Author Thread: imprecatory prayers
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imprecatory prayers
Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 10:22 AM

There are 10-20 imprecatory prayers in the Psalms, when and to whom should we prayer these prayers?



imprecatory - "uttering an imprecation"

imprecation - the "invoking of evil, a curse."

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InHisHonor

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imprecatory prayers
Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 10:52 AM

This can be a real tough one I think because at first you would want to see those that destroy what God holds dear be stopped. Also we may have a lot of emotional ties to things that we know to be cruel, such as what the Nazi did.

First we have to remember that the Psalms were part of the old covenant. We have to think to ourselves "are we to pray the same way?", we have to look at Jesus, was there a time that He prayed this way. I can't remember, off the top of my head, of any time that Jesus prayed an imprecatory prayer. If I'm wrong on that let me know because my memory isn't that great. :goofball:

I do remember Him asking God to forgive those that crucified Him. I remember Him saying to love our enemies and to pray for those that persecute you.

So I really don't think that we should pray for a peoples destruction or pray for evil to fall on a person.

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 12:38 PM

This is a tough one and something that I must admit a very personal struggle w/ in the past couple of weeks especially. I will say that I have never felt led by the Lord to pray for the destruction of someone or for someone to be hurt. I have prayed these things, but have never felt spiritually "right" or in-tune w/ God after doing so and have later repented of those prayers and thoughts.

I think when we look at the prayers of Jesus in the New Testament... and The Lord's Prayer is the one that is specifically coming to mind here... that we ought to pray for the will of the Lord to be accomplished. And then we need to pray for courage regarding whatever part we may play in bringing that about... and peace... and many other things.

It's so important that we be diligent in handling what the Lord has set in front of us for the day and to be less concerned about what the outcome will be. We cannot control outcomes, but we can control our obedience today and can trust the outcomes of life's difficult situations to the Lord.

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 12:43 PM

Another thing to keep in mind is this...

What if the person who has hurt you the most in life were to walk up to you and ask you how he could become saved and go to Heaven? Would you help him or would you pray for curses to be brought upon him? What if he has already repented and comes to you to ask forgiveness? Would you glorify God in your response or wish your brother in the Lord harm? Would you leave justice to the Lord, as prescribed under the new covenant, or would you seek revenge?

We must remember that we are called to be witnesses for Christ, to make disciples, and to glorify Him in all that we do. Those things always come before fulfilling our own desires.

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 01:39 PM

Mat 23:13 But Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Mat 23:15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Mat 23:16 Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.'

Mat 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Mat 23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Mat 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

Mat 23:29 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!

That is Jesus cursing them seven times.

1Cor 16:22 If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!

Gal 1:8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

Gal 5:13 I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

Revelation 6:10 They cried out with a loud voice, "O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"



What they all have in common is that the curse is called on the enemies of God not of man. Also in one of the Psalms after the curse it is asked that may this lead to their salvation.

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 01:45 PM

This is a touchy subject�

When 9/11 happened�I was sitting on my back steps�I heard the radio in my room announce the 2nd tower had collapsed�I wept�for those that had died and would die as a result of this Terroristic Attack on the Country I am born of and live in�never thought I�d live to see the day my Country would be attacked�



I am aware of the Prayers MrRow is referring to� { Imprecatory prayers }

MrRow asks ~ when and to whom should we prayer these prayers?



Jude replies ~ The when ? Was on that day 9/11�To whom ? El Shaddai�GOD Almighty !!!



There are times when We pray for Deliverance from the Enemy and times when We pray for God to deliver US in Triumphant Victory over the Enemy�



As far as cursing�I�m not to keen it�and I must confess I have told a few people in my lifetime to go to H*** and I meant it�xo

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 04:09 PM

I don't see anywhere in the New Testament where we are told to NOT pray these types of prayers.



If I find no teaching that says that may no longer do this, then I have to conclude that we are allowed to do this.



I have read some Christian pastors, who say that we should no longer do this, but their reasoning is weak in my opinion.



In Christ,



James

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DontHitThatMark

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Posted : 13 Sep, 2010 09:29 PM

Just because it's in the bible doesn't mean we should do it. David also murdered an officer's wife after he got her pregnant. Solomon had thousands of wives, so I guess it's ok then. They were the personal prayers and poems of a man, not recommended worship/prayer models. Anything that goes against the character of Jesus would be something we should avoid. Telling the pharisee's that they were doing something wrong that would cause them woe isn't the same as cursing them and wishing them harm/death.





:peace::peace:

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Posted : 14 Sep, 2010 07:12 AM

I would not want Jesus to be saying "woe" about me!



There is a time, a place, and a people we should pray these prayers. Right now I would say Muslims would fall under the qualifications to pray imprecatory prayers for. By all means witness to them if you know one, but the ones that are so hard hearted they will never convert and are set on inflicting pain & death, I say they qualify themself for an evil curse to be prayed on them.

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DontHitThatMark

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Posted : 14 Sep, 2010 07:49 AM

And I guess you get to decide when they are too hard-hearted for God to work on, eh?:rolleyes: That's not safe. I don't think David is a role model we should invoke too much. He wasn't "good" enough to build God's temple, and I think it was for this very reason. He was a man of the sword, he hated his enemies. Instead of praying for them, like Jesus says to do, He prayed against them. I'll go with Jesus instead of David.



:peace::peace:

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Posted : 14 Sep, 2010 08:52 AM

There is a Season for everthing...and through Jesus* WORD...we aint got nothin to be worried about...Remember...He has it covered...literally...:yay:...xo

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