Category: Prayer

Who was Hannah?

*Note: This is a repost of a series I did seven years ago. I have edited and added details since the first posting.

The Bible is an amazing book. It is a single narrative, but it is made up of several stories– even several different types of literature. There are stories that seem straightforward; others are clearly meant as parables or metaphors; still others are prophetic visions. Hannah’s story fits the first category. Hannah is to be understood as a real person living in a real time and place in history. She is also representative of a particular situation–she is childless in a society where a woman’s value is measured in her ability to bear children. She is loved by her husband but taunted and harassed by her husband’s other wife. She is consumed by grief and frustration. In our own time, she would likely have been diagnosed as clinically depressed.

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have a tendency to see Hannah through the rosy lenses of her eventual triumph. I know the end of the story. God answers her prayer, and her son, Samuel, becomes the last great judge of Israel. She makes an amazing sacrifice, sending her son away to live and learn at God’s temple, where she visits him once a year. But God gives her other children to comfort her. Her tormentor and rival, Peninnah, is silenced as Hannah’s grief and struggle turn to joy. I indulge her grief, because she “prays her way through it”, and gets the happy ending I think we all long for.

But Hannah’s story isn’t just about the outcome, and it isn’t a parable meant to show that earnest prayer will always result in getting what we desire. Hannah’s happy ending is not a guarantee or a promise for anyone else who suffers from grief or infertility (or both). I know this from experience, as I was barren. I wanted children; I prayed for the chance to have children. And while I now have stepchildren, they were adults before I married their father. I have step-grandchildren, but they just call me by my first name– they have other “grandmas” and “nanas”. I never had the opportunity to rock a little one to sleep or hear my own toddler call me “Mama.” And while our society doesn’t place the same value on childbearing as Hannah’s, nor use motherhood as a determiner of a woman’s worth, I know the sorrow of watching other women enjoy (or sometimes endure) the miracle of giving birth and nurturing their own offspring, knowing that it will never happen for me.

So, I’d like to take a closer look at Hannah– not as one of the “heroines” of the Bible, but as a woman in distress. And I’d like to focus on the others in her story. God doesn’t waste details, even if we don’t always understand why they are included. I think there are several hidden lessons in this story, and they reside in details we often skim or throw aside in the pursuit of the very real truth that God answers prayer.

To prepare for this journey, here is the text of Hannah’s tale:


1 Samuel 1 New International Version (NIV)
The Birth of Samuel
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.
3 Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the Lord Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the Lord. 4 Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Because the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. 10 In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Taken from biblegateway.com

Lord, help us to read this story with new eyes. Help us to see how you work even in difficult circumstances and with imperfect people to bring hope and wisdom and salvation to a fallen world.

Next time: Hannah and Her Husband

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Then, He Smiled at Me…

The story of “The Little Drummer Boy” is nowhere in the Bible. It is very unlikely that such an event ever took place. Yet it has become a classic Christmas song. I think it is easy for us to identify with the singer– a poor boy who wants to honor the Baby Jesus, but has no gift to offer. What he does have– a drum and the ability to play it– he offers gladly. He asks permission of Mary and she nods her consent. But the highlight of the song is when the Baby Jesus smiles His approval.

At Christmas, we welcome a Christmas card-picture perfect stylized Baby Jesus, who smiles, never cries, charms all the animals of the stable, and merits the singing of angels choirs among the heavens. But we have a tendency to leave Him in the manger, where He can be a tiny miracle; a gift from God, bringing hope of peace on earth, and teaching us to give gifts and celebrate life.

Somewhere along the way, our picture of Jesus tends to change. The adult Jesus is kind, wise, compassionate, and even passionate– but He is a man of sorrows. This is not “wrong” theology– the Bible describes Him as a man of sorrows; one who was despised and rejected by His own people, and condemned to die by those He came to save (see Isaiah 53). But we don’t tend to think of Jesus smiling, His eyes crinkled in a grin, dimples appearing as He delights in sharing time with us. Yet this is also Biblical (see Zephaniah 3:17).

