God doesn’t want any of us to perish nor does He want His sons and daughters causing strife or harm to another human being. God does want us to pray against our enemies, not the way David did but the way Paul instructed because we are to love others as ourselves. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. The Bible tells us that we do not wage war like the rest of the world does on flesh and blood. While we may view these individuals as our enemies, they in fact are not. Or it could even be the sibling who snuck into your room and stole $50. ![]() It could be the woman down the street who wants to destroy your marriage. To you and I, an enemy could be the gossipy co-worker who wants to ruin your reputation. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an enemy as, “One that is antagonistic to another, something harmful or deadly, or a hostile unit or force.” He wants us to use the power of prayer against our enemies, but we must first understand who our enemies truly are and it might not be what you think. ![]() God wants us to bring our issues to Him-including those who have sinned against us. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/imtmphoto Is Using Prayer Against Enemies Biblical? Prayer is a perfect opportunity to explore our hearts, share our lives, thoughts, and desires with God including the things that weigh us down like dealing with our enemies. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. I cried out to him with my mouth his praise was on my tongue. “Come and hear, all you who fear God let me tell you what he has done for me. The perfect example of the power of prayer is Psalms 66:16-20: Prayer has the power to move mountains, transform others, and understand ourselves through God’s lens. The power of prayer has the ability to move angels, heal illnesses, and attack demons. Through prayer, we learn to talk to God, connect with Him, and understand what He wants for us. We pray because it is the best way to understand God. Jesus reminds His followers that "the Father knows what you need before you ask Him” ( Matthew 6:8). Prayer isn’t like using a magic genie or vending machine, nor is it the transfer of information, but rather an act of humility because God knows our thoughts and needs before we utter one syllable.Īccording to Scripture, God is all-knowing and completely wise which means He understands everything about a situation and sees the best path through it ( Psalm 147:5). We’re told to pray because this is the best way to experience an intimate relationship with God. These words give us comfort because David expressed all the emotions we experience when someone has harmed us. How can we justify David’s praying, in the same psalm, for the annihilation of his enemies? Admittedly these psalms are complex as it reveals the range of feelings and emotions David was going through. ![]() Not only in this passage but in Psalms 52-57 as well. Instead of asking the Lord to have mercy on them in His faithfulness, the psalmist prays that God will annihilate them. Here we find David praying to God against his enemies. Let death take my enemies by surprise let them go down alive to the realm of the dead, for evil finds lodging among them,” ( Psalm 55:1-3 23). My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught because of what my enemy is saying, because of the threats of the wicked for they bring down suffering on me and assail me in their anger…. “Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea hear me and answer me. Psalms 55 reveals he prayed for God to do the avenging. Even though David is considered a man after God’s own heart, we find that he wrote several psalms about the plight of his enemies. For the better part of his life, David was on the run from his enemies. ![]() King Saul repeatedly tried to kill him and later all the surrounding nations also tried to kill David. David had been facing enemies since he fought Goliath as a young boy. We all have enemies, but I doubt any of us have the kind of enemies that David had. We’ve been taught to pray and forgive our enemies but what about prayer against enemies? How should we handle our enemy? How should we react when forced into a fight? Should we ignore them or try to destroy them? Should we treat our enemies with the spirit of compassion, love, and forgiveness? Or should we feel happy and celebrate when we see our enemies harmed?
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