If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks. – Abba Zeno
Do we do this? Do we pray for our enemies?
When we pray, we praise God for being the giver and author of life. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might. Almighty God, Father of all mercies . . . we bless you for our creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.
When we pray, we confess our sins, known and unknown, things done and left undone, in thought, word and deed, for the evil we have done, and for the evil done on our behalf. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who have sinned against us.
When we pray, we offer our thanksgivings for family and friends, for the good earth which God has given us, for jobs and homes, for birthdays, anniversaries and recoveries, and for all manner of things which give us joy and comfort.
When we pray, we pray for the needs of others as well as ourselves. We pray for healing, reconciliation, discernment, strength, health and recovery. We pray for those who travel, for the aged and infirm, and for all manner of things which concern or burden us.
But when we pray, do we pray for our enemies? Do we even know who our enemies are? Do we pray for those involved in terrorism, that they may be struck with a spirit of peace? Do we pray for those with different ideologies, that we may develop a spirit of respect? Do we pray for those who have harmed us either physically, spiritually, emotionally or financially? Do we pray for a spirit of forgiveness?
Are we willing to take that first, terrifying step, allowing our enemies to be thought of as humans in need of our prayer, respecting their dignity, and thereby avoiding demonizing them to make us feel better?
Who is your enemy? Who do you think is your enemy?
Name them.
Pray for them.
Amen.
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