Saint Elijah the Prophet is revered by Orthodox Christians. Saint Elijah the Prophet is revered by Orthodox Christians What needs to be done on this day

04.02.2024 -

The Holy Prophet Elijah - one of the greatest prophets of the Old Testament - was born 900 years before the birth of Christ. Among Christians, Saint Elijah enjoys special respect. Elijah (translated from Hebrew as “God is my strength,” “the fortress of the Lord”) was a zealous champion of Jehovah’s religion and a formidable denouncer of idolatry.

The history of the life and work of the prophet Elijah is set out in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The name Elijah given to the baby determined his entire life: from an early age he devoted himself to the One God, settled in the desert and spent his life in strict fasting, contemplation of God and prayer. Called to prophetic service under the Israeli king Ahab, the prophet became a fiery zealot for true faith and piety.

At that time, the Israeli people departed from the faith of their fathers, abandoned the One God and worshiped pagan idols, the veneration of which was introduced by the wicked king Jeroboam. The worship of the idol Baal led the Israelites to complete moral decay. Seeing the death of his people (and the king’s wickedness had reached its extreme at that time), the prophet - barefoot, in a rough cloak of camel hair, with a leather belt around his loins and a staff in his hands - appeared in Samaria, went to the royal palace and began to denounce King Ahab in wickedness, urging him to repent and turn to the True God.

The king did not listen to him. Then the prophet Elijah announced to him that as punishment there would be no rain or dew on the earth for three years and the drought would end only through his prayer. And indeed, through the prayer of the prophet, drought and famine occurred throughout the land. The people suffered from unbearable heat and hunger. The Lord, seeing the suffering of the people, in His mercy was ready to spare everyone and send rain to the earth, but did not want to violate the words of the prophet Elijah, who was burning with the desire to turn the hearts of the Israelis to repentance and return them to true worship of God.

Also read: traditions and customs on Elijah’s Day

Preserving the prophet Elijah, the Lord sent him during the disaster to a hidden place near the stream Horath. The Lord commanded the predatory crows to bring food to the prophet, thereby instilling in him pity for the suffering people. When the stream of Choreth dried up, the Lord sent the prophet Elijah to Zarephath of Sidon to a poor widow who was suffering along with her children in anticipation of starvation. At the request of the prophet, she prepared him unleavened bread from the last handful of flour and the remaining oil. After this, through the prayer of the prophet Elijah, flour and oil did not run out in the widow’s house throughout the famine.

By the power of his prayer, the great prophet performed another miracle - he resurrected the dead son of this widow. After three years of drought, the Merciful Lord sent a prophet to King Ahab to end the disaster. The Prophet Elijah ordered all Israel and the priests of Baal to be gathered to Mount Carmel. When the people gathered, he proposed to build two altars: one from the priests of Baal, the other from the prophet Elijah to serve the True God. “On which of them fire falls from heaven, that will be an indication whose God is true,” said the prophet Elijah, “and everyone will have to worship Him, and those who do not recognize Him will be put to death.”

The prophets of Baal were the first to begin the sacrifice. From morning to evening they cried out to the idol, but in vain - the sky was silent. In the evening, the holy prophet Elijah erected his altar of 12 stones, according to the number of tribes of Israel, laid the sacrifice on the firewood, ordered a ditch to be dug around the altar, and ordered to water the sacrifice and firewood with water. When the ditch was filled with water, the prophet turned to God with a fervent prayer and petition, so that the Lord would send down fire from heaven to admonish the erring and embittered people of Israel and turn their hearts to Himself.

At the prayer of the prophet, fire came down from heaven and set fire to the sacrifice, wood, stones and even water. The people fell to the ground, crying out: “Truly the Lord is One God and there is no other God besides Him!” Then the prophet Elijah killed all the priests of Baal and began to pray for the sending of rain. Through his prayer, the sky opened and abundant rain fell, watering the thirsty earth.

King Ahab realized his error and mourned his sins, but his wife Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet of God. The Prophet Elijah fled to Judea and, grieving over his powerlessness to eradicate idolatry, asked God for death. An Angel of the Lord appeared to him, strengthened him with food and ordered him to go on a long journey.

