Who is my enemy in gods creation? For Jesus’s last prayer of love. He asked his father to forgive them for they know not what they did! So who is my enemy, and how do I love them enough to bless them? Matt 5:44 luke6:27-28 1 pet3:9
1. Give Yourself Pause to Pray
In other words, pray for yourself to calm down if something negative or troubling was spoken or done to you or someone you love. Take a quick and quiet break to ask the Holy Spirit to help you to love your offended despite what was spoken or done to hurt, offend, or irritate you.
When you pray, it has the power to calm you down. It allows space and time for you to choose the proper response, while also giving God a chance to move in the situation. James 1:19 encourages us to, “…be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”
Also, Psalm 37:7 says, “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” So, give yourself pause to pray, so God can move and help you love them in the midst of the hurt or frustration.
2. Choose Compassion
The word compassion actually means “to suffer together.” The Merriam-Webster dictionary describes it as pity coupled with an urgent desire to aid or to spare. So, spare the person who is unloving towards you.
Pity them in a way that is more like extending grace towards them because they may not really know that what they are saying or doing is hurtful or bothersome to you.
Even if you sense that he or she is aware of their actions, pray and suffer with them in this regard by choosing to be compassionate, just as Jesus did when He was hung on the cross by His own people.
He cried out in Luke 23:34, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Though it may be hard, choose compassion. This is love.
3. Forgive Quickly
Forgiveness is all about pardoning someone who has hurt or offended you in some way. Forgiveness is not burying the fact that you’ve been offended, falsely accused, disliked, disrespected, misrepresented, or wounded. However, it is letting go and letting God bring forth healing, justice, and help.
Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us, “Get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
The quicker you forgive, the quicker you can release the weight of negative emotions. Love is wrapped in forgiveness.
4. Remember What Love Is Biblically
The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 , “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Take a moment to meditate on this passage of Scripture. Ponder each sentence and apply it where it is needed, because this is how we love those who are hard to love from a biblical perspective.
There is no doubt, it is hard to love those who are hard to love. I know all about it. Yet, these are tried and true ways that I’ve applied in my own life when I’ve encountered individuals like this.
I’m often quickly reminded of what Jesus said in Luke 6:32, 35, and 36, “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them. But love your enemies. Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”
This is how we love those who are hard to love. I hope this was helpful!
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I’ve never been one to take to offense. I do pray all the time. I think one of the first prayers was to be in a constant state of prayer. I was young. And had heard or read that somewhere. Sounded good to me. God always knowing my thoughts. Seemed like the right thing to do. so my prayer was to be in a constant state of prayer.i dont really know if it was answered. But the statement was you will always know what I am thinking. Who better to know than the one who can fix whatever is wrong. So without really knowing what I was doing. I gave him my mind. I was 15 and living in Sacramento. So the question would be? who did I give access to my my mind and was it the right choice
Sorry I had to comment ill go back and continue reading sorry about the Grammer but please understand when someone is talking thru going politically correct seems tough holy spirit what do we know about the hand of God the father spirit dont play spirit is life and first of all let’s get it straight our father has one rule dont blasphemy my spirit if we all can agree on that we all win
If you are like most people, you don’t have actual enemies. At most just people who are not friendly/don’t like you.
So how should one behave?
In normal daily life as friendly and politely as you are able.
To those who are hostile or unfriendly, be polite, be prepared to be assertive if someone is taking advantage of one.
Spiritually there are two levels.
1/ pray for those you are with for their physical and spiritual welbeing, but also there is the level where one prays intelligently for those in need in your church and for the many Christians facing persecution around the world.
To do this one has to belong to a local church and follow one of the varios organisations that publicise whats happening.
Why? The bible teaches i do have enemies. And I have learned the scripture is tru. he does roam the countryside seeking whom he may devoure. The problem comes in not thinking he is real. It’s this it’s that. How do I solve the problem? Prayer? They run deep. Eventually, man me Have to come to the the conclusion, There is a enemy. So for peace love joy hope faith we must defeat the enemy. How do you do that? Jesus hit it on point? Love him.
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I don’t have enemies, but I do have people in my life who are very hard to deal with, and in all honesty, I don’t like them most of the time. From the Bible’s teaching, I don’t have to like them to love them, so this is a good question to think about. Since I’m in such a situation I’ll tell you what I’m doing.
This is someone I’m in close contact with much of the time. In this, I don’t have a choice. I’ve been in the way of impatience and anger and it only made things worse and harmed an already difficult relationship. So right now I’m taking a step back and praying. I’m praying mostly for me and a change of heart. This person I’m speaking about is mentally disabled and that’s a whole other ball game. Talking about problems doesn’t work and are often side tracked or end up complete nonsense. What I need to do is develop patience and know when to leave things just as they are or to intervene.
They can’t change, but I can change. Love is demonstrated in how you react and what you do. This is the bulk of my prayer. Right now it’s day by day and I’ve seen a softening on my part. So maybe this is the answer on how to love your enemies. Ask God to change your heart.
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The question is how much you love this person and from your statement you have love for them. You have prayed now you are looking for the next step I’ve been here my mom was schizophrenic it was real she was what they call sycotic induced schizophrenic her mind was somewhere else until her last year somehow I understood everything she was talking about was real how I will not go into but it was like everything she was saying was crazy to me but at the end she was not crazy I just did not understand
Thank you Hungry. I wouldn’t say that I have love for them. It helps to know the Bible’s definition of love is not a feeling but an action. It also has to do with our thoughts about them and it brings out the things that need to change in us.
Looks to me that you’ve had quite a time too. Do you think it was God helping and enabling you to understand in that last year? Thanks for mentioning it because I haven’t prayed for understanding and I’ll include that request from now on.
