“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.
I love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18: 1-2 One of the most inspiring men I have ever met Read more
Teach me the way I should go, for to Thee I lift up my soul. Psalm 143: 8 Here is a sobering question: Does your prayer to God sound more like “Lord, serve me,” or “Lord, use me”? Do we only ask “Lord, can you do this for me?” or do we offer Read more
Whatever your task, work heartily, as serving the Lord and not men. Colossians 3:23 One of the things that continuously frustrates me is the lack of any sense of work ethic. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered food at a restaurant, and it is hastily and sloppily prepared. I’ve Read more
Now as they went on their way, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to Read more
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found Read more
And when they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and kneeling before Him said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to Read more
For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are Read more
And after Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Matthew 14:23 Life gets busier and busier, doesn’t it? Do you ever feel like you are working harder and harder and not really getting what you’d hoped in return for your hard work? I’m Read more
Now the day began to wear away; and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, to go into the villages and country round about, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a lonely place.” But He said to them, “You give them something to Read more
Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Matthew 6:33 Over thirty years ago, I graduated high school with a 3.99 Grade Point Average. There was just one blemish on my grades, but we won’t get into that. For those of us Read more
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as Read more
And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart. And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses Read more