How Do I Pray For My Enemy?

I've always struggled with how to pray for my enemies. You know, the people that continually kick sand in your face, like in the picture at the left. What do you pray? Do you ask God to kill them? Or maybe you pray that they will be stricken with some horrible disease? I would bet that if you could peek inside people's heads you would see those types of thoughts that originate in the pits of hell. Sadly, the Enemy of our souls often wins out in thoughts like these.

So, how do we pray for those that persecute us? And, how do we pray for people that do evil things like strap explosives to themselves and blow up the innocent around them in the name of their god? Sunday morning, I heard a sermon that answered these questions and more. It's called the four C's:

Conviction- That your enemies will feel conviction for what they are doing and have done.
Conversion- That your enemies will come to know Jesus as their savior.
Compassion- "Oh God, help me love them beyond their sin".
Completion- That God will do all of these things for your enemy OR that He will bring judgment.

All of us have an enemy that we can pray for today. If you can't think of any, pick someone that is in the public eye. Also, read Matthew chapter 5 in an attitude prayer and ask God to speak to your heart. This is your homework.