Daily Sevenfold Prayers for Our Well-being

“I consider the restoration of the sevenfold prayer to be the greatest work of my patriarchate: the whole nation should read these prayers every day and, after the prayer, say seven times a day: O Lord, glory to Thee, save Georgia and make her whole.”

Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia

We all understand how much Georgia needs God’s help, protection and blessing today; the united prayer and supplication of every Georgian is needed, that God may hear and grant us and our nation His mercy and blessing, for united prayer has a special power.

Our Lord Jesus Christ says: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened” (Matthew 7:7–8).

But the question arises: how should we pray, and when should we pray?

First of all, a person should pray with all his heart, and, if he can, even with tears; only then does the Lord hear our request.

In the Psalm we read: “Seven times a day do I praise thee” (Ps. 118:164) — that is, every person prayed seven times a day.

We know from the Bible that the number 7 has great spiritual and divine power. That is why our forefathers prayed before God seven times in the course of a day and night, and the Lord heard them and helped them.

We must return to this rule of our fathers and forefathers, and seven times in the course of a day and night, at the hours shown below, raise our supplication to the Lord, that God may grant us and our nation mercy, peace, plenty, love, joy, wisdom, health, strong families, many children and the grace of the true Orthodox faith; that He may give us a sense of repentance, humility, forgiveness of sins and mercy, which are altogether necessary for a believing Christian.

One may always pray, but prayers at 6 in the morning, 9 in the morning, 12 noon, 3 in the afternoon, 6 in the evening, 9 in the evening and 12 midnight have a special power. These prayers will save all Georgia; they will save us.

Every true Orthodox Christian should without fail read this grace-filled prayer of supplication, besides the prayers he performs every day, so as not to remain outside the common prayer and God’s mercy.

When the hour of prayer comes, whether you are at home or on the road, stop and begin to pray according to the order given below, and God will ever be your protector.

Amen.

Ilia II, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia