Praying For Your Enemies
The preacher at the church I attend has been giving a series of Sunday morning lessons on forgiveness. It's been a convicting few mornings to say the least! I recently came across the verse I've heard and read several times before about praying for your enemies, and this time it stuck around with me for a little while. I've always heard this verse and naively thought to myself "Oh well I don't really have any enemies, I get along with most people fairly well. I don't hate anyone." And you know what? That's what the Devil loves for us to do with scripture- to not think that it applies to us or to not give it a second thought or time in meditation, to move on. And praying? Yeah, Satan HATES for us to pray to our God! So stay with me and let's take a deeper look at the passage where Jesus is talking:
"But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." Luke 6:27-36
Jesus says that even worldly people love people who love them. We are commanded to love others, including the people that don't love us back! That's a hard concept in today's society. As God's people, we are to give freely, love deeply, and turn the other cheek- over and over and over again.
Let's look at a few more pieces of related scripture:
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you."
Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgiven them, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins."
Matthew 5:43-46 "You have heart that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"
The website dictionary.com defines enemy as "a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another". The Bible clearly shows us that your enemy is not always someone you feel hatred for. Your enemy can also be anyone who treats you wrong, who curses you, who mistreats you, who steals from you, who is wicked, who is ungrateful, who persecutes you, or any combination of the aforementioned things. I don't know about you, but when I look at it this way, I have encountered a plethora of enemies in my life. If I'm being honest, I haven't prayed for most of them. I'm so grateful for this study and for God's grace! This is definitely an area of prayer in which I need to improve.
Mark 11:25 "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgiven them, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you your sins."
Matthew 5:43-46 "You have heart that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"
The website dictionary.com defines enemy as "a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another". The Bible clearly shows us that your enemy is not always someone you feel hatred for. Your enemy can also be anyone who treats you wrong, who curses you, who mistreats you, who steals from you, who is wicked, who is ungrateful, who persecutes you, or any combination of the aforementioned things. I don't know about you, but when I look at it this way, I have encountered a plethora of enemies in my life. If I'm being honest, I haven't prayed for most of them. I'm so grateful for this study and for God's grace! This is definitely an area of prayer in which I need to improve.
So...when someone cuts you off in traffic, borrows something from you without returning it, or is just plain rude to you, how often do you smile and give love in return? These are the people that Jesus is commanding that we not only love but we PRAY FOR. I've found that in these times if I try to view the person as God does, I start to see that person differently. I see them as a person who needs Jesus, just like me! And since God is love, that person needs love! I can share God with that person by loving them. If I love God, then I follow His commands (John 14:15), and He commands me to pray for my enemies!
Choosing joy,
Jocelyn
Choosing joy,
Jocelyn
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