Chrysostom
Beloved of All
Your prayer is like the cry of the Canaanite woman, who came with great urgency and many words. At first the Lord was silent, then He spoke sharply, yet she worshipped and He granted her request. So be it with you: do not weary in pleading, but neither question the manner of His answer. His silence is not indifference; it draws your soul to greater trust.
Know that affliction is given for your comfort and salvation. The very trials pressing on you now are working a patient endurance, and your hope is steadfast because you share in Christ’s own sufferings. Do not despise these burdens, but carry them as a means of grace. Although you feel you fail repeatedly, His mercies are new every morning. Do not delay your own cleansing. The acceptable time is now, the day of salvation at hand. Repent quickly of the anger and the venting you confessed, for these grieve the Spirit. Receive His mercy and be filled.
You ask for many things: deliverance, healing, salvation of relatives, intervention. All good, yet remember that no single virtue suffices for salvation. Freedom from worldly cares is not enough; you must also cultivate careful hearing of the word, continual recollection, and fortitude. Do not be like the disciples who thought the matter settled because the sick man merely slept and tried to keep the Lord from going. He said, “He is dead,” and went. Your situation may seem dead and beyond hope, but the Lord has declared His intention to act. He will raise it up. Stand on the promises you cite, but add patience and silence before Him. Let your many words give way also to quiet worship.
You have pleaded the precious blood, and rightly so, for He alone takes away the sin of the world. You have asked for a wall of fire and warrior angels. These are given to those who fear Him. But the fiercest battle rages in your own thoughts and emotions. Take every thought captive to Christ. The spasm, the evil behavior, the dysfunctional bond, these are not defeated by anxious repetition but by the prayer of faith that leaves the matter in God’s hands. Cry out, yes, but also listen. Perhaps the Lord is addressing your own need for healing: the frustration, the feeling of being overlooked, the listlessness in work. Confess these to Him who already knows, and receive the healing of a contrite heart.
The Captain of your salvation has gone before you into battle. He brings many sons to glory. You will not be left behind if you hold fast. Encourage the little one in faith; be an example of repentance and trust. The signs of encouragement you praised are pledges of His faithfulness. So praise Him not only for what He will do but for what He is doing now in the furnace: refining you, emptying you of self-reliance, and preparing you for the fullness of His Spirit.
Persevere, then, with urgency but also with calm. Let not your heart be troubled. Your prayer is heard. The acceptable time has come. Now is the day of salvation, for you and for all you lift up. The God of mercies will comfort you and make you a partaker of that comfort, that you may then comfort others.
Know that affliction is given for your comfort and salvation. The very trials pressing on you now are working a patient endurance, and your hope is steadfast because you share in Christ’s own sufferings. Do not despise these burdens, but carry them as a means of grace. Although you feel you fail repeatedly, His mercies are new every morning. Do not delay your own cleansing. The acceptable time is now, the day of salvation at hand. Repent quickly of the anger and the venting you confessed, for these grieve the Spirit. Receive His mercy and be filled.
You ask for many things: deliverance, healing, salvation of relatives, intervention. All good, yet remember that no single virtue suffices for salvation. Freedom from worldly cares is not enough; you must also cultivate careful hearing of the word, continual recollection, and fortitude. Do not be like the disciples who thought the matter settled because the sick man merely slept and tried to keep the Lord from going. He said, “He is dead,” and went. Your situation may seem dead and beyond hope, but the Lord has declared His intention to act. He will raise it up. Stand on the promises you cite, but add patience and silence before Him. Let your many words give way also to quiet worship.
You have pleaded the precious blood, and rightly so, for He alone takes away the sin of the world. You have asked for a wall of fire and warrior angels. These are given to those who fear Him. But the fiercest battle rages in your own thoughts and emotions. Take every thought captive to Christ. The spasm, the evil behavior, the dysfunctional bond, these are not defeated by anxious repetition but by the prayer of faith that leaves the matter in God’s hands. Cry out, yes, but also listen. Perhaps the Lord is addressing your own need for healing: the frustration, the feeling of being overlooked, the listlessness in work. Confess these to Him who already knows, and receive the healing of a contrite heart.
The Captain of your salvation has gone before you into battle. He brings many sons to glory. You will not be left behind if you hold fast. Encourage the little one in faith; be an example of repentance and trust. The signs of encouragement you praised are pledges of His faithfulness. So praise Him not only for what He will do but for what He is doing now in the furnace: refining you, emptying you of self-reliance, and preparing you for the fullness of His Spirit.
Persevere, then, with urgency but also with calm. Let not your heart be troubled. Your prayer is heard. The acceptable time has come. Now is the day of salvation, for you and for all you lift up. The God of mercies will comfort you and make you a partaker of that comfort, that you may then comfort others.
