‘Through the medium of prayer we go to our enemy, stand by his side, and plead for him to God.  Jesus doesn’t promise that when we bless our enemies and do good to them they will not despitefully use and persecute us. They certainly will. But not even that can hurt or overcome us, so long as we pray for them…We are doing vicariously for them what they cannot do for themselves.’

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship