For whom do you pray?

Recently, I heard someone say that they couldn't possibly pray for a particular individual because they knew that the other person had "stabbed them in the back." In other words, this person couldn't find a way to pray for an enemy. I was reminded of Matthew 5:43-48 where Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for them. I wonder if we have forgotten this mandate and its implications for our lives.

In a time when we are at war on several fronts around the globe, do we regularly pray for those with whom we are fighting? And, if we pray for them, do we pray for something other than their destruction?

In a culture that seems so focused on self-gratification, do we ever pray for those with whom we disagree or those who criticize us or those who cast us aside for the friend d'jour? And if we pray for these, do we pray for something other than revenge?

It seems to me that we Christians spend a lot of time praying for ourselves, our loved ones, and the causes we hold dear. We are often heard lifting up the concerns of our church members, praying for healing of family and friends, and even praying for rain to nourish the crops in our fields. We ask God to bless our troops and keep them safe; we ask for wisdom for our leaders; we ask for safe travel on busy holiday weekends. None of these are bad prayers.

Jesus says: "But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?" It's easy for us to love those who love us; it's a no-brainer to pray for our friends and relations; it's simply good sense to pray for ourselves. The question Jesus wants us to consider is this, So what? How hard is it to take the easy road?

It is much harder for us to pray for peace in the world when we also consider that our enemies are God's children who may receive God's grace. If we truly desire God's will in the world, our prayers must not exclude the well-being of ALL God's people. Remember, if we exclude others, in the end we may be the ones who are excluded. When we exclude others from our prayers we are, in effect, passing judgement on them and judgement is not our job - judgement is God's job.

We are called by Jesus Christ to pray for all people in all situations. Then we are commanded to leave transformation up to God. We do not have the power to transform another human being's heart...Only God can do that. Our job is to speak the truth in love and to pray that God's will may be realized.

So, the next time you go into your prayer closet be sure to ask yourself who you will pray for today. Amen.