De oratione

 Therefore, the one of these, I mean the 'what we should pray for,' is the words of the prayer, but the 'as we ought' is the state of the one praying

 we are more than conquerors.” It is likely that “intercedes” only concerns those who are not so great as to be more than conquerors, nor again such as

 God be with me, and keep me in this way that I go, and give me bread to eat and a garment to put on, and bring me back with safety to my father's hous

 of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying: This is the word, which the Lord commanded: A man, who shall vow a vow to the Lord or swear an oath with

 of those who say there is providence for it is not our present purpose to examine the sayings of those who entirely deny God or providence) God kn

 since God exists and has comprehended the whole universe and abides in His pre-arranged decrees, to pray, supposing that by his prayer he will alter G

 and from what is in our power, which will be enacted according to our impulse. For even if, hypothetically, God did not know the future, we would not

 “let him not boast” “before” me but let him say: “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God,” and perceiving my

 of prayer benefits those who have persuaded themselves that they have stood before and are speaking to a present and hearing God? 9.1 What has been sa

 to God, who ordains what he wills for our training, but not even murmuring in the secret of our thoughts without a voice audible to men which murmuri

 his preeminence, and stretching forth the right hand and giving to Judas a golden sword, to whom another saint who had fallen asleep testified, sa

 an angel, «of the» in the church «little ones,» «always» seeing «the face of the Father» «who is in heaven» and beholding the divinity of the one who

 the prayer of Holofernes with God prevails and one woman of the Hebrews brought shame to the house of Nebuchadnezzar But 'Ananias' 'and Azarias and M

 suffering from a basilisk, because through Christ he has stepped upon them and has trampled “lion and dragon,” having used the good authority given by

 doxology for greater things, offered up more magnificently by someone, and intercession, a request to God concerning certain things by one having a ce

 And an example of thanksgiving is the voice of our Lord, saying: “I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these thing

 kings shall be your nursing fathers, and their princesses your nurses they shall bow down to <you> with their face to the ground, and shall lick the

 with him the intelligible blessing reaching all the saints, spoken by Isaac to Jacob, namely: «May God give you of the dew of heaven,» to have come to

 of things truly and genuinely great and heavenly, and matters concerning the shadows that follow the preceding things must be entrusted to God, who kn

 For it is the work of hypocrites to want to put on airs before men for the sake of piety or for social reasons. But it is necessary, remembering the s

 20.2 And we must listen carefully to that they may be seen, since nothing that is merely apparent is good, as if existing in appearance and not in t

 It is not that God has not been called 20father20, or that those who are considered to have believed in God have not been named sons of God but rathe

 he has imitated the image «of the invisible God» and has become «according to the image of the one who created him,» who makes «his sun» rise «on the

 20Father20» let him go. And let us seek to understand more mystically the saying at the end of the Gospel according to John: «Do not touch me, for I h

 in order to persuade the reader from every side, according to the power given to us, to hear the divine scripture in a higher and more spiritual way,

 to exalt «0the name20» of God «at the same time,» is <when> someone, having partaken of an emanation of divinity by being taken up by God and having p

 We are commanded by Paul no longer to be subject to sin which wants to rule over us, and indeed we are ordered through these words: Let not sin there

 for us «0on earth20» likewise to them in all things “the 20will20” of God should be done which will happen, when we do nothing contrary to His «0will

 to divinity and being united with it. 26.5 But since the second point does not yet solve the difficulties about how «0the will20» of God is «0in heave

 we will set these things forth from more numerous sources. He says in the Gospel according to John to those who had come to Capernaum to seek him: “Tr

 nor are you able even now for you are still of the flesh” and in the one to the Hebrews: “and you have come to need milk, not solid food. For everyon

 being set apart, but is subject to every quality just like a prepared place. And by qualities they mean dispositively the activities and productions i

 by a demonstration of the angels and their becoming more ready to cooperate in every way and henceforth to concur in the apprehension of more and grea

 in the psalms thus: a thousand years in your eyes are as yesterday, which has passed (which is the famous millennium, which is likened to the yeste

