Prayer: Intercession For An “Enemy” / Lost Soul

Introduction:

We are called to humble ourselves and love our neighbors as ourselves.

“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:18)

“…You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39)

Jesus calls us to go beyond loving our neighbors and love our enemies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’

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, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:43-44

This calling goes completely against our self-centered earthly nature which drives us to defend ourselves and seek vengeance when someone is working against us or harming us somehow. In order to embrace and execute this calling we must see things from a different perspective.

1) Our “enemy”: The person causing distress to us, is actually one of God’s precious children lost in this fallen world. God loves this person, has great plans for this person, and wants them to find their way out of the mess they are in.

2) Our “self”: Jesus showed us how to humble ourselves, suffer, and sacrifice His earthly life in service of a higher purpose. We are to follow His model, deny ourselves, pick up our cross and suffer or sacrifice as needed in our earthly life in service to Him and His agenda.

3) Our Earthly Life and Things: Our lives are not our own, we have been purchased by Jesus finished work on the cross. Our life is a gift from Him. All of our assets came from Him. We are to submit our lives to Him as lord, and apply the assets we are custodians of to the program as He leads us.. If we need to absorb the burden of someone causing us harm, we will have fellowship with Jesus and He will pay us back in heaven.

4) Judgement: God is a just Judge and will hold each of us accountable for our thoughts, words and actions in this life. We are not to assume the role of judge and jury and hold others accountable ourselves.

One thing we can always do is pray to intercede for someone who is struggling. The following is an example prayer you can work with to help someone in need For a more complete discussion on this topic, see this blog post.

Prayer for a Lost Soul Who Has Harmed You

Heavenly Father,

I come before You with a heart seeking Your grace and mercy, both for myself and for those who have harmed me.

You teach us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, that we may reflect Your perfect love. (Matthew 5:44-45)

Lord, I lift-up [Name] to You. Though they have acted against me, I know You desire for all to come to repentance and to know the truth of Your love. (1 Timothy 2:4)

- I ask You to soften their heart, open their eyes to Your light, and draw them into a saving relationship with You through Jesus Christ. (John 6:44)
- Forgive them, Lord, for they likely do not fully understand the impact of their actions. (Luke 23:34).
- Pour out Your Spirit upon them, bringing conviction where it is needed and comfort where there is pain.
- Replace any anger, bitterness, or hatred with the peace and joy that comes from knowing You. (Galatians 5:22-23)
- Bless them abundantly, Father, not as a reward for their deeds, but as an outpouring of Your unmerited favor and love. May Your kindness lead them to repentance. (Romans 2:4)
- Surround them with people who will speak truth into their life and guide them toward righteousness.
- Let them encounter the transformative power of the cross and be born again as a new creation in Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Lord, guard my heart from bitterness or resentment. (Hebrews 12:15)

- Help me to trust in Your justice and to walk in forgiveness, knowing vengeance belongs to You. (Romans 12:19-21)
- Fill me with Your love so that I may reflect Your character, even in difficult situations. (Ephesians 3:18, 5:2)

I believe Your plans for [Name] are for their good, to give them a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Thank You, Father, for hearing my prayer. I trust in Your perfect will and timing, knowing that nothing is impossible for You. (Luke 1:37)

I leave this situation and [Name] in Your hands, confident in Your love and grace. Help me know when and how I can be of further service to you..

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

How to Intercede for Someone

So how do you help someone who is lost, Especially someone at a distance? It is called intercession.

Intersession is a form of prayer where you advocate on behalf for someone. You could be adding your prayers to their prayers to bring more energy to a situation, or you could be initiating prayer because they are not interested in praying, or maybe you have no access to them but have compassion and want to help them.

Some considerations:

There are a few things I have learned which make intercession much more effective.

