Who will protect me from the wicked? Posted on March 2, 2023 by Constitutional Nobody. Let those who would pray for the destruction of their enemies be as quick as David to have God search their own hearts and to deal with them in justice, just as they would have Him judge their enemies. December 2016 He not only has refrained from evil toward the wicked, he has done them nothing but good (v.5; cf. 10:21; Jer. My Father, let the plans of the wicked for me be aborted in Jesus name. BUT, when declining to resist the temptation to Add More, my suggestion is to re-focus the object of such attentions from Them to Us its one rarer situations where petitionary prayer may more fruitfully be focused on self than others. Psalm 125:3. I move into another level of progress in the name of Jesus. (6) The enemies David prays against are not his personal enemies, but spiritual forces (e.g. Apart from the hope found in God, it seems foolish to pray for peace and stability for our leaders. B. Pray for God to remove corrupt leaders (58:7-9). Simple, short, and complete. "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." . 60-67) are excellent. I dismantle every instrument used to increase the volume of wicked voices from my foundation, in the name of Jesus Christ. It is easy for those who have not lived through the hellish experiences of saints who have suffered greatly for their faith to be critical of such imprecations. You are " sovereign over all kingdoms .". My Father, make me untouchable to the forces of the wicked in Jesus name. God's Training Program Today we shall be engaging in fasting and prayer against the wickedness of the wicked. January 2015 Amen! I open the heavens of my freedom and prosperity in the name of Jesus. For a study of imprecatory psalms and a fuller explanation of the views mentioned above (and others) consult: Bernard Anderson, Out of the Depths, pp. The Lord supports the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground (Ps. 17:14) is also the One who receives his petitions. Godly men and women prayed to God about their enemies, and they specified (on the basis of Gods word) what they felt should happen to them. This same principle was expressed in the Book of Proverbs: The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous (Prov. 9. Father, either bring him to yourself, put him down, or take him out. esp. Like a roaring lion and a rushing bearIs a wicked ruler over a poor people. I bind every spirit working against answers to my prayers in the name of Jesus. Because ancient Israel did so, we must look very carefully at this passage to learn its message to us. Those who make them do not profess to be absolutely sinless, but they do claim to belong to the class of the righteous who may expect Gods favour, and they do disclaim all fellowship with the wicked, from whom they expect to be distinguished in the course of His Providence. A. F. Kirkpatrick, The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House [reprint], 1982), p. lxxxvii. Should good be repaid with evil? #4. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe. Jesus reminded His hearers that this principle was never intended to encourage revenge, but was a principle governing judgment to be applied by the judges of Israel (cf. Daniel 2:20-21. 69:5; cf. (1Kings 21:5-16). The psalmist pleads with God to act on the basis of His character (just and righteous), His covenant promises (e.g. There are soul-stirring psalms which inspire us to worship and praise such as Psalm 103. They withheld blessing, so blessings should be withheld from them (v. 17b). The solution was not to separate the sin and the sinner, but to commit both to God. Voices from my foundation saying my marriage, career, business, children, family, etc., Will not know peace, are you my God? I must ask you then, why does God send men to hell? Thank you, Michael very nice prayers for us at this time. Wicked voices from the foundation are serious spiritual problems. Let us learn from this psalm that the most severe judgment is called down (and rightly so) upon the sin of character-assassination. Whoever whitewashes the wicked gets a black mark in the history books,But whoever exposes the wicked will be thanked and rewarded. The accusers will finally be silenced when God reveals Himself as Davids defender. For some it may be smoking, drinking, dancing, going to movies, cursing, or perhaps (though less frequently) immorality. (May God in His power cause all the evil plots of the wicked against us to backfire upon them in Jesus name). 5:5). Shut up and speak no more in the name of Jesus. The encouragements that are there for us (vs.9-11) This Psalm presents a vivid picture of many of our secular and spiritual leaders in Nigeria and Africa at large. It is rightly based on several truths concerning Gods character. When they were afflicted, he fasted and prayed for them (vv. Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks! This article shares five Psalms that teach us how to pray when the wicked prosper. Wars are waged to fight against leaders of evil nations . Punishment and vengeance belong to God. Imprecations such as those found in Psalm 109 have caused some Christians to question the value of the imprecatory prayers of the Bible for New Testament believers: It is surely a debatable question as to whether the church should retain the whole Psalter in its worship, including these troublesome passages, or whether the Psalter should be censored at those points which seem to be inconsistent with Gods revelation in Jesus Christ. Matt. Verses 23-25 move from the wounded spirit (v. 22) of the psalmist to his pathetic physical condition, which is a result of oppression at the hand of his enemies. The death of Davids foe would make his wife a widow and his children orphans (v. 9). Surely there is nothing in such an explanation which in the smallest degree impugns the Divine authority of the earlier Scriptures. 9 Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow. 186 In Psalm 35 David illustrates the wickedness of his enemies by contrasting his mercy with their cruelty. What God taught in principle, He also practiced. Oh Lord, scatter every gathering of the wicked working against my progress in Jesus name. Every wicked forces of my fathers house, assigned against my destiny, die by fire in Jesus name. Featured image: Antithesis Christi et Antichristi, c. 1490-1510. The prayer entrusts the answer to God. Let us learn from the imprecatory psalms that a hard stand on sin is the best way to prevent sin. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be . In Psalm 109 the sin of Davids enemies is expressed almost entirely in terms of the wrongs they have committed against him.188 Elsewhere, however, it is shown that how the wicked treat the righteous is symptomatic of their rebellion against God (cf. I personally believe that the final step of church discipline involves turning the sinner over to Satan (under Gods sovereign control, cf. Pray against Evil. To some the beauty of Psalm 139 is shattered by these words: O that Thou wouldst slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. God in His mighty power intervened in the situation and cause the evil plots of Haman to backfire on him. 12-13) of his enemy. The world we live in today is filled with wickedness, and until we arise and resist the wickedness of the devil through aggressive prayers, the devil will continue to win, but that can never happen. 30 With my mouth I will give thanks abundantly to the LORD; And in the midst of many I will praise Him. (3) Whatever problems we may have with the imprecations of the Old Testament, the tension between justice and mercy, love and hate, is not a matter of law versus grace or Old Testament versus New Testament. Ours is not the first age to be painfully and undeniably aware that our leaders are not always shepherds after Gods own heart (Jer 3:15). Oh God, let the mercy upon the wicked expire and let them run out of grace in Jesus name. With such contradictory elements in our worship, we shall not be surprised that the spread of Christianity is slow. Praise God commanded the Israelites to destroy all the Canaanites, including their children (Deut. Because they have cursed David, they will be put to shame if God blesses him (v. 28). Rather than show his adversaries mercy, let God deal with them in the light of their own sins, as well as those of their fathers (vv. Categories . 21:24; Lev. Imprecations are only effective against the guilty. Give us rest from evil taskmasters and against evil princes that oppress Your people. 29. (David is not praying that these terrible things will happen to his enemies, only prophesying that they will be punished for their wickedness.) You have set Your glory above the heavens! 14:18; Ps. Since God is the God of Davids praise (v. 1), He knows that the punishment of Davids enemies and the rescue of the psalmist will result in praise. Bible Verses about Government Leaders. Remember how I stood before Thee to speak good on their behalf, so as to turn away Thy wrath from them. Michael OConnor is Associate Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Christianity and Culture program at St. Michaels College in the University of Toronto. For example, if a friend is dying, I will pray for N. I generally dont ask for a miracle, for a quick death, or such. Voices of wickedness speaking over my job and career, family and business, fall and die prematurely in the name of Jesus. I can still remember visiting a dear friend in the East Bay area (CA) in November 2004, and we went to Mass together at his parish, which had the practice of opening up the Universal Prayer to the floor, as it were, and witnessing a parishioner invoke Gods protection upon Saddam Hussein (then in custody) but also called down the wrath of God upon George W Bush (who was about to be reelected two days later). 27-29). 