The prophet Elijah walked for forty days and nights and, having reached Mount Horeb, settled there in a cave. Here, after a terrible storm, earthquake and flame, the Lord appeared to the grieving prophet “in the still wind” and revealed that He had preserved seven thousand faithful slaves who did not worship Baal.

For his fiery zeal for the Glory of God, the prophet Elijah was taken to Heaven alive in a fiery chariot. According to the tradition of the Holy Church, the prophet Elijah will be the Forerunner of the Second Coming of Christ to earth and will suffer bodily death during the sermon. Since the day of the fiery ascension to Heaven of the prophet Elijah, his veneration in the Church of Christ has never been interrupted.

The first church built in Kyiv under Prince Igor was in the name of the prophet Elijah. Having received baptism, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga built the temple of the Prophet Elijah in her homeland, in the village of Vybuty.

Icon of the Prophet Elijah

Prayer to the Holy Prophet Elijah

They turn to the holy prophet Elijah in times of drought, famine and crop failure, during persecution of Christians, from deception and temptation.

“O most praiseworthy and most wonderful prophet of God, Elijah, who shone upon the earth with your life equal to the angels, with your most ardent zeal for the Lord God Almighty, and also with glorious signs and wonders, also, by the extreme favor of God towards you, prenaturally caught up on a chariot of fire with your flesh to Heaven, deigned to converse with the Savior of the world who was transfigured on Tabor, and now constantly dwell in their heavenly villages and stand before the Throne of the Heavenly King! Hear us, sinners and indecent ones (names), at this hour standing before your holy icon and diligently resorting to your intercession. May the lover of mankind give us the spirit of repentance and contrition for our sins and with His omnipotent grace help us to leave the paths of wickedness, and may He strengthen us in the fight against our passions and lusts and implant in our hearts the spirit of humility; meekness, the spirit of brotherly love and kindness, the spirit of patience and chastity, the spirit of zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of others, abolish with your prayers, prophet, the evil customs of the world, and especially the destructive and pernicious spirit of this age, infecting the Christian race with disrespect for the Divine Orthodox faith, for. the charter of the Holy Church and the commandments of the Lord, disrespect for parents and those in authority, and casting people into the abyss of wickedness, corruption and destruction. Turn away from us, most wonderfully prophesied, by your intercession the righteous wrath of God and deliver all the cities and villages of our Fatherland from rainlessness and famine, from terrible storms and earthquakes, from deadly plagues and diseases, from the invasion of enemies and internecine warfare. Strengthen with your prayers, O glorious one, those who hold our power in the great and difficult task of governing the people, prosper them in all good deeds and undertakings for the establishment of peace and truth in our country. Help the Christ-loving army in battle with our enemies. Ask, prophet of God, from the Lord for our shepherds holy zeal for God, heartfelt concern for the salvation of the flock, wisdom in teaching and management, piety and strength in temptations, ask the judges for impartiality and selflessness, righteousness and compassion for the offended, for all those in authority to care for their subordinates, mercy and justice, while for subordinates submission and obedience to authority and diligent fulfillment of their duties; Yes, having lived in peace and piety in this world, we will be worthy to partake of eternal blessings in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Him due honor and worship with His beginningless Father and the Most Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen".

