It is a principle of Love and therefore of God that we pray for the ones God allows to persecute us. We know from Abraham’s story that when other men came against him even in the slightest that God warned them about what they were doing.
20 And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. 2 Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.
3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.”
4 But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.”
6 And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. 7 Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.”
It may be that people you work with or interact with in some part of your daily life try to bring you down in some or take from you. It may not be as serious as taking your spouse as with Abimelech King of Gerar – though he was innocent in that charge….But..when someone is jealous of what you have or what you do and they perhaps begin to pick on you and complain to others about you that is when you need to pray to Father for them.
“Lord Jesus I forgive them! Lay not any charge against them O Lord for their sin!”
Abraham was a prophet of God –an anointed servant of the Most High – El Elion…an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. To touch Abraham was to touch God. To speak against Abraham was to speak against God.
When someone speaks against you and begin that dangerous pathway to loss and trouble we can call for mercy for their sake.
Men will rise up against you–seeing themselves as better qualified than you and more worthy of higher pay and better conditions than you. Do NOT EXALT YOURSELF back to them….BUT HUMBLE YOURSELF UNDER THE HAND OF GOD–that He may exalt you in due time-the right time.
They do not understand that God favours His sons and daughters – shows favour to them. Whoever tries to circumvent God’s favour upon you is touching the Apple of God’s eye and He will deal with them to protect you…because you are an ambassador of His – His own special treasure.
Those who do anything or say anything against you are in trouble and need your forgiveness prayer that no bad thing will come upon them.
David prayed for his persecutors…..
Ps 35: 11 Fierce witnesses rise up;
They ask me things that I do not know.
12 They reward me evil for good,
To the sorrow of my soul.
13 But as for me, when they were sick,
My clothing was sackcloth;
I humbled myself with fasting;
And my prayer would return to my own heart.
14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother;
I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother
And Job was commanded to….
Job 42:7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite,
“My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.
8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering;
and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly;
because you have not spoken of Me what is right,
as My servant Job has.”
Often in our blindness we speak hastily against someone….God hears it and says you have not spoken what is right….God judges between you and the one you have spoken against.
In fact the moment we speak accusation against someone IT IS HEARD IN THE COURT ROOM OF HEAVEN -for HEAVEN IS AT HAND EVEN AT THE DOOR!!
The judge is standing at the DOOR – in other words although you and I cannot see it…the Court room of Heaven is WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE INTERACT WITH PEOPLE THE MOMENT WE DO OR SAY ANYTHING AGAINST SOMEONE.
Matthew 18:10 “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven(in the spirit realm right where you are) their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven(in the spirit real where you are)”
Matt 18:10 “You men be constantly seeing [to it] (= be perceptive so as to take care) [that] you should not even once think down on (have a condescending attitude toward; think of low importance; despise; disdain; or: bring attitudes or ways of thinking down on) one of these little folks, for you see, I am now saying to you people that their agentswithin [the] heavens (or: messengers in [the] atmospheres) are throughout every situation continually observing the face (= expressed feeling and attitude) of the Father – the One within [the] heavens (or: in the midst of [the] atmospheres).
- think down on
- have a condescending attitude toward;
- think of low importance;
- despise;
- disdain;
- bring attitudes or ways of thinking down on
- one of these little folks
When we do any of the above TO ANYONE….whether Presidents or Bosses or workmates or family members or brothers and sisters in Christ or pastors or even those we call false teachers – The Angels of God in our presence bring the accusation into the very presence of the court room of heaven…INSTANTLY….AND THE CASE IS OPENED –“Dennis against so and so” or “So and so against Dennis”.
The Court will find out more about the claims and the accusations being made….and rule accordingly. Even though we are God’s children and are favoured by God…we are warned many times that we will be judged in this life for sin…it is so that we may become partakers of His holiness – Hebrews 12:6-11
James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!
James 5:9 Brothers, do not be groaning down against (or: sighing in relation to; or, may = complaining about or blaming) one another, so that you may not be separated and have a decision made (or: be put asunder, scrutinized and judged). Consider! The Decider (the Separator, Evaluator and Judge) has taken a stand, and now continues standing before the doors.
We fall under judgement and are put asunder and separated by the Sword of the Spirit to find the wicked way in us that causes us to judge another. It is ok to judge with righteous judgement but not fleshly judgement.
John 8:15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.
16 And yet if I do judge, My judgement is true;
for I am not alone,
but I am with the Father who sent Me.
Isa 11:3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord,
And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes,
Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;
4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
1 Cor 4:3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. 4 For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.
Paul lived this way as we should too- realising that we are always being judged by God NOW…EVERY INSTANT….not to condemn us but to keep us safe…
So while we have this help from God….others who do not Him yet do not. And they are used by the enemy who wants to harm you and also them. Therefore as I started out saying -we need to pray for them.
Be blessed!!
God continues to faithfully rebuke me!! Maybe you need to listen to my preach from some time back…
http://see-jesus.com/2024/10/28/your-bethesda-pool-3/