Prayer is an amazing weapon of warfare for the Christian, whether we are on the actual battlefield or on our knees at home – or for that matter in a car or at the sink doing dishes. It has been said in some commentaries that this prayer may have been prompted by David’s battle against the Ammonites in 2 Samuel 10. Whatever the battle and the circumstances – before David and his men strategized and fought the fight his people were praying. They prayed for protection and help. They asked for God to remember David’s sacrifices and grant him the success he desired – and they believed God would deliver. Their prayer bears witness to their expectation –
“Then we will shout for joy over your victory; we will rejoice in the name of our God. -”
Psalm 20:5
Not to go all grammar lesson – but don’t miss the plural pronouns in verse-5, “we will shout for joy”, “we will rejoice’, “of our God”. They prayed as a community of faith and it became an encouragement to David. David seems to remember God’s promises of victory and rest from his enemies and responds with an affirmation of his people’s confidence – with a statement of assurance that God will deliver. We can’t miss the reason – and if you will – the lesson he conveys for such confidence. It’s one of my favorite go-to-passages, a life-line so many times in both the big and the small battles of my life[1}. Perhaps, just as they were leaving for battle – maybe, just when the courage of his men was waning – David declares that their victory will come, not because they are stronger or their “weapons” mightier but because they depend on God.
Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the LORD our God[1]. They will fall down but we will stand firm. The LORD will deliver the king; He will answer us when we call to Him for help!
Psalm 20:7-9
What about you? Do you depend on “chariots and horses’, ie ‘money and power’, ‘home and possessions’, ‘friends and family’? Or do you depend on God? Are you praying for our leaders and others – expectantly? Are we preparing to shout for joy when He gives the victory – ready to give Him the honor due His name? These can be daunting questions but if we want to walk in confidence, if we want to be an encouragement to others we must remember wars aren’t just won by the warriors on the battlefields but by those who pray. This is how we gain the victory and find ourselves standing firm when the battle ceases!
Me – from the Insideout