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Praying for Deliverance from Slander in Orthodoxy

Praying for deliverance from slander is a common theme in biblical texts, reflecting a deep human desire for protection against false accusations and malicious speech. Slander, defined as speaking evil of others, is consistently condemned in Scripture as an abomination to God [1, 2]. The Psalmist cries out, "Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue" [3]. This plea highlights the distress caused by slander and the reliance on divine intervention for relief.

Slander encompasses various forms of harmful speech, including whispering, backbiting, evil surmising, tale-bearing, babbling, tattling, evil speaking, defaming, and bearing false witness [1]. It originates from an "evil heart" [1], as Jesus taught in Matthew 15:19, and is explicitly forbidden in passages such as Exodus 23:1 and Ephesians 4:31 [1]. The Apostle Paul exhorts believers to "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice" [2].

The act of prayer itself is understood as direct address to God, an "intercourse of the soul with God" [4]. When facing slander, individuals turn to God in supplication, pouring out their souls before Him [4]. John Gill, in his commentary on the Psalms, interprets prayers for deliverance as encompassing freedom from the dominion and guilt of sin, which he sees as the underlying cause of distress, both internal and external [5]. Similarly, Matthew Henry notes that David's experience of deliverance from a "false tongue" was obtained through prayer, as he was brought into great distress by those who sought his ruin through lies and deceit [6]. These lies could involve flattery to gain trust before betraying counsel, or outright false accusations [6].

The patristic tradition also emphasizes the importance of prayer for deliverance from evil. Augustine, in his homilies on the Gospels, discusses the petition "Deliver us from evil" in the Lord's Prayer, stating that "whoso wishes to be delivered from evil, bears witness that he is in evil" [10]. He connects this to the broader human condition, acknowledging that even well-disposed individuals can fall into error due to human frailty [8]. Augustine also links evil-speaking to sin, noting that while human nature is good, it is not always free from evil, necessitating prayer for deliverance [12].

The condemnation of evil-speaking is not limited to direct slander but extends to any "odious crimination which springs from a malicious and proud mind," as John Calvin explains in his Institutes of the Christian Religion [11]. However, Calvin distinguishes this from legitimate rebuke for correction, judicial decisions, public censure, or disclosures made for safety [11]. The early Christian writer Hermas also warned against speaking evil of others or listening with pleasure to slander, stating that believing slander makes one partake in the sin of the slanderer [14].

In the Old Testament, the Midrash Rabbah connects slander to leprosy, illustrating the severe consequences and defilement associated with malicious speech. It recounts a tradition where God afflicted the serpent with leprosy for engaging in slander [13]. This highlights the ancient understanding of slander as a deeply defiling act with divine repercussions.

Prophets like Jeremiah also prayed for deliverance from enemies who were stirred up by his faithful denunciations, asking God to "Heal... save" him from the evils he faced due to contact with ungodly foes [7]. This demonstrates that prayers for deliverance from slander are often intertwined with pleas for protection from those who actively seek to harm through words. Matthew Henry further observes that in times of affliction, individuals should pray, spreading their case before God and trusting in His compassionate consideration [9].

