Today’s psalm is not only a prayer for vindication, but for vengeance. It is the prayer of someone who has been turned on and is being spoken against, apparently by persons whom he has loved. They have rewarded his love with hate, his good with evil. And so, he prays that while he be blessed, they receive dishonor and shame from God. But much more than that, if you read the entire psalm (not included below), he wishes them and their families to suffer horrible consequences, including death. The words of this prayer seem harsh, but to some degree have likely been thought, if not spoken, by many of us reading these words.

Do not be silent, O God of my praise. For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love .. Let him [who has spoken against me] be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin. May his days be few .. May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow. May his children wander about and beg .. May there be no one to do him a kindness .. may his memory be cut off from the earth. For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death. He loved to curse; let curses come on him .. But you, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me .. Help me, O Lord my God! Save me according to your steadfast love. Let them know that this is your hand; you, O Lord, have done it. Let them curse, but you will bless. May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame .. With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord .. For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death. (Ps. 109)

When we see people act unjustly against others, or even against us, we want to see them suffer or be “brought down a peg.” But to pray for their actual death and then to pray that their children suffer seems extreme. But this psalmist’s prayer comes from a place of betrayal. He makes it clear that these people speaking words of hate and deceit (lying makes it worse!) are people he has loved. He has been good to them and they repay his good with evil. The psalmist is, understandably, angry, but he is also hurt deep down. He wants justice from God, but more than that he wants them to suffer as they have caused him to suffer. It may not reflect what God might want, but at least the psalmist is being honest in his pain.

Is there someone (or maybe more than one such person) in your life who has caused you pain? Rather than me write a prayer for today, I encourage you to stop and pray for that person. Think about what you would ask of God. Be honest. Do you want God to curse the person and the person’s family? Or would you pray instead that they see what they are doing, that they see the harm they are doing to you and also to themselves, and that the relationship between you be restored? God knows your heart, so tell God the truth. If you are angry, admit your anger. If you are hurt, admit your pain. If you don’t understand, admit your confusion. If you want vengeance, want them to suffer, tell God how you are feeling. If you want healing, let God hear you. If you don’t know what you want, that’s ok, too. But in all this, remember that the God you are praying to is their God as well. Give thanks that God forgives you when you do wrong or harm others. And remember the words of our Lord’s prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Amen.