Amen, Dawn1! Trusting Jesus for peace at work (Phil 4:6-7), financial breakthroughs (Phil 4:19), & relationship restoration (Mal 4:6). Believing for Phaerfard's healing & family support (Matt 7:7). In Jesus' name! 
**Prayer Update!** 
Let's lift up **
One noticeable difference I have noticed between Old Testament and New Testament is the notable absence of "Prayers of Imprecation," also known as "Prayers of Judgement," Psalms, Ezra, Elijah, Jeremiah, etc. It seems that what we now know as obvious, the Old Testament saints were oblivious and did not see coming: Not only the command to love our enemies and pray for FOR those who persecute us was revolutionary -- but the example Jesus set in actually doing it had never been accomplished by anyone (mainly a sinless human that was also God in that human flesh) -- Matt 5:43, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous" (See also Luke 6:27-36). So, again, not only was the teaching radically new, but the example Jesus set in actually doing it had never been seen on the planet and was gradually adopted by the saints of The New Testament.
Jesus prays forgiveness for those crucifying Him, Luke 23:34, "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.'"
Stephen follows this example while being stoned to death: Acts 7:59 "While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
Paul prays FOR the New Testament Believers to know God through The Holy Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, to know their earthly calling as well as eternal calling, and to know God's power that raised Christ: Eph 1:16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe."
He prays for the church to be strengthened, for Jesus to dwell withing their heart, to be secure in love and to be able to comprehend the humanly impossible ability of Christ's love, and thus be filled with that love until it overflows: Eph 3:14, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19 of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
In Phil 1:9-11; Paul prays the Philippians love to abound increasingly in spiritual knowledge and depth of insight, that they have discernment of holy things, all resulting in a blameless life filled with the fruit of The Holy Spirit: 9 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
There are more prayers than this, Jesus' "Lord's Prayer," where Jesus prays for 1) The Honor and Glory of God's Name to be respected, advancing His Kingdom by doing His Will; and the provision of our needs for spiritual and earthly bread, the keeping of our relationship to God and others by forgiveness for ourselves and others, and for protecton from sin and Satan:
Matt 6:9, "So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"
In John 17, Jesus prays for God to glorify Him that He may glorify The Father, for the Disciples to have unity, fellowship with the Trinity, to be sanctified by the Word of God, and to be protected from the evil one, and for their eternal life through knowing Him, as well as for all who come to Faith through the Apostolic Testimony of Christ...
(Prayer for Glorification in Order to Glorify The Father)
1 "When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. 2 For You granted Him authority over all people,a so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3 Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
(Prayer for the Disciples)
6 I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. 8 For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. 10 All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified. 11 I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. 14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.
(Prayer for All Believers)
20 I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one— 23 I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me. 26 And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.'”
So we see the overwhelming lack of prayers "against" others, but rather we are enjoined to pray for others, not only those who are our family and friends, which should be but often is not a given, but also for our enemies! That is radical and THAT is Christianity.
Now having said and quoted all of the above, we do notice a couple passing digs at those who are openly resisting the Gospel or those who have become "enemies of the cross," (Phil 3:18) by the Apostles who had been physically injured because of preaching or even martyred...
Acts 4:23 "On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. 'Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ 27 In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28 They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
We also see Paul asking God to repay Alexander the Coppersmith for resisting Paul as far as it pertained to resisting the Gospel and thus becoming a stumbling block to the salvation of others, 2 Tim 4:14 "Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message. 16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them."
