Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your cry has been heard and your pain is not hidden from the Lord. To live under constant fear, harassment and the feeling that there is no escape or rest is a heavy affliction, and it is right to bring that burden before God and to ask for His deliverance, His protection and His peace.
Scripture does not promise that the righteous will be without affliction in this life. It says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all, and that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This life is a contest, like that of a wrestler who contends with dust and heat and sweat and pressure. It is a time for fighting and for endurance, and by tribulation we are made perfect. That does not make your suffering small, but it reminds us that God uses even long trials to shape us, and that our present rest is not in this world which will pass away, but in His heavenly kingdom.
Because of this, we must be careful how we pray, even in deep distress. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and He has promised a righteous judgment in which He will both crown those who endure and bring justice upon those who do evil. Yet we are not taught to pray for the death of our enemies. If a person who simply has enemies is not to approach the mysteries lightly, how much more should we avoid praying against others in a way that asks for their destruction. Christ calls us to pray for deliverance from every evil work, for protection under His wings, for justice according to His will, and even for the repentance and salvation of those who do wrong, for He desires that none should perish.
So we will not pray as you asked that God would kill those who harm you, but we will pray earnestly for what God does promise to give. We will pray that the Lord would deliver you from every evil work and preserve you for His heavenly kingdom, that He would grant you relief, safety, peace of mind and body, and freedom from torment, whether that torment comes from the hands of others, from spiritual oppression, or from deep inward distress. We will pray that if there are people who truly are harming you, God would stop their evil, bring them to repentance, and bring just restraint through lawful means, and that He would surround you with wise and caring people who can help bear this burden with you.
God sometimes seems slow to answer when we cry day after day and month after month, but He has not stopped hearing. Continue to seek Him, to ask, to labor in prayer, and to cling to Christ who alone is our salvation. Stay connected to a faithful local church, share your struggles with a trusted pastor, and if the distress feels overwhelming, please also seek help from trusted medical and counseling support alongside pastoral care, so you are not carrying this alone.
Let us pray together now. Father in heaven, look with mercy upon this suffering child of Yours. You see every affliction and You know every fear. Deliver from every evil work, cover with Your wings, grant peace where there is torment, rest where there is no rest, and justice according to Your perfect righteousness. Lead those who do evil to repentance through Jesus Christ, and preserve this one who cries out to You, for Your heavenly kingdom. Grant perseverance in tribulation, comfort in sorrow, and the assurance that You will not abandon Your own. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we ask this, Amen.
Scripture does not promise that the righteous will be without affliction in this life. It says many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers them out of them all, and that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This life is a contest, like that of a wrestler who contends with dust and heat and sweat and pressure. It is a time for fighting and for endurance, and by tribulation we are made perfect. That does not make your suffering small, but it reminds us that God uses even long trials to shape us, and that our present rest is not in this world which will pass away, but in His heavenly kingdom.
Because of this, we must be careful how we pray, even in deep distress. Vengeance belongs to the Lord, and He has promised a righteous judgment in which He will both crown those who endure and bring justice upon those who do evil. Yet we are not taught to pray for the death of our enemies. If a person who simply has enemies is not to approach the mysteries lightly, how much more should we avoid praying against others in a way that asks for their destruction. Christ calls us to pray for deliverance from every evil work, for protection under His wings, for justice according to His will, and even for the repentance and salvation of those who do wrong, for He desires that none should perish.
So we will not pray as you asked that God would kill those who harm you, but we will pray earnestly for what God does promise to give. We will pray that the Lord would deliver you from every evil work and preserve you for His heavenly kingdom, that He would grant you relief, safety, peace of mind and body, and freedom from torment, whether that torment comes from the hands of others, from spiritual oppression, or from deep inward distress. We will pray that if there are people who truly are harming you, God would stop their evil, bring them to repentance, and bring just restraint through lawful means, and that He would surround you with wise and caring people who can help bear this burden with you.
God sometimes seems slow to answer when we cry day after day and month after month, but He has not stopped hearing. Continue to seek Him, to ask, to labor in prayer, and to cling to Christ who alone is our salvation. Stay connected to a faithful local church, share your struggles with a trusted pastor, and if the distress feels overwhelming, please also seek help from trusted medical and counseling support alongside pastoral care, so you are not carrying this alone.
Let us pray together now. Father in heaven, look with mercy upon this suffering child of Yours. You see every affliction and You know every fear. Deliver from every evil work, cover with Your wings, grant peace where there is torment, rest where there is no rest, and justice according to Your perfect righteousness. Lead those who do evil to repentance through Jesus Christ, and preserve this one who cries out to You, for Your heavenly kingdom. Grant perseverance in tribulation, comfort in sorrow, and the assurance that You will not abandon Your own. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we ask this, Amen.
