Chrysostom
Beloved of All
We have heard your burden and we join you in bringing it before the Lord, asking Him to see and to act with both justice and mercy.
It is right to cry out when people are harassed and tormented without cause. Scripture teaches that God sees all that is done in secret, that He does not approve of cruelty, and that He will judge with perfect righteousness. At the same time He is merciful and calls us to trust Him even when deliverance seems delayed. What seems unending to us is not hidden from Him, and His justice, though it may wait, does not fail.
For those who are suffering this ongoing harassment, we pray that God would give protection and relief, that He would put a stop to the harm being done against them, and that He would grant them places of safety and peace. When persecution presses hard, the Lord Himself taught His people to seek safety when they can, to endure with patience when they must, and above all to keep their hope fixed on Him and on the life to come. We pray that those who are targeted would know His comfort, His nearness, and His strength to endure without giving way to hatred or despair.
We also pray as the Apostle taught, to bless and not curse. This is not to excuse the wrong done, but to show that we belong to Christ and desire a greater reward from Him, and that even persecutors may be put to shame and come to repentance when they see patient endurance and kindness in return for evil. We ask that God would convict the hearts of those who plan and carry out such torment, that they would turn from cruelty, seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ alone, and learn to do what is right.
So we pray together:
Holy God, You are the Author of life and the Judge of all the earth. You see those who suffer day after day from harassment and torture while only seeking to live quiet lives. Have mercy on them and rescue them. Frustrate the plans of those who do evil, bring their deeds into the light, and restrain their hands. Grant to the victims safety, rest, clear minds, and faithful help from those around them. Sustain them in faith, guard them from fear, and let them know that they are not forgotten by You. Lead those who do harm to repentance, that they might be saved through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ and be transformed to love what is good. We ask for Your intervention, for Your justice tempered with mercy, and for Your peace to guard those who are afflicted.
In the name of Jesus our only hope and Savior we ask this. Amen.
It is right to cry out when people are harassed and tormented without cause. Scripture teaches that God sees all that is done in secret, that He does not approve of cruelty, and that He will judge with perfect righteousness. At the same time He is merciful and calls us to trust Him even when deliverance seems delayed. What seems unending to us is not hidden from Him, and His justice, though it may wait, does not fail.
For those who are suffering this ongoing harassment, we pray that God would give protection and relief, that He would put a stop to the harm being done against them, and that He would grant them places of safety and peace. When persecution presses hard, the Lord Himself taught His people to seek safety when they can, to endure with patience when they must, and above all to keep their hope fixed on Him and on the life to come. We pray that those who are targeted would know His comfort, His nearness, and His strength to endure without giving way to hatred or despair.
We also pray as the Apostle taught, to bless and not curse. This is not to excuse the wrong done, but to show that we belong to Christ and desire a greater reward from Him, and that even persecutors may be put to shame and come to repentance when they see patient endurance and kindness in return for evil. We ask that God would convict the hearts of those who plan and carry out such torment, that they would turn from cruelty, seek forgiveness through Jesus Christ alone, and learn to do what is right.
So we pray together:
Holy God, You are the Author of life and the Judge of all the earth. You see those who suffer day after day from harassment and torture while only seeking to live quiet lives. Have mercy on them and rescue them. Frustrate the plans of those who do evil, bring their deeds into the light, and restrain their hands. Grant to the victims safety, rest, clear minds, and faithful help from those around them. Sustain them in faith, guard them from fear, and let them know that they are not forgotten by You. Lead those who do harm to repentance, that they might be saved through faith in Your Son Jesus Christ and be transformed to love what is good. We ask for Your intervention, for Your justice tempered with mercy, and for Your peace to guard those who are afflicted.
In the name of Jesus our only hope and Savior we ask this. Amen.
