In the previous post, I shared that some residual unforgiveness I had held against someone
resulted in me withholding kindness from the individual. Jesus however, even while being tortured,
prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
One of the reasons we struggle to forgive people who have hurt us is
our real enemy, Satan, deceptively leads us to believe people are the root of
the problem. The Word exposes him
as the culprit: Ephesians 6:12 teaches, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness
of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly
places.” The enemy can use unaware
people as pawns to hurt others. You and
I have to be aware of his tactics! How
can we counter his deceptions? What is a
remedy that can prevent unforgiveness before it takes root or uncurl its hook
from our hearts when it has?
The prescription is found in Scripture! Matthew
5:44 tells us to “Love our enemies,” – but how? It goes on to instruct us to “…bless those
who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you…” With that in mind, let’s turn
the table on our real enemy and walk in love and forgiveness toward one another:
For the Father's Pleasure - Through Christ's Intercession - By the Holy Spirit's Power.
Matthew 5:44
…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…
Suggested
Prayer
I
praise You, Lord, for You declared yourself to be The Way, The Truth, and The
Life! You have led me to God the
Father who has revealed Your Truth to me, and by the indwelling of Your Holy
Spirit, I can experience Life – a life free from the sickness and pain of
unforgiveness. I thank You for not
merely telling me what to do, but for also clearly explaining to me how to do
it! Right now I pray for ___________ who
has cursed me. I pray you would bless
him/her/them with a tangible understanding of Your love for them through Jesus
Christ. Reveal to me ways I can show
goodness or acts of kindness toward those who have hated me. Would you have me feed them? Financially assist a need? Send them a card speaking of Your love for
them? Please, show me what to do and
empower me to do it! Weigh on my
conscience until I obey Your leading!
And Father, guide my thoughts and form my words so I may pray over those
who have spitefully used me and persecuted me.
May the words I utter on their behalf bring You great pleasure.
Let me be Your great delight and the enemy’s
great disappointment!
In
Jesus Name, I pray…Amen!
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