Pray for Those Who Persecute You
Pray for Those Who Persecute You
By Pastor John Dawson
I am greatly concerned about the level of division and vitriolic discourse in our nation. Neighbors and family members take sides and are not willing to engage in dialogue or even general conversation unless the other person agrees with their point of view, votes the way they vote, and watches the news feed they watch. I don’t need to tell you this. Some of the examples I have heard came from some of you. The question is this: what are we to do about it? Specifically, what does Jesus call us to do in situations where there is so much animosity?
This is what our Lord told us in the sermon on the mount: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The common response when one person is attacked (or even feels attacked) is to attack back. Jesus tells us not to act just like common people. We are to act and respond as God’s children. This does not mean that we should fail to notice when we are attacked. Nor does it mean that we should consider those who do wickedness as if they were good. Enemies exist. There are both evil and good people, known primarily because they do either evil or good things. Jesus also tells us to be wise as serpents, while we are innocent of responding to evil with evil.
So how are we as Christians to respond to our enemies and those who persecute us? Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. This takes tremendous amount of faith in God. We are to rely on the Lord to provide for our defense and to lead us to do what is needed. I want to focus specifically on the second part of that command because it is specific: pray for those who persecute you. Those who attack us personally, we are to pray for. Those who attack the church of Jesus, we are to pray for. Those who promote harmful policies on the national and international level, we are to pray for. Our prayers are rightly that these would see the error of their ways and stop their persecution. It is good to pray against their harmful plans coming to pass. But I think the call to pray for persecutors includes praying for their eyes to be opened to see their proud plans are rebellion against God, that their rebellion against God is both foolish and futile. For them to recognize this will be the highest blessing they can receive.
I remember a boss I worked under. I learned a lot from him, mostly by avoiding many of the things he did. He considered himself a reprobate. His language was often crude and abusive. There were days when I would pray for him before reporting to work. Things seemed to go better on those days (which makes me wonder why I did not pray for him more regularly). I know that my praying for him made a difference on me. I looked at him less like a person that disgusted me and more like a person made in the image of God. My attitude toward him had more compassion. And my awareness of the presence of the Lord working in me regarding him was stronger.
Prayer is a common and ordinary means of grace. Prayer affects our world because in prayer we take our concerns to the One who rules over all things. And do not forget how much your prayers will change you. Taking your trials to the Lord will give you a different perspective on your trials. It will give you a different understanding of the people who cause your trials. Our prayers will make us different people. They will make us the children of our heavenly Father, which is what we are called to be. Prayer is one way that God brings his kingdom in power.
Prayerfully yours,
Pastor John