“To guard a nation against attack requires constant surveillance and early detection. The armed forces of our nation remain ready for deployment at any time, but without the gathering of intelligence such preparedness is of little value. The same is true of our life in Christ. Prayer, worship, and the sacraments help us but little unless we are trained in the use of these spiritual weapons, employ them regularly, and stay aware of developments around us.” (Dynamis 6/3/2014)
"God is always speaking to us but we are often so busy monologuing with ourselves that we may not be able to hear Him...He won’t always speak to us in the manner in which we might expect. Sometimes it may be a verse from Scripture, a verse from the Fathers, a sense in our own heart of intuition or conscience, or just the peace of God. We must be open and ready for any way God chooses to reveal Himself..." (Archimandrite Sergius)
“We should always be ready to serve God in any situation, whether or not it is convenient. Be sensitive to the opportunities God gives you…We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions.” (Life Application Study Bible, 2 Timothy 4:2, Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
“Because our King is returning, we must prepare ourselves, our homes, our families, our hearts, and our souls to receive Him. This means cleaning away and removing everything which has polluted or entangled our souls…That He may come at any unknown moment, as a thief in the night, means that we cannot delay, we must make ourselves prepared and keep ourselves in a state of readiness to face our Lord at any time.” (Father Stephen De Young)
“As many, therefore, as are children of the light also becomes the sons of the day which is to come, and are enabled to walk decently in the day. The day of the Lord will never come upon them, because they are ready in it forever and continually. The day of the Lord, in effect, is not going to be revealed suddenly to those who ever illumined by the divine light, but for those who are in the darkness of the passions and spend their lives in the rod hungering for things of the world; for them it will be fearful, and they will experience it as unbreakable fire.” (St. Symeon the New Theologian)