“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.
Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5: 31-32 Today, on the Orthodox calendar, is called “Clean Monday,” or “Kathara Deftera” in Greek. Why a Monday? Read more…
Jesus said “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their Read more…
Besides this you know what hour it is, how it is full time now for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed; the night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of Read more…
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way in Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every joint with which it is supplied, when each part is working properly, makes bodily growth and upbuilds Read more…
And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshipping with fasting and Read more…
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, Read more…
I said “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I bridle my mouth, so long as the wicked are in my presence.” I was dumb and silent, I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse and my heart became hot within Read more…
God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 One year at summer camp, after doing an activity where everyone encouraged each other, I asked the campers, “How do you all feel?” They said “We feel really full.” Read more…
Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if any one sees you, a man of knowledge, Read more…
O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! Psalm 71:12 Is there a day of the week where you are more likely to sin? Or least likely? My answer for the day I’m most likely to sin is Wednesday. Why Wednesday? Every Sunday, Read more…
Moses said to the Lord, “See, Thou sayest to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.’ Now therefore, I pray Thee, Read more…
Now when Jesus saw great crowds around Him, He gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; Read more…