Jesus to Destroy Enemies Today Again

A Powerful Prayer for Your Enemies

• www.rebeccabarlowjordan.com
• 2018 7 Dec

"Pray for those who persecute you." Perhaps one of the hardest commands Jesus gives to usa as His disciples is to anoint, love, and pray for our enemies. Merely how tin can you pray for someone who wants to harm you? In ourselves, nosotros can't. Merely through the power of God's Spirit working through us, all things are possible. Through Jesus, we can pray for our enemies. Hither's one way you might pray:

What Does the Bible Say about 'Pray for Those Who Persecute You'

In the Old Testament, even righteous people prayed for God to destroy their enemies in barbarous means. Their prayers were not prayers of approval. Proverbs and other passages talk nigh how to treat our enemies in positive ways. But Jesus turned life upside downwardly with His command to bless, to beloved, and to pray for our enemies. While not defining who our enemies were, in the Beatitudes Jesus described enemies equally those who mock u.s., persecute us, lie about us, or despitefully utilise the states. And that nosotros were blest if we experienced those things. He added that those who were not for Him were against Him. Jesus taught a new way to live life: with love, not hate. He encouraged the states to recognize that the truthful enemy backside all wrongs is Satan—and how to resist him. Merely regarding our earthly enemies, when we don't know how or what to pray for them, we can trust the Holy Spirit to pray through u.s..

A Prayer for Your Enemies

Lord Jesus, following Your example and command, we pray for our enemies today. Nosotros inquire first that You would saturate our lives with the Holy Spirit's power and might. Send Your honey flowing through united states of america, and forgive us for property on to anything that could hinder our prayers. We release whatever unforgiveness, thoughts of revenge, or hateful emotions that can quench Your Spirit in our hearts. Then give us wisdom as we seek how to bless, to love, and to pray for our enemies.

Nosotros pray for you to bless our enemies and to orchestrate events in their lives that volition leave their hearts exposed earlier yous. As  You characterized blessing in the Beatitudes, we pray that You would give them a poverty of spirit that recognizes their deep need for You. We pray they will discover Your comfort in times of mourning, and they would be humbled earlier You—in Your way and Your time. We pray You would evidence them mercy before it is too belatedly—knowing we were all God's enemies before You extended mercy to us—and that they would, in plough, be merciful to others.

Lord, nosotros pray that instead of lusting for pure evil, they would hunger and thirst for Your purity and righteousness, become advocates of Your justice and that their warring spirits would be inverse into peacemaking. Remove the façade of well-being; tear down the lies that accept deceived them; and hedge their means until they can come across no style out only upwards. We pray You would show them the futility of what they are doing because in opposing God'due south kingdom and in their darkness, they are oftentimes oblivious about the true reasons for their behavior and resulting consequences. Reveal to them any deep hurts or traumas in their own lives that may be contributing to their destructive actions.

Knowing how you sometimes use pain and difficulty to bring blessing to our lives, we pray the same for our enemies. Use whatsoever means You need to soften stony hearts, open blind eyes, and to assistance them realize their ultimate neediness for You. If necessary, let persecution in their own lives so they can experience Your blessing. Speak to them in miraculous, supernatural ways if necessary, through a dream, a movie, another believer, Your Word—or even through our ain lives if nosotros are always confronted. In some way, permit them witness Your ability and recognize that You are the source. We pray for conviction, for an honest evaluation of their ain destiny, and for a sense of desperation if that's what it takes for them to consider Your claims and to discover Who You actually are. Pursue them, even assuasive goodness to atomic number 82 them to repentance. And give us patience and a deep trust in You, Lord, even when we can't see any alter in our enemies. When we waver, not wanting to pray for our enemies, help us to remember Your grace in our own lives, and what we would exist without You.

Why Should We 'Pray for Those Who Persecute You'

Why should nosotros pray for our enemies? Considering Jesus did. He prayed for those who opposed Him, for those who devised evil against Him, and ultimately equally He hung on the Cantankerous, Jesus prayed for His Father to forgive all those who had a part in His death—because they didn't know what they were doing. Jesus modeled unconditional beloved and how nosotros should pray for our enemies, then commanded us to do the same.

Prayer is an amazing discipline and privilege. What usually happens when we pray for anyone, is that the prayer acts as a boomerang. God may or may not respond in the way we prayed, but God often chooses to bless and change u.s.a. as a result of our obedience to pray. It's hard to stay angry at someone for whom you lot earnestly pray. Prayer likewise leaves the consequences, revenge, and complete justice to God. It'due south a transference of our will into God's hands. By praying for our enemies, God's Spirit tin can supernaturally testify honey and kindness through us or some other that may ultimately change them. That process can also eradicate our fear of our enemies considering perfect love casts out fear. Jesus said not to be afraid of those who could destroy usa physically. Instead, nosotros are to fearfulness—a reverent mental attitude—the 1 Who determines and fulfills our soul's destiny.

seven Bible Verses that Give The states Perspective most Praying for Our Enemies:

• Proverbs 16:7 NASB, When a human being'due south ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to exist at peace with him.
• Matthew 5:44 KJV,Only I say unto you lot, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, practise skilful to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.
• Luke 23:34 NIV, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
• Mark 11:25 NIV, "And when yous stand praying, if you lot concord anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
• Romans 12:20-21 MSG, Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person dejeuner, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't allow evil get the all-time of you; get the best of evil by doing skillful.
• 1 Peter 3:9 TLB, Don't repay evil for evil. Don't snap back at those who say unkind things about you. Instead, pray for God'due south help for them, for we are to exist kind to others, and God will bless united states of america for it.
• Proverbs 20:22 NLT, Don't say, "I will get even for this incorrect." Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.

To Jesus, every person mattered. He came to show u.s.a. the Father'south complete beloved, even while nosotros were still His "enemies." And when He called the states every bit His followers, He didn't leave us without a model. Knowing we would be mistreated and even persecuted for belonging to and assertive in Him, He commanded us to pray for our enemies. When we do, God's ability is unleashed in them—and in us.

Farther Reading

How Can Nosotros Pray for Those Who Persecute Us?

How Do We Pray for Those Who Hurt Us?

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This commodity is office of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times.Visit our nearly popular prayers if yous are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart fifty-fifty if you lot tin't find the words to pray.

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