Week 2 - January 5-11, 2025: How to Pray About Enemies

This week’s daily readings:

January 5-11, 2025

This week’s devotional:

How to Pray About Enemies

by Rev. Justin Elerath

Scripture:

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 

Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony. 

My soul is in deep anguish. How long, Lord, how long?

Turn, Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 

Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? 

I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears. 

My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes. 

Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping. 

The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer. 

All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame. 

— Psalm 6 (NIV) 

Reflection:

When we see David portrayed as the boy who slayed the giant, it is easy to forget that he was still human. He faced troubles, he was a sinner, and he experienced failing health. But when we read Psalm 6, we see David lamenting both an internal and an external trouble. 

When troubles come, we want there to be a limit, and when we are faced with troubles that are beyond our limits, we like to imagine that we are in control. What we hear from King David in this Psalm is relatable to almost everyone. However, King David approaches God despite his troubles, with a repentant heart. He is not expressing anger over receiving troubles he deems underserved. He sees his troubles as the consequence for sin and instead cries out for God’s mercy. He turns to his Savior because he is assured of God’s unfailing love. 

David recognizes that what he is experiencing is not because he worships a God who is absent. On the contrary, he seeks deliverance because he worships a God who is present! King David worships through the trial, understanding that his life is one of mission. When he is praying against his enemies, he is not seeking personal vengeance but success of the mission. These statements do not conflict with the message of Jesus, who said to pray for your enemies. Instead, we’re shown David’s confidence that, in the end, God wins! 

The enemies, here, are enemies of the mission, not the guy who cut you off in traffic or even committed much more grievous acts against you, personally. Instead, the enemy King David is speaking of is the one who opposes our God-given mission. I know that this is hard; it is hard for me, too. We can worship God in our troubles, through our discipline, and know that the enemy who seeks to thwart our mission will be overcome!

Prayer:

Lord God, I come to you seeking justice and the strength to carry out the mission you have for me. I am reminded that your love and your power are amazing and that you always have my back! Have mercy on me for the things that I’ve done wrong and make it clear what you would have me do. Send your Holy Spirit to me with that message and to bolster me with confidence as I carry out your will, knowing nothing and no one can stop that. Overwhelm me with your peace. Comfort me and dry all my tears, even as you overcome my enemies. I ask this all in the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen