While reading in Enos last night, I came across an interesting concept.
In verse four, Enos prayed for his own soul. After his sins were forgiven, Enos prayed again, but this time for his “brethren’s” welfare. After the Lord said He would bless Enos’ brethren, Enos prayed a third time, but this time for his enemies, the Lamanites.
Can we use Enos’ example in our own prayers and desires? Should we be concerned first with our own spiritual welfare before we concern ourselves with the welfare of our friends and our enemies? Should our concern for our enemies be the least of our prayerful desires?
well think of it this way.. when you fly in an airplane somewhere and they give you the emergency blurb every airline tells you to put YOUR oxygen mask on first THEN anyone that is with you that might need assistance. If the airlines see reason with this then maybe looking after ourselves first spiritually would work better for those around us.
I think it’s in order of difficulty. It’s easiest to pray for ourselves, then our friends, hardest to pray for our enemies. That’s why it comes last.
Perhaps this scripture is relevant;
Matthew 7:3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
Hey Ian, don’t you think that Matt 7:3-5 is really talking about judging other people and not assisting other people?
I think that it is really making the point about making sure your life is in order before making comments on the lives of others.
As far as the order of prayer goes, doesn’t it make sense to assure your own salvation, since you’re not held accountable for other men?
It’s like making sure you’ve got yuor chores covered before helping out the other people with their chores.
Cover what you’re responsible for and then help out others.
Oh, and don’t forget to butter up the Big Guy first…(thanks come before requests)
You’re assuming that the chronological order of Enos’s prayer indicates the importance of his desires. I think that’s a rash assumption.
However, Enos’s day of prayer seems to have been an experience of great spiritual growth and transformation for him. Maybe each phase of his prayers was helping him to be ready for the next. Perhaps it was only after the other experiences that he was spiritually advanced/mature enough to have these desires for his enemies.