Praying for people who hurt you is hard. Many of us know that struggle, since Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:44 to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” I have read many translations like the English Standard Version and learned simple steps that really help.
If you want to see how prayers can bring peace and healing, keep reading.
Why Pray for Your Enemies?
Jesus tells us in the New Testament to pray for our enemies—He even says, “pray for those who persecute you.” When I follow this teaching from Matthew 5:44 and other Gospel verses, my heart grows softer, and God gives me calm.
Biblical Command: Matthew 5:44
Matthew 5:44 tells me to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” This command comes straight from the Lord’s words in the New Testament. I see these same instructions across many versions, like the english standard version, new american standard bible, and new king james version.
Loving my enemies is not easy. But God calls me to bless those who curse me—even if they hurt or speak evil against me.
The sermon on the mount makes it clear that prayer is a powerful weapon in spiritual warfare. The Savior teaches forgiveness and mercy because people often act without knowing what they do—the Son of God modeled this on the cross with “Father, forgive them.” Praying for others, even those who harm us, helps build inner peace in my heart…and leads right into seeking that peace every day.
Building Inner Peace
Praying for my enemies brings calm to my heart. I find that each time I say, “Father, forgive them; they know not what they do,” anger leaves me a bit more. The words of the Lord’s Prayer guide me: “But deliver us from evil.” Loving your enemies gets easier with practice and faith.
As Jesus taught in the New Testament, and as shown in Matthew 5:44 (English Standard Version), praying for those who hurt us is an act of spiritual warfare.
The devil wants to keep bitterness alive inside me; prayer breaks his hold. Blessing those who curse you is never simple but starts changing me from within. My mind feels lighter each day I choose love over hate.
Forgiveness opens space for God’s peace—the kind only He can give through His Word in many translations like NASB1995 or New Living Translation. Saying these prayers keeps my spirit quiet so I can live as part of God’s kingdom every day—whatever trouble comes near.
How to Begin Praying for Your Enemies
I start my prayer by talking honestly with God, just like Jesus did in the New Testament. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me pray for those who have hurt me—trusting that God’s word can guide even tough moments.
Acknowledge Your Feelings
Praying for your enemies can stir up tough feelings. Sometimes, anger, hurt, or sadness fills my heart. The New Testament tells me to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, but this is not always easy.
I have to admit my pain honestly before God. As I talk to Him in Christian prayer, I ask for help with forgiveness and strength so I can do what Jesus commands.
Feelings are not wrong by themselves; they show where healing needs to start. In the Gospel—especially Matthew 5:44—Jesus says to bless those who curse you and stand firm in spiritual warfare against hate.
If bitterness tries to take root, I recall “Father, forgive them” from the death and resurrection story in Luke’s account of the Messiah. This step helps open my heart so intercession can begin from a real place of faith and humility as taught throughout the English Bible—even across versions like the New International Version or Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition.
Ask for Guidance and Strength
I ask God for help to love my enemies, like Jesus taught in the New Testament. I might say, “Father, forgive them,” just as Jesus did on the cross. Sometimes I feel weak or angry, so I pray for strength to follow God’s greatest commandment and show kindness.
The Holy Spirit helps me pray when words are hard to find. Tools such as the Tree of Life Version or English Standard Version® remind me that “pray for those who persecute you” is not a suggestion—it is a calling.
Each day brings new challenges; with every prayer, I lean on God’s wisdom from His Word and trust Him to give me courage during spiritual warfare.
Examples of Prayers for Enemies
I pray with the words Jesus spoke, “Father, forgive them,” lifting my enemies up to God’s mercy and love. When I follow what the New Testament teaches—to bless those who curse me—I see how prayer shapes my heart and brings peace into hard places.
Prayer for Forgiveness
I ask God to help me forgive those who have hurt me. Jesus cried, “Father, forgive them,” even as He hung on the cross. The New Testament commands us to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
I use these words as my guide. Sometimes hurt makes it hard. Still, I bring my pain and anger before God.
With a simple prayer, I say, “Lord, please absolve my enemy.” Forgiveness does not erase what happened. It sets my heart free from hate and bitterness instead. Prayer for forgiveness is part of spiritual warfare against the serpent’s lies of revenge or hate; the holy bible teaches this through verses in Matthew 5:44 and other translations like the Christian Standard Bible or Douay-Rheims edition.
