Read
(A psalm by David for the music leader.)
A Prayer for Victory
1I pray that the Lord
will listen when you
are in trouble,
and that the God of Jacob
will keep you safe.
2May the Lord send help
from his temple
and come to your rescue
from Mount Zion.
3May he remember your gifts
and be pleased
with what you bring.
4May God do what you want most
and let all go well for you.
5Then you will win victories,
and we will celebrate,
while raising our banners
in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer
all your prayers!
6I am certain, Lord,
that you will help
your chosen king.
You will answer my prayers
from your holy place
in heaven,
and you will save me
with your mighty arm.
7Some people trust the power
of chariots or horses,
but we trust you, Lord God.
8Others will stumble and fall,
but we will be strong
and stand firm.
9Give the king victory, Lord,
and answer our prayers.
Reflect
It’s natural to hum God Save the King when Psalm 20 is read. The prayer – written by King David for King David – was offered up so often at the outset of battles that it became a national anthem. It expresses the petitions of Israel’s soldiers and citizens, who ask God to grant victory to their king.
Psalm 20 places certain demands on present-day readers. It asks us to examine, first, how we respond to crises. King David was almost constantly at war. We might expect that he would leave matters of worship to the Priests and Levites. And yet, prayer seems to pour out of him. One writer notes that David places more confidence in worship than in weaponry. Can the same be said of us?
This psalm also challenges us to pray for our leaders. Do we roll our eyes at their failures, or do we bring them before God with a Psalm 20-like fervency?
Finally, this passage asks us to consider what we pray for. At first glance, the petitions seem self-centered. But in the ESV translation, the words “salvation” and “save” appear three times (vv 5, 6, 9). The people of Israel pray so confidently because they know they receive God’s blessings as part of his larger plan to bring salvation to all the nations (Genesis 12:2-3).
“May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!” (v 4). Such a prayer only makes sense if the one for whom it is prayed is a person after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). How might we become those kinds of people? Psalm 20 gives us a place to begin. Respond to crises with worship. Pray for our leaders. Align the desires of our heart with God’s unfolding plan of salvation. And trust not in our own power and resources, but in the Lord (v 7).
Respond
Almighty God. Help me delight myself in you so thoroughly that I can trust the desires of my heart. Help me to be a person of prayer. I lift up my nation and its leaders to you. I lift up the world to you. Do what no technology or power or strategy can do – save us. Amen.
Carolyn Arends
Carolyn Arends (MA, Theological Studies, Regent College), has released 12 award-winning albums and 3 critically-acclaimed books. Her prose has been recognized by The Word Guild, The Evangelical Press Association, and the Canadian Church Press. Carolyn is currently the Director of Education for Renovaré, a far-reaching organization that encourages and nurtures spiritual renewal. She continues to be available on a select basis for speaking, retreat facilitation, concerts, worship leading and songwriting and performance seminars. She lives in Surrey, BC with her husband Mark and their two children. Book Releases 2012 Theology in Aisle 7 (CTE Books) 2008 Wrestling With Angels (Harvest House/ConversantLife)* Album Releases 2014 Christmas: The Story of Stories (2B Records), 2009 Love Was Here First (2B Records/Signpost Music).