“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! (Matthew 5:43-44 NLT)
Arguably, the most difficult prayer to pray is one for your enemies.
Human nature, such as it is, operates based on proportional response. If you treat me well, I will respond likewise. If you deal with me poorly, I will respond in kind. It is an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. This principle works in a court of law but not in a relationship with a neighbor.
Often, even in your own family, some people show you no mercy or grace. Praying for these people is asking God to give them what they were not willing to give to you—mercy and grace. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:47, “If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.” Jesus gave us the example as he prayed for those who killed him (Luke 23:34). Matthew 5:48 says, “But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Loving your enemies is an example of Christian perfection.
Life is messy at times. Those who should love you don’t. It is not possible to continue to pray for someone and hate them simultaneously. You will either forgive them, or you will stop praying for them. It also helps to remember that God still forgave you though you have not loved perfectly. Love and hate cannot coexist—one will always overwhelm the other.
To hate your enemies is human. To love them is divine.