What? Pray For My Enemy?
Proverbs 24:17-18 "Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the Lord will be displeased with you and will turn His anger away from them.”
I believe we ARE to pray for ourselves, against our enemies. We ARE to pray for protection & guidance & even success over our enemies. However, we are NOT to be all excited, throw a party, or gloat over our enemies when they fall. In 1 Samuel, we learn a GREAT example of praying for our enemies and trusting in God to provide for us thru the trial of an enemy. In Matthew 5:44, we are told to not only "pray" for our enemies, but to "love" them! WHAT?!?! How is this possible?? Well, it's all about your heart.
I had an experience a long time ago, that taught me to 'pray' for my enemies. I worked in an office for a buyer, and an assistant buyer or purchasing agent. The lady under our buyer, the assistant, did NOT like me for some reason. I have no idea what I did, or why she felt this way towards me! However, on a daily basis, she had harsh words, and disrespectful actions and attitudes towards me. Yes, a lot of times, I would be lead to tears from this treatment. Then, one day, on my way to work, while I was pouring out my "why me" pity party to God - He gently said "pray for her". Well, naturally, my first prayers 'for her' that came out were of removal, destruction, and all negative stuff towards her... then He gently said, "pray for her day." As shocked as I was, at this new thought, I did it. I prayed for her getting ready for work, her life at home, her day to be successful and productive.... I began to pray for her "day" every day on my way to work. That God would bless her. It didn't take too many days before my heart and attitude changed towards her! What is strange - I'm not sure she 'changed' towards me actually, but my perception of her and what she did or said towards me changed. So, then my attitude changed.
It was MY heart that needed work! It was for MY sake, that the Lord asked me to pray for her. Not that she would ever even know it, but I knew it. He knew it. We cannot control others, their actions, or their thoughts - sometimes, depending on who they are over us, we cannot control their actions towards us either. However, we DO have control over how we react to them and their behavior. If we start to pray for our enemies, when something happens to them like a consequences for their actions...we can praise God for dealing with their issues, but then something strange happens - we actually have compassion for them, and pray differently for them and their "corrections" that are coming their way.
If you have someone in your life that is a source of pain, they taunt you, cause you to come to tears...PRAY for them!! Pray for their day, their actions, their heart, their success.... Believe me, even if they actually do not change, it will seem as if they did - and for THAT, you can and will praise God for!! I am praying for you and your day.
I believe we ARE to pray for ourselves, against our enemies. We ARE to pray for protection & guidance & even success over our enemies. However, we are NOT to be all excited, throw a party, or gloat over our enemies when they fall. In 1 Samuel, we learn a GREAT example of praying for our enemies and trusting in God to provide for us thru the trial of an enemy. In Matthew 5:44, we are told to not only "pray" for our enemies, but to "love" them! WHAT?!?! How is this possible?? Well, it's all about your heart.
I had an experience a long time ago, that taught me to 'pray' for my enemies. I worked in an office for a buyer, and an assistant buyer or purchasing agent. The lady under our buyer, the assistant, did NOT like me for some reason. I have no idea what I did, or why she felt this way towards me! However, on a daily basis, she had harsh words, and disrespectful actions and attitudes towards me. Yes, a lot of times, I would be lead to tears from this treatment. Then, one day, on my way to work, while I was pouring out my "why me" pity party to God - He gently said "pray for her". Well, naturally, my first prayers 'for her' that came out were of removal, destruction, and all negative stuff towards her... then He gently said, "pray for her day." As shocked as I was, at this new thought, I did it. I prayed for her getting ready for work, her life at home, her day to be successful and productive.... I began to pray for her "day" every day on my way to work. That God would bless her. It didn't take too many days before my heart and attitude changed towards her! What is strange - I'm not sure she 'changed' towards me actually, but my perception of her and what she did or said towards me changed. So, then my attitude changed.
It was MY heart that needed work! It was for MY sake, that the Lord asked me to pray for her. Not that she would ever even know it, but I knew it. He knew it. We cannot control others, their actions, or their thoughts - sometimes, depending on who they are over us, we cannot control their actions towards us either. However, we DO have control over how we react to them and their behavior. If we start to pray for our enemies, when something happens to them like a consequences for their actions...we can praise God for dealing with their issues, but then something strange happens - we actually have compassion for them, and pray differently for them and their "corrections" that are coming their way.
If you have someone in your life that is a source of pain, they taunt you, cause you to come to tears...PRAY for them!! Pray for their day, their actions, their heart, their success.... Believe me, even if they actually do not change, it will seem as if they did - and for THAT, you can and will praise God for!! I am praying for you and your day.
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