Prayers for loving difficult people
Loving someone who is hard to love
For grace toward the people who test your patience.
Also for difficult person · hard to love · toxic relative · annoying coworker · difficult mother in law · can't stand them · unlovable · critical person · rude neighbor · draining people · love them anyway
Therefore accept one another, even as Christ also accepted you, to the glory of God.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil. “Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.
Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Put on therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, humility, and perseverance; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do. Above all these things, walk in love, which is the bond of perfection.
And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.
A prayer
Original writing, not a quotation of Scripture.
Lord, there's someone in my life who drains me every time we're together. I dread their messages and rehearse arguments in the shower. You loved me when I was hard to love, and you ask me to accept others the way Christ accepted me.
I can't do that on willpower. Give me your love for them, wisdom about healthy boundaries, and eyes to see what they might be carrying that I don't know about. In Jesus' name, Amen.