How Not to Pray for Your Leaders

Here is a recent radio interview with Baptist Pastor Wiley Drake, where he talks about praying for the death of President Obama.

http://www.incarnationauburn.org/incarnation_forum/index.php?topic=103.0

I must confess, it is a bit disturbing.

He claims that his basis for such prayers are the imprecatory psalms in the Bible.

The imprecatory Psalms are Psalms that call down curses against the Psalmist's enemies. They do exist in the Bible. Examples are found here:
   * Psalm 55:15 - Let death take my enemies by surprise; let them go down alive to the grave.
   * Psalm 58:6 - O God, break the teeth in their mouths.
   * Psalm 69:28 - May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous.
   * Psalm 109:9 - May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
   * Psalm 137:9 - How blessed will be the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.

There are multiple ways people have interpreted these Psalms throughout history. However, I would have to argue that Pastor Drake's interpretation, that we can use them to pray against our perceived enemies, are way off base. Especially if that "enemy" is the President. There are many reasons I could give, but here are just two.

1) We are called elsewhere in scripture to pray for our leaders, whether we agree with them or not. 1 Timothy 2: 1-4 says "2:1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  We need to interpret what is unclear in scripture in light of what is clear. Nuff said?

2) According to Jesus, all the scriptures point to Himself. So how would an imprecatory Psalm do this? Simple. They point to the future judgment day, when Jesus will judge the entire world for its deeds. But it is Jesus doing the judging here, not us. In Romans 12:19, Paul tells us "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” David could write imprecatory Psalms because he was speaking as a type and shadow of the Christ to come. He was not presenting these particular Psalms as a way that we can pray against our leaders.

With that in mind, please forgive Pastor Drake for his words that do damage to the cause of the Kingdom of God. His views do not represent the views of the majority of the church. And pray that he would see the error of his ways and the damage he is doing.