Let's open our Bible's day to Isaiah 37, Isaiah 37. I'm going to bring a message, which I think in light of everything that is happening and sometimes even in our personal lives, but certainly in our national life, uh, it is time for us to really understand this particular truth. The title of the message. is praying against the wicked, praying against the wicked. It's P-R-A-Y-I-N-G, that kind of praying, all right? Isaiah 37, and let's read beginning with verse 1. And it came to pass when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and the elders of the priest. covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. And they said of him, thus saith Hezekiah, this day is a day of trouble, and a rebuke, and of blasphemy, for the children are come to birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshaken, whom the king of Assyria's master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord thy God hath heard. Wherefore, lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah and Isaiah said unto them, thus shall you say unto your master, thus said the Lord, be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard. Where were the servants of the king of Assyria hath blasphemed me? Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear rumor, and return to his own land, and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. So Rabshaken returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libna, and he heard that he has departed from Laish. And he heard it say concerning Terhaka king of Ethiopia, he has come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands by destroying them utterly. And shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Recep, and the children of Eden, which are in Telezar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvim, Hena and Iva? And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it. And Hezekiah went up into the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord, saying, O Lord God of Israel, O LORD God of hosts, God of Israel, Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even Thou alone in all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth. Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear, and open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which hath sent to reproach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations in their countries, and they have cast their gods into the fire. For they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone, therefore they have destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only. Then Isaiah, the son of Amos, sent unto Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, whereas thou hast prayed to me against Sennacherib, king of Assyria. Notice if you would, Hezekiah prayed against the king of Assyria. And by the way, so did Isaiah. Praying against the wicked. Praying against the wicked is almost foreign to the mindset of most Christians. We have been so programmed to pray for the loss that we cannot discern between someone who is unsaved and someone who is just simply positively evil and wicked and who is the enemy of God. Even we twist the words of our Lord to love our enemies and pray for those that despitefully use us in Matthew chapter 5. In fact, if you would hold Isaiah chapter 37, but look very quickly in your Bibles to the book of Matthew chapter 5 and look at verse 44 at what our Lord says and let me take a few moments to explain. Look in Matthew chapter 5 and notice if you would please verse 44. Our Lord says, And of course, you have must understand in the context he is. not only rebuking the Pharisees, but he is also giving the correct interpretation of God's law. He says in Matthew 5 in verse 43, you've heard that it had been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. Now let me make one observation before I begin looking at this verse. I hope you understand that there is a huge difference between our enemies and the enemies of the Lord. They should be one in the same, but however, that is not usually the case. Our enemies are usually enemies of our own making. We usually make enemies because of our own pride, stubbornness, rebellion, carelessness, and inconsideration for others. It's all of our sins that make our own enemies. And in Matthew chapter 5, of course, our Lord is telling us how that we are to respond to our enemies. In fact, in Matthew 5 and verse 44, our Lord shows us that men may be enemies to us in at least three different ways. First, they may be our enemy in their heart by hatred. Secondly, they may be our enemy in words that is simply by cursing. are using dire implications against us. And thirdly, they may be our enemy in their actions by continually harassing and abusing us. So our Lord then tells us in Matthew 5 in verse 44, how that we are to respond to our enemies, not his, but our enemies. First of all, He tells us that we are to meet their hatred with biblical love. Look in verse 44, he says, do good to them that hate you. So we are to respond to their hatred with biblical love. May I remind you at this particular point that love is the fulfilling of the law. Our Lord is not commanding us to have certain feelings or certain emotions toward our enemies. What He is commanding us is that we are to do right. We are to obey His Law. We are to obey His Word toward our enemies, no matter how they hate us. Love is the fulfilling of the Law. Love has nothing to do with emotions. It has nothing to do with sentimentality. So, just because my enemy does wrong against me, does not give me the right to violate the Law of God. I must still do right for him. So obviously we're to return biblical love for unbiblical hatred. Secondly, they may be our enemy by cursing. He says in verse 44, love your enemies and bless them that curse you. So what he is teaching us basically is what the rest of the word of God says. We're not to return evil for evil. We are to return instead of blessings for cursings. In fact, let me just quote this one. I want you to turn to Romans chapter 12, but as you turn