Prayer to the prophet Elijah during a drought for the sending of rain

“O great and glorious prophet of God, Elijah, for the sake of your zeal for the glory of the Lord God Almighty, you did not tolerate the idolatry and wickedness of the children of Israel, you denounced the lawless king Ahab and, as a punishment for them, a three-year famine on the land of Israel, through your prayer you asked from the Lord, yes, rejecting the vile idols and having retreated from untruths and iniquities, they will turn to the One True God and the fulfillment of His holy commandments, wonderfully nurturing the widow of Sarepta during the famine and resurrecting her son after she died through your prayer, and after the passage of the appointed time of famine, the people of Israel were gathered to Mount Carmel for apostasy and wickedness, reproaching , the same prayer for your sacrifice, asking for fire from heaven and miraculously turning Israel to the Lord, disgracing and killing the cold prophets of Baal, and by prayer again resolving the sky and asking for abundant rain on the earth, and the people of Israel rejoiced to you, wonderful servant of God! , we diligently resort, sinners and humility, tormented by the rainlessness and heat: we confess that we are unworthy of the mercy and blessings of God, but more worthy than the fierce punishments of His wrath, sorrow and need and all sorts of evils and diseases. We did not walk in the passion of God and in the ways of His commandments, but in the lusts of our corrupted hearts we created countless types of sin; Our iniquity has surpassed our head, and we are not worthy to appear before the face of God and look into heaven. We confess that we, like ancient Israel, have apostatized from the Lord our God, if not by faith, then by our iniquities, and if we do not worship Baal and other vile idols, then we are servile to our passions and lusts, serving the idol of gluttony and lust, the idol of greed and ambition, the idol of pride and vanity, and follow the ungodly foreign customs and the destructive spirit of the times. We confess that for this reason heaven was closed and created like copper, as if our heart was closed with mercy and true love for our neighbor; For this reason, the earth has hardened and become barren, because we do not bring to our Lord the fruits of good deeds; for this reason there is no rain and dew, as if the imams are not the tears of tenderness and the life-giving dew of the thought of God; For this reason, every grain and grass has withered away, as if every good feeling has dried up in us; For this reason, the air has been darkened, just as our mind has been darkened by cold thoughts and our heart has been defiled by lawless lusts. We confess that you, the prophet of God, have asked unworthy of us. You, having become a servile man to us, became like an angel in your life and, as if incorporeal, you were caught up into heaven, but we, with our cold thoughts and deeds, became like dumb cattle and created our soul like flesh. You amazed angels and men with fasting and vigil, but we, indulging in intemperance and lust, become like senseless cattle. You burned with the utmost zeal for the glory of God, but we neglect the glory of our Creator and Lord and are ashamed to confess His venerable Name. You have eradicated wickedness and evil customs, but we are slaves to the spirit of this age, supplying the ungodly customs of the world more than the commandments of God and the statutes of the Holy Church. And what sin and untruth have we not committed? Our iniquities exhaust the long-suffering of God. Moreover, the just Lord was angry with us and punished us in His anger. Moreover, knowing your great boldness before the Lord and trusting in your love for the human race, we dare to pray to you, most praiseworthy prophet: be merciful to us, unworthy and indecent. Pray to the Greatly Gifted and All-Bountiful God, may he not be completely angry with us and not destroy us with our iniquities, but may he bring abundant and peaceful rain to the thirsty and parched land, may he grant it fruitfulness and the goodness of the air. By your effective intercession, bow to the mercy of the Heavenly King, if not for the sake of us, sinners and vile ones, but for the sake of His chosen servants, who have not bowed their knees before the Baal of this world, for the sake of gentle and senseless babies, for the sake of dumb cattle and birds of the air, suffering for our iniquity and melting away from hunger, heat and thirst. Ask us with your favorable prayers from the Lord for the spirit of repentance and heartfelt tenderness, the spirit of meekness and self-control, the spirit of love and patience, the spirit of the fear of God and piety, so that, having returned from the paths of wickedness to the right path of virtue, we walk in the light of God’s commandments and achieve those promised to us good, by the good will of the Beginning God the Father, by the love of His Only Begotten Son and by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen".

Prayer to the prophet Elijah from hunger

“An angel in the flesh, the foundation of the prophets, the second forerunner of the coming of Christ, the glorious Elijah, who received food from the angel and nourished the widow in times of famine, and be a gracious nourisher for us who honor you.”

Prayer to the prophet Elijah during temptations

“O holy prophet of God, Elijah, pray for us, the Lover of God, that He may give us, the servants of God (names), the spirit of repentance and contrition for our sins, and by His omnipotent grace, may He help us to abandon the paths of wickedness, and to excel in every deed of grace, and in the fight against our passions and lusts, may he strengthen us; may he instill in our hearts the spirit of humility and meekness, the spirit of brotherly love and kindness, the spirit of patience and chastity, the spirit of zeal for the glory of God and for the salvation of ourselves and our neighbors. Turn away from us through your intercession. the righteous wrath of God, so that we have lived in peace and piety in this world, we will be worthy to partake of eternal blessings in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to Him belongs honor and worship, with His Beginning Father and the Most Holy Spirit, forever and ever.”

