How to Pray for Your Enemies

One of the marks of a true Christian and follower of Jesus Christ is loving your enemies. Loving your enemies is one of Jesus’ greatest teachings and commandments, and one that reflects God’s agape love for mankind. It can be very challenging to display love by praying for your enemies, but the moment you understand the depth of God’s mercy, grace, and everlasting love in your personal life, it will compel you to do the same for others. So, how do you pray for your enemies? The content of your prayers for your enemies should not be different from praying for those you care about, love and cherish.

In the same way that you pray for your loved ones, you want your enemies to encounter God’s love and be renewed by the grace of God in Christ Jesus. When people behave or treat others in a certain way, you know that it’s not a natural part of their personality or an inborn characteristic. God created us according to His own image and likeness, but changes happen in the flesh, because of sin. When people experience bad and traumatic things in life, such as physical and verbal abuse at home, they tend to project it onto others. How people treat you is not about you, but reflects what’s going on inside them. Hurt people always tend to hurt others. That is probably why Jesus called us to pray for our enemies. When Jesus Christ was hung on the cross, He even prayed to God to forgive those who had tortured Him, “for they know not what they do” (see Luke 23:34). The Lord knows that people can be deceived by the enemy, corrupted by the world’s system, and influenced by demonic strongholds and principalities, all of which some of your enemies are going through. 

Your enemies—those who hate you, spitefully use you, curse you, and persecute you—need your prayers. You can demonstrate the Father’s love towards them by setting boundaries and simultaneously praying for them. Don’t let their bitterness, anger, and rage infect you or wound you. Don’t allow offenses and bitterness to grow in your heart when they inflict pain. Instead, pray and ask the Father to give you His eyes, so that you may see from His perspective and show compassion.

Here is a short prayer that you can pray over your enemies:

Heavenly Father, I lift up to you all those who hate me, curse me, spitefully use and persecute me. I bless them and speak life upon their identity in Christ. I forgive them and release them in my life. Awaken their hearts and draw them near to the Lord Jesus. May they know how much You love them, care for them, and long for their fellowship. Touch their lives and transform them, so that they may find true purpose in life through Christ Jesus. Amen.

Is it okay to pray against your enemies?

It is never okay to pray against your enemies. It is not based on God’s agape love and is entirely opposite to what Jesus commanded in the Scriptures: “love your enemies.” One instance of this was recorded in the Book of Luke. When Jesus and His disciples went to a Samaritan village, the villagers rejected Him and His disciples. As a result, James and John asked the Lord if they should call down fire from heaven to destroy those people, but Jesus rebuked them, for His purpose was not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them (see Luke 9:53-55). It can be tempting to retaliate in hate and anger when people do you wrong. It can be challenging to forgive those who inflict pain, hardship, and suffering on your life, as it can leave you thinking that those people are free to do whatever they want while you are trapped, victimized, and left ruined. So, not forgiving them and holding offenses against them seems like a way of punishing your enemies. However, the truth about unforgiveness is that it imprisons you, not them. Their actions imprison you, and you allow them to control how you feel and how you think. It is how the enemy lies to most people when it comes to unforgiveness. It may seem like justice on your part, whereas it is actually destroying you little by little. 

The Heavenly Father wants us to forgive our enemies, pray for them, and show mercy, just as He does with us. Forgiving others is a form of freedom on your part, and you will also be able to better receive the Father’s forgiveness without any blockages in your mind and heart.

How do you deal with your enemies, according to the Bible?

According to Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5:43-48, we must love our enemies by:

1. Blessing those that curse us 
2. Doing good to those that hate us
3. Praying for those who despitefully use us and persecute us

Blessing those that curse you:

These are people who speak ill behind your back, or who say negative words that are damaging and discouraging for your soul. God wants you to bless them in whatever way you can. You may surprise them with a gift, help them when they are in need, or declare a blessing unto them by speaking life and the words of Christ as you pray for them in your quiet time with God.

Doing good to those that hate you:

These people clearly don’t like you for some reason. You may not have done anything wrong to them, yet you can’t seem to please them, and your presence irritates them. Or perhaps these are the people who knew you in your old nature and can no longer see your value in Christ Jesus, as a changed and renewed person. God says, do good to them… but how? Stay kind, even if they aren’t. Lend a hand when they need one, and stay discerning. Always be in partnership with the Holy Spirit when it comes to these things so you won’t fall into the enemy’s trap.

Pray for those who use and persecute you.

People who use you technically don’t like you, but only come to you when they need you and then vanish after getting what they want. On the other hand, those who persecute you are the people who falsely accuse you, judge you and mistreat you because of your faith in Jesus and the Word of God. Jesus said, pray for them. Lift them in your prayers and surrender these people to God. Bless them, declare the Father’s love to them, and pray that they may encounter the true loving God in Christ Jesus.

Additionally, here are some Scriptures in the Bible that may help to renew your mind in dealing with your enemies:

1. Romans 12:20-21 

20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

2. Proverbs 24:17-18

17 Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:

18 Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him.

3. Matthew 5:38-39

38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

4. Romans 12:19 

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

5. James 4:11

Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

6. John 14:15

 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

7. Matthew 7:12

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

8. 1 John 4:20

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

How do you pray for someone who hates you?

Praying for those who you know dislike and hate you can be difficult and challenging, as you may not know what to say to God about them. However, as discussed earlier, God wants you to do good to those who hate you, and that can begin by praying for them. You can safely pray for them out of the Spirit and not of your flesh when you pray the Scriptures. The Word of God is His will. If you are lost for words, you can begin by looking for God’s promises in the Word of God, declaring encouraging and uplifting Scriptures from the Book of Psalms, the Gospel, and any number of others. It’s important to be led by the Spirit in your prayers for your enemies. In this way, you will pray for what God wants, as well as His will for your enemies. God wants everyone to be saved, even the most wicked among us. God knows everything that happens in a person’s life, and He weighs all our actions.

As you obey God in terms of dealing with your enemies, may kindness, favor, and honor follow you in Christ Jesus. May the LORD bless you.