land of hatred

Monday July 20^th, Psalm 23: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.  You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.  The best way to avoid conflict is fervent prayer for your enemies.  I don’t mean praying that they will fall and break their neck, but truly praying that the fear that is driving them and the fear that is driving you will cease.  It is truly praying for their well-being and happiness as well as your own.  When you begin to pray for them, you find that you also begin to get into their world; you begin to see things from their perspective.  In this way, two miracles can happen, not only can their heart begin to soften, but your heart can begin to understand and also soften.  Praying for your enemy does not mean that you will become best of friends; it does mean that you can once again start to see one another as brothers or sisters in Christ even if they don’t.  The peace that comes is a gift to both parties.  What if through prayer, your heart softens and they are still in the land of hatred and fear?  It means that God has moved the bar a little bit and needs more prayer on your part, perhaps a lifetimes worth.