Spare Change

Praying at the Opposition

Posted by Bryan

Warren from View from the Pew shares the story of a prominent SBC pastor calling for imprecatory prayer upon a couple of Americans United staffers. This group, in case you don't know, strives to eliminate any presence of Christian faith and values from the public/civic landscape.

Americans United is leading a charge to have pastor Wiley Drake's church's tax-exempt status revoked because he publicly and repeatedly endorsed Mike Huckabee (a former SBC pastor and Arkansas Governor) for president. This is problematic because Drake used the church's letterhead and his church-supported radio program to encourage his congregation to prayerfully follow his lead.

Drake's response is the call for imprecatory prayer, which is an invocation of God's wrath upon the object of the prayer. Warren cites both old and new testament examples of imprecatory prayer. It is not for me to judge the appropriateness of Drake's initiative. I can tell you I've never prayed an imprecatory prayer and would be reluctant to, based upon the scriptural examples established as precedent in Psalm 109 and Revelation 6. I can't say I would never do it, but I'd proceed deliberately and in fear and trembling before articulating such a request.

I do however, think it is altogether appropriate to pray "at" someone, in addition to praying "for" someone. I regularly ask God's Holy Spirit to be so active in people's lives (such as my children, for example) that they find no joy in sin, are aware of His conviction, and that they will have no rest until they abide in his grace. This is not imprecatory prayer, but intercessory. I just ask God for active intercession and not passive. By the way, I ask this for myself as well, and I have found that God faithfully answers this request.