NEW MERCIES DAILY
THEME:
MISQUOTED: THE TRUTH BEHIND TWISTED WORDS
MESSAGE TITLE:
PRAY FOR THEM? EVEN THEM?
DAY 6 – SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2025
SCRIPTURE TEXT:
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
— Matthew 5:44 (KJV)
BY: Effiong Etok
Carrier of God’s Word
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Loving your enemy doesn’t mean ignoring their evil. And praying for them doesn’t mean skipping your healing or denying justice.
INTRODUCTION:
Let me lead you into this message with a story-a real one, too familiar for too many.
A young lady, only 22 years old and a believer full of fire, had a tragic experience.
After youth service, she returned home to Lagos. Her family was proud. Her pastor called her “a rising Deborah.”
But then came the man next door.
Trusted. Familiar. A family friend.
One night, when she was home alone, he violated her.
The silence was broken, the family erupted. Yet at the station, the man denied it-and with his wealth and influence, the case was swept away.
Then came the second assault-not from the world, but from the Church:
“Just forgive him.”
“Pray for him.”
“Jesus said, love your enemies.”
So she tried.
She opened Matthew 5:44, knelt down, and tried to pray for the man who broke her.
But what came out wasn’t prayer-it was a scream. And the scream never left.
Three months later, she took her own life.
The final line in her journal read:
“I tried to love him. I tried to forgive. But no one told me healing must come before intercession.”
MAIN MESSAGE: PRAYER IS NOT DENIAL.
Beloved, let this sink into your spirit: Matthew 5:44 is holy-but it has been horribly mishandled.
Yes, Jesus calls us to love our enemies and pray for them.
But He never called us to ignore our pain. He never asked us to cover wounds with verses and call it faith.
This passage is not permission for the Church to silence the broken in the name of “obedience.”
It’s not an excuse to protect abusers while pressuring victims to “move on.”
Even Jesus didn’t do that.
He prayed, “Father, forgive them…” (Luke 23:34)
But where did He pray it?
On the cross.
While bleeding. While bearing the pain. While fulfilling justice.
He didn’t skip the process.
He endured the betrayal, faced the injustice, bore the weight-and then He prayed.
And even then, He didn’t pray for everyone the same.
To Judas, who betrayed Him knowingly, He said:
“Woe unto that man… better for him never to have been born.” (Mark 14:21)
That was not hate-it was holy judgment.
Jesus made a distinction between those who sinned in ignorance and those who sinned in rebellion.
LET’S BE HONEST BEFORE GOD.
How many have we silenced in the name of “love”?
How many broken souls have we told to pray, while they still bleed?
How many Judases have we shielded with Scripture?
Child of God, true forgiveness begins with truth.
Healing is not rebellion.
Justice is not bitterness.
And intercession is not effective when the soul is crushed by silence.
TAKEAWAY STATEMENT:
Jesus didn’t skip the pain to offer prayer-He walked through truth, grief, and justice first. So must we. There is no healing in denial, and no love in silence.
PRAYER POINTS:
1. Father, heal the wounds I was told to hide. Give me permission to cry before You, and grace to love with truth, in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.
2. Lord, help me pray without pretending. Teach me to love without enabling evil. May my healing make room for mercy-but never silence justice, in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen.
