Praying For Enemies

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SOOOO…I’ve been told that asking God to make my enemies fail at all levels of life is pathetically wrong. 

I’ve been told that I should never ask God to get revenge on their mortal souls or purge the world of their stupid behavior.  That I should never ask God to make them lose control of their car on a slick, icy road or veer into oncoming traffic during the afternoon rush hour. 

That my prayers for their children to bare the punishment of their parent’s sins is unloving, unmerciful and unkind.  That I should never ask God to make their hearts desires a reality and then suddenly strip the rewards from their lives so they can never fully enjoy them. 

That praying for them to lose their jobs, homes and regular bowel functionality is hurtful and that my prayers are unkind, unChrist-like, unloving and purely out of hate and there is NO scripture that would ever support my prayers. 

After all, aren’t we supposed to “love our enemies”?  Isn’t that what the Bible tells us to do?  Didn’t Jesus love His enemies even unto death? 

The answer to all three questions is a resounding Yes…But to say that there is no scripture to support my prayers…well…that’s just a pathetic attempt to get me to side with your lack of scriptural knowledge. 

I’d like to point out that there is a passage in the Bible that supports my prayers, and that passage was penned by a man who God refers to as, “A Man After God’s Own Heart.”

That man’s name… is David. 

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this man, he was the king of Israel in the Old Testament and he’s the one who God used as a tool to stand up and slay the giant, Goliath. 

However, something you may not know is that even though David was a valiant warrior, he was also a poet and song writer, and one such song that he wrote is recorded in Psalm 109.  The very psalm that supports what I ask God to do to my enemies.

The truth is, this Psalm wasn’t about David getting revenge on his enemies or for David to have the right to kill them.  It was about letting God get the revenge for their lack of kindness and love towards David. 

David treated those who hated him with love, but when they didn’t respond in kind, he stepped back and realized that these people needed to be prayed for because they were a nasty bunch who sought to destroy him. 

And before he prayed, David always tested his own heart and motives and when he was certain that he had the proper reverence, trust, praise and love for God; he could then make this type of request to Almighty God and know that God would answer him and deal justly with the unjust. 

Because…and in all sincerity…it’s not about getting revenge…it’s about having evil people brought low enough to know that God does exist and they aren’t Him. 

I don’t know how you’ll respond when you read this passage.  Not sure I even care.  But I’ll share it with you anyway, because I want you to know that it IS in the Bible and also to consider just how scarey it is that someone out there might actually be praying this in regards to you.

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Psalm 109

Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.

Oh God of my praise, Do not be silent!
For they have opened the wicked and deceitful mouth against me;
They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without cause.
In return for my love they act as my accusers; but I am in prayer.
Thus they have repaid me evil for good and hatred for my love.

Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him come forth guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
Let his children wander about and beg; and let them seek sustenance far from their ruined homes.
Let the creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder the product of his labor.
Let there be none to extend lovingkindness to him, nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; in a following generation let their name be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Let them be before the Lord continually, that He may cut off their memory from the earth;
Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the despondent in heart, to put them to death.
He also loved cursing, so it came to him; and he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, and it entered into his body like water and like oil into his bones.
Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, and for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.
Let this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, and of those who speak evil against my soul.

But You, O God, the Lord, deal kindly with me for Your name’s sake; because Your lovingkindness is good, deliver me;
For I am afflicted and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
I am passing like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like the locust.
My knees are weak from fasting, and my flesh has grown lean, without fatness.
I also have become a reproach to them; when they see me, they wag their head.

Help me, O Lord my God; save me according to Your lovingkindness.
And let them know that this is Your hand; You, Lord, have done it.
Let them curse, but You bless; when they arise, they shall be ashamed, but Your servant shall be glad.
Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor, and let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the Lord; and in the midst of many I will praise Him.
For He stands at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

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Having enemies is pathetic, but knowing that God will get revenge on those who seek you harm…that’s fantastic!!!!

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As I was writing this post, this song came to mind, and I felt compelled to share it with you. 

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