then does a wondrous lightness spread in the heart, incomparable to anything earthly, and the very air of the altar and the temple becomes luminous? This is the breath of Your grace, this is the reflection of the Tabor light, when heaven and earth sing in praise: Hallelujah!

When You inspired me to serve my neighbors and illuminated my soul with humility, then one of Your countless rays fell on my heart, and it became luminous, like iron in fire. I saw Your mysterious, elusive Face.

Glory to You, who transforms our lives with deeds of good; Glory to Thee, Who has imprinted unspeakable sweetness in every commandment of Thy; Glory to You, who dwells where mercy is fragrant; Glory to You, who sends us failures and sorrows, so that we are sensitive to the suffering of others; Glory to You, who has placed the great reward in the intrinsic value of good; Glory to You, who accepts the high impulses of our soul; Glory to You, who exalted love above all earthly and heavenly things; Glory to You, God, forever!

What is broken into dust cannot be restored, but You restore those whose conscience has decayed, You return their former beauty to souls who have hopelessly lost it. There is nothing irreparable with You. You are all love. You are the Creator and Restorer, We praise You with the song: Hallelujah!

My God, who knows the falling away of the proud angel of the star. Save me by the power of grace, do not let me fall away from You, do not let me forget all Your benefits and gifts, do not let me doubt You. Sharpen my hearing, so that at all moments of my life I hear Your mysterious voice and cry out to You, Omnipresent.

Glory to Thee for the providential coincidence of circumstances; Glory to Thee for the gracious premonitions; Glory to Thee for the instructions of the secret voice; Glory to Thee for revelations in dreams and in reality; Glory to Thee, who destroys our useless plans; Glory to You, who sobers us from the intoxication of passions through suffering; Glory to You, who saves the pride of the heart; Glory to You, God, forever!

Through the icy chain of centuries, I feel the warmth of Your Divine breath, I hear flowing blood. You are already close, the network of time has dissipated. I see Your Cross - it is for me. My spirit is in the dust before the Cross: here is the triumph of love and salvation, here praise never ceases forever: Hallelujah!

Blessed is he who tastes supper in Your Kingdom, but You have already shared this bliss with me on earth. How many times have You extended Your Body and Blood to me with your Divine right hand, and I, a great sinner, accepted this shrine and felt Your love, unspeakable, supernatural.

Glory to Thee for the incomprehensible life-giving power of grace; Glory to You, who has erected Yours as a quiet refuge for the tormented world; Glory to Thee, who revives us with the life-giving waters of baptism; Glory to You, You restore to the repentant the purity of immaculate lilies; Glory to Thee, inexhaustible abyss of forgiveness; Glory to Thee for the Cup of life, for the Bread of everlasting joy; Glory to Thee, who took us to heaven; Glory to You, God, forever!

I have seen many times the reflection of Your glory on the faces of the dead. With what unearthly beauty and joy they shone, how airy and immaterial their features were, it was a triumph of achieved happiness, peace, in silence they called to You. At the hour of my death, enlighten my soul, calling: Hallelujah!

What is my praise before You. I have not heard the singing of cherubs - this is the lot of high souls, but I know how nature praises You. In the winter I contemplated how, in the silence of the moon, the whole earth quietly prayed to You, clothed in a white robe, shining with diamonds of snow. I saw how the rising sun rejoiced in You, and how the choirs of birds thundered in glory. I heard how mysteriously the forest rustles about You, the winds sing, the waters murmur, how the choirs of luminaries preach about You with their harmonious movement in endless space. What is my praise! Nature is obedient to You, but I am not; but while I live, I see Your love, I want to thank, pray and cry out.

Glory to Thee, who showed us the light; Glory to Thee, who loved us with deep, immeasurable, divine love; Glory to Thee, who overshadows us with light, hosts of angels and saints; Glory to Thee, All-Holy Father, Who commanded us Thy Kingdom through the blood of Thy Son; Glory to Thee, Holy Spirit, life-giving sun of the future century; Glory to Thee for everything, O Divine Trinity, all-merciful; Glory to You, God, forever!

Oh, all-good and life-giving Trinity! Accept thanks for all Your mercies and show us worthy of Your benefits, so that, having multiplied the talents entrusted to us, we may enter into the eternal joy of our Lord with victorious praise: Hallelujah!

Today I want to reflect with you, dear readers, on gratitude. Do you know why? Because the more grateful a person is, the closer he is to perfection, and therefore to God. These wonderful words were spoken by my beloved Saint Nicholas of Serbia.