The consistent biblical and theological emphasis on the destructive nature of slander, coupled with the examples of prayer for deliverance, underscores the belief that God is the ultimate refuge and source of protection against such verbal assaults.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Slander — An abomination to God -- Pr 6:16,19. Forbidden -- Ex 23:1; Eph 4:31; Jas 4:11. Includes Whispering. -- Ro 1:29; 2Co 12:20. Backbiting. -- Ro 1:30; 2Co 12:20. Evil surmising. -- 1Ti 6:4. Tale-bearing. -- Le 19:16. Babbling. -- Ec 10:11. Tattling. -- 1Ti 5:13. Evil speaking. -- Ps 41:5; 109:20. Defaming. -- Jer 20:10; 1Co 4:13. Bearing false witness. -- Ex 20:16; De 5:20; Lu 3:14. Judging charitably. -- Jas 4:11,12. Raising false reports. -- Ex 23:1. Repeating matters. -- Pr 17:9. Is a deceitful work -- Ps 52:2. Comes from the evil heart -- Mt 15:19; Lu 6:45.”
  2. Ephesians “Ephesians 4:31 (BSB) — Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.”
  3. Psalms “Psalms 120:2 (KJV) — Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue.”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
  5. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 39:8: Deliver me from all my transgressions,.... Which were the cause and occasion of all his distresses, inward and outward; and the deliverance prayed for includes a freedom from the dominion of sin, which is by the power of efficacious grace; and from the guilt of sin, which is by the application of the blood of Christ; and from obligation to punishment for it, or deliverance from wrath to come, which is through Christ's being made a curse, and enduring wrath in the room and stead of his people; and from the very being of sin, which, though it cannot be expected in this ”
  6. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 120:1: Here is, I. Deliverance from a false tongue obtained by prayer. David records his own experience of this. 1. He was brought into distress, into great distress, by lying lips and a deceitful tongue. There were those that sought his ruin, and had almost effected it, by lying. (1.) By telling lies to him. They flattered him with professions and protestations of friendships, and promises of kindness and service to him, that they might the more securely and without suspicion carry on their designs against him, and might have an opportunity, by betraying his counsels, ”
  7. Jeremiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Jeremiah 17:14: Prayer of the prophet for deliverance from the enemies whom he excited by his faithful denunciations. Heal . . . save--not only make me whole (as to the evils of soul as well as body which I am exposed to by contact with ungodly foes, Jer 15:18), but keep me so. my praise--He whom I have to praise for past favors, and therefore to whom alone I look for the time to come.”
  8. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — CHAP. IX.--30. The sixth petition is, "And brings us not into temptation." Some manuscripts have the word "lead,"[5] which is, I judge, equivalent in meaning: for both translations have arisen from t (part 4): into, when, under the influence of terror, he denied his Lord. There are also temptations common to man, I believe, when every one, though well disposed, yet yielding to human frailty, falls into error in some plan, or is irritated against a brother, in the earnest endeavour to bring him round to what is right, yet a little more than Ch”
  9. Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 119:153: Here, I. David prays for succour in distress. Is any afflicted? let him pray; let him pray as David does here. 1. He has an eye to God's pity, and prays, "Consider my affliction; take it into thy thoughts, and all the circumstances of it, and sit not by as one unconcerned." God is never unmindful of his people's afflictions, but he will have us to put him in remembrance (Isa 43:26), to spread our case before him, and then leave it to his compassionate consideration to do in it as in his wisdom he shall think fit, in his own time and way. 2. He has an eye to God”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 6: Augustine — Homilies on the Gospels — AGAIN ON THE LORD'S PRAYER, MATT. VI. TO THE COMPETENTES. (part 9): from the heart, when thou forgivest thy brother his sin. The other alms is that which is done out of thy substance, when thou dealest bread to the poor. Offer both, lest without either wing thy prayer remain motionless. 11. Therefore when we have said, "Lead us not into temptation," there follows, "But deliver us from evil." Now whoso wishes to be delivered from evil, bears witness that he is in evil. And thus saith the Apostle, "Redeeming 288 the time, because the days are ev”
  11. CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 44: God takes an interest in it. Wherefore, evil-speaking in general is undoubtedly 354 condemned. Moreover, by evil-speaking, we understand not the rebuke which is administered with a view of correcting; not accusation or judicial decision, by which evil is sought to be remedied; not public censure, which tends to strike terror into other offenders; not the disclosure made to those whose safety depends on being forewarned, lest unawares they should be brought into danger, but the odious crimination which springs from a malicious and p”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 5: Augustine — Anti-Pelagian — CHAP. VI. (12.) THE TWELFTH BREVIATE. (part 2): it has by man's sole will come to pass that he has come into such a necessity as cannot be overcome by man's sole will. (14.) THE FOURTEENTH BREVIATE. XIV. "Again the question must be asked," he says, "If man's nature is good, as nobody but Marcion or Manichaeus will venture to deny, in what way is it good if it is impossible for it to be free from evil? For that all sin is evil who can gainsay?" We answer, that man's nature is both good, and is also able to be free from evil. Therefore do we earnestly pra”
  13. Midrash Rabbah (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Midrash Rabbah, Shemot Rabbah 3:13: “The Lord said to him further: Put your hand in your bosom. He put his hand in his bosom and took it out, and behold, his hand was leprous, like snow” (Exodus 4:6). “The Lord said to him further: Put your hand in your bosom.” He said to him: ‘It is just like the serpent who, when he engaged in slander, I afflicted him with leprosy, as it is stated: “Cursed [ arur ] are you from all the animals” (Genesis 3:14), as you say: “Malignant [ mameret ] leprosy”’ (Leviticus 13:51). Rabbi Elazar said: Those spots on it [the serpent] are leprous marks; so do you deserv”
  14. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 2: Hermas, Tatian, Theophilus, Athenagoras, Clement of Alexandria — ON AVOIDING EVIL-SPEAKING, AND ON GIVING ALMS IN SIMPLICITY.: He said to me, "Be simple and guileless, and you will be as the children who know not the wickedness that ruins the life of men. First, then, speak evil of no one, nor listen with pleasure to any one who speaks evil of another. But if you listen, you will partake of the sin of him who speaks evil, if you believe the slander which you hear;(3) for believing it, you will also have something to say against your brother. Thus, then, will you be guilty of the sin”
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