Week 5 — Tuesday: Praying For Your Enemy Is To Love
Matthew 5:43-48
Yes or No? Have you actually loved and prayed for your enemy?
If you answer yes, then you know, like it or not, this must be done because:
- Jesus instructs us to do so, and we respond out of obedience to Him.
- Remember, our enemy has also been made in the image of God.
- Our actions are witnessing to those God places around us.
- It transforms who we are from the inside out.
Praying for my enemy has changed my life. My walk with the Lord has not been the same since I finally, (yes I delayed) and wholeheartedly, submitted my will over to this practice Jesus called me to do.
What I have experienced from this pardon of prayer practice is freedom from the emotional and mental anguish caused by unforgiveness.
When and how does one start? Start today praying first for yourself and second for your enemy. Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you. Our start begins with obedience to Jesus’ words. Through that obedience, our hearts soften, and our attitude toward praying for our enemy becomes real. I have heard Pastor Rick Countryman say time and again, “I don’t know man, I don’t know the ‘it,’ ‘it’ just happens, something just happens.”
Would I go through all I have been through to become the person I am today or the person God intends me to be? Without a doubt, absolutely!!
Pastor Joel Boone recently told me, “EGR is required.” I asked, “What is EGR?” He chuckled and said, “Extra Grace is Required.”
I am thankful that Jesus grants me life-changing “EGR.” Maybe the pardon of prayer received will be transforming for our enemy as well.
—CONTRIBUTED BY CINDY WATERSON—
Christine Pence
October 3, 2023 at 12:52 pmYou guys sent the exact same scriptures that you sent yesterday I was like whoa I already read all those yesterday it’s good reference I guess God bless you all and I do pray for my enemies and I do try to pray for others many I pray for myself I know some Christians believe or some people believe that you shouldn’t pray for yourself cuz you’re being selfish to God with that but the reason why I pray over myself is cuz I never know who’s praying for me or who’s praying against me cuz I have learned in my life and this is from personal experience that people can pray against you and wish things upon you and ask God to harm you it doesn’t mean God will or won’t answer those prayers it just means that some people just wish us harm and then others we know they pray to demons and that’s not good for them because they need salvation and they need to repent but I do pray for my enemies perfect example my apartment manager/landlord I don’t like her for nothing I never will tomorrow will Mark 4 years that she has been here as art manager/landlord I don’t care for this person because they have been really rude and mean and abusive and they have used their power as a way to attack their tenants their residents here and threaten them in ways that go against the apartment rules and regulations here while we hear rumors at the boss is praises person and we don’t know how true that is but this person since 4 months after they started got in my face has treated me very badly as many other fellow neighbors are mine here I don’t like this person for nothing and I had a Christian friend say you’re not entitled to like this person and I’m like but regardless of my strong disliking of the person and I have asked God to forgive me of these feelings and help me with them in many ways I do pray for this person this person is not a Christian they are an idol worshiper and they make it very clear that Christianity is not something that they want anything to do with they are happy worshiping their idol and we know how the Bible speaks very strongly how the Lord God is not happy with those who worship idols it’s like an abomination unto the Lord to worship an idol and God makes it very clear in the Bible but there is only one God and that is the God of Israel Jesus Christ it is not these pagan gods so long story short people do get upset with me a lot and I get upset with people a lot and I get offended they get offended and sometimes it’s just like really really man does it have to be this way? But I do pray for my enemies and my apartment manager/landlord is the perfect example with the abuse and mistreatment they have caused me in on a personal level and then my heart goes out to my fellow neighbors because of the things that they’ve been through I understand being a manager of an apartment complex if not four of them must be incredibly difficult and being a realtor at the same time long story short that’s a lot of work does the person have time to ever sleep I don’t know but I do pray for this person I’ve had many many dreams about her that God has given me I won’t tell you what those dreams are but they’re very personable and God has shown me this person definitely needs prayer 100%, they need salvation and I’ve told God I said Lord I know you love this person and that’s why I pray for their salvation that they repent and come to you and give up their idol worship and that they come to Christianity and to the Lord their God because it is the way to heaven to Paradise there’s no other way to have an accepted Christ Jesus we know that as Christians the pagans don’t know this but I have told God in prayer I’m like I’ll never like the person in my heart I feel guilty about it but I will never ever like this person but I have to practice forgiveness as a believer because God won’t forgive me if I don’t forgive them and God had me do an act of forgiveness for this person in 2021 and I did forgive them but I’m finding myself struggling with those feelings again but regardless of how I feel this person I wrote in this comment section is only an example to let you know in detail how even though I don’t like the person that’s in charge of my living situation I still pray for them and I still tried to respect what they want I still try to do as they say and ask I may not like having this person Lord over my life but I understand that they are the person in charge and need that respect I am their tenant and they are my manager and I have to respect that and I do what I’m told I just don’t like the person and that is something I struggle in my heart with if anyone out there sees this today and are willing to keep me in prayer about unforgiveness or holding grudges it’s mainly holding grudges on any level please feel free to do so I am totally open for you praying for me even if it’s in private I love you all and God bless hope you have a wonderful and great day and hope you’ll even pray for my health cuz I am just not feeling good these days I wish you all a good day be well and God bless bye