A short Orthodox morning prayer rule for beginners
A rule of five minutes, kept every morning, is a good way to begin. Here is the 5-minute morning rule exactly as a PrayerRule book prints it, in order, from old public-domain translations, with the book and page each prayer comes from.
The 5-minute rule, in order
This is the morning rule of a PrayerRule book for St Mary of Egypt, with six living and three departed names: about 5 minutes read aloud slowly. Words in red are instructions, not part of the prayer. Under each prayer is the book and page it is printed from.
In the name of the Father
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.
R. W. Blackmore, The Doctrine of the Russian Church (1845), p. 3
Glory to thee, our God
Glory to thee, our God, glory to thee.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 45
O Heavenly King
O Heavenly King, O Paraclete, the Spirit of truth, that art every where present and that fillest all things, that art the Treasury of blessings and the Giver of life; come, and make thine abode in us, and cleanse us from every defilement, and save our souls, O Blessed One.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 45
Holy God (Trisagion)
Say three times. Make the sign of the cross each time.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 45
Glory to the Father
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, both now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 45
O most Holy Trinity
O most Holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. O Lord, cleanse our sins. O Master, forgive our transgressions. Visit us, O Holy One, and heal our infirmities, for thy name's sake.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 14
Lord, have mercy
Say three times.
Lord, have mercy.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 14
Glory to the Father
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, both now and ever, and to ages of ages. Amen.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 45
Our Father
Our Father, which art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 14
On rising from sleep (troparion)
On rising from sleep we fall down before thee, O Blessed One, and sing the angelic hymn to thee, O Mighty One, Holy, holy, holy art thou, our God. Through the Mother of God have mercy upon us.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 96
On rising from sleep
O Lord, I thank Thee with my whole heart that Thou hast raised me up from sleep safe and sound, that Thou hast scattered the darkness of night, and gladdened mine eyes with the light of this day. And now, O Lord, I believe in Thee with my whole heart; scatter, I pray Thee, the darkness of my ignorance, and of my passions, and lighten my mind and my will with Thy almighty grace. Grant me to do cheerfully and zealously every work which Thou hast appointed for me, and reverently to search out the wonders hidden in Thy holy law, ever calling with boldness upon Thy holy Name.
R. W. Blackmore, The Doctrine of the Russian Church (1845), p. 4
Troparion: St. Mary of Egypt
Tone 8.
In thee, O mother, was manifestly preserved what is in the image of God; for, having taken up the cross, thou didst follow Christ, and by thine own example hast taught that the flesh is to be despised as transient, but that particular care should be bestowed on the soul, as a thing immortal; wherefore together with the angels rejoiceth also thine, O religious (Mary of Egypt), spirit.
N. Orloff, The General Menaion (1899), p. 225
For my family and friends
At NN., name them:
Save, O Lord, and have mercy upon my parents, brothers, and sisters, NN., and my kinsmen in flesh, and all the neighbours of my family, and my friends; and grant thy blessings unto them in this world, and in the world to come.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 473
Then the names, one by one:
Anna, John, Father Peter, Maria, Elena, Dimitri
For the departed
At NN., name them:
Remember, O Lord, the souls of thy departed servants, my parents, NN., and all my kinsmen in flesh; and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, granting unto them the kingdom and communion of thine eternal blessings, and the enjoyment of thine everlasting, infinite, and blissful life.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 474
Then the names, one by one:
George, Helen, Basil
Closing prayer
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, for the sake of the prayers of thy most holy Mother, of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, and of all the Saints, have mercy upon us. Amen.
G. V. Shann, Euchology (1891), p. 475
How to keep it
- Pray at the same time every morning, before your icons if you can, standing.
- Read slowly, aloud or under your breath. The 5 minutes is an estimate for that pace, not a target.
- Make the sign of the cross where the red words say so.
- Say the names one by one. Add people as they come to mind.
- Ask your priest or spiritual father to bless the rule, and keep to what he says when it differs from this page.
When you are ready for more
A 10-minute morning rule keeps everything above and adds a second troparion, “Lord, have mercy” twelve times, the prayers to Christ the true Light, to the Mother of God and to the Guardian Angel, and the Jesus Prayer 20 times. A 20-minute rule adds Psalm 50, the Creed, more prayers for the living and the departed, and the Jesus Prayer 33 times. The table on the PrayerRule home page lists each step.
What this rule does not include
The familiar morning prayers of St Macarius the Great and St Basil the Great, and “Arising from sleep, I thank Thee, O Holy Trinity”, are not here: we found no public-domain English translation of them. If your priest asks you to say them, add them from your parish's prayer book.
Your morning and evening rule, with your names
Questions
How long should Orthodox morning prayers be?
There is no single length. Many people begin with a few minutes and add prayers over time, with their priest's blessing. PrayerRule makes rules of about 5, 10 or 20 minutes for the morning and for the evening.
Which translation is this?
Old English translations in the public domain: mostly G. V. Shann's Euchology (1891), with the prayer on rising from R. W. Blackmore (1845) and the troparion of the saints from N. Orloff's General Menaion (1899). Their English is older than most modern prayer books.
Can I add other prayers?
Yes. Add them from your parish's prayer book, with your priest's blessing.