A Prayer in Response to Challenging Interactions with Difficult People

I praise you, Father, that you have the perfect perspective in and over all things. I thank you for the fact that when I face any kind of challenge, I can rely upon your perspective and I do not have to figure it out on my own. Since you are God and I am not, I dont need to know why challenges like this happen. Furthermore, I dont need to try to orchestrate things in order that the outcome of the circumstances will go in my favor. I dont have to win, I dont have to be proven right, and I can choose not to be upset and take things personally. I can have joy deep and abiding joy both because it is a choice, and because youve told me that joy is something youve given to me. I accept it! So Father, in this situation I choose obedience. In this situation I choose to affirm that the Enemy is already defeated. I acknowledge that this situation falls under the all things promise in Romans 8:28 and that YOU ALONE can and will orchestrate the circumstances all the circumstances to go in YOUR favor. The victory in this situation is YOURS. It doesnt matter whether or not I am right; it matters that YOU are right and I praise You for the fact that You, Lord, are never wrong. I praise You for the fact that by being obedient in this situation, I am giving You permission to make ALL THINGS work together for Your Good. Thank you for the model Youve provided in Your Son. Jesus is the perfect model, showing how to deal with difficult people. He proved that I dont necessarily need to avoid difficult people; neither do I need to look for confrontation with them. I am simply called to follow His example. And that is what I choose to do in this situation. Father, I thank You for the absolute privilege it is to be able to deal with difficult people in life. I acknowledge that dealing with difficult challenges of all kinds including difficult people is the ONLY way the character traits that You want to bring forth in me can truly be demonstrated. I demonstrate love that is inspired by the Spirit when I love someone who is not being very loving to me; I demonstrate joy that is inspired by the Spirit when I choose a joy that transcends the circumstances of the moment; I demonstrate peace that is inspired by the Spirit when I accept that true peace comes from Jesus, not from getting the outcome I want; I demonstrate patience that is inspired by the Spirit when the limits of my ability to be patient are being tested, and I still choose to remain calm and contented in the fact that You have the perfect perspective and ultimate control; I demonstrate kindness that is inspired by the Spirit when I choose to be kind to those who are not very kind to me; I demonstrate goodness that is inspired by the Spirit when I choose to acknowledge that You are the only One who is truly good; I demonstrate faithfulness that is inspired by the Spirit when I choose to acknowledge Your faithfulness in my life and when I humbly and faithfully submit every situation to You, knowing that you have faithfully brought me this far and You will faithfully help me navigate through this particular situation; I am demonstrating gentleness that is inspired by the Spirit when choose a gentle answer and a gentle response to someone who is not being very gentle with me; and

I demonstrate self-control that is inspired by the Spirit when I am still under control even after the limits of my flesh to stay under control have been exceeded. I acknowledge that all of the Fruits of the Spirit are developed and tried and proven under difficult circumstances. I know that being tested under difficult and challenging circumstances is one of the ways I grow and mature in You. Therefore, I am VERY thankful for EVERY difficult circumstance in my life because each one represents a marvelous opportunity for the godly character traits You want to see in me to be brought forth. So Father, in Jesus Name and under the Blood of Jesus, I humbly seek your forgiveness. Many times in the past I have failed to appreciate challenging circumstances and difficult people for what they truly are: opportunities for growth. Youve promised that I will never have to deal with more than I can bear. I have become the person I am partly because of the difficult obstacles and people who Ive had to learn to deal with, and instead of appreciating that glorious and wonderful fact, I have too often rejected it. Instead of thanking you, I have rejected such opportunities for growth and, in so doing, I have indirectly rejected You, which, of course, is sin. I repent for getting offended. Offense is not a Fruit of the Spirit. I repent for getting angry. Anger is not a Fruit of the Spirit. I repent for internalizing taking personally other peoples choices. That is not for me to do. Im sinning when I take something personally because it is a form of bitterness and unforgiveness. It is also a form of theft; taking something that belongs to You. It is also a form of idolatry; self worship. So I reject those things and turn from it all in Jesus Name. Father, I understand that when others fall short and sin, they are ultimately sinning against You alone, not against me. So, I repent for any and all of the ways I have gotten in the way of You being able to deal with such situations and people. Its not about me. Father, in my recent interaction with ___________________________, I was given an opportunity to grow in the Fruits of the Spirit in the following ways: [TALK ABOUT THIS OPENLY WITH GOD] This interaction revealed to me the following things about me, some good, some not so good: [TALK ABOUT THIS OPENLY WITH GOD] Father, for all of the above reasons, I look forward to the next interaction with this person. I look forward to seeing the ways in which I might be used by You to bless this person and to honor this person. I acknowledge that this person is one of your special children, just like I am. They are deeply loved by you, just like I am. Theyve had challenges and difficulties in their life and they need your love and grace just like I do. Lord, right now I earnestly pray for this individual. Please give them extra grace for whatever they might be going through right now. Bless them with Your favor. Holy Spirit, please convict them of any unclean ways within them. Gently reveal the truth to them as You are graciously doing for me. Thank you so very much for this person being in my life at this time. I acknowledge that You give grace and power to the humble. I need your grace and power in order to deal rightly with difficult people in the future. So, by your grace may I always be humble and look to You for Your Perfect Perspective. In Jesus Name, amen.