“Death prevailed and swalled them, but again God wiped away every tear from every face; He took away the disgrace of His people from all the earth; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. Then it will be said in that day, ‘Behold, this is our God, in whom we hoped and rejoiced exceedingly; and we shall be glad in His salvation.'” — Isaiah 25:7-9, Orthodox Study Bible

“No man shall be able to oppose you all the days of your life, and as I was with Moses, thus I will be also with you. I will not forsake you nor disregard you.” — Joshua 1:5, Orthodox Study Bible

“Behold, I have commanded you. Be strong and courageous. Do not be cowardly or fearful, for the Lord your God is with you in all things, wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9, Orthodox Study Bible”You dwell among the saints, O praise of Israel.  Our fathers hoped in You; they hoped in You and You delivered them.  They cried out to you and were saved.” — Psalm 21:4-6, Orthodox Study Bible “In Your righteousness deliver and rescue me.Incline Your ear to me; Rescue me speedily;Be to me a God who protects me, And a house of refuge to save me.For You are my strength and my refuge, And for Your name’s sake You will guide and sustain me;For You will bring me out from the snare they hid for me; For You are my protector.Into Your hands I shall entrust my spirit; You redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.”–Psalm 30: 2-6, Orthodox Study Bible “Be courageous, and let your heart be strengthened, all who hope in the Lord.” — Psalm 30:25, Orthodox Study Bible “Be courageous, my child.  May the Lord of heaven and earth give you grace instead of this sorrow of yours.  Be courageous, my daughter.” — Tobit 8:17, Orthodox Study Bible “Before you speak, learn; and before you get sick, take care of your health.” — Wisdom of Sirach 18:18 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
— Ephesians 6:10-11, Orthodox Study Bible  

“Fall upon prayer as your only aid and help in this life. When you are weary, pray. When you are joyful, let your joy feed deeper prayer. When in hunger or thirst, open your heart to the Lord. When in exultation, bind your life more firmly to God. When prayer itself is hard, pray all the more. For prayer is ‘the ascent of the heart to God,’ Who is its true and proper Master in every condition of this life.” — Bishop Irenei Steenberg, The Beginnings of a Life of Prayer, p. 83

“Thus let us purify our heart! Let us throw out all the dusty trash that is stored there; let us scrub the dirty floor, wash the windows and open them, in order that light and air may come into the room we are preparing as a sanctuary for the Lord. Then let us put on clean garments, so that the old musty smell may not cling to us and we find ourselves thrust out” (Luke 13:28). — Tito Colliander, Way of the Ascetics, p. 14

“For God is able to free you from all these evils this day. But not until He sees that you are purified; not until He sees that a conversion has taken place, and a repentance firm and unshaken, will He entirely remove the tribulation. The goldsmith, until he perceives the gold well refined, will not draw it out from the furnace; and even so God will not take away this cloud before He hath thoroughly amended us.”  — Saint John Chrysostom

“Only God knows how many Lents I will have before my repose. I should make this one count.” — Bishop JOHN Abdalah, The Word Magazine, March 2020, Vol. 64, No. 3, page 3. “It is a great labor to acquire love in one’s heart.  All afflictions, misfortunes, illnesses–every kind of suffering that we endure courageously, giving thanks to God–make the soil of our heart fertile and capable of cultivating love.” — Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, Striving for Knowledge of God, p. 194