Christ for Everyone - a Three-Day Reading Plan by Chris EkissSample

Day 3 - Christ For Who?

My son is turning four this year. Bright-eyed and eager to experience every minute of the day. He loves with his whole heart. My son also has no enemies, other than Bowser from Super Mario Brothers. I’m (obviously) much older than my son. I’m still bright-eyed and eager, yet there is one exception. I have enemies. Some from mistakes, some from my beliefs, and some from indifference. I suspect that you have some enemies in your life too.

We read, moments ago, a passage from Matthew when Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This has to be one of the hardest practices of Jesus to do. Love our enemies, pray for them. But then Jesus goes on to say we are acting as true children of our Father.

As a dad, there is nothing I love more than watching my son try his hardest to please his mom and me. He loves trying to make us laugh, he loves making us clap and cheer for him, he even loves helping us clean up the house (for an added two-dollar reward.) My prayer for us, as believers, is that we too would try to delight this much in the joy of our Heavenly Father. By praying for our enemies and loving them when it is difficult - this is one way we bring joy to our Father. “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.” - 1 Timothy 2:1-5

Reflection:

Listen to the song “Christ For Everyone” and reflect on this question:

How can you pray for your enemies today? If you're having trouble, a perfect place to start would be to open up your hands and hold them out in front of you. Simply ask God how you can start to pray for your enemies. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and begin to pray. From the text earlier, ask God to help them, intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

How can you share the Love of Jesus with them?