But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
Matthew 5:44
When I was a teenager, I used to say that I have no enemies, not knowing that they came in the form of a friend, a co-worker, a neighbor, or even a family member. And that one enemy can use your very own friends and family to turn against you. The world is also an enemy.Β
Praying for our enemies is a form of love. When we pray for those who spite us, we follow the Saviour’s example asΒ He hung on the cross. He could’ve asked the Father to persecute His enemies as they did Him, but instead, He chose to ask the Father to forgive them (Luke 23:24). Even when Stephen was being stoned to death, he followed in the footsteps of Jesus and expressed love for his enemies by asking God toΒ forgive them (Acts 7:60).Β
RELATED POST|Forgive and forget?
I know it can be hard to pray and sometimes to forgive our enemies, but think about this: do you want to end up just like them? When we act spiteful, we allow hatred to fill our thoughts which in turn quench the Holy Spirit in our hearts and feelings gets in the way, and you may be tempted to spite, act out or even kill your enemy. But when we pray for our enemies, it eradicates anger and in some casts fear for perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).Β
Today’s Reflection
Before you pray for your enemies, release all negative thoughts including revenge and hateful emotions. Seek wisdom toΒ pray and to love your enemies as Jesus did.Β
Funny we want forgiveness from our LORD but don’t like extending it to others.
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Unfortunately, this is true.
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Very important message–learning to forgive and eliminating hateful emotions allows us to receive God’s blessings and truly love. Thanks Diana for bringing this up π
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Amen! Forgiveness is the key to happiness and we should always be quick to forgive. And thank you for reading. I trust that you’re doing well. π
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Thank you Diana! All is well, though a little busy with job searching. I hope to be back to blogging regularly soon. But I’ve enjoyed reading your blog in the meantime. God Bless π
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You’re welcome and I hope you do get a new job soon. Whenever you get back into the swing of things, I’ll be waiting. I miss your book reviews and poetry, but timing is key. Aww! πThank you, my friend, and may God continue to bless and guide you.
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Happiness begins with forgiveness, We must learn to love everyone even with their faults.
It may be difficult, but we must learn to turn the other cheek.
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Well put, Andrew!
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Beautiful thought – when we forgive we liberate our shackles
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So true! Thank you, Shantanu!
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You are welcome ππΈ
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Amen! So very true. I actually did pray for them just today. π The Holy Spirit always remind/gives me that Scripture in one of the gospels about forgiving/confessing our faults to one another. So that we can be forgiven by the Father. Daily we must forgive each other and continue to show them God’s compassion & mercy. π These nuggets are health to the bones! π
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Will that be James 5:16? Amen! We always have to seek and pursue forgiveness so that we too, can be forgiven by the Father. All praises and glory to God! ππ
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I’ll have to check Dee π Amen!! Yes indeed!!! Yessssss! Forevermore! β€
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Praying for your enemy is a form of love. I like that. Check out my latest blog post, I have nominated you for an award.
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That’s right, Nicole. π I’ll check it out, and although I’ve done away with awards, thank you kindly for the nomination. π
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A wonderful nugget. Forgive, for we have been forgiven!
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Amen! Absolutely!
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I had a time when I thought I am so βlikableβ .. then there was a time I tried to be that βlikable β..later I realized or still exploring no point in being likable.. so as this forgiveness matter for me… let them do what they want, I donβt care..or I am trying not to be bothered.. so not much thinking on this forgiveness…
you penned the article very cleanly Diana..
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Thank you, Akhila, and thank you for sharing your thoughts. π
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Excellent message. And yes, I have learned to do this. Forgiveness for me is something that I’ve been working on a lot over the last six months. And another thing I’ve learned that’s helped me is to not revisit the memories that refuel that anger I had for someone. Sometimes that’s the harder part. You think you’ve forgiven someone until you remember what happened that required forgiveness. It’s really best to leave the past in the past though.
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I agree that we shouldn’t revisit those bad memories. If we truly want to forgive, we have to set our hearts on moving ahead and leaving the past behind for we’re letting go of bitterness in order to gain peace.
Thanks for stopping by, my friend. I have such limited time right now that whenever I log on, I try my best to make use of it. I hope you have a fantastic weekend! ππ
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I know the feeling, Diana. I’m feeling spread thin myself, and I always feel bad when I don’t get to visit blogs as often as I would like. But sometimes you just have to make peace with it, do the best you can, and work on the other projects that are more pressing. At least, this is what I’m telling myself. π
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I agree, Mandie. We have to do the best we can where it concerns our schedules. Hope you’re having a great week! π
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Diana, you heart for God is exquisite and delightful. Continue teaching us what you’ve learned. God bless you and your words.
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Thank you for this beautiful comment, my friend.π
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Amen, it truly is a form of love!
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Absolutely! β€
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