Vengeance...

[duncan51272]

Tying in with my other posts. By the way, praise be to those who have replied or even read my posts. You have been most helpful. Thank you! Is it okay to pray for vengeance against those that have done evil to you (lied, cheated, etc.), for example Psalm 55?

 

[TheMainException]

I don't think so....Jesus came with a new message. A message of peace and love...love your enemy, pray for those who hurt you....don't pray for vengence really...pray for new eyes to see things the way Christ does...as humans we think that vengence is in order, but in God's eyes, vengence comes later when they burn in hell...and it is not for us to judge...that's God's job.

 

[Rafael]

Ro 12:19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is written, "I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord.

Mt 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

Jesus brought about this period of grace. I think that you and all will receive justice, but when we forgive others and pray for them to be transformed and saved by the good news I think it pleases God much more. The Bible says that if we want mercy from God, that we have to be merciful ourselves - even in our prayers and thoughts.

Mt 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Lu 6:36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

 

[silentpoet]

I think it is ok to pray for justice. vengence is a self serving attitude. Vegence is reserved for God alone. Look at the psalms, many are prayers for justice. Justice is something we are called to work for in this world. To free those oppressed and so on.

Vengence is to justice as lust is to love. On the outside some of it may look the same. But at the true heart of matters they are totally opposite.

 

[Busybee]

I don't think it's right to pray for vengeance either. The Lord will take vengeance in His own time whether it be here on earth or during Judgement day.

As others have said, He wants us to love one another and to be forgiving. If you are praying for vengeance you neither love that person, nor have you forgiven them.

 

[fishstix]

I think praying for God's will in the situation is a good way to approach it as well. And praying for healing for whatever damage has been done to you or your reputation is also a good thing to do.

 

[Yummi]

God forgives our sins even if we deserve his wrath, and says "Go and do likewise".

When we forgive we show that we understood what Jesus did for us and share it to the others.

The best "vengeance" is forgiveness

 

[Cubbs]

Practically, I think Lewis Smedes puts it beautifully:
"The first and often the only person to be healed by forgiveness is the person who does the forgiveness...When we genuinely forgive, we set a prisoner free and then discover that the prisoner we set free was us."