As I ran along the beach in Destin last week, the Lord reminded me of an “enemy” and how my praying for her has morphed over the years. Here’s my three-step progression

1. Initially, I was wholly David, invoking imprecatory prayers. (These are smiting your enemies kinds of prayers, where you ask God to deal swiftly with the person, exposing their sin, doling out justice).
2. Then, by God’s grace, I moved toward forgivenessprayers where I desperately longed to have a right heart, getting rid of my bitterness, and learning to say “I forgive her” over and over again until it seemed to stick.
3. Last, I moved toward blessing, where I asked the Lord to open her eyes, give her more of Himself, and bless her as she followed Him in her life.

So on the humid morning I ran, God reminded me of her again. Initially I ran through my three-step process. Then I wondered if she had done the same. Had she invoked imprecatory prayers upon me? Had she struggled to forgive me? Had she prayed for my blessing?

I asked God to listen to her prayers on my behalf, a scary move on my part. But here is how I worded it. Feel free to pray this prayer when you’re concerned about someone who has hurt you or you have hurt.

Jesus, if my friend has prayed vengeance upon me, I pray You would sift through that and find the parts of me that need correction. No doubt there’s a kernel of truth in her prayers. I am a sinner, in need of discipline and correction. Would you give her the holy gumption she needs to forgive me and let go of bitterness? And as I pray that, would You grant me the same request? And if she prays blessing over my life, please hear her prayer and bless her as I pray the same over her life. Amen.

Here’s my gift to you–a visual reminder to pray this every day for your “enemy” for a month. Simply click the image, save it, print it, then place it in your Bible or on your mirror or in a prominent place.