When reading this Psalm I chuckled, thinking that it was incredible that over 2500 years ago, someone actually prayed for ME! This Psalm is a song or prayer for the king as he goes out to battle. I am in a battle every day against the enemy of my soul and the principle in this prayer seem so current and applicable to my life. Watch the video version here:

Psalm 20

Audio links are to the right (Spotify and iTunes).

Here is the transcript I used for today’s podcast:

Psalm 20

A Prayer for the King, a Prayer for Me

This Psalm is, apparently, a prayer for the King as he goes out to battle. It could as easily be a prayer for us who are in the battle every day. We battle an enemy that would consume and destroy us if he could. 

A military campaign isn’t ALL battle. There are times of inactivity or simple activity i.e. marching to the next assignment between times of battle. Isn’t that how our lives are? Times of peace interrupted by a battle or struggle. Times of preparation that are tested by an enemy. When we are tested and in distress, this Psalm is of service.

Though there is no specific instruction for me in this Psalm, there are  some principles I can put some thought to.

The Value in a Name

1 May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
    may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.

2 May he send you help from the sanctuary
    and grant you support from Zion.

When I was newly graduated from High school, i got a job at the local pulp mill solely on the reputation of my father. My father’s name had come cache at the mill and the reputation attached to his name was all I needed.

Our Heavenly Father’s name carries influence as well, and His Name and all protection that Name implies is ultimately all we need to enter into glory when He calls us home.

The form this protection takes? It’s not specifically mentioned, but in light of the fact that the Psalmist says this protection prayed for in verse 1 will be coming from Heaven (alluded to in 2b), it is safe to assume that the reference is to Angela, and His Spirit.

The Value in Worship

3 May he remember all your sacrifices
    and accept your burnt offerings.

God’s favor was sought by means of the “sacrifices” and “burnt offerings.” The Israelite practice of presenting sacrifices and offerings before a military campaign was an act of devotion and submission to the Lord (1Sa 7:9-10; 13:9-12). Their purpose was not primarily to atone for sin but to seek God’s favor and to consecrate oneself for war. The sacrifices and burnt offerings of the Israelites  represent our day-to-day activities of worship that focus our hearts and minds on the things of the Lord in order that we be prepared for the battle(s) that are coming.

The New Testament equivalent to this might be found in the 6th chapter of Ephesians where Paul speaks of the armor of God which we are to adorn ourselves with.  Prayer, our faith, our salvation – these and other attributes are important in our defense against the enemy of our souls.These worship activities are not “one-offs”, things you do just before a battle like they are a magic charm. These activities are on-going, never-ending things. Reading and meditating on the Word, praying, loving God, and loving our neighbors – these things should be our lifestyle, not occasional activities. Soldiers are continually preparing and training – especially during times of peace.

The Value of our Spiritual Legacy

4 May he give you the desire of your heart
    and make all your plans succeed.

5 May we shout for joy over your victory
    and lift up our banners in the name of our God.

May the Lord grant all your requests.

The Psalmist is drawing a picture here of a constituency who has a vested interest in the King’s victory. If the king loses, they lose. The application I see here is that each one of us has a constituency that looks to us and is depending on us to be victorious in our lives. Our victory is their blessing. As believers, we have a responsibility to those within our circle to be strong in our faith.

This Psalm is indeed a prayer for the King of Israel, but it is a prayer for me, as well.

Some Trust in Chariots

This is the confession of a true Believer.

6 Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.

When is the victory? I truly don’t know. But victory is assured. If we adopt the eternal perspective, realizing that 10,000 years from now our current suffering will be just a speck in our memory, will it have mattered WHEN that victory was realized?

7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

Trusting in the world and its culture may bring what appears to be victory for the world and its causes, but on the other side of death’s curtains, where it REALLY matters things will be radically different. My trust is in His Name and all that Name implies.

When I lost my engineering position in a Satellite company and subsequently went through bankruptcy, I was drawn to two names used for God – Jehovah Jireh “my provider” and El Roi “The God Who Sees”. Over the two years since losing my job as an engineer – as I worked through paying off my bankruptcy – I saw God’s provision for me again and again. I became more and more convinced that I was not alone – that God truly DID see me. I was trusting in the Name of the Lord. Just as my dad’s influence got me my first job at that Pulp Mill, my heavenly Father’s influence was brought to bear as I struggled through those first few years.

8 They are brought to their knees and fall,
    but we rise up and stand firm.

We win.

9 Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us when we call!

Blessings!

Paige