What an amazing image– Jesus, a radiant smile on His face as He listens to our prayers; a grin of delight as we speak words of encouragement to our family members and joyful greetings to those we meet throughout the day! Jesus smiling as we take out the garbage (without grumbling!); Jesus laughing along with us as we share treasured memories (or make new ones) with our kids; Jesus listening to our confession and responding with a warm smile of forgiveness and compassion; Jesus smiling as we sing along (maybe even a little off-tune) with one of our favorite songs on the radio, or tap our fingers on the steering wheel, or bob our head along with the rhythm, oblivious to onlookers!

We pray to the very Lord of the Universe– but He is not a stern and joyless God. Jesus wept while He was on earth (John 11:35)–but He also laughed, and ate, and hugged, and sang, and ran, and danced for joy! And He is no less joyful in Heaven as He watches over us. He delights in our smallest triumphs. He cheers us on in our battles every bit as enthusiastically as a fan cheering on his favorite sportsperson. And when we stumble, He is there with the kind of smile that welcomes us to get up and fall into His arms.

There is only one thing we must do to experience His radiant and glorious smile– “Come!”

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On a Cold Winter’s Night…

One of the great classic Christmas carols, “The First Noel,” describes the night of Christ’s birth as a “cold winter’s night, that was so deep.”

It is dreamy and dramatic to think of Jesus coming into a cold, dark, dreary (and even snowy) world, bringing angels, glorious stars, kings bearing expensive gifts, and joyous songs.

We tend to look at Advent as a time of darkness and silence, in anticipation of the coming light and the Gospel. The idea that the world before the Birth of the Savior was cold continues the pattern of absence. Darkness does not exist independently. Neither does silence or cold. Each is the absence of something else– Light, sound, warmth–and it can only be known by the degree to which its opposite is reduced, distant, or absent.
In contrast, the light, sound, or warmth is made more evident in contrast with its opposite–we may not notice a slight difference in lighting on a sunny day, or a slight difference in temperature; but a candle in a dark room, or a whisper in a silent auditorium has a dramatic effect.

We don’t actually know the exact date of Jesus’ birth, and while December falls during winter, that doesn’t always mean a cold night in every part of the world. If shepherds were watching their flocks in fields just outside of Bethlehem, it is not likely that the temperatures were below freezing, or that there was snow and ice all around. The Middle East is not known for icy winters, after all. Nighttime generally brings colder temperatures, and it may be close to freezing by the middle of the night if you have no fire or protection from the wind, but a “cold winter’s night” is more likely to be found in Minnesota or Finland, not in Bethlehem, and usually in the middle of winter– January– rather than the beginning of the season.

However, just like the darkness and silence, the cold of that first Christmas was spiritual in nature. (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1%3A9-12&version=ESV). Jesus entered a frigid world– a world of closed-off people, suspicious, oppressed, angry, sick, and world-weary. Hatred can be cold, but colder still is apathy and disdain and hopelessness. The world of Advent is a world desperate for the light and heat and sound of God’s love– not because God is absent, but because people have moved so far away from Him. The light becomes dimmer, the songs become a series of indistinct noises, and the cold and damp of night creep into our souls. Today, even with the hope and light of the Gospel story, we take our focus off of the true light of the world, and the true source of warmth and love, and too often focus on the lesser warmth of a new jacket, or the glittering lights of a shopping center, or the strident sounds of greed and envy.

Jesus may not have come in the cold of midwinter. But He came into a world of cold hearts as a helpless baby in a strange and unwelcoming land. And he was wrapped in rags and placed in a feeding trough– the warmest place that could be found. But even in this tiny, shivering baby, there was the warmth of Pure Love. And it was felt by all who came in contact with Him– shepherds rejoiced, Mary pondered, Wise Men knelt in adoration.

