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About this quote

What does it mean?
Praying for harm against personal enemies breaks divine law.
In plain terms
Asking God to hurt your enemies is against the law.
What can you take from it?
Do not pray for revenge.

Where it applies

  • religious practice
  • personal conflict
  • spiritual discipline

Putting it to work

  • prayer
  • spiritual ethics

Questions to consider

  • What are you asking for in prayer?
  • Does your prayer align with compassion?

Another view

Some faiths allow imprecatory prayers in specific contexts.

More from John Chrysostom

  1. We are commanded to have only one enemy, the devil. With him never be reconciled! But with a brother, never be at enmity in thy heart.

    Permalink to quote #21
  2. Prayer for our enemies is the very highest summit of self-control.

    Permalink to quote #23
  3. As it is not to be imagined that the fornicator and the blasphemer can partake of the sacred Table, so it is impossible that he who has an enemy, and bears mal…

    Permalink to quote #20

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