I would like to propose that we do our best to follow the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5: 43-48 where we are directed to pray for our enemies. There are serious issues internally within the church, the country and the world, and we should do what we can to bring about change as we feel directed. However, in these verses Jesus tells us to pray FOR our enemies and those that despise us, etc. While with our human minds and hearts and egos, we tend to think that our idea of how something should resolve or be is THE answer, we certainly do not know God's mind or ways. In moments of clarity (or something like that) I can agree with what I am writing here and pray for God's will to be done, and actually mean it, even if it requires a change in my world and standard of living. In my opinion, we must pray for our enemies, follow our understanding of God's plan for our life and be the best we can be.
The praying for our enemies would seem to include any experience or person that we have a strong reaction regarding. It is my sense that there is no way to solve many of the problems of the world with the ideas of the world, we must consciously and colletively try something that may not have been done in the past, at least in sufficient numbers.
Enemies would/could include politicians, governments, principalities and Islamic and religious extremist of all faiths, gambling interest, people living alternate lifestyles, drug dealers and users and dogs with rabies (sic). Whatever these enemies are for us individually or collectively, we would include them in our prayers, and let them know we are doing so. Not to further our agendas, but for God to bless, guide and direct them. "Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven....", and for us individually, to be willing to follow God's plan as we understand it.
For example: this means to me that we are required to pray for the Congress and all those involved in the political arena, that love and compassion of Jesus Christ surrounds and enfolds them and that they listen to and our guided by this spirit in their decisions relating to social programs, economice issues and involvement in armed conflicts.
Another example of an enemy from our perspective is the Islamic extremist although to him we are considered the enemy. What a paradox. There is only one God, but the gods seem to be at war within their churches and on a world level also. We can certainly pray, not for peace in the Middle East, because we don't know what peace looks like, but we could pray for God to be at work in the hearts and minds of these people including the extremist and in us. That we are reconclied with them through Jesus Christ and while we do not understand of condone what they are doing, they are as loved by Jesus as are we.
As you can tell, the list is probably endless. The good news is that it is what Jesus told us to do and if we have faith the size of a mustard seed..?
Who knows, we may even find that God's plan for the world is not the prespective of highly educated middle aged white males. For some reason I had to take a poke at myself as a highly educated middle aged white male.
Feel free to contact me on this.
6 comments:
Yes, yes, yes!
We must pray for our enemies well-being.
Praying for our enemies is hard. I don't want to pray for my enemies - I want them to die horrible deaths after suffering for extended periods of time while realizing that I was good and they were bad. But Jesus calls me to a much higher level.
When I'm able to operate on that level - which seems patently insane at other times - I find that I have more peace and more joy. I am happier and more content.
So even though I'm praying for blessings to fall on my enemies, I receive grace - everyone is lifted up.
When there are no losers in the equation, it's a God thing. When there are winners and losers, it's a Satan thing.
You decide.
Thanks for this blog - the world needs this desparately!!
God bless us, EVERYONE!
Amen.
I totally agree with you. it IS hard to pray for those who despitefully use you or are against all you beleive in. A long time ago my brother in law was abusive to my sister in law and in the midst of everything he came to us and told us that we had every right in the world to hate him but wanted to ask for our forgivness....before I knew what I was saying these words came out of my mouth "yes I have every right int he world to hate you but I am not of this world so I must forgive you and pray for you" Was I ever surprised at that cause that was the last thing I wanted to do ...but The Holy Spirit was there leading and guiding me to do the Christlike thing........we were able to be friends after that.
I can only do this on a superficial, going thru the motions level. My "enemy" in Iraq is not clear...I'm guilty because I benefit from the oil from the Middle East. I drive. I like to drive. I want the oil. I don't like it that some Muslims want to kill me and other Americans because of our love of oil. (We at least pay the Muslims for the oil; we don't just steal it.) But we invaded Iraq without justification. And we keep on killing them. And they keep killing us. I would like to apologize for our actions and make amends, if I could. I do not think we helped the terrorism situation at all by invading Iraq. I certainly don't know who the enemy is...the Sunni were in charge and we kicked them out. Now the Shiites are running the show and they're killing the Sunnis and us. The Sunnis are killing us too. We're killing both. I guess I could pray to stop the killing by the Sunnis, the Shiites, and us. But my problem is, I don't have any skin in the game...I don't know anyone fighting in Iraq. Some one else is doing my killing. I have at least written Heather Wilson and asked her to do what she could to stop the war. She declined. I didn’t vote for Bush, but he won anyway. He’s not going to change. Maybe he’s the enemy and I should pray for him. So far, this is a just cerebral exercise for me and I don’t believe it’ll have any impact. I guess I don’t have faith that my prayer will matter.
It is great to see some individuals respond with their ideas, feelings and beliefs. The idea seems to be so important that it is mentioned twice in the New Testament. Matthew and Luke. Go figure. It certainly goes against the grain of most of our western upbringing.
I believe that in anyway we are able to do this we help the world to be a better place "...on earth as it is in heaven..."
The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities for praying for our enemies (a fertile prayer field). That could also be the bad news.
If anyone is aware of references to this from other religeons, I would very much like to hear about them and include them in this blog.
Blessings to all,
Desert Father
If Jesus were the only spiritual leader to tell us to pray for our enemies, I might disregard your plea.
In my lifetime I've heard this same plea from Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Paramahamsa Yogananda, The Dali Lama, Mother Theresa, Pope John, Pope John Paul and countless ministers, priests and priestesses from all faiths.
Maybe they're all onto something!
Peace,
John
It's been said, "If every time we felt road rage or ....., we stopped and prayed; God would change us." Perhaps we would apply that to our enemies be they foreigners, apologists of other world views, or ….. That is, if every time we are tempted to feelings of frustration or hate of our assumed enemies we stopped and prayed, God would change them. Ops! Remembering what Pogo said “We have met the enemy, and they are us.” God, please change me also.
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