Let God Arise and Let His Enemies be Scattered...

Someone recently posted in another group, about the fact that they can always feel a certain heaviness of spirit in the air this time of year.  I don't know whether or not it has to do with everything in nature dying back and going dormant in preparation for the long cold winter.  Perhaps it has to do with the ghoulish Halloween decorations we see everywhere.  Whatever the reason, its hard to deny that there is a certain uneasiness in the air in late fall, particularly early November...it haunts me every year. The one who posted about this asked if anyone knew of a prayer to say for spiritual protection, and this story immediately came to mind.

St. Athanasius, third century Bishop of Alexandria, and defender against the Arian heresies, was once permitted to ask the devil a question, in God's presence, so he could not lie.  When the saint asked which verse of scripture the demons most hated, he was told that they detested the opening verses of Pslam 67, at which they would always take flight.  The following prayer begins with these very verses, and can prove to be most helpful this time of year, and any time one is feeling particularly oppressed by evil.  Wearing a medal or pendant of the Most Holy Face would be of additional help.  I have taught my children these verses and have led them in praying this prayer daily, usually at the end of our Morning prayer, as sort of a family motto.  They know that it is a powerful protection against the enemy and they feel its comfort every time they encounter a bad dream, lonely atmosphere or frightening event.  They recognize it as a hymn from Resurrection Matins, and know it to be a prayer of triumph and joy and will, without doubt, call upon it throughout their lives, and teach it to their own children to bring them peace.  May it bring you peace as well!

Orthodox Prayer to the Holy Cross (Let God Arise)

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered; and let those who hate Him flee from His face. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; and as wax melts from the presence of fire, so let the demons perish from the presence of those who love God and who sign themselves with the Sign of the Cross and say with gladness: Hail, most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, for Thou drivest away the demons by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ Who was crucified on thee, went down to hell and trampled on the power of the devil, and gave us thee, His honorable Cross, for driving away all enemies. O most precious and life-giving Cross of the Lord, help me with our holy Lady, the Virgin Theotokos, and with all the Saints throughout the ages. Amen.