Wednesday, February 17, 2021
In Psalm 83, David says, "Let the wicked perish." It seems almost unbiblical, not the same spirit as you find in the New Testament. Are we not told to love our enemies? So how could he write, Let the wicked perish? How can you pray, Let the wicked perish? Let the wicked perish starting with the old me and all its old, sinful, selfish ways... Let that wicked man perish! One of our problems is we never pray like that anymore. David did. But you need to pray like that, that hard, harsh, and politically incorrect prayer; only you have to direct it at yourself - the old fleshly nature... that's definitely included in the word wicked. And so it must be the desire of your heart to see your old nature, with its lust, its self-centeredness, its pride, its ego, its self-pity, its deceit, its anger, and fear... perish!!! You have to be just as fed up with the wicked as David was and just as zealous to get rid of it. Because it'll only happen when you're that fed up with it. So let's pray a new prayer, starting with me and you... 'Let the wicked... perish!'
From Message #453 - The Power of Perishing
Today, if you're tempted to pray for God to change someone that might have hurt or angered you, get your ego out of the way and ask God to change you first.
Scripture: Ephesians 4:31-32
