We’re good at picking sides to determine who is “right” and who is “wrong.” And when it comes to the Middle East, we are REALLY good at it.

But for people, especially Christians, IN the conflict areas, there are different prayers. It is not about praying over who is “right” or “wrong.” It is learning to pray what Jesus asked all of us to pray.

The death of any human being without the Messiah is a tragedy. The death of Palestinians or Israelis or Iraqis is equally painful for every human being is a gift from God. Every Israeli, every Palestinian, and every Iraqi is a gift from the Lord. We, as followers of Jesus, want to celebrate life, not advocate death. We are not against evildoers but against evil. We fight evil with good, not guns. In the midst of these tense times, we affirm that the bloodshed of Israelis is as painful as the bloodshed of Palestinians or Iraqis.

More HERE.

We don’t always take up that “pray for your enemies” idea very often. In these times of upheaval, we need to learn these lessons from our brothers and sisters who are IN these areas.

Lord, help us to grieve over innocent lives lost, regardless of race, skin color, belief… Help us to BLESS those that curse us. We need the power of your Spirit!