Start small. That’s the answer most people don’t want to hear, but it’s the one that actually works.
A prayer rule isn’t just “saying prayers.” It’s a fixed set of prayers you commit to praying every day, usually morning and evening, at a specific time and place. Think of it like taking medicine at the same time each day. You’re not waiting until you feel like it or until inspiration strikes. You’re showing up.
Most Orthodox prayer books include several standard prayer rules. The Ancient Faith Prayer Book has a good selection for beginners. But here’s what trips people up: they see the full morning prayers (which can take thirty minutes or more) and think that’s where they need to start. It’s not.
Begin With What You Can Actually Do
St. Pachomius gave us a rule that’s been helping beginners for centuries. Three times a day, pray the Trisagion Prayers (Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us, three times), the Our Father, Psalm 51, and the Creed. That’s it. Takes maybe five minutes.
You might also start with just the Trisagion Prayers, the Our Father, and the Jesus Prayer (“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”) repeated slowly while you’re actually paying attention. Some people use a prayer rope to count, say it thirty-three times in the morning, thirty-three times at night. Others set a timer for five minutes and pray it as many times as they can without rushing.
The key word there is “without rushing.” If you’re racing through prayers like you’re trying to beat the clock at work, you’ve missed the point entirely. Better to say the Jesus Prayer ten times with your mind actually engaged than to rattle off a hundred repetitions while mentally planning your grocery list.
The Role of Your Priest
Here’s something important: talk to your priest before you establish a prayer rule. I know that sounds formal, but your priest knows you. He knows if you’re working swing shifts at the refinery, if you’ve got three kids under five, if you’re dealing with health issues. He can help you figure out what’s realistic.
Some people can handle the full morning prayers right away. Others need to build up slowly over months. There’s no shame in starting simple. The saints didn’t become saints by biting off more than they could chew and then giving up in frustration.
Your priest might suggest adding prayers gradually. Maybe you start with five minutes morning and evening. After a month, you add Psalm 51 in the morning. Another month, you add a few intercessions for family and friends. The rule grows with you.
What Goes Into a Prayer Rule?
Most Orthodox prayer rules include some combination of these elements: the Trisagion Prayers, psalms (especially Psalms 51, 63, and 88), the Jesus Prayer with a set number of repetitions, prayers to the Theotokos and your patron saint, intercessions for others, and the Creed. Morning prayers often include a doxology. Evening prayers often include confession of the day’s sins.
But don’t feel like you need all of that tomorrow.
The point isn’t to check boxes. It’s to establish a rhythm of meeting God at specific times each day. You’re training yourself to turn toward Him regularly, the way you’d turn toward a friend you’re walking with. Eventually, that turning becomes more natural. You find yourself praying at other times too, not just during your rule.
Common Mistakes
People fail at prayer rules for predictable reasons. They start too big. They skip a day, feel guilty, and then abandon the whole thing. They treat it like a legal obligation instead of medicine for the soul. They pray in bed (where they fall asleep) instead of standing or sitting upright in a consistent place.
Or they get legalistic about it. They think missing their rule one morning because their kid was sick means they’ve failed spiritually. That’s not how this works. Life happens. You do your best. You talk to your priest if you need to adjust things. The rule serves you; you don’t serve the rule.
St. Theophan the Recluse said the rule should help you stand before God “with the mind in the heart.” If your prayer rule has become mechanical repetition that you rush through to get it done, something needs to change. Slow down. Pray less if you need to, but pray it like you mean it.
Making It Stick
Pick a place in your home where you’ll pray. Some people set up a small icon corner. Others just face a single icon on the wall. The consistency matters. Your body learns: this is where we meet God.
Pick a time. Before coffee works for some people. Right after the kids leave for school works for others. If you’re on a rotating shift schedule, this gets harder, but you can still find windows. Pray your evening prayers before you head to work at 10 p.m. Pray your morning prayers when you get home at 6 a.m. God doesn’t care about the clock.
And here’s the thing nobody tells you: you’ll fail at this sometimes. You’ll forget. You’ll be too tired. You’ll skip a week during a crisis. That’s fine. Start again the next day. The rule isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, again and again, even when you don’t feel like it. Especially when you don’t feel like it.
If you’re just starting to explore Orthodoxy, ask about getting a copy of the Ancient Faith Prayer Book or the Jordanville Prayer Book. Come to a service and watch how we pray corporately. Then start small at home. Five minutes. Every day. Let it grow from there.
