Psalm 35:11-25

“They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn. But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. prayed with head bowed on my bosom, as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;” vss. 12-14a

While the psalmist had never heard of Jesus these words could well have been a part of the Sermon on the Mount. He knows that it is the will of the Lord that he should pray for his enemies, and not just superficially. So he not only fasts but prays fervently with his head bowed down. He prayed as one who “laments for his mother.” And that’s what the faithful do. They’re praying for oppressors and killers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They’re lamenting the horrible division that is splitting our country. They’re praying that those who called them “domestic terrorists” would be blessed. That’s not an easy thing to do, but that’s how it is for followers of Jesus. And how does that work for us? Take a look at what happened for the psalmist. “But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing; they impiously mocked more and more.” We don’t pray for our enemies to get them to like us! We pray because we desire God’s blessings in their lives–and that is a really hard thing to do! But because Jesus did it, we will too. And one day we pray, there will also be blessings for us!

Thought for the Day: Why do bullies need our prayers?