Posts Tagged ‘prayer’
Episode 382 – Finding Time to Focus on God
It can be difficult in today’s world to find time to focus on God. It has become too easy for us to skip our prayers or to be late for Church. During our Nativity Fast, the Church has offered to us the blessing to pay attention to God. When we allow the life of the…
Read MoreChristian Progress
Politicians enjoy throwing around the term ‘progressive’ as a banner of respect. I always find myself asking, “What are they progressing towards?” Progress implies a goal. Don’t skip today’s post. It isn’t about politics. It is about progress, but not the sort that politicians praise. Christian progress is moving toward God. Christian progress won’t get…
Read MoreJust Hold on and Climb!
I believe it is part of the ‘fallen’ human condition. Generally speaking, we do not like to take blame for our shortcomings, let alone our mistakes. Take any young child caught eating something forbidden. With total confidence in the ‘blame,’ a typical child with either blame the dog, claim that what was eaten was not…
Read MoreHoly Prayers
I have written before against what I refer to as “spontaneous” prayer. This is the prayer which we offer without preparation or without thought. Whatever comes to our mind, we offer it to God. These prayers ‘tend’ toward selfishness. It isn’t about of malice, but because our fallen human nature. This is why I always…
Read MoreWill it Ever Stop?
If you have ever felt shame for your behavior, then you understand today’s blog. It seems like no matter how often you try; you just keep falling to the same temptations. Will the temptations ever stop? Will I ever be strong enough to fight? Will God keep forgiving me? Brethren, we do not want you…
Read MoreBeing Saved is Hard Work
The idea of working out our salvation is foreign to most Protestant Christians. We have been taught that salvation is a free gift from God. Nothing we can do can ‘earn’ our salvation, so there is ‘nothing’ to work out. That would be nice if it were true. Yes, salvation is a gift from God,…
Read MoreBe a child of faith, not a check box
We all know that living the Orthodox Christian lifestyle is difficult. I won’t say it can be difficult. I will say it is difficult, if done properly. Between prayer schedules, fasting schedules, bible reading schedules, and services schedules, and not to mention the intricate system of sacraments and blessings, we have inherited a very complex…
Read MorePrayer for Others
What does it mean to pray for others? “Dear God. My friend Johnny needs help finding a new job. He is unhappy and doesn’t want to work anymore. Please find a new job for my friend Johnny.” Is that prayer for others? It is prayer, but I personally would be afraid to pray this prayer.…
Read MoreWhat Happens When God Spares You a Storm?
Our host parish of Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Tarpon Springs, Florida has spent the better part of a week in the path for Hurricane Ian. Evacuation orders, filling sandbags, boarding up windows has preoccupied our town. In the midst of all preparations, even non-Orthodox residents of the city invoke the intercessions of Saint…
Read MorePrayer is Timeless
We are encouraged by the Church and the saints to be always in a state of prayer. As part of our Holy Tradition, we gather as an Orthodox Christian family to pray in Church. We pray in the privacy of our homes. We even pray, or at least we are encouraged to pray, as we…
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