Praying for your enemies

[Benjamin1981]

In my opinion when Jesus said that we should pray for our enemies, he meant people, we should pray for our enemies who are people. In reality we don’t have human enemies, we’re all siblings, children of God. (even the non-believers) We’re all on the same side. Our enemy is satan, we should never pray nor curse him. Because it’s not our job, we are children, we have to keep our hearts pure, sincere and innocent. Let the grown ups do the fighting. Am I right?

Does it make sense? Mainly I mean that we are so very innocent comparing to the real evilness of the universe. We are like blind and deaf children minding our own business. It's the spirit creatures who are our enemy.

Now when I read this, it's all so obvious, but I'm going to post it anyway.. It's funny how your thoughts clear up when u write the down. :P

[suzybeezy]

I think enemy refers to anyone who comes against you, certainly Satan can use anyone for his trickery. It can be very difficult to pray for someone who's causing your life such frustration and aggrevation.

On a personal note, I have a niece who has been up to no good lately. She has been doing some rotten rotten things and really tickin' people off, particularly my sister, but myself also to some degree. She is causing much family strife and its easy to see satans hand in things that have gone on (thus her actions can be perceived as that of an enemy). I try to diligently pray for her even though most days I want to just strangle her (figuratively of course ;) ) My sister (her mother) is having a much harder time with this as my nieces attacks are very personal and ruthless and coming straight at my sister heart. Without going into major details, its rather bonkers what's been going on. I try to encourage her to pray that God will work in her daughter's heart (as well as her own) and that His will be done, cause only with God's help will my niece change. Its thru pray that we overcome our perceived enemies.

[dead2self]

I'd have to agree that the enemies referred to are indeed human enemies. We do indeed have human enemies, though they need not remain enemies. While they are enemies however, we are to pray for them. You are correct that we are not to pray for Satan, however. His fate is sealed.

Regarind us being innocent and children...The Bible describes unbelievers as children of wrath who have the Devil as their father. We are most certainly not pure and innocent compared to anything. We are meant to sit in Judgement of Angels in the age to come, yet we throw away God's glory for filthy rags. Our sin is absolutely abhored by God.

Furthermore, we are commanded to fight. We are to put on the full armor of God and kill sin in our lives. We are to resist the devil. We are absolutely not to be passive in this. That being said, we must remember that our strength comes from God alone, and not of ourselves.

[Benjamin1981]

I still don't think that we have any kind of human enemies. We're all the same. I mean same race. We have the same Creator. We should all stick together. I don't know why we hate and murder. Maybe one reason is blindness. We don't understand our universal brotherhood. But the real harm is done spiritually not physically.

[LilLamb219]

Dead2self posted some things I was going to mention.

We are either children of God (believers) or children of Satan (non-believers). Those who are against God are indeed our enemies, human or not. That doesn't mean that they might always be our enemies though. It's good to pray for them so that they might come to faith and have ever lasting life.

[Jezuzfan777]

I'm not even going to bother searching for everything's incorrect in that post. Can you see it?

[dead2self]

Just becaue we SHOULD stick tgether does not mean we do. When someone puts a gun to your head and tells you to deny Christ or he will shoot, is he an innocent child sticking togethre with you? Or js maybe would he be your enemy. There is a very real spiritual battle going on. There is no neutrality. You are either with God or opposed to Him.

[Benjamin1981]

I'm not even going to bother searching for everything's incorrect in that post. Can you see it?


Please do! :) I really can't see how another human could be an enemy to me. He could torture me for years, and do all kinds of mean things to me, but I still wouldn't consider him my enemy. I would definitely love him as my brother. He's doing so much more harm to himself than to me. Call me gullible, but that's the way I see other people.

[Benjamin1981]

Just becaue we SHOULD stick tgether does not mean we do. When someone puts a gun to your head and tells you to deny Christ or he will shoot, is he an innocent child sticking togethre with you? Or js maybe would he be your enemy. There is a very real spiritual battle going on. There is no neutrality. You are either with God or opposed to Him.

Absolutely he's an innocent child, and absolutely he's my brother. But he's also VERY lost and VERY blind.(After this comment u gonna think the same way about me! :D) Of course this incident has nothing to do with spiritual warfare. There isn't much we can do spiritually, only pray. I Seriously think that it's not our war, we're just kids (instruments). :)

[Kristen.NewCreation]

I think this scripture can be used even closer to home than those who may or may not hate us. What about those people that annoy and frustrate us? The pastor or leader that we speak negativity against - the boss who just doesn't show us any mercy - the person who is on our last nerve. Are these people not our enemy in a manner of speaking? We don't have to hate them, just speak ill against them. In fact, it is us that suffers from this, not them.

