*I am indebted to Dr. Ravi Zacharias for finding this quote for me, and I’ve borrowed some of his insight as well*
“Prayer is an all-efficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted… the mother of a thousand blessings… The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire, it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest; extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.” – St. John Chrysostom (A.D. 347-407)
When one reads such a quotation two reactions are common. One is that the reader might feel goosebumps and be overcome with the mysterium tremendum that is God’s Spirit. It is the feeling that despite all that is wrong, there is a powerful One who can still save us from ourselves, the world, and the Devil. Karl Barth (1886-1968) over a thousand years after Chrysostom wrote that: “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world”. This reader knows the statement of Chyrsostom to be true because all throughout the history of God’s people these things have happened and are recorded in Holy Writ.
A second reaction people might have is disbelief. Surely this is mere rhetoric. Old wives tales one comforts themself with. If this is true, why aren’t my prayers answered. There is some validity to this existential angst to be sure. But the pastor and spiritual father always reminds students of prayer, that it is when we are united with God’s will in prayer that great things are wrought. ‘No’ does remain a fair answer for God to give any prayer.
However, for people in both categories, I will share a tale of Church History which is a testimony to John Chrysostom’s life and prayer, as well as to the power of his God. The Orthodox Church has said that on the night when Chrysostom was wrongfully condemned by a local council, the night of his arrest, there was an earthquake which all knew to be a sign of God’s displeasure. We are told in Scripture that faith can move mountains, and in the life of St. John, his apparently moved the very ground he stood on.