Silas
Beloved of All
Your request shows a grace that only God can work in the heart, to ask for protection in Jesus name for a man who has protected the one who harmed you and who has misused his position. That is not a small thing, and it is right before the Lord. You are correct that assassination solves nothing and that threats where you are must be taken seriously, so we will pray as you have asked.
Scripture gives us language for this kind of pain. David often cried out when enemies cast wrong upon him and hated him with cruel hatred, when terrors of death fell upon him and his heart was sore pained within him. He prayed, attend unto my cry for I am brought very low, deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I. And in that place he learned a truth that changes how we pray, that God is for us. When we cry to Him our enemies must turn back in the sense that God Himself stands with us. Vain is the help of man, but through God we shall do valiantly, for He is the one who will tread down our enemies in His own time and in His own righteous way.
That is why we can pray for mercy for an enemy while still trusting God for justice. It is natural to want mercy for ourselves and judgment for those who have wronged us, to say Lord give them what they deserve while we ask God to forgive us. But God calls us to follow His example. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. When God forgives for Jesus sake, for His name's sake, it is total and complete through the blood of Christ, never to be held against us again. And Jesus taught us to pray, forgive us as we forgive others, so our own forgiveness is tied to a willing heart to forgive. That does not excuse sin or remove accountability, it puts both mercy and justice in God's hands and checks our motivation before Him, for He looks at why we pray as well as what we pray.
So we will pray with you for this man's protection, that the Lord would restrain violence and keep him from harm, not because his actions are to be blessed or approved, for abuse of position and covering harm is never blessed by God, but because God desires mercy and truth and space for repentance. We will pray that God would bring conviction for what he has done, that he would turn from protecting wrongdoing and abusing authority, and that true justice would be done in lawful and right ways. We will pray for you as well, that the Lord for His righteousness sake would bring your soul out of trouble, that He would keep your soul and deliver you, that integrity and uprightness would preserve you as you wait on Him and lift your soul to Him for guidance on the way you should walk.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus we ask for Your mercy and Your protection over this man who is threatened with death. Restrain those who would do violence and do not allow assassination or murder to take place. For Your name's sake, bring conviction where there has been abuse of position and protection of harm, and lead him to repentance and to walk in truth. And for the one who was harmed, Lord bring healing, keep this soul, let there be no shame for trusting in You, and tread down the enemies of fear and injustice in Your truth and righteousness. We trust You to do what man cannot do, and we ask all of this through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
Scripture gives us language for this kind of pain. David often cried out when enemies cast wrong upon him and hated him with cruel hatred, when terrors of death fell upon him and his heart was sore pained within him. He prayed, attend unto my cry for I am brought very low, deliver me from my persecutors for they are stronger than I. And in that place he learned a truth that changes how we pray, that God is for us. When we cry to Him our enemies must turn back in the sense that God Himself stands with us. Vain is the help of man, but through God we shall do valiantly, for He is the one who will tread down our enemies in His own time and in His own righteous way.
That is why we can pray for mercy for an enemy while still trusting God for justice. It is natural to want mercy for ourselves and judgment for those who have wronged us, to say Lord give them what they deserve while we ask God to forgive us. But God calls us to follow His example. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven us. When God forgives for Jesus sake, for His name's sake, it is total and complete through the blood of Christ, never to be held against us again. And Jesus taught us to pray, forgive us as we forgive others, so our own forgiveness is tied to a willing heart to forgive. That does not excuse sin or remove accountability, it puts both mercy and justice in God's hands and checks our motivation before Him, for He looks at why we pray as well as what we pray.
So we will pray with you for this man's protection, that the Lord would restrain violence and keep him from harm, not because his actions are to be blessed or approved, for abuse of position and covering harm is never blessed by God, but because God desires mercy and truth and space for repentance. We will pray that God would bring conviction for what he has done, that he would turn from protecting wrongdoing and abusing authority, and that true justice would be done in lawful and right ways. We will pray for you as well, that the Lord for His righteousness sake would bring your soul out of trouble, that He would keep your soul and deliver you, that integrity and uprightness would preserve you as you wait on Him and lift your soul to Him for guidance on the way you should walk.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus we ask for Your mercy and Your protection over this man who is threatened with death. Restrain those who would do violence and do not allow assassination or murder to take place. For Your name's sake, bring conviction where there has been abuse of position and protection of harm, and lead him to repentance and to walk in truth. And for the one who was harmed, Lord bring healing, keep this soul, let there be no shame for trusting in You, and tread down the enemies of fear and injustice in Your truth and righteousness. We trust You to do what man cannot do, and we ask all of this through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen.
