When I woke up, I began to think about the situation as if it were real. “Would I really pray to save someone who was trying to kill me if I had an opportunity to get away?”
Matthew 5:43-45(NKJV)
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.’ 44 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,[b] 45 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.
Hopefully we won’t ever be in this type of physical danger and have to make that type of decision, but the truth is people speak death over us all of the time. They speak death over our dreams, our purpose, our desires, and our identity. Whether we want to believe it or not there are people who are haters of our souls because of jealousy, bitterness, pride, unforgiveness, or some kind of offense. Sometimes they might not even know why they hate us, the devil just uses them because they haven’t experienced the real love of God.
How are we responding to these people? Are we praying for them? Are we loving them in spite of their actions? Are we blessing them? Are we showing them the same mercy that God shows us every morning?
Lamentations 3:22-23(NKJV)
22 Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
God has compassion for us and knows that we will continue to make mistakes. He is faithful to give us a chance to repent and get it right over and over again. If God has forgiven us for all that we have come from, then how could we dare hold someone accountable for what they have done. We must leave that to God and pray for their deliverance. I am saved today because there were people praying for me. It took a long time for the fruit of their labor to manifest, but God brought the increase and I’m moving into my purpose and made new by the power of the Holy Spirit! Thank You Jesus for transformation, grace, mercy, and forgiveness!
Today, I challenge you to look at your lives and evaluate the people that seem to be against you. Take time to pray for them and commit yourself to show the love and mercy that God has shown you!
Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness. We thank You for Your compassion, love, and mercy. Forgive us for not praying for those who persecute us or blessing those who curse us. Give us your heart to reach out to those that are against us and help us reflect Your image in everything that we do. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!