Love Your Enemies • Devotion 5

Loving Enemies Through Prayer
Joanna Montgomery

In Matthew 5:44, Christ states we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Our human reaction to enemies is much different than what Christ requires. The flesh is much easier to follow, but as always, Christ’s way proves to be much better for us.

I am thankful I have not had many true enemies. I have had people who may not have liked me for one reason or another; possibly because I received a promotion that they wanted or I was able to accomplish something they were not able to. Even though they may not have liked me, I did not really consider them an enemy.

An enemy is someone who wants to see you fail and consciously works to contribute to that failure. Satan is the enemy of those who love God. He works to destroy us and delights in our failures. In 1 Peter 5:8, we read, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” That is an enemy, someone who wants to destroy us. I have had a true human enemy. He was a person who purposefully lied about me, sought to cause me to fail, and worked to make me appear incompetent and dishonest to people I worked with. I will call him James.

James started causing me problems the very first day I met him and proceeded to be a problem for me at work for the next twelve years. The first few months, I was mostly confused, but eventually realized James was deliberately persecuting me. I do not believe the persecution was even personal. I was not his first nor his last victim, just a convenient one.

I wish I could say I handled this abusive treatment with grace and the love of God, but in truth, I was confused, very angry most of the time, and tried to find someone in management to hear and believe my side of the story. After several years of failing to find someone of power who cared, I finally turned the situation over to God, which I should have done from the start. As Matthew 5:43-48 directs us, I started praying for James to find salvation through Christ and that I might even be able to share the love of Christ with him. I prayed for him daily. Often, I prayed he would find acceptance in Christ so he would accept others. Other times, I just prayed God would help him get a great promotion and remove him from any immediate contact with me. I am not sure that was the prayer that Christ meant when He said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” but I will say, I prayed earnestly. I truly did hope God would help him find a better position and remove him from making my life difficult.

I often tell my children that love is not a feeling, it is an action. When we do not “feel” love for someone, we can still show love. Prayer for someone demonstrates love. Prayer softens our hearts when we focus directly on praying for another person. Christ truly loves the lost, even the most unlovely, even me. In my humanity, I may not have the same perspective of love Christ does; however, if we are commanded to do something, we are given the ability to follow that command. God blessed me through my prayer for my enemy. James did receive a great promotion catapulting him where he wanted to go, but greater than that answer to prayer is the work God did in my heart. I do not hate James and I still sincerely pray he finds salvation through Christ. At one time, it was only a prayer I prayed because I felt it was right and I did not know what else to do, but God softened my heart through my faithful prayer for my enemy and now I do not live in bitterness, anger, and hate. I can actually show love to a person in my life who persecuted me heavily.