How to Pray When Facing Hate

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This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now James today on encouraging. Talk about a difficult but very timely top and that is how to pray and facing hate 2020 has been a highly charged year where the emotions of many are running rampant in some sadly have given into hating others who differ with them and that is not what Jesus would have us do, but chances are you may have faced James.

I know you've come up against this one personally before so let's talk about that. Yeah I have Robbie years ago I had my life threatened by a man who hated me for no reason other than I was sharing the word of God would get there were clearly some dark spiritual influences at work and that another time and my wife and I another state.

We woke up one morning to find racial epitaphs painted on our our fans because what; mixed marriage carries Cuban you know we have young children in the home and we were very concerned and another time for prolonged. I found myself facing hatred in the church that I was actually serving as a pastor and that happens to pastors more frequently than you may know, especially when people are spiritually mature and given to gossip. Instead of letting the Lord's love and in spirit will in their hearts.

Just yesterday I was talking to a pastor who asked me to pray for him because he was facing a judgmental elder in his church so you know this is real and people face it believers face us in so many ways. Some of even been fired from work for just expressing an opinion on social media now while talking about this. I was thinking about how awesome God's word dresses facing the hatred of others and really is pretty frequent. Yes, it is the ultimate example is of course Jesus on the cross. Of course he tells us to take up our cross and follow him, and that will mean opposition is all wrote Timothy in second 312, he said. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted and that's just the reality of being a follower of Christ in the dark and broken room. We really can't talk about that enough of our brothers and sisters and many other parts of the world encounter this really everyday. Now they do Robbie and and we need to pray for the persecuted church and also pray that we can stand the test of persecution whenever it comes, I think about what Andrew Brunson, the missionary who was imprisoned in Turkey unjustly for two years told me just couple of weeks ago he had asked himself, will I be offended by what God allows. Will that cause me to lose my faith in him, so it was such a good question because we need to learn how to get through challenging times and prayer in and staying in the word of God matter so much for this, but it's not just a ritual of prayer you know it's a particular kind of praying and in more than anything else. What we need to do. The way we need to pray is to call in the name of Jesus. Now thank you Jesus on the cross, when he prayed father forgive them for they know not what they do after they literally beaten and scourged them and were continuing to throw insults out of money. We need to have more of this spirit will we face hatred so that we don't respond in our own flesh. Our sin nature and doesn't mean that you don't stand up for what you believe Jesus was doing just that as he went to the cross.

Look at Stephen he spoke very clearly that those who are in the wrong number, putting him to death, but he also pray, do not hold this sin against them and who does sound that sounds just like that's the point we need to have his spirit with helping us from hating and not go there in her heart and helping us to love what we stand for what is right and to do that we have to keep our eyes on Jesus for every moment, and when we do has a way of meeting us there and giving us new strength I remember time in my life.

Years ago when I was facing a lot of opposition a lot of darkness was drained and I was depressed and I just didn't know what to do when I'm going through the motions and I sat down to read my Bible at the kitchen table and as I was reading along, I came upon Jesus words in Luke 622 and those words stayed with me ever since.

Blessed are you when people hate you when they exclude you, salt you project your name is evil because of the Son of Man, rejoicing that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. And I can't tell you what that did for my soul. As I read those words, Robbie.

As soon as I read it, like the light falling to my soul but on my body like this weight being lifted, and I realized Jesus knows. He knows that and the only way I can walk it is with him. But praise God I get to walk right now. It was a revelation. I can see why James, I think that while we look at difficult circumstances.

Sometimes we say. I could never go through that God will apparently give us the strength we need in the moment only need to get through. I do believe that Robbie, but always make it easy it one day at a time and we have to stay so close and at every point is that we are very we its strength that we need his strength is made perfect in weakness. His word tells us we have to choose to have faith in him in difficult times, and that's one of the great lessons Andrew Brunson Mitchell. In his book God hostage. I love that's also important because what were facing here is spiritual darkness that really aligns itself against God. Yeah I got that exactly mean, there's so much of that going on right now around us and you know I think about that night when my life was threatened by man who could carry through on the threat and myself just you know, this voice was going off in my head pray pray pray you know exactly through calling on the name of Jesus and rebuking the darkness. In Jesus name. That was the whole turning point in the encounter, but the thing that we have to remember is that room him him by him. We have access to everything we need Ashley Hislop in his power and that's where he wants us to be in our spirits when were facing this. Remember that while Stephen was being stoned.

You looked up and he saw Jesus at the right hand of God.

So there again. Keeping his eyes on Jesus that shows us how to pray no to keep our hearts on him.

Don't give into hate in your heart but let his love empower you all comes down to James and plan really have this talk today because it helps us keep our minds on what matters most is really important in these challenging times were obvious as we wrap things up, would you pray for us. Pray for our listeners that we can live like this, because again were weak and we just need Jesus help and so we need to pray and and I know he will help us as we do this is thank you that you that you put this on James's heart and help us to recognize what really is going on, that our battle is not against flesh and blood began special forces or chronic right darkness.

Help us to be light, just keep pouring your fruit into us so that we can be fruitful in these times were so grateful for your provision for us and all that you are working out for your church. In Jesus name I pray you hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you to pray.

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