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Imprecatory Prayers in Psalms | What to Do!
Faith

Imprecatory Prayers in Psalms | What to Do!

June 15, 2021

How should christians deal with imprecatory prayers in Psalms?

Personally, whenever I read imprecatory prayers in the Psalms, I cringe. They are just so violent! The psalmist is literally asking God to break the teeth and bash the heads of his enemies. How does that align with a God who is love? How is that the same God who has so mercifully saved me? Should we even think that way about our enemies?

As I have studied about imprecatory prayers in the Psalms, these are the questions I wanted answers to. So, let’s see what imprecatory prayers are, who prayed them, what they show us about God, and if Christians should pray them today.

First, what are imprecatory prayers?

What Are Imprecatory Prayers?

To imprecate means to call down or invoke evil or curses on someone.

When we talk about imprecatory prayers in the Psalms, we are talking about prayers that imprecate or invoke judgment, calamity or curses upon one’s enemies or those perceived as the enemies of God.

You will recognize an imprecatory prayer whenever the psalmist writes for God to destroy or harm his enemies. Some imprecatory prayers go into a lot of detail as in Psalm 58:6, where the psalmist prays for the Lord to break the teeth of his enemies. And some are more general, like Psalm 5:6 which says, “[Lord,] You destroy those who speak lies.”

These requests that are made are to the Lord. The psalmists ask God to destroy their enemies. A lot of times, these prayers can be skipped over or ignored because of their content. They are pretty descriptive and violently so. 

You can find imprecatory prayers in these Psalms: 5, 6, 11, 12, 35, 37, 40, 52, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 94, 109, 137, 139, and 143.

If you go and read those Psalms, you will find that they are not filled with only imprecatory prayers. In fact, there is not a single Psalm that ONLY has imprecatory prayers. Rather each Psalm is filled with multiple subjects that usually combine these imprecatory prayers with the hope that the psalmist has in the Lord.

Just as we cannot label a whole Psalm a lament Psalm, because it always contains more than laments. We cannot label a whole Psalm as imprecatory either. They always contain more than just the invocation of curses and detriment to enemies.

Even Psalm 137, which ends violently, references God’s faithfulness to His people in verses 4-6. The psalmist highlights that God cannot forget Israel and that they are His joy. So even in one of the most imprecatory Psalms, God’s faithfulness is remembered, though dimly, and gives a glimmer of hope.

So, we should not think of entire Psalms as imprecatory. Rather, we should think of imprecatory prayers inside the Psalms themselves. 

Who Prayed Imprecatory Prayers?

Now, who prayed imprecatory prayers?

Imprecatory prayers are found throughout all of the book of Psalms. Many of these prayers were written and prayed by David. Though the other authors of Psalms also wrote some. There are even some imprecatory prayers in the New Testament, though we won’t cover those presently.

We can find who wrote the Psalms by reading the superscriptions at the beginning of the Psalm. In the Bible in Hebrew, these superscriptions are actually counted as the first verse of the Psalm, so they are canonical and important to include as you read the Psalms.

Knowing the author of a Psalm from the superscription helps a lot when you are reading an imprecatory prayer in the Psalms. Sometimes the author is not mentioned, but the situation in which the Psalm was written is described in the superscription which still helps.

This is the case in Psalm 137. The superscription doesn’t have the author’s name, but does say in the LSB translation, “We Wept When We Remembered Zion.” That one sentence gives a lot of context for the Psalm and, therefore, for the imprecatory prayer within. It was written during the time of the exile and the author is weeping over remembering the glory of Jerusalem.

Imprecatory prayers were prayed in times of distress and calamity. They are visceral cries to God for justice in the midst of pain, sorrow, and, sometimes, defeat. The authors of these prayers are calling to God to enact justice and judgment on their attackers.

We must recognize that when the psalmists are asking for judgment on their enemies, they are seeking personal vengeance and/or retribution for their own suffering, but not at their own hands. They are following Paul’s encouragement from Romans 12:19, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to wrath. For as it is written, ‘”Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” says the Lord.'” Instead they are looking to God for vengeance and retribution for their sufferings in the fulfillment of the promises He has already made to Israel.

