By Dr Tamale Sali
“In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm. May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. May he remember all your gifts and look favourably on your burnt offerings.
May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God. May the LORD answer all your prayers.
Now I know that the LORD rescues his anointed king. He will answer him from his holy heaven and rescue him by his great power.
Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God.
Those nations will fall and collapse, but we will rise and stand firm.
Give victory to our king, O LORD! Answer our cry for help” (Psalm 20:1-9).
Introduction
The Book of Psalms is filled with powerful examples of prayer, and Psalm 20 is one of them. In this passage, David prays as an intercessor, asking God to send deliverance before the Israelites went into battle. His prayer ultimately points to Jesus Christ.
Whether we face physical enemies or spiritual battles, as described in Ephesians 6:12, David’s psalm offers valuable lessons on effective intercessory prayer through Christ. Such prayer includes: (1) the name of Jesus, (2) Christ’s atonement, (3) petition, (4) praise, (5) faith, (6) humility, and (7) deliverance through Jesus.
Lord saves His anointed
King David expresses deep confidence that God would answer the prayers of His people. He believed that God would save and deliver the king, His anointed servant.
i. His anointed: In one sense, all the kings of Israel were God’s anointed because they were appointed to office through the literal anointing of oil upon their heads. This outward act symbolised the inward anointing of the Holy Spirit, which was necessary for their calling to lead God’s people. In referring to “His anointed,” David is speaking of himself as king.
ii. His anointed: At the same time, the Israelites understood that an ultimate Anointed One would come, the perfect King of Israel, the Meshiach, the Christ, the Messiah, as foretold in Psalm 2 and other passages. While it was true in David’s day that the Lord saved His anointed king and his people, it is even more fully realised in Jesus Christ, the perfect and eternal Anointed One.
iii. “The verb ‘saves’, from the same root as ‘victorious,’ could also be translated as ‘the LORD gives victory to His anointed.’”
Only God preserves a nation
Verses 6-8 remind us that for as long as nations have possessed armies and weapons, they have taken pride in their military strength. Yet history repeatedly shows that such power is temporary. Great empires and mighty kingdoms have risen to prominence only to disappear with time.
David understood that the true strength of a nation does not lie in its weapons but in its worship; not in human power, but in the power of God. Since God alone can preserve a nation or an individual, our confidence must remain firmly in Him, the One who grants lasting victory.
We should not allow rumours of war, reports of mass killings, or threats of advanced weaponry to shake our faith. Instead, such realities should drive us closer to the source of our hope and confidence, the God who loves us and promises ultimate victory over evil.
In the spiritual battle that every believer faces, the first step towards victory is to renounce confidence in human wisdom and worldly strength. We must remember that we can accomplish nothing apart from Jesus Christ. It is only in His name, through His merits, by His power and for His glory that true victory is won. He is our Lord and our God.
