“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.
About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. The Jews marveled at it, saying, “How is it that this man has learning] when he has never studied?” So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me; if any man’s will is to do Read more…
But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working still, and I am working.” This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly Read more…
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 Christ is Risen! There are three critical things one must believe in order to be a Christian. The first is Genesis 1:1-3, that God Read more…
After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the Read more…
Now as Peter went here and there among them all, he came down also to the saints that lived at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years and was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and Read more…
The next day, he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ranks before me, for He was before me.’ I myself did not know Read more…
Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing near, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, Read more…
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the Read more…
No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. John 1:18 Christ is Risen! The overwhelming majority of the Creed is dedicated to summarizing the theology of the Holy Trinity. The Creed will mention the Incarnation and Read more…
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before Me. Exodus 20:2-3 Christ is Risen! The concept of a “higher power” has been part of society’s consciousness since the beginning. People Read more…
Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. And Pilate wondered if He were already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him whether He was Read more…
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists murmured against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of Read more…