Prayers for Enemies

[seashale76]

Christ prayed for those that crucified Him: "Father, count not this sin against them; they know not what they do." Archdeacon Stephen prayed for those who stoned him so that the Lord would not judge this sin against them. And so we, if we wish to retain grace, must pray for our enemies. If you do not find pity on a sinner who will suffer in flames, then you do not carry the grace of the Holy Spirit, but rather an evil spirit; and while you yet live, you must free yourself from his clutches through repentance.

- St. Silouan the Athonite

How can we overcome the enmity of our enemies? By renunciation, meekness and prayer. Renunciation in everything, except in faith and purity of life, meekness and prayer, always and always. St. Ambrose writes: "This is the weapon of the righteous ones, that in retreating they conquer, just as the skillful archers have the custom that by fleeing, they shoot those stronger than themselves."

A brother was offended by his friend but, nevertheless, desiring peace with him, went to him to be reconciled. However, his friend did not even want to open the door for him and scolding him from within, chased him away from his house. The brother then complained to a spiritual father who said to him: "Going to your friend to be reconciled, all along the way, you condemned him in your thoughts and justified yourself. I counsel you, even though your friend sinned against you, establish the thought in yourself that you have sinned against him and, in this manner, go to him and in your thoughts justify him and condemn yourself." Thus, the brother proceeded. And what happened? Just as the brother approached the house of his friend, he opened wide the door, ran up to him and embraced the offended brother and made peace with him.

- St. Nikolai Velimirovich

"Lord, Bless My Enemies": A Prayer

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Enemies have driven me into Thy embrace more than friends have.

Friends have bound me to earth, enemies have loosed me from earth and have demolished all my aspirations in the world.

Enemies have made me a stranger in worldly realms and an extraneous inhabitant of the world.

Just as a hunted animal finds safer shelter than an unhunted animal does, so have I, persecuted by enemies, found the safest sanctuary, having ensconced myself beneath Thy tabernacle, where neither friends nor enemies can slay my soul.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

They, rather than I, have confessed my sins before the world.

They have punished me, whenever I have hesitated to punish myself.

They have tormented me, whenever I have tried to flee torments.

They have scolded me, whenever I have flattered myself.

They have spat upon me, whenever I have filled myself with arrogance.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Whenever I have made myself wise, they have called me foolish.

Whenever I have made myself mighty, they have mocked me as though I were a dwarf.

Whenever I have wanted to lead people, they have shoved me into the background.

Whenever I have rushed to enrich myself, they have prevented me with an iron hand.

Whenever I thought that I would sleep peacefully, they have wakened me from sleep.

Whenever I have tried to build a home for a long and tranquil life, they have demolished it and driven me out.

Truly, enemies have cut me loose from the world and have stretched out my hands to the hem of Thy garment.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Bless them and multiply them; multiply them and make them even more bitterly against me:

so that my fleeing to Thee may have no return;

so that all hope in men may be scattered like cobwebs;

so that absolute serenity may begin to reign in my soul;

so that my heart may become the grave of my two evil twins: arrogance and anger;

so that I might amass all my treasure in heaven;

ah, so that I may for once be freed from self deception, which has entangled me in the dreadful web of illusory life.

Enemies have taught me to know what hardly anyone knows, that a person has no enemies in the world except himself.

One hates his enemies only when he fails to realize that they are not enemies, but cruel friends.

It is truly difficult for me to say who has done me more good and who has done me more evil in the world: friends or enemies.

Therefore bless, O Lord, both my friends and my enemies.

A slave curses enemies, for he does not understand.

But a son blesses them, for he understands. For a son knows that his enemies cannot touch his life. Therefore he freely steps among them and prays to God for them.

Bless my enemies, O Lord. Even I bless them and do not curse them.

Amen.

Prayer for Enemies

Lord Jesus Christ,

Who didst command us to love our enemies,

and those who defame and injure us,

and to pray for them and forgive them;

Who Thyself didst pray for Thine enemies,

who crucified Thee:

grant us, we pray,

the spirit of Christian reconciliation and meekness,

that we may heartily forgive every injury

and be reconciled with our enemies.

