Get the appPsalms 1-30 Book Study - TheStorySample
God Save the King!
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-centred. But in the ESV translation, the words “salvation” and “save” appear three times (verses 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 give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” (verse 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 (verse 7).
Respond in Prayer
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
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®).
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About this Plan
The Psalms express every emotion - joy, grief, anger, fear, hope - with honesty that gives us permission to come to God just as we are. In this 30-day plan, you’ll walk with the psalmists through trouble, betrayal, and praise. Their words remind us that God welcomes our questions and pain - and meets us with love, forgiveness, and faithfulness. As you read, may your relationship with God deepen. May your heart be renewed. And may praise rise, even in the storm.
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We would like to thank Scripture Union Canada for providing this plan. For more information, please visit: https://scriptureunion.ca/find-your-bible-guide/