to Romans chapter 12, I want to quote first Peter three in verse nine, where the word of God says not rendering evil for evil or railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing, knowing that you are called there unto that you should inherit a blessing. So how are we to respond to someone cursing us? Well, if Frank stood up and cursed me this morning, does that give me the right to curse him back? And the answer is no, obviously not. So I am to return hatred with biblical love. I'm going to return cursing with blessing. So if you look in Romans chapter 12, here it is stated very plainly, Romans chapter 12, beginning there with verse 17. Look what the Bible says. Romans 12, verse 17. The Word of God says, Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place in the wrath, for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Now watch. Here is biblical love in action. Therefore find the enemy hunger, feed him. Doesn't say buy him a steak, but if all you have is beans, give him beans. If he thirsts, give him drink. Doesn't say go out and buy him the finest bottle of wine, give him a glass of water. For in doing so, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. So when God commands us to return blessing for cursing, it is not necessarily just for the benefit of our enemy, It's for our own benefit that we not fall into the same sins as our enemy. Thirdly, the repeated in Jewish acts we are to meet with continual prayer for the one who is oppressing us. For he says in Matthew 5 and verse 44, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. So why is it that we should pray for our enemy then who is harassing us? Well, we've got to remember First of all, it is God who saves. And secondly, according to Romans chapter 12, it is God who vindicates or avenges us. So when someone is constantly and consistently persecuting and prosecuting us, we have to turn them over to God and he may either save them or he may give retribution upon them. In other words, salvation and retribution is in his hand. And so that's how God is telling us how to respond to our enemies. So we may act biblically toward our enemies. We may pray for our enemies. We may bless them and do good to them. But what about God's enemies? And the truth of the matter is, according to the Word of God, we don't only pray against them, we fight against them. In Psalm 94 and verse 16, God said, Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? So God then is asking for individuals to rise up against evildoers and rise up against the workers of iniquities. God's enemies must be confronted and dealt with and prayed against. Now there are many prayers that are recorded in the Bible against God's enemies. And these prayers are referred to as imprecatory prayers. You'll remember, oh, a year or two ago, I preached a series of four sermons on imprecatory prayers. I'm certainly not going to re-preach those. And my third book, is titled, The Biblical Truth Concerning God's Righteous Vengeance. And that also deals with imprecatory prayers. But I do want to point out the fact that there are many imprecatory prayers in the Bible. And imprecatory prayers are just as valid, just as applicable, just as biblical, and just as scriptural today as they were in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Praying against the wicked is a godly act and the truth of the matter is we are sinful and we are rebellious when we fail to pray against the wicked our Lord made it exceedingly clear in Matthew 12 and verse 30 when he said He that is not with me is against me and he that gathers not scattered the broad Now I want you to stop and think about this If we fail to pray against the wicked, we're evidencing the fact that we're really not for Christ. Which kingdom would you prefer to see prosper? The kingdom of God or the kingdom of evil. You know, our Lord taught us to pray and Luke chapter 11, and I believe there was a real reason for his words he said when you pray you say our father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come listen carefully thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven do you realize when we pray thy kingdom come We're in essence praying against all of the other kingdoms, the kingdom of man, the kingdom of Satan, the new world order. We're actually praying against them. And what we're saying, Lord, we do not want all of these other kingdoms to prosper. We don't want them to conquer. We don't want them to have dominion. We want your kingdom to conquer and have dominion. And when we pray, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven, what we're actually saying is this. I don't care what other men will or want. I don't care what the New World Order crowd wants or wills. I don't care what the socialists want or the communists want or the Marxists want. I want the will of God done in earth as it is in heaven. So when you pray that, you're actually praying against the wills and wants of other men. So obviously, when we pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, We're praying for the extension and the dominion of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, so my question is this, if you're not praying against the wicked, which kingdom do you really want to prosper and succeed? For whom do you really pray? Now, we tend to forget that a holy, righteous, and just God has enemies. Now it is true in a very general sense of the word that all who are unconverted or the enemies of God. In fact, listen very carefully. Don't turn, but just listen. Romans five in verse 10, the word of God says, for if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. So even we who are now his friends and his children were once enemies. In Colossians 1 in verse 21, he says it like this, and you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now have you reconciled. So we must, and you must understand this, we must pray for God's elect, whoever they are and wherever they are, even though in their unconverted state, they're still enemies of Christ. You were an enemy of Christ and