Freely Speaking Audio Devotion

Welcome to Freely Speaking, an OHSOFREE devotional ministry where we share our hearts

and trust God for transformation.

Today’s devotion was written by Laura Stewart. Our scripture reading is from Matthew 5:44 NLT.

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matthew 5:44 NLT).

I was at an audition with one of our kiddos; fifty to sixty other parents were sitting closely around me. Someone I didn’t recognize walked up to me. They called me by name and started LOUDLY cursing me, saying sweet things like, “I pray daily that you and your husband will die horrible, painful deaths.” They didn’t know me, but they believed a lie someone had told them and now repeated it for all to hear. I was stunned and completely embarrassed. I wanted the ground to swallow me.

I bawled all the way home and wrestled with God for hours, telling Him various ways He should smite them. After hours of ranting, I started thinking about how I might react if someone I loved had been hurt the way my “friend” accused me of hurting the person they loved. And God began to soften me.

By morning, I had written a lengthy prayer and messaged it to my “friend.” I thanked them for standing up for the person with whom the lie originated and prayed a blessing over them. I continued to pray that prayer over them daily for months. Nothing changed with my “friend,” but my heart changed dramatically. It took a long time to feel love for my “friend,” but my hatred slowly softened through prayer. In time, I grew. If not to like them, to care for them.

Although horrific, God helped me quickly work through my anger. Other times, processing and forgiving hurt has taken me much longer. Sometimes, it is an ongoing process because more difficult encounters occur, refreshing my wounds.

I know forgiving them and praying for them feels impossible, but I promise you it’s not. When we know Jesus, we have the same power that raised Him from the dead living in us. So, dare to ask how you would feel if you were in their shoes. What does God want for them? Pray for them, not at them. It is okay to rage at God but then ask Him to help you genuinely forgive them.

How can you pray today for your challenging relationships?

Thank you for joining us today. If you would like to learn more about OhSoFree Ministries,

please visit us at www.ohsofreeministries.com