Pray for those who persecute you

"But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust." (Matthew 5: 44 - 45)

I have found from experience that the best way to deal with people who are very unkind to me is prayer.  First, I go to the Lord with the hurt.  Then I start praying for them.  Depending on how deep the hurt is, this prayer can be just one time or as long as a few days to a few years.  I have actually prayed everyday for three people who ganged against me for a couple of years.  I did not even know when I stopped praying for them.  But the hurt was healed completely by God along the way.  It was then that  I noticed that the so-called "great hurt" was  necessary so that God can move me to another level of His plan for my life.

"But Joseph replied to them: “Do not fear. Can I take the place of God?
Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve this present end, the survival of many people." ( Genesis 50: 19 - 20)

"We know that all things work for good for those who love God,* who are called according to his purpose."  (Romans 8: 28)