October 23, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right!
This Week’s Message: Pray for your enemies
One of the most difficult things for any one of us to do is to pray for and truly love our enemies. The ones that want to do your wrong, they want to see you fail, and they can’t wait for the moment to talk behind your back. The thing is it is so important that we love on the ones that persecute and despitefully use us. The devil loves to use our enemies as an entry point so that he can get us to build up animosity, anger, bitterness, unforgiveness, and hate.
Spiritual maturity says: I will forgive 70 times 7. Why? A spiritually mature person who’s walking with the Lord and knows His Word will know that the repercussions of developing those negative emotions in their heart is simply not worth it. The enemy is just waiting to use any opportunity to gain legal access into your life so that he can destroy it any way that he can. Unforgiveness will give him that access.
If you take a step back and think about how powerful it would be if you could release the control that one of your enemies has over you and you begin to pray for them. I mean genuinely pray for them. It is easy for us to have love for those that reciprocate that love right back. It can be extremely difficult to show kindness and compassion towards the people that mistreat and intentionally hurt you.
The thing is, as Christians have to be able to represent the Lord Jesus Christ in every situation. We are His representatives here on earth so it is vital that we try our best to have the heart of the Lord. That doesn’t mean that the person that is treating you badly without reason will not have to suffer consequences. The Lord is abundantly clear on this matter and makes it known that “…Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord, “Romans 12:19. Trust and believe whatever one sows, that is exactly what they will reap, Galatians 6:7.
Use this week to make a list of the people that you feel are an enemy. You definitely want to be honest with yourself when making this list. Then try to remember why they are your enemy in the first place. A lot of times we don’t even remember! Then forgive them for whatever it is that they did to you to cause any pain or hurt in your life. Lastly, take a moment each night during your time of prayer and include them in your prayers.
This is extremely beneficial for you in every way you can think of. Not only will you release that bitterness that you’ve been carrying around but the Lord promises you a great reward when you abide by His Word, Luke 6:35.
Matthew 5:44
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
The Lord is showing us in this verse of scripture how we are to handle the people that want to cause us harm. It is easy to develop grudges and to seek revenge on those that stab you in the back, talk about you, or purposely harm you. It is so much more difficult to radiate love towards them and pray for them. In fact it takes a tremendous amount of strength and self-discipline to train your heart to genuinely love your enemies instead of developing hate for them.
Spiritual maturity says: I know that my true enemy is not the person that is standing in front of me, but it is the spirit behind that person that is using them to get under my skin. When we can catch this revelation and understand that life is completely spiritual, we will view the people that are causing us harm in a completely different light. It does nothing for your situation if you come against: your family member, that co-worker, a neighbor, one of your exes, or anyone else that you see as an enemy.
The Lord is telling us for a reason when He says, “…pray for those who persecute you.” When you get into your prayer closet and begin to truly pray about the circumstances that you are facing, that is when you will start to see things turn around in your favor. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood as the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:12. As Christians we have to understand how the spiritual realm operates.
The enemy will use whoever he can to cause you to develop bitterness, anger, animosity, resentment, and every other negative emotion. Don’t give him the upper hand; love on and pray for your enemies and the people that are coming against you. The reality is you don’t know what they are going through that is causing them to be that wicked and vile person. You might be the only one praying for them and interceding on their behalf.
Luke 6:27-28
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
In this verse of Scripture, Jesus is giving advice to His disciples on how they should treat the people that mistreat them. He knew that they were going to come across people that were not going to accept them. He knew that they were going to be persecuted and cursed along the way. How did He know? He knew what they were going to have to face because He was experiencing it for Himself.
It is not an easy task to just turn the cheek or hold your tongue when someone is coming at you in a disrespectful way. That is why it is so important that we saturate ourselves in the Word of God because what that does is it helps us transform our minds to resemble the mind of Christ, Romans 12:2. The Bible is powerful, and living, and it is your double-edged Sword, Hebrews 4:12. So what that means is it has the ability to make you think twice about revenge and retaliation.