 «0today20» but also in a way of the «0daily20» he who prays for «0today20», from the one who is able to grant «exceedingly abundantly above all that w

 and we are in a theater of the world and of angels and of men, it must be known that, just as the one in the theater is a 20debtor20 to say or do cert

 heavenly Father will do, unless you 20forgive20 each his brother from your hearts.” They say, however, that we 20must forgive20 those who have sinned

 they conceived a thought against God” for he offers the sacrifice concerning things of which it is doubted whether a sin has been committed, and this

 which our Lord taught concerning prayer. But when has anyone considered men to be outside of 20temptations20, whose word he knew he had fulfilled? And

 every time is one of 20temptation20 for men, even these things not even he who meditates on the law of God «day and night» and practices to fulfill w

 Finding such things in the law and the prophets, they stumbled as at one who was not good, who uttered such words but for us, on account of the diffi

 having desired generation, pray again to obtain twice what you desire, having come to hate the thing desired, and then thus to return to the good thin

 of our own evils and let us give thanks for the good things revealed to us through 20temptations20. But that the 20temptations20 which happen are for

 to put on (for he has received), but by in all that befell him not to have sinned at all before the Lord but to be shown to be righteous of the o

 to pray, stretching out the soul, as it were, before the hands, and stretching the mind toward God before the eyes, and before standing, arousing the

 which is possible, unless one gives himself to this by agreement for a time, that perhaps also concerning the place, if it is permissible, it must b

 It seems to me that these things have necessarily been said, while examining the place of prayer and representing what is exceptional as in a place at

 for the sake of magnifying you, my Lord, Lord.” 33.4 An example of confessions: “Deliver me from all my iniquities,” and in other places: “My wounds h

to exalt «0the name20» of God «at the same time,» is <when> someone, having partaken of an emanation of divinity by being taken up by God and having prevailed over his enemies, who are not able to rejoice at his fall, he exalts that very power of God in which he has partaken; which is shown in the twenty-ninth psalm through "I will exalt you, Lord, because you have taken me up and <not> made my enemies rejoice over me." And one exalts God by dedicating a house to him within himself, since also the <in>scription of the psalm is thus: "A psalm of a song for the dedication of the house of David." 24.5 Further, concerning «0hallowed be thy name20» and the following phrases spoken in the imperative mood, it must be said that the translators also continually used imperatives instead of optatives, as in the psalms: "Let the deceitful lips be mute, which speak iniquity against the righteous," instead of "may they be mute," and "Let the creditor search out all that he has;" "Let there be no helper for him" in the one hundred and eighth concerning Judas; for the whole psalm is a petition concerning Judas, that certain things might happen to him. But Tatian, not understanding that "let there be" does not always signify the optative but sometimes also the imperative, has most impiously supposed concerning the God who said "let there be light," that he prayed rather than commanded the light to be; "since," as he says, thinking atheistically, "God was in darkness." To whom it must be said, how will he understand also "Let the earth bring forth grass" and "Let the water <that is> under the heaven be gathered together" and "Let the waters bring forth creeping things with living souls" and "Let the earth bring forth the living soul." For is he praying for "the water that is under the heaven to be gathered into one collection" in order to stand on firm ground, or is he praying "let the earth bring forth" in order to partake of the things that grow from the earth? And what need similar to the need for light does he have of the creatures of the water and the birds or the land, that he should also pray concerning these? But if even according to him it is absurd to pray concerning these things, being spoken in imperative terms, how should not the same be said also concerning "let there be light," as being said not optatively but imperatively? And it seemed necessary to me, in the prayer being spoken in imperative terms, to be reminded of his misinterpretations on account of those who have been deceived and have accepted his impious teaching, which we ourselves have also once experienced. 25.1 «0Thy kingdom come20.» If «the 20kingdom of God20» according to the word of our Lord and Savior "comes not" "with observation," "neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there!" but "the 20kingdom20 of God is within" us (for "the word is very nigh" in our "mouth" "and in" our "heart"), it is clear that he who prays for 20the kingdom of God to come20 reasonably prays for 20the20 20kingdom20 of God within him to arise and bear fruit and be perfected; of every holy person who is ruled by God and obeys the spiritual laws of God, who inhabits himself as if a well-ordered city; the Father being present to him and Christ reigning with the Father in the perfected soul according to the saying which I mentioned a little before: "we will come unto him, and make our abode with him" (and I think the 20kingdom20 of God is to be understood as the blessed state of the governing faculty and the ordered state of wise reasonings, and the 20kingdom20 of Christ as the saving words that go forth to those who hear and the works of righteousness and of the other virtues that are accomplished; for the Son of God is word and righteousness); but of every sinner who is tyrannized over by the ruler "of this age," since every sinner is made kin to the present evil age, not giving himself to the one who "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil age" and "deliver" "according to the will of our God and Father" according to what is said in the epistle to the Galatians. And he who is tyrannized over by the ruler of this age by the willfulness of sin is also ruled over by sin; wherefore

