A Prayer for God to Give You Compassion for Your Enemies
By Jaime Hampton
Bible Reading:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" - Matthew 5:43-47 (NIV)
Listen or Read Below:
Is there someone in your life you’d consider an enemy? Maybe it’s someone who consistently gives you a hard time about your beliefs, or stands in direct opposition to, or openly mocks Biblical truth. It could be someone who goes to your church, a coworker, or even a family member. Some of Jesus’ hardest teachings come from his Sermon on the Mount, including instructions to not only love and pray for fellow believers, but our enemies as well. One reason for this is to set us apart from the rest of the world; to display a love that goes above and beyond anything that would come naturally to us, or be possible without the power of the Holy Spirit.
But the benefits of loving our enemies go even deeper than going against the grain of a fallen world. Ephesians 6:12 says,” For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Like Paul, Jesus knew that the people we would consider enemies aren’t actually enemies at all. They’re human beings, made in God’s image and loved by Him, but most likely deceived, influenced, or even manipulated by our true spiritual enemies.
If we would stop warring against flesh and blood and start battling on our knees for God to release those held captive by Satan’s lies, incredible things would happen! As we prayed, our hearts would be transformed from anger to compassion for our perceived enemies. Our actions would follow in a disarming display of revolutionary, world-changing love. And who knows? We might even discover areas where we’ve been contributing to conflict in these relationships, leading to true confession and repentance. None of this is easy. As I said before, this is one of the hardest teachings in the Bible. But with God’s help, all things are possible.
Let’s Pray:
Lord, we praise you for being the source of unconditional, revolutionary love. We thank you for the example of Jesus, who displayed love even toward the very people who tortured and crucified him. We confess that too often we declare war on the wrong enemy. We focus on fighting with other people, or even other Christians, instead of focusing our attention on the spiritual battle going on all around us. We pray that you would help us to see all people, even our perceived enemies, through your eyes. Show us how you see them: as fellow humans, made in your image. Give us a fervent desire to pray for them, and in doing so to birth a love and compassion for them that would lead to loving actions. We lift our perceived enemies up to you, Lord. Remove the veil of deception from their eyes, and open their hearts and minds to your truth. Use us to display the love of Jesus to them in tangible ways. Pour out blessings on these people, and provide for every one of their needs in body, mind, and spirit. Amen.
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Related Resource: When Life Unravels: Biblical Strategies for Hard Seasons
Few challenges stretch a parent’s faith and emotional reserves more than life’s unexpected curveball seasons—the plot twists that leave you wondering, “God, what are you doing?” How do you remain anchored in truth when the bottom drops out?
This week on Christian Parent/Crazy World, Catherine welcomes back her very first guest and trusted friend, Dr. Erin Barry, to help parents not only survive, but find hope and stability in life’s most turbulent moments. Dr. Barry is a clinical Christian counselor, author, homeschool expert, and co-founder of inseparableLives.com. Her biblically grounded wisdom comes from over 30 years of walking families through the storms of life.
In this transparent and practical episode, Catherine gets real about her own season of loss, uncertainty, and a series of shocking life upheavals—from parenting a prodigal, to family moves, to sudden job loss. Using these stories as a backdrop, Dr. Barry unpacks essential biblical strategies for clinging to faith and finding stability when life feels out of control. If this episode helps you be a more thoughtful parent, be sure to follow Christian Parent, Crazy World on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
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