Praying For Others

Scripture

In return for my love they accuse me, but I continue to pray.

~ Psalms 109:4 (CSB)

Quote

Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

~Jesus

There are those who take pride in having no enemies. They fail to realize, that the better a man becomes, the more enemies he will have. No one is hated more than Jesus but people hate Jesus because He is good, not because He is bad. Those who boast of having no enemies are not as popular as they think. Just as we have secret admirers, we also have  those who secretly despise us and they are praying for us us fail. David had enemies, lots of enemies and some were friends who had betrayed his trust. David confesses in Psalm 109...For I am suffering and needy; my heart is wounded within me... Psalms 109:22 (CSB) Someone that David had trusted had slandered him because David says…For wicked and deceitful mouths open against me; they speak against me with lying tongues… Psalms 109:2 (CSB). David has suffered a broken heart and he is hurting on the inside. David did not know Jesus as we know HIM. He had never heard the words of our LORD and Christ. Jesus taught us to love our enemies… But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. David was faithful to pray for his enemies but he did not pray for God to bless them. David asked God to curse his enemies. We call these prayers or Psalms imprecatory because the invoke a curse rather than a blessings. Be thankful that Jesus is your High Priest and not David. Here is a sample of what David prayed for his enemies:

  • May he be tried by a corrupt judge and found guilty.
  • May his life soon be ended; and may someone else take his job!
  • May his children become orphans, and his wife a widow!
  • May his children be homeless beggars; may they be driven from the ruins they live in!
  • May his creditors take away all his property, and may strangers get everything he worked for.
  • May no one ever be kind to him or care for the orphans he leaves behind.
  • May all his descendants die, and may his name be forgotten in the next generation.
  • May the Lord remember the evil of his father and never forgive his mother’s sins.
  • May the Lord never forgive the sins of his relatives.
  • May his name be completely forgotten!
  • May he be cursed, since he loved to curse.
  • May he be hated, since he loved to hate.
  • May he be clothed in curses from head to toe.
  • May these curses be upon all who speak evil against me.

My father in the ministry, Calvin C. Inman use to say repeatedly, “I need your prayers and I can tell when you are praying for me and when you are not.” I never believed this could be true. How can a man know such things? Then God called me to preach and I experienced it for myself. A pastor can feel or sense prayers both good and bad. I would say that everyone is praying for you; some for your welfare and some for you demise but the great majority are not praying one way or the other due to their indifference. They are so preoccupied with their own affairs that they don’t have time to pray for you. The truth be known, they don’t even think of you, let alone pray for you. I confess my need for intercessors. I literally begged people to pray for me last week. We know a beautiful young lady who just [last summer] lost her husband to a heart attack. She has three pre-schoolers and now she is left to raise them alone. Of course, she has the help of her parents but its not the same as having the kids father there to help. She told me last Sunday that she appreciated all the prayers that had been lifted in her behalf. This young woman has a very strong faith: she loves Jesus and her church. I hope you never experience what she is going through but there will come a time when we will all need intercessors.

A couple of notes:

  1. Jesus is interceding for us constantly. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. [Romans 8:34] Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. [Hebrews 7:25]
  2. Naturally or instinctively, I am much more like David than Jesus. God help me to be more like Jesus.

  • Dale Windsor’s, Our Praise and worship leader, mom passed away yesterday evening about 5:45 at Decatur General. She is survived by Dale’s dad Vandon who spent his life in the ministry. Bro. Vandon was a United Methodist and he loves the LORD. He has a cheerful and positive attitude. I have no info on the arrangements at this time.
  • Personally I love rain but did feel for the farmers who haven’t gotten their crops in: I was sure hoping for a week of sunshine for their sakes.
  • This year has simply flown by; I cannot believe it is THANKSGIVING WEEK.

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