Praying Through It | Jentezen Franklin

When you fast and pray, you’re not twisting God’s arm or forcing Him to act. Instead, you are confronting your real enemies—the bitterness, unforgiveness, selfishness, anger, resentment, evil thoughts, toxic attitudes, and impure spirits that do not reflect Jesus. If you dedicate yourself to prayer, God will cleanse your heart and spirit, and He will deal with those who oppose you.

True prayer changes your perspective. You know you’ve truly surrendered a situation to God when you no longer wish harm upon your enemies. I’ve faced people who have tried to destroy me with lies—this is just a fact. But when I think of them now, I don’t desire revenge. Why? Because I understand that if God were to unleash His judgment on them, I, too, would be held to the same standard. Jesus made it clear: If you refuse to show mercy, you won’t receive mercy. If you withhold forgiveness, you won’t be forgiven. What you give is what you receive.

Reading the words of Jesus, you realize He didn’t mince words—He called people out, warned them about hell, and urged them to repent. His message was clear: We must take forgiveness seriously. God’s justice will not be released against your enemies until you surrender the battle to Him in prayer. As long as you are still fighting them yourself, you are not ready for God to intervene. When your heart is pure, you’ll no longer seek their downfall. Instead, you’ll say, “Lord, help them, but also protect me.” That’s not a lack of forgiveness; that’s wisdom.

God will take care of your enemies if you take care of your spirit through prayer. When you’re hurting, pray. When you’re betrayed, pray. When you’re disappointed, pray. We often want to settle scores, but David himself said, “I extended friendship, and they became my enemies. I did good to them, yet they repaid me with evil.” You cannot focus on both revenge and prayer at the same time. Some things are beyond human understanding, and that’s when you must surrender them to God.

The Bible warns in Matthew 18 that if you hold on to bitterness instead of giving it to God, you will be handed over to torment. This means that unforgiveness can lead to mental, emotional, and spiritual suffering. But you don’t have to live in torment. You don’t have to be overwhelmed by anxiety, fear, or anger. You can be free through prayer.

So this week, instead of dwelling on offenses, dedicate yourself to prayer. Every time bitterness arises, pray. Every time the pain resurfaces, pray. Jesus Himself drank the cup of suffering in Gethsemane, taking on every sin, every addiction, and every burden. If He could surrender it all to God, so can you.

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