Do you want to know Jesus better? When I’ve prayed to know, or love Him more I find myself invited into a closer walk with the commandments of Christ. How does this help? Jesus told us that if we seek to put into practice His commandments, “I and the Father will come to live with you”! Awesome! That’s how we get to know Him more!! One of His more challenging commandments is about loving your enemies. Who are our enemies, and how do we manage to love them?
Dear enemies, someone specifically asked me to write about ‘Blessing your enemies’ because she wasn’t sure ‘how’. So why do I start by calling you, dear readers, my enemies? Dear ones, most of the time our enemies are people we do not really know or understand…and they do not know or understand us. I would love to know you all and get more feedback on what is written, simply to be able to know you better. Yet by God’s grace I love you anyway through Him who made you.
This self-less love is what Jesus is asking us to do. To love and have continuing compassion for those who have acted in ways that hurt us, despised us, blamed us wrongfully or physically harmed us is Jesus’ invitation. These people may be acting in the present or may have inflicted pain on us in the past, even as children. But we in our broken humanity cannot forgive this. I think this is why Jesus says, ‘Those who seek to put into practice my word…’, because He knows its impossible for us humanly, but if our will is to do His commandment – then He can help.
God’s love is universal and is timeless. He is indeed Father of all, Christ died for all, and the Holy Spirit is accessible to all who believe. But if people are acting in unloving, and divisive ways they are being influenced by hate, and desire to dominate, or control, not in love which enables. Jesus came to redeem the lost and to bind up the broken hearted. He is asking us to live and move in His Spirit of love and wisdom, and be part of His redeeming work, and thus to bless our enemies, and pray for those who hate us.
So first of all we need to accept our life in Christ and do not doubt His promise to be with us, because, as I said, ‘blessing our enemies’, is not a ‘human’ activity except in the surrender of our will. For many years I yielded my will when praying about those who ‘killed’ me as a child, and in obedience prayed for them – and asked for God to bless them. Similarly I would pray, ‘Lord I forgive, help Thou my unforgiveness’. And I trusted that the Lord would accept my prayer and bring about this purification and healing of my heart by His Presence in His time. So if you are needing to face the fact of ‘enemies’ who have caused great pain in your lives, you may choose to ask for God’s blessing on them….whether you ‘feel’ it or not. I never ask for anything specific except maybe to ask that God provides for their needs, but I simply seek to be obedient to God’s command.
But I have to say that over the years, this desire to bless my enemies has changed from a head obedience, to a heart-desire in Love. I have seen what God has done when I’ve prayed blessing on those who appeared to hate me or act against me unjustly. Twice in a church setting, with different people and times, who acted towards me with animosity, change has come about. In neither case could I find anything in my conscience that I needed to repent for, so started praying blessings on the person. I can’t remember the time scale, but without any outward action on my part, the person started coming up to me and showed friendship and love, and that perseveres to this day. We were united in love. The older of the two people became a great friend and we were able to share the trials of being alone and getting older!
Another time, a neighbour in the W of Scotland was acting without consideration of boundaries making vehicular access to my back garden impossible.. After my initial fear, irritation and feelings of defensiveness, I prayed, then started praying blessings on her. I tend to put the problem into God’s hands when I do this, so I’m not aware of how long these changes took, but after a while I realised there was a change. I was able to talk with her at an amicable, sharing-a-cup-of-tea level. When I needed it, I was able to negotiate back access to my garden through her property for a caravan which I needed to live in while my cottage was being gutted. Similarly a very defensive lady who had control of Village Hall lettings, melted in the warmth of prayer and blessings, and became a firm friend, and co-operative representative of the village hall.
There is another effect of praying blessings and interceding for those who treat us badly. Our hearts are hurt by the dis-belief and unkindness of others, particularly as children. When we realise this pain and come to the Lord with our own hurt, then realise the person who caused the pain is also in need of prayer, the very prayer we pray for the other, brings healing and balm to our hearts too. In these circumstances when it is current pain, I do not stop praying blessings on the other until my heart is restored to grace and peace. This applies to old hurts, and current ones.
I could give many examples of the efficacy, and heartfelt joy of praying for the broken hearted enemies who cause us pain and loss. I have come to see the ‘Christ crucified’ is all sorts of national and international figures who act as enemies of God, but need prayer. If you want an example from outside my experience, Google ‘The Iman and the Pastor’. They have built a ministry of reconciliation between waring Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. In getting to know each other the ‘enemy’ could not be killed!! I had the joy of meeting them in Edinburgh when they were able to witness to God’s work in bringing them together, both seeking Love which is the Highest calling of both.
The wonder of seeking to put into practice God’s commandments, is the joy and freedom we gain as our deep hearts, are opened to have our darkness, changed by the Light of Christ. When we fail to live for Christ’s commandments in our own strength, in our humility we acknowledge we can’t and ask forgiveness, but surrender to His will and grace. As Jesus said, ‘Man cannot do this, but with God all things are possible’. In His forgiveness, healing and Strength miracles happen.
Dearest souls, may we seek the Kingdom of God day by day, not trusting in our own righteousness, but in His grace and love through the Cross, trusting in His love, to provide for our needs. May we fight against all doubt that He will be with us when we are standing for His Kingdom. Amen
I think we can
Very helpful Sister. I am off to look up the Inman and the pastor.
Bless you for taking the time to share this profound message
Thank you. I’m not sure exactly what you mean. Do you want to explain more fully?
If you mean that you think we can bless our enemies ourselves, it’s true we are given great grace in the early phase of walking with Christ. Maybe our struggle and simple need for obedience and faith, is in the later days when we are passing through the ‘dark night of the soul’ and we suffer attack and all childhood trauma brings doubt from the dark. Thats when we need to know that His word is true- and He will bring about what we pray for in faith and love.