In need of tips on How To Pray For Someone Who Hates You? Below are a few that can help.
It is natural for us to pray for those we love and care about. When it comes to prayer, our minds often focus on praying for our families, friends or those who are in need.
It is absolutely great to pray for those we love, but Jesus challenges us to go even further than this. He calls us to pray for those who hate us.
Now, hate may be a strong word. It is possible to have people in your life who hate you, and vice versa (if we’re being honest).
However, sometimes we have relationships that are fractured, and though hatred may be too strong of a word to describe those circumstances, we know that things aren’t on good terms.
I will be the first to admit that praying for someone who hates you, is mad at you, or simply dislikes you isn’t easy.
But Jesus’ standards for us as His people aren’t easy, because they go against our natural inclination.
Instead of an eye for an eye, Jesus teaches us to bless those who curse us.
He not only calls us to bless them, but for those who have spitefully used you.
He says “pray for them”. To take it even further, He doesn’t call us to reciprocate the hate of others. Instead, He says “love your enemies.”
Jesus challenges us to live differently from the world.
The world loves those who love them, so it is not only enough for us to love those who love us and who are kind to us.
True evidence that God’s love is beginning to grow inside of us is when we begin to love those who may not have good intentions toward us.
This doesn’t mean that we keep company with them, but instead that we see them as a person made in God’s image, just as we are.
No matter how much we try to muster up love in our own strength, our true emotions will inevitably spill forth.
The only way we can truly begin to love those who hate us, and treat them the way Jesus calls us to is by praying for them.
It’s hard to stay bitter and angry toward someone when you pray diligently for them.
Even if nothing changes the relationship, know that God is changing you as you pray for them.
When you’re down about someone like this, whatever the situation, you may need some encouragement for your day. Remember the good things about yourself, take a walk, buy yourself flowers, do a work out…anything that can help make you feel happy and get your mind in a better space.
It can be hard to know where and how to start praying for these people in your life.
The scriptures are a great place to learn how God calls us to treat our enemies, and we can use those passages to show us the way.
These prayers will be based off of Luke 6:27-36 which is a great passage to look at when it comes to praying for your enemies.
How To Pray For Someone Who Hates You
Luke 6:27 – Prayer to Love Your Enemies
“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,”
Lord,
I am having a hard time loving this person in my life.
I know that You have called me to love them, despite how they have treated me, and despite their feelings toward me.
But I confess that it is challenging.
Sometimes all I want to do is treat them in the way they have treated me, and my thoughts toward them have not always been kind.
Please forgive me for the times when my heart toward them displeased You.
Help me to love them as You loved us, even while we were sinners.
Even as we stood before You covered in sin and shame. I pray that You will teach me to love them the way You have loved me.
Help me to forgive them, and to do good to them, because You have been good to me.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Luke 6:28 – A Prayer to Bless Those Who Curse You
“bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.”
Father,
You have called me to live higher than what my flesh is inclined to.
When I am hurt or offended, my instinct is to retaliate or to reciprocate what has been done to me.
But You haven’t called me to do that.
Please forgive me for the times when that was exactly what I did.
I know that I did not represent You well in those moments.
Help me to grow in my patience and kindness towards those who have bad intentions and feelings towards me.
If they curse me, help me to bless them.
If they abuse me, teach me to pray for them.
They are just as in need of Your grace and saving as I am.
Help me to humble myself before You, and I pray that You will bring them to their knees before You as well.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Luke 6:29 – A Prayer to Turn the Other Cheek
“If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.”
Jesus,
Thank You so much for the example that You have set for us while You were on earth.
Even as You were lead to the cross, and accusations rose against You, You did not repay evil with evil.
You turned the other cheek, and You entrusted Your life into the hands of the Father.
I admit, there are times when I feel as though I need to be entrusting my life into my own hands.
When I am hurt by someone, or they treat me with contempt, I feel as though I need to fight back even harder.
I know there are times to speak up and then there are times to turn the other cheek, instead of returning the offense.
Please teach me when and how to turn the other cheek.
Help me to submit myself to Jesus, knowing that He sees the mistreatment that I experience and He will make it all right in His time.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
Luke 6:30-31 – A Prayer to Do To Others As You Wish They Would Do To You
“Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back”
“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Father,
I know how I would like others to treat me.
But I know that I don’t always consider how others may want to be treated.
Please forgive me for the times when I am only concerned with my own well-being.
Help me to think of how I would like to be treated, so that I can treat others in that way too.
Please help me not only to treat those who are kind towards me in this way, but to especially learn how to treat those who are unkind and hateful towards me in this way.
Help me to give to those who ask, and to be gracious toward those who take from me.
Help me to be kind, forgiving, patient and loving in the way I treat those who am don’t get along with.
May they see my changed behavior and may it point them to You.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
Luke 6:32-34 – Do Good To Those Who Don’t Return It
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.”
“And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that.”
“And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.”
Lord in Heaven,
You are kind to us in ways that we can never understand.
Not only are You gracious to those who love You and keep Your word.
But You show kindness to those who, despite Your word and who have not acknowledged You.
Thank You for not only calling us to an extraordinary love, but for showing us what an extraordinary love looks like.
I know that every person finds it easy to love those who leave them, no matter where their faith lies.
But You haven’t just called me to love those who love me, but to love those who don’t.
You have called me to love my enemies.
You have called me to do good to them, whether or not they do good to me. Please help me to live in this way.
In my own strength I can do nothing, but through Your Holy Spirit, I know that You can change me.
In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
The passage in Luke 6:35-36 best summarizes this topic, and that’s what I will leave you with.
“But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Highest, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”