Prayed for His Persecutors
Opening Thoughts:
You might be thinking; I thought we were talking about Jesus’ sufferings? We are. How easy is it for you to pray for those who have hurt you? Here we find the Lord making intercession for those who were in the process of killing him.
Scripture:
Prophecy: Isaiah 53:12, Fulfilment: Luke 23:34
Devotion:
The Lord could have done anything he wanted to do against his persecutors. He could have said a word and destroyed them. He could have summoned the angels of heaven to free him. He could have called fire down from heaven to consume them. If we would be honest, these are the exact things that we would have done if we had the power and ability. But this is not what Jesus did, rather He chose to pray for the men who nailed Him to the cross. Later in Luke 23:47, at the time of Jesus’ death, the bible records a centurion glorifying God. I believe that possibly this same man heard Jesus pray for him and it changed his life.
Application:
So many times, our first reaction is to get revenge. They were wrong and they deserve it. Rarely do we ever think to pray for those who are actively trying to destroy our lives. But this is exactly what Christ has illustrated for us. This very act of prayer during persecution might be the thing that God uses to bring your enemies to Christ.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to have the mind of Christ when it comes to those who desire to hurt me. Help me pray for them and not desire retaliation.