hashtagged:
This is a topic that most Christians tend to avoid. Sometimes we pray for our enemies to die...

Eviana:
Very important topic...
The struggle to both "love and pray" for one's enemies is very serious and real.
Forgetting any wrong-doing in any form done by a person towards another or by two persons against one another (regardless of how things first occurred, sometimes is such a struggle.

Yet we are commanded in the Word of God to do so.
Matthew 6:12 (KJV) "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors."

Matthew 5:44 (KJV), "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 curse you."

It's not like the "simpler" struggles of forgetting one's phone number-especially if it hadn't been used for a few years and it's not written down anywhere or saved in a phone.
Or forgetting an anniversary, appointment or birthday.

I mean truly forgiving and truly releasing any desire for revenge is nothing short of a miracle given by God to a prayerful heart.
That's what I have now--in some cases-- and I thank the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel for that. Let's be brutally honest though and say that it's tremendously difficult to pray for, let alone love, an evil person--one who loves to see or inflict misery and pain to human beings. That's where a humbled and surrendered geart to God comes in. We must pray daily for that.

Cause see peace (which I daily pray for) is such an awesome and necessary gift for a child of God to possess. One can't have true/genuine peace by being disobedient to God's command.

Forgiveness doesn't always mean reconciliation for some situations.
In others, it may be the case.
If reconcilliation is the end result, it takes time. Nothing can be forced.
Even if one person feels ready to reconcile in a certain way or manner, the other may not at the time.

Things happen for a reason, and if meant to be, will defintely be. I'm coming to learn and experience.

Sorry, I went off on a tangent on your thread. I'm long-winded at times.

Beautifully written...

hashtagged:
This is a topic that most Christians tend to avoid. Sometimes we pray for our enemies to die.

Well of course abba father would surely deliver us from the hands of our enemies. We should also pray for their salvation, I don't mean demons but I mean those under bondage of these evil powers

Seems a bit controversial but remember from whence our father saved us from, before we were born again in Christ we were once someone's enemy. But our father forgives and he forgave us so let's try to put our enemies and those who give us problems in prayers.
"That our father should deliver us from their evil schemes and save them if possible but nevertheless his will and not ours should be done".

For a reason our lord and teacher jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for those who cause us harm.

Now some of may say we are giving them more chance to cause us harm but remember this. It is written who can separate us from the love our father has for us, shall it be tribulation, affliction, hunger. Nothing can even the one we call enemies and the moment you start realizing the love our father has for us your fears would be drowned in his love

vdestro:


Go check it out, we pray for our ememies to die only when they have fatally "wounded" us, else we would pray for them according to the natural justice of the situation. And then there is a time we pray for them to change.
But after that, if they don't cross our path, then, we know that they shall reap the fruits of their planting whether we pray or not, thus, we can go on with our lives.

vdestro:


Go check it out, we pray for our ememies to die only when they have fatally "wounded" us, else we would pray for them according to the natural justice of the situation. And then there is a time we pray for them to change.
But after that, if they don't cross our path, then, we know that they shall reap the fruits of their planting whether we pray or not, thus, we can go on with our lives.

gohf:
this isn't from God's spirit nor word.

The word of God says to forgive and to love.

vdestro:


And it also Said, there is a time to hate and to kill and to cast stones.

hashtagged:

Where was that ever mentioned in the Bible.

MaxInDHouse:
Without accurate knowledge of truth you can't love or pray for those wanting to destroy you.

So we need to know the truth first then Jesus' command to love and pray for our enemies will make practical sense to us!

For instance in response to the quest for the first commandment Jesus said:

“The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah, and you must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole mind and with your whole strength.’ The second is this, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31

To the Jews listening that day only fellow Jew are neighbours but Jesus told them that a Samaritan can prove to be a loving neighbour too! Luke 10:29-37

Now this really got on the nerves of those Jews because Samaritans always support any nation that's coming to attack the Jews so they felt Jesus is using an unpalatable comparison by making it seems as if Samaritans are good people. Yet both Jews and Samaritans are all Israelites!

vdestro:


Ecclesiastes 3.

hashtagged:


And he gave you a new covenant to.

