Christian Coping Strategies

- The Jesus Prayer

o Do this every spare moment
o Do not allow yourself to think about things not pertinent to the task at hand
o Say the prayer:
Before you do something
While you do something
After you do something
o It is best to do this, like I said earlier, during every spare moment that youre not occupied with
completing a demanding task.
o Good times to say the prayer:
While youre driving
While doing monotonous work
While cleaning
While walking
While showering, etc
o First of all, scripture tells us to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The
name of Jesus Christ flogs the demons. God is a consuming fire; therefore, he consumes the
enemy with divine flames. And, at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow. These are only a few
good reasons to continually call out to Christ. The main reason underlying all of them is this:
humility! If you are humble, then you know you cannot do anything without Christ. You also
know that everything that you want is in Jesus, not in the world, not in your flesh. Furthermore,
with humility comes grace, for God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Therefore, with humility, demons cannot control you and have little to no effect on you,
depending on the degree of your humility, and also depending on Gods will because
sometimes He allows us to be tempted to prove us.

- Psalmody
o Pray Psalms often, especially Psalms that really resonate in your heart.
o They are filled with the Truth and Love, which are Christ.
o The Psalms remind us of the Truth and Love of God, and they squash the lies of the enemy. And
prayer strengthens and protects us since we pray in faith because it is written, Resist the devil
steadfast in the faith and he will flee from you, and take up the shield of faith by which you
will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
- Fasting
o Jesus says, This kind [of demon] can go out by no means except fasting and prayer
o Fasting is essential to purifying our hearts and gaining mastery over our sinful flesh. Paul says
that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh and who shall deliver me from this body
of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
o Paul also says that we should mortify your members which are upon the earth and yield
yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments
of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the
law, but under grace.
o Fasting is putting the body to death while seeking life in Christ through prayer and good works,
specifically, acts of mercy towards others (not always almsgiving to the poor, but it can simply
be praying for people you interact with or see struggling, and always thinking good thoughts
about them).
o Fasting is accomplished in several ways:
Eating less than usual; in other words, not eating until you are satisfied.
Eating less delicious foods and drinks
Drinking less than usual so that you are more thirsty
o Do not increase the intensity of your fast without guidance from your spiritual father. I mean,
do not make a rule for yourself without a blessing from Fr. Evan.
o All this to say, fasting is essential to purifying our hearts and souls of all demonic activity and
passionate vices.

- Obedience
o We must be obedient to the rules and directives that our spiritual father has prescribed us
because it is equivalent to being obedient to Christ Himself. When we are disobedient to God,
we act in rebellion, in pride most often (not always).
o The disobedience I speak of here is that of prideful, willful disobedience. In other words, I
wont keep my rule because I want to do what I want to do. This damages our souls because of
pride, which causes the grace of God to depart from us in most cases.
o With a prideful heart, we eject Jesus from our house, leave our door open, and make ourselves
vulnerable to the onslaught of the demons. This produces a multitude of issues!
- Thanksgiving
o If you give thanks for everything, you remember God in everything.
o If you always give thanks to God, then you are humble to acknowledge that you did not earn it,
nor deserve it.
o Thanksgiving promotes satisfaction with life and blessings that you have received. It drives
away despair and the idea that life is not worth living because you acknowledge that you
constantly receive good things from God who loves you deeply.
o Give thanks for the following things always:
For Jesus Christ, who laid down His life and shed His blood for you to have salvation and
be freed from the power of sin and death. While we were yet His enemies, Christ came
and died for the ungodly. Do you see how much God loves you? You dont need to love
yourself because Christ loves you enough for eternity. Always give thanks for the Cross,
His Sacrifice, and His resurrection!
For the Saints, especially the Theotokos, guardian angel, and patron Saint.
For Gods miracles in your life: constantly bring them into remembrance, especially
recalling the many times He has forgiven you through confession, the Eucharist, and
simply through contrite prayer.
For your relationships (i.e. Marriage, family, friends, Church, etc)
For your health, good or bad.
Material blessings (i.e. car, house, food, clothing, money, comfy bed)

- Nurture Community
o Satan wants us to be isolated so that he can pounce on us when we are separated from people
who will be able to defend us from his attacks. That is partially the reason why St. Peter calls
him a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
o Listen to what scripture says about friends and community: Two better than one, they have a
good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that
is alone when he falls, and there is not a second to lift him up. Also if two should lie together,
they also get heat: but how shall one be warmed? And if one should be prevailed against by
another, the two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord shall not be quickly broken.
o Friends provide us with strength, support, insight, and protection from suffering a wound from
that wicked one.
- Read the Word of God
o This is for the same exact reasons mentioned in the Psalmody section
o We need to learn more of the Truth in order to combat the deceptions of the father of lies.
Otherwise, we will continue to fall victim to believing his lies. This is what the devil does, he
twists the truth to make it sound like the truth.
o For example, in Matthew 4, he says, If you be the Son of God, cast yourself down: for it is
written, He shall give his angels charge concerning you: and in their hands they shall bear
you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone. But then Jesus said to him, It
is written again, You shall not tempt the Lord your God. .
o Not only does it equip us with the Truth to destroy the enemys lies, but it reminds us of the
hope that we have in Jesus: These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have
peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
- Call People During Crisis
o IMPORTANT PREFACE: First of all, we should always cry out to Jesus Christ and the Theotokos
first as well as His Saints. This is critical.
o Related to nurturing community, we should always cry out to trusted allies, friends, and family
who will not judge us or try to be our case manager, but who will earnestly listen to us, pray for
us, love us, and remind us the truth and hope that we have in God.
o During crisis, call someone! Or even better, drive to their house! Of course, get permission to
do either of these things. Let them know of your current struggles with depression, self-harm,
and suicide ideation and then ask for their permission to use them as a lifeline in times of trials.
- Sing to God
o Singing to God produces joy in us, for He is worthy to sing to. It reminds us of the heavenly
cherubim and choir of the Saints continuously worshipping God in heaven; it reminds us of
heaven! Thats where we want to be. This is a good way to keep our mind heavenly-focused.
- Listen to Chant, Sermons, Podcasts, and/or the Bible
o It is important that we hear life-giving, edifying, hope-inspiring words. The source of this can
only be from the Word of God Himself through the Holy Scriptures, sermons, podcasts, and
orthodox chants.
- Take a Walk
o Pray while you walk, esp. the Jesus prayer.
o Think about Gods goodness, His promises, His holy scriptures, His blessings, and His love.
o Ask someone to take a walk with you if you dont want to be alone.