March 9, 2017 | Imprecation

“Cover their faces with shame
so that they will seek Your name Yahweh.”
[Psalm 83:16 HCSB]
Imprecation
The word “imprecation” is a Latin term invented to describe a type of prayer in the Bible. It combines the Latin “in” and a Latin word for “pray” that emphasizes truth. Thus, imprecation is a prayer that God reveals truth in a situation. Scripture uses imprecation as an important curse voiced when evil is triumphant or right and wrong are badly confused.
Imprecatory prayers and speeches (Jesus gave many) are found throughout the Bible, yet they are especially emphasized in the psalms. Concerned with truth, imprecatory psalms call down judgment on the enemies of YHWH and His people.
Imprecation does not mean cussing or posting rants on one’s Facebook wall. Such are shallow pretenses that fall far short of God’s calling to imprecatory expression. In scripture, imprecation involves 5 aspects:
  1.  We pray imprecations because God is just and righteous. (Psalm 58 is exemplary.)
  2.  We pray this way because there is much evil and we are scared, in need of YHWH. (Psalm 7 passionately depicts this.)
  3.  We pray imprecatory prayers to recalibrate our hearts about sins (especially our own. (See Psalm 69:5 for a great example.)
  4.  We pray imprecations so that our enemies can come to know God. (Psalm 83:16 proclaims this.)
  5.  We give voice to imprecation because it inexorably leads to God’s praise. (For example, look up Psalm 69:29-33.)
To our detriment, modern Christians don’t often pray according to God’s guide in the imprecatory Psalms. Because we won’t think and pray according to God’s justice, we are especially feeble helping those who are in the wrong (including ourselves) repent and find peace in God. And when we do pray imprecations, we tend to do it poorly.
William Gurnall’s wisdom
About 400 years ago, a wonderful British pastor named William Gurnall wrote The Christian in Complete Armor. This insightful book contains a long section on praying the biblical imprecatory psalms. Given that Rev. Gurnall lived through the English Civil War and the contentious Restoration – time periods that make our current divisiveness pale in comparison – his remarks on imprecation are astoundingly reserved. In fact, his biblical balance in edifying for all ages.
To save us from reading all of Gurnall’s chapter (though I do recommend you read it later) one of our church Elders, Randall Satchell, wrote this summary of our forefather’s teaching on imprecation:
When praying for God’s justice against the wicked, keep these points in mind in order to not go off the scriptural rails:
1. Don’t confuse your enemies for God’s enemies.
2. Pray, “Thy will be done. Their will be undone.”
3. Don’t name names – especially around other people. God perfectly knows who’s who, and who’s whose, but you don’t.
4. As with all else, the aim is God’s glory being known and magnified on the earth. Pray with that in mind.