Learning to Pray

What are the things you do daily without thinking twice? We brush our teeth, we put on clothes, and we never leave the house to begin our day without a pair of shoes on our feet to equip us for the road ahead.

In the same way, we can strive to see prayer as an essential part of our day, for the benefits are greater than fresh breath or comfortable feet! Let us teach our children to start small, with an icon of Christ and just five minutes, but strive for consistency. The goal is to remember, thank, and glorify God each and every day by coming to meet Him face to face. By doing this, we grow to rely on Christ and He becomes the center of our lives.

Remember, when we pray, we open the communication between us and God in a very personal way. There’s no one who knows us better than our Lord. He is with us each step of the way, and He knows exactly what we need. The Blessed Elder, IERONYMOS of Aegina +1966 encourages us in his writings "Do not leave off prayer. No matter how tired you are, you can pray for half an hour. Feed your body as if you were going to live a hundred years, but feed your soul as if she were going to die tomorrow."

In the Orthodox Church, we learn how to pray from the Saints who are illumined by God and who share in His glory. When we use their prayers that were written and passed on to us, we become like them and follow them into union with God. Certainly, we can also speak from the heart, but to rely on the words of the Saints for help is the most accurate way of reaching our Lord – for not every ship that sets sails reaches it’s destination.

Here are some prayers available online:

Print Your Own Pocket Prayer Book! Click Here

Transfiguration Orthodox Prayer Book
Orthodox Prayers
Orthodox Christian Prayers

Here are some of my favorite prayer books for children & teens:

Potamitis Prayer Book
Guardian Angel Prayer Book
Children's Prayer Book

Prayer is the greatest weapon we can equip our kids with!

A Miracle

Have you ever said to yourself, where are the miracles of today? Or wouldn't it be something if we were able to witness a miracle in today's day and age? What was it like to be in the presence of our Lord during His Transfiguration (which we celebrate today) or at His first miracle at the Wedding in Cana? Without a doubt, that water became wine to all who witnessed His first public miracle, and to all who called themselves followers of Christ.

Then it happened. This morning, as we knelt for the consecration of the Holy Gifts. We too witnessed a miracle. In fact, the greatest of all miracles. The same One who was capable of transforming water into wine, displayed His glory again and continues to do so for us in every Divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church. He accepts the bread and wine from our hands, and offers us Himself in return. How? By miracle.

Just as the disciples, we too become eyewitnesses of His majesty (Peter 1:10-19)

Therefore, if you believe in the God who transformed the water into wine, and you have faith that He transforms the bread and wine into His body and blood, then do not hesitate to believe that He too can transform your sinful flesh into His glory.

"We shall walk, O Lord, in the light of the glory of Thy countenance: and in Thy name shall we rejoice all the day" (Psalm 88:16-17)

Orthodox Outreach

Every Orthodox Christian must visit this link - then get to work for Christ!
FOCUSNorthAmerica.org

What an absolute blessings to see Orthodox Christians working together for the homeless, the orphaned, and those in need. If we're not involved, we should be.