Pastor John, given the violence in the world at the hands of organized terrorism, a very

prominent question on the minds of a lot of Christians is this.

Should we be praying for the conversion of ISIS or should we be praying for their destruction?

What are some steps that we need to sort of walk through in order to answer this question?

Let me answer in six steps, number one.

There are God-inspired Psalms which pray for the destruction and the damnation of enemies.

God-inspired men, inspired spokesman of his choosing to pray these Psalms.

Let me read a little bit of Psalms 69 and I choose Psalms 69 because Paul quoted it in this

regard and Jesus referred to it four times in relation to himself and it is one of the most

severe impractory Psalms. This is verses 22 following. Let their own table before them become

a snare and when they are at peace let it become a trap. Let their eyes be darkened so that

they cannot see and make their loins tremble continually. Pour out your indignation upon them and

let your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be a desolation. Let no one dwell in their

tents for they persecute him whom you have struck down and they recount the pain of those whom

you have wounded add to them punishment upon punishment. May they have no acquittal from you.

Let them be blotted out of the book of the living. Let them not be enrolled among the righteous.

So there exist such Psalms which God-inspired that men pray. Step two. There are some situations

in which a man like David in Psalm 69 is right to speak words like these. The situation we know of

is when God moves a Psalmist to pronounce his God's own judgment rather than merely express

personal vindictiveness. This is not a license. These Psalms are not a license to make

damnation pronouncements or desires without a clear evidence that you are speaking for God

and with God from God. That's step two. Step three. We should always approve the righteous

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