Different psalms were written for different purposes. Some are psalms of comfort like Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” And then there are psalms of worship like the psalms of ascent in Psalm 120-134. Psalm 121:1 says “I lift my eyes up to the mountains–where does my help come from?
We find it easy to use these kinds of psalms in our prayer lives, but what should we do with the imprecatory psalms?
What are the imprecatory psalms?
The imprecatory psalms are the psalms in which the author calls down a curse, destruction, or judgment onto his enemies. The major imprecatory psalms are Psalm 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 109, 129, 137, 140.
For example:
Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life;
Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me.
Psalm 35: 4
and
O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, How blessed will be the one who repays you with the recompense with which you have repaid us.
How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones
Against the rock.
Psalm 137:8-9
Although these prayers sound harsh to our safe, American ears, remember that Israel faced many battles and persecutions and pressures from enemy nations. These prayers call out for God to protect them. Notice that the judgment and the destruction is left in the Lord’s hands. The authors understand that is it the Lord who brings about judgment and it’s not for us to take into our own hands.
Should we pray the imprecatory psalms?
On first glance, the imprecatory Psalms seem contrary to what Jesus taught about loving your enemies instead of hating your enemies (Matthew 5:44-45). However, on closer inspection, we see that the imprecatory psalms do not promote an attitude of hatred, but an attitude of desiring God’s justice.
The other thing we notice about the imprecatory psalms is that they are dealing with groups of people not individuals. God holds off on His judgment waiting for individuals to come to Him in repentance. Rahab in Jericho as an example. Just before the Israelites were about to destroy the city, Rahab is given opportunity to announce her belief in God and because of her faith she was not included in the city’s destruction.
It’s possible to pray for God’s judgment to come on His enemies at the same time that we pray for repentance for the individuals within that group of enemies. That is not a contradiction. It is a reflection of God’s desires for repentance and justice.
So should we pray the imprecatory psalms? I believe we can. We can pray that God would enact His justice on our enemies. Be careful about who you label as an enemy. I’m not talking about the lady who holds up the line at the grocery store. I’m talking about groups of people who are persecuting believers around the world. Coupled with the prayer for justice is prayer that individuals from the group would come to repentance.
Have you ever prayed an imprecatory psalm? Do you disagree and think we should not be praying them? Let me know in the comments below!
Further Insights on Imprecatory Psalms
Praying the Imprecatory Psalms against our Spiritual Enemies
Video of John Piper on the Imprecatory Psalms
Should We Pray the Imprecatory Psalms?
I often wondered how these imprecatory Psalms could be of use for Christians today. I found it helpful in the article to pray against the evil forces of today, such as ISIS whose members decapitate Christians. Recently I started praying for the country of Bhutan to become an open country, since it is now closed to Christian missions. I pray for the King and Prime Minister to open up the country and allow Christians to help the remote people groups. From your observation, it would be good to pray against the forces of Buddhism which keep the country closed.
That’s a good idea!
Many years ago, a group used lies to destroy my family. It took years to heal and, praise God, we are finally restored.
During that time of suffering, I often read some of these Psalms out loud to God, asking for His judgment on them. Most often, I prayed for Him to defeat their lies with His truth. He didn’t choose to do that on this earth but I hang on to the belief that His truth will win in the end.
I’m so sorry, Sherry, that you’ve had to go through this ordeal. How painful. I’m thankful that you had these Psalms to pray for in those times. And, yes, God will prevail and His truth does win in the end!
Things is a great perspective on an uncomfortable topic. Thank you for putting it out here.
One thing the Psalmists do is put justice in God’s hands, removing it from our responsibility–something our culture doesn’t want to consider. Some of the most popular movies/shows are about vengeance/revenge. So they are a great example on that front.
I also think we can apply the example of praying for God to demonstrate His justice (as you said) at the general level, but I could never pray some of the specifics, like dashing babies’ heads against the rocks!
Yes, I agree about the particulars. It helps me on some level to remember that this is poetry so the emphasis is on the picture of destruction rather than the exact details. But I agree. I could never pray for babies heads against the rocks 🙁
I appreciate this discussion about the songs. I had not heard of that term imprecatory and agree with Rachel‘s exclamation of it. In the movie “unplanned”, we see how Christians at the Planned Parenthood Center were loving and kind to the individuals that work at the clinic. I believe this is God‘s desire for us to love the sinners (which we are also! ) While hating the sin .
“keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.”
Jude 1:21-23 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jud.1.21-23.esv
Thank you Cherene. That is a great example and the perfect verse to go along with it.
Thank you Rachel. I will be forwarding this to a few friends undergoing persecution. Suzanne
Thank you Suzanne. I hope that it is helpful and I will pray for your friends.
