May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob protect you!
May he send you help from the sanctuary
and give you support from Zion!
May he remember all your offerings
and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices! Selah
Psalm 20:1-3
David encourages his nation to pray because God answers prayer. This psalm praises God for His salvation, protection, and prayer. It calls us to pray for God’s continued provision for us, delighting in the fact that He always has cared for His people. The psalm opens with four quick prayer requests.
First, there is a prayer for God to give answers when we are in trouble. When we cry out in pain or in perplexity, with questions or needs, we can rest assured that God hears us and is here for us. God loves to work in our pains and difficulties to show His great power and pour out His incredible grace in our time of need.
Secondly, there is a confidence in God’s protection. David prays for God to help us. Just as God protected Jacob from the wrath of his brother Esau, turning a homeless runaway conman and thief into a wealthy herdsman, so will God also protect His people. He made of Jacob twelve tribes who would become a nation. God will prosper those He protects, giving them more of His grace than they ever deserved.
The third request in verse two is for God to send help and support from His holy sanctuary. This links the worship of God to the provision from God that we all need. We find in worship, God’s care. And as He cares for us, we can and should respond in worship to Him.
The final prayer request is in verse three. It is a request for God to see and accept our gifts and our obedience. It shows us that there is a mutual relationship that God enjoys with us. He delights in our worship, in our obedience to His Word, and in our gifts to His service. God hears, answers, loves and rewards us graciously through our prayers.
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