Helping The Heart With Prayer
Jesus taught us how to help our heart issue
We can all struggle with envy, selfishness, bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, anger, lust, and comparison. All these increase in our day-to-day lives but let me tell you that Jesus showed us the way against having these sins corrupting our hearts.
Luke 6:27-28
NKJV
Love Your Enemies
2
7 "But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.
Something I learned is when I pray for others' good, bless those I can fill envy of, pray for the success of those who betrayed me, pray for the salvation and forgiveness of those who hurt me badly, and continue to declare a blessing upon those I can compare myself too, my heart though it was being crippled by these now become more and more like Jesus.
Praying and blessing others, especially those we might hold something against brings healing. It heals the heart of its selfishness. You can't truly pray for someone's blessing and favor and still hate them, slowly that hate will go away and become compassion. That comparison becomes rejoicing and celebrating others. That anger becomes patience. When someone makes you angry and you pray that God helps them in their lives, changes them and God uses them, your heart begins to change. You start caring more about others and their well-being than your own.
We become like Jesus.
We see in Matthew 16:21-23 how Jesus prayed for Peter that Peter would not fall. Jesus interceded to see the attacks of the enemy against Peter's life. When Jesus rebuked Peter because Peter spoke in ignorance, Jesus didn't keep the offense upon Peter but He looked directly at the source which is Satan. He saw how the enemy was moving and rebuked the enemy.
Similarly, when others hurt us. Don't be so quick to call them evil, people can certainly be evil but what was the source?
We are fallen human beings. We all have a carnal nature, we all have spiritual attacks and are weak. When someone betrays you note that it was not like this in the beginning but because of sin, we have criminals, liars, attacks, and slanders but God never intended us to be sinful. He made us for His glory.
When we pray for others, we recognise their brokenness. This doesn't mean you should ignore what they did. They did hurt you but learn to not let them have so much power over you.
Jesus prayed another prayer and it was to those who persecuted Him. He said:
Luke 23:34
NKJV
34 Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
The Bible teaches that Jesus still intercedes for us today (Romans 8:34). As broken people, we Christians which long to be like our king yet have our flesh and the temptations of this world wars with our spirit constantly.
Now our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ prays for us. He intercedes for us and we can rest assured that in His hands He cares for us.
-etty