Kindness for Kindness - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) April 1, 2022

When was the last time you prayed for someone who showed you kindness? Is it a common practice for you or is it something you just don't think about?

Consider the dire warning contained in Proverbs 17:13 - Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good. There's no ambiguity in that scripture. If you do evil to someone who's done good to you, evil will befall not just you but your family and those who are tied to you.

If you are someone who has sinned in this way (and we all have), thank God for opening your eyes to your failure today. Then, repent. Confess this sin before the Lord and strive to not repeat it.

Finally, do better. Take a moment to think about the people who've been kind to you - as far back as you recall - and write their names down. If you don't remember their names or never knew them, then say a general prayer for all of these people. Ask the Lord to bless them and meet them at their point of need. Make this a regular prayer point ever so often so you don't come under the curse promised in the scripture above.

Now, there's one last point to keep in mind. If someone - say an ancestor - did evil that has created trouble for your family in the form of generational curses, you have the unique opportunity to correct that mistake. Honor God by rectifying the situation.

Think of the story of Abigail. Her wealthy husband, named Nabal (which unfortunately meant foolish), insulted a man who'd shown him great kindness. He did so in response to the kind man asking for food for his community. In anger, that man gathered his troops and was on his way to get revenge upon Nabal and his house. Rather than wring her hands, Abigail swung into action. She provided food and more for a group that included 400 fighting men, their wives, children, priests and more. She went beyond that to speak respectfully to the man her husband had wronged.

The result of her quick thinking was that the insulted man relented and the resulting curse didn't affect anyone other than Nabal. 1 Samuel 25:38 - About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

The insulted man was David. Abigail became his wife after Nabal's death and eventually became a queen of Israel when David became king.

It isn't too late to apply the wisdom of Abigail to your situation. In so doing, you obey and please God, and avoid the curse for returning evil for good.