Some parts of Scripture are easy to love—Psalm 23, Psalm 46, Psalm 100. Then there are the imprecatory psalms, the ones where David or another writer asks God to crush enemies, scatter bones, and rain down fiery judgment. These psalms do not make it onto inspirational calendars. You will never see a kitten hanging from a branch with the caption, “Break the teeth in their mouths, O God” (Psalm 58:6). Yet these psalms are woven throughout Scripture. As the “Got Questions” website explains, an imprecation is a curse calling down calamity or judgment on one’s enemies. Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, and many others contain these emotional appeals. They sound harsh until you notice something significant—the psalmist never takes revenge into his own hands. Instead, he pours his rage, grief, and confusion out before God. David had multiple chances to kill Saul, yet he refused, saying vengeance belongs to the Lord. These prayers are not acts of cruelty; they are acts of surrender. Instead of picking up a sword, the psalmist picks up his pen and hands the burden of justice to God.
Nehemiah understood this same spiritual rhythm—take your pain to God first. When he heard that Jerusalem’s walls were broken and God’s people were living in disgrace, he did not criticize, strategize, or organize a committee. He prayed. He wept, fasted, and confessed the sins of his people before taking a single step of action. Prayer was not his last resort—it was his first response. I wish I could say the same about myself. My usual sequence goes something like this: get angry, blame someone, try to fix it, panic, and then—after emotional exhaustion—remember to pray. Nehemiah shows a better way. Prayer forces us to pause before reacting. It makes us think, cool down, and realign our will to God’s. Max Lucado once said, “Knees do not knock when we kneel on them.” Prayer settles the soul. It reminds us we are not running the universe. It invites God into the struggle and gives Him room to move. You cannot pray and obsess at the same time. One always pushes the other out.
But prayer does not paralyze action—it prepares it. After praying, Nehemiah approached King Artaxerxes and requested permission to rebuild Jerusalem. Prayer gave him both clarity and courage. When the king granted his request, provided letters of authority, and supplied timber from royal forests, Nehemiah did not pat himself on the back for excellent leadership skills. He said simply, “The king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.” The imprecatory psalms and the book of Nehemiah teach the same essential truth—whatever your battle, take it to God first. Let Him steady your heart and shape your actions before you act.