The words of the saints were spoken not for discussion and debate, but for humble fulfillment, for childlike faith in them. “In this world, only in man does gratitude acquire its true divine radiance,” is another thought of the Serbian saint. It was born from the experience of a purely lived life, and also because the saints achieved their goal - the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let me remind you that one of the signs of holiness is the impeccable Orthodoxy of a saint of God, including that expressed in his instructions and advice. To explain these words, I will give an example from my personal life. When I was young, I was a little interested in mountaineering. Walking in snowy areas in bright sunlight is very dangerous for the eyes: you can go blind. The instructor says to the beginner: “For climbing you need special dark glasses! It’s impossible without them.” This is advice from a seasoned practitioner to an inexperienced student. If you obey, you will see the incomparable beauty of the mountains; If you doubt, you will become blind. So are the words of the saints about gratitude: they are derived from many years of experience. Their advice is the steps by which one ascends to the Heavenly Jerusalem. You need to listen carefully to the words of the saints.
“Give thanks to the Lord in everything!” - this saying of the Apostle Paul became a New Testament commandment. Saint Nicholas of Serbia relies on him, pointing the way to Christian perfection. To be perfect is also a commandment; and just like holiness, this is the fruit of Christian achievement, and it must ripen in us. Spiritual life is always moving forward and developing the best qualities and abilities of a person. Including gratitude. You need to know about this, and you need to want this. The vector of our movement should always point to Christ, for He is our path to eternal life and an example to follow.
But earthly life lasts decades, and you need to take the right steps and efforts every day. What should I do? A rich evangelical young man comes to the rescue, asking the Savior the most important question: “Good Teacher, what good thing can I do to have eternal life?” To such a serious question from a young man, the only correct answer immediately followed: “If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments...” And among them there is a commandment to thank God. So, we heard the answer.
There are many commandments of God; in their multitude and diversity they resemble paths in the forest. You can only walk through the forest along trails. The path straight through the bushes and ravines is for wild boars and bears, but not for humans. It’s something like this in Christian life: moving forward, towards Christ, is possible only along “spiritual paths” - the commandments of God. This is the only correct and safe way. The Holy Fathers advise choosing commandments that are easy to fulfill, which, according to the thought of St. Seraphim of Sarov, “help in collecting the greatest spiritual income.” Gratitude to God is one of these.
Gratitude comes from living a mindful life, especially from paying attention to the little things. “He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much” (Luke 16:10). A bus that arrives on time or a free seat on the metro means you won’t have to freeze at the bus stop or stand in the carriage for an hour after service. It’s as if someone kind took care of you to make you feel more cheerful. And there are many such small joys and consolations throughout the day. A quiet sunny morning, a good atmosphere in the family, a compliment or a word of gratitude from people, a successful purchase, and just a cup of aromatic coffee or an abundance of flowers on the streets and in parks... All this cannot but please. And who gives our soul joy? We most often forget about Him.
Large-scale events in our lives happen infrequently. A wedding, a successful operation, buying a home, a promotion, the birth of a son or grandson... People ask God for this and therefore remember for some time and usually thank them. Not all though. It's different with little things. They are taken for granted and obvious, and we don’t even pay attention to the flow of small joys and surprises. And it should be! And you also need to understand and feel that God is sending them. The most important thing is not to be indifferent to this action of God’s love, but be sure to react – not only with the mind, but most importantly – with the heart.