Grant us to overcome the malevolence and offences of people

with Christian meekness and true love of our neighbor.

We further beseech Thee,

O Lord, to grant to our enemies true peace and forgiveness of sins;

and do not allow them to leave this life without true faith and sincere conversion.

And help us repay evil with goodness,

and to remain safe from the temptations of the devil and from all the perils which threaten us,

in the form of visible and invisible enemies.

Amen.

 

[seashale76]

O Glad Light, Redeemer of the world, embracing the whole
universe with Thy love: behold, Thy cry from the Cross for
Thy enemies is heard: "Father, forgive them." In the name of
Thy all-forgiving love we make bold to pray to our Heavenly
Father for the eternal repose of Thy enemies and ours.

Forgive, O Lord,
those who have shed innocent blood,
those who have sown our path of life with sorrows,
those who have waded to prosperity through the tears of
their neighbors.

Condemn not, O Lord,
those who persecute us with slander and malice.

Repay with mercy those whom we have wronged or
offended through ignorance,
and grant that our prayer for them may be holy through the
sacrament of reconciliation.

O Lord of unutterable Love, remember Thy servants who
have fallen asleep.

From the Akathist for the Repose of Those Who Have Fallen Asleep: http://www.orthodox.net/akathists/akathist-for-those-who-have-fallen-asleep.pdf

 

[seashale76]

"But I say to you," the Lord says, "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, pray for those who persecute you." Why did he command these things? So that he might free you from hatred, sadness, anger and grudges, and might grant you the greatest possession of all, perfect love, which is impossible to possess except by the one who loves all equally in imitation of God.

—St. Maximus the Confessor

The soul cannot know peace unless she prays for her enemies. The soul that has learned of God's grace to pray, feels love and compassion for every created thing, and in particular for mankind, for whom the Lord suffered on the Cross, and His soul was heavy for every one of us.

The Lord taught me to love my enemies. Without the grace of God we cannot love our enemies. Only the Holy Spirit teaches love, and then even devils arouse our pity because they have fallen from good, and lost humility in God.

I beseech you, put this to the test. When a man affronts you or brings dishonor on your head, or takes what is yours, or persecutes the Church, pray to the Lord, saying: "O Lord, we are all Thy creatures. Have pity on Thy servants and turn their hearts to repentance," and you will be aware of grace in your soul. To begin with, constrain your heart to love enemies, and the Lord, seeing your good will, will help you in all things, and experience itself will shoe you the way. But the man who thinks with malice of his enemies has not God's love within him, and does not know God.

If you will pray for your enemies, peace will come to you; but when you can love your enemies - know that a great measure of the grace of God dwells in you, though I do not say perfect grace as yet, but sufficient for salvation. Whereas if you revile your enemies, it means there is an evil spirit living in you and bringing evil thoughts into your heart, for, in the words of the Lord, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts - or good thoughts.

The good man thinks to himself in this wise: Every one who has strayed from the truth brings destruction on himself and is therefore to be pitied. But of course the man who has not learned the love of the Holy Spirit will not pray for his enemies. The man who has learned love from the Holy Spirit sorrows all his life over those who are not saved, and sheds abundant tears for the people, and the grace of God gives him strength to love his enemies.

Understand me. It is so simple. People who do not know God, or who go against Him, are to be pitied; the heart sorrows for them and the eye weeps. Both paradise and torment are clearly visible to us: We know this through the Holy Spirit. And did not the Lord Himself say, "The kingdom of God is within you"? Thus eternal life has its beginning here in this life; and it is here that we sow the seeds of eternal torment.

Where there is pride there cannot be grace, and if we lose grace we also lose both love of God and assurance in prayer. The soul is then tormented by evil thoughts and does not understand that she must humble herself and love her enemies, for there is no other way to please God.

What shall I render unto Thee, O Lord, for that Thou hast poured such great mercy on my soul? Grant, I beg Thee, that I may see my iniquities, and ever weep before Thee, for Thou art filled with love for humble souls, and dost give them the grace of the Holy Spirit.

O merciful God, forgive me. Thou seest how my soul is drawn to Thee, her Creator. Thou hast wounded my soul with Thy love, and she thirsts for Thee, and wearies without end, and day and night, insatiable, reaches toward Thee, and has no wish to look upon this world, though I do love it, but above all I love Thee, my Creator, and my soul longs after Thee.

