“And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” – Acts 7:59-60
Could you do it? Could you be like Stephen, the first martyr of the church, forgiving those who were stoning him to death as he was being struck by those stones? Could you pray for those actively killing you in that moment, earnestly asking Jesus to forgive them?
It goes against every bit of our natural being. That’s the point, of course. Stephen could forgive those who were killing him because Jesus had forgiven those who killed Him. As Jesus hung dying on the cross, He prayed for His killers to be forgiven.
Every follower of Jesus is called to imitate Jesus. So, because Jesus forgave His executioners, Stephen forgave His. What about you? Are you ready to forgive and pray for those who mistreat you? Who mock you for your Christianity? Would you find strength in the Holy Spirit to pray for someone killing you for your faith? Think about it!
Stephen’s death played an important role in the advance of God’s Kingdom. It was an event that touch the life of one of his killers, a young man who would become the Apostle Paul. There is tremendous Kingdom power and impact to be made by every follower of Jesus who can set aside their natural response to hard situations and instead embrace the supernatural response made possible by the Spirit of Christ within them.
Think about this passage carefully. Think about your response carefully. Pray for God to help you change from a natural response to a supernatural response in every situation. Pray for God to give you the grace and strength to forgive those who wrong you, mistreat you, and persecute you, praying that through your forgiveness they might come to know Jesus for themselves.