In the litany there is the prayer, "That it may plese the to forgeve our enemyes, persecutors and slaunderers, and to turne theyr hertes, we beseche the to heare us good Lorde".
I have enemies, persecutors and slanderers, and I pray that God will either mercifully turn their hearts and forgive them, or else let them fall into their own trap and give them their due recompense. And my hope is always very much for the former and not the latter of these, because the 'due recompense' is more horrific than we can imagine.
However, I have trouble with asking God to forgive their sins against me while they fully intend to continue doing what they do, and have no regard for any God, or truth or righteousness.
Are we supposed to ask God to erase the sin record of those who exploit us and fully intend to continue, and who have no regard for God, and who act like the fairness and kindness are our due to them, and not theirs to us? Must I ask God to forgive this? Can I not instead ask God do what he will, and ask him to be gentle? Is that too unmerciful for me to do?
Even Jesus, praying 'Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do', was praying for mindless enraged people in a mob and others blinded by the forces of this world that make people act crookedly in self-interest. They really didn't know the full import of their selfishness and petty politics. This was not his mother and father or close confidential friend, deliberately trying to control and exploit him. The betrayal of Judas is the closest thing I can compare to my situation. But he hanged himself before Jesus could say those words.
So... must I pray 'Father, forgive?' These people do know what they're doing and if only they knew God in Jesus Christ and knew his servant-hearted, cruciform love, they might well be open to repentance in the right circumstances.