I love seeing candles and firesides at Christmas time– I love coming into a warm house, full of laughter and love, or singing carols on a cold night, and being invited inside to share the warmth. I love fellowship at church, and sharing a hug and a smile with those I meet. Imagine the warmth of God with us–All of the warmth and life of being wrapped in the arms of Grace, and held by the nail-scarred hands, never to be cold or alone ever again. Can you feel it? Can you anticipate it? Imagine passing that on to someone who has never known such warmth…on a cold winter’s night…

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What Child is This?


What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.
So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Words by William C. Dix

No other name in all history elicits such differing and intense responses.  Jesus, the son of Mary
Jesus, the Son of God
Jesus, the Son of Man
Jesus, the Son of David
Jesus, the Christ
Jesus, the Messiah

Who is this child– ruler of the universe,
Laid in a feeding stall,
In a simple stable,
In a small town,
In a captive land?
Son of a carpenter (illegitimate, by some accounts),
In the royal line of David (but so far removed as to be of no account).


Yet angel hosts sing “Gloria!”
Kings and philosophers travel from distant lands for just a glimpse,
Bringing priceless treasures and humbled hearts,
While the beleaguered puppet king of a conquered people 
Prepares to destroy him.

Will he rise to take his place in Herod’s palace?
Will he lead a revolt to free his people from Rome?
Will he bring together rival factions among the priesthood?
Will he …
Die in agony, betrayed and scorned?

This, this is Christ the King;
The Lamb of God.
Savior and Sacrifice.
“The Silent Word”, 
Pleading,
Healing,
Bleeding,
Ascending.
Even in his humble life and
Ignominious death
He rose to change the world–
Stopping time and dividing it into
All that came before and
All that has happened since.

This is Christ the King
Bruised for our sins,
Betrayed by our selfishness
Cheapened by our compromise and corruption.

Bring him incense, gold, and myrrh;
He is more than our tinsel, jingle bells, and platinum charge cards.
He is the King– He is the babe– the son of Mary.
He is the King who will return in all of His Glory!
He is the Christ!

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O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem


1. O little town of Bethlehem, 
how still we see thee lie; 
above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
the silent stars go by. 
Yet in thy dark streets shineth 
the everlasting light; 
the hopes and fears of all the years 
are met in thee tonight. 

2. For Christ is born of Mary, 
and gathered all above, 
while mortals sleep, the angels keep 
their watch of wondering love. 
O morning stars together, 
proclaim the holy birth, 
and praises sing to God the king, 
and peace to all on earth! 

3. How silently, how silently, 
the wondrous gift is given; 
so God imparts to human hearts 
the blessings of his heaven. 
No ear may hear his coming, 
but in this world of sin, 
where meek souls will receive him, still 
the dear Christ enters in. 

4. O holy Child of Bethlehem, 
descend to us, we pray; 
cast out our sin, and enter in, 
be born in us today. 
We hear the Christmas angels 
the great glad tidings tell; 
o come to us, abide with us, 
our Lord Emmanuel! 

Words by Phillips Brooks




Micah 5:2 English Standard Version (ESV)
2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

God’s ways are not our ways.
I grew up in a tiny village in Michigan, and when we used to sing “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” I always imagined a similarly tiny town, draped in silence in the dead of night, sleeping right through the most glorious and stunning event in history.  It wasn’t difficult to imagine the same thing happening in my sleepy village– Christ could have come to any of a dozen sway-backed sheds or garages around town without fanfare as hundreds of strangers crammed into local houses and public buildings, eager to be done with a bizarre census that led them back to where their ancestors once lived.  There is nothing special about my hometown to anyone but those of us who grew up there.

Bethlehem was just such a small town.  Prophecy that a king would arise from such a backwater village was mostly ignored.  Four hundred years had passed since the last mention of Bethlehem by God or any of His prophets.  No one expected a miracle there, just as no one would expect a miracle in our little town today.

We expect big things to happen in big cities– bustling, surging, modern, energy-filled cities.  This is where grand events are held– political rallies, sold-out concerts, championship sporting events, groundbreaking new developments in business and medicine, coronations and ceremonies.  But God often works in the quiet spaces and unexpected places of our world and in our lives.  He comes softly and silently into the dark corners and forgotten nooks filling them with His glory.

