Pray For Those Who Persecute You
It can be extremely difficult to pray for those who hurt us. I mean, why would we want to pray for someone who is doing their best to cause us harm? The Bible tells us that we should bless our enemies and not curse them (Romans 12:14), but how do we go about this? We know it’s hard to pray for those who persecute us, especially when their actions are extremely hurtful. If you’re having trouble praying for the one who’s hurting you, go back to verse 1 in that chapter of Romans. It talks about not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought. One way to put this into practice is by asking God for wisdom. Pray for understanding about what He is doing through the situation, and ask Him to reveal any sin in your life that would be causing you to not want to pray for your enemy
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans 12:14
The Bible instructs us to bless those who persecute us, which can be difficult. What does it mean to bless your enemies? It means that we are supposed to pray for their salvation and good. We should also pray for them when they mistreat us, because that is what we would want done for us if the roles were reversed.
We should not curse our enemies, but rather pray for their salvation or offer up a sacrifice of thanksgiving on their behalf (thanksgiving sacrifices include food items such as bread or edible animals).
We know it’s hard to pray for those who persecute us, especially when their actions are extremely hurtful.
At first glance, it may seem difficult to pray for those who persecute us. After all, their actions are often hurtful and sometimes even downright evil. But look at what 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says:
- “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
- “Pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God.”
If you’re having trouble praying for the one who’s hurting you, go back to verse 1 in that chapter of Romans.
In the book of Romans, when Paul talks about praying for those who persecute you, he starts off by saying:
- “Pray for those who persecute you.” (Romans 12:12)
- “I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for people who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” (Romans 16:17-18)
So if someone is hurting you, don’t look at what they did wrong; instead look at yourself and ask yourself, “How can I do better? What can I learn from this situation? How can God use this situation to change me so I’m more like Him?” And then pray for that person. Pray that their heart would be changed and they would come back around to being a blessing rather than a burden in your life or others lives as well!
It talks about not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought.
If you have the ability to pray for those who persecute you, then I encourage you to do so. It is a good thing to keep in mind that God loves us and wants us to be healthy. Don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought, or deserve. Don’t think more highly of yourself than God thinks of you when he looks at your heart or his word says about who we can become through him and his grace.
Don’t think more highly of yourself than what the Bible says about how much we need Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord; this is important because if we forget this, then we will not love others as Jesus loved us – with all our hearts ( Luke 10:27 ).
One way to put this into practice is by asking God for wisdom.
One way to put this into practice is by asking God for wisdom. This means you can pray, “Lord, show me where I have bitterness in my heart towards this person. Reveal any sin I’ve committed against them or others who may have been affected by my actions.”
It also means asking God to help you believe that He wants the best for your enemy just like He wants the best for you!
Pray for understanding about what He is doing through the situation, and ask Him to reveal any sin in your life that would be causing you to not want to pray for your enemy.
- Remember that God loves them as much as He loves you.
- Ask God to reveal any sin in your life that would be causing you not to want to pray for your enemy. If there is any sin, repent of it and ask forgiveness from the Lord and the person who was harmed by your unconfessed sin.
- Pray for understanding about what God is doing through this situation, and ask Him to help you follow His leading in how best to respond with love and compassion instead of anger or vengeance (Eph 4:32; Matt 5:44).
First Corinthians 13 tells us that love believes the best of people, and so we must believe that God is working in the lives of our enemies even when we don’t see it.
The first step in loving our enemies is believing the best of them. We must believe that God is working in their lives and wants the best for them, and if we want to be like Christ, we must do the same.
We should also remember that “the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24-25).
If we take these words seriously, we will seek opportunities for reconciliation rather than revenge.
That can help us trust that He wants the best for them just as He wants the best for us.
If you’re feeling mistreated by someone, pray for their sake. Pray that God will help them become the best version of themselves that they can be. Pray that they will understand your words and actions as you intended them, not as an attack on their character or worthiness as a human being. Pray that they find peace and happiness in this life, because God wants the same thing for everyone.
As we pray for our enemies’ well-being, we also begin to recognize how much power lies within us to forgive those who have wronged us—and move on from those experiences with grace and dignity (even if it takes some time). By praying for our enemies’ good, we stop focusing on what hurts us most about them; instead, we think constantly about what benefits them most—and this can help us trust that He wants the best for them just as He wants the best for us.
Praying for your enemies can help you move on and forgive them
Praying for your enemies is a good way to move on and forgive them.
Forgiveness is important, because if we hold grudges, our hearts get hardened towards people who have wronged us. It helps us focus on God’s goodness rather than the evil actions of others; it gives us peace and strength to face challenges in life; it allows us to love our enemies instead of hating them (or judging them harshly); it frees us from anger, resentment, or bitterness towards someone else who has done something bad against us; and it shows God’s character by showing His love when others hurt or abuse us.
The Bible tells us how much God wants all people—even those who are mean—to be forgiven so they can live with Him forever in Heaven: “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). When Jesus died on the cross for each one of our sins through His death at Calvary (John 19), He did this so that we could receive forgiveness from God when we repent (turn away) from sinning against Him through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus alone as Savior from sin!
This is a hard lesson for many of us to learn, but it’s one that can help us move on and forgive those who have wronged us. By praying for them and asking God to reveal their sin in our lives, we can start to see the bigger picture of what He is doing in each situation. In addition, expressing love toward those who persecute us helps bring peace into our lives even when they are causing trouble or anger within us!