Praying for Your Accusers
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
“Nothing in the Christian life is more important than forgiveness – our forgiveness of others and God’s forgiveness of us.” – Dr. John MacArthur
I have read the Book of Job countless times, but a few years ago something new jumped off the page at me that was a true revelation. Most of us are familiar with the story…
Job, a righteous and very rich man, is attacked by Satan to see if his allegiance to God is because of his many blessings or because he truly loves Him. With God’s permission, Satan first attacks Job by destroying or driving off all his livestock, which is the source of his wealth. Then, he causes the roof to cave in at a banquet where Job’s 10 children are in attendance… and they are all killed.
Despite these monumental tragedies, Job refuses to curse God and so, this time Satan attacks Job’s health, covering him from head to toe with painful boils. Once again, Job’s faith in God remains firm, steadfast, and unwavering.
At this point, some of Job’s friends pay him a visit and initially, they sit silently and offer him quiet consolation. However, after a while they can’t help themselves and start theorizing as to why Job has been so afflicted, assuming that his trials are the result of unrepentant sin in his life.
This interrogation – and character assassination – goes on for quite a few chapters after which Job addresses his concerns directly to God. After Job has spoken his piece, God answers with a series of questions that put Job in his rightful place… and he apologizes for his insolence.
Not only does Job repent before God, but he also prays for his friends, the same ones who had falsely accused him of a multitude of sins. And when he does, Job 42:10 says, “the LORD restored Job’s losses… Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before (except for children, he was blessed with 10 more to replace the original 10).
In other words, the key to Job’s restoration was forgiving his accusers. Doing so opened the floodgates of God’s blessings.
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