And He gives us the privilege of sharing in this miracle– wherever we are, whoever we are, whatever our circumstances.  Christ did not spend most of His life on earth in the halls of power or the centers of commerce.  He didn’t “tour” the university circuit giving lectures, or fill great auditoriums while His image was splashed across a Jumbo-tron.  He walked humbly from small village to small town, spreading truth and love and drawing people to Himself, that they might believe and find true life.  He modeled how we can extend His grace– starting with those in our own small towns or neighborhoods–with simple acts and earnest prayers like the ones in this song:
“Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.”
“Oh, come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel.”

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No Two Alike

Snow has been falling in earnest lately in our area– sometimes wet and heavy blobs, unsure of their status as liquid or solid; other times cold and wispy flakes, hovering and swirling in the frosty air, shimmering as they catch the light of street lamps, headlights, and even moonlight.  Snow has coated limbs and branches of trees, and painted iron fences and rooftops white against the leaden skies.

We learn as children that each flake of snow is unique– no two are alike among all the hundreds of millions of flakes that fall.  And just so, we are also taught, no two people are exactly alike.  Each of us is unique.

God himself underscores this analogy in the book of Job, when He describes rain, dew, frost, and ice:


28 “Has the rain a father,
    or who has begotten the drops of dew?
29 From whose womb did the ice come forth,
    and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
30 The waters become hard like stone,
    and the face of the deep is frozen.

Job 38:28-30 (ESV)

Just as each drop of water, each snow flake, each bit of frost is unique, so are we.  And so should be our prayers–millions of voices and hearts raised to our Father in praise, petition, repentance, supplication, worship, adoration–trembling or triumphant– each as unique in our needs and utterances as the beautiful snowflakes dancing and skittering around in the moonlight.  No two of us are alike, yet together we fill the empty night with wonder and give honor to our creator by being who we were created to be.

As we pray today, let us remember to be grateful for our uniqueness– celebrate God’s artistry by being fully ourselves and celebrating the uniqueness of the others around us.

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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel!

It is Advent season. We celebrate in four weeks an event that was anticipated for four hundred years! For four centuries, the people of Israel waited for the coming Messiah without ever hearing a word from God. Oh, there were prophecies– some stretching back centuries– that promised he would arrive. But when?!

Imagine praying earnestly for an event that would not happen for another three or four hundred years? Imagine praying into silence for an entire lifetime for an event that even your great-grandchildren would never witness?

We live in a fast world. Fast food, high-speed internet, overnight delivery of packages, instant communication, bullet trains– we have lost the skill of waiting. Yet Advent celebrates the waiting, the anticipation of a birth so amazing and so consequential, that we look back over 2,000 years in wonder!

The birth of Emmanuel was worth the wait. “God With Us” came into the world “at just the right time.” (Galatians 4:4). He was not a moment too early or too late to fulfill all the prophecies and bring Salvation to mankind. Those who prayed faithfully over the centuries may not have lived to see the fulfillment, but they put their hope and trust in the prophets and in the God they served.

We are in another Advent season– we await the return of Christ! We have no way of knowing the exact hour or day (or year or even century) of His return. But with the same wonder and hope of those faithful men and women of old, we should pray for His coming again! We should share the glorious story of His first coming. We should celebrate and worship the Faithfulness of God. He keeps all His promises “at just the right time.”

And as we wait, we must not give up hope or lose our passion for the Mission that Christ left with us. “Go, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19-20). As wonderful as Christ’s birth was, it pales in comparison to His triumphant return to judge and rule the earth. May we look back in wonder and forward in joy as we celebrate this season.

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Do You Hear What I Hear?

high angle view of train on railroad tracks

George: You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are?
Billy: Uh-huh. Breakfast is served; lunch is served, dinner…
George: No, no, no, no! Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles.

