Praying For Others

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

Romans 8:31

While it is among the shorter words in this verse, the conditional "if" written here has some of the largest implications.  Reading the passage in context, Paul already established God is for those who are for Him, having provided His only begotten Son to save sinners.  Paul taught there was now no condemnation to those who are in Christ and walk according to the Holy Spirit.  Those who are born again by faith in Christ have the Holy Spirit within them and are children of God.  Paul was so confident of God being for His people, having made us joint-heirs with Christ with whom we will be glorified, he declared in Romans 8:18, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

If God is for some people, it follows He can be against them too.  This can be observed throughout the Bible, that God is against those who do wickedly--like prophets who prophesied out of their own hearts rather than the word of God.  God said through the prophet in Ezekiel 13:8-9:  "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD. ⁹ My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD."  The LORD said concerning Babylon in Jeremiah 50:31:  "Behold, I am against you, O most haughty one!" says the Lord GOD of hosts; "for your day has come, the time that I will punish you."  This is entirely consistent with the character of God in the Scripture, that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

God is not one of those human fathers who us deluded to imagine his child can do no wrong, one who shows nepotism by willing blindness to our faults and folly:  every one of His adopted children by the Gospel is a sinner who does wrong.  That is why Jesus came to provide forgiveness, pardon, salvation and guidance out of His goodness.  While we were still sinners, God demonstrated His love for all by Jesus laying down His life on Calvary.  What wondrous grace, that when we were against God He was for us.  His longsuffering is salvation, for He is not willing that any should perish but all come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).  Self-righteousness can lead God's children to feel entitled to God's grace and condemn others, to set ourselves against those who live contrary to God--and assume a posture that is not Christlike.

I have lately been encouraged by Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:43-45:  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."  Notice Jesus commanded His disciples to pray for their enemies, not against them.  God is clearly against those who do wickedly, yet as recipients of His grace, mercy and love we are to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, do good to those who hate us, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute us.  This is God's intended path of our sanctification, for Jesus concluded in Matthew 5:48:  "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."  Better than praying against those who oppose God, we can pray for what we know is God's will revealed in His word.  God's people walk in wisdom to pray in alignment with His word rather than against others.