Enemies are the focus of these imprecatory prayers. And, if you think about it, they can be both his enemies (with a little “h”), and His enemies (with a capital “h”) because they are one and the same.

When David prayed for God’s deliverance from his enemies, he was asking for God to destroy His (capital “h”) enemies. Anyone who was an enemy of David was an enemy of God. 

This is especially true in light of the promises God made to Israel as a whole in the Abrahamic covenant and to David specifically to bring the Messiah through his line. If someone was opposing David/Israel, then they were opposing God.

This is part of the reason why David prayed the way that he did. He believed the promises that were made to him and was only asking God to fulfill the promises He had made by judging evil in the world and bringing a Messiah. 

David knew the promises that God made to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” In praying the imprecatory prayers, David was asking God to keep this promise.

And even though the authors of these prayers were not perfect, as no one is, we must remember that God divinely used them to write these portions of Scripture. And because these prayers are in the Bible, they are, therefore, holy. That is true of all the authors in the Bible, God used imperfect people to write down His perfect Word through the power of the Holy Spirit because He wants us to know Him.

What Do Imprecatory Prayers Show Us About God?

In studying theology, we have to ask this question all the time: “What does it show us about God?” So for these passages, what do imprecatory prayers in Psalms show us about God?

First, imprecatory prayers show that He hates sin. 

God is holy. He has never done wrong and will never do wrong. I also like to think about that in the positive sense, He will always do what’s right. His holiness is why He hates sin. 

When Adam and Eve first sinned, He had to remove them from His presence and exile them out of the garden of Eden because He could not live with them in their sin (Genesis 3:22-24).

When Isaiah saw the Lord in his vision, the angels around the throne were praising God’s holiness. They said in Isaiah 6:3, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.” Then Isaiah immediately cried out woes upon himself because he was a man of “unclean lips” and an angel came to him with a burning coal for cleansing. 

These two examples show that God is holy. And this holiness is what caused the psalmists to pray for imprecations on their enemies. They aligned their thoughts with God and hated sin, then asked for God to be holy and bring judgment on their enemies. 

Second, imprecatory prayers show that God is sovereign.

When the psalmists prayed these imprecations onto their enemies, they were trusting in God’s sovereignty. They called out to Him to fulfill what He’s promised and they knew that He would be able to do what they were asking. Matthew 5:45 says, “[God] causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” 

He is sovereign over all the evil in the world, and sovereign over all the good. That is why they could pray to Him so boldly in the psalms.

Third, imprecatory prayers show that God will judge the evil and the good.

We know from Ecclesiastes 3:17 that David’s son, Solomon, believed that God would judge both the evil and the good: “I said to myself, ‘God will judge the righteous and the wicked,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.”

When the psalmists prayed imprecatory prayers, they knew this as well. Their prayers remind us that one day, God will judge both the evil and the good. That should be a warning to us for we will be judged. But it is also a comfort as God’s children because He will make all things right by judging the evil and the good. 

Jesus will return to judge the evil and good, but He will also return to reign over us as our perfect King. That should bring hope in our hearts as we look to God to fulfill His faithfulness in the end.

Fourthly, imprecatory prayers show God’s mercy.

How can prayers that are so violent show God’s mercy? Wouldn’t they more likely show His wrath? 

I would argue that the prayers on imprecation in the Psalms prove God to be merciful. The whole reason the psalmists have to pray the prayers is because God is being merciful to their evil enemies. He has not judged them right away, but relented. Which results in the psalmist calling out for judgment on his enemies.

But it is that relenting that is merciful of God. In light of their sin, God could send His enemies to hell with a snap of His finger and He would be right in doing so. But He doesn’t. He relents and gives them sunshine and rain (as we saw in Matthew 5:45) and sometimes gives them victory. Though He used the victory to judge His own people.

But even the judgment of His own people is merciful! In judging and giving suffering and hardship He is giving His people a chance to trust Him, to turn from their own sin, and to become more like Christ. 

That is true for us today as well. Sometimes, the hard things we face in life today are actually mercies from God. Those tough situations we face are difficult, but God mercifully sends them to us to make us more like Christ and to bring Him glory.

Should Christians Pray Imprecatory Prayers Today?

Well, we’ve covered a lot about imprecatory prayers in the Psalms. They do a lot to show us about the authors’ lives and about the God they prayed to. 

But this is perhaps the biggest question of all: Should Christians today pray imprecatory prayers from the Psalms?

My short answer? You probably already have and you just don’t know it.

But let’s dig in a bit more than that. All Psalms are inspired by God and are, therefore, holy. It’s never wrong to read God’s Word and He has placed these prayers there for a reason.

I say that you have already prayed imprecatory prayers because any time that we pray for Jesus to come back we are actually praying imprecations for His enemies. And it is definitely legitimate and evident in NT to pray for the return of Christ, and, therefore, pray for judgment on God’s enemies. 

Jesus taught his disciples to pray for God’s kingdom to come in Matthew 6. Asking God’s kingdom to come means that you are asking for the Lord to return in judgment and set up His kingdom, you’re praying an imprecatory prayer. 

Now, does that mean we should pray for God to “break their teeth” and “crush their heads”? In a sense, we are praying for that when we pray for God to come back in judgment. But in another sense, we aren’t.

We should pray that God’s enemies would not unjustly enjoy God’s blessings. But as believers we must pray this with hope. Hope that in experiencing God’s judgment, our enemies would repent and believe in Him. And if they are not going to repent, then God will judge them in the end anyway.

In praying for enemies to have judgment with a hope that they will repent, then we are loving our enemies. And if they do not repent, then we are simply asking the Lord to keep His promise of coming in judgment on the good and the evil.

We must also remember when the psalmists prayed these prayers. They were in distress, surrounded by their enemies, and crying out to God for help and rescue. That can also be true of us.

Though we do not face enemies physically as the psalmists did, we do battle against spiritual forces. Paul said in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

We do battle against sin. And sometimes the sin and wickedness of this world causes us to cry out to God for His return, for His judgment, for Him to make all wrongs right and restore His right reign. It is in those moments we are filled with hatred of sin, sometimes our own, and calling imprecations from God to make the world right, to make it honor Him.

Conclusion

As you study the Bible and read through these imprecations in the Psalms. I pray that you can see God’s judgment in light of His mercy and praise Him for His promised deliverance to come. The deliverance that the psalmists pray for in imprecations.  


Related Posts:

How to Read Laments in Psalms

How to Study Psalms | 5 Methods and Resources

5 Reasons to Trust God from Psalm 23

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Welcome! I’m Deborah. So glad you’re here!

Here you’ll find encouraging, Scripture-filled posts and Bible study tips. Because theology is for every mom! Get to know me here.

Here’s what I’ve written lately…

  • Ep. 17 Dressing Modestly | Theology of Clothing
  • Ep. 16 Snakes, Deception, and Clothing | Genesis 3:1-7 | Book by Book
  • What to Watch With Your Children | Naptime Theologian Approved Shows and Movies
  • Ep. 15 Screen Time and Our Kids | How to Glorify God
  • Sabbath Rest | Calvin’s Comments | Genesis 2

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    Deborah Gandi
    I've recently picked back up the Gospel Primer by I've recently picked back up the Gospel Primer by Milton Vincent and have been reading it every day again... Wow! It's so good! Here's what I read today:

"Boldness is critical. Without boldness, my life story will be one of great deeds left undone, victories left unwon, petitions left unprayed, and timely words unsaid. If I wish to live only a pathetically small portion of the life God has prepared for me, then I need no boldness. But if I want my life to bloom full and loom large for the glory of God, then I must have boldness - and nothing so nourishes boldness in me like the gospel! The gospel gives me boldness first by banishing my greatest fear, the fear of God's eternal wrath. Indeed, Christ bore God's wrath upon Himself, not simply so I could escape that wrath on some future day, but also that I might be released from the daily fear of such wrath as I think ahead to judgment day. Because this fear hinders the ongoing work of God in me, the love of God continually expels this fear (whenever it appears) and nurtures within me a confident eagerness to face God on judgment day. Living in the daily relief of this fear frees me up to continue being perfected in confidence by the love of God, and it also serves to put all other fears, especially the fear of man, into perspective.

