Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You have laid bare your soul in this prayer, and I see a heart aflame with both trust and desperation. The words of Scripture you have woven into your plea are true, and God is indeed a wall of fire and a mighty deliverer. Yet I would not have you hold His promises with one hand while the other clenches in anxiety, lest the adversary find a foothold in that divided mind. For the devil prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and he is most bold when he finds us alone, be it in body or in the solitary turmoil of our thoughts. So I urge you, do not isolate your soul even in prayer, but let your cries be always within the great company of the Church, where the Spirit hovers and the angels stand guard.
You ask repeatedly for curses to be broken and turned into blessings. Hear what the Apostle declares: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” He took not the curse of transgression, He was without sin, but He took the curse of the tree, that He might remove the curse that lay on you. Every curse was nailed to that wood. You need not plead as though it were yet undone; you need only lay hold of that finished work by a living faith, and walk no more in the fear that gives place to the devil. The blood you plead has already spoken better things. Stand, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made you free.
Yet I must give you a sober warning, born of love. You have prayed against many persons, naming their actions and asking God to rebuke and stop them. But beware the prayer that rises from a wounded spirit untempered by mercy. Our Lord taught us to pray for those who persecute us, not against them. To pray for the destruction of another’s designs while neglecting to pray for their salvation is a dangerous thing. Did He not say, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world”? If you would be a child of the Father, then desire above all the salvation of those who trouble you. Confess your own venting, as you have, and forgive, for if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. Bring your conflicts not before God as an accuser, but as a healer seeking balm for every wound, including in your own heart.
The time is short, and now is the day of salvation. Do not put off the full turning of your soul to God, thinking that deliverance will come when circumstances change. For from the grace of Christ we reap no benefit if we live impurely; we rather increase our guilt, having known such a gift and yet cleaving to the old ways. The house is prepared for you, eternal life, a fortress of peace, but the Master asks from you a small piece of silver: your willing obedience, your constant watchfulness, your refusal to give place to the demon of fear or resentment. Are you soft and unmanly in your faith? Then strengthen the sinews of your spirit by hearing the word deeply, by remembering it in the night watches, and by scorning the riches of worldly comfort that cannot save. It is not enough to be free from outward wealth; you must cultivate fortitude, careful hearing, and a mind set on things above.
Yes, pour out your heart for your little one and for all your household. But then trust as a child trusts a father who has never yet broken a promise. He who led His own Son into the wilderness to be tempted will not abandon you in your trials. That very solitude of soul you feel is the place where He often permits the adversary to test, so that you may learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from the mouth of God. Flock together with the faithful; do not let your prayer gathering become a form, but a furnace of the Holy Spirit. When two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst, and the powers of darkness scatter.
Take courage. Your many requests are known to Him before you ask. Yet He waits for you to seek not only His gifts but Himself. Let your chief petition be for a new heart, for the love of God poured out, for the quiet confidence that laughs at the storm because Christ is in the vessel. And when you pray, do not lean on your own understanding of how and when He must act. The wisdom of this world, with its frantic calculations, is folly with God. Instead, expect salvation, healing, and reconciliation as sure things, not because your faith is perfect, but because the Faithful One has promised. Even the prophecies of His death came from the lips of enemies, to show that His death is the world’s salvation. So out of every bitter thing in your life, He is able to bring a harvest of redemption. Only do not hinder His work by unbelief or a vengeful tongue.
Rise, then, and go in peace. The Lord is at hand. Fight not against flesh and blood but against the spirits of darkness, with the weapons that are mighty through God: prayer, fasting, the word, and above all, charity that covers a multitude of sins. Receive the adoption of sons with joy, for the Spirit of the Son has been sent into your heart, crying, “Abba, Father.” When you are weak, then you are strong. May He be glorified in your whole household, and may the peace that passes understanding garrison your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
You ask repeatedly for curses to be broken and turned into blessings. Hear what the Apostle declares: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us, for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” He took not the curse of transgression, He was without sin, but He took the curse of the tree, that He might remove the curse that lay on you. Every curse was nailed to that wood. You need not plead as though it were yet undone; you need only lay hold of that finished work by a living faith, and walk no more in the fear that gives place to the devil. The blood you plead has already spoken better things. Stand, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ has made you free.
Yet I must give you a sober warning, born of love. You have prayed against many persons, naming their actions and asking God to rebuke and stop them. But beware the prayer that rises from a wounded spirit untempered by mercy. Our Lord taught us to pray for those who persecute us, not against them. To pray for the destruction of another’s designs while neglecting to pray for their salvation is a dangerous thing. Did He not say, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world”? If you would be a child of the Father, then desire above all the salvation of those who trouble you. Confess your own venting, as you have, and forgive, for if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours. Bring your conflicts not before God as an accuser, but as a healer seeking balm for every wound, including in your own heart.
The time is short, and now is the day of salvation. Do not put off the full turning of your soul to God, thinking that deliverance will come when circumstances change. For from the grace of Christ we reap no benefit if we live impurely; we rather increase our guilt, having known such a gift and yet cleaving to the old ways. The house is prepared for you, eternal life, a fortress of peace, but the Master asks from you a small piece of silver: your willing obedience, your constant watchfulness, your refusal to give place to the demon of fear or resentment. Are you soft and unmanly in your faith? Then strengthen the sinews of your spirit by hearing the word deeply, by remembering it in the night watches, and by scorning the riches of worldly comfort that cannot save. It is not enough to be free from outward wealth; you must cultivate fortitude, careful hearing, and a mind set on things above.
Yes, pour out your heart for your little one and for all your household. But then trust as a child trusts a father who has never yet broken a promise. He who led His own Son into the wilderness to be tempted will not abandon you in your trials. That very solitude of soul you feel is the place where He often permits the adversary to test, so that you may learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word proceeding from the mouth of God. Flock together with the faithful; do not let your prayer gathering become a form, but a furnace of the Holy Spirit. When two or three are gathered in His name, He is in the midst, and the powers of darkness scatter.
Take courage. Your many requests are known to Him before you ask. Yet He waits for you to seek not only His gifts but Himself. Let your chief petition be for a new heart, for the love of God poured out, for the quiet confidence that laughs at the storm because Christ is in the vessel. And when you pray, do not lean on your own understanding of how and when He must act. The wisdom of this world, with its frantic calculations, is folly with God. Instead, expect salvation, healing, and reconciliation as sure things, not because your faith is perfect, but because the Faithful One has promised. Even the prophecies of His death came from the lips of enemies, to show that His death is the world’s salvation. So out of every bitter thing in your life, He is able to bring a harvest of redemption. Only do not hinder His work by unbelief or a vengeful tongue.
Rise, then, and go in peace. The Lord is at hand. Fight not against flesh and blood but against the spirits of darkness, with the weapons that are mighty through God: prayer, fasting, the word, and above all, charity that covers a multitude of sins. Receive the adoption of sons with joy, for the Spirit of the Son has been sent into your heart, crying, “Abba, Father.” When you are weak, then you are strong. May He be glorified in your whole household, and may the peace that passes understanding garrison your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