When I was going through my separation and divorce, I engaged in sexual sins. This fact became known to other “believers” in my town. They treated me as Ham treated his father, Noah and publicly laid my sins out in a gossipy way, rather than praying for me. I ended up moving, as much to put distance between me and them, as hitting a reset button on my life. I wonder why they aren’t aware of God’s grace and forgiveness. I’m glad that I am forgiven and that I believe in a God who forgives sin, rather than an unloving, unforgiving Judge. Salvation isn’t about how *we* feel about others sins, but about the risen Christ, who paid for our atonement and forgiveness with His holy sacrificial death.
Happy Easter!
Thank you so much for sharing your testimony of forgiveness in Christ! I am sorry for the way others have treated you 🙁 Thanks for the reminder that how we feel about others should be based in the realities of Christ!
Jon Corson said these are great for the spiritual warfare that we wage, Meaning when we pray for their little ones heads to be dashed against the stones, it is attacking the smaller contingency or baby demons that come with the big strongholds. What do you think? What we would call baby sins, such as marijuana use rather than heroine. The Bible I think calls these the little foxes in Song of Solomon. When we are praying for our kids we want to catch the so called baby Sins and smash, annihilate and tear down these strongholds. In marriage we want to pull down and crush the baby sin of flirting before it is full blown adulatory. I pray God will give us all discernment.
That makes sense. It also reminds me of when Jesus says if our eye causes us to sin we should pluck it out. It’s better to not be able to see that to be able to see but end up in hell. So, yes, we need ruthlessly remove sin from our lives so it doesn’t grow. Thank the Lord for the Holy Spirit’s work in us to sanctify us because this is not something we can do in our own strength.
I lost my job and a secure income because of foolish decisions by the company’s owner. Then my next job let me go because others complained, even though I had done nothing wrong (proof of which was my severance payment). But now I can’t find a job and feel I am being discriminated against because gatekeepers tend to assume that the person who got let go deserved it. I also feel that God has withdrawn his blessing from me. I want to pray curses on the people who ruined my career, but I don’t think these Psalms are for that situation; however, “suck it up and forgive” is not working for me. Any insights on what is permitted. Full disclosure, I’ve already cursed them many times, so I have to walk that back… if I must.
I’m so sorry, Peter, for the difficult times you’ve had in your jobs. How frustrating and it’s so hard to see why this is happening to you. I think it would be perfectly appropriate to tell the Lord that you feel like cursing these people and that you want them to face justice and then leave justice in the Lord’s hands. God desires justice too and this type of prayer leaves it in God’s hands which can be freeing. You also mention you feel like God has withdrawn His blessing from you. Maybe that is the place to focus your prayers? To ask God for His blessing and provision? That may help you moving forward and looking for what God is going to do next for you.
Hello! I have a question on the repentance. Should we be praying for repentance of our enemies or for them to come to faith. If we do pray for repentance of our enemies, are you saying that that will get them saved? I was just a bit confused. Thanks for this article🙏🏽❤️
Thank you for your question. Sorry I was confusing. No one can get anyone else saved. Each person needs to decide for themselves to turn to God and accept Christ’s gift of salvation. So in praying for our enemies, we can pray that they would turn to God. Our prayers on their own won’t save them. That’s something the “enemy” will have to decide for themselves through the Holy Spirit’s work in their heart. Hope that clears it up!
I will be curious to read what you think of this ‘imprecatory’ prayer.
In January, 2010 I entered the conservatorship case of a dear elderly friend, she was being literally raped of her freedom and estate by a pack of greedy lawyers by the ‘blessing’ of the judge, J. William McLafferty.
I entered her case to assist and had a few rules for her son regarding money matters as the county was already watching him (being wrongly accused by his sister). One of my rules for assistance was that he not take his mother anywhere where money was involved, he violated that rule by taking her to the bank, which raised an impropriety. I had to drop off assisting her.
Up to that point I had stopped the legalized hemorrhage of plunder.
Now that I had to sever my help, that judge went wild in retaliation giving away the proverbial store and restricting her freedoms even more.
I turned to prayer to ask God to put this to an end. On the night of January 13, 2010, I prayed these words to the Lord: Father in Heaven: ‘I know that You’re aware of what’s going on in Pats life and I’m out of legal options’: “Heavenly Father, if You agree with me that this judge is a scumbag would You kill him”!
That Friday the local Santa Barbara paper announced that judge McLafferty was dead! About 48 hours after that prayer, boom, gone!
That was the first time I used imprecatory prayer, it comes off very odd, however, I was taught a lesson in trusting in the Lord!
Opinion?
Wow, I’m not sure what to say. Not sure that would work every time, but it’s a good lesson in the Lord’s justice. THanks for sharing.