O my Creator, why have I, Thy little creature, grieved Thee so often? Yet Thou hast not remembered my sins.

Glory be to the Lord God that He gave us His Only-begotten Son for the sake of our salvation. Glory be to the Only-begotten Son that He deigned to be born of the Most Holy Virgin, and suffered for our salvation, and gave us His Most Pure Body and Blood to eternal life, and sent His Holy Spirit on the earth.

O Lord, grant me tears to shed for myself, and for the whole universe, that the nations may know Thee and live eternally with Thee, O Lord, vouchsafe us the gift of Thy humble Holy Spirit, that we may apprehend Thy glory.

- St. Silouan the Athonite

"The Truth in person says, 'Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you and pray for them who persecute you and say evil of you falsely' (Lk. 6:27). It is virtue therefore before men to bear with adversaries; but it is virtue before God to love them; because the only sacrifice which God accepts is that which, before His eyes, on the altar of good work, the flame of charity kindles."

- St. Gregory the Great

 

[Parson Rayphe]

Deuteronomy 28:7
7 Yahweh shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

Psalm 10:13
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.

Psalm 10:15-16
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

Psalm 69:24
24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.


Psalm 94:1-2
1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
2 Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

Matthew 16:18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.


Ephesians 3:16
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

 

[seashale76]

Do not forget to pray for the persecuted today- but also pray for those who are persecuting them.

 

[seashale76]

Bump. We should pray for those who are persecuted. However, we should also pray for those persecuting them.

Lord, have mercy!

 

[seashale76]

Do you hold hatred in your heart toward those who commit evil deeds against the faithful? You can't. You MUST pray for them in addition to those who are persecuted.

Lord, have mercy!

 

[seashale76]

It is easy to pray for those who are suffering persecution- and we absolutely should. It is harder to pray for those who persecute them.

Kyrie eleison-Κυριε ελεησον - YouTube

 

[Arkose2211]

I have difficulty with a group of Christians who are in a group with me designed to facilitate close accountable relationships. They mock my attempts at deeper conversation, ignore my intentional messages and requests to pray for them. I don't know how to respond to this.

 

[sunshine456]

There is wisdom in what you have written. There is also room for the ability to lean on the grace of GOD through his son lord JESUS.

We often times think we are proceeding in manner that is of our best intentions, but without the truth; which is JESUS CHRIST we are blindly walking into a trap of the enemies design. We must not rely on our own understanding and then by walking our blindfold is removed and we are led by the spirit rather than possibly the enemy.

The enemy is roaring around us like a lion; seeking whom it can devour.

"So what is the enemy?" "How do we overcome the enemy?" "How do we not allow the enemy to devour us?" We are to resist the devil and he will flee from us! So what is this resistance that is written of?

Only by the grace of GOD through the truth which is JESUS CHRIST can we discern it.

Praise be to GOD the heavenly father and his son lord JESUS CHRIST forever>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[seashale76]

Pray for your enemies and those who persecute the faithful that they may come to Christ.

Lord, have mercy!

 

[seashale76]

 

[seashale76]

Pray for those who persecute Christians. In the lives of the saints, there are stories of those that persecuted Christians who then converted their lives to Christ after seeing the faith of the martyrs and confessors (those who were tortured for their faith).


Remember- their current ideologies and actions may be evil and Satanic- but there is still hope for them to convert their hearts.

 

[seashale76]

Lord, have mercy!

 

[seashale76]

Lord, have mercy!

 

[seashale76]

Bump. I saw a thread that indicates some here need to see this. We need to pray for our enemies.

 

[seashale76]

If you've not been praying, you need to.

 

[seashale76]

Luke 6:32–35:

"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He is kind to the ungrateful and selfish."

Pray for your enemies, that their hearts may be converted.

 

[seashale76]

Lord, have mercy! In light of recent events of hate- it is more important to pray for enemies than ever.

 

[Rasnosauj]

When most of Christians are used to practicing love for another, it could be alarming when they encounter someone trying to cause fear in another. So we must let nothing discourage us.