Praying For Enemies

Father, You are the Eternal One who rules in righteousness. Nations rise and fall before you like grass that flourishes in spring and withers in winter. Kingdoms come and kingdoms go like the seasons of the year but You Father are forever the same. We kneel in Your presence as Your humble subjects created to serve for your good pleasure. Our will and wants are not important: we live in Your kingdom, not ours. You command us but we do not command You. Father there are many things that we cannot fathom with our finite minds. We do not understand why good men suffer and evil men prosper. We do not understand why we feel lonely and forgotten when we are trying to do what is right. The Christ haters in this world have no regard for You or Your Son and yet they seem to fare better than we. They are haughty, proud, and boastful; they think nothing of taking advantage of the weak and helpless. They have the power and resources to crush all who oppose them. They mock You and make fun of us for trusting You. LORD we know that a day of judgment is coming, a day of reckoning when things will be made right by Christ Himself. It is not our place to judge our enemies but we are commanded by Christ to pray for them. Our prayer is that all Christ-haters would repent of their sin and turn to Christ for forgiveness. May our enemies forsake their pride and acknowledge Jesus as their Savior and LORD.

 

[Prayer is based on Psalm 10 and was written on February 28, 1997]

Thanksgiving For Christ

Father we thank You that we live on this side of the cross; that the agony of Christ is pass and no more sacrifices are needed. We are very thankful that the blood of Christ grants us the right of access which enables us to worship and pray. What a relief to know that Christ has paid for all our sins in full. We further thank you that Christ made Himself an offering for our sins by laying down His life. We thank you that in Christ one offering made us forever perfect in Your sight. We thank you for the privilege and right to enter Your very presence because of the blood of Jesus. Thank you for this fresh, new, life-giving way that Christ has opened up for us by tearing the curtain—his human body—to let us into Your holy presence. Thank You that we have a great High Priest who rules over Your household, which allows us to be near You to enjoy the bliss and blessedness of Your presence. We thank You that we have something to look forward to and that we no longer have to be tormented with doubt. As a gesture of our gratitude, we commit to being kind and gracious to others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!

 

[Hebrews 10, selected]

Jeremiah’s Prayer

“O Lord God! You have made the heavens and earth by your great power; nothing is too hard for you! You are loving and kind to thousands; you are the great and mighty God, the Lord Almighty. You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles; for your eyes are open to all the ways of men, and you reward everyone according to his life and deeds.  You have done incredible things in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day. And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name very great, as it is today.