Sometimes God asks us to do something that doesn't make sense. Like praying for our enemies or praying for those that have hurt us. His ways are far above our ways. But to our natural minds, praying for God to help someone who has hurt us or those we love can challenge the very core of our thinking.

 Our enemies can be our literal enemies; or we can find ourselves at odds with those we call brother, sister, or family. Praying for those close to us who have hurt us can pose an even greater challenge than praying for the enemy we barely know. 

 God will dispense justice. That is his right, his job so to speak; not ours.

 And so God calls us to a higher place, to pray for our offenders, to pray for those who do wrong. But what do we pray. Dare we lift up our enemies and ask God to strengthen them? Do we go so far as to ask the Lord of righteousness and justice to refresh the spirit of the one who has hurt us? Do we call down encouragement from heaven on the one who has hurt our heart or the hearts of our children? 

 And do we find mercy for the one on trial, for the wrongdoer? Do we view them as one who needs mercy and prayer; our prayers? Can we rise to that? Can we obey the loving Father who calls us to mature sonship. God calls his own to forgive and pray for those who use us, persecute us. For he is not only the God of justice and righteousness, but he is also the God who practices steadfast, unfailing love in all the earth.

It can be hard to wrap our minds around such things, and God understands that. But God also forgave those who killed his own son. He heard the prayer of his son when he pleaded, "Father forgive them ..." That call for mercy echoes in the halls of heaven to this day. 

 "But God, if I pray strength for the one who hurt me, will that not enable them to hurt others? Won't the prayer of refreshment give them strength to continue in their ways?" These are good questions, and questions I found myself asking as the Lord called me personally to this.

But gently he answers, "Child, that is in my hands. Your responsibility is to walk as I have commanded you to walk, as I walked on this earth. I let my rain fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. My sun shines on the well-behaved and the misbehaving. That is my way, that is who I am. Reflect me."

 And so we pray. We pray for the one who has caused discouragement and confusion. We pray for the offender, for the one who has hurt us and those we love.

Know this, a changing of the guards is coming. God is calling his children higher, to greater maturity, into the perfection of sonship. 

Comments

  1. Joe SchiavoneOctober 16, 2017 at 5:57 PM

    Yes this is very difficult for our fleshly beings to embrace. we must walk in the Spirit of God to achieve this. on our own we are not capable. I have been hear, and when i pray for these i remember the script, we do not know what to pray for, but the spirit intercedes for us, and then i prayed for Gods wisdom and truth to come upon those who have hurt me. Love ya Joe

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