What is the distinction? I believe it to be the difference between Peter and Judas -- That is, Judas sin of betrayal a was premeditated betrayal of Jesus rather than Peter's human weakness of not standing with and for Jesus, publicly, which Paul clears those who deserted him at his defense, above in 2 Tim 4:16. Those who reject God's Gospel Announcers are actually rejecting Christ: Luke 10:16, "Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
So it seems that a familiarity to resisting The Gospel Message of Faith in Jesus and loving money exists, and I will add, as the Bible does, Judas was a lover of money and a thief, and used to pilfer the money bag, John 12:6 "Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it." The Bible clearly teaches the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil (1 Tim 6:10), "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
So as for New Testament believers, will take the example of Jesus and Steven and forgive our enemies, though I understand the legitimate frustration and even, the right of Paul, whom having been persecuted because of The Gospel. He did have the same right as the eary church in Acts, to at least mention Gospel enemies that had had him beaten, to the Lord (See Acts 4:23-30, "Consider their threats." I do note they were still steeped in the prayers of David which were to his physical enemies, which Paul learns to pray to be delivered from ungodly people at the end of a similar prayer as the Early Apostles in Acts 4:29-30, above, (where they end the prayer with a request for boldness to preach and miracles to confirm The Word). There he prays for The Word to go forth first, and ends with a prayer for protection from evil people AND a statement of Faith: 2 Thess 3:1, "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.a 4 And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Therefore most think the time to pray against people is over, until heaven, when we are purified from all earthly vices (which is actually a temporary depot until The Resurrection, more on that a a later time), and in heaven I join "the spirits of just people made perfect," Heb 12:22, "Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23 in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."
Heaven is being noted because of The Saints under the Alter, whom having been purified, still seem not to have exactly the same patience as God, and or Jesus in waiting to come and judge the earth, yet, as Abel's blood cries out to the Lord, so do the souls of those who had been slain for the testimony of Jesus:
The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs
Rev. 6:9 "And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed."
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Jesus prays forgiveness for those crucifying Him, Luke 23:34, "Then Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up His garments by casting lots.'"
Stephen follows this example while being stoned to death: Acts 7:59 "While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
Paul prays FOR the New Testament Believers to know God through The Holy Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation, to know their earthly calling as well as eternal calling, and to know God's power that raised Christ: Eph 1:16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him. 18 I ask that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe."
He prays for the church to be strengthened, for Jesus to dwell withing their heart, to be secure in love and to be able to comprehend the humanly impossible ability of Christ's love, and thus be filled with that love until it overflows: Eph 3:14, "For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth 19 of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
In Phil 1:9-11; Paul prays the Philippians love to abound increasingly in spiritual knowledge and depth of insight, that they have discernment of holy things, all resulting in a blameless life filled with the fruit of The Holy Spirit: 9 "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
There are more prayers than this, Jesus' "Lord's Prayer," where Jesus prays for 1) The Honor and Glory of God's Name to be respected, advancing His Kingdom by doing His Will; and the provision of our needs for spiritual and earthly bread, the keeping of our relationship to God and others by forgiveness for ourselves and others, and for protecton from sin and Satan:
Matt 6:9, "So then, this is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"
In John 17, Jesus prays for God to glorify Him that He may glorify The Father, for the Disciples to have unity, fellowship with the Trinity, to be sanctified by the Word of God, and to be protected from the evil one, and for their eternal life through knowing Him, as well as for all who come to Faith through the Apostolic Testimony of Christ...
(Prayer for Glorification in Order to Glorify The Father)
1 "When Jesus had spoken these things, He lifted up His eyes to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may glorify You. 2 For You granted Him authority over all people,a so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3 Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4 I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world existed.
(Prayer for the Disciples)
6 I have revealed Your name to those You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours; You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they know that everything You have given Me comes from You. 8 For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me. 9 I ask on their behalf. I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those You have given Me; for they are Yours. 10 All I have is Yours, and all You have is Mine; and in them I have been glorified. 11 I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, protect them by Your name, the name You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected and preserved them by Your name, the name You gave Me. Not one of them has been lost, except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 But now I am coming to You; and I am saying these things while I am in the world, so that they may have My joy fulfilled within them. 14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not asking that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I have also sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify Myself, so that they too may be sanctified by the truth.
