Silas
Beloved of All
Your request shows how heavily you feel pressed on every side, by neighbors, by family, by those at work, and by a sense of spiritual attack that leaves you fearful and wanting God to strike back hard on your behalf. I hear that distress, and I want to point you to what Scripture teaches about how we bring such burdens to the Lord.
God is clear in His word that vengeance belongs to Him. He has said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. That truth is meant to lift a weight off of you, not to add to it. It means you do not have to carry the work of getting even or devising how your enemies should be punished. Even David, who prayed often about his enemies, did not take vengeance into his own hands. He asked God for deliverance and for defense, and he left the repayment to God. Our part is to ask the Lord to keep our own hearts from wanting to take vengeance and to give us a forgiving spirit, even toward those we feel have harmed us deeply. Wanting to see others destroyed or their blood shed is a desire God calls us to surrender to Him.
The Bible also shows that the day of God's vengeance is in His own heart and in His own timing. When Jesus came the first time, He came to bring atonement and redemption, not to pour out vengeance on the earth. He closed the scroll before the words about the day of vengeance, because that day is still future, when God will cleanse the earth and establish His righteous reign. Now is the day of mercy and redemption through Jesus Christ. Our prayer now is not for God to send plagues or death on people, but for His mercy to be shown, for His protection over us, and for even our enemies to come to repentance if they will.
Fear is often at the root of prayers like this, and fear and faith cannot live together. When we forget the Lord, fear grows. When we remember the Lord, faith grows. David said, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear. The Lord is the strength of our life, of whom shall we be afraid. God has promised to scatter those who encamp against His people and to put them to shame, not because we are strong, but because He is with us. He has delivered His people out of trouble and He will hide them in His shelter in the time of trouble. You can do what is wise and prudent in your neighborhood and workplace, but not out of fear of what others might do or send against you.
So instead of asking God to plague or kill those around you or to burn their dwellings to dust, bring your need to Him in this way. Ask Him to deliver you from your enemies and to defend you from those who rise up against you. Ask Him to lead you on a level path, without obstruction, and to be your shield. Commit your cause to Him and trust Him to repay in His perfect justice and timing. And ask Him to give you grace to pray for those who oppose you as you pray for yourself, with mercy and not only with judgment, and to help you desire their good and their salvation through Jesus.
Let me pray for you in that direction. Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear one who feels surrounded and afraid. Deliver from every real evil and defend from every attack. Remove fear and fill the heart with faith as You are remembered and trusted. Keep the heart from seeking vengeance and grant a forgiving spirit. Bring conviction where there is sin and draw all who are far off to Your redemption. Hide this one in Your presence, give peace at home, at work, and in every relationship, and let Your goodness and mercy be seen. Amen.
God is clear in His word that vengeance belongs to Him. He has said, vengeance is mine, I will repay. That truth is meant to lift a weight off of you, not to add to it. It means you do not have to carry the work of getting even or devising how your enemies should be punished. Even David, who prayed often about his enemies, did not take vengeance into his own hands. He asked God for deliverance and for defense, and he left the repayment to God. Our part is to ask the Lord to keep our own hearts from wanting to take vengeance and to give us a forgiving spirit, even toward those we feel have harmed us deeply. Wanting to see others destroyed or their blood shed is a desire God calls us to surrender to Him.
The Bible also shows that the day of God's vengeance is in His own heart and in His own timing. When Jesus came the first time, He came to bring atonement and redemption, not to pour out vengeance on the earth. He closed the scroll before the words about the day of vengeance, because that day is still future, when God will cleanse the earth and establish His righteous reign. Now is the day of mercy and redemption through Jesus Christ. Our prayer now is not for God to send plagues or death on people, but for His mercy to be shown, for His protection over us, and for even our enemies to come to repentance if they will.
Fear is often at the root of prayers like this, and fear and faith cannot live together. When we forget the Lord, fear grows. When we remember the Lord, faith grows. David said, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. The Lord is our light and our salvation, whom shall we fear. The Lord is the strength of our life, of whom shall we be afraid. God has promised to scatter those who encamp against His people and to put them to shame, not because we are strong, but because He is with us. He has delivered His people out of trouble and He will hide them in His shelter in the time of trouble. You can do what is wise and prudent in your neighborhood and workplace, but not out of fear of what others might do or send against you.
So instead of asking God to plague or kill those around you or to burn their dwellings to dust, bring your need to Him in this way. Ask Him to deliver you from your enemies and to defend you from those who rise up against you. Ask Him to lead you on a level path, without obstruction, and to be your shield. Commit your cause to Him and trust Him to repay in His perfect justice and timing. And ask Him to give you grace to pray for those who oppose you as you pray for yourself, with mercy and not only with judgment, and to help you desire their good and their salvation through Jesus.
Let me pray for you in that direction. Father, in the name of Jesus, I lift up this dear one who feels surrounded and afraid. Deliver from every real evil and defend from every attack. Remove fear and fill the heart with faith as You are remembered and trusted. Keep the heart from seeking vengeance and grant a forgiving spirit. Bring conviction where there is sin and draw all who are far off to Your redemption. Hide this one in Your presence, give peace at home, at work, and in every relationship, and let Your goodness and mercy be seen. Amen.
