This probably won’t get much play here but it’s primarily directed at Christians anyway. I’m just interested in their take on it. Call it a teaching moment. But feel free to comment all of you.
Imprecatory prayer: to invoke judgment, calamity or curses upon one’s enemies or those perceived as the enemies of God.
When the one praying is asking God to do harmful things to bad people that’s imprecatory prayer.
Is imprecatory prayer right to do? David did it, often.
Psalms 55:15 Let death steal over them; let them go down to Sheol alive; for evil is in their dwelling place and in their heart.
Psalms 69:28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;let them not be enrolled among the righteous.
and then there’s this one:
Psalms 137:7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
And why would the Bible record such a thing as verse 9? Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.
Think about what must be going on for someone to pray a prayer like that. And remember this is David, a human being, speaking. And the Bible records us, human beings, exactly the way we are. And sometimes it’s not pretty. This is David saying, “This is where I am Lord!”
I don’t think there is anything in these verses that says God would be telling us, “Yes, that’s the way I want you to think.” So what are they telling us?
But remember also that God is a god of judgement.
Rev. 19: 11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
Is there ever a time when it is right to offer an imprecatory prayer? Keeping in mind that emotions will often play a part.
Is there an alternative prayer? How do we deal with that kind of deep anger and hurt? What should be our goal beyond that anger?
As a bonus question for those who do not profess a faith, what do you say to those who “wish” harm on their enemies or a bad person? Of course a wish is not calling down the wrath of God but there is certainly a shared mindset with those who are praying the same. Do some people just deserve that kind of fate and is it ok to hope for it? Who do you look to to accomplish it?
At the bottom of all of this of course is what is a bad person? Who deserves that kind of wrath or retribution?
R&I – TP
Southernstar
Article URL : https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-qa/qa-archives/question/when-can-we-pray-an-imprecatory-prayer/