“The Prayer Team” is a daily devotion written by Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, written every day since February 2015. Fr. Stavros is the Parish Priest at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, Florida. It began in February 2015 as an opportunity to write more on the subject of prayer and now has branched into other subjects.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Galatians 5:25 I’m a nice jerk. I’m a truthful liar. Can these be true statements? It would seem not. Either a person classifies as “nice” or as a “jerk.” Someone either tells the truth all the time Read more
And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24 “Do you unite yourself to Christ?” This is a question that is asked of everyone who is baptized in the Orthodox Church before they are baptized. Of course, most of us were Read more
And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them. “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is Read more
What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will live in them and move among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore come out from them, and be separate Read more
Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:23 Have you ever had the experience of driving on a road where you didn’t know what the speed limit is? I got on a freeway in rural California and didn’t know if the limit was 55 or 65 or 70. So I Read more
Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. I Corinthians 9:24-25 I love the Read more
For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love be servants of one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one Read more
“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be enslaved by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”-and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant Read more
A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls. Proverbs 25:28 Today we look at the last of the listed Fruit of the Spirit, self-control. This is the only fruit that has two words put together, so two concepts come together to comprise this Fruit. Read more
While the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret. And He saw two boats by the lake; but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, Read more
Working together with Him, then, we entreat you not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, “At the acceptable time I have listened to you, and helped you on the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Read more
No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Read more