Additionally, the more I experience the life-transforming power of the gospel, the more confident I am in speaking it to others, both saved and lost. I know what the gospel can do in people's lives if they would believe the fullness of it, because I see what it is doing in me and in others. Therefore, I have increasing boldness to speak the whole gospel to others, even amid opposition...

Preaching the gospel to myself each day nourishes within me a holy brazenness to believe what God says, enjoy what He offers, and do what He commands. Admittedly, I don't deserve to be a child of God and I don't deserve to be free of sin's guilt and power. I don't deserve the staggering privilege of intimacy with God, nor any other blessing that Christ has purchased for me with His blood. I don't even deserve to be useful to God. But by the grace of God I am what I am and I have what I have."
    Mighty God, I humble myself for faculties misused, Mighty God,
I humble myself for faculties misused,
opportunities neglected,
words ill-advised,
I repent of my folly and inconsiderate ways, 
my broken resolutions, untrue service,
my backsliding steps, 
my vain thoughts.
O bury my sins in the ocean of Jesus' blood
and let no evil result from my fretful temper,
unseemly behaviour, provoking pettiness.
If by unkindness I have wounded or hurt another,
do thou pour in the balm of heavenly consolation;
If I have turned coldly from need, misery, grief,
do not in just anger forsake me;
If I have withheld relief from penury and pain,
do not withhold thy gracious bounty from me,
If I have shunned those who have offended me,
keep open the door of thy heart to my need.

Fill me with an over-flowing ocean of compassion,
the reign of love my motive,
the law of love my rule.

O thou God of all grace, make me more thankful, more humble;
Inspire me with a deep sense of my unworthiness arising from
the depravity of my nature, my omitted duties, 
my unimproved advantages, thy commands violated by me.
With all my calls to gratitude and joy may I remember
that I have reason for sorrow and humiliation;
O give me repentance unto life;
Cement my oneness with my blessed Lord,
that faith may adhere to him more immovably,
that love my entwine itself round him more tightly,
that his spirit may pervade every fibre of my being.
Then send me out to make him known to my fellow-men.
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-- from The Valley of Vision
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📸: Cirencester Church, Gloucestershire
    Satan first just gave Eve a hint by planting that Satan first just gave Eve a hint by planting that seed of doubt: “Did God really say you shall not eat from any tree of the garden?” That’s exactly what the serpent does with us today. “Did God really say you have to put others before yourself or is a little more ‘me time’ exactly what you need?” “Did God really say you have to submit yourself to your husband even when you don’t feel like it?” “Did God really say you need to discipline your children with humility and kindness or is your raised voice understandable because you’re upset?” 

All it took was that one little question for Eve’s heart to decline from faith, as Calvin puts it. He is describing the fall and how that small seed of doubt planted by the serpent grew into sin. He says, “Eve could previously behold the tree with such sincerity, that no desire to eat of it affected her mind; for the faith she had in the word of God was the best guardian of her heart, and of all her senses. But now, after the heart had declined from faith, and from obedience to the word, she corrupted both herself and all her senses, and depravity was diffused through all parts of her soul as well as her body. It is, therefore, a sign of impious defection, that the woman now judges the tree to be good for food, eagerly delights herself in beholding it, and persuades herself that it is desirable for the sake of acquiring wisdom; whereas before she had passed by it a hundred times with an unmoved and tranquil look.”

Eve went quickly from looking at the tree without a second thought, to desiring it for herself. We see that in her first response where she has already changed what God originally told them not to do in chapter 2. She added that they were not to touch the tree, God never said anything about touching the tree. Do you see how quickly we can be deceived into thinking that God’s ways are not best? 

