Christians Unite!

[Changing4Best]

Is it wrong to pray that someone who is doing you harm be caught and punished for their deed(s) by law?

 

[Lionheart]

I personally, think that is natural to desire and to pray for justice and I do not think it is wrong. I was taught to follow the law of the land and to be a good citizen, and I don't think that it is out of line to want justice. Just my personal opinion.

 

[HealingInProcess]

Here is what I have come to in terms of my prayers for those who I feel have wronged me. I pray that they are blessed and forgiven and I put them in the hands of the Lord to do with as he sees fit but not in a spirit of retribution, retaliation, judgment or condemnation (if I feel I am praying in that spirit then I try not to pray that prayer at that time). I pray that all of their evil actions are stopped.

I have also prayed for a heart for those who have wronged me that I love them and pray for them. God commands us to love our enemies and pray for them. I pray for them out of obedience to him as servant and a child of God.

 

[HealingInProcess]

I personally, think that is natural to desire and to pray for justice and I do not think it is wrong. I was taught to follow the law of the land and to be a good citizen, and I don't think that it is out of line to want justice. Just my personal opinion.

This is interesting because I think it's complex. We are told to love justice but also that mercy triumphs over judgment. I do believe in the court of law and that we should face penalties for our actions but if the Lord chooses to be merciful and spare someone from that then that is his will.

 

[Lionheart]

Please understand that I never said we should not pray for them, I only said that I didn't think it was wrong to desire and pray for justice. (I also stated that it was my personal opinion).

My niece stole money from her dying mother's disability fund and I pray for justice. She needs to understand that there are consequences for her actions, and make retribution, but it doesn't mean that I don't love her. If God wishes to forgive her that is fine (of course), I hold no ill will towards her. I only want to see justice prevail.

 

[HealingInProcess]

Please understand that I never said we should not pray for them, I only said that I didn't think it was wrong to desire and pray for justice. (I also stated that it was my personal opinion).

My niece stole money from her dying mother's disability fund and I pray for justice. She needs to understand that there are consequences for her actions, and make retribution, but it doesn't mean that I don't love her. If God wishes to forgive her that is fine (of course), I hold no ill will towards her. I only want to see justice prevail.

Yes I understand and I don't think it's necessarily wrong to pray for justice and we have courts of law for a reason. I am sorry to hear about your niece's actions and hopefully she changes her ways.

 

[Changing4Best]

OK, here is another question for all of you: How does one forgive someone who is unknown to them? For instance, the hacker(s) who stole my Facebook Account? (They are sending scams to all my friends in Messenger). It seems impossible to forgive someone when I do not know who they are! I'm at a loss as to how to go about doing so.

I do know that God knows who they are. That much is clear.

 

[hithere]

Is it wrong to pray that someone who is doing you harm be caught and punished for their deed(s) by law?

No it is not wrong at all. Read what David wrote in many of the psalms concerning his enemies. my opinion of course.

 

[HealingInProcess]

No it is not wrong at all. Read what David wrote in many of the psalms concerning his enemies. my opinion of course.

This is something I struggle with myself because the Sermon on the Mount says not to love our enemies and bless those who curse us and forgive them. The way I read some of David's psalms it seems they directly contradict Jesus's teaching on forgiveness. One potential way to read David's words is that he was not talking about specific enemies but rather the enemies of God generally. I also read his psalms as an affirmation that yes, those who harm us will receive what they have done to us back to them.

 

[Changing4Best]

I finally learned what the word: Nicolatians means. They were a group of folks during the time in which John was under exile on the Island of Pattmos. They believed that they had special knowledge which basically was that only the spirit in the person is important, so anyone of them could commit immorality or idolatry and not be guilty of anything, because only their spirit mattered and those things basically/ supposedly don't harm the spirit. Yeh, right....

 

[HealingInProcess]

Helpful to keep in mind during this season that Jesus rose from the grave and conquered death and through him we can conquer all things.

 

[Phoenix Rising]

would Jesus see me as someone worth saving am worthless really ....broken ....dirt