This is the fifth prayer in the prayer acrostic, P.O.W.E.R.
The left navigation arrow (<) and right navigation arrow (>) above will take you through all of the prayers in POWER.
R: Lord, I humbly ask you Rebuke those who sin!
- "8 Yet in the same way, these also in their dreaming defile the flesh, despise authority, and slander celestial beings. 9 But Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil and arguing about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him an abusive condemnation, but said, 'May the Lord rebuke you!'" (Jude 1:8-9).
Prayerful Observations:
We are not to pronounce abusive condemnations against those who do evil. This applies to the highest degree of evil, even to Satan himself. Even Satan is not a justifiable target of our insults. Though we will eventually judge the world and angels, we will judge under the authority of Christ as we sit with Him on His throne, by His grace. (See subchapter 6.2 titled "Rule the Earth".) So tirades are prohibited entirely.
Those in verse 8 despised authority and spoke slanderously. But we are to acknowledge that we are under authority, and respond accordingly. So, Michael appealed to God to rebuke Satan. He said, "May the Lord rebuke you! This is a model of prayer for us to imitate. It is called a prayer of humble rebuke. This is a prayer for demolishing strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).
When we observe others committing sin, instead of going on a tirade at or about them, we should ask God to rebuke them. We may be uncertain as to whether the person is sinning in their heart or not. The prayer of humble rebuke is still appropriate. God, who knows their hearts perfectly, can rebuke them in their spirit perfectly. This applies to politicians, employers, family members, acquaintances and preachers who preach falsehood. It is our role to make a humble request to the King, not to grumble and complain, either silently or publicly.
"May the Lord rebuke you" may sound like a strange way to ask God to do something. You may be wondering whether this is a wish or a request. I believe that it is a request for two reasons: 1) Michael was looking at the face of God when he made that statement. 2) "May the Lord" is a form used when making a request to a sovereign in the third person. I will explain both points in order.
1) Unlike we humans living on the earth, angels live in the continual visual presence of God. In Matthew 18:10 Jesus said: "See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." So, when Michael is talking with Satan, he sees the face of Satan and the face of God at the same time. Therefore, as Michael said, "May the Lord rebuke you!" he was looking at the face of God.
2) Out of great respect and reverence, a request to an authority may be made in the third person. Esther 5:3-4 provides an example of this:
- "Then the king asked her, "What would you like, queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given you even to the half of the kingdom."4 Esther said, "If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."
Now the king was her husband. His name was Ahasuerus. But she didn't say "Ahasuerus, please come to my banquet". She said, "If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him." Her request was made directly to "the king" but in the third person. She called him "the king". Her words of invitation were in the form "let the king come". While making a request directly to her husband, she called him "him" instead of "you". She described the banquet as "the banquet that I have prepared for him".
So, Michael's words "May the Lord rebuke" is in the same form as Esther's "let the king come". Both statements are phrased as a request presented to a sovereign, in the third person.
In summary:
When we observe anyone committing sin, instead of going on a tirade at or about them, we should ask God to rebuke them. I even pray this prayer for myself. If I am unsure as to whether I am pleasing the Lord or not, I will pray the prayer of humble rebuke. I will ask Him to rebuke me in my spirit, if I am not pleasing him.To see all five prayers in the prayer acronym, POWER, click here.
To see nine different prayer acronyms, click here.