Orthros Prayer One

We are two weeks into our Daily Lenten Journey and we have discussed our personal prayers throughout the day. As Orthodox Christians our prayers are not only personal. We also gather as a family in Church for Church services. These communal prayers are our next series. Even if you attend the Orthros service, which admittedly…

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The Last Prayer of the Day

To wrap up our series on personal prayer in the evening, we turn our attention to the ritual of bedtime. We wash our bodies and set out our clothes for tomorrow. You might want to just ‘jump in bed’ but you would miss out on the joy of giving yourself to God. Under the protection…

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Evening Prayer for Forgiveness

I see it all the time. Nobody confesses the ‘small sins’ since we can’t avoid them, but these are the sins the ‘add up’ to a life distant from the love of God. So today our Daily Lenten Journey will focus on an Evening Prayer for Forgiveness, something we all need but rarely ask from…

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Prayers Before Sleep

We’re going to change gears with our Daily Lenten Journey today. We return to ‘personal’ prayer as we prepare for bed. We finish our day the same way we began, with prayer. After we pray the Trisagion Prayer, there are a few ‘extensions’ prayers like we had in the morning. We will spend the remainder…

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Prayer of the Ninth Hour

We are making our way through the day focusing on the Hours of Prayer. If you have been engaging in the prayers, then you are ready for the Prayer of the Ninth Hour, the time when Christ died on the Cross. Our Lord and Savior hung on the Cross for three hours before lifting up…

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Prayer for the Sixth Hour

It’s about the most unamerican idea the Church could suggest. American society is based upon doing your best work in exchange for being honored and promoted. The better you are, the more you are given by others. The Christian life, on the other hand, teaches voluntary suffering. Today’s Daily Lenten Journey continues our series on…

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Prayer of the Third Hour

As Christians we hope to walk in the Light of Christ every day. At least that is the prayer of the First Hour which we discussed yesterday. If we walk in the Light of Christ that also means that we walk in the His shadow, living like He lived. That brings us to the Third…

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Prayer of the First Hour

Our Daily Lenten Journey this year is focused on prayer. Yesterday we finished our series on morning prayers. Did you know the Church has ‘services’ dedicated to the different hours of the day? Now we will turn our attention to communal prayers offered during the day. For centuries the People of God have gathered throughout…

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Morning Prayers Part Three

When we pray, we often wonder if God is listening to us. I know we wonder, because many confess this to me. It isn’t a sin, but we feel as if we don’t ‘have God’s ear’ when we are praying. Maybe it is because of the way we pray. Maybe it is the words we…

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Morning Prayers Part Two

Yesterday’s Daily Lenten Journey touched on the traditional morning prayer you find in every Orthodox Christian prayer book. These prayers are the foundation of a solid prayer life, sometimes called a prayer rule. Today, we will discuss an ‘extension’ to these prayers. Rising from sleep, I thank You, Holy Trinity, for in the multitude of…

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