Pray For Your Enemies

Pray For Your Enemies


“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” (Matthew 5:44)

I believe that there are some things that are taught in scripture that you understand better when God blesses you to experience the situation yourself, and see how doing things God's way produces the results that you were told would happen when you walk in principles.

The Message Bible

Matthew 5:43-47 "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.”

In the church, we all are supposed to know that the response to bad treatment is – prayer! We are supposed to PRAY for the person who maliciously harms us. But the question is: how do we do it? WHAT do we pray for in relation to them? Unfortunately, most do not only pray, but also seethe in “righteous” indignation at the hurt received. We have heard about a lot of failures in that area - many have prayed, but the anger has remained!

When the young man took Carol’s purse recently, I instinctively ran after him. When I caught up to him I was angry, mostly that he would be taking my hard earned cash that Carol had just put in her purse in the car before we got out, and some of hers, and the credit cards which causes a lot of work to cancel them all. I was shouting at him as I approached at full sprint and again as he dropped the purse and ran away, about what I planned to do if I caught him.
When I saw him a few days later walking into our development, I was with Steven and we pulled over and I got out to be sure it was him. I walked towards him and calmly said “you are the guy who stole my wife’s purse last Friday night” He took one look at me and took off for the fence, jumped up on to it. Flipped over it and took off into the development. Again I was shouting at him about what I’d like to do to him and calling him a criminal. Again I called the police to tell them I’d saw him again.

We know that forgiveness is a necessary element in our response. When Jesus was on the cross, He said the words, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do” (Luke 23:34). You might think, “Well, He’s God and I’m only a human being – He can forgive, but I can’t!” And that’s true. But Scripture teaches that it’s,” It is not by force, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies”. (Zechariah 4:6) It is not by your strength that can forgive. The Lord can take our helplessness and do what is impossible for you and me alone.
Through Him, we Can release the anger, the hatred that is felt about the person who did the harm, or committed the crime.
Stephen was not God, neither was he an apostle; he was just an ordinary man, but by the Lord in Him, he did something amazing. As the angry mob was throwing stones at him and Stephen knew he was about to die, he shouted words that should be ours, as well: “Lord, do not charge them with this sin” (Acts 7:60).Wow, could you or I do that?
To be hit with just one rock is an unpleasant experience, and many stones were thrown. Stephen’s bones were being broken and his enemies were shouting unforgivable insults. Emotionally and physically – it hurt! But he called out to the Lord, and knew God’s forgiveness for his attackers, as the last breath went out of his shattered body.

Today’s Scripture says that we are incredibly to “Do good” to those who hate us. Jesus supplied specific examples of HOW to “do good” in relation to them. He said, “Whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two” (Matthew 5:39-41). Incredibly, don’t retaliate. Instead – help them!
It seems that we are intended to always do “nice” things and pray “nice” prayers for the one who slaps, sues, or robs us. And that’s the truth, except that “nice” from God’s vantage point, is not necessarily our way of looking at things. His aim is that our enemy will have a changed life and won’t slap people anymore. Stephen saw his attackers’ need, and God has many ways to reach sinners like them, and you and me.