Read/listen to the full post on Genesis 3 and Eve's deception at the link in my stories.
    We don’t have to look far to find immodesty in o We don’t have to look far to find immodesty in our culture today. Simply switch on the TV, flip through a magazine, or walk through the grocery store, immodesty is everywhere. Our over-sexualized culture celebrates clothes that do not cover and garments that glitter. Clearly, our culture cares about what you wear. The art, music, and literature of today want to empower women by self-expression in scanty clothing. Their message is that it is more inspiring, feminine, and acceptable to show off our bodies than to cover them up, that shame of any sort regarding our physique is not appropriate, and that women should be free to dress however they desire.

The Christian must ask, “does God feel the same way?” “Does God care about what you wear?”

We don’t have to look far to find modesty in the Bible. In the opening chapters of Genesis, we find God as the very first clothing designer. Adam and Eve have just sinned, and they are now ashamed of their nakedness in the garden. They attempt to cover up their shame by stringing leaves together into loincloths (Genesis 3:7). When God later came to the garden and found Adam and Eve, He first addressed their sin, but then addressed their shame.

Genesis 3:21 says, “The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” Their little loincloths were not sufficient to cover the shame of their sin, so God made them garments, or tunics, to cover up their bodies. This was not because their bodies were imperfect, rather they were exposed. The point of clothing in this passage is to cover up Adam and Eve’s shame, the shame of the first sin. They were naked, utterly exposed, and God gave them dignity by providing proper clothing for their bodies so that they were no longer ashamed.

We are exactly like Adam and Eve, stuck in the shame of sin. It’s not until Jesus stepped into the world and took our place on the cross that it all changed. 
Read the full article on forthegospel.org or click the link in my stories.

Does God Care What Women Wear?
    Yes, God uses snakes. ☺️ The first character m Yes, God uses snakes. ☺️
The first character mentioned in Genesis 3  is none other than the serpent. The text says, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

Maybe this seems like a small question, but I had never thought about this before. Why did Satan use the serpent instead of any other animal that God had created? The Bible clearly states that the snake or serpent was already cunning and crafty on its own, that’s how God made it.

In John Calvin’s commentary on this verse, he points out that Jesus actually tells the disciples to be “prudent as serpents” in Matthew 10:16. So, we shouldn’t read this first verse of chapter 3 with a negative tone. Rather, Moses is highlighting an aspect of God’s creation in describing the serpent as crafty. And even though it’s Satan who is using the snake in this passage, remember that Moses is actually pretty familiar with God using snakes for His own purposes. We have the first reference to this later in this chapter to God sending someone to “crush the head” of the serpent in Genesis 3:15.

Then in Moses’ personal life God used snakes as well. In Exodus 4 Moses’ staff is turned into a snake to show God’s power to Pharaoh. Then, in Numbers 21, snakes attack the Israelites in judgment from God and Moses is told to make the bronze snake that’s lifted up and when the people look to the bronze snake, they are healed. So, Moses knew from personal experience what snakes were like and it makes sense for him to include this note at the beginning of Genesis 3 about snakes being crafty. 

