Imprecatory prayer

[Ripheus27]

Now, as far as I can tell, this is praying for evil to be done to one's enemies. But it seems as if Jesus Christ clearly told us to pray for good to be done to our enemies. Am I missing something important? (I assume I'm missing a convoluted harmonization of Mosaic Law with Christian freedom or whatever.)

 

[Humble me Lord]

Well, I had to look this up. Thank you for the prompting to learn something new.

I agree in the sense that this type of prayer would be wrong today, unless its against spiritual forces that are against us, not flesh and blood people, whom we are to pray for their salvation.

The imprecatory prayers (mostly of King David) in the Psalms were also quoted by Jesus himself and Paul. Many were also prophetic and later fulfilled.

 

[HTacianas]

Now, as far as I can tell, this is praying for evil to be done to one's enemies. But it seems as if Jesus Christ clearly told us to pray for good to be done to our enemies. Am I missing something important? (I assume I'm missing a convoluted harmonization of Mosaic Law with Christian freedom or whatever.)

I've seen before the type of prayers you mean and it's something I categorically reject. If I were to pray for something bad to happen to someone I wouldn't be able to silence the voice in my head telling me "remember that time you...". I know that in whatever I condemned someone else in I would also condemn myself.

 

[Presbyterian Continuist]

Well, I had to look this up. Thank you for the prompting to learn something new.

I agree in the sense that this type of prayer would be wrong today, unless its against spiritual forces that are against us, not flesh and blood people, whom we are to pray for their salvation.

The imprecatory prayers (mostly of King David) in the Psalms were also quoted by Jesus himself and Paul. Many were also prophetic and later fulfilled.

I find that the best way of forgiving someone who has wronged me and who has become my enemy, is to pray for their salvation, or if they are a fellow believer, pray that their experience with Christ will be enhanced. When I pray that from my heart, sincerely, I find that I have a different attitude to that person. In my career, I have had two or three people bully me, and I do have unpleasant thoughts about them from time to time. But I take those thoughts as God reminding me to pray for them. That has effectively stopped me being bitter toward them.