(Prayer for All Believers)
20 I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 I have given them the glory You gave Me, so that they may be one as We are one— 23 I in them and You in Me—that they may be perfectly united, so that the world may know that You sent Me and have loved them just as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, I know You, and they know that You sent Me. 26 And I have made Your name known to them and will continue to make it known, so that the love You have for Me may be in them, and I in them.'”
So we see the overwhelming lack of prayers "against" others, but rather we are enjoined to pray for others, not only those who are our family and friends, which should be but often is not a given, but also for our enemies! That is radical and THAT is Christianity.
Now having said and quoted all of the above, we do notice a couple passing digs at those who are openly resisting the Gospel or those who have become "enemies of the cross," (Phil 3:18) by the Apostles who had been physically injured because of preaching or even martyred...
Acts 4:23 "On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. 'Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’ 27 In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28 They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
We also see Paul asking God to repay Alexander the Coppersmith for resisting Paul as far as it pertained to resisting the Gospel and thus becoming a stumbling block to the salvation of others, 2 Tim 4:14 "Alexander the coppersmith did great harm to me. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 You too should beware of him, for he has vigorously opposed our message. 16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them."
What is the distinction? I believe it to be the difference between Peter and Judas -- That is, Judas sin of betrayal a was premeditated betrayal of Jesus rather than Peter's human weakness of not standing with and for Jesus, publicly, which Paul clears those who deserted him at his defense, above in 2 Tim 4:16. Those who reject God's Gospel Announcers are actually rejecting Christ: Luke 10:16, "Whoever listens to you listens to Me; whoever rejects you rejects Me; and whoever rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”
So it seems that a familiarity to resisting The Gospel Message of Faith in Jesus and loving money exists, and I will add, as the Bible does, Judas was a lover of money and a thief, and used to pilfer the money bag, John 12:6 "Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money bag, he used to take from what was put into it." The Bible clearly teaches the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil (1 Tim 6:10), "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
So as for New Testament believers, will take the example of Jesus and Steven and forgive our enemies, though I understand the legitimate frustration and even, the right of Paul, whom having been persecuted because of The Gospel. He did have the same right as the eary church in Acts, to at least mention Gospel enemies that had had him beaten, to the Lord (See Acts 4:23-30, "Consider their threats." I do note they were still steeped in the prayers of David which were to his physical enemies, which Paul learns to pray to be delivered from ungodly people at the end of a similar prayer as the Early Apostles in Acts 4:29-30, above, (where they end the prayer with a request for boldness to preach and miracles to confirm The Word). There he prays for The Word to go forth first, and ends with a prayer for protection from evil people AND a statement of Faith: 2 Thess 3:1, "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may spread quickly and be held in honor, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men; for not everyone holds to the faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.a 4 And we have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.
Therefore most think the time to pray against people is over, until heaven, when we are purified from all earthly vices (which is actually a temporary depot until The Resurrection, more on that a a later time), and in heaven I join "the spirits of just people made perfect," Heb 12:22, "Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to myriads of angels 23 in joyful assembly, to the congregation of the firstborn, enrolled in heaven. You have come to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel."
Heaven is being noted because of The Saints under the Alter, whom having been purified, still seem not to have exactly the same patience as God, and or Jesus in waiting to come and judge the earth, yet, as Abel's blood cries out to the Lord, so do the souls of those who had been slain for the testimony of Jesus:
The Fifth Seal: The Martyrs
Rev. 6:9 "And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe and told to rest a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers, were killed, just as they had been killed."
Premeditated Betrayal | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at Ligonier.org
Judas is an example of how dangerous it is for us to entertain sin. When we do not mortify our evil desires but indulge them, we make our hearts hard and willin
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Scripture on the Shedding of Innocent Blood - Eternal Perspective Ministries
Eternal Perspective Ministries is a Bible-believing, Christ-centered nonprofit organization founded by author Randy Alcorn.
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