James Stewart (as George Bailey) in “It’s a Wonderful Life”

I’ve mentioned before that I love the old movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  In it, the protagonist, George Bailey, is in despair and considers taking his life.  As his family and friends pray, God responds by sending “an angel, second class” named Clarence, who shows George what life would be like if he had never been born (and how much impact his life has had on those around him).

ItsAWonderfulLife4

One of the key events in George’s life happens when he is 12 years old.  He dives into a freezing river to save his brother from drowning, but in the process, he loses the hearing in his left ear.  This hearing loss weaves its way through the rest of the movie.  As a young man, George designs an indoor swimming pool under the gym floor for his high school (the movie makes no direct link to the earlier event, but it might be presumed that his experience caused him to think of ways to keep active kids indoors during winter months…)  His bad ear (and his need to help his dad at the Bailey Building and Loan) keeps him from playing football in high school.  It later keeps him from fighting in the war but leaves him stuck at home coordinating scrap drives and air-raid drills–“safe” but less-than-honorable positions for a young man of his day.

There are many things George cannot hear, but three things he listens for– Anchor chains, plane motors, and train whistles!  George spends much of the first part of his life longing to leave Bedford Falls (his home town), to travel the globe.  While his friends travel to exotic places and build successful careers in big cities, George gets tangled up in financing small houses for ordinary people in his small town.  All around him are bitter reminders of the life he dreamed of leading.  His brother becomes a pilot– a fate denied to him.  His best friend makes a fortune selling plastic parts for fighter planes, and takes cruises and fancy vacations that George cannot afford.

jimmy_stewart_in_its_a_wonderful_life

There is a dramatic change, however, when Clarence turns George’s life upside-down.  One of the first things George notices after Clarence declares that George has gotten his wish (and never been born) is that the hearing has “returned” to his left ear.  He marvels at this simple but profound change, but attributes it to his recent encounter with more freezing cold river water.  Soon other changes capture George’s attention–his brother is dead because George wasn’t there to save him; his mother is destitute and care-worn because George wasn’t there to save the Building and Loan after his father’s death; none of the houses he helped finance were ever built, and dozens of families are living in squalor and being over-charged for rent by the evil Mr. Potter.  And the peaceful town of Bedford Falls has been transformed into a noisy hotbed of crime and filth, anger and greed.

Its-A-Wonderful-Lifeb

After George has a change of heart and is “returned” to his wonderful life, the hearing loss is back– this time, George laughs in gratitude as his “disability” confirms that all is back to normal.  He no longer listens for plane motors or trains whistles– instead, he eagerly listens for the sound of his kids as he returns home, and the breathless call of his wife as she returns home with help and hope in the form of neighbors and friends.  The sirens and screaming of his earlier nightmare are replaced with joyous music and laughter.

One of the last shots of the movie shows a tiny, tinkling bell on the Christmas Tree.  Zuzu says that her teacher has told the class that every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings, and George, hearing the bell ring, simply says, “Atta boy, Clarence.”

pexels-photo-788567.jpeg

What are we listening for in life?  Are we consumed with the sounds of excitement and adventure?  Or are we listening for the important sounds of lonely people softly crying, children giggling, birds singing their morning worship song, or raindrops dancing on the sidewalk?  Are we listening for the Spirit’s whisper in the wind, or God’s voice in the thunder?  Exciting sounds can sometimes deafen us to important sounds.  God calls for us to “be still” and know that He is God (see Psalm 46:10)–what we hear in the stillness and silence is rest and peace for our souls.  And that is one of the best sounds of all!

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Reflections…

Matthew 7:7-12 New International Version (NIV)

Ask, Seek, Knock

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

God created us in His image–when we look at someone else, we see an image of Almighty God, albeit one distorted by sin and the effects of a fallen world.  Jesus came to be a perfect reflection of the Father, and to restore our ability to more accurately reflect Him in the world around us.  As one who was able to perfectly fulfill the Law, Jesus summed up the Law and Prophets in a simple phrase we call “The Golden Rule”– Do to others what you would have them do to you.  We all want people to respect us, to help us, to believe us, to listen to us, to encourage us, to share with us, and to live in peace with us.  We also want people to respect our boundaries and privacy, and to forgive us when we mess up.

