As Orthodox Christians, we are in a unique position compared to many others. During the Divine Liturgy, we do not only pray for ourselves—we pray for the whole world, for all people everywhere. At the very beginning, in the Great Litany, we hear these petitions:
- “For the peace from above and the salvation of our souls, let us pray to the Lord.”
- “For the peace of the whole world, for the stability of the holy Churches of God, and for the union of all, let us pray to the Lord.”
- “For this holy house and for those who enter it with faith, reverence, and the fear of God, let us pray to the Lord.”
And again and again, the Church lifts up the whole world before God in prayer.
Even when we cry out, “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us,” we are not praying only for our own souls, but for the entire Church and indeed for all of humanity.
We know that we are not only living in this world, but also struggling against the corruption of this world—which the Church calls sin. Our response to this is not despair or anger, but to bring God’s grace into the world. This happens first and foremost through the sacraments, but also through our daily prayers and our fasting.
When we pray and fast, we are allowing God to work through us. We are giving ourselves to Him as instruments, so that His grace may enter the world through our lives. In this way, even the smallest prayer at home, or the quietest fast kept in secret, becomes part of the great battle against sin and death.
We see this truth revealed in the Scriptures. In Genesis, Abraham stood before the Lord and interceded for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. Again and again he prayed, “Will You destroy the city if there are fifty righteous? … forty-five? … thirty? … ten?” And the Lord answered that He would spare the whole city for the sake of even a handful of the righteous. Abraham’s prayers show us the power of intercession—that the prayer of one faithful person can bring mercy upon many.
So in your daily prayers, and during your fasts, remember: you are not just practicing piety for yourself. You are standing with the Church in the struggle against the disease of sin, and calling down God’s mercy upon the world.