A powerful prayer to the Great Martyr Seraphim: when they read and what they ask for

In the Orthodox tradition, believers turn to the Great Martyr Seraphim with prayers for help in illnesses, anxieties, family difficulties and situations requiring spiritual fortitude. Prayer occupies an important place in church practice. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

The meaning of prayer to the Great Martyr Seraphim

The appeal to the Holy Martyr Seraphim, Metropolitan Chichagov, occupies a special place in the Orthodox tradition. He is revered as one of the most significant new martyrs of the 20th century, who became a symbol of perseverance, dedication and loyalty to the Church even in the face of severe persecution.

His spiritual legacy includes a vast number of pastoral works, research on the history of Orthodox medicine, and extensive liturgical experience. Prayer to Seraphim is perceived by believers not only as a request for help, but also as an appeal to a saint who has followed the path of service to people and has preserved an unflappable firmness of spirit.

In the Orthodox tradition, it is believed that the prayerful support of the new martyrs is especially effective, since they survived persecution and death for their faith, preserving love and humility. Metropolitan Seraphim is perceived not only as a spiritual mentor, but also as an example of a man who sought reconciliation between people, helped the suffering and abandoned the teaching of inner peace and trust in God. Therefore, turning to him is associated with strengthening mental strength, seeking clarity in difficult circumstances, and spiritual solace.

In what life situations do they pray to him?

Hieromartyr Seraphim is addressed mainly during periods of emotional, family, and spiritual trials. According to church directories, believers often pray to him for the preservation of peace in the house, for reconciliation with relatives, for the ability to understand their own actions and cleanse their hearts of irritation and inner discord.

His prayerful intercession is also associated with support in times of loss — Metropolitan Seraphim conducted deep spiritual work on the meaning of life and death, so he is considered an assistant to those who are experiencing difficult inner experiences or suffering from feelings of loneliness.

It is not uncommon to turn to the saint in situations related to the search for a life path. Serafim Chichagov paid great attention to self-discipline, inner organization, and the ability to make decisions without haste, so his prayer helps those who are faced with a choice or have lost their sense of direction.

In addition, the New Martyr Seraphim is considered the patron saint of those who seek to strengthen their faith. His life shows the path of a man who abandoned a military career, devoted himself to service, repeatedly faced injustice, but did not cease to maintain light and trust in God. Therefore, prayer is relevant to him at times when it is necessary to gain stability, overcome doubts or cope with the consequences of difficult circumstances.

The text of the prayer to Seraphim

The text of the prayer to the Holy Martyr Seraphim is distributed in Orthodox prayer books and is given unchanged. It sounds like this:

"To the Holy Martyr Seraphim, a kind shepherd, glorified by the warmth of faith and courage. Hear our supplication, and by thy intercession at the Throne of the Most High, grant us strength in our sorrows, peace in our hearts, and the light of reason. Ask the Lord to grant us patience, humility, and the strength to resist the malice of this world. May we find the way of truth and salvation through your prayers. Amen to that."

This prayer is said in moments of inner struggle and serves as an appeal to the saint with a request to strengthen spiritual strength and help to gain clarity where a person is experiencing anxiety or discord in their inner state.

How to address a saint correctly

The church tradition does not impose strict rules on the order of addressing the Holy Martyr Seraphim, however, the clergy remind that any prayer presupposes inner attention, sincerity and respect.

An important condition is considered to be a calm state of mind — it is recommended to read the prayer not in a hurry, but after the person distracts himself from everyday worries and focuses on the essence of the request.

It is allowed to read a prayer at home, in church, in front of an icon, or even mentally — the main thing is that the request be conscious. At the same time, the priests emphasize that turning to a saint is not a substitute for a person's own efforts and is not a way to absolve oneself of responsibility.

Prayer is seen as spiritual support and an opportunity to gain strength for the right decision, but not as a magical tool.

Before prayer, many believers read the short address "Holy Hieromartyr Seraphim, pray to God for me" in order to tune in to the inner world. It is also not forbidden to accompany prayer with personal words when a person wants to formulate his request on his own.