John Chrysostom, On Prayer

it quickly set things right, having become stronger than old habit, having made the city full of the heavenly laws, drawing along with itself both moderation, and love for mankind, and gentleness, and care for the poor. For it does not endure to dwell in a soul without these things; but into whatever mind it may dwell, it makes it full of all righteousness, training it toward virtue, and banishing wickedness. And indeed at that time if anyone had entered the city of Nineveh, and had known it accurately before, he would not have recognized the city; so suddenly did it leap over from a rather wicked life to piety. For just as if someone, having seen a poor woman wearing rags, were to see her after this adorned with golden garments, he would not recognize the woman; so he who knew that city to be poor before, and to be devoid of spiritual treasures, would not have known what city it was, which prayer had such power to change and to lead its character and life back to virtue. And a certain woman who had lived all her time in licentiousness and fornication, as soon as she fell at the feet of Christ, also obtained salvation. It not only cleanses from sins, therefore, but also repels great dangers. For indeed the king and prophet, the wonderful David, escaped the many and difficult wars by prayer, putting forth this weapon alone for the army, and granting to his own soldiers to enjoy the victory in tranquility and security. Now other kings, in the experience and skill of their generals and 50.778 in archers and hoplites and cavalrymen had their hope of safety; but the great David fortified his army with holy prayers, not looking to the arrogance of generals and commanders and cavalry leaders, nor collecting money, nor preparing weapons, but bringing down the divine panoply from heaven. For divine prayer is truly a heavenly panoply, and it alone is able to guard securely those who have given themselves to God. For the strength and knowledge of hoplites, and the experience of archers, treachery, and warlike glances, and the courage of adversaries, and many other things besides these often show to be in vain; but prayer is an invincible weapon, and a safe amulet, repelling one soldier and many myriads alike; since indeed the wonderful David brought down that Goliath, who came on like some fearful demon, not with weapons nor with swords, but with prayers. So prayer is a strong weapon for kings in battles, and it is also strong for us against demons. So also King Hezekiah overcomes in the war of the Persians, not having armed an army, but having set up only prayers against the multitude of adversaries; so also he escaped death, having fallen before God with fitting reverence, and prayer alone granted the king to live again. And indeed that prayer easily cleanses a soul that has sinned, the publican teaches us, who prayed to God to receive forgiveness, and received it; the leper also teaches, who as soon as he fell down before God, was also immediately cleansed. And if God quickly healed a corrupted body, much more will He lovingly cure a soul that is sick; for by as much as the soul is more precious than the body, by so much more is it likely that God shows greater zeal concerning it. And one could say countless things, both old and new, if one wished to enumerate all those who have been saved through prayer. But perhaps one of the more slothful, and not willing to pray carefully and zealously, would say that God has spoken those words, namely, Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. But if I considered prayer alone to be sufficient for our salvation, someone might reasonably have used these words; but since I say that prayer is the sum of good things, and the foundation and root of the

