PRAYERS FOR WICKED LEADERS FROM THE BIBLE
By Maria Lourdes Sereno
1) General prayer so that the people can live in peace, without qualifying the ruler as good or wicked.
PURPOSE: To promote peaceful lives in holiness and righteousness.
Paul: “… I urge then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1)
2) Advice for repentance to an arrogant king (at maaaring panalangin din ito ni Daniel).
PURPOSE: To stop evil, to save the wicked by his repentance.
Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar: “Therefore, your Majesty, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right, and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.” (Daniel 4:28)
3) From the Psalms, invoking the promises of God to His worshippers.
PURPOSE: To assure that the persecution by the wicked will end, and to pray for the reign of the wicked to be shortened to prevent the righteous from being pulled into wickedness.
“The scepter of the wicked shall not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.” (Psalm 125:3)
4) Protection from the threats of a wicked powerful ruler.
PURPOSE: To thwart the wicked’s evil scheme.
See the account of Hezekiah and Isaiah when King Sennacherib of Assyria was about to invade Jerusalem. This was part of Hezekiah’s prayer:
“… Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. .. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from His hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.” (2 Kings 18:9 up to chapter 19, see his prayer in chapter 19:14-19)
5) Ito yung tinatawag na Imprecatory Prayer o Panawagan para sa pagkamit ng Hustisya laban sa kasamaan.
Makikita ito sa Psalms na magkahalong prayer for deliverance and the end of the wicked. Ang major imprecatory prayers po against the wicked ay mababasa sa mga sumusunod:
Psalm 69, Psalm 109 and the following are also considered imprecatory prayers: Psalms 5, 6, 11, 12, 35, 37, 40, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 79, 83, 94, 137, 139, and 143.
Matatagpuan din ang maraming warnings combined with imprecatory prayers sa books of Hosea, Micah, and Jeremiah.
Sa New Testament, Jesus and Paul referred to the Imprecatory in Psalms 69 and 109, sa John 2:17 at 15:25, at sa Romans 11:9-10 at 15:3.
Sa kabilang banda po, naghahanap pa rin ako hanggang sa mga sandaling ito ng prayer for unqualified blessings, long life and success for wicked leaders from an approved prophet of God sa Old Testament, sa mga salita ni Jesus, at sa kabuuan ng New Testament. Pero hanggang ngayon po ay wala po akong makita.