[i] love your enemies and pray for

vdestro:


True:

But He also dis say
Luke 14:26 KJV
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.

hashtagged:

He also said love your enemies and pray for them. If we love only those who do us good how are we different from the task collectors and sinners. We should love our enemies to show we are children of God who makes the sun shine and the rain fall on both the good and wicked

hashtagged:


You don't understand this Bible verse if you did you wouldn't have quoted it. Have a nice day

hashtagged:
This is a topic that most Christians tend to avoid. Sometimes we pray for our enemies to die.

Well of course abba father would surely deliver us from the hands of our enemies. We should also pray for their salvation, I don't mean demons but I mean those under bondage of these evil powers

Seems a bit controversial but remember from whence our father saved us from, before we were born again in Christ we were once someone's enemy. But our father forgives and he forgave us so let's try to put our enemies and those who give us problems in prayers.
"That our father should deliver us from their evil schemes and save them if possible but nevertheless his will and not ours should be done".

For a reason our lord and teacher jesus said we should love our enemies and pray for those who cause us harm.

Now some of may say we are giving them more chance to cause us harm but remember this. It is written who can separate us from the love our father has for us, shall it be tribulation, affliction, hunger. Nothing can even the one we call enemies and the moment you start realizing the love our father has for us your fears would be drowned in his love

vdestro:


And it also Said, there is a time to hate and to kill and to cast stones.

TenQ:


And Jesus stated the purpose :
".. That you may be Sons of your Father in Heaven.."!

Eviana:


Which means that we MUST possess that attribute--forgiveness (granted to all regardless)-- in order to belong to Him. It's His attribute, so it must be ours.
We are not sons (or daughters of the Father if we don't.
Well stated....

Eviana:


Sir, use proper context of the entire scripture passage please.
it's not wise to pick a line or two, without proper quotation or context, with all due respect. Not trying to teach or overstep my boundary, but as I personally study the scriptures, I am reminded to:


2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Study to shew thyself approved, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth."

Isaiah 28:10 (KJV)
" For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line; here a little and there a little."

Eviana:


Which means that we MUST possess that attribute--forgiveness (granted to all regardless)-- in order to belong to Him. It's His attribute, so it must be ours.
We are not sons (or daughters of the Father if we don't.
Well stated....

Porksupplyib:
Considering all the defence put up by fellow christians with regards to "hating their enemies" I can not help but feel very sad in my heart.
This has clearly shown how much deviated the body of Christ is from christ's teachings and plan.

The big mistake many make in justifying whatever they do in Christianity is to quote one old testament verse, forgetting that Christ is the standard and not David, Solomon , Abraham or any other person....

vdestro:


As i asked and no one here has answered, the pharisees and scribes were known enemies of Jesus, do you find any place where He prayed for them and blessed them?

Porksupplyib:


To answer your question in all sincerity, I can't recollect where Jesus prayed for the pharisees, However there was never a place or an instance where he stated that he hated them or prayed negative prayer against them despite all their hatred towards him.

Christ knew they didn't like him, he saw their plot to bring him down, nevertheless he never wished them ill or pray that they should fall down and die!

That is the example he laid down for us.

And even though it was not recorded that he prayed positive prayers for them, know it that he definately preached/corrected them in love wishing in his heart that they would see the light and be saved...

vdestro:


Thanks for your frank talk. What you say is indeed right, however. I think this wrong, because, this is where Christians leave themselves open to abuse and ridicule.

Christ never did that. Persecutions will come on their own strenght, but did God Say we should not fight back? No. Rather, He Said, fight. Mathew 11:11-24.

Same for Ephesians 6:12

That is why we sing "Onward Christian Soldiers". WE ARE AT WAR! And of course if you dont kill your enemies, they will surely kill you.

This world is messed up because Christians do not fight. And if you do not fight, how shall 2 put a 1000 to flight and partake in the victory of The Lord?

Peace is always on the other side of war.