“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. The positive command — love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you — extends the neighbor category to include those who are hostile. The prayer command is particularly significant: praying for someone requires sustained attention to their welfare and regularly brings the one praying into the posture of desiring good for the person prayed for. Romans 12:14 says bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. The love of enemies is not a feeling but a practice — a set of actions (prayer, blessing, doing good) that may or may not be accompanied by warm emotion but that consistently orient toward the enemy's welfare.
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