I’m supposed to love my enemies, blessing them and praying for them? God, surely you are kidding!

Luke 6:27-28 says to love our enemies, blessing those that curse us and pray for 79 them that spitefully use us. Romans 12:14 says to bless those that persecute us. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 speaks of praying as intercessors for all men and women giving thanks to God for them. God’s message is unmistakable. Something in my thinking has to change. How can I honestly pray for somebody I don’t like and that doesn’t seem to like me? I don’t like them because of their actions, their words and even the way they think. But, how does God see them? He see people as moldable individuals that He created equal. He cares about all individuals enough that He sent Jesus to die that the doors might be opened for their choice to enter into Heaven and live with Him for eternity. God knows that the actions and words that come out of us are a product of the influence of Satan’s trickery or Christ on our lives. In Matthew 15:18 Christ says that the words we speak come from the heart. These words defile or justify us on the day of judgement. There are also earthly consequences to our actions as surely as natural laws (such as gravity) must be obeyed. We are a spiritual and physical vessel for evil or good. But, we are able to choose who we shall be according to how well we obey and accept help from God or Satan. Our actions are a result of our choices of who’s spirit we are following. Therefore, when we pray for a person, we are praying for the vessel that God created and desires fellowship with. We are not praying that the persons actions are to be blessed, but rather that the individual can be blessed by God. What better way for the person to be blessed than to know the love and truth of God? Through God’s love, and ours, God desires to draw all people to Him. When they accept Him and follow Him their actions will change for the better and they will become the person that I would also care about and want to have fellowship with. God also knows the future and He can freely give good gifts to those whom He knows will change and accept Him. as a result of being blessed. But, it is important that the person know the blessing is from God. I have to be transparent to tell the person that they are being prayed for and they should look for God’s blessing. They also need to know that it is only God that gives good gifts. Satan kills, steals and destroys. I should also not feel bad if anyone receives gifts from God. Earthly gifts of things are temporary. Only the spiritual things will last. Also, when I act as an intercessor, helping others find God, I am also blessed in that my faith and relationship with God is also strengthened. Besides, I have already received God’s greatest gift. His grace and love are mine forever. I also was in sin when God forgave me! How can I not also agree with God and offer my forgiveness along with His? I also find help for me when I pray for others. God knows that when I pray for my enemies, I cannot also develop hate for them. Hate is not of God and would eat at me like a cancer. I need to forgive for my own health. Besides, it would do no good to pray for someones destruction for God says prayers are not answered when they are made for our own desires and not God’s. James 4:3 I do not believe that God is ever motivated to act though negative prayer born out of Satan’s purposes. Things like revenge, greed or anything involving hate or destructive intentions are not part of God and will not be answered by God. God only gives good gifts anyway. James 1:17 and Satan isn’t going to punish someone that is doing his will. Remember, a house divided against itself cannot stand? However, God would be moved by prayer born in love for positive change or pleas for needed help from the loving Father God that all Christians are dependant upon and have relationship with. Paul said he was strongest in God when he was weakest in himself. 2 Cor. 12:9-10 Of course, it is up to God how best to help His children in trouble. Two nd possibilities open to God are to judge incorrect actions and take corrective measures, or allow 80 Satan to bring destruction to the guilty. Now, one last thought. Am I open to the possibility that God sent this person in my path in order to test me, or to teach me something about myself, or cause me to re-evaluate something, perhaps force me closer to God or strengthen my faith & prayer life? Or, is it possible God sent me to cross paths with these people to witness to them about God? If so, would these things change how I feel about the person? Whoa! What a consideration. Or as God might put it, ”Selah.”