He will deliver even one who is not innocent,
    who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands. (Job 22:30)

What a stunning challenge Jesus presented people when He told them (when He tells us to ‘Pray for your enemies, and to love those that persecute you.’ (Matt. 5:44) Even if we do not have many, or even any actual enemies, there are sure to be people with whom we strongly disgree!

Since Jesus paid the price for all people’s sins, no matter how terrible, or how many people are hurt by them, who are we to take it upon ourselves to decide who is worthy to be prayed for, or to receive the grace of God? May we keep our hands and hearts pure, so that sinners may indeed be rescued. (cf Job 22:30) Wikihow have come up with a basic guide to praying for our enemies: it is so simple and basic that most of us will actually benefit by visiting it!

On the basis that it is almost impossible to resent or hate someone you are praying for, Brother Andrew pointed out that if we love our enemies, they are no longer our enemies, but rather are on the way to becoming our friends. He challenged people likewise to re-think their view of terrorists: “How can you show them the love of Christ if you see them as terrorists? How can you bring them the love of God with hate in your heart?”

These notes from his book Light Force, chart Brother Andrew’s deep concern for Palestinian Christians, who have been all too often neglected and forgotten – though not by the late Pope Francis, who Face-timed his small flock in Gaza nearly every night. Brother Andrew likewise cultivated extensive connections with leaders in the Middle East, including those in Hamas and Hezbollah, and was also known to pray for Osama bin Laden every day during the latter’s life. Although this link is well over twenty years old, it remains highly relevant and important. His is a call that challenges us to pray for all leaders, even those know to be hostile toward Christ, for the Sovereign Lord takes ‘no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.’ (Ezek. 33:11)

Along similar lines, see this moving account of a Hezbollah militant who saw Jesus in a vision and was converted.

May the Lord do many more such works of power and grace, not least by answering the prayers of many to reveal Jesus to many Muslims.

Brother Andrew entered into the presence of the Lord last year – and what a wonderful reception he will have been afforded!

But so many of us are so full of our own opinions that we spout continually and rarely listen either to others or to God. Save us from this fate, Lord!

As CS Lewis reminds us, ‘If others are wrong they need our prayers all the more; and if they are our enemies, then we are under orders to pray for them!

Here are 15 bible verses to help us pray for our enemies.

And here is a wonderful petition we can pray to bless those we might instinctively be inclined to look on as our enemies. It was written by Ludovicus Vives, a Spanish scholar, who served as tutor to Mary, the daughter of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, whilst also serving as a lecturer at Corpus Christi College, in Oxford. Widely regarded as the father of modern psychology, he was kept under house arrest for six weeks by Henry VIII for opposing his divorce from Katherine.

His language may sound antiquated to our ears, but we can say Amen and Amen to his far from old-fashioned outlook and sentiments!

Most merciful and loving Father,

We beseech Thee most humbly, even with all our hearts, to pour out upon our enemies with bountiful hands whatsoever things Thou knowest may do them good – and chiefly a sound and uncorrupt mind, where-through they may know Thee and love Thee in true charity and with their whole heart, and love us, Thy children, for Thy sake.

Let not their first hating of us turn to their harm. Seeing that we cannot do them good for want of ability, Lord, we desire their amendment and our own.

Separate them not from us by punishing them, but join and knit them to us by Thy favourable dealings with them.

And, seeing we be all ordained to be citizens of the one everlasting city, let us begin to enter into that way here already by mutual love, which may bring us right forth thither.

Photo by Jacob Bentzinger on Unsplash