This year, I’ve been so inspired by the Orthodox community on Instagram along with its amazing creators. There are a number of new resources available on the market, much more so than there were even 5 years ago! There are also a few “tried and true” resources too! I wanted to share the list of the products I’ll be using for personal devotion this year for Great Lent. One of the best perks of social media is sharing what we have with others, so that’s what I’m hoping to do for you! I’m also going to link where to buy them, in case that’s helpful. This is not endorsed or sponsored in anyway, just sharing what I’ve found along the way. I pray it’s a rich and fruitful lenten season for us all!

1. Songs of Praise Psalter - there are a number of Psalters available, but I like this one in particular because of the reflections the author Sylvia Leontaritis shares after each Kathisma. On her blog, Adventures of an Orthodox Mom, she organizes various Psalter groups for women to pray the Psalter together during the 40 days of Lent! I will be joining one this year. Each day we read a Kathisma (collection of Psalms) and at the end we pray for our sisters-in-Christ who are apart of the group. You can click here to sign up - and this Psalter is available to purchase through Ancient Faith Publishing.

2. Come and Abide in Me Prayer Companion - this is relatively new item on the market by Sylvia Leontaritis as well. I have been using this companion daily as part of my prayer routine. It has journaling spaces to fill in your goals, gratitude, prayer list, and personal prayers. This year Sylvia will be hosting a lenten journaling group on her instagram - so be sure to follow along through the hashtag #pensandprayerropes as we intentionally dive into this season of spiritual renewal. I personally and VERY excited to be apart of this! You can find this prayer companion for sale on her blog here.

3. The Little Church Planner 2020 - It’s not truly lent without a rather full schedule filled with services, intentional acts of charity, cooking lenten meals, and finding sacred time to rest and reflect in addition to family life. To keep organized, I will be using The Little Church Planner. What I appreciate about this particular planner is it was created for Orthodox Christian women! I am using it as a way of keeping my schedule of weekly services, daily reminders, meal planning, and Pascha check list.

4. Tending to the Garden of our Hearts: Daily Lenten Meditations for Families by Elissa Bjeletich and Kristina Wenger - My oldest is turning 4 this year, and her comprehension of various concepts and Bible stories astounds me! I feel so grateful to learn along side her during this season of life. This resource is one that I am very excited to begin to use! This book was created as a family devotional with a short reflection based on Scripture + questions to discuss for each day of Great Lent. You can find this book through Ancient Faith Publishing Bookstore (click here) or it’s available as an ebook through Kindle (click here).

5. The Orthodox Study Bible - I’ve been feeling a strong pull lately towards reading the scriptures. Sometimes the idea of approaching the Word can feel daunting, like perhaps I won’t interpret the words correctly. My husband encouraged me stating, “We should never be afraid to read the scriptures. We should read it, and as questions arise, we can ask for help to better understand.” Fear should never hold us back from reading our Bibles. In that brief conversation, I was convinced! Currently I am reading through 1 Corinthians and journalling my thoughts, questions and reflections. When I have questions, I appreciate the commentary in this Bible along with another commentary I picked up. A commentary is not necessary, of course. Reading my Bible is on my list of daily work during this lenten season! You can find the Orthodox Study Bible in Hardcover through SVS Bookstore and Amazon.

6. Daily Lives, Miracles, and Wisdom of the Saints & Fasting Calendar 2020- It occurred to me recently how much I’ve taken this precious book for granted, seeing as I’ve received it as a gift each year for the past 6 years from our Godparents. What it is is a quote from a saint, the story of a saint (commemorated that day), a list of other saints commemorated that day, the daily scripture readings, and the fasting rule for the day. The Saint of the Day is my favorite part since I love learning about new saints. It is such a handy resource for any family - and I highly recommend it for every day of the year! It is based on the New Calendar. You can find it for purchase on their website (click here) for the Orthodox Calendar Company. It is also available as an ebook for $10 on amazon (click here) if you prefer a digital copy.

7. Prayer Journal - I’ve started to use a journal to write and document my prayer requests and to add personal reflections. I have a section for quotes I want to remember, prayer requests, notes from spiritual books, questions for my spiritual father and section for victories against sin (or pitfalls). I have little post it notes on the sides to help mark each section. There are a lot of beautiful journals out there. I picked up this one at TJ MAXX for $3 on clearance. I’m excited to be using this along with the journaling group during Lent!

8. Prayer Rope (or bracelet) - having a physical reminder around to remind me to pray has been very helpful, and if you don’t have one yet, I highly recommend a prayer rope. Although I am rather new in this practice, I have found that repeating the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner) throughout my day has allowed me the freedom to cry out to God at any given moment, and brings me peace when I feel overwhelmed. There is a long history of using the Jesus Prayer in our tradition, so I’m going to be practicing it more and more throughout my lenten journey. You can find various types of prayer ropes through the Draw Near Designs Marketplace (click here).

I pray your lenten season is fruitful! Good strength, good struggle, and God be with you as you strive to draw near to Him.

+ Destinie