“If a man wants God to hear his prayer quickly, then before he prays for anything else, even his own soul, when he stands and stretches out his hands towards God, he must pray with all his heart for his enemies. Through this action God will hear everything that he asks.”

- Abba Zeno

Oh, that this advice from the desert father Abba Zeno wasn’t so much easier said than done!

And yet, it is a good practice to ensure that our prayers don’t become too rooted in our own agenda, too immune from interests that are not our own.

Today, maybe you bear no ill will todays anyone. But search your heart. If you can find any latent grudge towards another person, or bear any animosity towards anyone who might be called your enemy, begin your prayer today by praying as wholeheartedly as you can for them.

Pray that God will bless them, that he will bring them honor, and redemption and salvation. Pray that God will bring them a full and complete joy.  

Try to do this as unconditionally as possible—don’t pray for them only under a cloud of what you would change about them, even though some of those might be good changes indeed. Rather, simply give yourself to praying for them.    

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