Imprecatory Psalms + Getting Ready for Sunday (July 21, 2024)

Can Christians Pray Imprecatory Psalms?

During the Psalm 69 sermon last Sunday we came across an example of an imprecatory prayer. Imprecatory prayers are those that call out for justice and the condemnation of evil, and they are pervasive in the Psalter. If you just flip through the first ten psalms, you'll notice that more than half include warnings about God's judgment, prayers for judgment, or promises of judgment (Psalm 2:10-12; 3:7-8; 5:8-10; 6:10; 7:6-16; 9:19-20; 10:2, 15).

What should we do with prayers like this? Can Christians pray in this way?

Some say yes, without any kind of qualification. After all, Acts 1:20 quotes Psalm 69:25 in reference to Judas: "may his camp be desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it." If imprecatory prayers are all over the Old Testament, and the New Testament also makes use of them, Christians should not hesitate to pray like this.

Others say, not so fast. We live on the other side of Christ's coming into the world, and imprecatory prayers have to be understood through the hopeful lens of the redemptive work of Christ. Derek Kidner reminds us that "David's anger was fanned by his zeal for justice, which the Old Testament largely exists to keep before us; but Christ came to crown justice with atonement. Zeal for this, now it is accomplished, will stir us differently: cooling anger instead of kindling it; fostering rather than stifling compassion" (Kidner, Psalms, p.267) In Christ there is hope for all people, even for our enemies.

My view is that Christians can and should pray the imprecatory psalms. Peter Leithart writes in a Foreword to Trevor Laurence's book, Cursing with God: The Imprecatory Psalms and the Ethics of Christian Prayer: "Imprecatory psalms plant us in the real world with all its horrors and dangers. They rebuke our craving to retreat into safe, spiritualized, anondyne, Pollyanish piety. They're a form of church discipline, as we ask Jesus to uproot liars and predators from his field, the church. Through these prayers, we defend the house and kingdom of God, and participate in the Lord's work of establishing justice, vindicating the innocent, rescuing the defenseless. We do good and leave room for the wrath of God, and ask God to take just vengeance. As we sing the 'mean' psalms, Satan is trampled under our feet (Romans 16:20)."

The Apostle Paul shows us the way. In Romans 11:9-10 Paul quotes an imprecatory prayer from Psalm 69 to explain the hardening of the hearts of his own countrymen who oppose the gospel. But just a few verses later in Romans 11:23-25, he holds out hope for mercy and salvation to come to those very same countrymen.

Paul shows us that we can pray imprecations in general against evil and suffering, while praying intercessions in particular for repentance and salvation. You can both pray against injustice and at the same time "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

A Prayer for our Country

Last Sunday Dave Dupee led us in a pastoral prayer in light of the recent assasination attempt on former President Trump. Here is Dave's prayer so you can make use of it over the next few months leading up to the election.

Lord,
We come this morning reminded afresh of the fragility of our world, and how in the course of history single events of tragedy or violence can greatly influence the course of a nation.

Lord, we bring our shock - not that it could happen, but DID happen - yesterday with the loss of life, injuries, and a nearly successful assassination.

And we bring our mourning - mourning for what this says about the state of our country and our desperate need for a rebirth of the common good. And we bring our fears - this could happen again.

Lord, be with those families who have suffered loss. Surround them with your comfort and the comfort of friends, family and their communities. We pray for protection during this election year:
     *protection for our presidential candidates
     *during oral and written debates and the rapidly escalating news cycles, may they include sober self-examination

And we pray that you will bring good from this. Bring forth strong, influential voices who will not shy from speaking truth, but will also be able to build bridges, rather than their own constituencies. Lord,  would  you protect and preserve what is best about this country? May its nobility of vision be proven in the days and weeks ahead.

We come to you, our certain anchor and refuge in good times and bad. May we know that your delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor your pleasure in the legs of a man, but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psalm 147:10-11)

Getting Ready for Sunday (July 21, 2024)