Another example. There is a buffet in our temple where I sometimes go to eat. One day after the service I really wanted millet porridge. Chefs cook different ones every day: semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat... But I want millet. I go to the buffet and millet porridge is waiting for me. A small but very important reason to glorify God. He took care of me and I have to thank Him. To practice gratitude to God requires stops in our life's marathon. A person is not a squirrel in a wheel or a cog in a clock mechanism. When they are looking for living people under the rubble of destroyed buildings, they turn off the powerful engines of construction equipment every 10 minutes. In the ensuing silence, everyone listens carefully to every rustle and sound. The best time to think about life is the evening - a time of silence and relaxation, a time to sum up the results of the day.
Gratitude to God must come from the heart. God constantly looks at the human heart from the heights of heaven, waiting for it to learn to love and become His temple: “Son, give Me your heart - and I will abide in it.” The heart warms up and softens for a long time. There is no way to speed up this process, so you need to be patient. But the human mind is more mobile. Therefore, you need to start with him: “give thanks from the mind,” as they say. Let's remember how young children are raised. They are simply forced to say “magic words,” hoping that over time the child’s heart will also join in the act of thanksgiving.
The development of heartfelt gratitude is helped by the process of knowing God in His actions. God is good and does only good things. Every person feels this, but out of pride does not agree with it, and therefore does not react to it in any way. It is necessary to develop the memory of the heart, accumulate invaluable experience of grateful feelings and experiences and carefully store it.
A Christian in the matter of giving thanks to God must move from particular cases to the general picture of life, from everyday trifles to the ultimate goal of our existence. For successfully passing an exam, for example, you need to thank God immediately - go to the nearest church and light a candle or read an akathist to the Savior. There are no general recipes here, but the principle is clear: thank God as soon as possible.
How to perceive the so-called “blows of fate”: a major loss of money, a long-term serious illness, betrayal and betrayal of a loved one, the death of a child?.. There is only one piece of advice - to accept this test with humility and not to grumble at God. And for the strongest - through pain and tears, say: “Thank God for everything!” There is no need to demand an answer from God: “Why and why did grief come into my life?” God has an answer, but people often cannot accept it because they lack faith and humility. Therefore, God remains silent and waits for some time. Time will pass, grief will seem to move away from the person in time at a distance, and then it can be correctly seen and understood. This happens when viewing large objects, such as high-rise buildings. To see them better, you need to move away from them. For example, I like to look at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior from the Sparrow Hills - from there it is visible in all its grandeur and beauty. But they look at small things up close, sometimes wearing glasses. Let’s try to apply this rule in life, so that in difficult moments we don’t lose our living faith in God and stop thanking Him for everything. Let us first of all look at the main goal - the salvation of the soul, in order to correctly understand and accept life with its sorrows and suffering. Only through them is a person’s soul cleansed of sins and becomes suitable for the Kingdom of Heaven. In this matter, God is no longer an indifferent observer of our suffering, but a wise teacher and an experienced doctor who knows his business and expects our cooperation in the common work of soul salvation. And we participate by humble acceptance of His Providence and our heartfelt gratitude for everything that happens to us.
Sometimes even personal egoism helps to thank God. I'll explain how. A person wants comfort and convenience, but he does not have the opportunity to achieve it. Like, “everyone around us lives as they should, but I am the worst of all.” And here a person drowning in melancholy can grab his last straw: remember God and turn to Him with the words of his own prayer. And often such a prayer is heard, and the memory of one’s personal miracle is kept in the heart for a long time. And usually for all this there is deep gratitude to God, similar to the feelings of the healed leper Samaritan. If a person knows how to be grateful, then God will not deny him earthly blessings. It is dangerous to give to the proud and intelligent, but not to the humble and grateful. “Gratitude to God is an outstretched hand to Him for new blessings,” says wonderful spiritual wisdom.
The time has come to sum up our conversation. The fruitfulness of spiritual labors depends on the exact and correct fulfillment of the Gospel commandments. “Less is better” - this saying also applies to Christian life, when a person, having chosen one of the Gospel commandments, responsibly and carefully works to fulfill it. As an example, the commandment was offered to thank God for everything. It can contribute to successful spiritual growth and give the soul the desired grace of God. I’m not saying that other commandments should be neglected, no, no! I just wanted to remind you that God, like us, sometimes cares about quality rather than quantity. “If you chase two hares, you won’t catch either” - this should be remembered. If you try to do everything at once, you will overstrain yourself and become disillusioned with Christianity. Let us recall the story from the Patericon about a monk who outwardly lived carelessly, but tried with all his might not to condemn anyone. He achieved his goal: the angels were at his death and announced his blessed fate in eternity. Carefully and intelligently fulfilled, God's only commandment opened the gates of heaven to the monk. Gratitude to God is a commandment no less important, and its fulfillment is no less fruitful.
I thank God for His help in writing this article, and you, dear readers, glorify Him if our conversation turned out to be edifying and useful for you. Until next time.
Archpriest Andrey Ovchinnikov

Prayers of gratitude are words coming from the very depths of our hearts, addressed to the Lord and Saints in gratitude for the right to a happy and peaceful life.

Most often, when everything goes well in our lives and troubles pass us by, we take it for granted. But with the arrival of troubles, sadness covers us headlong. At such moments, we strive to turn in prayer to all the saints and to God with requests to deliver us from suffering, completely forgetting about words of gratitude for the constant help and support of Heaven.

Features of thanksgiving prayers

Every believer must understand that happiness, joy and good fortune are a gift from the Lord for our pious and good deeds, and misfortunes, troubles and hardships are punishment for our sins. To avoid retribution for sinful offenses, it is necessary not only to ask for help, but also to pray for forgiveness and remission of sins.

It should be remembered that no matter how hard it is for you in life, in no case should you forget about gratitude to the Lord and all the saints for your good health, for a happy friendly family, for kindness in your heart and peace in your soul. After all, a happy life is complete dedication. Expressing gratitude to God and the saints in prayers should become a useful habit that will later change your destiny. The closer you are to the Lord, the farther all worldly misfortunes are from you.