Example: I had a boss who was all about himself, and unethical. I believe bosses should be hold a higher standard. Well, I was so distressed that I was about to leave my job. So I began to pray for him. The thing is, because I started to pray for him (and not just for him to change, but for him as a person) I began to change. I began to see him more as Christ saw him and my attitude and thoughts began to change as well. I began to feel peace. Would this not be an example of someone that I didn't hate, but definitely disliked what they did?

Anyway, just some food for thought.

[suzeequeue]

God has given you such a loving heart, Benjamin :hug:. sometimes i almost feel like i am looking through Christ's eyes at others, i feel such compassion for all people. i see the masses as sheep without a shepherd and it is so heartbreaking. so i know what you mean about loving everyone.

while i agree we are all one in that we are all God's creation (and we are all the same race) we are not all God's children. the Bible teaches that those who believe in Christ, to them He gives the right to be called children of God. we are to be holy--which basically means we are different and "set apart" from others; devoted to serving God.

i think you are right though, that Jesus meant people when he said to pray for our enemies. i always pray for my enemies and the Lord gives me such peace when i pray for those who cause me grief. like Kristen said, it really benefits us (the prayer).

by praying for our enemies, we:
1. Help them.
2. Come closer to the Lord ourselves.
3. Come to love and forgive them.
4. Rejoice that we are set free from the worry and pain.

it was no accident when Jesus said what He said. He knew what he was talking about. ;)

[dead2self]

Absolutely he's an innocent child, and absolutely he's my brother. But he's also VERY lost and VERY blind.(After this comment u gonna think the same way about me! :D) Of course this incident has nothing to do with spiritual warfare. There isn't much we can do spiritually, only pray. I Seriously think that it's not our war, we're just kids (instruments). :)

What can I say, God's word proclaims unbelievers to be our enemies. If you will not listen to that I cannot hope to convince you. You seem to feel this is rght. But remember, the heart is deceitful above all things and ther is a way that seems right to man and that way leads to destruction. I implore you brother, stop considering this based on what you feel as right and look at what scripture says.

You have been told what God says, and reply with what you feel. If you have any scriptural backing at all for your view please give them. If you would like to go further and see what the word of God actually reveals about this I would be happy to find verses that make it all very clear.

I am not trying to prove you wrong here. I am concerned about you. Ignoring the spiritual battle here and denying that we have enemies does several things. First, it allows Satan much latitude if we make ourselves disbelieve the influence he can have on the unsaved. Second, we cannot obey Christ's command to pray for our enemies if we will not accept that we have any that can be prayed for.

[Benjamin1981]

God has given you such a loving heart, Benjamin :hug:. sometimes i almost feel like i am looking through Christ's eyes at others, i feel such compassion for all people. i see the masses as sheep without a shepherd and it is so heartbreaking. so i know what you mean about loving everyone.

while i agree we are all one in that we are all God's creation (and we are all the same race) we are not all God's children. the Bible teaches that those who believe in Christ, to them He gives the right to be called children of God. we are to be holy--which basically means we are different and "set apart" from others; devoted to serving God.

i think you are right though, that Jesus meant people when he said to pray for our enemies. i always pray for my enemies and the Lord gives me such peace when i pray for those who cause me grief. like Kristen said, it really benefits us (the prayer).

by praying for our enemies, we:
1. Help them.
2. Come closer to the Lord ourselves.
3. Come to love and forgive them.
4. Rejoice that we are set free from the worry and pain.

it was no accident when Jesus said what He said. He knew what he was talking about. ;)



I agree with u 100% sister :hug:

[Benjamin1981]

I am not trying to prove you wrong here. I am concerned about you. Ignoring the spiritual battle here and denying that we have enemies does several things. First, it allows Satan much latitude if we make ourselves disbelieve the influence he can have on the unsaved. Second, we cannot obey Christ's command to pray for our enemies if we will not accept that we have any that can be prayed for.

I'm not ignoring the spiritual battle, trust me, I know quite a lot about it. :) And I'm not saying that we don't have enemies, just not human enemies. We can be just instruments. Our biggest enemy is the third strongest creature in the universe. And I'm not giving him any loose ends to get me.

The reason why Jesus said we need to pray for our enemies is that they are not actually our enemies. Maybe better word would have been praying for the lost or the blind. Using word "enemy" is more understandable to us. I don't know, but all I can say that I personally don't have a single human enemy. God bless! :hug:

[dead2self]

Actually the reason Jesus said to pray ofr our enemies is that we have them. Jesus was not in the habit of asying that which was not true. Note also how Jesus tells us to give our enemy a cup of water if he is thirsty. The simple fact is that numerous times Jesus Christ himself says we hae enemies and says how we are to treat them. The enemies He refers to cannot be demonic as we are most certainly NOT to pray for, love or help Satan or his demonice forces.