“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love
your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I [Jesus] say to you, love your
enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for
those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your
Father in heaven.” –
Matthew 5:43-45
Praying for people. Who are you willing to pray for? Just the people you care about. Not just the people you feel sorry for or compassion towards, but those people who treat you poorly, those people you really don’t like. You should not pray for them merely because Jesus said to. In a way that’s like your parents telling you to say you are sorry for hitting your brother or sister. You say “I’m sorry”, after some coaxing, but you don’t mean it. You just said it because you were told to say it.
We pray for those people, not merely that they would be right before God, but because if we don’t, if we harbor anger, disgust, hatred in our hearts, we, ourselves, are not right with God. Like forgiveness, praying for them releases us from a heavy burden. Jesus was telling those listening to Him and now to us, that we must love, even those who hate us. Like God loves. That love, which is rooted in the supernatural, enabled by the Spirit and our obedience, is an open door to restoration, but by forgiving and praying we merely open the door. It is the responsibility of the one who is prayed for or forgiven to walk through the door. That requires heart change and that can only happen between them and God.
Can you think of someone that is impossible for you to pray for? What they have done is just too hurtful? They need Jesus. Restoration begins with being right with God. So if I might paraphrase what Jesus told us. “Pray for those who have harmed you in some way. Pray that they will recognize their sin, not just their sin directed toward you, but they will be convicted of their sin towards God and repent. When people sin against other people, they sin against God. So pray for them. Release them and what they have done to God the Father, lest you, yourself, sin in your heart.”
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” – Luke 6:32-36
Have you ever prayed for someone but with no real expectation that God will do anything or perhaps a hope that He won’t? You don’t have to answer that. There is no way that you will fulfill the scripture on your own. If Jesus says do something, his command is founded in faith not in works. He is not saying “Do the very best you can to treat those people better.” He is saying “In your weakness, my strength is made perfect.. You can do all things through Me.” You cannot obey God apart from faith and the power of the Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6) “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” So are you supposed to pray for those people with the hope that God will answer? Yes, but your heart and Spirit must be right, first.
Praying for people. Who are you willing to pray for? Just the people you care about. Not just the people you feel sorry for or compassion towards, but those people who treat you poorly, those people you really don’t like. You should not pray for them merely because Jesus said to. In a way that’s like your parents telling you to say you are sorry for hitting your brother or sister. You say “I’m sorry”, after some coaxing, but you don’t mean it. You just said it because you were told to say it.
We pray for those people, not merely that they would be right before God, but because if we don’t, if we harbor anger, disgust, hatred in our hearts, we, ourselves, are not right with God. Like forgiveness, praying for them releases us from a heavy burden. Jesus was telling those listening to Him and now to us, that we must love, even those who hate us. Like God loves. That love, which is rooted in the supernatural, enabled by the Spirit and our obedience, is an open door to restoration, but by forgiving and praying we merely open the door. It is the responsibility of the one who is prayed for or forgiven to walk through the door. That requires heart change and that can only happen between them and God.
Can you think of someone that is impossible for you to pray for? What they have done is just too hurtful? They need Jesus. Restoration begins with being right with God. So if I might paraphrase what Jesus told us. “Pray for those who have harmed you in some way. Pray that they will recognize their sin, not just their sin directed toward you, but they will be convicted of their sin towards God and repent. When people sin against other people, they sin against God. So pray for them. Release them and what they have done to God the Father, lest you, yourself, sin in your heart.”
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.” – Luke 6:32-36
Have you ever prayed for someone but with no real expectation that God will do anything or perhaps a hope that He won’t? You don’t have to answer that. There is no way that you will fulfill the scripture on your own. If Jesus says do something, his command is founded in faith not in works. He is not saying “Do the very best you can to treat those people better.” He is saying “In your weakness, my strength is made perfect.. You can do all things through Me.” You cannot obey God apart from faith and the power of the Spirit. (Zechariah 4:6) “‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.” So are you supposed to pray for those people with the hope that God will answer? Yes, but your heart and Spirit must be right, first.
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