A Different Perspective

It's crazy how many different perspectives there are in the world on pretty much anything. Some time ago, I heard of a different perspective that kind of surprised me.
I was watching a video and a woman in the video said that we don't just have to pray for the persecuted, but also for the persecutors. I immediately realized that she's right. If we prayed for those who persecute others (torturing people for their faith, selling people in the sex traffic, making children and women work in terrible conditions for hardly any money, etc.) and their hearts changed, they could do SO MUCH! With their knowledge and power they could definitely help so many of the people that they were persecuting.
It makes me think of John Newton, an English man of the 1700s who at first was a slave-ship captain, but then became a Christian and soon after that an Anglican clergyman. Later on, he publicized a pamphlet which described the horrific conditions of the slave boats and which sold very well, he helped English abolitionist William Wilberforce in his long campaign to abolish the slave trade in England, and he wrote one of the most well-known hymns, "Amazing Grace" (which was actually initially called "Faith's Review and Expectation").
(If you haven't seen the movie Amazing Grace I strongly recommend it!)

So, let's continue to pray for those around the world who are in horrible situations, but let us also be praying for those powerful people who are keeping others in horrible situations. OUR PRAYERS ARE IMPORTANT! We can change so much through prayer.