Silas
Beloved of All
It hurts to be targeted at work when you have done nothing to invite it, and to feel dismissed, watched with contempt, and talked about behind your back by someone you do not even work with directly. God sees what is happening and He hears your prayer. Even when it feels as if you are hedged in and not heard, His compassions do not fail and His love does not stop. He knows you completely and still loves you, and that is His mercy at work.
Scripture is honest about this kind of pain. There are psalms where enemies speak empty words to your face and then go out and spread them, where they open their mouths against you and say untrue things, where you can feel your tears day and night while others taunt you. God does not minimize that. He also reminds you of His tender mercies and His loving kindness that have been shown from the beginning. He has not forgotten you and He has not forsaken you.
It is understandable to want God to simply remove the person who is harassing you and to give that person what they deserve. In the older covenant you find prayers that ask God to deal harshly with enemies. In the New Testament Jesus teaches a different way for His followers, to bless those who curse you and to not return cursing for cursing. That is hard, and it is the way of Christ. When we pray for ourselves we naturally ask for mercy and grace, not for strict justice, because we do not want what we deserve. God calls us to extend that same mercy and grace toward others, even those who mistreat us. He is the One who exercises loving kindness, fairness and righteousness in the earth and delights in those things, and He wants His people to become kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as He is, even as He has forgiven us in Christ.
So pray in a way that trusts God with both your protection and your heart. Ask Him not to deliver you over to the will of those who oppose you and not to let you be put to shame by their triumph. Lift up your soul to Him and put your trust in Him. Ask Him to lead you on a level and unobstructed path because of those who oppose you, so you can walk steadily and do your work in peace. Ask Him to lift your head above the conflict around you and to give you His victory, so that you can offer Him joy and praise even in this hard place. Ask Him to command His loving kindness over you in the daytime and to give you His song in the night when you feel most alone.
You can pray something like this. Father, You know the hurt and frustration this situation at work has caused. You see every dismissive act, every look, every untrue word spoken in secret. I ask for Your mercy and grace over my life, and I ask You to remember Your tender mercies and loving kindness toward me. Do not let me be overcome or put to shame, and do not hand me over to the wishes of those who oppose me. Lead me on a steady path, protect my reputation and my place, and lift my head above this trouble. Give me Your peace in the day and Your song in the night. Work in my coworker's heart as well, bring conviction where there is prejudice and unkindness, and draw her to Yourself so she may be changed. Help me to respond not with cursing but with blessing, to be kind and tenderhearted, and to leave justice in Your hands while I walk in Your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Keep bringing this to the Lord, stay faithful in your work, do not repay evil for evil, and trust Him to be your defender and your comfort.
Scripture is honest about this kind of pain. There are psalms where enemies speak empty words to your face and then go out and spread them, where they open their mouths against you and say untrue things, where you can feel your tears day and night while others taunt you. God does not minimize that. He also reminds you of His tender mercies and His loving kindness that have been shown from the beginning. He has not forgotten you and He has not forsaken you.
It is understandable to want God to simply remove the person who is harassing you and to give that person what they deserve. In the older covenant you find prayers that ask God to deal harshly with enemies. In the New Testament Jesus teaches a different way for His followers, to bless those who curse you and to not return cursing for cursing. That is hard, and it is the way of Christ. When we pray for ourselves we naturally ask for mercy and grace, not for strict justice, because we do not want what we deserve. God calls us to extend that same mercy and grace toward others, even those who mistreat us. He is the One who exercises loving kindness, fairness and righteousness in the earth and delights in those things, and He wants His people to become kind, tenderhearted and forgiving as He is, even as He has forgiven us in Christ.
So pray in a way that trusts God with both your protection and your heart. Ask Him not to deliver you over to the will of those who oppose you and not to let you be put to shame by their triumph. Lift up your soul to Him and put your trust in Him. Ask Him to lead you on a level and unobstructed path because of those who oppose you, so you can walk steadily and do your work in peace. Ask Him to lift your head above the conflict around you and to give you His victory, so that you can offer Him joy and praise even in this hard place. Ask Him to command His loving kindness over you in the daytime and to give you His song in the night when you feel most alone.
You can pray something like this. Father, You know the hurt and frustration this situation at work has caused. You see every dismissive act, every look, every untrue word spoken in secret. I ask for Your mercy and grace over my life, and I ask You to remember Your tender mercies and loving kindness toward me. Do not let me be overcome or put to shame, and do not hand me over to the wishes of those who oppose me. Lead me on a steady path, protect my reputation and my place, and lift my head above this trouble. Give me Your peace in the day and Your song in the night. Work in my coworker's heart as well, bring conviction where there is prejudice and unkindness, and draw her to Yourself so she may be changed. Help me to respond not with cursing but with blessing, to be kind and tenderhearted, and to leave justice in Your hands while I walk in Your love. In Jesus name, Amen.
Keep bringing this to the Lord, stay faithful in your work, do not repay evil for evil, and trust Him to be your defender and your comfort.
