A Prayer for Strength and Favor

“O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set You before them.  But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.  Turn to me and be gracious to me; give Your strength to Your servant, and save the son of Your maidservant.  Show me a sign of Your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.” Psalm 118:14-17 (ESV) [Read Psalm 86]

Psalm 86, attributed to David, is a prayer when, as he states in verse 14, “insolent men have risen up against me.”  A personal lament, the Psalm has much to teach us about dependence on God in trying situations. In three movements, verses 1-7 summarized, pleads, “Save Your servant who trusts in You” (v. 2).  The second movement, verses 8-13, is adoration and praise to the One true God who has shown covenant kindness and steadfast love to His servant.  And in the focus verses, 14-17, is a prayer for protection and deliverance from “insolent men…who seek his life.” The psalm is an earnest prayer of a needy leader.  “To you, O Lord, do I cry all the day…to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul” (verses 3 and 4).  David, as we know, did not always live a life of perfection and sinlessness.  But his relationship with God was one of repentance, return, restoration and reliance.  I like to think that David may have had times when he did spend a whole day in prayer.  But his life seems to indicate, too, that he prayed as he worked.  Can you not see this ruler of Israel, the one who is still held in honor as a good and upright king, as one who turned to God when major decisions of leadership were pending and when he faced crisis after crisis as a ruler?  Note what a sincere prayer for leadership is voiced in verse 11: “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”  Even though David recognizes that he has enemies within and without the nation, “insolent men…and ruthless” who seek to do him harm, he is, nevertheless, after pouring out his heart to God, assured of God’s mercy…steadfast love…and graciousness” (v. 18).  David ends the psalm by praying for a sign from God that those who seek to do him harm will be put to shame.  We recall how Gideon earlier prayed for a sign of God’s favor and he was shown the sign of the fleece (Judges &:36-40).  At a time when David felt very vulnerable, this psalm, his sincere plea to God, declares definitively that God’s covenant is secure, that God’s character is unchanging, and that God’s glory will prevail.

Do you wonder why in our present day our government leaders so often fail to acknowledge dependence on God?  They hide behind the excuse of “political correctness” and the fear that they might offend some who do not believe in God’s power and sovereignty.  In not acknowledging a dependence on God, they weaken their leadership and make our nation as one of the many in the world with no consideration of that nation’s mission in the destiny of men and nations.  David wanted his deliverance as the ruler of Israel to bring glory to God and to be a sign among the other nations that Jehovah God alone was the one true God.  To David, it was not just winning the battle against the bands of insolent men that sought to destroy him.  To be saved from their plots and intrigue would be a “sign” of the goodness and sovereignty of God.  When our leaders are not afraid to acknowledge their dependence on God, and when we as citizens of our nation, likewise honor God, we can be assured that God hears and answers our prayers.

Prayer.  God, give us godly leaders who are not afraid to seek and acknowledge Your sovereignty and leadership.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.