Unfortunately, we are more often a reflection of the evil around us than the God who made us–we treat others with disdain; we cheat and lie (or tell half-truths); we point fingers at our “wicked” neighbors, while giving ourselves a “pass” for our own “shortcomings”.  We put others down, make fun of their mistakes, spread rumors, and call them names.  We take advantage of them, make demands of them, use and abuse them.  We hold grudges, we “unfriend” them, and we exaggerate their faults to others.  In fact, we spend time complaining about how badly others treat us, while passing that same treatment on to someone new.  And we don’t even see the hypocricy–in ourselves!

woman holding bananas figurine

There is another simple phrase–“Hurt people hurt people.”  In other words, people who are carrying hurt and bitterness pass it on to others.  They see insults in the most innocent phrases; they hang on to grudges and suspicion; they criticize and condemn others; they spread anger and hatred and negativity.  They see evil intent in everyone else’s words and actions, and justify the evil intent of their own by pointing their fingers.  Many people do it while proclaiming their own “righteousness.”  “I just tell it like it is—I call ’em as I see ’em.”  “I just think you need to know…”  “If you treated me better I wouldn’t have to be so mean/angry/ etc.”  “You’re what’s wrong with this world..”  “I deserve better than this..”

man couple people woman

It’s little wonder, then, that so many people have a distorted view of God– they believe he’s harsh, unforgiving, critical and demanding, just waiting for them to mess up so he can punish them.  They believe this, in part, because sin twists our ability to see the truth.  But they also believe it because they see these characteristics in the very people who proudly (even arrogantly) carry the name of Christ.

“Do to others what you would have them do to you…”  “Ask, and it will be given to you….Knock and the door will be opened to you.”  God is not harsh; neither is he a doormat.  He wants us to live in harmony and peace– not demanding or stealing, but asking and giving generously.  He wants us to speak the truth in love, not justifying ourselves at the expense of someone else, or jumping to conclusions or snap judgments.  He wants us to knock on doors– not break them down or walk away in isolation; not locking everyone out or dragging them inside our space against their will.  Jesus modeled how we are to live.  He had no home, but welcomed those who wanted to follow him, and accepted invitations from Pharisees and sinners alike.  He spoke harshly only to those who were harsh and arrogant.  He said things that were provocative, but he did not stir up arguments, and he spoke words of healing to those who were hurt, even those who mocked him.  He had only what he carried with him, yet he withheld nothing that he could give when it was in his power to do so– sharing his food, sharing the wisdom of parables, sharing his healing touch and compassionate heart.  He mentioned Hell more than any other Bible figure, but never with relish; His desire is that all might repent and escape their just punishment.  Hurt people who encountered Jesus were transformed by his presence.  They still are being transformed!  But transformed people should be the ones to stop spreading hurt, shouldn’t they?  If hurt people hurt people, shouldn’t transformed lives transform lives?

accomplishment achievement adult african

As I prepare to pray, today, I need to go back and reflect on how I reflect God’s character–Am I distorting His image?  Am I hurting people, or pointing the way to the One who can provide healing and transformation?

action adventure alps conifers

Lord, help me to see you clearly, and reflect you more accurately to a dark and hurting world.  Help others to see in me your compassion, your love, and your desire to heal and restore.  Help me to reflect on all the good gifts you have given– joy, peace, hope, redemption, patience, kindness, self-control, love, perseverance, gentleness, goodness, trust, wisdom, truth, newness of purpose and life; help me to reflect those same good gifts as I go through this day that you have made.

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How Must I Pray for My Enemies?

We are commanded to pray for our enemies. This is not an easy command to understand, let alone follow. Should I pray for the destruction of my enemies? Or should I pray for their success? Surely, God doesn’t want me to pray that they will continue in evil or succeed in corruption and destruction. So where is the balance? What does God want from me?