God saved you. So God can save his enemies. So in that sense of the word, there's a general sense in which even the elect are enemies before their conversion. However, there's a distinct difference between those who are enemies by nature and those who are enemies who are deliberately premeditatedly seeking to overthrow his kingdom, his throne, his rule and his reign and destroy his people. These individuals are not just simply unsaved individuals, certainly they are unsaved, but they are also implacable and impudent rebels against God. There's a big difference. We're told in Psalm 74, listen carefully, thy enemies set up Thine enemies roar in the midst of thy congregation. They set up their enzymes for signs. That is, they set their standard up. We have conquered. This is our people. We'll do this and we'll do that. So the enemies of God are those who would dethrone God if it was absolutely possible, they would murder God if it was possible, they desire to rule and reign in His place, and they seek to steal His honor and His glory. Now that's the kind of enemies that I'm talking about. You remember that passage? We're going to look at some in just a moment, but you remember that passage in Psalm 2, verses 1 through 3, where the psalmist asked, why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing? Now listen, the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel against the Lord and against his anointed saying, let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us. And what the rulers are saying, we don't like God's law. We don't like God's kingdom. We don't like the boundaries and the limitations that he's placed upon us. So we're just simply going to cast them away. We're going to destroy them. Such wicked men rage against God. They blaspheme him. They mock him. And they seek to set up their little kingdom over and above his righteous and holy and godly kingdom. It's these kinds of people that the Bible teaches that we must pray against them and we must fight against them. Now let me point something out. It really doesn't matter whether you pray long prayers against them as did David or short prayers against them as did the apostle Paul. just so you pray against them. Let me show you. Hold in Isaiah 37. I want you to turn to Psalm 58. Psalm 58. Psalm 58. And let's begin reading there with verse 3. Psalm 58. And watch verse 3. And this is a prayer against the wicked. The wicked are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent. They're like the deaf adder that stompeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers charming never so wisely. Watch. Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth. Break out the great teeth of the young lions, O Lord. Let them melt away as waters which run continually when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows. Let them be as cut in pieces, as a snail which melted. Let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of woman. that they may see not the sun. Before your pots can feel the thorns, He shall take them away with a whirlwind, both living and in His wrath. The righteous shall rejoice when He seeth the vengeance. He shall wash His feet in the blood of the wicked, so that a man shall say, Verily, there is a reward for the righteous. Verily, He is a God that judgeth in the earth." Isn't that amazing? That's an imprecatory prayer against the enemies of God. And He says, break their teeth, O God. Break out their teeth and their mouth. Shoot your arrows at them. Let them be cut in pieces like a snail melts before the sun. Let them melt like a woman at an untimely birth. Let them pass away. Send your whirlwind. Send your fire and consume them. If you'll look in Psalm 68, Psalm 68. just the first several verses. Psalm 68, notice if you would please, verse one. Let God arise. Let his enemies be scattered. Let them also that hate him flee before them as a smoke is driven away. So drive them away as wax melted before the fire so that the wicked perish at the presence of God. But let the righteous be glad. Let them rejoice before God. Yea, let them exceeding rejoice. What did he say? Let God arise. Let God stand up. Let God arise. I want to tell you something. God is always pictured as sitting on His throne. And I realize all God has to do is speak the Word and that's it. But when God arises, when He gets up, He's going to do something. He's going to do something while he's sitting, but here's the picture. Let God arise. Don't sit back, oh Lord. Arise and let your enemies flee away as smoke. Let them melt as wax before the fire. Let them perish in the presence of God. Now, I want you to hold. Psalms we're coming back there to some fact to Psalm 139 in just a moment But I do want you to turn now to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 I want to show you some short prayers in the New Testament that are imprecatory prayers 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and Notice if you would please verse 14 very short brief prayer But it's an imprecatory prayer 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 look what Paul says Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works. That's short and sweet, isn't it? Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil. The Lord reward him according to his works. What's he saying? Pay him back, O Lord. Vindicate me. Vindicate your child. And let me tell you something, folks. There's a lot of God's children that need vindicating. I know a number of folks that are now in prison unjustly, unlawfully. They need vindicating. Look in Romans chapter 15, another prayer that Paul asked folks to pray as well. Romans 15, let's begin in verse 30 and 31. Romans 15 verse 30. Watch this prayer request. Romans 15 verse 30. Paul says, Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me. Paul, why do you want the people to pray for you? That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea. And that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints. What did he say? You pray for me twofold. Positively, that my ministry is going to be accepted of the saints. But secondly, negatively, you pray that I'll be delivered from those that do not believe in Judea. Hmm. Pray against some and pray for some. That's exactly what he's saying. If you would turn back in your Bible to Psalm 139, and let me show you how specific David was. Psalm 139, and let's begin reading there with verse 19. Psalm 139, verse 19. Look at this prayer. Psalm 139, verse 19. David says, Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me, therefore, you bloody men, for they speak against thee wickedly. Are you watching? And thine enemies take thy name in vain. Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts. and see if there'll be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Now here's my question. Is David violating Matthew 5 in verse 44? And the answer is no. Because Matthew 5 verse 44 deals with our enemies, not God's enemies. Here David is saying, Do not I hate them that hate thee, O Lord? I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them mine enemies. And then he says, Search me, O God. I know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me. In other words, David was saying, I'm perfectly righteous and holy in praying this prayer and in making this statement. See, David counted his enemies or David counted God's enemies as his enemies. He loved the Lord, and therefore he hated all of those who were against God. He not only fought against God's enemies, he prayed against God's enemies. One of my favorite verses that I quote quite frequently is Psalm 7 in verse 9, where David just simply said, Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just. Wouldn't that be absolutely wonderful? Do you know what you're praying for? When you pray, oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but established out of the just, you know what you're praying for? Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Same thing. Well, when is it time to pray against the wicked? I could answer very generally and say that it is always time to pray against the wicked. And in the strictest sense of the word, We should always be praying against them for we're always wrestling against them. Now in Ephesians six and verse 12, just let me quote it. You know, this verse, the apostle Paul said, for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness and high places. The word wrestle. indicates a contest between two in which one endeavors to throw the other and the match is decided. When one is down and the victor either has his foot or his hand on the neck of the other. Wow. You know if I have my foot on your neck, you're totally under my control. Because the neck can be broken very easily, very quickly. So he says we wrestle against all these wicked. Why? Because they're trying to destroy us. And according to the scripture, excuse my English, it's us or them. That's what the Bible says. So we're constantly and consistently fighting against them. However, since this is true in a general sense of the word, that we should always be fighting against them and praying against them, I want us to go back to Isaiah 37, and I want us to look at some specifics. And I'm going to show you five truths from this passage. on praying against the wicked. So when is it time to pray against the wicked? Well, first of all, number one, it is time to pray against the wicked when the righteous are persecuted. It's time to pray against the wicked when the righteous are persecuted. In Isaiah 37, Hezekiah and the people of Judah had done absolutely nothing to merit the attack of Sennacherib and the Assyrians. It is true the people of Jerusalem were sinners, but yet they had done nothing to antagonize Sennacherib. And the evidence of their innocence in this sense of the word is really given in verse 35. We'll go to this later, but look in Isaiah 37 and verse 35 where God says, For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake. God said, I'm going to defend Jerusalem. I'm going to save these people. Number one, for mine own sake, and then for David's sake. You know, we read about and hear about Christian persecution in a lot of different countries, such as Russia, Iran, Iraq, Israel. But how often do you read about Christian persecution in America? You say, well, Christians aren't persecuted in America. Oh, I beg to differ. Let me read you an article that I downloaded. You can get the same article. But it says report highlights consistent pattern of hostility toward Christians and the United States by Paul Stanley, Christian Post reporter. A new 140 page report released by the Family Research Council and Liberty Institute reveals a pattern of hostility toward Christians and Christianity in the United States. The report was released earlier this week and includes over 600 incidents. over a 10-year period. The attacks range from rulings from the judiciary branch to an elementary school student, listen, who was physically lifted from his seat and reprimanded for praying before eating his lunch. I wish that had been my child. Yet another example shows a Christian couple was fired as an apartment complex managers and forced to move because of a painting with a Christian reference was displayed in their office. Other examples cited in the report, a federal judge threatened incarceration to a high school valedictorian unless she removed references to Jesus from her graduation speech. I wish that had been me too. I got news for you. I'd have still prayed in Christ's name. City officials prohibited senior citizens from praying over their meals, listening to religious messages, or singing gospel songs at a senior activity center. Again, I wish that had been me. Following U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policies, a federal government official sought to censor a pastor's prayer, eliminating reference to Jesus during a Memorial Day ceremony honoring veterans of the National Cemetery. Again, I wish that had been me. A public university's law school banned a Christian organization because it required its officers to adhere to a statement of faith that the university disagreed with. I wish that had been Henry. I'm teasing. Listen to this one. The United States Department of Justice argued before the Supreme Court that the federal government can tell churches and synagogues which pastors and rabbis it can hire and fire. When they try to fire me, we'll meet in the woods. Here we go. Through the Affordable Care Act, translated Obamacare, The federal government is forcing religious organizations to provide insurance for birth control and abortion, inducing drugs in direct violation of their religious belief. That's why they're being fought now. Listen to this one. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs banned the mention of God from veterans funerals, overriding the wishes of the deceased families. A federal judge held that prayers before a state house of representatives could be to Allah, but not to Jesus. then this quote, America today would be unrecognizable to our founders. Our first liberty is facing a relentless onslaught from well-funded and aggressive groups and individuals who are using the courts, Congress, and a vast federal bureaucracy to suppress and limit religious freedom, said Kelly Shackelford, president of the Liberty Institute. This radicalized minority is driven by an anti-religious ideology that is turning the First Amendment upside down. Both organizations presented the findings of the report during a joint press conference in Tampa, Florida on the Monday prior to the Republican Party's platform committee convention to raise that awareness. The Liberty Institute further pointed out that Religious Liberty is facing a relentless onslaught from well-funded and aggressive groups that are using whatever means available to suppress or attack religious freedom. FRC's Tony Perkins said, As dark as this survey is, there is much light. The secularist agenda only advances when those who love Liberty are apathetic. Let this be a call to stand for religious Liberty and the United States. I want you to go back in your Bibles to Psalms 74 first whole Isaiah 37. We're coming back there. Notice if you would please Psalm 74. Look, if you would please at verse 23, Psalm 74, verse 23, then we're going to Psalm 34, but Psalm 74 and verse 23, look at this prayer request. Forget not the voice of thine enemies, the tumult of those that rise up against the increase of the continually. What is he asking? God, don't forget the voice of your enemies. Bring them down. Listen to their tumult. It's increasing continually against you. Look in Psalm 34. Psalm 34. Notice, if you would please, verse 14. Psalm 34, verse 14. We'll read through verse 19. Psalm 34, beginning there with verse 14. The Word of God says, Depart from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous crime, the Lord here, then deliver them out of all their troubles. The Lord is none to them that are of a broken heart and save it such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the affliction is the righteous, but the Lord delivered them out of them all notice. He says, the face of the Lord is against them that do evil to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. Put the righteous cry of the Lord here and deliver them out of all their troubles. Obviously we should be praying against the wicked and it is time to pray against the wicked when the righteous are persecuted. Go back in your Bibles, Isaiah 37. Here's the second truth. It's time to pray against the wicked when the enemies are powerful, haughty and blasphemous. Do we know any like that today? Wow. Look at Isaiah 37 verse four, Isaiah 37 verse four. Hezekiah says, it may be the Lord by God will hear the words of Rabshaken, whom the king of Assyria, his master, hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the Lord by God hath heard. Wherefore, lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left. Skip down to verse six. And Isaiah said unto him, thus shall you say unto your master, thus saith the Lord, be not afraid of the words, That thou hast heard where were the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Now, let me tell you something. It is one thing to be an enemy of God. It's even quite another thing to be an arrogant, haughty, powerful, blasphemous enemy of God. Why is it more dangerous for someone like that to be an enemy of God? And the answer is because they can do more damage to the people of God. Listen carefully. Psalm 14 and verse four. Let me just quote it. God says. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge who eat up my people as bread and call not upon the name of the Lord. Now listen, have all the workers of iniquity and knowledge who eat up my people as bread. How simple is it to eat a piece of bread? I ate two this morning. No problem. What? Have all the workers of iniquity and knowledge which eat up my people as bread?" In other words, they're ready to maul and dismember and to kill and destroy just like eating a piece of bread. The wicked think nothing of destroying the work of God. They think nothing of destroying the people of God. It's kind of like the adulterous woman in Proverbs 30 in verse 20, where the Bible says, such is the way of an adulterous woman, she eateth and wipeth her mouth and said, I've done no wickedness. To them, killing people is nothing. You remember what our Lord said in John 16 in verse 2? He said, they shall put you out of the synagogue, yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. Wow. Whoever kills you will think that he's doing God's service. I want you to turn, whole Psalm Isaiah 37, but go back in your Bibles to Psalm 79. Psalm 79, and let's read the first seven verses. Psalm 79, beginning there with verse one. I want to show you what a proud, arrogant, haughty, powerful enemy of God can do. Psalm 79 verse 1, O God, the heathen are coming to thine inheritance. Thy holy temple have they defiled. They have laid Jerusalem on heaps. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat into the fowls of the heaven and the flesh of thy saints and the beasts of the earth. Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem. and there was none to bury them. We were become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us. How long, Lord, wilt thou be angry forever? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire? Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name, for they have devoured Jacob. and laid waste his dwelling place. But notice if you would, the dead bodies of vice service, have they given to be meat in the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of vice saints and the beasts of the earth, their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem. Let me tell you, Sennacherib had a mighty empire, great wealth, military might, and a desire to extend and build a greater kingdom at the expense of Judah and Jerusalem. He could care less who they worshipped, how they worshipped. He could care less who was there or who lived and who died. The only thing he wanted to do was extend his kingdom, extend his power. And whoever got in the way, were to be taken out. Do you realize that is the same attitude of haughty, arrogant, blasphemous, powerful rulers today? They believe if we are in their way, we are expendable. You say, people aren't like that. Oh? Did you ever read about Joseph Stalin and the 60 million that he killed? How about Pol Pot, who killed millions? Nelson Tom, millions. Castro, millions. All I'm saying is this, folks, there are people like that today. Why do you think there are people trying to say that the earth is overpopulated? And we need to reduce the people on this earth to a certain number. How do you reduce a people to a certain number? You kill them. So it's time to pray against the wicked. When your enemy is powerful, haughty, arrogant and blasphemous. For they have no regard for life. They have no regard for anything. You talk about your liberty, you talk about your freedom. They don't regard that. They don't even regard your life. Thirdly, it's time to pray against the wicked when we are incapable of dealing with them ourselves. Look back to Isaiah 37 and verse three. Isaiah 37 and verse three. It's time to pray against the wicked when we are incapable of dealing with them ourselves. And Isaiah 37 in verse three, Hezekiah sends this message to Isaiah and they say unto him, to Isaiah, thus saith Hezekiah, this day is a day of trouble and a rebuke and of blasphemy. For the children are come to birth and there is no strength to bring forth. Now the meaning of this figure is absolutely plain. There was the highest danger and the need of help and aid. It was as in childbirth in which the pains had been protracted, the strength exhausted, and there was imminent danger to the mother and the child. So Hezekiah is saying, look. We may have made some preparations. And we may have some defensive weapons. But let me tell you, this is a critical time. Our energies are exhausted. Our strength is insufficient for our defense. What we need is divine interposition. We need God to intervene. We need God to step in between us and these enemies who are trying to destroy us. We're helpless. We're powerless, is what he's saying. We need help. You know, the psalmist in another passage says, give us help from God for vain is the help of man. In light of the situation, they send Isaiah the prophet and say, you've got to pray to God. We need help. You know, I've often thought, I sure miss the old days. You say, what are you talking about? Well, like I said, I know people that have been imprisoned unlawfully, unjustly. You know, back in the 1800s, we could just ride up to the jail cell and put a few ropes on the window and tie up our horses. pull the window out and rescue the prisoner and ride him off to a different state and he could live happily ever after, just don't go back in that state. But it ain't like that anymore. How can we intervene for people who are wickedly and unlawfully and unjustly treated? Think about that. We have to have help from God. If God does not help us, we can't do one thing. I want you to watch this. Let's read beginning with verse two. Isaiah 37 verse 2 and he sent Eliakim who was over the household and Shevna the scribe and the elders of the priest Covered with sackcloth and Isaiah the prophet the son of Amos and seven in Thus saith Hezekiah. This is a day of trouble a day of rebuke and of blasphemy For the children to come to the birth and there's not strength to bring forth now watch It may be The Lord by God will hear the words of rap shaken whom the king of a serious master at center approach the living God and will reprove the words which the Lord by God has heard. Wherefore lift up by prayer for the remnant that is left. Skip down to verse 22. Here's what Isaiah says. Isaiah 37 verse 22. This is the word which the Lord hath spoken concerning him, that is, concerning Sennacherib. The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee. Wow. Hmm. Despised the enemy, and laughed thee to scorn. And the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee. Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high, even against the Holy One of Israel? By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord and said, by the multitude of my chariots am I come to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon. I will cut down the tall cedars thereof and the choice fir trees thereof. And I will enter into the height of his border and the forest of his caramel. I've digged and drunk water and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places. Hast thou not heard long ago how I've done it? and of ancient times that I have formed it, and have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste defense cities, and to ruin his heaps. Therefore their inhabitants were of small power, and they were dismayed and confounded, and they were as grass to the field, and as the green herb, and as the grass on the house stops, and as the corn blasted before it be grown up. Look what God says to Sir Nacarib, but I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in, and thy rage against me. Because