To thank God and all the saints, it is necessary to read special prayers that are of a grateful nature. A day started with words of gratitude automatically becomes a time of happiness, opportunity and good fortune. After all, a simple thank you addressed to the Lord and His saints cleanses the soul, gives strength, charges with light and sets one in a positive mood.

Prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord

Words of gratitude should be read both morning and evening. The most important — read them with love, sincerity and faith in the heart. Thanking the Lord sounds like this:

“Our Lord God, we bow before You in words of gratitude! You are our Father, the Creator of all living things, and we are Your servants! We say thank you for all the generous gifts that you bring into our lives! You are our strength, You are our support, You are the will and unshakable spirit in us! Thank you for the food that You give us every day, thank you for the protection from enemies and misfortunes! Thank you, Lord, for giving us life and for staying with us, helping us in the difficult days of our lives! Forgive us for our sins, cleanse our hearts from hatred, preserve the purity of our souls and do not let us lose strength, so that we may follow the spiritual path until the end of our worldly days! Only You alone, Lord, are able to shelter us from all troubles and give us a better life in eternity! We thank You, God, for the family that serves as support on earth, for faithful friends and for all the blessings that You have given us on this earth! We will praise You forever! You are our heart, You are our love! Accept the words of genuine gratitude and never leave us, our Father! Amen. Amen. Amen".

Prayer of gratitude to the Guardian Angel

Guardian Angel, mentor and protector assigned to us from Above, also needs sincere prayers and words of gratitude, because He protects our lives, personal happiness and well-being, shielding us from bad influences. The prayer to the Guardian Angel sounds like this:

“Oh, our Great Creator! I thank You for giving me a Guardian Angel along with my life! Let me read a prayer to your Angel in gratitude for his intercession! Thank You, my most holy Angel of Protection! I offer you words of gratitude from the bottom of my heart! I thank You, my Intercessor, for the help that You provide me every day! Because You are always behind me, protecting me. You are my support and my support! Thank you for the light with which you illuminate my path to righteousness! I thank You, my reliable protection, for Your presence in my life, for your mercy and kindness! I am grateful that you protect me from sinful acts. Do not leave me until the last minutes of my life on earth! Become my guide to the Kingdom of God when I complete my earthly path. My love for You and gratitude grows in my soul and heart day after day! Amen".

Prayer to the holy saints of God with gratitude

Under different life circumstances, we pray to different saints, but gratitude for their help can be expressed in one prayer, illuminating our souls with light. There is no believer who has not been helped by the holy saints of God in difficult times, so it is necessary to thank them for Heavenly protection by reading the prayer:

“Oh, great saints of God! I turn to you in prayer, but I don’t ask for the help you provide me in difficult moments of my life. I extend my prayers to you with gratitude. You are my intercessors, you are the support of all the people of earth. I pray for forgiveness of our sins, our malice and weaknesses. Thank you, pious saints, for a life in peace and harmony, for family happiness and well-being, for a calm life without needs and sorrow. We will not stop praising your names and sending you words of gratitude. From now on and forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer of thanksgiving to the Mother of God

The Most Holy Theotokos is the intercessor of every praying soul, a quick helper and patroness of the disadvantaged. More than one thousand people turn to the Mother of God in prayer every day, asking Her for the most secret things. Like any mother, the Virgin Mary wants to hear that everything is fine with Her children, that Her help came in handy. Be sure to read the words of gratitude addressed to Her:

“Oh, Blessed Virgin Mary! Queen of earth and heaven! Mother of our Savior! You are our hope, our support and support! Our consolation is in You! I thank You, O Most Pure Virgin, for your bright deeds, for healing ailments of soul and body, for Your compassion for us, for delivering our souls from anger, sadness and bad thoughts! In You lies all immortality, strength and love! Please accept my words of gratitude to You! Thank you, Holy Virgin, for praying before the Lord for everyone’s soul! Thank You for the peace and light in my soul, for a healthy body and clear, kind thoughts! May Your strength be with me until the end of my journey! I will never tire of glorifying Your most holy name, and my prayer sounds in words of gratitude to You. Amen".

It is not at all necessary to read ready-made prayers of gratitude. You can also say words of gratitude on your own. The main thing is to open your heart and soul at the moment of reading such a prayer, to repent for all sinful actions. Say thank you to the Almighty and the saints for everything that is in your life, for everything for which you are grateful to them.

The best time to read prayers of gratitude is in the morning. Make sure that no one distracts you during prayer. It is important to correctly convey words of gratitude to the Lord and all the saints so that your sincere prayers are heard. The most important thing is that a prayerful thank you should be read not only after a request for help, but also when everything is good in your life. Remember: your true happiness and forgiveness lie in your words of gratitude. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and