3 Even from birth the wicked go astray;
from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
4 Their venom is like the venom of a snake,
like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
5 that will not heed the tune of the charmer,
however skillful the enchanter may be. Psalm 58:3-5

The first part of verse three is absolutely true, though in a different sense than what David probably wrote it. We are all sinners from birth. We were all in desperate need of a savior because there was no hope for us.

The interesting thing about what King David writes here is that were it not for the Grace of God in our lives, we would be walking the same path and doing some of the same things. We say we would absolutely never do such and such, but history has proven time and again, if sin is not held “in check”, it only gets larger and more pronounced. Look at society as a whole. In general is it getting better or worse as the years pass?

So, how do you pray for the wicked?

• We can pray as David prayed that God would punish the wicked (Psalm 58:6)
• We can pray for God to punish the wicked (Psalm 5)
• We can pray for protection from the wicked (Psalm 140:1)
• We can pray to be delivered from wicked (2 Thessalonians 3:2)
• We can pray for God to confuse the minds of the wicked (Psalm 55:9-11; Job 5:12)

God ultimately has the ability to influence and change the hearts and minds of the wicked. The apostle Paul is a prime example of this radical change. When Paul (then named Saul) was presiding over Stephen’s stoning (Acts 7:54-60), it’s doubtful the other Believers considered Paul would ever be “one of them.”