When I saw this young man who stole my wife’s purse the third time I was coming home from work last Wednesday night after 8:00 PM. I did a U-turn and drove past him and turned around again. I pulled into the gas station where he had walked to and parked there. He then left and started walking north back up Military Trail towards the gate to our development. I think he saw me park at the Circle K across from the gas station and he kept walking. As I drove up the street passing him he ducked into an alcove on the side of the road and hid. I had ice in the car and drove home to put it in the freezer. I saw my neighbor Peter as I was walking into my house and he was asking me if I’d seen the man again, and I said “ Yes, just now and I’ll be right out”. Peter and I started walking towards the gate house and I called Chris at the gate house and asked him if he’d seen someone as I described coming past the gate and he said “ he is coming through right now”
Peter and I now could see him as we walked toward him from afar and we hesitated as he turned and walked into the community. Peter and I split up, he walked the lake behind the houses following the man and I walked the street. We went a long way around and then I saw that Peter had come out to the street, so I cut over to the lake. As I am walking I see that he has somehow eluded Peter and he is trotting back the other way on the street. We look at each other through the pass through between the apartments, and as he disappears I turn and jog the other way, that he is now going. At the next pass through we see each other again and we both stop. He turns and walks towards me and I walk toward him.I have spent the last 20 years consistantly training in the Martial Arts.I hold high level belts in multipal styles. I run a couple miles every other day, do a few rounds on the heavy bag,do a full Karate stretch and exersize, and throw some weights around, I am completly ready for this moment.However God has His own plans throughout this entire situation. I am walking towrd him and he is walking closer to me, I am taking off my watch and glasses preparing to rumble. We walk right up to each other face to face and he says, “why are you dogging me?” I say, “because you stole my wife’s purse”. He says, “but I did not get anything”. I now say, “yes, you did not get anything, but you robbed us and that is a crime for which I have reported you to the Police” I asked him, “How old are you”, and he said 20 yrs. old. I then say, Look, you need to seek the Lord in your life and pray to draw closer to Him so that you will not continue to do things like this". He says, “I am sorry, I’m sorry and I pray every night that I won’t get in trouble for this that I have done”. I say to him, “ you need to never do something like this again” He now says, “ I don’t do this, it was a mistake and I am sorry, now will you stop dogging me?” I say,”OK, if you are truly sorry and you do not plan to do it again to anyone, I will forgive you now and you and I are OK,I forgive you”.
He looks at me looking very scared still, and we turn and walk our separate ways.

I went home and told Carol what happened and then Peter knocked on the door. I walked outside with him and he said,"I guess he got away". I said,"no, I caught up with him and spoke to him". His eyes got wide and he said, "did you fight, why didn't you hold him for the Police?" I told Peter what happened and that I had no choice but to believe him and forgive him. Peter said to me, "you forgive him? I said, Yes, Peter,"I forgive him". Peter said," alright then, if you forgive him then I forgive him".

I am a sinner saved by the Grace that was given to me by my Lord and savoir Jesus Christ, who paid my debt for all the sin I have done, by dying for me on a cross. God forgives me, and I am the most like Christ when I am loving those that have wronged me,and forgiving them.

This was a DEFINING MOMENT in my walk of faith, and I feel that this experience has taken me to a new closer relationship with my Lord Jesus Christ by being his ambassador and letting the Holy Spirit guide me as I walked calmly into a potentially dangerous situation. I am now praying for this young man daily and will continue to intercede in prayer for him.

In the words of a Perry’s song….Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave, and each time I’m reminded of my past mistakes, I remember what’s been forgotten, through His blood my sins are erased, and Grace doesn't remember what Jesus forgave.

Jesus was hanging on the cross between two thief’s and one of them asked Him for forgiveness.

One way to reach your enemies is by unexpectedly being kind in return for evil. There are characters out there who will gladly slap your other cheek, and then sue for damages if you disappoint them by not fighting back. And especially note that you accomplish NOTHING by passively responding in your OWN STRENGTH. Your enemy needs to see the Spirit of God in you. Your personal gentleness is not the point.

When someone is your enemy, when they gossip about you or steal what is rightfully yours, the first place you should go is to God! And that is what Psalms is all about. Psalm 140 starts out, “Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men…” Psalm 141 begins, “Lord, I cry out to you…” Psalm 142 does much the same – the Psalms are a cry to God! All the Psalms are actually prayers.

EVERYONE HAS DEFINING MOMENTS...IT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO DO WITH THEM.....

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble (1 John 2:9-10).


Not only has God put his spirit in me to forgive this man, but I also deeply wish him well. If i could see him again I would ask him to go to lunch, and witness to him how I was 20 and got into trouble, and where the Lord has taken me now as I now walk in His principles

Lets pray: Father I cry out to you from the bottom of my heart and the depths of my soul, Father thank you for putting a forgiving expression in me in the situation with that young man the other night, In the flesh I was prepared to fight, but Lord God… if I hold my peace…and let you fight my battles, Victory, Victory shall be mine. Father you have given me the most defining moment in my obedience to you, and you have shown me that when I am the most like your son Jesus Christ I am closest to you. I will use this experience to motivate me more now the ever to pick up my cross daily, and follow Jesus. To draw my boat up on the shore and leave my former life behind and follow Him. Amen