“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.
And the Word Became Flesh. John 1:14 Our son, Nicholas, was born on December 10, 2006. He was conceived 9 months prior to that. And before that time, he was a “non-entity.” It’s the same for all of our children. At some point they were born, at some point Read more
Icon copyright Theologic Systems Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. Matthew 1:18 One of the most beautiful Traditions in the Orthodox Church is iconography. Icons tell stories. Up until recent centuries, regular people were not able to read, and so icons became one of the means by Read more
Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen. Revelation 7:12 In the previous reflection, we discussed how every good and perfect gift is from Above, how everything we have and everything we experience that is good traces Read more
Do not be ashamed then of testifying to our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the Gospel in the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of His own purpose Read more
The Lord said this parable, “A man once gave a great banquet, and invited many; and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for all is now ready.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first Read more
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you once walked, Read more
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To Him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep Read more
For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful Read more
Every good endowment and every perfect gift is from Above, coming down from the Father of lights with Whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 One of the most existential questions one can reflect on is “Where does goodness come from?” There are three Read more
For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, the son of the free woman through promise. Now this is an allegory: these women are two covenants. One Read more
I have said this to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. John 16:33 As we continue our way through this “good and perfect” prayer, there is a request for peace. Read more
Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, “Woman, Read more