Psalm 3:7

⁷Arise, Lord! Deliver me, my God!   Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked. 

In his prayer, King David expressed his need for help from God. Psalm chapter 3 is believed to be his prayer when his relatives and former officials had conspired with his son Absalom to grab the kingship. King David did not want to kill them. He may not even want to face them in person, or else he would be forced to kill them in anger if he himself comes face to face with them. So, he just prayed that God would just hit them on the jaw and break their teeth to serve as lesson for their wicked schemes. He did not pray for their death.

Is it advisable to imitate this prayer of King David—asking God the Lord to strike our enemies? The Lord Jesus Christ declares in Matthew 5:43-48, ⁴³You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? ⁴⁷And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? ⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Our natural sinful self would like to fight for our legal right. King David had the legal right to protect his throne, but instead he and prayed escaped from those conspirators. Christ advised us to pray for our enemies, but what should we pray for them? Pray that God causes them to personally trust Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. How about if enemies have dark schemes against us? We are advised in Romans 12:19, ¹⁹Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Lord Jesus, help me love and pray for the unlovable.

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