The evil things that have happened in the city I live in have
caused some people to question, “Should we pray for a child killer”? “Is it okay to hate him”? Jessica Ridgeway was a healthy and active 10
year old girl. I hear she liked music and dancing and her favorite color was
purple. She could have just as easily been the child of many parents in the
community and I think many of us realize that. Many people who prayed so hard
for this innocent little girl to be found alive and were saddened and tested in
faith by the discovery of her body, then turned their prayers for the killer to
be caught. When he confessed and was turned in by his mother we discovered he
was just a 17 year old kid himself. This is a tragedy too.When
Jessica was missing and when the killer was unknown what to pray for was easy
to know. Now that the killer is awaiting trial it is more difficult to know how
God wants us to respond to this. If you
are angry and can’t bring yourself to pray for him, you are not alone. It is
not easy and many people feel the way you do. However, God wants us to pray
for him. In an earlier blog I gave my
testimony, you may have already read that. Part of my testimony included
praying for someone I hated. It brought
me back to God and I believe it is also the reason he is in jail today instead
of on the streets where he could do someone harm. Forgiveness and praying for our enemy is
difficult at least in part because we don’t understand what that is and we don’t
understand the effects of those things.
It doesn't make what he did okay. It doesn't mean he will get away with
it either. Forgiving and praying for him is turning it over to God, who is all
knowing and all loving. God is Just and he is merciful. We have to trust in
both his judgment and his mercy. Praying for Austin to know Jesus does not
excuse what he did and does not lessen the pain of loosing Jessica. It allows for God to provide healing to our
own hearts. If Austin’s heart will be softened or hardened by Gods work in him,
we don’t know. We do know that we want God at work with Austin and not the
demons. If you can not bring yourself to pray for Austin’s immortal soul and
salvation, then simply pray what I prayed 3 years ago for someone I couldn't yet pray for, “Jesus, if there are demons around him or in him, please expose
them and cast them out!” If you can’t
yet release the hate then ask God to help you. Is it okay to get angry? YES!
God gets angry too. Is it okay to hold onto hate and hardened un-forgiveness?
No. This will not help Jessica. This will not see justice served. It will only
hurt your heart to hold those things where God’s word belongs instead. Yes, you have every right to hate him. Yes,
he deserves to rot in hell. Yet neither of those things is what God desires for
us or for anyone. Praying for his soul
or praying for the demons to be cast out is in no way a prayer for his release
from prison. It is in no way a prayer for forgetting what happened to Jessica.
It is the opposite. We want Jessica to be honored in this. We want our city,
especially our children, to be safe. We
can pray for Austin to be convicted in court to help him and protect our
children.
We don't always see the effects of our sin and we don't always see the effects of our prayers and forgiveness, but there are ALWAYS effects. The effects of sin are always tragic. The effects of prayer and forgiveness are always glorious.
Jesus prayed on the cross for those who tortured and killed
him. Stephen said the same prayer for the people who stoned him to death. This
is the example God has given us to follow. This is what we should aim to do. If
you can’t bring yourself to do this yet then confess that to God and pray him
to help you do this. You can do this even if you are still angry. God knows our
hearts; he hears even the smallest whisper in our heart. He knows what we are
feeling even better than we know ourselves so trust him to love and help you
through these feelings. You are neither the first nor the last person to have
those feelings.
Luke 23:34, 46 Acts
7:54-60
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