Iran has attacked a military base in Iraq housing U.S. military. Undoubtedly, the sound of the war drums will be getting louder in the coming days as we march swiftly into what looks like an unavoidable war.
I just want to take this moment in history to encourage you to pray.
Pray for America, and pray for our troops.
But I would also ask you to pray for Iran, and their troops.
Yes, pray for Iran and their troops.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught us that as Christians we must love our enemies, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). It’s an easy thing to pray for those that are on our side, and for those we love. It’s a very hard thing to pray for those who would be considered our enemies, who not only wish us ill will, but even our own deaths. And right now, there can be no doubt that there are many in Iran who wish for us to die.
Let us not have the same heart Iranians that many in their country may have towards us.
Let us pray that we would not demonize people half a world away.
Let us pray that our respective nations turn away from hatred.
Let us pray that both nations would value life over revenge.
Let us pray for cooler heads to prevail.
Let us pray for president Donald Trump, as well as the leader of Iran, Hassan Rouhani.
Let us pray that peace would prevail over both nations, and that men would choose to beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks, and never again learn war (Isaiah 2:1-4).