It is spiritual warfare (Ep 6:12-18) – Don’t blame people, Stand against the evil.
The devil controls the fallen world (2 Cor 4:4) – He Lies, Steals, and Destroys
Jesus defeated Satan (Col 2:15) – Hold Satan accountable, your footstool
Jesus’ blood makes you righteous, reunited with the Father – Stand under it!
Jesus delegated authority to us in His name – Use it!
We are the body of Christ – Be his arms and legs on earth!
The spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives inside us – Use it!
Jesus expects us to do the works He did and more – Do what He did!
We must know God’s will, Jesus is the expressed image – Look at Jesus!
Scripture is binding – State your case!
Jesus intercedes for us – The Father is a just judge – It is rigged in your favor!
God has already done the work – Don’t beg, Align and Receive it
We must act in faith to make space for grace (Think, Say, Do)
You must speak Gods will into place – Create the future
Angels are waiting to execute – Give them permission!
Be fervent, believe the promises, expect results, pray until you see them

Each of these are addressed in other blog entries or in details under the “about God and His Kingdom” web page.

Below is a sample prayer that embodies these features. It is a bit long as it is both instructional and functional. The first section positions you as a righteous believer acting in intercession. the second portion executes the intercession with authority, the final section is the conclusion. Read it out loud with conviction for best effect.

If you are interceding for multiple different folks or multiple sets of folks, read the first section once to get you properly positioned, then repeat the middle section half for each group of folks in mind, then wrap up with the conclusion.

Sample Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank you for creating this place and putting us here at this time. Thank you for all you have done for me and my family.

Jesus, Thank you for coming here and doing your amazing work 2000 years ago; You gave up your role in heaven and came here as a human baby; you became the expressed image of the invisible Father, when we see you we see Him; You resisted the devil at each turn and lived a sinless life; You received the Holy Spirit and did the Fathers will. You denied yourself and suffered an innocent death taking sin to the grave, your resurrection brings eternal life to all who believe. I am committed to live a life worthy of the price you paid.

Jesus, you defeated the devil and took back the authority we had given him with our sins. The Father granted you full authority over all the heavens and on the earth because of your work. Your name is above all names, and all must kneel before it. You graciously delegated authority to us so we can continue your work. I accept Your commission. I am the body of Christ, your arms and legs on this earth. I will make the devil Your footstool and bring glory to the Father in Your name.

Jesus, We see you seated on the throne in heaven at the right hand of the father. We accept your invitation and join you in that heavenly realm. I stand before you in the righteousness you paid for, cleansed by your blood. You are the high priest interceding for us, and I am raising up your children for consideration. Your Word is binding, you are a just judge, and I herby present my case.

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Lord Jesus, I intercede today on behalf of (_______insert one or more specific people). They are your precious children and are lost in this fallen world. They are blinded by lies and do not see Your truth. They are separated by sin from Your love and protection. They are consumed by this world and their heart has grown cold. They are struggling to climb out of their situation and become productive for themselves, their family, their friends, and your kingdom.

I use the authority you give me in Luke 10:19 to rebuke the evil spirits affecting them. I cancel all assignments, contracts, curses, and permissions being leveraged against them. All unclean spirits in this realm, I command you to loose them from your grip and leave them now, in Jesus name. All unclean spirits in the heavenly realms, I use the authority you give us in Matthew 18:18 to bind all spirits who are working against these precious children of God. I rebuke you and cut you off. I prohibit you from supporting and reinforcing the earthly spirits who are working against these precious children; What is bound on earth is bound in heaven, in Jesus name. Jesus defeated Satan by His work on the cross, He now is the name above all names. You Evil spirits, You WILL kneel and loose these children NOW on my command, in Jesus’ Name. It is written! It will be done! in Jesus name!

Jesus, I speak the Holy Spirit into action to bring God’s will into place. Help warm the hearts of these precious lost children so they can find You and Your unconditional love. Open their eyes and help them find the truth of You and Your gospel. Help them discover their value as an adopted child of God. Help them know you are ready, willing, and able to rescue them; Help them be humble enough to ask for your help. Lord, help them find and follow your path out of their destructive situation. Help them transform their thinking into alignment with Your will. Help them change their behavior so they become productive for themselves, their family, and for all those around them. Help them embrace the Holy Spirit and find the level of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control that only You can bring. Lord, I release Your angels to protect them and guide them as they find You and Your path for their lives. I ask this in Jesus Name.

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Lord, Help me know how best to support them on their journey. May each of us become a beacon for your kingdom. I ask all of this in Jesus name, to bring glory to the Father. AMEN

Prayer For An Enemy