That bronze serpent that Moses made is actually in the Bible two more times, once during the time of the kings and it’s referred to in the New Testament by John. In 2 Kings 18, Hezekiah has just come onto the throne as king of Judah and it says in verse 4 that “he removed the high places and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah. He also broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the sons of Israel burned incense to it; and it was called Nehushtan.” ... Continued in comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️
    This is 27! 🎉 Pictured: 1) stopping to smell t This is 27! 🎉 
Pictured: 1) stopping to smell the roses at the oldest botanic garden in England, 2) finally learning how to do sourdough bread this weekend, 3) learning the laws of cricket as we watch Dada play, 4) drinking lots of water and meat stock (not at the same time 😆), 5) starting a garden with my friends!
Not pictured: the ups and downs of living in a foreign country, the frustrations and joys of training a 4-year-old, seeing God's faithfulness in little and big ways. ❤️
    I started growing a garden! Here in England there I started growing a garden! Here in England there are allotments provided by the city council so that residents can rent a plot and start a garden. I've really wanted to do one on my own, but decided that that would be too much work for just one person (who doesn't know much about gardening, mind you), so I have joined a couple of friends to work on a full-size plot together. It's about the size of a tennis court! We have already worked hard in the last weeks to get some plants planted for this year so that we can hopefully harvest some veggies at the end of this season. It has been a lot of fun and an excellent way to get outside more! Aletheia enjoys playing while we are planting, digging, and caring for our garden.
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As you can imagine working in the garden is already teaching me a lot, I didn't know much about gardening other than helping my family when I was a child. But it is also teaching me a lot about the Christian life. Isn't it kind of the Lord to provide hobbies that also show us about Him? Working outside day by day in the garden has made me think so much about this word: cultivation.
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Cultivation is a lot of hard work. You have to dig down deep, ruffle up the ground, and pull out all of the weeds and trash and old plants that are in there so that you can grow new ones. Isn't that a good picture of when you become a Christian? The Lord breaks up the rough ground in your heart, starts removing the junk and sin, and plants the fruit of the Spirit within you. All the digging has also made me think, what am I cultivating in my life? Am I cultivating the fruit of the Spirit? Obviously, they are called the fruit of the Spirit because it is God who works in us, but God does call us to "work out our own salvation" and to "walk worthy of the calling to which we are called." That means there's work for us to do as well!
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Making Bible reading a habit is just one way that we can cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our own lives. That's why I have a brand-new Bible reading plan for you to join me in this summer: Psalms of the Summer 2022! Get it at the link in my bio (and stories). Today, June 1st, is the first day, so let's dig into Scripture together! 
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    Two little lines.  . Two little lines and I kne Two little lines. 

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Two little lines and I knew,
Knew that in me was a little one: you.
Knew that the rest of my life would be different,
My time would go elsewhere, my choices would be rent.
There'd be laughter and joy, but also blood, sweat and tears,
Trials and triumphs over the years.

But how could I know in that moment of time,
How God would use those two little lines?
I didn't know that this life inside me,
Would humble me quick and force me to see,
That God is the one who gives strength to the weary,
He is the one who knows what each one will be.
He's had a plan straight from the start,
To mold and make His children have His heart.
Each part of our lives, even pregnancy, 
is planned by our Lord. Don't you agree?

When I first saw those lines I may have had doubts,
But Psalm 139 ushered them out.
Beautifully formed in the womb by God, 
This little baby was made to laud.
Honor and glory to God on the throne,
For this little one who made me her home.
I'm so grateful to Him for this journey of mine,
Though at times it's been hard and serpentine,
Each step has been worth it, I cannot deny.
And it all began with those two little lines.

.

.

