08/20/2026
Three devil's traps you fall into every day. Now you'll notice them for yourself.
The first is fear of the past: mistakes, sins, grievances. The second is fear of the future: what will happen tomorrow, what will people think, what if everything collapses? The third is ingratitude to God for the present. This is where despondency begins: anxiety, panic, fear of action. How to get out?
The past: the devil returns to old sins and whispers: "God will not forgive you." And a person believes not God's mercy, but this whisper. This is no longer repentance, but unbelief. The saints said simply: if you sinned, stop, repent and move on. God is waiting for you to rise. The future: the devil needs you to replay scary scenarios and become tired in advance. So that you do not pray and do not go to God. But it is said: do not worry about tomorrow. The future does not yet exist, and fear is already stealing today.
The present is the most dangerous trap: we do not thank God for what we have. The past is gone, the future isn't here yet, and the present is all we have: this morning, the sky, a roof, food, life. You woke up—and already have something to say: glory to God.
All three traps converge in one—despondency. It distracts from prayer, from work, from family. It says of the past: "You can't fix anything." Of the future: "You won't succeed." And it paralyzes now. But we have a weapon—through prayer .”Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner”. It returns us to God—not to the past or to fear of the future, but here, to the present. Repent for the past. Trust God in the future. Give thanks for today. And get up. And move on. And fear nothing.
