In Christian liturgical practice, prayer is called a service in which one turns to a saint in order to receive a certain petition. There are several types of prayer services, in which a believer can turn with a request to the Lord, the Mother of God, a saint or angels.
First of all, prayers are addressed to the Lord, the Mother of God, angels or saints. There is also a certain type of prayer service, during which water is blessed. Such worship is called blessing of water.
Prayers to the Lord are of different types. The most common are prayers for the sick (they ask for healing for the sick), traveling (blessing on the journey) and thanksgiving (believers thank God for His good deeds). Also, prayers for any petition are widely used in church practice, in which believers turn with any request to God. Sometimes, before starting any important deed, a Christian orders a prayer service, which is called “a prayer service before the beginning of any good deed”. There are several other prayer services. For example, before an operation, about helping in childbirth, getting rid of drunkenness or drug addiction, a blessing on an air or sea trip. A prayer for help in trade can be served for entrepreneurs. A special place is occupied by prayers for increasing love and eradicating hatred and anger. It happens that believers order memorial petitions for peace between spouses.
In the church tradition, there are many prayers before the icons of the Mother of God. For example, in front of the Kazan or Vladimir icon of the Mother of God. They ask the Mother of God for help in their studies at a prayer service in front of the image "Adding Mind", and for those who suffer from the ailment of drunkenness, they ask for help in front of the icon "Inexhaustible Chalice." There are many other icons of the Virgin Mary, to which certain prayers can be served.
Often in Christian practice they turn to holy people in prayer singing. They pray to the healer Panteleimon for the sick, Nicholas the Wonderworker is an assistant in all needs and sorrows, a prayer to Saint Moses Murin helps to get rid of drunkenness.
In addition to the holy saints of God, prayer services can also be addressed to angelic powers. There are prayers to the highest angels and guardian angels.
With all the variety of prayer chants, it is necessary to realize that help is provided from a specific person, who can be contacted in any good need. And the practice of making a specific request to a particular saint is only a pious tradition.
