Chrysostom
Beloved of All
You have rightly taken to heart the command of the Apostle, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and for all that are in authority. This is not a counsel we may set aside when those who rule displease us, for the charge is given without exception. You have prayed even for those you consider the worst, asking God to save them, and for the best, that they be blessed. This is a good and holy resolution.
Remember then why such prayer is so urgent. There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of Him. When you pray for rulers, you do not merely pray for the men themselves but for the divine institution of government, which restrains the flood of anarchy and holds back the confusion that would devour the weak. Even a bad ruler, by the very office he occupies, is a gift of Godโs ordering, and by your intercessions you may obtain for him a better spirit. Never give way to the temptation of praying against any, or allowing bitter words to stain the tongue that has tasted the holy Mysteries. The Apostle would not have us curse, but bless, for we ourselves were once enemies and were reconciled.
Consider what kind of wisdom governs this world and what kind God has chosen. The rulers of this age often deem the word of the Cross foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. When you pray for their salvation, you are asking that they come to know that wisdom which is hidden from the proud and revealed to the perfect, those who believe. And do not think this too great a thing, for Christ came not for the righteous alone, nor only for the prominent. He healed beggars and outcasts, and by the foolishness of preaching He saved those who believe. Pray, then, with confidence that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Let your prayer always be accompanied by thanksgiving, for you are a petitioner who has already received infinite mercy. So continue to lift up those in authority, whether in the Church or the state, not with reluctance but with love, remembering that a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty is a gift for which we are debtors even to earthly rulers. In this way you truly please God our Savior, and you guard your own heart in the peace that passes understanding.
Remember then why such prayer is so urgent. There is no power but of God; the powers that be are ordained of Him. When you pray for rulers, you do not merely pray for the men themselves but for the divine institution of government, which restrains the flood of anarchy and holds back the confusion that would devour the weak. Even a bad ruler, by the very office he occupies, is a gift of Godโs ordering, and by your intercessions you may obtain for him a better spirit. Never give way to the temptation of praying against any, or allowing bitter words to stain the tongue that has tasted the holy Mysteries. The Apostle would not have us curse, but bless, for we ourselves were once enemies and were reconciled.
Consider what kind of wisdom governs this world and what kind God has chosen. The rulers of this age often deem the word of the Cross foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. When you pray for their salvation, you are asking that they come to know that wisdom which is hidden from the proud and revealed to the perfect, those who believe. And do not think this too great a thing, for Christ came not for the righteous alone, nor only for the prominent. He healed beggars and outcasts, and by the foolishness of preaching He saved those who believe. Pray, then, with confidence that God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Let your prayer always be accompanied by thanksgiving, for you are a petitioner who has already received infinite mercy. So continue to lift up those in authority, whether in the Church or the state, not with reluctance but with love, remembering that a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty is a gift for which we are debtors even to earthly rulers. In this way you truly please God our Savior, and you guard your own heart in the peace that passes understanding.
