A critical “Christian Life Skill” is to pray for others. This is an expression of love. We must also especially pray for our enemies or those who have wronged us, to root out any vestiges of bitterness. Here are simple, practical ideas to add prayer for others to your way of life, cutting through excuses, lack of time, confusion, fatigue, and distraction
Category: prayer
Christian Life Skills. The Jesus prayer Pray without ceasing. New Testament Challenge and the Jesus Prayer Challenge
Christian Life Skills: The Jesus prayer Pray without ceasing New Testament Challenge and theJesus Prayer Challenge Nov 11/24 25th Tuesday after Pentecost[U1] Recently, on various blogs I fail miserably in keeping up with, the “ New Testament Challenge” has been proposed. This is a suggestion to read the entire NT during the Nativity Fast.… Continue reading Christian Life Skills. The Jesus prayer Pray without ceasing. New Testament Challenge and the Jesus Prayer Challenge
O Lord and Master of my life… a few words about the Prayer of St Ephrem.
The “Prayer of St Ephrem” is ubiquitous during Great Lent, and is used in all weekday services, and in prayers at home. This prayer is much like the “Our Father”, in the following way. When the disciples asked the Lord to teach them to pray, He told them to… Continue reading O Lord and Master of my life… a few words about the Prayer of St Ephrem.
17th Sunday of Pentecost 2008 – The Canaanite Woman – Lessons in how to pray.
LISTEN NOW Many more homilies for this day: http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-17_1997.html 17th Sunday of Pentecost (HTML format) 1997 http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-17_1999+sun-after-exaltation-the-caananite-woman.doc 17th Sunday of Pentecost (Word DOC format) Sun After Exaltation The Caananite Woman 1999 http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-17_2001.rtf 17th Sunday of Pentecost (RTF format) 2001 http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-17_2002+the-cannanite-woman.mp3 17th Sunday of Pentecost (mp3 format) The Cannanite Woman Matthew 15:21-28 2002 http://www.orthodox.net/sermons/pentecost-sunday-17_2003.mp3 17th Sunday… Continue reading 17th Sunday of Pentecost 2008 – The Canaanite Woman – Lessons in how to pray.
“Just do it”, from a church father
I have a bit of a hobby that I have indulged in all of my Orthodox life. I love to find things in secular culture that are actually true and sensible. I have lists of these things squirreled away in some GoogleDocs document, for later publishing on this BLOG. There are song lyrics, advertising slogans,… Continue reading “Just do it”, from a church father
???? ? ???? / The Path to God
The way to God is prayer. A soul that is healed from sin years for prayer, strives for union with God through prayer — And yet we pray so little! We attend church infrequently, and we have become so unaccostomed to our personal prayer rule that is is a burden to us. We can find… Continue reading ???? ? ???? / The Path to God
The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day
This week’s readings from the first two chapters of the book of Isaiah marvelously describe both the realities of our fallen condition and God’s mercies. The prophet seems to alternate between speaking of Israel’s (and our) unfaithfulness to God, and God’s promise of salvation. This verse, “the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day,”… Continue reading The Lord alone shall be exalted in that day
Thoughts on the Scriptures – 38th (33nd) Saturday after Pentecost
In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord tells us a parable about the importance of continual, persistent prayer. We saw this same lesson in action in the few Sunday Gospels, when both the blind man and the woman of Canaan persistently cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” despite all manner of reproofs. Now,… Continue reading Thoughts on the Scriptures – 38th (33nd) Saturday after Pentecost
36th Sunday after Pentecost – Matthew 15:21-28 – The Canaanite Woman: A Perfect Example Of How To Pray
LISTEN NOW Matthew 15:21-28: Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered… Continue reading 36th Sunday after Pentecost – Matthew 15:21-28 – The Canaanite Woman: A Perfect Example Of How To Pray