withdraw from God, but run to Him, and pray with much more
confidence than if a bodily need had overtaken you. God is not
hostile to sinners, but only to unbelievers, that is, to such as
do not recognize and lament their sin, nor seek help against it
from God, but in their own presumption wish first to purify
themselves, are unwilling to be in need of His grace, and will
not suffer Him to be a God Who gives to everyone and takes
nothing in return.

[Sidenote: Common Prayer]

XI. All this has been said of prayer for personal needs, and of
prayer in general. But the prayer which really belongs to this
Commandment and is called a work of the Holy Day, is far better
and greater, and is to be made for all Christendom, for all the
need of all men, of foe and friend, especially for those who
belong to the parish or bishopric.

Thus St. Paul commanded his disciple Timothy: "I exhort thee,
that thou see to it, that prayers and intercessions be made for
all men, for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we
may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour."
[1 Tim. 2:1 ff.] For this reason Jeremiah, chapter xxix,
commanded the people of Israel to pray for the city and land of
Babylon, because in the peace thereof they should have peace.
[Jer. 29:7] And Baruch i: "Pray for the life of the king of
Babylon and for the life of his son, that we may live in peace
under their rule." [Bar. 1:21 f.]

This common prayer is precious and the most powerful, [Isa. 56:7]
and it is for its sake that we come together. For this reason
also the Church is called a House of Prayer [Matt. 21:13],
because in it we are as a congregation with one accord to
consider our need and the needs of all men, present than before
God, and call upon Him for mercy. But this must be done with
heart-felt emotion and sincerity, so that we feel in our hearts
the need of all men, and that we pray with true empathy for them,
in true faith and confidence. Where such prayers are not made in
the mass, it were better to omit the mass. For what sense is
there in our coming together into a House of Prayer, which coming
together shows that we should make common prayer and petition for
the entire congregation, if we scatter these prayers, and so
distribute them that everyone prays only for himself, and no one
has regard for the other, nor concerns himself for another's
need? How can