Page 83 - Psalms Ebook

they are perfect. And they are praying these kind of prayers. I am not
saying I know the way, but I am saying there must be a way.

I know David loved Saul and prayed against him. Do you think David
loved his son Absalom? Oh, you know he did! In II Samuel 18:33,
when Absalom died, listen to this great lament.

“O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died
instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

He loved Absalom. And yet, in Psalm 3 he prayed that God would
“shatter his teeth”. So I know it is possible to be perfect like those in
heaven, to still love, and to pray some of these prayers of imprecation.

Please turn to Psalm 7. This blessed my heart last night as I was
meditating on it because we know David prayed against his enemies.
Here is a Psalm of imprecation where David prayed against David. He
prayed a prayer of imprecation against himself! Listen to Psalm 7:3

“O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there is injustice in my
hands, if I have rewarded evil to my friend, or have plundered him
who without cause was my adversary, let the enemy pursue my soul
and overtake it; and let him trample my life down to the ground and
lay my glory in the dust.”

He is praying that against himself. Do not answer. You say, I am
nervous about praying against others. Would you pray against yourself?
Would you be able to say before the Lord: “Lord, I want to live in
fellowship with you, and I am asking You now, if I get out of fellowship
with You please clobber me”. Would you pray that? That is what David
prayed? He said, Lord, if I go astray, if in any way I take my eyes off
you, let the bottom fall out of everything. Bring down my enemies on
me. Let me be exposed. Let me be chastened. Let me be hurt. He has
many things to say about affliction in Psalm 119. We will get to that.
All I am trying to say is I come to these prayers and I do not believe they
should be lacking in our life. I think we should pray them correctly. I
do not think we should have personal vindictiveness. You know,
vengeance is God’s. But I think your prayer life and mine will be
missing something if we miss this warfare aspect of prayer.

I think Psalm 5:10 might be a key to that.

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