Praying for Enemies?

The other evening before bed, I was reading some words on prayer, specifically on how to have a house of prayer where my children can learn to use prayer. What struck me particularly was a reference to the Savior’s words:

Are you following Christ’s admonition to pray to the Father and teach your children to pray, that godliness, reverence for God and his work, every day may be impressed upon the hearts of your children? That should be in every home. Pray not only for yourselves, but pray even for your enemies.

I was shocked for a minute as I realized I had been ignoring a huge commandment from God, that of praying for my enemies. This especially hit me considering the time in which we now live (war, terrorism, deceit, and those who call good evil and evil good). I guess I had been trying to justify myself. Not praying for Bin Ladin is one thing (I thought) but I should be praying for the ‘leftist’ in my own country, or even the French (I had to throw that in-- I was smiling as I wrote it). So, who are my enemies? I classified them into three types.

1. Satan, the enemy of all righteousness [Acts 13:10, Matt 13:25-39].
2. Those who would hurt or kill (Bin Ladin and other terrorists, murderers, rapists, etc.)
3. Those who are fighting against the values I hold dear (‘secular left’).

There isn’t much I can do about the first enemy other than pray, try to live close to the Lord, and be an example of hope that others may also try and do the same.

There also isn’t much I can do personally about the second. I have heard people say that Christians cannot defend themselves since they are supposed to turn the other cheek and love their enemies. This has some truth on an individual level, but the reason that the Lord help institute governments is to protect our ability to do protect us and this our commission to love. If we were always getting killed, how could we love? So the governments protects our ability to love and forgive, and it is then our responsibility to support (1 Tim 2:1-2) the government in this protection. In this way, I, we, act out of duty and the love of the protection of others and, I believe, is a very Christian thing to do. However, besides the protection provided by the government, I can pray that those who would hurt may be stopped, or that they will somehow see the error in what they do.

Now for the third. How do I find a way to pray for those who despise my beliefs (here) and work against that which I hold dear (family, children, life, traditional marriage, etc.)? It seems almost harder to pray for these people than those who would kill me since I think they should know better. Many of them claim to be diverse in their thinking and accepting. Never-the-less, my attitute towards them should be better. The scriptures are clear:

Matt. 5

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Rom. 12

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

So, the words of God are clear. I need to love them, pray for them, and count those in the third group as my brothers and sisters. However, I shouldn’t/cant just allow them to walk over my beliefs or not discuss with them. Consider this:

2 Thes. 3

13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
14 And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

So, what do I do? I need to continue to be as active politically as I have been so that I can support the government in: (1) protecting my rights so that I can be free to love and pray for them that may hate me or my country; and (2) I must not consider those people my ‘enemy’ but a brother to whom I want to help through love, prayer, and, if (need be) admonishment.