A Prayer Warrior lets prayer transform hurtful attitudes

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. Luke 6:27-28 NIV

Principle:  A Prayer Warrior lets prayer transform hurt attitudes.

He told me he loved God and wanted to be a good follower of Jesus.  When the subject of prayer came up, he quickly changed the discussion.  I pressed him a little more and then his frustration erupted.  “I try to pray about all kinds of things, but it seems to go nowhere.  It’s like the prayer only rises to the ceiling.”  After more dialogue, we uncovered an intense hurt that he experienced from a former church member.  The pain was so real that he still was unwilling to forgive the person.  He was stuck with unforgiveness and also stuck in his walk with God. 

I shared that forgiving someone is not the same thing as condoning the hurtful action.  Little by little we worked through forgiving this person.  After a few months, there was a new joy upon his face.  He shared that he was now praying for this person that hurt him, for good things to happen in his life.  He saw him in the store and told him that he was praying blessings on his life and family.  The man turned to him and apologized for his misconduct in the past.  Not only was the relationship restored but this man’s prayer life was rejuvenated.

Prayer is an intimate conversation with God.  We can share all of our life’s struggles with Him.  Because He knows us well, we can even tell him when we don’t feel like forgiving someone.  We can be honest about our anger and downright disgust.  We can tell God about the injustice that was perpetrated toward us. THEN, we listen.  Since prayer is a dialogue, God should be given a chance to respond to our cries of pain.  He has a perspective about our situation that is usually quite different than  our own.  When He speaks our hearts begin to receive the peace that passes all understanding.  When He shares His thoughts, we see that His ways our higher than ours and His thoughts are not like ours.  He has the perspective of the end…conforming us into the image of His son.

When you have been mistreated…

1.    Ask God to help you move to a place in which you can begin to forgive them

2.    Let the words come from your mouth even though you have no feelings like you want to forgive them.  I have heard people who are so stuck, all they can say is, “there is no way that I can ever forgive them!”  Beginning to say the words “I forgive (name the person) will help you to believe that it is possible to forgive.

3.    Ask God to help you see that person from His perspective.  Jesus died for them and forgave them of his/ her sins just like he did you.  Seeing a person from Jesus viewpoint helps you identify them as a person who is in need of love.

4.    Ask God to help you begin to speak a prayer of blessing over the person that hurt you.  Pray something like this, “Father, would you bless this person with a good relationship with their family members.  Would you help them live a healthy life.  In Jesus name, Amen.” 

This is not easy at first, but it truly will transform your prayer life.  You will gain a heart for people like Jesus.  Remember He blessed those who were crucifying him, “Father, forgive them, for they do not even know what they are doing.”

Prayers of blessing cut the cord of unforgiveness that has bound us.  Being unwilling to forgive and pray for those who have mistreated us has caused so many people to be stunted in their Christian walk.  Regardless, of the reason that you have been hurt, Jesus knows that prayer is the key to bring us into freedom.  Revenge is never the answer.  Trying to forget it happened just leaves a cloud over us.  Gossiping and slander only adds to our sinful participation. 

Prayers and blessing breathes life into our prayers.  If your spouse has hurt you, forgive and bless.  If your parents have been rude and abusive, forgive and bless.  The most powerful prayer warriors are those who have learned how to pray for their enemies to the extent that they want God’s best for that person.

Father, we get offended easily.  People have said hurtful things about us and have treated us unfairly.  We confess that it is hard to forgive.  We relate more with David’s prayers when he asked you “to destroy all of his enemies.” Yet, God we ask you to help us forgive those have hurt us.  Give us the strength and determination to do what is right even when we don’t feel like it.  Thank you for knowing us better than we know ourselves.  Thank you that true freedom comes to us when we release people of the debt they owe us when they offended us.  Your love and peace mean so much to us.  Thank you, Jesus, Amen.