Lord, I cry out to You; make haste to me! Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You. Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips. Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men who work iniquity; and do not let me eat of their delicacies. Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it. For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked. --- Psalm 141:1-5
It seems there are two main things which dominate the news media -- the antics of political candidates as we come down the home stretch of primary elections and the "pain at the pump" which millions of U. S. citizens are experiencing as they never have before -- recent headlines mentioned gasoline hitting over $4 a gallon in a couple of metropolitan areas -- but even as this is being written, it has likely surged over that figure in many other places as well, and if it hasn't already, it will in the near future -- like maybe tomorrow?
Finger pointing as to who is to blame and accusations directed mainly toward elected officials for failure to do anything about this "crisis" are spreading faster than the dreaded Bubonic plague of the middle ages!
It is rather certain that there are influential persons somewhere who have the power and position to manipulate situations in the world of finance and market activity. While it may be possible to identify some and the companies of which they are a part, it really is not all that important that we be able to do so.
And here's why -- Almighty God knows who they are and the gods to which they do homage -- in many cases, the idol dominating them is best summed up in the word, "money!" This disease of the spirit is not limited to petroleum -- it is rampant in many other areas as well in the ruthless corporate world of business and finance.
Can we do anything more than whine and complain, or as some choose to do -- curse them also?
Yes -- we do have a powerful weapon at our disposal -- it is called prayer and it can used for much more than asking for some kind of blessing, which is about as far as some go with it!
Quite specifically, it is legitimate to pray against the deeds of the wicked as mentioned in Psalm 141 which is quoted above. Greed is wickedness -- manipulating financial circumstances so that you can profit excessively at the expense of others who will be plunged into unreasonable hardship because of your actions is an abomination to a holy God!
So pray that God will return upon the heads of those guilty of fostering these conditions the fruit of their greedy actions! This very second God knows who they are, where they are and what they are doing to accumulate excessive wealth at the expense of the poor! By the way, this thing of God visiting upon the heads or returning upon the heads of certain persons the fruit of their doings is noted in the Scripture. So, not just in the petroleum industry but in others as well, there is a need to pray against those who are not acting ethically, honestly, reasonably and fairly in their way of doing business for the enhancement of the human race!
Paul hinted at such an approach when he referred to a man by the name of Alexander. This is what he said about this man:
Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. --- 2 Timothy 4:14
So the time is now for us to pray that God will repay those who are driven in their greedy quest and manipulating market conditions with the result of making what many would agree are "obscene profits" while at the same time bringing increased hardship into the lives of those who have very limited resources to begin with!
As for me and my house, we will continue to pray against the deeds of the wicked. Will you join us in this unique way of waging war against evil and all who are a part of it in today's confused world? Pray for a special "visitation" upon certain people who by their financial scheming, plotting and manipulating are increasing by large measure the suffering of millions!
P.S. For some reason I feel especially moved to pray as mentioned above each time I lift the nozzle at the gas pump and put a few quarts into the gas tank. I think especially of those who are responsible for this insanity -- I don't know their names, but God does -- and that makes a difference!
I have seen the wicked in great power, And spreading himself like a native green tree. Yet he passed away, and behold, he was no more; indeed I sought him, but he could not be found. --- Psalm 37:35, 36
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