“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.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for there is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:10 Persecution is nothing new to Christians. Jesus warns many times of persecutions. HE never says that being a follower of His would be easy or fun. Those who stand Read more
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 There is a difference between a peacemaker and a peace-taker. A peace maker is someone who tries to bring calm into a situation. A peace-taker brings chaos. A peacemaker lowers the blood pressure of Read more
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Hopefully you never have to be in an operating room at the hospital (unless of course you work in one). But if you ever are in one, you will see that these rooms are spotless. Hard Read more
He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector, and rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not, on account of the crowd, because he was small of stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into Read more
For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, unstained, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did this once Read more
Blessed are the merciful, for that shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 Mercy is one quality that is sorely missing in the world today. The business world is built around hard work, the will to succeed and survival of the fittest. How can one be successful in business and be Read more
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 The world says “You’ve got to be kidding. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness in this world is a waste of time. It’s a dog-eat-dog world. You’ve got to be on your toes or Read more
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 Many people confuse “meekness” with “weakness.” The world will say, in response to this Beatitude, that “being meek and mild is okay for a ladies’ aid croquet match, but that’s not where it’s at in the real world. You’ve got Read more
For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power Read more
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Matthew 5:4 Why would Jesus call those who mourn blessed? Isn’t there enough mourning in the world? There is a difference between grieving and mourning. Grief is an inner feeling of sorrow that we experience upon a death or loss. Mourning Read more
And as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they Read more
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings; for it is well that the heart be Read more