Have your Bible ready to reference scriptures used in this message.

(1 Timothy 2:1). We can pray for our families, our friends, our neighbors and our co-workers. We have good relationships with them, for the most part. We may even know about special needs they have in their lives. And the folks who fall into the general “all people” category are faceless humans whom we have never met and with whom we may never have any contact.

Praying for them is usually general in nature and can apply to anyone.
When we pray for the group of “all people” who do fall into our world of knowing who they are, we understand their needs and can relate to them because they share the same kinds of needs we have ourselves. Some may be sick, possibly with COVID 19. They may have recurring problems like diabetes or heart disease. They may have struggles at work or in relationships with their family members. They may be seeking direction in making a decision about choosing a career or buying a house or any number of life’s important matters.

It is easy to pray this type of prayer because we have part of our lives invested in these people. We may have known them for years. We may have lived in the same house with them or shared the same job responsibilities with them. We may have children who go to school together, or, if we’re young, these people could be our classmates, our teammates or in our group of best friends.

Praying for these people is not a challenge for us, in most cases. We pray for their safety. We ask God to intervene in their problems. We intercede for their healing and guidance and wisdom in daily affairs and situations.

Let’s move to a different group of people for whom we should be praying.  (1 Tomithy 2:2-4)

When we think about praying for this group, those in authority, our local, state and national leaders, our praying might be easy, but not quite as easily done as for that first group.  Sometimes we know our local leaders, but not necessarily our state or national ones.  Praying for those in authority takes on a different kind of prayer.  These people have authority in our society and make decisions that can have a direct effect on our lives.  

These people may govern in a fashion that meets our approval.  When that happens, we usually are able to pray for them without reservation.  But what if they govern in a fashion that disagrees with what we want to see in society?  When that happens, I dare say it’s harder to pray for them, isn’t it?  It’s harder to pray for someone who can influence our lives when we don’t agree with how they apply their authority.  But we are admonished to pray for them, just the same.  So this prayer takes more self-discipline than praying for the first group I mentioned.

Let’s look at one more group of people for whom we should pray.  This time, the instruction comes from Jesus Himself.

(Matthew 5:44)

 Wait a minute.  Did He just say to pray for, to intercede for, to ask God to meet the needs of people who treat us badly?  Did Jesus teach we should even pray for people who hate us and try to create problems for us purposefully?  Yes, He did.

Why would Jesus tell me and you to pray for people like that?  Why would He instruct you and me to pray a prayer that would be very, very difficult to pray?  Allow me to propose a couple of reasons I feel He wants us to pray hard prayers.

First, and foremost, 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God doesn’t want anyone to perish.  He wants everyone to come to repentance.  Our prayer could be the prayer that brings the love of God into what we believe is a hateful heart.  Our intercession could be the catalyst for someone, even an enemy, to come to the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Secondly, John 3:16-17 tells us that God sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross so that the whole world could believe on Him and not perish, but have everlasting life.  God did not send Jesus just so you and I could be forgiven.  He sent Jesus so that even those who persecute us or purposefully create problems for us could be saved, too.  Who are we to say that someone does not deserve prayer and intercessions and supplications?  Who are we to say someone does not deserve to be forgiven of their sins?

Last, when we pray this hard prayer, this act of obedience has an effect on our own heart.  Years ago when I first started teaching, I ran into a school principal whose actions and statements did not sit with me well at all.  The individual grated on everyone’s nerves where I taught.  He just seemed determined to undermine everything the faculty was trying to accomplish.  At the end of the school year, I left the job.

The Holy Spirit revealed to me that if I was going to walk closely to God, I was going to have to deal with my own animosity toward the one who I felt had done me wrong.  He showed me that I had to pray for that man in spite of his actions.  Jesus led me into understanding that He loved that man the same way He loved me.  

The Holy Spirit helped me to pray for my enemy.  My heart changed in my attitude for him.  The last time I prayed for him, it was a prayer asking God to bless him and to reveal his love to him.  Praying the hard prayer helped me as much as it did him.

As we prepare to close today with prayer, I challenge you to pray the hard prayer.  Pray for that co-worker who riles you every time you have to deal with them.  Pray for that other student who seems to have it in for you.  Pray for that cantankerous neighbor who constantly scowls when they see you.  Pray for that politician who is so far left or right in their views that you get fighting mad every time you hear them speak.  Pray for your enemies.  Pray the hard prayer today.

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God bless & have a great day.