I wish I had a simple answer, but I don’t. The Bible, however, gives us several examples and guidelines. There are things we should pray for, and things that we need to give over to God.

DO pray for the following:

  • Pray for the protection of your enemies– protection from their own folly, protection from the temptations and wiles of the enemy, etc.
  • Pray for them to choose repentance and accept God’s salvation through Jesus Christ.
  • Pray for their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Is your enemy hungry? Suffering from grief or loneliness? Do they have cancer? Are they blind to God’s Grace because they have followed false teachers or doctrines? Pray for their health in all areas and be willing to offer practical help when possible.
  • Pray for their families.
  • Forgive them–pray for the strength to forgive and to let go of any bitterness or resentment against them for past wrongs or current actions.
  • Pray that God will bring peaceful resolution–and be willing to do whatever you can within God’s will to help bring that about.
  • Pray that God will bring Justice–not personal revenge for you. Pray that God will, in His way and His timing, uphold what is righteous and wholly just.

DO NOT pray for:

  • Their destruction. If they are not following Christ, they are already on the road to destruction! Praying for their death, or physical harm is not Biblical. This does NOT mean that we cannot pray that their deception should be exposed, or their power over others for evil should not be stripped away. Remember, our “enemy” is not the person or persons involved, but the EVIL they represent. If you are tempted to pray for someone’s death or wishing them to get cancer or cheering on those who would hurt them, YOU are just as guilty of grieving the Holy Spirit as they are!
  • Their triumph. “Praying for your enemy” is not the same as cheering them on. Forgiving them is not the same as praying that they get a “free pass” on past behavior.
  • God to “make” them change. God desires that we choose to follow Him. Pray instead that God will bring opportunities for others to want to seek Him, and to choose repentance.
  • Them to apologize, grovel, or be humiliated so that you can feel better. God MAY cause any of those things to happen, but we should not demand our own importance over God’s Grace.

Along with these guidelines, we should remember that we must treat everyone with respect and love. But that doesn’t mean that we compromise on the truth. Many of “our” enemies are really in rebellion against God and His Word. We can continue to love and respect their humanity and their need for compassion without condoning their behavior or accepting as valid their false narratives.

David spares Saul’s life in the cave (1 Samuel 24)

King David often prayed about his enemies. And some of his prayers may seem like the ones on the DO NOT list above. David often prayed that his enemies would be vanquished; that their names would be blotted out, or that they would fall victim to their own traps. But David also refused to harm his arch-enemy King Saul. Though God had promised that the kingdom would be taken from Saul and given to him, David refused to kill one who had been anointed as king of Israel (see 1 Samuel chapters 24 and 26). David killed many men in battle, and he committed murder in ordering the death of Uriah, but he showed kindness to Saul’s family, rather than punishing them (2 Samuel 9). God punished David for murder, but He blessed David for showing compassion to his enemies.

Jesus prayed for His disciples– that they would grow in Love and Grace. He instructed them to pray for those who have hurt them (Matthew 5:43-48). He never prayed for the destruction of the Pharisees or the Roman oppressors who caused so much suffering in Judea. Instead, he healed the son of the Roman official (see John 4:46-54) who asked for help. Even when the mob came to arrest Jesus in the garden before His crucifixion, He healed the ear of the soldier, after Peter cut it off trying to defend Him. And on the Cross, Jesus prayed that the father would “forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)

Stephen, as he was being stoned, prayed for the forgiveness of his killers. Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, would have heard this prayer as he stood guarding the coats of the assassins. Throughout the epistles, we are reminded to pray for our enemies, AND to do our best to live in peace with them. (Romans 12:18; 1 Timothy 2:1-3; see also 2 Peter 3:9)

It is very tempting to want God to step in and do what we want– bring instant justice and punishment to those who harm us. But that is NOT God’s will. It IS His will that we should trust HIM to bring about true justice and to bring others to repentance. Including our “enemies.”

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