These prayers have frequently utilized a biblical metaphor that I was drawn to in our reading of Psalms and Job; namely, the arrows of God. Let me give you a couple of examples.
“Your arrows are sharp; the peoples fall under You; Your arrows are in the heart of the King’s enemies.” (Psalm 45:5, NASB)
“If a man does not repent, He will sharpen His sword; He has bent His bow and made it ready. He has also prepared for Himself deadly weapons; He makes His arrows fiery shafts.” (Psalm 7:12-13 NASB)
“He sent out His arrows, and scattered them, and lightning flashes in abundance,
and routed them.” (Psalm 18:14 NASB)
“For the arrows of the Almighty are within me. Their poison my spirit drinks. The terrors of God are arrayed against me.” (Job 6:4 NASB)
I have been praying, therefore, for the arrows of God’s judgment to fly into the heart of the King’s enemies, that the corrosive poison they possess would weaken and overcome the wicked purposes devised by the devil. For those who will not repent, who will not submit to the holiness and mercy of God, I pray that His fiery shafts will fly swift and sure into their ranks, bringing about confusion, deflation, and defeat.
But I’m not praying for these things in general. I’m praying that these divine arrows fly into the heart of certain key strongholds of the enemy. In fact, here are the specific targets in my list.
* Islam and other false religions (including Communism and the various other strains of Marxism).
* The apostasy, syncretism, cowardice, and love of the world’s approval which increasingly marks the churches of our day.
* The mega-abortion corporation that is Planned Parenthood.
* The lying, manipulative media.
* The Democrat Party and its fellow travelers who have completely sold out to abortion, sexual perversion, religious intolerance, the coddling of criminals, and anti-Americanism.
* The monopolistic and irreligious powers of government educators.
* The malevolent powers of Big Tech (Google, Twitter, YouTube, Amazon, and others) which are, like the “old guard” media, going all out to suppress the truth, to persuade people to believe lies, and to mock all things godly.
* The Deep State.
A couple of things to note – If you feel uncomfortable with this kind of prayer, perhaps it is because you have paid more attention to the prayers you normally hear in church than to the prayers you find in Scripture. I would suggest you read through Psalms (prayers for God’s judgments upon the wicked absolutely abound there) but also in the prophets, the New Testament epistles, and Revelation.
Also keep in mind that the pattern of prayer Jesus gives His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4 includes an appeal for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. That means dispensing holiness and justice in Washington, D.C., Beijing, the Kremlin, Damascus, and everywhere else. (Don’t forget, however, that the faithful disciple of Christ desires God’s will be done also in one’s home, business, entertainment decisions, finances, the kids’ education, etc.) So, make no mistake. Prayers for God’s judgment upon sin and rebellion are not only always in order; they are our duty.
Finally, remember always the cautionary promise of Romans 12:19. “‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.” That’s a promise that first appears in Deuteronomy 32:35 but it is repeated in Psalm 94:1-3, here in Romans, and in Hebrews 10:30. It is obvious, then, that God wants us to appreciate that the dispensing of judgment isn’t a bad thing at all. That is, unless we try to deal it out ourselves. No, our hatred and anger, our cursing and complaining; any dirty tricks we might want to play on our enemies – none of that serves the cause of justice. Indeed, none of that pleases God in the least. However, vengeance delivered from the throne of God is another thing altogether. God’s vengeance is wonderful, holy, and eminently just. It is a comforting promise that underscores both His righteousness and His power. And so it’s a good thing to pray for.
Lord, let Your arrows fly into the heart of Your enemies. Let their wicked schemes crumble and fall apart. And in the confused fight from their destruction, let many souls turn to the liberating, cleansing power of the gospel message. Yet, even so, Lord Jesus; please come soon for Your Church.
I invite you to join Claire and me in this intercessory campaign against these (and other) demonic strongholds.
Postscript:
Before I posted this piece, I shared it with a few close friends whose responses were quite valuable. One of them suggested I put Harold Berry's response as an addendum to this. I believe that's a good idea. Harold was a longtime (and much-beloved) instructor at Grace University plus he has worked even longer (and still does) for Back to the Bible. Harold wrote...
"You are on the right track, Denny. We are engaged in spiritual warfare as Ephesians 6:12 tells us: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
I heard an interview recently saying the reason violent groups are even opposed to the religious things is because they are against all authority and think that even the authority of God must be destroyed because that is behind the strength of the United States.
Your powerful post reminds me of the book I am reading, 100 Verses that Made America. Those preachers before the Revolution gave powerful messages using examples from the Bible and applied them to their current problems. We need voices like those now."
