“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44 (ESV)
This is probably one of those passages we read quickly or skip over entirely, because it is not in our human nature to want to love our enemies or pray for those who hurt us. In fact, love and prayer are usually the furthest thing from our minds when we encounter hateful and hurtful people. However, they are exactly how Jesus instructs us to respond to such people. Easier said than done, right? Don’t worry, you are not alone in this struggle. Understand that loving your enemy does not mean condoning their behavior. That is why we are called to also pray for them; that through Christ’s love reflected through us, and our prayer for their hearts to be changed, the Holy Spirit might move in their lives. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37); He also said the second was like it in that we should love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). We would do well to remember that even those we would consider an “enemy” or those who treat us poorly are still our neighbor and we are commanded to love them.
Jessica Ford
Communications Director
Alive Ministries USA
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