Enemies
Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies. I wonder how many of us pray about our enemies, but do we really pray for them?
When I refer to our enemies, you may think, "Speak for yourself man, I am at peace with everyone." On the other extreme, some see everything that moves as opposition. I'll leave it to you to define the word. When I think enemy, I think of those who are opposed to God's ways and desires, those who actively work to do evil and harm in the world. They do not have to be people who directly oppose me or cause me some form of direct pain.
Enemy for me is defined by David in Psalm 139:21-22
Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
My enemies are those who stand in opposition to all that God is and desires to see happen in this world. For me, it includes many influential public figures who have an actively satanic agenda. They murder the innocent, they exploit people for sick sexual purposes and advance a form of morality that is opposed to all biblical standards. They are God's enemies, and so they are mine.
What does this have to do with audacious prayer? Personal admission, I pray about my enemies. I do not often pray for them.
I can have a Jonah heart.
Most people think of Jonah as the runaway-from-God's-will, big-fish guy. That is part of his story, no doubt. Why is he running? God called Jonah to share a message of repentance with His enemies. I capitalized His on purpose. By His, I mean God's enemies. He wanted Jonah to preach repentance to the most intensely wicked city on earth at that time, a city that murdered and tormented God's people.
Jonah saw God's enemies as his enemies, and he may have prayed about them, but he did not pray for them. A Jonah heart sees no reason to pray for wicked people. For one, they deserve the punishment soon to come their way. Further, it feels like a wasted prayer. Fix an enemy in your mind right now. Can you ever imagine that person turning to God, actually joining God's team and advancing God's desires? No way! We pray about them, but we do not pray for them. Why bother? Why waste the breath?
Jesus suggests an audacious prayer in Matthew 5:43-44
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!
The book of Jonah ends with an object lesson from God. He lets a plant grow up quickly that provides shade for Jonah as he sulks. A worm kills the plant and Jonah becomes angry to the point of wishing to die. God then sheds light on Jonah's soul. In Jonah 4:10-11 God says:
“You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”
God, forgive my Jonah heart.
Today's Prayer
Think of an enemy. Pray for the person, not about them. Audaciously pray for their repentance. Pray that they would see the error of their ways before it is too late. Pray that the Spirit would send strong conviction of sin. Pray that they would abandon their evil ways and become a vital part of God's work in the world. Pray that they might even have the opportunity to undo the evil they have committed.
Final Thoughts
Think it cannot happen? I suspect there were people who saw Saul guarding the coats at Stephen's martyrdom in Acts 7 and refused to waste their prayers on him. Saul, you know, the Apostle Paul. Someone needs us to pray for their Damascus Road experience today.
A Song
Hear God's call to you today, the call he extended to Jonah. It's the call to extend the message of repentance to hardened hearts; the willingness to pray for hardened rebels. How will you respond to His call?