I rage against me and my tumult has come up into my ears. Therefore, I put my hook in my nose, my bridle in my lips, and I will turn thee back by the way which thou camest. Hmm. What did God say? I can take care of him. I can handle him. You stop and think of all the wicked that we're incapable of handling. In fact, we need to remind ourselves. Regardless of how strong we are, regardless of how motivated we are, regardless of how pure or holy or righteous we may be. Our Lord said without me, you can do what? Nothing. How desperately do we need him? It should be. That we are understanding. the wicked, how powerful, how ungodly they really and truly are, how arrogant and blasphemous they are and ask God to divinely intervene. Fourthly, very quickly, it's time to pray against the wicked when they seek to overthrow the faith and trust of God's people in the Lord. It's time to pray against the wicked when they seek to overthrow the faith and the trust of God's people in the Lord. Look, if you would, beginning there with verse 10. Before I read it, let me just point this out. It is not simply wicked college professors that seek to destroy faith in Christ. It is also unbelieving and unconverted pastors, liberals, politicians, governmental agencies, and even the government itself. Sennacherib wanted to make absolutely sure that the people did not trust in God. And to prove and to stress his point, he pointed to the other gods that were unable to deliver their people. Isaiah 37 verse 10. Thus shall you speak to Hezekiah, king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom thou trustest, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given to the hands of the king of Assyria. Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the lands by destroying them utterly, and shalt thou be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered them, which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Aaron, and Recep, and the children of Eden, which were in Telezar? Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad? Where is the king and the city of Sepharvim, Hina and Iva? Notice if you would. He says, check around. Look around. Sennacherib sends word to Hezekiah. I've taken out all the other cities. I've conquered their kings. I've got their gods. I destroyed their gods. Do you think your God is going to stop me? Do you think your God is going to deliver you? Ah, he said, Let me give you some references. Check up. Check up and see what I've done to these other cities and countries and kings. It should be observed that such an attack by Sennacherib against Jerusalem did not occur and did not succeed. In fact, let me show you something. When the enemies attack or even threatened to attack the true people of God it just drives them closer to the Lord and makes them seek a greater confession of faith and it drives them to reassure themselves in the Lord so what happened then When Sennacherib sent his messenger and says, no, no, no, no, you don't need to trust in the Lord your God, look what I've done to all these other gods. I'll skip down to verse 15. Because Hezekiah is praying. And Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord saying, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, thou that dwellest between the cherubims, thou art God, even thou alone. For all the kingdoms of the earth, thou hast made the heaven and the earth. and climb thine ear, O Lord, and hear, and open thine eyes, O Lord, and see, and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which thou which hath sent to reproach the living God, of a truth, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their countries, and have cast their gods into the fire, for there were no gods. For the work of men's hands, wood and stone, therefore have they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou art God alone." Have you ever stopped to think about this? A tax on our faith will never succeed as long as we stay with the Lord and with His Word. Now it is true that in the time of persecution, There are some that will defect, they will leave, they will forsake, and they will apostatize. And yet the truth is they never really belonged to him to begin with. They were never really genuine Christians. How do we know that? Because of what the scripture teaches in 1 John 2 and verse 19. Listen to this. John spelled it out very clearly. He said, they went out from us, but they were not of us. For had they been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out that it might be made manifest that they were not all of us. What did John say? If you're really genuinely of us, you're not going to leave. You're not going to forsake. You're not going to defect. You're not going to apostatize. No. And when people leave, it's only to make evidence and make plain they were never one of us to begin with. The proof that we have real, genuine saving faith is that We persevere to the end and we're only able to persevere by his preserving grace and mercy in our lives. Fifthly, it's time to pray against the wicked before they act. Each one of us have used the old adage. An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure. Why should we ever try to get out of trouble? If we could prevent getting into trouble in the first place, Sennacherib wanted to attack and capture Judah and Jerusalem, but he was thwarted by the prayers of Hezekiah and Isaiah and the people. Listen. It is better to avoid going into Assyria than it is to get in and trying to get out. If you can avoid going there the first time and in the first place, that's what you need to do. And that's exactly what they were doing. They were praying against Sennacherib and the Assyrian Empire. Skip down Isaiah 37 beginning there with verse 35. Watch. God says, and I love this, watch carefully how God defended. God says, for, I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake and for my servant's sake. Then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians 104 score and 5,000, that's 185,000. And when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. I