Evenings offer us an opportunity to calm ourselves, reflect on the passing day, and nurture our souls. When we stand before an icon of Christ and pray as the sun descends behind the horizon, we can gain a new perspective on our lives today and tomorrow. Our worship, thankfulness, and pleas for help rise to our loving God like the smoke of sweet-smelling incense.If you want to develop a life of personal prayer, but you don’t know where to start, evening prayer may be a good place to begin. The Evening Prayers are available on the website of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America (antiochian.org).
Keep in mind that while our personal prayers are essential for our spirituality, these prayers are always meant to be understood in the context of the whole Orthodox Christian way of life. We must not only understand the life of prayer in terms of my prayers, personal prayers, but also in terms of our prayers, the prayers we offer to God as a spiritual family when we gather together for worship.
Copyright © 2006 by Dana S. Kees. Photo copyright © 2006 by Dana S. Kees.
