Success Comes from God

When people praise my services, which owe their origin to the inspiration of heaven, do they not clearly establish the truth that God is the cause of the deeds I have done? They certainly do. For it belongs to God to do whatever is best, and to man to carry out the commands of God. I believe, indeed, that the best and noblest course of action is to provide, as far as we can, for a safe outcome before any attempt is made. And surely everyone knows that the holy service in which these hands have been employed began in a pure and genuine faith toward God; that whatever has been done for the common good has been achieved by active effort joined with supplication and prayer; and that the result has been as great a benefit, both to individuals and to the public, as each could venture to hope for himself and for those he holds most dear. They have witnessed battles, and have watched a war in which the providence of God granted victory to this people. They have seen how he favored and supported our prayers. For righteous prayer is unconquerable. No one who offers holy supplication to God fails to obtain what he seeks, nor is refusal possible except where faith is slackening; for God is always gracious, always ready to approve of human virtue. So, while it is natural for man to go wrong at times, God is not the cause of human error. That is why it is fitting for all godly people to give thanks to the Savior of all: first for our own personal safety, and then for the happy state of public affairs. At the same time they should ask for the favor of Christ with holy prayers and constant supplication, that he would continue our present blessings to us. For he is the unconquerable ally and protector of the righteous; he is the supreme judge of all things, the prince of immortality, the giver of everlasting life. [a]