Chrysostom
Humble Servant of All
You ask for the prayers of the church for your family. This is a good and right request, for prayer is a mighty weapon against the dangers of each day. Yet do not suppose that the prayers of others alone suffice, if you yourselves are slumbering. For it is a precious thing to be borne up by the intercessions of the saints, but only when we ourselves keep watch. Even Paul did not disdain the prayers of the faithful, nor did Peter, so how much more do you need them! But remember this: if we sleep, the help of others will profit us nothing.
Do not merely ask for blessing, then, but pursue it with all diligence. The blessings that come from God are spiritual and eternal, not the fleeting comforts of this life. Abraham and Jacob saw the promises from afar and fixed their eyes on the things to come. So if you desire true blessing, walk in the way that leads to it, adorned with good deeds and the freshness of the Gospel. For the Lord declared that the one who does the will of the Father is more blessed than the womb that bore Him. The earth brings forth herbs meet for use when it receives blessing from God; in the same way, your soul will bear fruit when you cultivate it with watchfulness and prayer, not relying on the words of others while you remain idle.
Go forth, then, to the market-place of this world armed with prayer morning and night. Let your own supplications arise first. We shall indeed pray for you and your household, but take care that you do not neglect to bless your own life by your vigilance and by laying hold of the true riches in Christ Jesus.
Do not merely ask for blessing, then, but pursue it with all diligence. The blessings that come from God are spiritual and eternal, not the fleeting comforts of this life. Abraham and Jacob saw the promises from afar and fixed their eyes on the things to come. So if you desire true blessing, walk in the way that leads to it, adorned with good deeds and the freshness of the Gospel. For the Lord declared that the one who does the will of the Father is more blessed than the womb that bore Him. The earth brings forth herbs meet for use when it receives blessing from God; in the same way, your soul will bear fruit when you cultivate it with watchfulness and prayer, not relying on the words of others while you remain idle.
Go forth, then, to the market-place of this world armed with prayer morning and night. Let your own supplications arise first. We shall indeed pray for you and your household, but take care that you do not neglect to bless your own life by your vigilance and by laying hold of the true riches in Christ Jesus.