All Orthodox Christians celebrate one of the important and main church holidays, Elijah’s Day. The holiday is celebrated in honor of the prophet Elijah, who was one of the highest prophets on a par with Nicholas the Wonderworker. Many people are very interested in the question of what can and cannot be done on this day, and of course, whether it is possible to work on this holiday.

Every year Ilya's Day is celebrated on August 2. History and manuscripts say that Elijah sat in bed until he was 33 years old, and then he was taken to heaven alive, he was healed and endowed with strength. It is in his honor, in order to honor the memory of the Prophet Elijah, that the Orthodox celebrate such a holiday. This day is celebrated by both southern and western Slavs, Greeks and all Orthodox Christians.

Elijah's Day 2017: traditions

Like many other church holidays, Elijah’s Day has a lot of customs and traditions, but unlike many other holidays, no rituals are performed on this day. The main rule of this holiday is that you need to give up all labor and work. It is believed that Prophet Elijah punishes very strongly for work and not honoring his holiday. So you can’t work on this day either in the garden or around the house.

On this day, Orthodox Christians go to church and refuse to work. People say: “On Ilyin’s day it’s summer before lunch, and after it’s autumn.” It often rains on this day, which is a good omen. Prophet Elijah is the patron saint of heaven, fire, fertility and harvest. People said that he was a thunderstorm over the dark forces.

Elijah's Day 2017: what you can and cannot do

In addition, after Elijah's day it was forbidden to swim in natural reservoirs. It was believed that the wind might catch it. Prophet Elijah punished for bad deeds, deception and self-interest.

With the onset of the third month of summer, new holidays come, and among the Orthodox, we celebrate the first day of Elijah. In 2018, Ilyin’s Day is celebrated on August 2, just as always. Elijah's Day has several other names - this is the Day of the Prophet Elijah, Ilya the Prophet, Ilya the Thunderer, Ilya the Thunderous.

Elijah the Prophet

Elijah - Old Testament prophet

Elijah lived in the 9th century. before the Nativity of Christ. His birthplace was the city of Thesvah, which is why he is sometimes called Elijah the Tishbite. The history of the life and work of Elijah the Prophet is set out in the Third and Fourth Books of Kings (1 Kings 17–20 and 2 Kings 1–3).

Elijah was a zealous champion of Judaism, translated from Hebrew the name Elijah means “my God Yahweh.” He lived under the Israeli king Ahab, who, under the influence of his Phoenician wife Jezebel, worshiped the Phoenician idol Baal (the sun) and forced the people to do the same. When the king's deeds reached their extreme, the prophet came to Ahab and, in the name of God, announced to him: “In these years there will be neither dew nor rain, except at my word.”. A terrible drought began, leading to famine. Three and a half years later, through the prayer of Elijah, it began to rain again, and the fields began to rustle.

Elijah the Prophet performed a number of miracles during his earthly life, many of which were associated with the control of heavenly fire, life-giving rain, and water sources. For example, he cut the water of the Jordan River with his cloak and crossed its dry bottom; brought down fire from heaven both to punish sinners and to prove the truth of God’s worship.

For his special righteousness before God, Elijah was taken to Heaven alive: “suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared, and separated them both, and Elijah rushed into Heaven in a whirlwind.”

Under the influence of biblical ideas, the popular worldview endowed the prophet with a formidable and decisive character. St. Elijah's Memorial Day is celebrated on July 20/02.08.

Folk traditions on Elijah's Day

Folk traditions on Elijah's Day

In folk traditions, Elijah the prophet appears before us galloping through the heavens on a fiery chariot, which, in turn, is harnessed to four white and extremely fast horses. This holiday also had a name - Perun's Day. And this name comes from the fact that Ilya is considered like the ancient God of thunder and lightning Perun - the Thunderer. Since Elijah the prophet always carried behind him a blazing fire, extraordinary horror and all kinds of destruction, thereby personifying God’s wrath, he was called in Rus' - formidable.

