“Bless them that curse you, and pray for those who despitefully use you.”
The NIV translates this verse: “Pray for those who mistreat you…” Jesus taught a lot of things that seemed to run counter to human nature. This text is one of the best of those. It is a good message for us, for our inclination is to take vengeance on those who mistreat us, or, if we pray for them, we pray for God’s vengeance on them. This is not exactly what Jesus had in mind here. He encouraged us to pray for those who mistreat us in a positive way. I want to share with you a few reasons why I think Jesus encouraged us to pray for those who mistreat us. This kind of prayer will change us. When we pray for those who mistreat us, the process of change has already begun. It means that we have, at least for that moment, overcome the temptation to get back at those who mistreat us. We have all heard testimonies of those who have prayed in the selfless manner, and how their prayer changed them more than anyone else. If we are really serious about being like Christ, we need to change how we look at those who are against us. How can we love our enemies as Jesus did if we do not pray for them as He did? Jesus even prayed for the forgiveness of those who were crucifying Him. Jesus did not need to change in this matter, but He knows that we do. If we are honest, we will admit that this is not an easy prayer to pray and really mean it, but it will do us good if we will. This kind of prayer will change those who mistreat us. The question that we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we want vengeance on these people or whether or not we want them to change. Vengeance does not change anyone for the better. There is no way to get back at people, for they will, in turn, get back at us, then we have to get back at them…..ad infinitum, ad nauseum. This cycle of vengeance will not change until one or the other of us has a change of heart. As Christians, we should pray that we would be the ones who would put a stop to the cycle and do the right thing as Jesus would. This kind of prayer turns people over to God and lets Him begin His work in them. Our prayers for these people open up the possibility of His changing them. It is true that prayer changes things. It is also true that prayer changes people. If we pray for people who mistreat us, they might be converted and we will have lost an enemy and gained a Christian brother or sister. If they do not change, the change that takes place in us will give us the grace and character to live above their insults and mistreatments. At least we need to let God do a work of grace in us, even if the other person refuses it. This kind of prayer can change Christian fellowship. Most of the problems in churches are the result of plain old personality conflicts. Christians sometimes imagine that they are being mistreated by other Christians, and it is possible. How can we stop this vicious cycle? Jesus gave the answer in Luke 6:28: "Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you." We need to heed His advice. Fellow Christians are also fellow human beings, and human beings can have problems when there are differences between them. We just need to remember that we are Christian human beings who represent the Living Christ, and that our lives and our fellowship should reflect Jesus and not our humanity. What could be the result if all parties stopped fighting each other and started praying for each other? Christian peace would result and Christian fellowship would grow and flourish. The ultimate result would be that the world would take us more seriously. Praying for those who mistreat us is not easy, but it is Christian. What you need to do is to think of people who are mistreating you or not getting along with you and pray for them. You will be obeying Jesus if you do pray for them. Do it! Bro. Joe
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AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
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