Psalm 20 — Prayer for Others

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David

1 The LORD answer thee in the day of trouble;
The name of the God of Jacob set thee up on high;
2 Send thee help from the sanctuary,
And strengthen thee out of Zion;
3 Remember all thy offerings,
And accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah
4 Grant thee thy heart's desire,
And fulfill all thy counsel.
5 We will triumph in thy salvation,
And in the name of our God we will set up our banners:
The LORD fulfill all thy petitions.
6 Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed;
He wilt 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 make mention of the name of the LORD our God.
8 They are bowed down and fallen:
But we are risen, and stand upright.
9 Save, LORD:
Let the King answer us when we call.

With Psalm 20 we are given a prayer and a blessing for our sisters and brothers. We, in our praise of God's gifts & power, petition that his blessings are bestowed on another. For our relationship is not with God alone, but also with our fellow man, made in God's image.

That we are all in the image of God lifts us all to the same level. Consequently, if you are proud, this is your moment to realize you're down here with the rest of us! Made in God's image, every person you meet is the personal creation of God and, like you, needs the blessings and love of God!

And so, with this psalm, we're given great words for our prayer. We pray that God will lift our fellow man up. We pray that help from his sanctuary will indeed help our sisters. We pray that he will remember the sacrifices made by our brothers.

Too much of the time is spent thinking of our own needs & fears. The world is full of turmoil and tyranny! Pray for your sisters and brothers, both near and far. Trust not in chariots and tanks, but in the name of the LORD our God.