Prayers for Deliverance from Blasphemous Thoughts

 

First Prayer:

O pre-eternal God, witness to hidden things, Who testeth the heart and the reins, who sitteth upon the cherubim and beholdeth the deeps, Who knoweth my thoughts from afar, Thou knowest that I hate and desire not, and give no consent to impure, foul, and blasphemous thoughts that shamelessly assault me. I pray of Thy goodness: forbid the blaspheming spirit, that he would depart from me. Drive away the evil thoughts, that they may not tempt me. Comfort the waves of my heart, calm the storm of my thoughts, confound the enemy that troubles my soul, that the enemy may not rejoice over me. For all of the antagonistic spirits fear and tremble before Thee, all are obedient to Thee, all are subservient to Thee. Do Thou order the waves and storm in my soul to cease, that without doubt and worry I may labor for Thee, my Lord, for all the days of my life. Amen.

Second Prayer:

O Lord! Thou seest my grief; Thou seest my troubles; Thou seest the shamelessness of mine enemy, for he assaileth me cruelly with blasphemous thoughts, befouling my soul and saddening my heart, darkening my mind and confusing my conscience. I despise his blasphemous whispers and his God-defiling speech in my mind. I would rather die than consent to these blasphemies which the enemy placeth in my mind against Thee, my Good God, but on account of my weakness, I cannot drive away these evil, blasphemous, and dark thoughts without Thy help, O God. For my nature is passionate, my mind is shifting, my strength is weak, my enemy is strong, and his power overcometh mine. If Thou, O Lord, strong and mighty, were not among Thy people, who would be able to be safe from the devil, the enemy and murderer of man?

Thus, I fall down before Thee, O all-merciful and greatly merciful, who desireth not my despair, O God my Creator, and I entreat Thine all-powerful aid. Strike mine enemy on the head, strike him with lightening, and drive away the enemies that surround me. Let the light of Thy grace dawn in my heart, that the dark cloud of blasphemy that hangeth over me would be driven away. May I see Thee, O my Christ, Who enlighteneth every man, that I may walk in the light of Thy countenance and rejoice in Thy name forever. Amen.

Third Prayer:

O evil and unclean spirit, let thine infirmity return on thine own head, and let thy blasphemy descend on the top of thy head; for I worship the Lord my God and will never blaspheme Him. How could I mock or blaspheme the One that I worship and praise day and night with all my soul and strength? Therefore, praise is mine, and blasphemy is thine, thou seest, as one who curses God and art an apostate from Him.

Fourth Prayer:

O devil, the Lord, Who came into the world through the all-pure and holy Virgin, the true Theotokos, for the salvation of us sinners, placeth thee under ban. Thou art accursed, as are all of thine evil thoughts, by day or by night. I command thee in the name of the consubstantial and undivided Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to depart from me, His servant [Name]. Place no more thoughts of evil in my heart; lead me not into a desert place where the Lord visiteth me not. I command thee, O blasphemous spirit, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, do not seduce nor trouble me with blasphemous thoughts while I pray to the Lord my God, but let all thy blasphemies come upon thine own head in the day of judgment. For I serve my Lord, and send up prayer to Him alone by day and by night. He defeateth thee and strengtheneth and pardoneth me, and leaveth me not, according to His great goodness and mercy towards sinners. Get behind me, satan, and be thou accursed together with all thine evil and unclean powers. For blessed and glorified is the all-honorable name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Fifth Prayer, to the Most-holy Theotokos:

O Most Holy Lady Theotokos, by thy holy and all-powerful prayers, drive away from me, thy sinful servant, despair, forgetfulness, irrationality, laziness, and all foul, evil, and blasphemous thoughts from my sinful heart and my darkened mind. Extinguish the lame of my passions, for I am poor and sinful. Deliver me from many evil memories and circumstances, and free me from all evil deeds. For blessed art thou from all generations, and thine all-pure name is hymned unto the ages. Amen.

Sixth Prayer:

O God, I place into the hands of Thy great mercy my soul and body, my feelings and words, my counsels and thoughts, my deeds and all actions of soul and body, my going out and coming in, my faith and my livelihood, the days and end of my life, the day and hour of my last breath, my departure and rest, and the resurrection of soul and body with all Thy holy chosen ones. Do Thou, O all-good God Who lovest mankind, receive me into thy shelter, and deliver me from all evil. Forgive the multitude of my sins, cleanse my defiled soul and body, and keep me under the shelter of Thy mercy all the days of my life, that always being strengthened by Thy grace, I may be delivered from the enemy who seeketh my soul. By Thy goodness, may I be brought to my sense and guided on the way to true repentance. May I have a Christian ending to my life, dispassionate, unashamed, peaceful, and untroubled by the coming of the aerial spirits. May I have a good defense at Thy dread judgment seat, and be vouchsafed the vision of Thine ineffable glory. May I hear Thine all-sweet and blessed voice, and receive life and salvation from Thee, O God. Amen.

After this, read Psalm 26: “The Lord is my light and my Savior...”, then “It is truly meet...” and the dismissal.

If it is possible, do some prostrations, and with God’s help, you will be delivered from blasphemous thoughts.

 

A short guide to making blasphemous thoughts disappear

 

If you have a blasphemous thought about God, say “I believe in One God...” and the rest of the creed. If it is possible, do a few prostrations.

If you have a blasphemous thought about the all-pure mysteries of Christ, say, “I believe, O Lord, and I confess, that Thou art truly the Christ...” and the rest of the prayer before Communion, and do a prostration.

If you have a blasphemous thought about the All-Pure Theotokos, read any prayer to the Theotokos, such as “Beneath thy compassion...”, or “O, Virgin Theotokos, rejoice...” or any troparion of a feast of the Theotokos, and do prostrations, saying, “Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner.”

If you have a blasphemous thought about one of the saints, say, “Pray to God for me, O holy saint [name], for I fervently flee to thee after God, the speedy helper and intercessor for my soul.” And if possible, make prostrations, saying, “St. [Name], pray to God for me a sinner.”

If you have a blasphemous thought about any icon, do 15 or more prostrations before that icon, praying to the saint depicted thereon, and thus with God’s help, you will you will turn blasphemous thoughts into nothing. Amen.

 

- Spiritual Medicine for Troubling and Blasphemous Thoughts, Gathered from Various Patristic Books, by St. Dimitry of Rostov. Translated by Archpriest Michael van Opstall.