This stark prayer was given to me as soon as I started to pray this morning, and I knew I had to share it immediately.
Our world is now filled with people indulging hateful thoughts, writing and saying hateful things about others, and approving of, or carrying out, oppressive, abusive, hateful, cruel, violent and destructive deeds.
Many even appear to believe that God approves of such behaviour. As Jesus said, “The time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God. This is because they have never known the Father or me” (John 16:2-3; NLT). Shocking words indeed.
However “religious” we think we are, and however fervently we pray, or preach, if we hate others we know nothing at all about God, for God is Love.
We cannot pick and choose which parts of Christ’s Gospel we want to apply to ourselves, and which parts we prefer to reject. So, here is today’s blog:
Deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13; NLT).
Save us from indulging evil thoughts.
Save us from expressing evil words.
Save us from committing evil deeds.
Please help us to take captive every thought,
And make each one obedient to Christ,
For all who do not love do not know you.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (1 John 4:8; NIV.
References
Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5; NIV).
The words you speak come from the heart – that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you (Matthew 15:18-20; NLT).
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say… “I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.” Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?“ And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me” (Matthew 25:41-5; NLT).
May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else (1 Thessalonians 3:12; NIV).
Love your neighbour as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; NLT).
Love the stranger (Deuteronomy 10:19; NKJV).
Show love to foreigners (Deuteronomy 10:19; NLT).
Love your enemies (Matthew 5:44; NLT).