When it is said
It belongs to no church service.
Anyone can pray it at home, before a choice or in the middle of one.
Where it comes from
Author doubtful
Where it comes from
This short prayer is cut from one sentence near the end of a much longer prayer. That prayer opens by thanking God for all His kindness, both seen and unseen. Then it confesses the sins of a whole life. In Greek and in Russian, the longer prayer is printed as the “second prayer” of St John Chrysostom, the archbishop of Constantinople who died in AD 407.
Chrysostom’s works in Russian, St Petersburg Theological Academy, 1906 (azbyka.ru); The Greek in Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, volume 63, on Documenta Catholica Omnia
Did Chrysostom write it?
In 1906 the St Petersburg Theological Academy printed the longer prayer in its Russian edition of Chrysostom’s works, with a note that it is not considered genuine. The Russian prayer book still prints the short prayer under his name.
What the words mean
Where the Greek and the Russian differ
The Greek sentence this prayer was cut from is a little fuller. It also asks not to do what ought not to be done, and to be humble with the humble without seeking praise. Where the Russian asks to bear with sinners, the Greek asks to forgive them, because the one praying knows that if he does not forgive, he will not be forgiven.
The Greek in Migne’s Patrologia Graeca, volume 63, on Documenta Catholica Omnia
The Scripture in it
Test and prove what pleases the Lord.
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Russian
Дай, Господи, моему недостоинству благодать разумения,
чтобы распознавать приятное для Тебя, а для меня полезное,
и не только распознавать, но и совершать,
чтобы не увлекаться и не прилепляться к пустому,
чтобы сострадать страдающим и снисходить к грешникам.
From the Russian prayer book (Molitvoslov) on Azbyka.ru, “Prayers when unsure how to act”.