Pray for Your Enemies

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”‍ ‍— Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

REFLECTION

Some of the most difficult prayers we will ever pray are not for ourselves or those we love. They are for people who have hurt us.

Jesus does not merely invite us to pray for our friends, our families, or those who treat us kindly. He commands us to pray for our enemies.

This is one of the most challenging expressions of Christian discipleship.

Our natural inclination is to withdraw from those who hurt us, defend ourselves against those who oppose us, and perhaps even wish that those who mistreat us would experience a little of what they have caused us to experience.

But Jesus calls us to something higher.

He calls us to pray.

Praying for someone who has wronged us does not mean pretending the wrong never happened. It does not excuse injustice, eliminate the need for accountability, or require us to remain in harmful relationships.

Rather, prayer invites us to surrender our desire for revenge and entrust both the offender and the offense to God.

Something remarkable begins to happen when we sincerely pray for those who have hurt us.

We may begin by asking God to change them. But as we continue praying, we discover that God is also working to change us.

Resentment begins to lose its grip. Bitterness no longer has the final word. We become increasingly free to respond with grace rather than react from pain.

Consider Jesus on the cross. Surrounded by those who mocked, rejected, and crucified Him, He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Even in His suffering, Jesus demonstrated the transforming power of intercessory prayer.

Prayer does not always change the person who hurt us. But prayer can change what their hurt continues to do within us.

Perhaps that is one of the greatest victories of praying for our enemies: we refuse to allow another person's actions to determine the condition of our hearts.

And in doing so, we become more like Jesus.

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, You know the people who have hurt me, disappointed me, or treated me unfairly. You also know the feelings I carry toward them. Give me the grace to pray when I would rather withdraw, forgive rather than hold on to bitterness, and entrust justice to You rather than seek revenge. Work in their hearts, Lord, but do not neglect the work You desire to accomplish in mine. Make me more like Jesus. In His name, amen.

JOURNAL PROMPT

Who is someone I find difficult to pray for because of what they have said or done? What might God desire to change in my heart as I begin praying for that person?