Psalm 20:1-9 NKJV
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer you in the day of trouble;
May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
2 May He send you help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen you out of Zion;
3 May He remember all your offerings,
And accept your burnt sacrifice. Selah
4 May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
And fulfill all your purpose.
5 We will rejoice in your salvation,
And in the name of our God we will 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 strength of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
But we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They have bowed down and fallen;
But we have risen and stand upright.
9 Save, Lord!
May the King answer us when we call.
Martin Luther, in his Summaries of the Psalms (1531), calls Psalm 20 a “psalm of prayer” for those who rule—kings, princes, and all in authority. He says: “The psalm prays that God would grant them grace to rule peacefully and well, having good fortune and victory over their enemies. For wherever good earthly order obtains by the reason and power of governor and princes, people will not so earnestly and heartily pray for them. So that people might pray for them, the psalm declares that only the greatest fool, totally blind, would presume to rule land and people out of his own head.”
Good earthly order is a gift from God, and it is through His grace that leaders can govern peacefully and well. Without God’s guidance, anyone who attempts to rule by their own wisdom alone is, in Luther’s words, “the greatest fool, totally blind.”
As believers, we recognize the importance of praying for our leaders, not just in times of crisis, but as a regular part of our petitions to God. Psalm 20 reminds us that our trust is not in human strength, power, or military might (“chariots” and “horses”), but in the name of the Lord our God. It is God who grants success and delivers His people.
When we pray for our leaders, we ask that God would guide them according to His will, that they might rule justly and peaceably. This is a reflection of the Third Petition of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We pray not for the fulfillment of human ambition, but for God’s righteous rule to prevail through those who govern us.
In these troubled times, let us remember to lift our leaders in prayer, asking God to grant them wisdom, courage, and a heart aligned with His will. And as we do, we place our ultimate trust in the Lord, knowing that He is the one who saves and sustains us.
Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we pray for all who are in positions of authority. Grant them wisdom and grace to rule according to Your will. Help us to trust not in earthly power, but in Your saving strength. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.