I just know you'll want to flame me

[Susan]

Can't we pray for terrorists and ex-terrorists?
A terrorist is a sinner in need of salvation just like you and I were before coming to faith in Christ. The only difference is that "our" sins didn't involve weapons of mass destruction or take innocent life.
If you would not be too at me, I would like to use this thread to ask for prayer for the salvation of terrorists and ex-terrorists.
I will list a few in future postings.

 

[Kristen]

I think it is a good idea to keep these people in prayer. I think the Lord would want us to.

 

[marmaladePRO]

no flame here susan, terrorists are given the same opps that *all* men and women are... to choose Christ Jesus as their personal lord and savior... past sin will turn you away from God, but it won't turn God away from you... IMHO

 

[Mandy]

I agree. Jesus said to love our enemies and to bless those who curse us and to pray for those who despitefully use and persecute us.

 

[Didymus]

I agree we should pray for the terriosts but the did any of us lose a loved on i the attacks or in combat ?
If I had I woould not want to pray anything good for the person who killed them. Praying for your enemies is adone only through the holy Spirit working in you .

 

[ZiSunka]

Nothing works against evil, violence and terrorism like prayer. The terrorists have been indoctrinated into a belief system that believes that violence is the solution to all problems. But we Christians know that we are to be kind to our enemies, do good for those who would evilly use us, feed those who would kill us. By NOT taking revenge and not getting caught up in hate, we are being the best possible witness to our faith in OUR God.

 

[Susan]

This is someone I pray for.
First a little background. When I began working to expose, refute, and analyze the Aum cult, I felt called to pray for those involved in the cult and its attacks. However, this seemed almost impossible: the cult had 40,000 members at one time and hundreds on trial for various criminal activities. So I decided just to pray for one person, and keep the names and information on others available so I could pray for them whenever I had more time or could ask others to pray.
My request in this post is to please pray for the salvation of Seiichi Endo. (He was the man who actually made the chemical used in the 1995 attack.)he confessed to it, and is now in the final sentencing phase of his trial for murder and making chemical/biological weapons. Please pray that he will repent of this horrible sin, and recieve Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
And if you oppose the death penalty, please pray that he will be sentenced to life rather than what the prosecutors are demanding, death by hanging.

 

[Catchup]

I really think all of you guys are great! I have to be honest. I do not think that my heart is as free as yours. I do not HATE the ones who caused us so much heart-ache...but I can not just shut my eyes and pretend that all is good. So since I am most definitely flawed in character...instead of my will...I will pray instead that God's will be done in their life. Since it is God's will that I love all mankind... maybe I could use a prayer too.

LOVE

 

[JohnR7]

>>Can't we pray for terrorists and ex-terrorists?

You can pray for them if you want, but it is a lot harder to get someone saved that has bought into a lie. Even a lot of christians that have been lied to all their lives have a hard time to believe the truth.

Right after 911 I found myself on a Board like this one dealing with the terrorist issue, and people showed up to take a stand FOR terrorism. They were ready to defend their position, but I found them to have some degree of being polite. I would not consider them ruthless.

Right after Sarah Hughes won the olympic Gold metal, I was involved for a short time on some of the boards on the internet frequented by figure skaters and their fans. My impression was, some of them are worse than the terrorists. Tonya Harding just got caught. But the competition is so strong, that a lot of them have horrible attitudes.

With terrorism, the real problem is the masterminds. I do not really think Bin Laden is the mastermind they make him out to be. The real masterminds are not so easy to see. They are smart enough to put decoys out there, so the decoy takes the heat, and that gives them a little protection.

Our objective is to keep people from buying into their belief system. We try to show them the way of Christ. Everyone has a choice, but we try to make that choice a bit more clear for people. Jesus is life, health, healing. Terrorism is death, destruction, unforgiveness, a total lack of mercy, and so on. It helps people when they have a comparison and can see the extreams. Thanks, JohnR7

 

[amie]

ok, I'll pray for the terrorists....right after I pray for all of the many victims....


God forgive me for saying that right now...but you know that my cousin was in the trade center, so it is hard...

Amie

 

[solo66 man]

Originally posted by amie
ok, I'll pray for the terrorists....right after I pray for all of the many victims....

God forgive me for saying that right now...but you know that my cousin was in the trade center, so it is hard...
Amie

I am sad for you. I believe we should be upset and sad about our loved ones being hurt and/or killed by evil people. You may have seen my post on Those Loving Terrorists
but I still pray for their salvation first. They are still people, extremely mislead by evil people, but people nonetheless. Did not Jesus die for all?

 

[amie]

yes Solo...Jesus died for all...

Amie

 

[JohnR7]

>>Nothing works against evil, violence and terrorism like prayer.

What works is Holy, Sanctified living. Then we will have God's protection and nothing to worry about. The Bible is full of stories of people who departed from God, and so God allowed their enemy to attack them.

Matthew 23:37
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

Actually, Jesus indicates that the Father wants to protect us, but there are those who will not allow Him to protect them. He does not depart from people, so much as people depart from Him. We may leave Him, but He will never leave or forsake us, even to the end of this age. Thanks, JohnR7

 

[Religious Crisis]

I beleve that we should pary for them, they are just as in need of christ as we are/were.

 

[JohnR7]

>>I beleve that we should pary for them, they are just as in need of christ as we are/were.

Corrie Tan Boon tells a interesting story about one of the worst guards at the concentration camp she was in for three months in nazi germany. Years later she ran into him at a christian meeting and he approached her. He said that he knew God forgave him, but he wanted to know if she was able to forgive him. It was difficult, real difficult, but she did forgive him. As God gave her the strength.

There was the same sort of story in the book "tortured for christ" about a priest who was offered the largest church in Romania if he would preach what the government wanted him to preach. Or the smallest church if he wanted to preach what he wanted to preach. He choose the smallest church. Still, later on he was thrown into prison where he was tortued for his faith in christ. He had to struggle with forgiveness also.

 

[darkwoof]

I think we should pray for their sins to be forgiven and guidance by the Spirit.

When the Sept. 11th report first appeared on my television, I prayed for the terrorists before the victims. I felt that they needed more help.

Jesus said he came not to save the righteous but to save the sinners.

Jesus also told us not to judge one another, for all of us have sinned and come short of the kingdom of God; Let God be the judge, for no one is just. Let us love instead.

 

[Susan]

thanks for your replies.
I have no new news, but another person to pray for:
Zacarias Moussaoui. You probably heard of him on the news, the alleged 20th hijacker to be. Please pray for his salvation through faith in Christ alone.

 

[ThienAn]

I know that a most people, if not everyone, are angry & disgusted of terrorists. But we really shouldn't feel that way about them. They're blind & their intentions are wrong and hurtful - just like us at some point. Although we may not have physically hurt anyone, but we were blind before God opened our eyes. So, we should pray for them, indeed.

 

[Susan]

Please pray for Ikuo Hayashi to come to faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

 

[BigEd]

Thank you Susan for you post!

Christ commanded us to "love our enemies".

So as a christian I need to pray for their salvation.