In order to avoid causing thunderstorms and lightning in your home, on August 2 there was a custom according to which pets were not allowed outside at all. And this happened precisely because on the day of Elijah the prophet, absolutely all the evil spirits, fleeing from the fiery lightning arrows fired by Elijah, turn into various animals. Spirits of darkness could find shelter in pets and thus get into the house.

On Ilya there was a tradition according to which absolutely all peasants fumigated their homes with incense and sprinkled them with holy water. According to this ritual, it was possible to save your home and yard from lightning. And, since Elijah the prophet did not recognize any luxury in the household of the most ordinary peasant, they tried to hide all luxury items behind any dark linen, or even took them out of the house.

The thunderstorm on the day of Elijah the Prophet alarmed absolutely everyone, both young and old. They hid from her in their homes and sometimes even covered the windows with dark cloth, so as not to incur the wrath of God. They lit a Thursday or Epiphany candle in front of the icon and asked Elijah the prophet to stop the thunder and rid the family of flying arrows. This protective rite took place with the doors very tightly closed and a handkerchief on the head was required to often get rid of the shaking thunder.

Elijah's day: signs

The rain on Elijah's day was very powerful. They washed themselves with it to protect against witchcraft and any evil spirits.
Whoever gets married on Elijah’s Day (August 2) will live in tears all his life.
On Elijah's Day (August 2), they do not mow or harvest hay, believing that the formidable Elijah the prophet, who allegedly rides across the sky in a chariot, will kill with thunder or burn the mown hay.
On this day, any work was considered a great sin. Being associated with fire, Ilya, according to popular beliefs, could punish the disobedient with a fire: burn the hut or the results of labor obtained on his day - mown hay, harvested rye, etc.
“You can’t go into the forest on Ilya’s day, otherwise Ilya will tie you to a tree.”
Every fisherman, on the day of Elijah the Prophet, having caught a fish during a thunderstorm and with red eyes, threw it away, because he believed that the devils had found their refuge in this fish.
Since extremely frequent thunderstorms on this day killed people while swimming, it is because of this that it is forbidden to swim on Ilyin’s day - August 2. It was also believed that a person who bathes would get sick very often or even drown.
From this day on, the rye harvest began. Ilya is close - the woman bends low. From Ilya's day it often rains, thunderstorms thunder, and cold weather sets in. Fishing begins in the river. If it’s dry on Ilya’s day, then it will be dry for six weeks, if it rains on this day, then it will rain for 6 weeks.
Whoever washes himself with rainwater collected on Elijah’s day will get rid of the ghost.
The evil eye used to be called a ghost. Therefore, it turns out that if a person can collect rainwater on this day and wash himself with it, then any evil eye will go away on its own.
If there is a thunderstorm on Elijah’s day, cover your mirrors. You need to hide samovars, any shiny dishes and things that shine, and cover mirrors. Especially if these items are located in close proximity to the window. Shiny objects, as well as moving figures, attract ball lightning. To avoid a fire, it was recommended to remove such items from the house to a dark basement during a thunderstorm.
On Elijah's Day, mosquitoes stop biting.
If Ilya is dry, expect forest fires.

People also came up with various sayings related to Elijah’s Day:

“On Ilya, before lunch - summer, after lunch - autumn”
“Since Ilya’s day, the leaves on the trees turn yellow”
“The night is long from Ilya’s day”
“The fly bites until Ilyin’s day, and then falls asleep”
"The deer dipped its paw into the water"

Prayers and Conspiracies for Elijah's Day

Rituals of prayer and conspiracies for Elijah's Day
Poppy spell:
On Elijah's Day, sprinkle your rooms with enchanted poppy seeds.
They say poppy like this:
Generous Ilya, be generous with my poppy,
So that he gives me a nickel,
Pyatak gave birth to ten,
Dozens would give me prosperity.
Key, lock. Language.
Amen. Amen. Amen.
Let the poppy lie in the house for several days, and then you can sweep it under a tree.

