A Prayer For My Enemies

"Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me" (Nehemiah 6:14).

Opposition and enemies are a reality of life. It is nice to think that we would live in a world that everyone will like us and be supportive of the projects and goals that we aspire to accomplish. However, the reality is that there will always be those who will want you to remain in "your place".

People will do one of two things, they will either help you or hinder you. Most often you can determine that within the first few meetings with a person. My best friend Alvin Simmons, Jr. shared with me once, "you can determine who a person is in the first fifteen minutes of your conversation." The quality of the fifteen minutes determines what place that person will have in your life. Relationship expert and friend Michelle Hammond-McKinney, shares "people will tell you who they are,;so don't exact surprise when they treat you the way they always have treated you."

I have discovered that enemies are simply people who have an agenda to simply not support you in God's highest and best in your life. This is a broad definition. Most enemies that I discovered are not mean people at all, most are good people who even love God; they simply do not have your best interest in mind. I once heard the statement, "If a friend puts poison in my coffee, you will die." No matter how the person may be a friend, if he puts poison in my coffee he does not have my best interest at heart and is definitely not in support of God's highest and best in my life.

Nehemiah had these kind of challenges with enemies. Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem were not all bad guys. They were civil servants who gave their lives to the communities which they served. The Prophetess and the Prophets that were trying to intimidate Nehemiah were not all bad people, they loved God. But the reality of the situation is that they did not have Nehemiah's best interest in mind, not did they have the Children of Israel's best interest in mind. Nehemiah never engaged his enemies. He never allowed their accusations or attacks to gain any traction. He stood firm in his convictions and lived out of his character and depended on his relationship with the Father. Nehemiah shows us that arguing and confronting someone who is your enemy is pointless and a total waste of life.

I was watching the Godfather III the other night. Michael shared with Vincent, "Never hate your enemies, hate clouds your judgment." I thought about it,Jesus put it better stating, "Love your enemies and do good..."Wow! Don't allow the poison of hate distract and block the blessings of God in your life. Nehemiah's response to his enemies were to pray for them, it was a Lord, "Remember them..."

Notice, Nehemiah's prayer was not for him to survive the attacks, but Lord, bless them.

Living with Faith and Power and Creating a Phenomenal Life!

Bishop Keith Russell Lee
Hoffman Estates, IL and Los Angeles, CA

Spiritual Prayer Treatment

Father, I bless my enemies.
Bless them and bring forth their highest
good.
In the Name of Jesus and Through His Power!
Amen! And So It Is!