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13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.   14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.   15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.   16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.   (Psalm 139:13-16, ESV)
    Let's talk about Lilacs. See this gate? It's the o Let's talk about Lilacs.
See this gate? It's the one I pull my bike and trailer out of multiple times a day. Each time, the flag that sticks up from my trailer catches on at least one of those slightly over-hanging branches. Now, I moved into my house last July and that bush was only green, I had no idea what it was. Every day since then I've hit it and tugged my bike flag past it just wondering why it's there, why no one has trimmed it back, and why does it have to get in my way as I head outside... Pretty annoyed with it, honestly!
Well, I felt pretty stupid about my on pettiness when one day last week, all these beautiful purple blooms opened up and now I smell the wonderful scent of lilacs each and every time I pull my bike and trailer past. This whole time I was frustrated and upset about one of the most beautiful things being in my way. Now I'm so thankful it's there for me to enjoy.
Obviously, I would NOT describe bumping into a lilac bush as a hard thing or a trial but it did make me think...
We go through hard things in life and then remember them afterward with sorrow or pain. But then God being the compassionate and merciful God that He is redeems those hard things and teaches us something new. Then we can look back and be thankful for what He's done in our lives and enjoy the gifts He's given through difficulty. This must be part of why Peter encourages us to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials. He knew they would result in "praise, glory, and honor" to Jesus Christ our Lord.
    This is me, wandering through a 16th-century cathe This is me, wandering through a 16th-century cathedral finding where the light seeps through the stained glass windows. Maybe you're new and wondering how I got here...
1. Married the man of my dreams 7 years ago after meeting in college.
2. Worked full time for Joni and Friends while my new husband was in seminary.
3. Stopped working to stay at home with my new-born daughter after 3 years.
4. Started learning SO much as a new mom that I had to write about it in blog form.
5. My husband finished seminary and got accepted into Oxford University's doctorate program... Was not sure it would work out due to the vid.
6. Amazingly, the Lord saw fit for us to move to England and live here for a few years.
7. Now we run in any and every little chapel or big cathedral we pass... Most are breathtaking, not all have as much stained glass as this one though. 😉
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I am so thankful for all the adventures we've had so far here in England. And I'm thankful to share some of it with you all in these little squares on IG. I always seek to share what I'm learning, struggling with, and discovering about God and His Word (theology), Bible study, and motherhood. We have had many visitors to our little corner of England lately so I've been busy playing tour guide. I'm looking forward to a more normal week this week and getting back into our routine of school and housework.
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 What are you looking forward to this week? Let me know in a comment! Thanks for being here. ❤️
    I love being a mom, but sometimes I love getting t I love being a mom, but sometimes I love getting to watch him be a dad even more. ❤️
    Man, this Spurgeon devotional cut to the quick and Man, this Spurgeon devotional cut to the quick and stepped on my toes. How often do I take sin lightly in my words? Actions? Thoughts? Swipe through to read it all! ❤️
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#spurgeonquotes #spurgeon #devotional #graceupongrace
    “Mothering can seem an isolated occupation unrel “Mothering can seem an isolated occupation unrelated to anything beyond the immediate needs of the family, but there is no more natural way for a mother to influence her world for Christ than through her own children. We will touch few lives with more intensity than the children God has placed in our homes.” – Jean Fleming

Mamas, your home is your mission field. Want to make a difference in the world? Be at home with your children and raise them in God’s ways. I remember being a teenager and longing to go overseas as a missionary. I even took classes in college to learn how to teach English as a second language. Then I got married and later had a baby. So… I’d be stuck at home from now on? Yes, but from now on my home IS my mission field. And how convenient that I don’t have to fly on a plane, eat different food, or take Malaria medication in order to serve there. I simply have to wake up in the morning and say, “Here I am, Lord, on the mission field you’ve stuck me in, use me!”

I simply loved this piece of art at the Ashmolean museum. Here’s a mama impacting her world one baby cuddle at a time. ❤️

#Christianmotherhood #christianparenting #sahm #motheringforchrist #motherhoodquotes
    God graciously created male and female from the sa God graciously created male and female from the same origin. That makes women and men equals. They’re both created specially by God, formed by Him, and formed for a special purpose: to be together.

God also graciously gave us specific roles for both male and female to possess and live out. Because they were created equally, Adam could see himself in Eve, hence the line “bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh.” And because Eve was created out of Adam, she could willingly submit to him knowing that they were created equally by God. Calvin pointed out that if man and woman were created from two separate origins, there would be strife and contention because they would start off pitted against each other. And then Calvin went on to say, “Something was taken from Adam, in order that he might embrace, with greater benevolence, a part of himself.” God graciously created man and woman to have the same origin so that they could live together in harmony.

What are your thoughts?

#genesisstudy #genesis2 #biblestudy #creation #theologymatters
    Remember from Genesis 1 that as God created the ea Remember from Genesis 1 that as God created the earth, He looked back over what He had created and saw that it was good. This is stated multiple times: “God saw that it was good, God saw that it was good, God saw that it was good.”

Then we come to Genesis 2:18 and what do we read? “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’”

This is called a malediction. You’re probably familiar with a benediction, where you get blessed at the end of the church service. But when God said, “It is not good.” That is a bad saying, or a recognition of something bad. So the very first thing in the Bible that receives a bad saying or a malediction from God is human loneliness.

