Pray for Your Enemies

Matthew 5: 43 - 46, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I 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; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. NKJV

Have you ever wondered what would happen in the world if every Christian fulfilled the requirements that Jesus gave to us in today's text? The world would definitely be a far better place to live. When we make the decision to live according to Jesus' instructions, it frees us to live a life that isn't bound by wounded emotions or vengeful thoughts. When we choose to obey the commands of Jesus which are found in this chapter, we are also releasing God to settle the battles justly on our behalf.

In Deuteronomy, we read that it is God's will for His people (Christians) to live above and not beneath. Our heavenly Father doesn't want us to live in bondage to anyone or anything. However, in order to live above the influence of this world, we must know and obey what Jesus has said. Nevertheless, even if what He requires is hard for us to do, if we comply, we will greatly benefit as a result of our obedience.

The Lord has given me two examples to share with you of when someone prayed for their enemies while they were being violently persecuted. After the Roman soldiers had beaten Jesus without mercy, they stripped Him of His clothes and nailed Him to a wooden cross. Nonetheless, before Jesus yielded up His Spirit, He prayed and asked His Father to forgive those who had crucified Him. 

 
This very short, but effective prayer changed the course of history. In Ephesians, 4, Paul tells us that God has forgiven us for Christ's sake. Jesus' prayer on the cross released the Father to have mercy and to show us grace (unmerited favor) so that we might be forgiven. You and I have been forgiven because Jesus chose to honor the very teaching that He gave us during His Sermon on the Mount.

In Acts 7, we read that Stephen was being stoned, yet he prayed unto God and asked Him not to hold their sin against them. Stephen's love for God was displayed to all who were present when he was being stoned to death. He exemplified the very attributes of Christ in his death. Stephen made a very hard, but important decision in the final moments of his life. He chose to love his enemies and to release them from any unforgiveness. 

If you choose to forgive others and pray for your enemies, you are releasing yourself from a potential stronghold of the enemy to harden your heart against God and His Word. When we choose to bless our enemies, we are inviting the presence of God to move on our behalf, thus allowing God's will and not man's to be fulfilled in the other person's life. In so doing, we are living the life that is a reflection of God; therefore, the world will know that we are the children of God. God is love, and everyone who is born of God also loves.

Pray Your Way to Freedom,

Pastor Asa Dockery