What the Imprecatory Pray-er Doesn't Know

I have written of the authority of the believer, trusting on the promises of God, and the weapon given to Him in imprecatory prayer. It is also important to speak of humility. While we ask for deliverance from oppressors, cry for justice, and plead for the expansion of the gospel cause, there are several things we are not privy to:

• We do not know how God will work. We do not know, in specific cases, whether He will show grace or execute judgment. We do not know His timing. We do not know His purposes in specific situations. His patience meant our salvation. In the end, what we seek is the advancement of God's Kingdom, relief of our distress, and justice (attribute of God) to be shown.


• We do not know how God will use our circumstances to expand His kingdom. Jesus promised that some of His disciples would be killed, but not a hair of their head will perish. Seems to me that means trusting Christ no matter how things turn out. Eventually, perfect justice will be shown and all wrongs will be righted.

Imprecatory prayer is designed to remove the people who have made themselves obstacles to the Kingdom of God and to God's work in our sphere of responsibility. How God works, whether he changes the heart of our opposition, changes us, or executes judgment, we leave these things with Him. Then we know that all things will work together for good.