According to popular beliefs, trying to hide from the punishing Elijah, evil spirits could turn into a domestic animal, a wild beast, or, even worse, enter a person who does not wear a cross.
To avoid such trouble, on August 2, before sunrise, you need to do the following. Light a church candle and, crossing yourself, say the plot out loud 3 times:

Saint Elijah, I raise my eyes and pray to you: protect me from unclean tricks, from the machinations of the damned. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Evil spirits could also hide in the house, and then Elijah’s arrows could land directly in a person’s home. Therefore, during a thunderstorm that fell on the holiday, they tightly closed the doors and windows, hung mirrors, covered all shiny appliances, lit an Epiphany or Thursday candle and pronounced the following spell:

Holy, holy, holy! Elijah the prophet, deliver from the shaking thunder, from the flying arrow. Amen.

But at the same time, prayers to Saint Elijah were considered the most powerful. The prophet was approached with completely different requests: from resolving domestic problems to removing damage.
For example, to protect yourself from damage and other dark witchcraft, on the day of Elijah the Prophet, wash yourself with rainwater, saying the words of the conspiracy 3 times:

You, Elijah the prophet, pull the bowstring tightly, shoot accurately with a fiery arrow, kill the enemy and adversary so that (your name) is not spoiled or bewitched. Amen.

The holiday of Elijah's Day in 2017 is celebrated on August 2. And every year it falls on the same date. This is one of the most beloved celebrations by Christians. According to legend, the prophet Elijah performed great miracles for the glory of the Christian faith - he would cure whooping cough, water damage, and seizures, and also punish the guilty. And, if you are asked when Ilyin’s day is, you will definitely know the answer.

For treatment, they used herbs that were collected at dawn on August 2, and then decoctions were prepared from them. They were to be consumed for 40 days three times a day on an empty stomach. There was also a tradition on this day to sew a shirt for a seriously ill person, half from a man’s shirt, half from a woman’s, and the following words were said: “I wear a shirt of neither men nor women, so that Ilya will give health. Amen. Amen. Amen".

How to celebrate Elijah’s Day in 2017: why you can’t swim

On Ilya’s Day, not only were various rituals performed, but also certain rules for its celebration were observed: August 2 was considered the boundary between the sultry heat of summer and the cold snap, a harbinger of the coming winter. Usually on this day the man did not go out into the field, so as not to anger Ilya, who could punish him for refusing to rest with a three-year crop failure.

From Ilya’s day, people had to stop swimming in reservoirs, since, according to legend, evil spirits returned for the winter, which could drag the naughty person forever into the pool.

To ensure there was always enough food in the house, women baked bread from the new harvest and shared it with all relatives and godfathers. After the meal, everyone went out onto the hill and sang ritual songs.

If there was a girl of marriageable age in the house, then she had to go out into an open field and wait for the wind to blow, spin around her axis so that suitors would come from all sides.

On Elijah's day they washed themselves with rainwater in order to live without disease and damage. This rain will cleanse even the evil eye if a person has it.

If you see a thunderstorm on August 2, then this is a sign that Ilya is angry: you need to cross yourself three times on all four sides.

The eldest woman in the house must consecrate all the corners of the house, then there will always be peace and tranquility in it.

If there was a single guy in the house, his mother had to bake cookies, which were supposed to add herbs collected that day. She treated women she knew who had daughters of marriageable age to these cookies. It was believed that the guy would find a worthy match.

On Elijah's Day, animals were not allowed outside, since the evil spirit walking around on August 2 could enter them and starve them to death.

On the occasion of Ilya's Day, infants were not washed either in a trough or in a basin, since it was believed that a child could drown even in a small container.

The couple tried not to quarrel on Elijah’s day, since the prophet believes that today only he has the right to be angry. He can punish with big family problems.

Today it was necessary to collect water from three reservoirs, mix it and wash the children with it so that they would not get sick. Use the same water to wash your children when they are sick.

It was forbidden to sew, but it was permissible to “sew up” the negative message sent to the baby by the mother with red thread at the corners of the baby’s pillow, making three crosses. There was an interesting tradition: girls who wanted to get married as soon as possible had to stand in a row, and each single guy had to pinch them lightly, as if to mark them. It was believed that the more guys pinched, the greater the likelihood of finding a spouse this year. Therefore, the girls tried to go out early.

