📖..Prayer.."Blessing".."Cursing"

✍️...Friday 3-25-22

[Enemies]

[blessing..H1293]
=prosperity
=praise of God
=gift
=peace

[cursing..H779]
=execration
=abhorrence
=hate .. no love

    When I was a girl .. a friend I visited often .. always prayed before meals .."Bless me ... for I have sinned."
    That made me roll my eyes because I knew sinning was about doing something wrong .. and in those days we could expect to get a spanking for that .. not a "blessing."
    Or could it be that the spanking really was the "blessing" .. and the poor girl was asking for it??😇
    What happens to children who only get gifts and rewards regardless of behavior?
    Aren't they also being rewarded for doing wrong?
    Does that make them a better person .. or give them permission to do whatever they feel like doing without expecting consequences?
    Jesus Christ provided the gift of eternal life "while we were yet sinners."
    He made His gift available .. but we had to "repent" .. be willing to forsake the sinful life.

    How many testimonies have we heard where the new Christian came to Christ .. seeking God because he was so grateful for all the "blessings"/wonderful riches .. good health ..and great positions in the world that God gave him?
...not very many .. if any.
    Usually we come to Christ because we realize that we have made a mess of our life and admit it is because we have sinned and need God's forgiveness and help.
    This is the reason prison ministries are so fruitful.
    Those in prison are "convicts" convicted of breaking the law .. sinning.
    Until some people are behind bars .. they think (like constantly "blessed" naughty children) that they will never have to answer for the evil they do.
    In this case .. we can say that their sad prison consequence is really a "blessing" because it has helped them repent and find eternal life in Christ.

    We should also consider how the wrong understanding regarding "blessing" and "cursing" .. has also caused confusion regarding verses presented in the Old Testament .. that would seem to contradict God's view in the New Testament .. to "love" and "bless" enemies .. which really does not contradict Old Testament at all .. but is actually a reminder under the condensed law in the New Testament .. that puts this topic under God's greater law of "love" .. through understanding the broader application of the Words that define a "love" that brings about a broader picture of "prosperity" etc.

    So as we consider "blessings" and "cursings" and praying for enemies .. let's take another look at the Words our Father has provided in His Word and how our application of "blessing" and "cursing" is harmonized throughout the entire Bible.

    We may realize our prayers for enemies are not being answered because we need to be praying more specifically regarding the need they have to be "blessed" actually through conviction .. correction .. and even chastisement .. to bring them to a point where they can receive the fullness of the "blessing" found in eternal life.

     Let's begin with Hebrew:

[Blessing..H1293] ="prosperity."

    The "blessing" of "prosperity" is not a reward for being lazy or politely ignoring the breaking of God's law .. as we find it now applied in the New Testament .. but is in reference to serving God and honoring Him through love .. according to His Word .. in everything we do.

    Surely we do not hope and pray that enemies will "prosper" by engaging in harmful or unlawful endeavors .. so as we pray for their "blessing" of "prosperity" .. let's specify that we are asking God to actually hinder all activities that would not qualify for this "blessing" .. and instead apply the expanded definition that addresses correction and chastisement .. even though ..  it might at first be somewhat painful .. but nevertheless necessary.

   The same goes for the "praise of God".. and any "gifts" God might give such as the "gift" of thought .. health .. love .. peace etc. praying that God would actually exchange these "gifts" for unpleasant "gifts" designed to encourage repentance so they might ultimately enjoy receiving all eternal benefits God desires to give them.  Asking Him to "bless" them by taking away their worldly "peace" or any attempt at finding worldly comfort .. satanic relief sought through drugs .. mind control .. or methods of self distractions .. to help them become willing to receive the real "peace" that only God can give.

   In this way .. even though this might make them uncomfortable .. we are actually praying a "blessing" and not "cursing."

    A closer look at the Word "curse" reveals:

[cursing..H779]
=execrate .. abhorrence
=hate • to not love

     The Bible never teaches "not to love" therefore "Blessing" and "cursing" are really all about loving enough to pray that God will take whatever action is necessary to bring correction and salvation to rebellious enemies .. not in any way rewarding anyone for their wickedness.

  In the true definition of "cursing" we find "hate" .. lack of love and failure to take action that would bring about an offender"s repentance.

    In correction we see love .. that does not exist in "cursing".. since "cursing" is about hating .. not loving .. and with this attitude .. king David is careful to pray in Psalms .. that God would come against his enemies .. bring consequences to them for their attacks and protect him from them .. not send them to hell.

     In the case of David destroying Goliath .. however .. we see a different scenario.
    Goliath and his demonic army intend to destroy God's people.  In this case .. different rules apply.

...[Greek]...

[blessing..G2129]
=praise of God
(2127)
=cause to prosper
=prosper=*benefit*
=make happy
(2095)
=good•well done
=acting well
(3056)
=Word of God
=*moral precepts*
=doctrine•law
=reasoning•reasonable
=make sense

    Thankful for the Greek that really clarifies the Hebrew definition of "prosper" .. meaning "to benefit".. which verifies the basic premise that a "blessing" that "benefits" is not always something we are going to enjoy .. but emphasizes that it is something that will definitely improve our life.

Matt 5:44:
"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;

45

That ye may be
the children
of your Father
which is in heaven:
for he maketh
his sun to rise
on the evil
and
on the good,
and
sendeth rain
on the just
and
on the unjust."

   We return "cursing" .. hate .. and persecution .. with prayer for our Father to "bless" with correction to bring to repentance .. spiritual growth .. and eternal life.

[cursing..G2671]
=execration=denounce
=detest=hate
=imprecation=insult
=prayer to harm
=damnation
=no love
(142)
=take by force what
  belongs to another
=take by violence
=destroy..destruction

    "Blessing" and "cursing" definitions in Hebrew and Greek support one another .. validating that prayers for enemies do not always define "blessing" as a pleasant thing to experience .. but regarding enemies .. will more likely be a request for (sometimes an unpleasant or even painful) corrective action that comes from a loving concern that will ultimately bring repentance and eternal joy.

    So why would we ask God to "bless" our enemies by rewarding them with gifts and continual worldly happiness .. keeping them content in their happy wicked lives that are taking them to hell?

    That does not make sense.
    Neither do we pray "curses" upon them when Jesus came to "save" them from their sins .. however not save them from the consequences of their sins .. which are meant to bring them to repentance .. a new life in Christ .. and the only Way of escape from everlasting punishment in hell.

    God's Word has given us more than two options when praying for enemies .. when we understand that "blessing" can also mean "caring enough to do whatever is necessary" to correct .. bring repentance .. and find the Way to eternal life.
📖❤️📖

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