Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
After the Lord had said these things to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “I am angry with you and your two friends, because you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So now take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. You have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has”. So Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite did what the Lord told them; and the Lord accepted Job’s prayer.
– Job 42:7-9
Devotion
Job’s friends incorrectly accused him of deserving his hardship because of his own wrongdoing. Now it is revealed that Job’s suffering was not due to his sin and God rebukes Job’s friends. In an ironic twist, God declares that, if Job prays on their behalf, he will not punish them for their ignorant speeches. They must now depend on Job to forgive them and accept their repentance.
As part of our recovery from suffering, we would do well to pray for those who have tormented or doubted us during our grief. Jesus calls us to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44). The ability to pray for those who persecute us is not only therapeutic, but biblical as well.
The Big Question
Have you ever taken the opportunity to pray for your enemies? The thought of going to God on behalf of those who cause us suffering seems counterintuitive, yet this is what God has called us to do. How can you pray for someone who has hurt you today?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what you have learned.