I love them, but they try to destroy me with accusations even as I am praying for them! They repay evil for good, and hatred for my love. – Psalms 109: 4-5

It’s so easy to pray for the folks we love.

When we go to God in prayer, we practically trip over ourselves to place loved ones in His hands.

Praying for our family and friends is a complete breeze.

But the people at work who get on our nerves? Doesn’t come so easy.

The people who constantly rub us the wrong way? Not in a rush to bow our heads.

The people who have talked about us, judged us, lied about us, excluded us, and attacked us? Don’t wanna do it.

In our minds, we’re doing pretty good if we just refrain from saying anything negative about these folks when we have the opportunity to.

But as followers of Christ, we’re called to a higher standard than that.

We’re called to pray for those we don’t mix well with.

And the reality is that emotionally, it can be an incredibly difficult thing to do.

I can’t imagine the inner turmoil that David felt when he prayed for people who were actively cursing him.

But if David could do it, we can do it too.

And if we’re striving to deepen our relationship with Christ and be more like Him, we have to set our personal feelings aside and learn to see and love others the way that He sees and loves them.

So let’s all participate in a “Prayer For Those Who Peeve Us” challenge.

From this day forward, let’s pick a few people from our past or present, and pray the most sincere and loving prayer that we can for them.

Because we’re all sinners, and there’s likely someone out there who would find it difficult to pray for us.

And yet God’s love for us is constant.

So let’s honor Him by loving on His other children in prayer.

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: Dear God, right now I lift up _________ to you in prayer. I pray that you protect them, lead them closer to you and your way, and heal any part of them that is sick or in pain. God, ease their worries, comfort them in their times of sorrow, and in your time, fulfill the desires of their hearts. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.