Have you been accused, misunderstood, or maligned falsely? Have people judged you without listening to you, made assumptions without asking questions, or misinterpreted your words or intentions?
If so, this is, unfortunately, part of the intercessor’s pain. But you can still respond in a godly manner — and your heart can heal.
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The sad truth about those who have set themselves to seek God more than they seek other people is that many will not understand them. Those who have walked the halls of heaven will rarely be understood by those who have not.
Encountering eternity, abiding in Jesus, and living in the eternal for days, years, decades on end — this changes you. And people who have not done this cannot possibly understand. They don’t know you, and they don’t know your walk with the Lord. They do not know your time with Him, or that the floor of your prayer closet is stained with your tears. So they cannot understand — but they think they do.
The fact that people misunderstand you may mean that you face false accusations. It may mean that true friends are few and far between. And it may mean that people misjudge your heart and motivations in very hurtful ways.
We cannot control how people treat us. But we can control how we respond.
Similarly, we are not responsible for the ways others treat us. But we are responsible for responding rightly. And though we should always ask the Lord to search our hearts and to convict us of any sin — helping us make things right with God and man in view of any sin He reveals — we must never allow people’s misunderstandings or false accusations to undermine our knowledge of Christ or our identity in Him.
Remember:
And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:19–22 NKJV).
And Titus tells us:
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled (Titus 1:15 NKJV).
Beloved, the heart of man is deceitful; only God can know it. But when Holy Spirit searches our hearts and does not convict us of any sin, you have to remember that it is before your own Master that you stand or fall — and that you will stand.
People’s misunderstandings do not define you. They do not define your heart, your identity, or your ministry. They do not define your intentions, past deeds, present deeds, or future potential. People will think what they will, but you have to stand before God and think only His thoughts.
When you face misunderstanding, ask God to search your heart. But do not, under any circumstances, allow the pain of misunderstanding to pull you down from the rampart or to pull you off your seat in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.
Even if you’re hurting, remain in the halls of heaven. Forgive, bless, and pray for all who have hurt you. Keep seeking the One Who knows you best and loves you most. As long as you maintain clean hands and a pure heart before God — making right anything the Lord shows you if you have hurt anyone or sinned — then people’s misunderstandings will come and go, but your identity in Christ, which is based on His blood and His word, remains forever.
Is this word for you today? Have you experienced the pain of being misunderstood? If so, take a moment to pray for those who hurt you. Be sure you have forgiven them from your heart. Then, leave a comment below to encourage other intercessors who are going through the same thing!
This article is one of a five-part series. Find the other installments at the links below.
Part 1. The Intercessor’s Pain: Delay – Intercessors for America (ifapray.org)
Part 2. The Intercessor’s Pain: Travail – Intercessors for America (ifapray.org)
Part 3. The Intercessor’s Pain: Servitude vs. Sonship – Intercessors for America (ifapray.org)
Part 4. The Intercessor’s Pain: Rejection – Intercessors for America (ifapray.org)
Jamie Rohrbaugh is the author of the ebook How to Become an Intercessor: You Can Shake Heaven and Earth. She is the founder of From His Presence, a ministry dedicated to equipping God’s people in prayer, the prophetic word, living supernaturally, inner healing, and kingdom wealth. Her writing can be found on YouVersion Bible Plans, in Charisma Magazine, and on The Elijah List, Spirit Fuel, and various other ministry outlets. Download her free prayer tool, Praying the Names of God: 555 Biblical Names of God and How to Use Them in Prayer and Worship, here. Photo Credit: Canva.