Thunderstorms at that time were dangerous, often starting fires. So on Ilya’s day it was possible to extinguish it only with the help of milk or whey, since water could not calm the raging fire.

Honey collected on this day was considered healing. It was hidden and given only in cases where a person fell ill with whooping cough, a cold or other respiratory tract ailment. On Elijah’s day, only the closest and dearest people were treated to such honey, so that they would live long and be healthy.

On August 2, Elijah’s Day is celebrated in the Orthodox calendar. In 2017, the holiday falls on Wednesday, but a weekday should in no case prevent believers from going to church to pray and setting a modest festive table in the evening. Prophet Elijah is one of the famous prophets who lived 900 years before the birth of Christ.

The prophet Elijah was famous for his zeal for God. At that time there was a king whose wife was a pagan. With caresses, persuasion, and sometimes even deception, she won the king over to the side of her faith, and he began to worship idols. Seeing that the most important dignitary worshiped idols, those around him began to worship them, and then the entire Israeli people. Prophet Elijah told people that they believe in the true God and that they should not worship idols, but they did not listen to him.

When it was not possible to explain his wrong path to the people of Israel, Elijah turned to the Lord and asked him to make sure that there would be no rain in their lands for three years. During these three years, the entire Israeli people experienced temptations and problems; people died from hunger and thirst. The Prophet lived in a cave at that time and every day a raven flew to him and brought him a piece of bread. There was a source of water near the cave, but it soon dried up. Then Elijah realized that the Lord was forcing Elijah to go to the people again and turn to them.

Seeing that for three years the people had not repented, Elijah said: let the priests who are tempting you make their own altar, and I will make mine. We prayed and asked that the Lord himself choose the sacrifice that is more pleasing to him. The prophet Elijah succeeded the first time: as soon as he raised his hands to the sky, there was lightning and it began to rain. Everyone fell on their faces, repented and realized what they had done. Prophet Elijah raised his hands, prayed and a lot of rain began to fall, life got better. People saw that it was impossible to live without the Christian God.

Interesting! Among the people, the holiday of the Day of Prophet Elijah, which is celebrated annually on August 2, is associated with water. There are various superstitions about water on this day, but some priests emphasize that quite often the weather actually turns bad and the day turns out to be rainy. Perhaps the Lord sends rain precisely in honor of those ancient events.

What is also important to note is that in the Old Testament it was Elijah the prophet who was the first virgin: he preserved himself and did not waste himself on trifles. He is the only one of the Old Testament saints whom the Lord took alive. According to legend, when the time came to die, an angel appeared for him on a chariot of fire and took him away. The prophet Elisha, who was after Elijah, saw all this with his own eyes.

Interesting! It is precisely because of such a miraculous ascension into heaven that Prophet Elijah is today considered the patron saint of all who fly in the sky: pilots, paratroopers and representatives of other flying professions.

A reliable historical fact has been preserved that the first temple that was built in Rus' was built precisely in honor of the prophet Elijah. This is a very revered and respected saint in our lands. This temple was built by Prince Igor at the beginning of his baptism and his wife Princess Olga, even before the baptism of Rus' (in Kyiv).

Folk signs and beliefs on the day of the prophet Elijah

It is with the day of the Prophet Elijah that many popular beliefs and signs, as well as superstitions, are associated. Why is this so, should we take them seriously? The priests emphasize that every believer understands that superstition should not be trusted, but some signs really do exist. They were formed over the years, and the people in Rus' have always been creative and love to invent and invent.

Beautiful video greeting for August 2, Elijah’s Day

In the old days, people always asked Ilya for rain or sunny weather - depending on what was more needed. Through Elijah's prayers, rain always falls to the ground. Previously, small wooden temples in honor of the prophet Elijah were built in one day to bring rain in dry places. And it always started to rain, people miraculously found sources of water. The main signs on Elijah's Day are associated specifically with rains; August 2 is the border of the seasons and after this day the first signs of autumn begin.