“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.
For You have given us to know Your truth. Who is worthy to praise Your mighty acts? Or to make known all Your praises? Or tell of all Your wonderful deeds at all times? — Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in Him, “If you continue in Read more…
It is truly just and right to the majesty of Your holiness to praise You, to hymn You, to bless You, to worship You, to give thanks to You, to glorify You, the only true God, and to offer to You this our spiritual worship with a contrite heart and Read more…
“I AM the Alpha and the Omega,” say the Lord God, who is, and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. Revelation 1:8 The “Anaphora” of the Divine Liturgy is the part where the offering of bread and wine is made, and the gifts are consecrated Read more…
As You accepted this true worship from Your Holy Apostles, accept also in Your goodness, O Lord, these gifts from the hands of us sinners, that being deemed worthy to serve at Your holy altar without blame, we may obtain the reward of the faithful stewards on the fearful day Read more…
Look upon us, O God, and consider our worship; and accept it as you accepted the gifts of Abel, the sacrifices of Noah, the burnt offerings of Abraham, the priestly offices of Moses and Aaron, and the peace offerings of Samuel. — In the course of time Cain brought to Read more…
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and also the Read more…
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for Read more…
Accept us as we draw near to Your holy altar, according to the multitude of Your mercy, that we may be worthy to offer You this spiritual sacrifice without the shedding of blood, for our sins and for the transgressions of Your people. Grant that, having accepted this sacrifice upon Read more…
Lord, our God, You created us and brought us into this life. You have shown us the way to salvation and have bestowed upon us the revelation of heavenly mysteries. You have appointed us to this service by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Grant, therefore, O Lord that we may be Read more…
Strengthen us for this service with the power of Your Holy Spirit, and grant speech to our lips that we may invoke the grace of Your Holy Spirit upon the gifts that are about to be offered. And grant that always guarded by Your power we may give glory to Read more…
O God, You have visited our lowliness in mercy and compassion. You have set us, Your lowly, sinful and unworthy servants, to serve at Your holy altar before Your holy glory. (Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, p. 12) — And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Read more…
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; Bring and offering, and come before Him! Worship the Lord in holy array. I Chronicles 16: 28-29 Saint Basil lived from the year 330 to Read more…