By Your Spirit, Lord, we will overcome evil with good

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” ~ Romans 12:17-21, NKJV

“For I hold you by your right hand—
    I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
    ‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.” ~ Isaiah 41:13, NLT

“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” ~ 1 John 4:4, NKJV

“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.” ~ Zechariah 4:6, NKJV

You ask me to pray for my enemies, Lord

Father, You promise to hold us by the right hand and lead us in Your paths of righteousness — to be our Helper, the Keeper of our souls. I desire to overcome evil with good as You have instructed us, but it’s hard.

If my enemy is hungry, You want me to feed him.

If my enemy is thirsty, You want me to give him a drink.

Teach me to overcome evil with good, Lord

You require that I pray for my enemies and for those who persecute me — to bless them and not to curse them. This is Your way, Lord … Your perfect way. But my flesh wants to retaliate, to get even, to be ugly in return.

Please forgive me, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart to see others as You see them — a soul who needs Jesus.

Your way produces peace, Lord

Your ways are not our ways, and Your thoughts are not our thoughts. You use the foolish things of the world to confound the wise … blessing my enemies certainly sounds foolish. And yet, I trust You to help me overcome evil with good. Your way is better and will produce righteousness. Your way makes the crooked places straight and causes rivers to flow in desert places. Your way saves a longing soul, making them a brother or sister in Christ, rather than my enemy.

God's way produces peace

Your way produces peace.

Teach me to speak Your truth in love, not aggressively, but assertively. There’s a difference. I must not cower in the face of conflict, but I must seek You in that moment and allow You to guide me with Your wisdom and discernment. To overcome evil with good I must surrender my flesh to You, open my ears to hear You, and lift my eyes to behold You there in the difficult place with me.

I Look to You, Lord to help me overcome evil with good

May love be my motivation. Always. Not arrogance. Not a need to be right, but a heartfelt desire to show the difficult person Your love … and truth … and righteousness.

Not by my might, nor by my power, but by Your Spirit, O Lord. That is the way to victory. That is the way to overcome evil with good. Take my hand and lead me, Lord.

In Jesus’s Name,

Amen ~ let it be so

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Please don’t carry your burdens alone. I would be honored to pray for you. You may contact me directly at nan@nanjones.com

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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.

Sweet blessings to you,