Year of Exposure Day 45: Pray for deliverance from evil.

“For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭141‬:‭5‬b NKJV‬‬

Last time we considered the first part of our opening scripture, in which David asks the Lord to help him gladly receive correction.

Today we see David declaring that he prays against the evil deeds of evil doers. That is to say, he prays for deliverance from the works, the schemes, of evil doers who have it in for him.

This particular psalm (141) is actually flanked on either side by psalms of David in which he is also asking for deliverance from the evil deeds of evil doers.

In Psalm 140 we see David opening his prayer with this:

“Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war. They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭140‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Psalm 142 also finds David beseeching the Lord to deliver him from his persecutors.

“Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭142‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Like David (and basically everyone following Christ), we may find ourselves at the business end of someone’s evil schemes. Also like David, when this happens, it’s easy to want to lash out in some way; but many times, that can make things much worse. Again, like David, let’s make our first line of defense against workers of evil, seeking the Lord to bring us deliverance.

In fact, Jesus, when instructing how we should pray, offers this:

“And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬a NKJV‬‬

Now, it might seem that Psalm 141:5, is disjointed, or the product of free association, in that it begins with David asking the Lord to help him receive correction, yet ends with a statement that he will pray against the evil deeds of the evil doers. However, I believe these two statements to be connected.

The truth is, to be able to effectively pray against the works of evil people, we must not be, in any way, doing the very thing we are asking the Lord to judge.

If we will not receive correction, we may very well see the evil deeds we are doing through a filter of rationalization. As such, we may find ourselves condemning others for doing what we have done ourselves. And, in doing so, we may actually bring the judgment we desire to fall on someone else, on ourselves first.

On the other hand, if we are walking in obedience to the Lord, we have good standing to ask Him to deliver us from the works of evil.

I will add this (this is the hard part). Jesus said this:

““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5‬:‭43‬-‭45‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Praying against the works of evil, and yet praying for those who persecute us, presents no contradiction. While we pray against the works of those who do evil, we must also consider that the Lord is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

‭‭II Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ‭NKJV

Therefore, although we should seek the Lord to deliver us from the evil works of evil doers, we should also pray for the saving of the evil doer’s eternal soul.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!