5 Psalms to pray against enemies (Psalms verses about praying against enemies)

At one point in my life, I grappled with the challenge of dealing with enemies and didn’t know how to address the issue. Drawing from my background in theology and deep understanding of the Bible, I found verses that helped me navigate the situation.

Recently, during one of my Bible study sessions, one of the members asked me for verses in the book of Psalms about praying against enemies.

I was more than happy to help because I was well-equipped with knowledge from my experience and decided to write this article to help anyone in the same boat.

5 Psalms to read to pray against your enemies

PSALM 59

“Deliver me from my enemies, O God; be my fortress against those who are attacking me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from those who are after my blood. See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men conspire against me for no offense or sin of mine, Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me.”

David is praying to God to protect him from the soldiers Saul had sent to kill him. He declares that the Lord is his refuge and his place of safety. Recite this prayer when you feel incapable of battling your adversaries alone.

PSALM 18

“I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies. The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears.”

This Psalm is David’s song of thanksgiving after God rescued him from Saul and all his other enemies. He rejoices because the Lord heard his cry of distress and helped him. This Psalm gives us hope that when we cry to the Lord for protection, He will listen to our plea.

PSALM 27

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.”

The Psalmist proclaims that because the Lord is his fortress, he is confident that he has no reason to be afraid. The Bible tells us to wait bravely and patiently on the Lord and hold our heads high even in the presence of our enemies.

PSALM 4

“Answer me when I call to you, my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; have mercy on me and hear my prayer. How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Know that the Lord has set apart his faithful servant for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.”

The Psalmist declares that he can lay down and rest in peace because the Lord will protect him. This is a personal prayer against his enemies. Psalm 4 teaches us that we can remain peaceful after committing our burdens to the Lord.

PSALM 35

“Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take up shield and armor; arise and come to my aid. Brandish spear and javelin against those who pursue me. Say to me, ‘I am your salvation.’ May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plot my ruin be turned back in dismay.”

Psalm 35 is a prayer by David to the Lord to fight his opponents because they fault him for his innocence. When you feel like people are against you, pray this prayer even if you’ve done nothing wrong because David is certain that he will rejoice afterward with the Lord’s help.

How to use Psalms to pray against your enemies?

When using the Psalms to pray against their enemies, many Christians follow this method: they start by identifying specific verses that resonate with their needs, read the Psalm, write it down, meditate, and use the Psalm as their prayer, then memorize it for future reference.

Some theologians choose to quote the Psalms in their prayers. They base this on the fact that Jesus also quotes the book of Psalms in prayer, as seen in Matthew 27:46 when Jesus cried out to the Lord, asking why He had forsaken Him.

Jesus refers to  Psalm 22:1, where David laments, asking God why he had forsaken Israel.

How to use these Psalms to ask God for protection against your enemies?

According to many theologians, it is advisable to identify the specific Psalms majoring in protection against enemies, such as Psalm 64, where David asks God to listen to his complaints and protect his life from the threats of his enemies.

Use your selected Psalm as a prayer, or quote it in prayer; then believe and wait in confidence for the Lord’s protection.

Their basis is Psalm 27, where David says he is confident that he will see the Lord’s goodness. In this chapter, the Bible also tells us to wait patiently and courageously for the Lord and He will protect us from any harmful encounters that may come our way.

Can you use these Psalms to pray against spiritual enemies?

Some theologians refer to these prayers against spiritual enemies as imprecatory prayers and argue that they can be used to imprecate because David was seen doing so in the Bible. 

You can use Psalms of David, such as Psalm 7,  Psalm 109, Psalm 139, Psalm 59, Psalm 58, Psalm 55, Psalm 35, and Psalm 69, and others by other Psalmists, such as Psalm 79 and Psalm 137, to pray against spiritual enemies. 

Many theologians argue that these imprecatory prayers should only be recited against spiritual enemies and are unjustifiable to use against humans because it involves taking them out of context.

Theologians support this argument with Ephesians 6:12, which says that we are fighting against rulers of the unseen world and not flesh-and-blood enemies.