“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18 (KJV)
Family feuds are characterised by sporadic outbursts of retaliatory violence between families and kinship groups, as well as between communities.
Many people claim to love God but have family feuds among themselves and between them and their neighbours for generations. This feud which has been set alight by our forefathers has been fanned into flames by demonic forces carrying out the dictates of the devil. The devil’s doctrine of division has not only caused internal division in the family unit but has extended to racial segregation between neighbouring villages and townships. These segregations are then used by various leaders and influencers the world over to activate agendas to seek control and power.
Thus, these family and neighbourhoods generational feuds affect the social strata of every society and Satan, the enemy of our souls, uses it to divide and destroy God’s creation. We need to be alert.
Jesus, dealing with the question of who are our neighbours, used the parable of the Good Samaritan as an example of loving those who may not be our friends or from our race or tribe (Luke 10:29-37), to explain that we should love everyone, including our enemies. Our neighbours are not only those who live next door to us, or in the street or in the neighbourhood; our neighbours are all those we come into contact with despite their race, class, creed, caste, religious persuasion and political affiliation. The love for our neighbours transcends nationalities and is not dependent on whether those persons hail from a developed or developing country.
1 John 4:20 states “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen”- (NIV).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, if I have intensified internal conflict within my family unit and/or extended family; if I have wronged someone because of their religious persuasion, political affiliation, class and/or racial origin, lead me to reconciliation and show me my own prejudices so that I can repent and receive Your forgiveness.
Help me oh God, to love my neighbours as myself, help me to right those wrongs I have committed in the mighty name of Jesus. By your grace Father, help me to see hatred, whether initiated or returned, as a tool that Satan used to keep me from experiencing and sharing the richness of Your love. Renew my mind, oh God, and cleanse it from any demonic indoctrination that may be embedded in my soul.
Destroy every evil covenant made by my forefathers and heal the divide in my family, neighbourhood, and surrounding communities. Help me to love the way You love and to spread kindness and mercy as Your Son did. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Proverbs 20:3; Psalm 55:9; Luke 10:29-37Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 84:1-7; Romans 1:1-17; 2 Kings 23; 2 Kings 24:1-7
