The Lodestar

Those persecuting Christians justify their actions, branding their victims as enemies. The logic is that the enemies deserve no mercy and can be oppressed. However, the standard that Jesus maintained differed: not to hate those who hate you but to love them.

Jesus raised the bar further. Our love for enemies should lead us to pray for them. But what should Christians pray for their persecutors? For them to stop persecuting or for their persecution to be more bearable?

The answer is in Jesus’ prayer on the cross. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). He did not pray that they would poke him a bit more gently, nor to make their ridicule milder. His prayer was an intercession for forgiveness. He asked Father God to forgive them since their cruelty results from ignorance. Thus, prayer for the enemy still focuses on the enemy and not on us. It is not our comfort that we seek when we pray for our enemies but theirs that God may forgive them.

Stephen, the church's first martyr, emulated Jesus as he prayed as his master did: “And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:60). Through the centuries, ancient and modern martyrs gave up their lives seeking God’s forgiveness for their persecutors.

As followers of Christ, we are called to rise above the instinct for retaliation and bitterness. Today, take a moment to recall those who have wronged, hurt, or opposed you. Instead of rehearsing their offences, lift them before God in prayer. Pray not for your comfort but for their redemption. Ask God to open their eyes, to forgive their ignorance, and to pour His mercy upon them. In doing so, you follow the footsteps of your crucified Lord and the countless faithful who, even in death, chose grace over grievance. Let love be your response and intercession in your offering.

(To receive these devotionals daily on WhatsApp, click here.)