The Redemption of What God Did Not Cause

Praying for Those Who Hurt Us and Trusting God With Justice

There comes a point in every wounded heart when the question is no longer “Why did this happen?” It becomes, “What do I do with what happened?”

This is where many people stop walking with God. Not because they no longer believe, but because trusting Him here feels too costly. Yet Scripture does not present a God who demands silence from the wounded. It presents a God who invites us to bring our pain to Him, not bury it beneath forced forgiveness or spiritual performance.

God Does Not Cause Evil.  But He Does Not Waste It

This truth must be stated plainly.

James 1:13
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.”

God is not the author of abuse. He is not the source of betrayal. He does not orchestrate cruelty to teach lessons.

But He does redeem what He did not cause.

Romans 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

This verse is not a dismissal of pain. It is a promise that pain does not get the final word.

Why Jesus Commands Prayer for Our Enemies

Jesus did not speak lightly when He said this:

Matthew 5:44
“Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

This command is not for the offender's benefit. It is for the freedom of the wounded. Prayer does not excuse what was done. Prayer places justice where it belongs: in God’s hands.

Romans 12:19
“Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

When we pray for those who harmed us, we are not releasing them from accountability. We are releasing ourselves from the burden of becoming judge, jury, and executioner in our own hearts.

Forgiveness Is Not the Absence of Pain

Forgiveness in Scripture is never described as forgetting. Jesus forgave and still bore scars.

John 20:27
“Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach your finger here, and look at My hands…’”

Resurrection did not erase the wounds. It redeemed them. Likewise, God does not demand that your pain disappear before He can use it. He meets you within it.

The Quiet Miracle of Praying Through Pain

Many who pray for those who hurt them testify to the same truth: Hate does not survive sustained prayer. Not because the offender changes, but because the heart does.

Matthew 11:28–29
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Prayer is where bitterness loses its grip. Prayer is where grief is finally allowed to breathe. Prayer is where God slowly reclaims what trauma tried to steal.

God’s Justice Is Not Delayed; It Is Perfectly Timed

One of the greatest struggles for the wounded is watching injustice appear unchecked. Scripture assures us: it is not.

Ecclesiastes 3:17
“God shall judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

Justice delayed is not justice denied. It is justice entrusted to a holy God who sees everything.

The Groom Who Understands

Jesus is not distant from your pain.

Hebrews 4:15
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Rejected.
Betrayed.
Abused.
Mocked.
Crucified.

And still He loves.

This is the Groom we meet in a broken world. Not one who minimizes suffering, but One who redeems it.

Closing Reflection Questions

• Where have you been carrying pain that belongs in God’s hands?

• What would it look like to entrust justice to the Lord?

• How has prayer softened places in your heart that anger could not heal?

A Prayer of Release and Trust

Father,

You see what was done. You know the wounds that still ache and the memories that still rise. I place before You what I cannot carry any longer. I release the burden of justice into Your hands. Teach me how to forgive without denying truth, to heal without minimizing pain, and to trust You even when answers feel incomplete. Redeem what You did not cause. Restore what was taken. And meet me here with Your peace.

In Jesus’ mighty name,
Amen.