Scripture

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NLT

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

Consider

Implicit in Paul’s counsel to “pray for all people” is a difficult but important corollary—let there be no one for whom you will not pray. In other words, do not set your heart against anyone so that you cannot or will not ask God to show kindness and mercy to that person.

When we pray for the well-being of others, we tend to include people we like or have some compassion for. We might pray for family members, friends at work, or even people we see on the news who are somehow suffering. We may keep a list or a prayer journal to remind us of names to bring before God.

Missing from that list, however, are the names of people we have somehow set our hearts against, people who have harmed us personally or damaged someone we care about. We might think of that inconsiderate neighbor or a loved one who betrayed our deepest trust. We may resent a church leader, a government official, or a group of people we oppose politically, socially, or morally.

These people who wear the face of our enemy are people Paul urges us to pray for. They are the ones Jesus calls on us particularly to love and bless and forgive. How can we possibly obey?

Here are some steps to help you pray for those people whom you have removed to the outer edges of your heart:

• Accept your priestly commission to intercede for this “enemy.” Adopted sons and daughters of God share the responsibility of a royal priesthood, which includes praying for the people God brings into our orbit, whether we like them or not.
• Pray in the Name of Jesus. Scripture tells us that Jesus is our high priest, constantly interceding for us before the Father. This means that Jesus adds his own mind and heart to our prayers that go before the Father, giving them power and authority in accordance with God’s desires.
• Ask for the Spirit’s help. Ask the Spirit to grow love in you for this person you cannot pray for.
• Listen for God. As we loosen our defenses, we can receive God’s counsel, perhaps teaching us something we need to know about this person or why God chose us particularly to pray for him or her.
• Persevere. If you still can’t pray for your enemy, don’t give up. Refocus all your attention on Jesus and think about all you know about him. Pray for a mind and heart like his. If you are earnest, God will not let you down. In stages, as you open yourself to being changed, God will prepare you for the important work of forgiving and praying for all people, excluding none, with love and patience He will supply.

Pray

Heavenly Father, I confess that when I try to obey you and pray for people I don’t like, my words seem hollow and I wonder if you hear me at all. Help me to grasp the fact that you ask me to pray for all people, including those whom I consider to be enemies, and yet you don’t expect me to accomplish this without your help. Soften my defenses so that I can receive the wisdom of your counsel. Change me so I can pray with sincere love for people who need my prayers.

Reflect

1 Samuel 12:23; Matthew 5:43-44;  1 Peter 2:9

Ponder

Write down the names of people for whom you are reluctant to pray. Choose one name and begin to intercede on his or her behalf before God this week.