Check this out I was turning wrenches in a shop been there 2 years sorry about the Grammer but boss gets a call his son goes with him they get back to the shop and his boy is tripping and I seen it he is 16 good kid so me just the kinda guy I am I calm him down and get the story about what made him trip he told me that him and his dad hit the scene of the wreck he was going down the highway lost controll probably fell asleep he was a roughneck supporting his family a death that is common where I was at the time apparently he made it out of the car his arm was outstretched had a bundle of sunflowers not like the big ones but the small ones Kansas state flower he was fighting for his life my boss and his son weren’t right still when the man’s wife and 7 year old daughter showed up the next day wanting to see the car that caused his death Danny looked at me so I took charge of it Danny’s boy was gone so I had this little girl and her mom she was gorgeous the kinda beauty in movies her little girl was adorable and what I had to tell these two adorable Angeles I wish on no man
That’s a horrible thing to have happened. Was that recently?
I can deal with the grammar, but I have to read it twice. You might want to learn the value of a period (.) I insert them when I read the second time. I may not always be right. I’m guessing. Danny’s your boss, right?
No he was one of them.
Cancer got him several years ago
Thats crazy I went back and looked and what I said was changed interesting
Hello. First, that wasn’t Jesus’ last prayer. His last prayer, before he was taken up is found in John 17.
But to address the question, an enemy is someone that means you harm. They are those that are against you and/or what you stand for, or what you believe in. Whether in it’s in the open or it’s hidden, their thoughts of you or for you isn’t pleasant.
Verses 28-30 are ways to bless your enemies.
I would say that blessing our enemies depends on the situation at hand. It could be when we advise them of the correct thing to do on the job and they choose to lie on us because they did not want that advice. Blessing the could be that you were a help to them with something even after that. Or maybe there is someone that hurt your child or even killed them, that’s a hard one, but blessing them could be that you plead for their life when facing lethal injection. As I said, really depends on the situation. And the blessing could be something that is considered smaller in deed. For example, a blessing could be that we don’t respond when we are called out of our name or physically attacked. All in all a blessing is in what we decide, whether to do something or not to do something. It all begins in our minds as to how we see things. The way we think is going to determine how we are going to handle our enemies.
The loving them part isn’t not the same as the liking them part. So, if you love people, you would not let them continue to walk blindly into a burning building. You would warn them despite you dislike for them. You would choose to do the same as if they were one that you were fond of.
In Luke 6 Jesus what Jesus says is kinda tough for me when saying in verse 19, that if an enemy takes away someone’s coat that they are to offer their robe. Just in case we wanna question if that’s what he meant, he repeats this in verse 30 saying if an enemy takes someone’s property, make no attempt to get it back. Don’t even ask for it back.
Yelp, I would love to hear you guys tell me that you do this today. Then, post your residence. HAHAHA! Just being humerous. The truth is, I don’t know anyone that would allow a person to take advantage of them, or rob them, or that would not ask for their belongings back if they lent it to someone.
I believe that Jesus is concern about our inner man when telling us to be this way to those that mistreat us. I see from Matthew 5:44, Luke 6:27-30, and 1 Peter 3:9 that Jesus wants us to remain in a state of being. Being moved sometimes takes us away from peace into chaos. Sometimes we can be overwhelmed by the pressures in life that we aren’t thinking how spiritually but carnally and become drawn away by our fleshly desire to seek revenge or justice. But we must see tangible things that are taken away as a “so what” type of thing and remain peaceful and having a willingness to give help to that person(s). I am sure that you would agree that what goes in us as Christians is important, but here Jesus focus is on what comes out of us. He wants us to show love towards others because the love of God is in us so that we can love the ones that are unlovable in nature or in action.
No obedience,. we show our Love through our obedience.
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Your right! Follow his simple commands that are not burdensome. I mean that’s true. if I dont love you, I’m not going to listen to a word you say. But if I’m listening to you and doing what you told me to do, I value your instruction. At the least. So if I believe you, I’m trying to not loose your words. Or your instructions Because I have found them tru. And if I did loose you, I think my heart would be broken. I always thought blessing someone meant making them happy. How else could one bless God who has everything but to simply make him happy.
Such a powerful question, and one that goes straight to the heart of Jesus’ teaching. Our enemy isn’t flesh and blood, but the sin and darkness that blinds hearts.
Loving and blessing them means reflecting Christ’s mercy, even when it’s hard.
His love in us makes the impossible possible.
Love the people not their sin. I used empathy. Putting myself in the place of the worst people I could think of. With there experiences. And I asked myself if I had there life could I have lived it better and the answer was no. How could i.
K so I said a prayer about 12 years ago. I was in a bad place in my life. So I prayed to our father. I want to know my enemies right. And I won’t go into why I made this prayer. So he answered it. And let me tell you it’s not what I thought. I’m still trying to put it together. But I was in the enemy’s house. And had only a few versus out of the bible. And them few versus defeated them all. And we went from full out spiritual battle. I didn’t know what was going on. But now I still have several theories. And I’m leading towards it was the begining of a relation ship. And we went from battle to mutual respect for each other. They are definitly there. The enemy is real. What the bible says is 
. My faith is established. My hopes run deep. And my love even deeper. I’ve had thoughts that could have solved all the problems in a day. So I dont trip on nothing anymore. Because I know if I solved the whole thing in a day. How fast is he. I value thought. It’s how we learn. If i can think then I am alive. And if I’m alive I will learn. It’s been a scary ride to get to where I’m at in my life and to become a good person truly. And all glory to God! I got alot out of the house of my enemy. The whole story. Most every one on my mother earth would not be able to believe.