March 13th

Ok let’s go one step further today. It is not just ignoring those who are unkind to us. We are instructed to take a step further. How in the world? Only by the grace of God. Look some more at Romans 12. He doesn’t just instruct us to ignore those who persecute us. He calls us to bless them. WHAT???!!!

Romans 12:14-17 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil.

Talk about tough to swallow!! It is only possible through the Holy Spirit. We have to ask Him to open our eyes and understanding to the truth about those who persecute us. If we understand them then we can bless them. Remember Jesus told us to pray for our enemies. (And He didn’t mean for us to pray that they keel over and die!) It is really hard to pray for those who persecute you. I have really had to ask the Lord to show me how to do this for some people that are persecuting us right now. One thing that I have taken to doing is praying for mercy for them like this: “Lord you know if they will ever choose to follow you someday, if they will follow you someday then have mercy on them now and bring someone into their lives to speak truth to them that they will listen to so that they can choose you. Draw them to you and show them Truth, expose the lies of the enemy to them so that they can choose to be rescued in Jesus name.”

We have to decide if we would rather see them punished or see them set free. Once again, this means seeing them for who they really are: slaves to a deceiver, unable to rescue themselves, and currently oblivious to the Truth.

Don’t forget, no matter how evil someone seems, God can still rescue them. He is bigger and more powerful than the deceiver. It may be hard to imagine but there are examples over and over again all around you of redeemed people. Look at Paul in the Bible. He persecuted Christians, imprisoning them and then watching them be killed. Yet he was not beyond the Lord’s reach. He is great example of how people who are really bad can end up being powerful witnesses for Jesus once they are redeemed!

1 Timothy 1:12-17 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Think about it this way: Praying for the person persecuting you may be what brings their freedom. Your prayers for them are your role in the mission to redeem them. If you were not persecuted by them, would you even think to pray for them? Probably not, so this may all be working together as part of the plan to save them. Pray for them, -their life depends on it.

If someone disrespects you, persecutes you, or even annoys you, it is probably so that you will notice them and pray for them. My mom used to say, “The only reason Jesus allows us to see others’ shortcomings/flaws is so that we can pray for them.”

Jesus, thank you for opening my eyes to the Truth, for redeeming me and for showing me how important it is for me to be obedient in this mission. Help me to remember to pray for those who offend me in any way. Help me to pray for those who persecute me and help me to see them through your eyes. Help me to see everything in my life differently now and help me to be open to responding the way you need me to instead of how I feel.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.