It’s one of the most challenging commands in Scripture—yet one of the most transformative: “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
At first glance, this verse can feel impossible. How do you pray for someone who’s hurt you? How do you extend love when every part of you wants to withdraw, defend, or retaliate? In our latest episode of Two Cents of Faith, we unpack the deep, life-changing power behind this verse and why Jesus calls us to a love that goes beyond human understanding.
Praying for others—even those who have wronged us—isn’t about excusing bad behavior or ignoring pain. It’s about freeing ourselves from bitterness, inviting God’s healing into our hearts, and trusting Him to work in ways we can’t see. Prayer shifts the weight from our shoulders to His. When we pray for those who hurt us, we move from a posture of reaction to one of restoration.
We also discuss how this type of prayer changes us. It softens hardened places, expands our capacity for grace, and reminds us that God’s love is radical—it reaches the undeserving, which includes all of us. The same mercy we crave is the mercy we’re called to extend.
This isn’t easy. It may start with short, honest prayers: “Lord, I don’t want to pray for them, but I choose to obey You.”Over time, obedience grows into compassion. And compassion can lead to reconciliation—or at least peace in our own hearts.
Matthew 5:44 challenges us to live counter to culture. The world says, “Cancel them.” Jesus says, “Pray for them.” The world says, “Get even.” Jesus says, “Forgive.” And when we choose His way, we not only reflect His character, we also step into the kind of freedom resentment could never give us.
So, who’s on your prayer list today? Is it a coworker who betrayed you? A family member who hurt you? A stranger who wronged you? It’s time to bring their name before God—not because they deserve it, but because Jesus calls us to it.
Pray for them. Love them. And watch how God transforms hearts—starting with yours.