This was one of the areas that I struggled in the most; I had such a bitter and revengeful spirit. I didn’t want to love my enemies or pray for those that were doing me wrong. I wanted them to pay and I wanted them to pay right then. I wanted to make sure that they knew exactly what they did to me and I would hold grudges forever! I was that person.
As I became closer and closer to the Lord, the Holy Spirit kept dealing with me on my unforgiving heart. I had to understand that it was something that was going to keep me from receiving my blessing, it was going to interfere with my relationship with Christ, and it was going to prevent the Lord from forgiving me. I most definitely didn’t want any part of that.
Now, I am quick to forgive others and I don’t let what someone does to me affect me in such a way that I hold unforgiveness in my heart. The Apostle Paul makes so much sense in Ephesians 4:26-27 when he says, “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.” We are human and have emotions and there are times when we are going to get upset and angry, but the Lord is warning us not to allow that anger to fester overnight.
When we let those negative emotions begin to take root that is when the enemy loves to come in and magnify them. Before you know it, your unsettling feeling towards someone will quickly turn into anger, animosity, and eventually hate. If you struggle with forgiving the people that have offended you or done you wrong, ask the Lord to give you the strength to overcome those feelings. The last thing you want is for it to become a stronghold in your life. Love and pray for your enemies and give it to the Lord, He will repay those that have done your wrong.
Romans 12:17-19
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
In these verses of Scripture the Apostle Paul through the Holy Spirit is speaking to the Church at Rome. He is giving them examples on what it really means to “…not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…,” Romans 12:2. The way that people usually handle a situation where they are offended or insulted is they strike back. They are quick to take matters in their own hands.
That is contrary to what the Word of God is telling us to do. He is clear on how He wants us to treat our enemies. Instead of trying to get back at them He is instructing us to make peace. He goes so far as to say in the verses that follow:
“Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good,” Romans 12:20-21.
That seems impossible for the average person to do but this is the love of Christ. When Jesus was dying on the cross one of His concerns was asking His Father in heaven to forgive the ones that had put Him there to begin with, to forgive the ones that were mocking Him, and to forgive the ones that were gambling for His clothing as He was dying for them. In the midst of all of the evil being done to Him, He still had mercy on His enemies, Luke 23:34. The Lord expects us to have the same kind of compassion on our adversaries.
One of the main reasons that it is so crucial that you do not repay evil with evil and that you do not let the sun go down on your anger is so that you are not overcome with evil. The enemy will use your emotional state to attempt to get a foothold or “place” in your life. He will try any way he can to come in and invade your space.
The way that you want to handle someone that is mistreating and disrespecting you is, you want to give it to the Lord. He makes it known that He will avenge and pay those that are spitefully using you. I have seen Him do it in my life first hand. I was being treated unfairly by a co-worker that was above me in a position that I was working in. She was mean as a snake and made it known that she was my superior and that I was beneath her.
The hate she had for me was palpable; I mean she really hated me with a passion. I remained as cordial with her as I could be and left it in the Lord’s hands. Not only did He take me out of that situation, but He promoted me to one of the highest levels in the department that I worked in. I was now in a position above hers and she would have to come to me for questions that she had! He will show your enemy Who you belong to right in their face, trust and believe, Deuteronomy 28:7!
Take time this week to reflect on your enemies. How much time are you spending dwelling on what they did to you or how they treated you? How are you responding when they offend you? Are you praying for them? Be genuine with yourself when you answer these questions. Try your very best to make an effort to pray and love on your enemies. If you are struggling with letting go of what they did to you, ask the Lord to give you strength in that area. When you can begin to let the Lord fight your battles for you, you will see how much the person that did you wrong will really have to pay for their actions.
If you’ve missed some of the previous Positive Weekly Messages, no worries I am linking them below:
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! October 17, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! October 10, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! October 2, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 24, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 19, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 12, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! September 6, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! August 28, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get Your Week Started Off Right! August 22.2022
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