Praying for Our Enemies Part III

(VI. Non-Verbal Communications)

“Are you saying, God, that I should be praying for these people?????”

 

And He reminded me that we should be praying for our enemies.  Logically, He pointed out, a saved slave trafficker could do more for the kingdom than a damned one.  He could testify against others.  He could break up international rings.  He could reach out to any number of victims and bring them to God and help them escape.  He could reach out to other slave traffickers and then there would be two.  Emotionally, I needed to remember that Jesus specifically took in a tax collector (the scum of Israel’s society).  If the worst of the worst were good enough for Jesus’ prayers, why was I holding back prayer for anybody?

 

And so, with great hesitation and with huge resistance, I began to pray also for the traffickers.  This was really tough at first.  But as always, when you do what God asks, even if it’s really tough, as you do it, it becomes easier.

 

(VII. My Strength and Assets)

I did it.  I prayed for them several times today and will continue to pray that the persecutors and the victims both be lead to God.  At those moments when it just seems impossible to pray for the persecutors, God reminds me that it’s just like pouring burning coals over their heads and that holds me until the Holy Spirit can deal with me and transform the prayer to one of love.

 

(VIII. Sprituality/Theological Reflections.)

This whole incident, as trivial as it may seem, was a real eye-opener to the meaning of loving our brothers and to a sliver of how Jesus must have seen the world, especially when He was hanging on the cross.  No wonder He wanted God to take the cup away from Him.  We are all so worthless here, on earth.  I am overwhelmed by the type of all-encompassing love that the Savior must feel for us and must have felt for us as His body was torn and racked with pain.  I’ll never understand exactly how He could do it, but I will be eternally grateful that He did.  We are an unlovable generation, but I’m awed by God’s mercy and His true, heartfelt, real love for every person on this earth, regardless of who they are being today.