Revelation of The Cross: Persecuted

As Christians, is persecution to be expected? In John 15:18, Jesus tells us “if the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you”. Jesus was hated and targeted throughout his life, even though he was destined to bring salvation to the world. Despite the pain and suffering he went through, Jesus still tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us in Matthew 5:44. In our times of persecution, will we be able to bless and pray for our accusers the way Jesus did first?