ἐστι τὸ ὑψοῦν «0τὸ ὄνομα20» τοῦ θεοῦ «ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ,» <ὅτε> μετα λαβών τις ἀποῤῥοῆς θεότητος τῷ ὑπειλῆφθαι ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κεκρατηκέναι τῶν ἐχθρῶν, ἐφησθῆναι πτώσει αὐτοῦ μὴ δυναμένων, ὑψοῖ αὐτὴν τὴν δύναμιν, ἧς μετείληχε, θεοῦ· ὅπερ δηλοῦται ἐν εἰκοστῷ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ διὰ τοῦ «ὑψώσω σε, κύριε, ὅτι ὑπέλαβές με καὶ <οὐκ> εὔφρανας τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου ἐπ' ἐμοί.» ὑψοῖ δέ τις τὸν θεὸν, ἐγκαι νίσας αὐτῷ οἶκον ἐν ἑαυτῷ, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἡ <ἐπι>γραφὴ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ οὕτως ἔχει· «ψαλμὸς ᾠδῆς τοῦ ἐγκαινισμοῦ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ ∆αυΐδ.» 24.5 ἔτι περὶ τοῦ «0ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου20» καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς προστακτικῷ χαρακτῆρι εἰρημένων λεκτέον ὅτι συνεχῶς προστακτι κοῖς ἀντὶ εὐκτικῶν ἐχρήσαντο καὶ οἱ ἑρμηνεύσαντες, ὡς ἐν τοῖς ψαλ μοῖς· «ἄλαλα γενηθήτω τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια, τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομίαν,» ἀντὶ τοῦ γενηθείη καὶ «ἐξερευνησάτω δανειστὴς πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῷ·» «μὴ ὑπαρξάτω αὐτᾷ ἀντιλήπτωρ» ἐν τῷ ἑκατοστῷ ὀγδόῳ περὶ Ἰούδα· ὅλος γὰρ ὁ ψαλμὸς αἴτησίς ἐστι περὶ Ἰούδα, ἵνα τάδε τινὰ αὐτῷ συμβῇ. μὴ συνιδὼν δὲ ὁ Τατιανὸς τὸ «γενηθήτω» οὐ πάντοτε σημαίνειν τὸ εὐκτικὸν ἀλλ' ἔσθ' ὅπου καὶ προστακτικὸν, ἀσεβέστατα ὑπείληφε περὶ τοῦ εἰπόντος «γενηθήτω φῶς» θεοῦ, ὡς εὐξαμένου μᾶλλον ἤπερ προστάξαντος γενηθῆναι τὸ φῶς· «ἐπεὶ,» ὥς φησιν ἐκεῖνος ἀθέως νοῶν, «ἐν σκότῳ ἦν ὁ θεός.» πρὸς ὃν λεκτέον, πῶς ἐκλήψεται καὶ τὸ «βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην χόρτου» καὶ «συναχθήτω τὸ ὕδωρ <τὸ> ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ» καὶ «ἐξαγαγέτω τὰ ὕδατα ἑρπετὰ ψυχῶν ζωσῶν» καὶ «ἐξαγαγέτω ἡ γῆ ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.» ἆρα γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐπὶ ἑδραίου στῆναι εὔχε ται συναχθῆναι «τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς συναγω γὴν μίαν,» ἢ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεταλαβεῖν τῶν βλαστανόντων ἀπὸ γῆς εὔχεται τὸ «βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ»; ποίαν δὲ χρείαν ὁμοίαν ἔχει τῷ χρῄζειν φωτὸς τῶν ἐνύδρων καὶ πτηνῶν ἢ χερσαίων, ἵνα καὶ περὶ τούτων εὔχηται; εἰ δὲ καὶ κατ' αὐτὸν ἄτοπον τὸ περὶ τούτων εὔχεσθαι, προστακτικαῖς ὀνομασίαις εἰρημένων, πῶς οὐ τὸ ὅμοιον λεκτέον καὶ περὶ τοῦ «γενηθήτω φῶς,» ὡς μὴ εὐκτικῶς ἀλλὰ προσ τακτικῶς εἰρημένου; ἀναγκαίως δέ μοι ἔδοξεν, ἐν ταῖς προστακτικαῖς φωναῖς εἰρημένης εὐχῆς, ὑπομνησθῆναι τῶν παρεκδοχῶν αὐτοῦ διὰ τοὺς ἠπατημένους καὶ παραδεξαμένους τὴν ἀσεβῆ διδασκαλίαν αὐτοῦ, ὧν καὶ ἡμεῖς ποτε πεπειράμεθα. 