“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.
We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 101:5 In many icons of the Nativity, Joseph is depicted in a lower corner of the icon, at a distance from the manger. It is as if Joseph is Read more…
He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with Whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Matthew 17:5 Today has been dubbed “giving Tuesday.” There is never a pitch from the “Prayer Team” for anyone Read more…
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, but knew her not until she had borne a Son; and he called His name Jesus. Matthew 1:24-25 Joseph was an older man. Tradition says that he had been widowed and that Read more…
And a ruler asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear Read more…
But as he considered this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 1:20 I remember the first time I Read more…
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and Read more…
For You, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. Psalm 71:5 The call of God for our lives remains the same but has different stages throughout our lives. The call of God is for us to enter into His Kingdom. We prepare for this by following two Read more…
Let me hear in the morning of Your steadfast love, for in You I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to You I lift up my soul. Psalm 143:8 If you have never been to the church that I serve and wanted to visit, the first Read more…
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. Psalm 34:1-3 I wonder how many of Read more…
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to Him. Psalm 28:7 Years ago, I used to start every day off with a negative thought, something like “darn the alarm” as Read more…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs: 3: 5-6 Dances are part of teenage life. Homecoming and Prom are two big events for every high school year. They Read more…
But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19 One of the most well-known Christmas songs is entitled “Mary, Did You Know?” The simple answer to this question is “yes and no.” She knew that she was going to bear the Son of God. In that Read more…