How Watson Loved His Enemies

G. D. Watson says he has been blessed all his life with a few enemies. He believed that God's command to pray for our enemies means we are to perseveringly pray for them out of a loving heart, and he recalls many times when God has led him to do just that.

One man had done great damage both to him and his family. Watson had often prayed for him in his private devotions, but one day he felt he should spend some special time in prayer for this man. At the beginning of his prayer, he tried to look at himself from the other man's standpoint.

But the Spirit soon showed him that was the human way and not the Divine. It came to him that what he needed was to love that man with the identical love Jesus had for him, and as much as he was able, he was to sympathize with and feel toward him exactly as God did. He had to abandon himself to the Holy Spirit to become a channel of the tender compassion of God.

Soon his tears flowed like rain, and he felt a warm love for his enemy. All this man's concerns became very precious to him.

Suddenly the Spirit revealed to him what a wonderful Christian that man would make if he were washed in Jesus' blood and filled with the Holy Spirit. He then prayed that he might feel a Christ-like grief for any trouble that might come to the man. From that moment, it was easy to pray for his enemy and think of him with a tender love. A few months later, when that man had a tragedy, Watson said it brought great sadness to his heart.

Jesus, please make me a channel of Your compassion and intercession.

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble" (1 Peter 3:8).