1. Please purify me, mold me, fill me with you. 28), His conduct (e.g., in the destruction of Korah and his entire family, Num. Remove impurities from the silver and the silversmith can craft a fine chalice; Remove the wicked from leadership and authority will be credible and God-honoring. December 2017 We should pray that God will make them powerless, remove them from office, and prevent them from gaining access to power. You are the Almighty God, and his power is no match for the might You provide. I personally believe that just as Gods prophecies left room for repentance and salvation (e.g. 6:17,21). (NASB). They are Gods servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. Therefore, give their children over to famine, and deliver them up to the power of the sword; and let their wives become childless and widowed. Prayer in Honor of Saint Benedict. We want to think that God hates the sin, but He loves the sinner. A brief word should be said about the identity of the wicked. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. To be soft on sin is to give it a greenhouse in which to grow. 7:3-5). 187 In the introduction to his commentary on the Psalms, Kirkpatrick addresses the subject of the innocence of the psalmists: Some of these utterances are no more than asseverations that the speaker is innocent of particular crimes laid to his charge by his enemies (vii. 45 is corrupt selfish, greedy wicked and ruthless. 21:7), Shimei (2 Sam. 11:22). Lord, uproot and bulldoze the powers of the wicked from my destiny in Jesus name. After much prayer and research, Ive concluded that Christians can, and in fact, should pray for the removal of wicked leaders from positions of authority. That said, I would dissent from the wordiness of these prayers. Sin is worse that we thought. Deliver me, always to you, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, God of the Martyrs, God of all the Saints, and of the . God offers mercy and forgiveness to all, but He also promises justice and judgment to all who reject His Son. Why isnt hell a terrible place of torment for Satan and his angels and sin? At first blush you think how can a God who is love do the kinds of things the writers are asking Him to do? 199 A quote by Earle Bennett Cross, Modern Worship and the Psalter (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1932), p. 29, as cited by Rupe Simms in an unpublished article entitled, The Imprecatory Literature of the Psalms: A Study in Moral, Biblical and Theological Tensions.. 38 views, 1 likes, 0 loves, 1 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Igreja Batista em Jardim Maggi: 26/02/2023 + NOSSAS REDES + - YOUTUBE:. Kidner has stated the problem more conservatively: The sudden transitions in the psalms from humble devotion to fiery imprecation create an embarrassing problem for the Christian, who is assured that all Scripture is inspired and profitable, but equally that he himself is to bless those who curse him.200. David makes his petition to God as one who is dependent on Him for righteousness (cf. You alone are God, You alone are worthy of our adoration, affection, and allegiance. They apparently were closely associated with David. Because of this two-fold purpose, our exposition of Psalm 109 will be more general to allow space for addressing the broader issues involved. Dear God, we praise and thank You for Who You are: The Creator and Master of the Universe, and our Father who loves us and has sent Your Son Jesus to save us from our sins. In most churches there is some kind of written or understood list of sins which its members are forbidden to commit. Save me from my enemies and their evil ways. January 2020 The person who sins will die. First, the psalmist is committing the wicked to Gods judgment, not mans. October 2014. Proverbs 28:15. We know also that all Scripture is profitable (2 Tim. III. In so doing each individual was reminded of the seriousness of sin and the dire consequences which accompany it. Or is this just a partisan prayer? Let me tell you it must have been some experience to gather as a congregation in days of old and sing Psalm 109. September 2017 We will return to this subject below. David has thus asked no more than for God to do as He has promised and as the wicked deserve. 201 There are many explanations for the severity of the imprecatory psalms. We share the problems of others as prayer requests. Verse 7 seeks a verdict of guilty when his enemy is brought to court. According to verse 5, they had been the recipients of Davids love, which they had spurned and showed him hatred instead. 12:20). Pray and come against demons whose targets and assignment are the leaders of the body, their spouses, marriages and families; declare that they shall not prosper, in Jesus name. Let us learn from the severity of the Davids imprecations the intensity and the cruelty of his adversaries. Many of the Psalms reflect this aspect of Gods compassion for the afflicted and needy (v. 22), and appeal is often made to God based upon His concern for those in such straits: When they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, misery, and sorrow, He pours contempt upon princes, and makes them wander in a pathless waste. 