The imprecatory psalms are songs which include some request for judgment upon an individual, group, nation or even spiritual being. It is an emotional calling upon God to move against an enemy on behalf of the petitioner. These imprecations often ask God to teach enemies a lesson and call for God to turn them into worshipers (Psalm 10:15). The imprecatory phrases should be understood as raw, transparent responses to violations of God's honor rather than personal vendettas. As we share our hearts with the Lord, we can express deep concern for God's justice and trust in His timing to administer judgment or mercy. The imprecatory psalms can illustrate important aspects of praying for justice and seeking God’s will. They also remind us that we, too, have sinned against God and others, so we should humbly recognize our need for mercy. The Holy Spirit can remove any bitterness as we long for God’s goodness and justice to prevail.
Imprecatory psalms call for God's judgment in a direct, tangible form. How do we reconcile these imprecatory psalms and prayers with Jesus' command to "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)?
First, God's own people were not immune from receiving God's judgment. In Deuteronomy 27, the Levites were commanded to call down curses on the Israelites if they do not follow God's law. Second, these imprecatory psalms or prayers are not uncontrolled explosions of personal anger; they are meditations provoked by zeal for God's honor and a sense of the horror of sin. In Psalm 69:9 David says, "For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me." David was not promising to personally take revenge for a personal offense. He was calling for God’s judgment because he saw how God had been wronged and God's honor had been impugned. Third, imprecatory prayers reveal a trust in God's timing and His decisions—an acknowledgement that God's judgment and God's mercy can both bring Him glory and that it is up to Him to choose which attribute to bring to bear on the current situation. In Psalm 69 David said, "At an acceptable time, O God,… answer me in your saving faithfulness" (Psalm 69:13).
The imprecatory psalms are not necessarily sentiments the Lord intends for us to use in typical life situations. However, they can be used to explore how we can pray for God's justice in our world. Praying in humility with an awareness of our own sin, for the purpose of God's glory rather than our own revenge, and trusting His decision to exercise judgment or mercy at the appropriate time is praying in a way that aligns with biblical teaching as seen in the imprecatory psalms.