Even if trust stays broken, I ask God to make space for healing inside me and peace with others in His kingdom of God.
Prayer for Their Transformation
I ask God to change the heart of my enemy. I pray that they know His love and truth, as taught in the New Testament and by Jesus Himself. Using words from Matthew 5:44, “love your enemies,” I seek their good.
My prayer is simple—Father, help them see Your grace. John Piper once spoke about desiring God’s best for others, even those who hurt us.
Bless those who curse you—that is what Scripture says in Luke and echoed in Reina-Valera and other translations like the NRSVUE or NABRE. Many Christians find strength in these prayers during spiritual warfare.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible reminds us to hope for true change through Christ; so does our Father’s example on the cross—“Father, forgive them.” With faith, I trust that God works miracles even in hearts turned cold.
Prayer for Protection from Harm
God calls me to pray for the safety of those who hurt me. I ask Him, “Father, protect them from danger and evil.” This follows what Jesus taught in the New Testament. He said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” as found in Matthew 5:44 from both the Evangelical Heritage Version and New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition.
Praying like this shows love that comes from God alone. Sometimes my enemy faces harm or trouble because of bad choices or spiritual warfare. My prayer can sound simple: “Lord, shield them from all harm.” Through these words I bless those who curse me by asking God’s care over them just as I hope He protects me too.
Benefits of Praying for Your Enemies
Praying for your enemies can change how you feel deep inside. As I turn to the Word of God, I see fresh hope growing—sometimes slowly, but this is true grace in action.
Emotional Healing
Hate and anger can hurt my spirit. Each time I pray for my enemies, I feel God softening my heart. Jesus said, “love your enemies” and “pray for those who persecute you.” The new testament shows how the prayer of Jesus brings peace to hurting people.
Saying, “Father, forgive them,” helps me let go of pain.
God gives me strength to ask for forgiveness too. Blessing those who curse you lets love enter where hate once lived. With each simple prayer from the Word of God or even using good news publishers’ books like the New American Bible or Tyndale House Foundation Bibles, I sense old wounds fade a bit more each day.
Improved Relationships
Praying for my enemies can change how I see them. Bless those who curse you, says the New Testament in Matthew 5:44. This is hard, but it softens my heart over time. Love your enemies—these are Jesus’ words and they help me let go of hate or anger that could poison relationships.
With prayer, I notice walls start to fall between us. Sometimes peace grows where pain once lived… even if things take time to heal fully. My prayers invite God into the situation and open doors for new conversations.
This can make way for forgiveness—or at least more respect—on both sides. Next, I’ll share how praying can bring emotional healing along with spiritual growth from the new covenant teachings found in Young’s Literal Translation and other sources like Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., AKJV, TLV, CJB, and New English Translation.
Conclusion
Today, I covered why we pray for our enemies and how this practice comes from Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:44. These steps are simple; start with your feelings, ask for help, and say prayers for forgiveness or change.
This is practical even during spiritual warfare—such as what we read about in the New Testament and the Authorized King James Version’s stories of Babylon the Great or “the beast.” Using prayers like “Father, forgive them” can lead to emotional healing and better relationships.
If you want more support, check out resources from The Lockman Foundation or try reading “New Testament For Everyone.” Taking these small steps will bring more peace—and maybe even love—to your daily life.
FAQs
1. How can I pray for my enemies according to the New Testament?
In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This means asking God to bless those who curse you, and even praying “Father, forgive them,” echoing Jesus’ own words on the cross.
2. Why should we pray for our enemies?
Praying for your enemies is a form of spiritual warfare. It’s not about wishing harm but seeking their transformation through God’s love as encouraged in the New Testament.
3. Is there a specific way or prayer to use when praying for an enemy?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prayer because each situation is unique. However, prayers often involve asking God to bless those who curse you and forgiving them as taught in authorized versions like King James.
4. Can anyone learn how to pray for their enemies?
Yes! Everyone can learn from teachings found in resources like ‘New Testament For Everyone.’ Praying becomes easier with practice and sincere intent.
5.What does it mean when someone prays against ‘the beast’ or ‘Babylon the Great’?
These phrases are symbolic references from biblical texts representing evil forces or systems that oppose God’s kingdom; hence people might include them while engaging in spiritual warfare through prayers.