14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, And do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. The reminder us that sin always brings destruction and death, that sin always against God, and that it is often the innocent who suffer because of sin. 33. You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with . Let the healing power of the Holy Spirit, overshadow me. The Church all over the world to model justice and transparency. I believe that in Davids case his enemies were Gods enemies whom God hated (cf. 2. This prayer is a great one to use when you feel you are in need of protection from your enemies. Wicked voices telling me I will never triumph, die in the name of Jesus. 17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him. Deut. Anger of God, visit everyone sitting in darkness to decree evil into my life in the name of Jesus. Rather than inspire pity from his accusers, they despise him and wag their heads in contempt (v. 25). Perowne, II, pp. When the righteous increase, the people rejoice. I believe that verses 1-5 are crucial to a correct understanding of imprecatory prayers because they inform us about the prerequisites for imprecation. 4 In return for my love they act as my accusers; But I am in prayer. 12:10). 191 The word accuser, or adversary (satan), is prominent in the psalm, coming again in verses 20 and 29, while the corresponding verb has already appeared in verse 4. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Therefore the Old Testament believer would have been particularly eager to see God deal with the wicked in this life. Nancy Pelosi ( Charisma News archives) In the early 70s, Richard Nixon and Spiro Agnew occupied the White House as president and vice president. David does not claim to be sinless here, but he is a worshipper whose heart is right before God.187 Often in the psalms David confesses his own sins: For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin (Ps. Published by at April 5, 2021. "For now indeed I find Thy pow'r and Thine alone, Can change the leper's spots And melt the heart of stone." Lord may our cause leaders to call out for cleansing and have melted hearts to follow . 4.5K views, 381 likes, 209 loves, 962 comments, 54 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Igreja Matriz So Jorge - Quintino/ RJ: Santa Missa em honra a So. He asks simply that God return on the wicked what they meted out to others, and what they therefore deserve. O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! September 2018 The upright see it, and are glad; but all unrighteousness shuts its mouth. December 2015 And a great man speaks the desire of his soul; Nor does the widows plea come before them. Ancient altars where wicked voices gather to harm me, be consumed by fire now in the name of Jesus. Paul delivered Hymenaeus and Alexander over to Satan (1 Tim. 193 The singular (over him &c.), which now takes the place of the plural, may be collective, the Psalmists enemies being regarded as a whole; or distributive, each one of the mass being singled out: but more probably it fastens upon the leader of the gang (v. 2) upon whom rests the real guilt. Non-confidence votes, impeachment hearings, recall votes, and the like, have their place in the attempt to remove wicked leaders, but efforts should be focused on prayera divinely-sanctioned means of imploring divine providence. Psalms like these are called imprecatory Psalms. They are Psalms which ask God to curse, destroy, or remove an enemy of the writer. Exod. July 2017 Angels This is what Mordecai and others throughout the kingdom were doing they put on sackcloth a sign of humility and ashes a sign of repentance and purification from sin and they wept and prayed. Required fields are marked *. In addition, it warns that the consequences for sin fall on the house of the wicked, not just the individual. 3:33). My Father, let all the works and efforts of the wicked against me turn into ashes in Jesus name. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 13 Let his posterity be cut off; In a following generation let their name be blotted out. David requested retribution for his enemies.195 Retribution is simply getting what you give. They can be the activities of family witches and wizards or strongmen and women. (4) The psalms are not hastily scribbled personal vendettas, but carefully penned poetry. Blog Staff and Editorial Advisory Committee, if it is necessary for the Churchs well-being that such a pope should be removed [] without doubt prayer would remove him, From the Wires: U.S. Catholic Priests Are Increasingly Conservative as Faithful Grow More Liberal, Yale Organ Week: Now Accepting Applications, The North American Academy of Liturgy, 2023, New Open-Access, Ecumenical Journal Powered by the University of Vienna, Is the Eucharistic Revival a Liturgical Revival (Part 2), What Did Jesus Know? Lord. Esther 3:5-6 5When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.6Yet having learned who Mordecais people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. For every wicked politician, leader, governor, authority, teacher, counselor or prince who is sowing injustice, we send destruction back onto you and your families in Jesus Name! Proverbs 29:2. For all who govern in the church and in the world, that Christ may send the Spirit of Truth into their hearts, to strengthen in virtue any who falter in the right path,to convict the conscience of any who have failed to serve their people faithfully,and to inspire those who are unfit for office to step down,let us pray to the Lord. Verse Concepts. 