Posts Tagged ‘prayer’
Will 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…
Read MoreZero to One Hundred in a Lifetime
I remember when I was young and ‘cared’ about cars much more than I do now. It seemed like every conversation about a car included “How fast is it?” Even in commercials the answer was in terms of zero to sixty. How fast could the car get up to speed in other words. It might…
Read MoreEpisode 374 – Prayer and Fasting Nurtures Our Faith
When we turn to God in prayer and fasting, our hearts are changed to better understand God’s desire for us. Faith the size of mustard seed is enough to move mountains, but every seed needs to be nurtured to produce. When we pray and fast, our faith is nurtured. When we bring ourselves and others…
Read MoreA Little Attention Supports You Through the Storm
I used to think the only to pray was to sit for a long time and read many pages. I used to think that when Saint Paul said pray without ceasing, he meant that I could not say a word that was not a prayer. I used to think the only way correct time spent…
Read MoreAre We Killing the Church?
Sometimes I wonder what the effect of our indifference to the Church may be. It seems every time I turn around another ‘good one’ has turned away from fervent faith. Maybe he doesn’t leave the Church completely, but the comes when he frequents the movie theater more than the Church. The effects of this behavior…
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