Now we all want to be alone sometimes. And I especially think of moms with young children when it comes to wanting peace and quiet and aloneness. But that is not what God is saying is bad here in Genesis 2:18. What He declares to be “not good” is that Adam doesn’t have anyone like him with which to live.

The rest of the Genesis chapter 2 tells us how God graciously created woman to be the perfect helpmate to man. New blog and podcast linked in my stories.

#genesis #Genesis2 #bookbybook #theologyforeverymom
    Here I am standing in my kitchen full of groceries Here I am standing in my kitchen full of groceries. And here are my top 5 tips for you to get some time in the Bible today:
1. Pull out the alarm clock and wake up before your family. It's hard, but worth it.
2. Pull out your Bible and let it fall open on either the dining room table or your kitchen counter. It'll most likely fall to Psalms where you can easily read a chapter in 1-2 minutes.
3. Pull out the pencils, crayons, and paper and read a chapter to your kids while they color. 🖍️
4. Pick a Bible verse to memorize with your kids and teach them hand motions. Maybe the fruit of the Spirit? Maybe Ephesians 1? Go for it!
5. Pull out your smartphone and download the Bible.is app, now you can listen to Scripture being read to you while you wash dishes or put the groceries away like me. 🙌
I find that Bible reading often doesn't happen because I haven't trained myself to think that even a little bit of the Word each day is better than nothing for it's the Bible that is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." I definitely need it throughout my day! 
What's your go-to way to get the Bible in your day? Leave a comment to let me know!
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(Hebrews 4:12)
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#biblestudy #proverbs31mom #motheringforchrist #christianmotherhood
    If you ever feel scatter brained and wonder what y If you ever feel scatter brained and wonder what you are going to make for dinner, you need to go through my stories today! Meal planning has really saved me so much time as a mom/homemaker. It also helps me to stay in our budget. Speaking of budgets, this is not my table, it's from Blenheim Palace. 😉 Blog post linked in stories.
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#homemakingtips #wearehomemakers #homemaker #mealplanning #proverbs31mom
    Someone at church on Sunday asked me what my job w Someone at church on Sunday asked me what my job was and when I said that I stay home with my daughter full time she said excitedly, "Ooh! That is the dream job!" I was surprised by her comment, but she's definitely right! Being at home to nurture my daughter and care for our family is definitely my dream job. And I'm so blessed to share what I'm learning with you all here on IG. ❤️ Some of my favorite things about being a SAHM are:
-waking up with my toddler next to me.
-making breakfast with her on the counter.
-reading through the Bible together and answering her questions.
-trying out new gluten-free recipes.
-fixing her hair into braids.
-cleaning the bathroom together.
-no rush to be places or to work on time, my work is right in front of me all day.
What's your favorite thing about being a SAHM/homemaker? Let me know in a comment! 😘
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#sahm #stayathomemom #traditionalmom #traditionalwife
    Have you read the whole Bible? What about the whol Have you read the whole Bible? What about the whole Bible in a year? What about reading the whole Bible in just one month?! Well, I was able to get through the whole Bible last month and I have to tell you all about it. 

This past month of January, I took up a challenge to read the whole Bible in one month. To be honest, I didn’t plan to do this and jumped in rather spontaneously. But now that I’ve come through to the end of the month and the end of the Bible reading, I am very thankful I got to give it a try. 

Reading through the Bible in a month (or about 30 days) was very different than how I’ve read my Bible before which helped me learn a lot, and I think if you were to challenge yourself to read the whole Bible in 30 days, you’d learn a lot too. So today I’m sharing 4 lessons that I learned by personally reading the Bible in about one month. New blog and podcast linked in my stories.
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#biblestudy #biblereading #biblereadingplan #deeplyrooted #womenintheword
    I love them. But that is only because of God's lov I love them. But that is only because of God's love for me. First John 4:19 says, "We love because He first loved us."
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