26ff. The basis for this praise is the psalmists experience of seeing God stand at his right hand to defend. Evil and Wicked Elders make evil plan against God people, we need weapon of spiritual warfare to fight all wicked elder. 4.3 Fear no evil prayer. . It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 195 Derek Kidner says of verses 17-20: The terrible logic of judgment, whereby what a man chooses he ultimately and totally receives, and indeed absorbs and is enfolded in, is expressed nowhere else with quite this vivid intensity. Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 390. We ask that Christ may guide the minds of those who govern us to promote the common good according to his will, and that the shepherds of our souls may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd, but we never ask God to remove any who may be unfaithful, corrupt, or incompetent. The righteous will rejoice (58:10). Secondly, David may have wanted his readers to give more thought to the one behind all accusation, Satan.191 Since the Hebrew word rendered accuser is translated satan, Satans role may well be indicated. We are soft on sin. While it may seem unnecessarily severe for David to pray for his enemys untimely death and for his family to suffer for his sins, Davids petition is based upon the principles and practices of the Old Testament. The Lord enters into judgment with the elders and princes of His people,It is you who have devoured the vineyard;The plunder of the poor is in your houses. Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. Imprecations are effective only when we see sin as God does and when we ask Him to deal with sin as He has promised to deal with it in His Word. 19 Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself. They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. When the righteous increase, the people rejoice,But when a wicked man rules, people groan. 28:9; Isa. 8 Let his days be few; Let another take his office. Prayers of Restoration (Culled from the book - Prayer Rain) Message . Saul deserved everything for which David prayed. I am (Put your name) I am a child of God totally engraced, uncommonly favored, and lifted up. I wonder how many similar prayers are offered, from the rising of the sun to its setting, for a visitation of ill-health upon pope or president, prime minister or pastor? (Psalm 91) May no weapon formed against it prosper. Third, since the psalms were intended for general use, David did not identify his enemies so that the righteous could supply the names of their adversaries, so to speak.192. You are the Almighty God, and his power doesn't stand a chance to the might You yield. 6ff.). Prayer is a sure and steady weapon for times like these, and there's no surer guide for prayer than the Psalms. A very difficult text from Judges 19 which I preached several years ago describes the gruesome account of the attempted homosexual rape of a Levite, the brutal rape of his concubine, and the dismembering of her body into twelve pieces, which were sent to the twelve tribes of Israel by her husband. 35:12; 38:20). Count his prayers as sins. FTE Psalm Of The Week Lou de Palingboer (Louwrens Voorthuijzen) [27] (1898-1968), a Dutch charismatic leader who claimed to be God as well as the Messiah from 1950 until his death in 1968. Lord, listen to my prayer. 24 My knees are weak from fasting; And my flesh has grown lean, without fatness. Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest. Lord God, you are the Builder of all things. Joseph Hammond entitled An Apology for the Vindictive Psalm, contained in the Expositor, vol. Some have suggested that the person singled out in these verses is the leader of David's opposition. Yet Thou, O Lord, knowest all their deadly designs against me; do not forgive their iniquity or blot out their sin from Thy sight. It is true, I suspect, that Perowne is correct when he writes, In the awfulness of its anathemas, the Psalm [109] surpasses everything of the kind in the Old Testament.196 Because of its fierceness, some scholars such as Kittel have gone so far as to speak of this psalm as containing utterly repulsive maledictions inspired by the wildest form of vengeance, which make this one of the most questionable hymns of cursing.197 Kittel therefore ascribes all of the psalm to carnal passion that is utterly inexcusable.198.
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