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 Church Services Prostration Prayer (Pentecost
Sunday)

• Acts 233 
•  Therefore being exalted to the right hand of
  God, and having received from the Father the
  promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this
  which you now see and hear

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The significance of Prostrations (Metanoias) to
our prayer life.

• Introduction

• To implore the Lord to grant us certain virtues
  or to pray for other people, saying such
  things as,
• Thank You my Lord Jesus Christ, for You, or,
• Grant me, O Lord, the life of purity, or,
• Grant me, O Lord, the life of patience and
  tolerance, or,
• Grant me, O Lord, the life of complete love,
  or focusing on any of the other virtues.

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The significance of Prostrations (Metanoias) to
our prayer life.

• Prostrations of Repentance
• Prostrations of Honor

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On the topic of prostration in prayer, Mar Isaac
said the following

• Do not think that prostrating yourself before
  God is a light matter. None of all the good deeds
  equals persevering in completing prayers
  with prostrations.
• Compel yourself to kneel down before God, for
  this invigorates the spirit of prayer.
• Persistence in offering bows every now and
  then, will give the vigilant worshipper the ideal
  atmosphere for worshipping.
• A love for continual prostration before God
  during prayer is an indication that the soul has
  died to the world and has realized the mystery of
  the new life.

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Scriptural origins and purpose of the rite of the
Prayer of Prostration before the Pentecost
In the Old Testament, God had commanded His
people to celebrate the Passover annually at
sunset, the same time they had left Egypt (Deut
166). Also fifty days after the Passover, on the
feast of Pentecost, God gave Moses the Law.
Therefore, the Church has arranged to pray the
Prostration prayers at the ninth hour to point to
the Lord Jesus Christ our Passover who was slain
at this same time (Mt 2750). 
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Foot in the Door Phenomena

• The breakdown of the Prostration service

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• First Prostration
• Raising Incense referring to what happened on
  the feast of Pentecost in the OT (Ex. 1916-18)
  and it parallels what happened in the NT on the
  day of Pentecost in Acts 21-4

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First ProstrationService outline

• Agpeya prayers 6th, 9th, 11th and compline hours
• Psalm 116 chanted in tune (Niethnos tero)
• Praises (fourth hoos)
• Pentecostal Psali
• The Sunday psali for the lord Jesus
• Sunday Theotokia
• Gospel of St. Luke 229-32 (just as in midnight
  praises).
• Prayer of Thanksgiving and
• verses of the Cymbals

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First ProstrationService outline

• Psalm 50
• Deutrenomy 523-33, 61-3 is read.
• Pauline Epistle 1 Cor 1228-31, 131-12
• ( receiving the gifts of the Spirit and the more
  excellent way which is Love).
• The Hymn of the Trisagion (holy God, holy might,
  holy immortal)
• Holy Gospel (John Ch.17)
• Commentary
• Response to the Gospel Reading

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First ProstrationService outline

• Prayer for the sick
• Prayer for the travelers
• Prayer of the air of the heaven, seeds, herbs
• This place and all places, churches, monastaries
• Everyone prostrates priest prays inaudibly this
  ends the first section or First Prostration

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2nd Prostration prayer of the service

• Second Prostration starts the same way, except
  without the agepeya prayers but with the prayer
  of
• Thanksgiving.
• Putting one handful of incense in the censer, the
  priest asks for the repose of those who departed.

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2nd Prostration prayer of the service

• During this prayer also, everyone is still
  standing in the second par t of the church (not
  near the altar).
• Reading form Deut 617-25
• Pauline epistle (I Cor 1313, 141-7)
• Hymn of the Trisagion again
• Gospel Luke 2436-53
• Then the priest prays 1. Prayer for the king, 2.
  Prayer for the departed, 3. Prayer for the
  oblations (oil, incense, coverings, reading
  books, altar vessls and prayers/service offered)
  4. Prayer for the catechumnes.

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2nd Prostration prayer of the service

• Everyone does a prostration and priest has a
  second prayer that he prays inaudibly asking for
  the Holy spirint to descend. An excerpt I ask
  you to open my lips, I the sinner. Teach me how
  to supplicate to You for all our needs because
  You alone know the multitude of my sins. But
  Your lovingkindness overcomes my unawareness.
  For behold I stand in fear before the multitude
  of Your mercies and cast myself beneath
  themSend the Spirit of Your wisdom upon my
  thoughts and give my ignorance understanding from
  Your Holy Spirit. May your fearful Spirit
  overshadow my works. May you renew Your upright
  Spirit within me. May your mighty Spirit
  straighten my thoughts and prevent them from
  perversion. May Your Good Spirit direct me to
  the right path that I may be worthy to do Your
  commandments and remember at all times Your
  coming to judge everyone according to their
  deeds.,,,
•  

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• Third Prostration of the Service
• (The congregation now moves to the front of the
  church as usual)

• Prayer of Thanksgiving
• Raising of incense
• Psalm 50
• Deut 161-18
• Pauline Epistle (1 Cor 1418-40)
• Hymn of the Holy Spirits descent (sung at
  weddings, and on Pentecost) Pi Epneva
  imparakleeton
• Hymn of the Trisagion
• Prayer of the Gospel

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• Third Prostration of the Service

Commentary excerpt O Holy Spirit the
Comforter, who descended on the Apostles, kindle
fire in our minds an d hearts with Your mighty
power and guide our souls to the knowledge of
Your statutes that we may utter words of prayer
befitting our God. Gospel response The soul
of the Samaritan woman who found the Living water
blesses You because in You is the fountain of the
Living water. Prayer for Peace, Prayer for the
fathers, Prayer for those who asked us to
remember them Graciously accord o Lord
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• Third Prostration of the Service

• The Trisagion
• Doxologies
• Creed
• As in regular vespers priest prays God, have
  mercy upon us, settle Your mercy upon us, Have
  compassion upon us holding the cross with the
  three lighted candles in his right hand facing
  each direction.
• The final prostration and the priests inaudible
  prayer

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Glory be to God forever Amen.