ἐπανώρθωσεν ὀξέως, παλαιᾶς συνηθείας μεῖζον ἰσχύσασα, τῶν οὐρανίων νόμων πλήρη πεποιηκυῖα τὴν πόλιν, συνεφελκομένη μεθ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ σωφροσύνην, καὶ φιλανθρωπίαν, καὶ πραότητα, καὶ πρόνοιαν πτωχῶν. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνέχεται χωρὶς τούτων ἐνδιαιτᾶσθαι ψυχῇ· ἀλλ' εἰς ἣν ἂν οἰκήσῃ διάνοιαν, πλήρη ποιεῖ δικαιοσύνης πάσης, παιδοτριβοῦσα πρὸς ἀρετὴν, καὶ κακίαν ἐξορίζουσα. Καὶ δὴ καὶ τότε εἴ τις εἰσῆλθεν εἰς Νινευῆ τὴν πόλιν, καὶ πρότερον αὐτὴν ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος, οὐκ ἂν ἐπέγνω τὴν πόλιν· οὕτως ἐξαίφνης ἀπὸ τοῦ φαυλοτέρου βίου πρὸς εὐσέβειαν μετεπήδησεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ γυναῖκα πτωχὴν, ῥάκια φοροῦσαν, μετὰ ταῦτά τις χρυσοῖς ἱματίοις κεκοσμημένην ἰδὼν, οὐκ ἂν ἐπιγνοίη τὸ γύναιον· οὕτως ὁ τὴν πόλιν ἐκείνην εἰδὼς πτωχεύουσαν πρότερον, καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἔρημον οὖσαν θησαυρῶν, ἠγνόησεν ἂν ἥτις εἴη ἡ πόλις, ἣν τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν εὐχὴ μεταβαλοῦσα καὶ τρόπον καὶ βίον πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἐπαναγαγεῖν. Καὶ γυνὴ δέ τις ἐν ἀκολασίᾳ καὶ πορνείᾳ πάντα βεβιωκυῖα τὸν χρόνον, ἅμα τε προσέπεσε πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ σωτηρίας ἔτυχεν. Οὐ τοίνυν ἀποκαθαίρει μόνον ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ κινδύνους ἀποκρούεται μεγάλους. Ὅ γέ τοι βασιλεὺς ὁμοῦ τε καὶ προφήτης, ὁ θαυμάσιος ∆αυῒδ, τοὺς πολλοὺς καὶ χαλεποὺς πολέμους τῇ προσευχῇ διέφυγε, τοῦτο μόνον τὸ ὅπλον τῆς στρατιᾶς προβαλλόμενος, καὶ παρέχων τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ στρατιώταις καθ' ἡσυχίαν καὶ ἄδειαν ἀπολαύειν τῆς νίκης. Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἄλλοι βασιλεῖς, ἐν τῇ τῶν στρατηγῶν ἐμπειρίᾳ καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ καὶ 50.778 τοξόταις καὶ ὁπλίταις καὶ ἱππεῦσι τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας εἶχον· ὁ δὲ μέγας ∆αυῒδ ταῖς ἁγίαις εὐχαῖς τὴν στρατιὰν ἐτείχιζεν, οὐ βλέπων εἰς ὀφρὺν στρατηγῶν καὶ ταξιάρχων καὶ ἱππάρχων, οὐδὲ χρήματα συλλέγων, οὐδὲ ὅπλα κατασκευάζων, ἀλλὰ τὴν θείαν πανοπλίαν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καταφέρων. Πανοπλία γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς οὐράνιος ἡ θεία προσευχὴ, καὶ μόνη δύναται φυλάττειν βεβαίως τοὺς δεδωκότας ἑαυτοὺς τῷ Θεῷ. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ τῶν ὁπλιτῶν ἰσχύν τε καὶ ἐπιστήμην, καὶ τοξοτῶν ἐμπειρίαν, καὶ προδοσίαν, πολλάκις ὑποφαίνει μάταιον καὶ βλέμματα πολεμικὰ, καὶ ἀντιπάλων εὐψυχία, καὶ ἄλλα πολλὰ πρὸς τούτοις· προσευχὴ δὲ ἄμαχον ὅπλον, καὶ ἀσφαλὲς φυλακτήριον, ὁμοίως μὲν στρατιώτην ἕνα, ὁμοίως δὲ πολλὰς ἀποκρουομένη μυριάδας· ἐπεὶ καὶ ∆αυῒδ ὁ θαυμάσιος τὸν Γολιὰθ ἐκεῖνον, ὥσπερ δαίμονά τινα φοβερὸν ἐπερχόμενον, οὐχ ὅπλοις οὐδὲ ξίφεσιν, ἀλλ' εὐχαῖς κατήνεγκεν. Οὕτως ἰσχυρὸν μὲν βασιλεῦσιν ἐν μάχαις ὅπλον ἡ προσευχὴ, ἰσχυρὸν δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν πρὸς δαίμονας. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἐζεκίας περιγίνεται τῷ πολέμῳ τῶν Περσῶν, στρατιὰν μὲν οὐχ ὁπλίσας, εὐχὰς δὲ μόνας ἀντιστήσας τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀντιπάλων· οὕτω καὶ θάνατον διέφυγε, μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης εὐλαβείας τῷ Θεῷ προσπεσὼν, καὶ ἡ προσευχὴ μόνη δέδωκεν ἀναβιῶναι τῷ βασιλεῖ. Καὶ μήν γε ὅτι ψυχὴν ἡμαρτηκυῖαν ἡ προσευχὴ ῥᾳδίως ἀποκαθαίρει, διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὁ τελώνης, δεηθεὶς τοῦ Θεοῦ τυχεῖν ἀφέσεως, καὶ τυχών· διδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὁ λεπρὸς, ἅμα τε προσπεσὼν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ καθαρθεὶς εὐθέως. Εἰ δὲ σῶμα διεφθαρμένον ὁ Θεὸς ὀξέως ἰάσατο, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ψυχὴν νενοσηκυῖαν θεραπεύσει φιλανθρώπως· ὅσῳ γὰρ τιμιωτέρα τοῦ σώματος ἡ ψυχὴ, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον εἰκὸς περὶ ταύτην πλείονα σπουδὴν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ μυρία ἄν τις ἔχοι λέγειν καὶ παλαιὰ καὶ καινὰ, εἰ πάντας ἐξαριθμεῖσθαι βούλοιτο τοὺς διὰ προσευχῆς σεσωσμένους. Ἴσως δέ τις τῶν ῥᾳθυμοτέρων καὶ οὐκ ἐθελόντων ἐπιμελῶς προσεύχεσθαι καὶ σπουδαίως, ἐκεῖνα τὰ ῥήματα φήσειεν ἂν εἰρηκέναι τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς Οὐ πᾶς ὁ λέγων μοι, Κύριε, Κύριε, εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλ' ὁ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου, τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς· ἐγὼ δὲ εἰ μόνην ἐξαρκεῖν πρὸς τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν τὴν προσευχὴν ἐνόμιζον, εἰκότως ἄν τις τούτοις ἐκέχρητο τοῖς λόγοις· ἐπεὶ δὲ κεφάλαιον εἶναι ἀγαθῶν τὴν προσευχήν φημι, καὶ κρηπῖδα καὶ ῥίζαν τοῦ