Psalm 20:1-9
1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble! May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion! 3 May he remember all your offerings and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
4 May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans! 5 May we shout for joy over your salvation, and in the name of our God set up our banners! May the LORD fulfill all your petitions!
6 Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with the saving might of his right hand. 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. 8 They collapse and fall, but we rise and stand upright. 9 O LORD, save the king! May he answer us when we call. (ESV)
King David prays for:
- The Provision of God’s Protection
a. A Prayer for God’s protection in the times of trouble, which comes with the territory of being mortal. The troubles we face is because of sin that entered the sin when Adam and Eve sinned. God is sovereign over and present in our troubles (Psalm 23; Rom. 8:28). Jesus says in John 16:33 that He has overcome the world.
b. Prayer to the God of Jacob. It held true for David, and it will also hold true for us. - The Place of God’s Presence
a. God’s salvation – He will send His help.
b. God’s sanctuary – not a physical building but the hearts of His people.
You cannot pray to Him if He is not in Your heart (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We must glorify God in our bodies. - The Prerequisites of God’s Power
The King’s offering and sacrifice are to be the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. The prerequisites are a broken and a contrite heart (Rom 12:1-2). - The Provision of God’s Power
a. The King’s appeal to God:
(i) His desires,
(ii) His designs (plans for his kingdom, Prov. 16:3),
(iii) His deliverance from his enemies,
(iv) His dominance (his banner). The banner of the Christian faith is Lord Jesus Christ Himself (Phil 2:9-11; 1 John 5:13-15).
(v) His demands.
b. The King’s assurance in God.
He has a faith that knows and trusts, which lead to him prevailing.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our offering and sacrifice whom we believe and trust. It is what He has done that prevails.