Nehemiah’s prayer included a petition that God would curse the enemies. These petitions are known as imprecatory prayers. It is said that such petitions ought to have no place in the prayers of New Testament saints, for did Jesus not tell us to love our enemies (Luke 6:27–28), and did he himself not pray for his tormentors, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing
(Luke 23:34)? Yet there are ample imprecatory petitions in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 16:22; Galatians 1:8–9; Revelation 6:10). There are also passages that praise God for answering such petitions (Revelation 11:17–18; Revelation 19:1–2). Jesus himself uttered woes
upon those who opposed his work (Matthew 23:13–36; Luke 10:15).
We need to recall the Lord’s own promise when he first designated a people for himself. He told Abram, I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse
(Genesis 12:3). His commitment to cursing anyone who dishonours his people is rooted in his love for his people. A man’s action in response to someone dishonouring his wife or children is driven by his love for them. God so loved
his own that he sent his only Son to redeem them from Satan’s bondage (John 3:16) and in the process crushed the evil one (Colossians 2:15). Several psalmists appeal to this very love when they implore God to curse
those who were dishonouring them (Psalm 5:1–12; Psalm 35:1–28; Psalm 37:1–40; Psalm 58:1–11; Psalm 109:1–31; Psalm 137:1–9).
Jesus taught the Christian to pray the second petition of the Lord's Prayer, Your kingdom come.
That petition clearly implies the destruction of every opposing kingdom, and so too every plan or conspiracy to subvert God’s kingdom. In step with that instruction, the Lord himself promises penalties in this life and in the life to come on all those who reject Jesus Christ (Revelation 8:7–9:21). That is in step with the Lord’s first recorded words in Paradise: if you disobey, you will surely die
(Genesis 2:17). While the Christian, then, is commanded to pray for God to execute his judgment upon evildoers, the Christian is not to administer the judgment himself. He is to leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord
(Romans 12:19, quoting Deuteronomy 32:35).
4 Ecoute, ô notre Dieu, comme nous sommes méprisés! Fais retomber leurs insultes sur leur tête, et livre-les au pillage sur une terre où ils soient captifs.