Standing in Prayer #
After completing the seven prostrations of the seven-bow beginning one should stand in a designated place, where it is proper to remain for the entire service. “Then,” instructs the book The Son of the Church, “make a bow at the waist to those standing near you, quietly saying: ‘Forgive me, fathers and brethren’” (Chapter 35). “And if it so happens that there is someone in authority present,” the same book continues, “you should first bow to them to the ground, saying: ‘Forgive me, holy master (or: honorable father), bless me, and pray for me a sinner’” (Chapter 36).
Those who have attended church for a long time typically have familiar prayer spots within the church—near a particular icon, pillar, or other customary place. This long-established custom should be respected. However, if the spot is already occupied, one must not demand that it be vacated. In other words, to avoid unnecessary conflict, it is better to stand in an open, unoccupied place, without crowding or, worse, pushing anyone.
In prayer, one should stand upright, keeping the feet together—not splayed apart—though the toes may be slightly angled outward for ease of standing. The hands should be folded across the chest at elbow height, horizontally, one hand over the other, with the right hand always placed over the left. According to a patristic interpretation, this hand position imitates the wings of the bodiless Heavenly Hosts who stand before the dread Throne of the Lord of Glory. This was revealed in the vision of the holy prophet Isaiah: in reverent awe before the majesty of God, the fiery cherubim and seraphim—each having six wings—used one pair to cover their faces, another to cover their feet, and with the third they flew (Isaiah 6:1–4). For this reason—so as to express reverence toward the Divinity in a manner akin to the angels—Orthodox Old Believers fold their hands in prayer in this way.
Men and women stand separately during worship, in different parts of the church. In parishes with many male parishioners, the men typically occupy the front half of the church, closer to the iconostasis, while the women stand behind them. In other communities, men usually stand in front of the right side of the iconostasis.