Pray for Your Enemies to Live Better than a Billionaire

Good morning, Happy Souls!

Bill Keller wrote a wonderful devotional today
that I highly recommend to you.  He has given
me permission to copy his e-mails, and I'm sure
he would be happy if you would share this with
people you know as well.

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DAILY DEVOTIONAL   SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2005
(Matthew 5:44)

There was once a man named Saul of Tarsus.  To the
early Christians he was an evil man.  He sought to
kill those who followed Jesus Christ.  One day on
the road to Damascus, God visited Saul.  Saul of
Tarsus became Paul, one of the most powerful
Christians that ever lived.  A man God used to
write a good portion of the New Testament and plant
many of the early churches that still exist today.
I have no doubt that those in the early church
followed the example of Jesus and PRAYED FOR SAUL!!!
Be like Jesus, and pray for your enemies.

Praying for your enemies.  I am about to give you a
quick spiritual test. What is your attitude towards
your enemies?  We all have those people in our life
that we just can't get along with.  We all have
those people in our life that don't like us.  We all
have those people in our life that do not wish us
well.  What is your attitude towards those people?
It is easy to like your friends, but how do you feel
about those who do not like you?  On the ladder of
spiritual maturity, this is a very big rung.  How we
feelabout and deal with those people in our life that
are NOT our friends, is a major indicator of our
spiritual growth and maturity.

Of course, our perfect example in this area is
Jesus.  How did He handle those who were involved in
His death?  He loved them, He forgave them, and He
prayed for them.  This becomes the standard that we
must work to achieve in this area.  We must love
those who hate us.  We must forgive those who mean
to do us harm.  We must pray for those who are out
to get us.  You see, the Bible says the Lord will
fight for us, that the "battle is the Lord's."  The
reason God fights for us is that we can get so weary,
so worn out, that we become ineffective for God.  We
become so distracted in fighting those who oppose us,
we lose sight of our mission which is to serve and
glorify Him with our lives.

I realize today that you have people in your life
that wish only the worst upon you.  Love those
people today, pray for them.  Anyone that has
allowed bitterness to become such a stronghold in
their life needs our prayers.  Those who allow
bitterness and hatred to creep into their life are
to be pitied.  They are hurting themselves, so out
of that hurt, lash out on those around them.  Pray
for them.  Pray the Lord will grant them peace.
Pray the Lord will take the hatred and bitterness
from them and replace it with peace and joy.
Love them.

How?  In our own strength, it is NOT POSSIBLE to
love or pray for our enemies.  That is when we need
to tap into the strength only God can give us.  In
our own strength, it is virtually impossible to
love and pray for our enemies.  But when we let God
take over, when we call upon His strength, it is
possible.  AND THIS IS WHAT THE LORD IS CALLING YOU
TO DO TODAY!!

Make a list right now of everyone in your life that
means you harm.  Make a list of your enemies.  My
suggestion is that you call each one, or meet with
each one and tell them you love them, forgive them,
and are praying for them.  If communicating with
them is not possible, at least sit down each
morning, and pray for them.  THIS IS WHAT GOD IS
CALLING YOU TO DO TODAY!!!!

I love you and care about you so much.  I realize
that these are difficult words to hear, and even
more difficult to put into action.  Trust me,
there is a key of freedom attached with what I am
telling you today.  A freedom that you cannot
begin to understand.  This is a test, a spiritual
test.  I will pray for you today that you pass it
with flying colors.  It is no accident that you are
reading these words today.  God is clearly speaking
to you.

Take a few minutes right now and pray for all of
those in your life that are not your friends, those
who are against you.  Pray for their souls and then
pray the Lord will bless them and open their hearts
to His love. God is calling you today to rise above
the day-to-day emotions of life.  Realize that the
wars we fight are not of this earth, not of flesh
and blood, but are spiritual.  Pray for your enemies
today, and be like Jesus!!!

In His love and service,
Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller

***If I can help you in any way you can contact me
through my personal email at bkeller@liveprayer.com

***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL SPEND
ETERNITY?  The fact is you will die one day.  At
that moment, you will either spend eternity with
the Lord or be cast into everlasting darkness
forever separated from God your creator.  To know
for certain you will be forever with Jesus, go to:
http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html

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(C) Copyright 2005, Bill Keller Ministries. All rights reserved

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May God bless you as you learn from this message!

Donald W. Mitchell, Your Dream Concierge

Copyright 2005 Donald W. Mitchell