Kudos. 😊

I just got one today from a priest, this helps alot thank you! God bless

May God bless you. ☦ 🤗

Welcome brother. ☦️💖

I am inspired. I wonder how you came across Orthodoxy

Same, so far away

You should always remember that before checking KZfaq for this sort of question, you should talk to your priest first. The priest who will be knowing you personally is far better to discuss a prayer rule with than a video on KZfaq because your priest can access multiple factors the video cannot.

@@biggrobb9273 Yeah, thanks. My priest is extremely busy (we don't much money as a community, so he have to work a regular work), so I try to check some topics in reliable sources in KZfaq.

Same and I’m coming up on a year baptized!

I agree with Bigg Robb about ask your priest!

Please see the video description for a couple options

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A SPIRITUAL FATHER; A PRIEST. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR PRIEST ABOUT ALL OF THIS FIRST. Without a rule to help, your mind and heart can wander. When I pray the Jesus Prayer, I am careful to think about each word, placing an emphasis on "sinner." When I think about each word, while speaking the Jesus Prayer, it focuses my mind and heart unto Jesus Christ - God. I am only on the first step of prayer. The three (or four) steps of prayer that I've read are: **[From the Optina Monastery Heritage]** 1. "The first step is oral prayer, when the mind often runs away and the person has to apply great effort in order to collect his scattered thoughts. This prayer takes work, but it gives one a repentant mood." 2. "The second step is the prayer of the mind in the heart, when the mind and the heart, reason and feelings are one; then prayer is made without interruption. No matter what the person is doing - eating, drinking, or resting - the prayer continues." 3. "The third step is creative prayer, which can move mountains with one word. This is the prayer that for example St. Mark the Desert Dweller of Thrace had." 4. "Finally there is the fourth step. This is such a high level of prayer that only the angels have it, and it may be given to one man only out of all humankind." "In order to understand better what gifts the Lord sends to those who pray and what prayer corresponds to the level of spiritual growth of the one praying, St. Barsanuphius explained in more detail: "'The first gift the Lord gives in prayer is attention; that is, when the mind can dwell in the words of the prayer without being distracted by thoughts. But with suck attentive, undistracted prayer the heart is yet silent. That is the whole matter - our feelings and thoughts are separated; there is no agreement between them. Thus, the first prayer, the first gift, is undistracted prayer. "'The second prayer, the second gift, is inner prayer, that is, when the feelings and thoughts are in agreement and directed toward God. Up until this stage, every struggle with passion ends in the passion's victory over the person, but from that stage on, when the mind and heart pray together - that is, the feelings and thoughts are in God - the passions are already conquered. They are conquered, but not destroyed; they can come back to life if he is careless. Here the passions are like corpses lying in the coffins, and if a passion but twitches, the man of prayer beats it down and conquers it. "'The third gift is spiritual prayer. I cannot say anything about this prayer. Here there is no longer anything earthly left in the person. True, a person can live on earth, walk on earth, sit, drink, and eat - but in his mind and thoughts he is wholly in God, in the heavens. To some have even been revealed the service of the angelic ranks. This prayer is the prayer of a visionary. The one who has attained this prayer sees spiritual things, for example the state of a human soul, just as we see tangible things, as if in a picture. They look with the eyes of the spirit; in them the spirit is looking.'"

You click on a video about prayer rules and you’re confused that he’s talking about rules lol. Of course you can do both

Speaking to God out of sincerity can be a part of a prayer rule. Take as long as you need to speak to God personally.

A prayer rule is mainly about submitting to God's divine authority it's just a bare minimum that you have to do. Anything else have at it as long as it's in spirit and in truth. But as building muscle you can do 10 reps everyday of 10 lb but you'll only ever get that strong, it's whenever you do 1-3 reps of you max weight that builds strength.

Thank you for your comment. Praying slowly, it is like tasting God for me.

I sometimes do this, maybe when I'm walking around I speak to God like I always used to in my time as an evangelical protestant Christian, and I sometimes put my own prayers in amongst the liturgical prayers but very sparsely and very brief usually. I used to pray in tongues a very great deal but I don't do this any more at all, I say the Jesus Prayer instead.

You can pray with your own words (without ceasing as St Paul says) But prayer books provide excellent guidance for us as they are full of theology and scripture. Often the formal prayers will have gaps in for your own intentions too

It's touching your chin to your chest and fixing your eyes there, breathing and saying the words timed to your heart beat. I'm no expert but I've read a lot and watched many videos, all of which advise against it without proper guidance (confessor or spiritual Father)

@@adognamedkevin9846 is the guidance needed for the possibility of dangerous spirits interfering? Seems like one can put themselves into a trance like state following what you just stated.

@@someotherguy43 from what I've heard that's exactly it. These words are said to embody the entire message and power of the Gospel, it is a flaming spiritual sword and the darkness knows it's power and will try its best to medel with it's welding. There's a lot of emphasis on keeping your mind completely clear, not thinking of good or bad deads, just focusing on the words, there is a chance of delusion. That's why the Father says some warn against it at all. I'm a beginner myself, been saying it for a year and a half, no techniques except the use of a prayer rope to gather the mind, though I do it throughout the day and while working I've never sat in a dark room and done it for hours. That's a serious endeavor and I haven't found anyone to guide me.

@@someotherguy43 I recommend reading the book The Way Of The Pilgrim, it's largely about this prayer and it's journey. My priest gave it to me last year, it changed me. There's audio versions on KZfaq also

@@adognamedkevin9846 I appreciate the advice.

Ugh!!! Now?

​@@OrthodoxEthosWorkeddd finally thank you!!! Merry Christmas!

The translation?

@@OrthodoxEthos It's in English .. The name of the App is "Orthodox Prayers" It's a collection of Canon prayers and different prayers from the saints. Eg. The prayers of st. Epraim the Syrian.

​@@kurtbansag935 my priest recommended me a free app by the Greek Archdiocese called Daily Readings Lite, it supports English, Greek and I think Arabic. Hope this is something you find helpful, I sure have.

​@@kurtbansag935is it available for Android?

Thirty year beginner here

Intermediate: Pray the entire Horologion every day. Hard: Join a monastery

all of them you can find in a prayer book. you need to find one that a a lot of them though because there are a lot of prayers and there isnt avery prayer to every prayer book

Jesus Christ was still a religious man. He followed His traditions inside His synagogues. What He hated however, was hypocrisy; especially religious hypocrisy (of the Pharisees).