25.1 «0Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου20.» εἰ «ἡ 20βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ20» κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν «μετὰ παρα τηρήσεως» «οὐκ ἔρχεται,» «οὐδὲ ἐροῦσιν· ἰδοὺ ὧδε ἢ ἰδοὺ ἐκεῖ,» ἀλλὰ «ἡ 20βασιλεία20 τοῦ θεοῦ ἐντὸς» ἡμῶν «ἐστιν» («ἐγγὺς» γὰρ «τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστι σφόδρα ἐν τῷ στόματι» ἡμῶν «καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ» ἡμῶν), δῆλον ὅτι ὁ εὐχόμενος 20ἐλθεῖν τὴν βασιλείαν20 τοῦ θεοῦ περὶ τοῦ 20τὴν20 ἐν αὐτῷ 20βασιλείαν20 τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνατεῖλαι καὶ καρποφορῆσαι καὶ τελειωθῆναι εὐλόγως εὔχεται· παντὸς μὲν ἁγίου ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασι λευομένου καὶ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς νόμοις τοῦ θεοῦ πειθομένου, οἱ ονεὶ εὐνομουμένην πόλιν οἰκοῦντος ἑαυτόν· παρόντος αὐτῷ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ συμβασιλεύοντος τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ τετελειω μένῃ ψυχῇ κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον, οὗ πρὸ βραχέος ἐμνημόνευον· «πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα» (καὶ οἶμαι νοεῖσθαι θεοῦ μὲν 20βασιλείαν20 τὴν μακαρίαν τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ κατά στασιν καὶ τὸ τεταγμένον τῶν σοφῶν διαλογισμῶν, Χριστοῦ δὲ 20βασι λείαν20 τοὺς προϊόντας σωτηρίους τοῖς ἀκούουσι λόγους καὶ τὰ μὲν ἐπι τελούμενα ἔργα δικαιοσύνης καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν· λόγος γὰρ καὶ δικαιοσύνη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ)· παντὸς <δὲ> ἁμαρτωλοῦ κατατυραννου μένου ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄρχοντος «τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου,» ἐπεὶ πᾶς ἁμαρτωλὸς τῷ ἐνεστῶτι αἰῶνι πονηρῷ. ᾠκείωται, μὴ ἐμπαρέχων ἑαυτὸν τῷ δόντι «ἑαυτὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν, ὅπως ἐξέληται ἡμᾶς ἐκ τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος πονηροῦ» καὶ «ἐξέληται» «κατὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ πατρὸς ἡμῶν» κατὰ τὰ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας εἰρημένα ἐπιστολῇ. ὁ δὲ κατατυραννούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ ἄρχοντος τούτου τοῦ αἰῶνος τῷ ἑκουσίῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ βασιλεύεται ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· διόπερ