We’ve looked at praying for those in the ministry, for our brethren, but did you know Jesus told us to pray for our enemies!
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:44
- Praise: Can we pray one hour?
- Praise: Growing our praise time
- Praise: Praising God for Creation
- Praise: Praising God our Father
- Praise: Praising God our King
- Waiting: Waiting on the Lord
- Waiting: Waiting on His Timing
- Waiting: Waiting on His Will
- Waiting: Waiting on His Peace
- Waiting: Waiting on His Authority
- Confession: Returning to Effective Prayer
- Confession: Confession brings Mercy
- Confession: Self-Interrogation
- Confession: Sins against Others
- Confession: Psalm 51
- Scripture: Praying Scripture Prayers
- Scripture: Why & How
- Scripture: Claiming Authority
- Scripture: Praying Scripture Promises
- Scripture: Praying like David
- Watching: Jesus calls us to watch
- Watching: Robert Murray M’Cheyne
- Watching: Watching for Wisdom
- Watching: The Watch of the LORD
- Watching: The Watchman on the Wall
- Intercession: Praying for Government Officials
- Intercession: Praying for Others
- Intercession: Brethren, Pray for us
- Intercession: Praying for Enemies
- Intercession: Praying for the Persecuted
- Petition: The Prerequisite for Personal Prayer Requests
- Petition: The Answer to Worry
- Petition: Petition for Wisdom
- Petition: What about the Doldrums?
- Petition: Put off and put on
- Thanksgiving: For People
- Thanksgiving: For Events
- Thanksgiving: For His Loyalty
- Thanksgiving: For Deliverance
- Thanksgiving: Abundant, Free, yet Expected
- Singing: From Revelation
- Singing: With Deborah
- Singing: With David
- Singing: With Jehoshaphat
- Singing: With Habakkuk
- Meditate: With Joshua
- Meditate: With the Psalmist
- Meditate: With Isaac
- Meditate: With Timothy
- Meditate: With Psalm 119
They don’t like you. They mistreat you. They took the promotion that you wanted. They have the position you tried to get. They leave you out of their cliques. They give you that look.
Yet Jesus said we need to love them – and pray for them!
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:44
Επηρεαζοντων from επι against, and Αρης Mars, the heathen god of war. Those who are making continual war upon you, and constantly harassing and calumniating you.
How can we pray for our enemies? Again Adam Clarke has a great analysis:
Pray for them – This is another exquisitely reasonable precept. I cannot change that wicked man’s heart; and while it is unchanged he will continue to harass me: God alone can change it: then I must implore him to do that which will at once secure the poor man’s salvation, and contribute so much to my own peace.
