Psalm 40:14a "Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion..."
Day 348 – Psalm 40
“Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion…” Psalm 40:14a
PRAYING AGAINST EVIL I
It is certainly not wrong to pray against evil! Indeed, much prayer effort must go into praying against “innumerable evils”. Prayer was made against evil people in the following text.
“Let them be ashamed and brought to mutual confusion
Who seek to destroy my life;
Let them be driven backward and brought to dishonor
Who wish me evil.”
Psalm 40:14
1. The Intents of evil people
a) They seek to destroy lives.
b) They wish to do evil things that would harm others.
2. Deeds follow intents
a) David must have seen the devastating acts of these evil people.
b) They had ruined many lives.
c) They now threatened his life.
3. Prayer with an imprecatory element
a) There must, of course, be no malice or evil in our heart when we pray against evil.
b) We may pray that evil people may be shamed for their evil intents and deeds
i) By their conscience.
ii) By the Lord.
c) We may pray that evil people may be brought to mutual confusion.
d) We may pray that they may be driven backward (Their assaults are repulsed by the Lord Himself).
e) We may pray that evil people may be brought to experience dishonor.