Whether you are praying in weakness or confusion, you must have God’s kind of love in your heart. God’s kind of love does not desire any sinner to perish or die in their wickedness. However, God doesn’t force anyone because of their right to choose. Everyone has the freedom to choose to serve God or the devil, to repent or to die in sin (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Joshua 24:15; Jeremiah 18:7-10; Matthew 23:37-38; Revelation 22:17). The truth is that whether you pray for your enemies to die or live, repent or perish, succeed or fail, one thing will happen because of the right of choice. But the most important thing is that believers must have God’s kind of love in their hearts (Matthew 5:43-48).
Nature of Divine Love
In the New Testament dispensation, hatred is entirely out of place in the life of believers. We must not pray with hatred in our hearts, no matter the kind of prayer we engage in. Believers are commanded to love their enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us. We are also commanded to pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us. How do we interpret these commands? For me, it is to put away hatred from our hearts, pray all kinds of prayers, and do the right thing at all times to all people. Always let your motives be right; do all things, including prayers, without hypocrisy. Pray without regarding iniquity in your heart; forgive all who have offended you, and pray according to God’s will in faith. The genuine love of God in the heart allows God’s Spirit to dwell in us freely (Luke 11:11-13).
Praying with Divine Love
This doesn’t mean that believers should assist a drunkard in getting drunk or drug addicts in worsening their addiction. Your child may offend you but don’t hate him or her to the extent of wishing them death. So, when I say “die” in my prayers, what I mean is the breaking away of the power behind the evil action. Witches, sinners, and lawbreakers who refuse to allow the spirit behind their evil actions to be broken will either die or be separated from the demonic spirit.
God’s Mercy and Determined Repentance
I strongly believe that no amount of “fall and die” prayers can kill any determined witch, wizard, sinner, or lawbreaker who is determined to repent (Acts 9:11, 13-16). Ananias argued with God and would have preferred that Paul remain blind or even die, but God rejected his desire. Ananias was a true child of God, but his knowledge about Paul was limited. He only knew about Paul’s satanic assignment but nothing about God’s call upon his life. He was a disciple in Damascus, aware of Paul’s mission to capture believers for execution. He must have led the Damascus believers in praying that God would strike Paul with blindness and possibly kill him.
God’s Mercy for the Ignorant
They all saw Paul as an unrepentant wizard who must die by God’s fire. They must have prayed and declared death for anyone who would not allow evangelism to move forward in Damascus. The comment of one of their leaders when he heard that Paul was blind confirmed the wishes and desires of the Damascus brethren (Acts 9:10-14).
None of them knew that Paul had already had an encounter with Christ, was called by God, and had answered His divine call. They never knew that from birth, Paul was chosen by God. He was a chosen vessel to bear Christ’s name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Though the Damascus brethren prayed against Paul’s evil agenda, God did not find them guilty for their ignorance in prayers. He knew that they prayed according to their level of knowledge. He truly answered their prayers and blinded Paul, but didn’t stop His agenda for Paul after he repented. God was determined to show Paul the great things he must suffer for His name’s sake, and Paul obliged.
Lessons from Ahab’s Experience
When King Ahab heard God’s word after murdering Naboth, the Jezreelite, he repented in sackcloth and ashes. He began fasting until God changed or postponed His judgment against him (1 Kings 21:25-29).
It is right to teach people how to pray correctly. But you must be careful not to backslide while trying to correct believers who ignorantly pray like the Damascus brethren or Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:15-16). Pray as you are led, with a perfect heart, full of divine love without hatred or an unforgiving spirit (Matthew 18:21-35; Mark 11:25-26; Luke 6:35-37).