It has been a difficult journey to want to pray for my enemies, yet I have not given up and as I have just started out on this path, I will learn a lot and undoubtedly share it with the world.
Often we think that the word "repentance" means "to give something up" - in truth that is only half of the equation. Repentance also means to turn around and do the opposite of what was done before. We are also advised to bless our enemies, to pray for them and to make them our friends. Urgh – after someone hurts us, crucifies us upside down and then cuts out our heart when we’re still alive, how can we humanly pray for such people?
And yet, holding anger and harboring revenge in our hearts really only hurts one person: us.
So I am learning that we can always make choices, after all, that is the privilege of being a human being. One can respond by saying “hallelujah” or one can say “darned.” Either way, the Universal forces support us all the way, no matter our choice.
After I came up with this prayer below I shared with my friend that the list of “enemies” was reaching close to 50 people. They are not people that I hate or that I wish bad things for, they are just people that have hurt me in the past, one way or another. Some are business related, others are close friends and family members. The sad part is that I no longer associate with most of those people because most of these bridges now lay in ruins. I don’t like drama and I don’t want people around me that lack integrity, character or authenticity. I always told my mother as a teenager that I would rather live in this world alone than to live amongst a pack of evil back stabbers. And even though I would love to live in a lonely Swiss mountain cabin taking care of animals rather than sharing my live vulnerably with the world, as I am strolling through my 40s I realize that I do have the option to make such a choice. And now that I realize that I do have this choice, I am still choosing to have my life in the public eye because I know that is where I can help the most.
Perhaps this prayer will aid some of you to pray for those that have hurt you. After all, the world is a heavy burden for us to carry. I am not strong enough to carry the anger and the hatred I have for people who hurt me, therefore I want to release it and let it go so I can be free to wish them peace, which in turn will return to me in like-form.
So here is my prayer. Feel free to copy and paste it and adjust it to what feels right to you. I would recommend you reading it at least once a day, before retiring, and preferrably throughout the day.
Father-Mother Principal, Light Source, to The Great I Am:
And I am in awe of your creation of not only the Universe, but especially our intricate system that we as human represent. We are You in the flesh, Your magnificance lives and experiences through us. We are connected, forever intertwined, interwoven, intermingled and for all times and endlessly interdependent from one another. How magnificent You truly are – I am on a forever journey to discover and understand your works.
I fully realize how powerful I am, especially as a catalyst and anchor to others, no matter the intentions. Therefore I am concerned with the feelings I hold towards those who hurt me and bring the situation before you. I come before you with an offering of a broken spirit. I don't want to pass blame, this is my own doing. I present to you my enemies and those who hurt me, and my emotions that come to the surface when I think about these people; those whom I purposefully choose not to interact with – yet I present them to you and ask you to bless them with only the best of the best that You have to offer. Although they hurt me, I’m sure they never set out to do so on purpose. And I know I too have hurt others tremendously, yet never on purpose. So I am asking You to forgive them as I have, and to bring them only what You think is just. I ask You to bless the following people:
[insert your own list of people]
And with this prayer I release any non-beneficial feelings that I may be inclined to hold on to and ask that You cleanse and transmute these feelings into pure love as only You know it. I release all these people to You and I only wish them love, peace and blessings. And so it is.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
A Blessing and Prayer for Our Enemies
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4 comments:
Truly amazing! This morning, before I read this mind you, I was thinking of my counseling session as well as how to deal with my wife while we still live together and beyond. I realized that I have not forgiven her for many years of ugliness and even as far back as getting pregnant...as if it was her fault! and now her adultery.
I will never be free until I release her and forgive her for hurting me. I will never be able to start my new life with all these resentments. I will never truly have more of God's power if I am harboring all of this ugliness...
So I planned to talk about that today in counseling, then I turn on my computer, go to my bookmarks, click on your blog, and here is your post. Exactly where I am at!!!
Unbelievable...or perhaps incredibly believable if I would just believe!
Thank you again and thank God for leading you to me, me to you.
3Ls!
I'm just so glad you're getting "fed" by my journey and the words I choose. I'm glad to be here and I'm so thankful that you come to my blog to get nourished. You know, it's a two-way street. So I thank you too!
I had this discussion (about forgiveness and turning the other cheek) with my almost 15 year old teenager. She said: "Well, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. When someone hurt you that badly why continue letting them hurt us?" I tried to explain to her that there is a fine line between forgiveness and NOT letting them continue to hurt us. It's a most difficult thing to explain and even if she did understand, it would take her years of experience to really KNOW what it means.
You and I are old enough to have been burned and we have been resurrected many times over to new life and we too have been granted forgiveness for all the stupid stuff we have done even to ourselves...whatever that may be. And since we've received so much grace from the all-powerful light source that could have struck down our bodies, I too am eager to give that same grace to others. I may fall short each time, but I certainly continue to try.
AND I am determined to continue choosing better friends. I think the bigger and more difficult lesson (than to forgive) is how to keep our hearts open and vulnerable and receptive to new people without setting them up for failure because we expect them to hurt us anyway. THAT, I think, is the real challenge here. NOT forgiving our enemies will so conveniently hold every new potential great friend "at bay" because then we at least can live our life in our lonely misery.
Ain't that the truth?
By the way: you going to counseling means the world to a woman like me. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being vulnerable enough to be open about it. I tried to get my husband to go to couple's counseling for years and he always said: "I don't have a problem but if you have one, feel free to go by yourself." And I did. But it was a lonely road...and ended us on separate paths anyway.
Hang in there, Lionel. You're magnificant and you have your entire world to offer to someone special one day. Look forward to that day and know that the day draws closer to you as you release the junk from your old life.
Caring, Consciousness to you,
Chaszey
I have been thinking alot along the lines of your 4th paragraph...I am worried I won't trust another woman too closely in my life or I will expect her or anyone else for that matter to burn me so I leave that open for them to do...lonely misery.
I love counseling actually, I love to talk out my stuff with an objective person so I can grow. I have always known there is something better for me in this world and I HAVE a purpose besides being a good father which I try so hard to be...
Reading your ebook just reaffirmed I have a wonderful purpose here...I need to quiet my mind so I can hear the directions...your words help so much!!
Peace, love, music, and...grace.
Lionel
Have a wonderful weekend!!
Lionel
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