love that. Now, not every one of them died, obviously. The ones who were alive sold 185,000 dead. But look in verse 38. Did God take care of Sennacherib? And it came to pass as he was worshiping in the house of Nisarach his God, that Adrammelech and Sherezer, his sons, smote him with the sword and they escaped in the land of Arminia, and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead. What did God say? You remember earlier, God said, I'm going to put my hook in his mouth. I won't make him go back the same way that he came and he's going to fall in his own land. We need to learn to pray with David. That we may see the truth that he states in Psalm nine in verse 15, where he says the heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made in the net, which they hid. is their own foot taken. The wicked are sunk in the pit that they made. Look, if you would, very quickly to Psalm 7. Psalm 7. Notice, if you would, Psalm 7, verses 15 and 16. I love this passage. Psalm 7, verse 15. In fact, we can read verse 14 just to show you he's talking about the wicked. Psalm 7 verse 14, Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood. So he's talking about a wicked man. He made a pit and digged it, and has fallen in the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate. Wow. What's God going to do? God's going to let the wicked fall into the pit which they dug. In Proverbs 28 in verse 10, the word of God says, whoso causes the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit. We need to learn to pray as Deborah and Barack prayed in Judges 5 in verse 31. After the enemies of God had been dealt with severely, Jabin and his army had been destroyed, Deborah and Barak prayed this, so let all thine enemies perish, O Lord, but let them that love thee as the sun when it goeth forth in its might. So let all thine enemies perish. That's God's enemies. It's not our enemies. That's God's enemies. We need to learn to pray that God would be pleased again to subdue and remove the wicked from our lives and from our nation. Psalm 104 verse 35 is a very powerful verse. Listen, here's what it says. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more. You know what that is doing? That is saying, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, let me very quickly make just a couple of applications. The first one is this. We must learn to pray against the wicked in every area of our life and in every area in which the wicked are indeed prospering. David prayed against the wicked counsel of Ahithophel. David prayed in 2 Samuel chapter 15 and verse 31. And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. I've prayed against prosecutors who were persecuting God's people unlawfully. I pray that God will turn their thoughts into confusion, their tongue into foolishness, to confound them. That's what David prayed. It's holy and right and lawful to ask God to destroy the counsel of the wicked. Secondly, we know that the enemies of God shall be destroyed and consumed. Therefore it's biblical to pray to that end. Do you know what the Bible said in Psalm 110 verses 1 and 2? The Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of his strength out of Zion. Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Psalm 110 verses 1 and 2 are quoted a number of times in the New Testament and applied to our Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 22 and verse 44, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstool. Mark 12 verse 36, for David himself said by the Holy Ghost, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool. We know that the enemies of God are going to be subdued and destroyed. It is therefore right to pray for that subjugation and that destruction. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 25 concerning Christ, for he must reign till he's put all of his enemies under his feet. What does that tell you? All of his enemies are going to be subjugated. They will be absolutely dominated and destroyed by King Jesus. And I must remind you of one other thing, since we're talking about praying against your enemies, even Elijah made intercession against his own people when they turned against God. For in Romans 11 verses 2 and 3, the Bible says, what? Know you not what the scripture says of Elijah? How he made intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they've killed thy prophets and dig down thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life. So my question is, not just who do you pray for, but who do you pray against? Whose kingdom do you really want to flourish and to prosper and to become evident and manifest? The kingdom of God or the kingdom of man? We need to learn to pray against the wicked. And we need to learn to pray, Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So today, learn to pray against the wicked. Learn to pray against anyone and any organization that is against the Lord Jesus Christ, His law, His righteousness, His kingdom, and His salvation. and ask God to intervene. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day, and we're thankful, Father, for the truth that You've given us. And Lord, that we are free by Your grace and Your mercy to pray against those, Lord, who are Thy enemies. And Lord, we do pray as David that Thou wouldst cast them down, O Lord, that they rise not up again, that break their teeth in their mouth, O Lord, break their arms, destroy their power, Lord, I pray, Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, not only against your divine enemies, but I pray, Father, for your people. I pray, Lord, first of all, that you would turn us. Turn us, O God, and we shall be turned. Cause thy face to shine upon us, and we shall be saved. Lord God, grant us repentance. Grant us faith. Grant us obedience. And then, Lord, restore our dominion that we may live under thy word. and honor Thee. In the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen. You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-7000. You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com