Just an FYI:
The Bible tells us not to rejoice over the fall of our enemies, & it tells us to love our enemies [pray for persecutors]. The Bible never tells us we MUST *pray* for our enemies. Don’t let anyone pressure you into praying for someone who has devastated your life.

Yes, prayer can be a way you demonstrate “love for your enemies”, but it doesn’t have to be THE WAY, you demonstrate love for your enemies. Prayer is a cry or song from the soul, and it is okay to be in a place where you strive to love your enemies but aren’t praying for them.

Prayer absolutely means not rejoicing over your enemies suffering, but it doesn’t mean you MUST pray for them. When you do pray for them, it doesn’t mean it must be a “sweet” prayer. God prayed for his persecutors by asking God to save them from their evil hearts & blindness.

It is, imo, a toxic christian cultural expression that seeks to force Christians to pray for their enemies as if they are sweet friends. For guidance on how to pray for your enemies, consider the Psalms & Christ. Jesus & David both prayed for enemies, but not flowery prayers.

The Bible says “Pray for government & pray for your enemies”. Those with social power or who are invested in your enemies will tell you this means pray that God blesses them as if that’s the only kind of prayer in scripture. As if Imprecatory & salvific prayers don’t exist ().

Listen, I know I’ve done made some people mad now, and I’ll clarify one thing. I do generally pray for my enemies tho I don’t pray for everyone one of them as there isn’t enough time in the day. The KIND of prayers I pray fluctuates, I’ve never prayed they’d be cursed by God.

As a trauma informed Christian soul care provider, I would NEVER counsel in a way that pressures someone to pray for someone who has traumatized them or devastated their life. Using Bible for that is spiritual abuse, Imo. I counsel them to abound in love & that’s more complex.

Side note: Your enemies suffering could be divine judgement. Do we believe in God anymore? That he actually really does judges the wicked with calamity?

Notice concluding verse. God doesn’t say he isn’t the one who has caused the fall. He essentially says, “move out my way!”
https://twitter.com/kylejameshoward/status/1312018245990440961

Adding some final thought here, cuz it seems there are some people who are really struggling to grasp what I am saying.

Are we commanded to love our enemies? Absolutely!
Are we told that praying for our enemies is one of the ways we show love to them? Absolutely?

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